Today!
The Autumn Players
Chagall and Mrs. Belmont
By C. Robert Jones
Directed by Deborah Austin
Sunday, December 8,
2:30 p.m.
OLLI at UNC Asheville's Reuter Center
Manheimer Room
September 1964, New York City: Former actress and now very wealthy Mrs. Belmont hopes to persuade Marc Chagall to paint the murals for the new Metropolitan Opera House. During their conversation, Chagall reveals the struggles of having been a Jew in Russia, France, and the United States during two world wars and beyond. This beautiful play explores a love of theater and music,and what an artist feels about his or her own work.
Tickets for this special presentation are $10 at the door.
The Autumn Players (affiliated with Asheville Community Theatre) is a troupe of seasoned actors dedicated to taking the theatre experience into the community. Their words jump from the page with conviction and emotion, and these actors make their stories come to life. Watch for a list of their productions in 2020!
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Meditation
Special Interest Group
Special
Holiday Gathering
Tuesday, December 10, 4:45 p.m.
Odyssey Community School,
90 Zillicoa Street, Asheville
Please note special day, time and place and see directions at the bottom of this notice
River Guerguerian will orchestrate a Sound Immersion for our group. Sound meditations relax the body and promote deep meditative and rejuvenating states. While reclining or sitting and breathing slowly, your body is immersed in a bath of sound as River plays his singing bowls, gongs, shakers, handpans, and frame drums.
 River Guerguerian, Music Director of the Odyssey Community School, and Artistic Director of Asheville Rhythm, is a multi percussionist/ composer/educator. Read more about River at www.ShareTheDrum.com
This will be our only meeting in December. Due to limited space only OLLI members are invited. Donations are requested to support River 's educational work.
* Please note special time and location of meeting:
Odyssey Community School, 90 Zillicoa Street, River's studio is in the basement. Parking can be found on the street or around the backside of the tennis courts. Please arrive between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m.
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 Mentor a UNC Asheville International Student
Each year UNC Asheville hosts several foreign students for one semester or full year studies. OLLI members will have opportunities to mentor a student here now or coming in the Spring Term. The mentoring experience can be what the student and OLLI member (you) would like it to be. Show the student the great town we live in, have them for dinner on holiday break, help get them somewhere they need to go, or help with something academic. As the OLLI mentor, enjoy learning about the student's country, language and culture!
A 'Meet and Greet' is being planned for mid-January.
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OLLI VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
MANNA Food Bank
Working to end hunger and food insecurity in WNC
Veterans Restoration Quarters
Help Restore the Lives of Homeless Vets
Asheville Terrace Apartments Food Pantry
Provide On-Site Food Pantry Support
VOLUNTEER NOW...
Make A Difference!
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The Forum
Special Interest Group (SIG)
Friday, December 13, 1 - 3 p.m.
UNC Asheville's Reuter Center,
Room 205
Topic: Pros & Cons
of the Wealth Tax
Upcoming Topic:
*
Dec. 20
- What Can Be Done to Reestablish the Balance of Power Among the Three
Branches of Government?
The weekly Forum encourages a free-flowing dialogue designed to enrich and expand participants' thinking on a wide variety of topics; the group frequently focuses on current events. All OLLI members are welcome to attend.
SIG Contact: Beth Johnson johnson1ea@earthlink.net
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R2S Reading Tutor Training
The Read2Succeed Winter Training schedule for 2020 is here! Read To Succeed Asheville/ Buncombe is a local non-profit and our mission is
"to inspire and teach children to read."
They need caring individuals who are interested in supporting the children in our community. They train volunteers to become reading tutors for K-3rd grade students. Tutors spend one hour, one to two days a week, throughout the school year.
julie.claywell@r2sasheville.org
828-767-0943
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Men's Wisdom Works
Special Interest Group
Each of MWW's 16 groups is comprised of 8-12 men.
Groups meet at various times and places twice a month for two hours to discuss issues of personal importance.
Groups socialize over breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and other social activities.
Men on the waiting list will either be added to existing groups, or we will form a new group if numbers suffice.
To learn more or to sign up on our wait list contact: Roger Gilmore at: rlg455@hotmail.com
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CREW helps those considering relocation in retirement examine all their options carefully and make an informed decision about this major life transition.
For more information, please contact Hannah at hfurgiue@unca.edu or 828-250-3871
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Dear OLLI Members,
Asheville offers us many difficult choices with so many events to attend. Today you can attend a special performance by The Autumn Players or the Blue Ridge Orchestra, both offered on the UNC Asheville campus. Next week the Asheville Community Band will perform a holiday concert, also at Lipinsky Auditorium. And don't forget that the Reuter Center Singers will be performing a holiday concert on Monday, December 9. Aren't we lucky to be surrounded by so much talent?
We are so grateful for the instructors who bring such talent and enthusiasm and offer such excellent courses. If you are an instructor or are considering teaching, we are offering some instruction in the use of PowerPoint; please see the newsletter for the opportunity to sign up. We also encourage you to join one of our 11 curriculum committees to help recruit and support instructors and to build the robust curriculum that enriches so many people.
There are still course openings available if you wish to register for the first time or if you wish to add courses
using our online registration system. Please remember to contact us at olli@unca.edu or phone us at 828.251.6140 if you wish to drop a course. A number of our courses have wait lists, so if you notify us that you cannot attend you open a seat for another OLLI member.
Many thanks to all of the OLLI members who contributed so generously to our participation in UNC Asheville's Giving Tuesday campaign. As a department of UNC Asheville we work closely with the university's advancement office, but rest assured that when you designate your contribution to OLLI the funds come directly to us, in this case to purchase equipment to stream lectures and presentations for those who might no longer be able to attend our programs and to help us manage overflow for events in the Manheimer Room by streaming events to other rooms. You may still contribute to this effort (we will update you soon on our progress to our $25,000 goal as we total up recent contributions) and include OLLI in your year-end giving.
We are clearing out our Lost and Found drawer. Please drop by before December 13 if you are missing something.
We are truly thankful for the wonderful community we create together,
Catherine Frank
Executive Director
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Blue Ridge Orchestra Holiday Concert
Revels! 2019: A Traditional Favorite
Sunday, December 8, 3 p.m.
UNC Asheville's Lipinsky Auditorium
Music Director, Milton Crotts will lead the 60-person community orchestra in playing both popular and classic seasonal favorites. Local soprano Megan McConnell will be the featured singer throughout the afternoon.
The program includes selections from Vaughan Williams's
Fantasia on Christmas Carols and the
Pie Jesu from Gabriel Fauré's
Requiem. The wind section will perform Gustav Holst's
Choral Fantasy On Old Carols and Ottorino Respighi's
Adoration of the Magi. The full orchestra will play
A Canadian Brass Christmas and Leonard Bernstein's
Overture to Candide. A special Celtic treat,
Winter, Fire, and Snow, will be sung by Ms. McConnell then the whole ensemble will close it out with a rousing rendition of Pops Hoedown and Leroy Anderson's
Sleigh Ride.
General Admission $15; BRO Friends $10; Students $5. Tickets and information available at www.blueridgeorchestra.org or call 828.782.3354.
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Reuter Center Singers Holiday Concert
Monday, December 9, 7 p.m.
UNC Asheville's Reuter Center Manheimer Room
The Reuter Center Singers, OLLI's in-house choral group directed by Chuck Taft, will perform classical and popular holiday songs.
In this very special holiday concert, enjoy and sing along with traditional carols. Light refreshments follow.
The performance is free, but donations are welcome.
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Read about the Reuter Center Singers
Tunes of Diversity: Our Singers Enrich the Harmonies of Asheville
by Carol Greenman
2019 has gifted the Asheville community with our twenty-first year of performances by the Reuter Center Singers. The Singers are a resource of cultural enrichment to OLLI and UNC Asheville, as well as to Asheville neighborhoods at large.
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 College for Seniors PowerPoint Workshops
Beginning and Intermediate Level
Tuesdays,
December 10 and 17,
10 a.m.-noon
The Reuter Center
Come Brush up on Your Presentation Skills
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Lost & Found Clean Out!
Missing a coffee mug? Can't find that particular pair of glasses? Come check our lost and found before Friday, December 13, 5 p.m. to claim missing items.
All unclaimed items will be donated to Goodwill after
December 13
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 Asheville Community Band
Annual Holiday Concert
Sunday, December 15,
3:30 p.m.
UNC Asheville's
Lipinsky Auditorium
This concert will include family-friendly pieces that are staples of the holidays, such as "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson, "White Christmas," "Chanukah Celebration," and many more. The concert will include an appearance from Fairview Elementary's Children's chorus composed of 4th and 5th grade children, who will be singing with the band as well as be performing some pieces of their own.
Click here for a link for driving directions!
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Winter 2020 Registration Reminders
Using OLLI's online registration system you may add yourself to courses with openings and add yourself to waitlists. You may continue to add and drop courses until the second class in most classes.
If you wish to drop a course
, please send an email to olli@unca.edu giving us your name and the name of the course or courses you wish to drop. You may also call us at 828.251.6140. If you call, please leave your name, phone number and the title of the couse you wish to drop. If you are not able or do not wish to attend a course, please notify us that you wish to drop. We had many courses with waitlists, and taking a few minutes to drop may mean another member is able to attend.
Remember that
the last day for a full refund is Friday, January 10, 3 p.m.
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 Important Dates for OLLI's Winter 2020
College for Senior Registration
- Friday, December 20, 5 p.m. through Thursday, January 2, 8 a.m. OLLI and the Reuter Center closed for Winter Holidays. We will not be processing online registrations or payments at this time.
- Friday, January 10, 2020, 3 p.m.: Last day to drop CFS courses for a full refund
- Monday, January 13, 9 a.m.: Winter 2020 CFS courses begin
- Monday, February 24: Last day of Winter 2020 CFS courses
- Monday, February 17, 10 a.m. through Monday, February 24, noon: Spring 2020 Registration
- Monday, March 23-Friday, May 15: College for Seniors Spring 2020 courses
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How Does College for Seniors consider courses?
Through the eleven curriculum committees
Would you consider volunteering?
Let us know!
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History Book SIG
Friday, December 20, 1 p.m.
UNC Asheville's Reuter Center Room 120
The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queen Who Made England
by Dan Jones
The first Plantagenet king inherited a blood-soaked kingdom from the Normans and transformed it into an empire that stretched at its peak from Scotland to Jerusalem. In this epic history, Dan Jones vividly resurrects this fierce and seductive royal dynasty and its mythic world.
We meet the captivating Eleanor of Aquitaine, twice queen and the most famous woman in Christendom; her son, Richard the Lionheart, who fought Saladin in the Third Crusade; and King John, a tyrant who was forced to sign Magna Carta, which formed the basis of our own Bill of Rights.
"This is the era of chivalry, of Robin Hood and the Knights Templar, the Black Death, the founding of Parliament, the Black Prince, and the Hundred Year's War. It will appeal as much to readers of Tudor history as to fans of 'Game of Thrones.'"
Goodreads Review
Come join the fun to share beloved books, engage in discussion, and connect with other OLLI members whose favorite subject is history!
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New Member Welcome
Friday, January 10, 10 a.m.
UNC Asheville's Reuter Center Manheimer Room 102
Are you new to OLLI at UNC Asheville and the Reuter Center?
Are you returning after being gone awhile?
Do you just want to know a little more about "how OLLI works"? Come to the New
Member Welcome to learn about all that OLLI has to offer and
about ways to get involved. Meet other members and learn
what it means to "grow through life."
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Please join OLLIChat, the replacement for OLLITalk.
It's free and easy to use.
OLLIChat is an online community where OLLI at UNC Asheville
members may share information of common interest with each other. It is designed to look and function like the old OLLITalk.
To get started, send an email to
OLLIChatAVL@gmail.com, and the OLLIChat volunteers will send you an invitation.
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The Asheville Art Museum and UNC Asheville Launch Student Membership Initiative and Educator Memberships as Part of Grand Re-Opening Celebration
Beginning January 1, 2020, UNC Asheville faculty and staff, as well as members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, are eligible for discounted Museum memberships for educators and seniors for $50 annually.
CLICK HERE to read more!
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