OLLILife
A community of learners over 50
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December 2021 | Vol 2, No. 2 |
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Happy Holidays - Ready or Not!
I see signs everywhere of people being so ready this year for the chance to venture cautiously back toward holiday celebrations. I haven't heard even one person criticizing the displays of decorations and lights before Thanksgiving this year!
This December many people will feel a special gratitude for being together with loved ones for the first time in a year or two. But many others will feel the sadness of not having the important human sense of belonging. As seniors, our chances of losing important people in our lives and of losing abilities we once had can hurt our sense of belonging.
Over the years, OLLI has helped lots of people with that. I have been told by several members that OLLI was a "lifesaver" for them. This holiday season, we can each do something to help someone who is hurting. I want to share this message from the New York Times with you:
“Though the pandemic has increased tensions within families, it has created an opening. Now more than ever people are recognizing the importance of being together, and how precious and fleeting life can be. Keeping these blessings in mind might inspire us to lead with love this holiday season.”
Exciting OLLI News
At OLLI, the staff, faculty and many volunteers are working toward our Winter-Spring term of January through April, which always has the most courses of the year. You will find many more in-person classes and also some “hybrids” which give you a choice of meeting either in person or online.
I’m excited about the great lineup of courses and lectures! You can see them online at www.usfseniors.org starting December 3, and start registering for them December 13.
The popular OLLI Bird registration price discount offered last term will be repeated in Winter-Spring, and this time you will have a whole month to receive the discount – the last day will be January 13.
In other news, you may not know that the University of South Florida has control over some aspects of our OLLI because we are based there. We are watching with interest the big new development that both USF's president and provost are stepping down at essentially the same time. National searches are going on to replace these important leaders who can affect some of our activities.
As always, if you find something you think would be interesting to your fellow OLLI members, please share it with Mary Ettinger by sending an email to ollinewsusf@gmail.com.
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You're Invited:
Come to the OLLI Office Holiday Social
Thursday, Dec. 16, 1-3 pm
We've missed being together! Come renew your OLLI social life and connect with OLLI friends.
Let's celebrate together: stop by the OLLI office for conversation, cookies, and sweet treats with an international flavor. Maybe play a game or two as you catch up with people you have not seen in a while.
Sign up now for this free event! It is listed on our website under Travel and Social Events, click here for details.
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Winter Open House
Our Winter Open House will be held online Tuesday, Jan. 11, and will feature Dr. Golfo Alexapoulos, director of USF’s Institute on Russia.
She will discuss “Why Americans Should Care About Russia.”
Golfo has been a popular instructor and lecturer for us: it should be a great program!
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OLLI Connects Invites You
To Tell Your Story
OLLI Connects - OLLI's website containing short stories, personal reminiscences, humor, poetry, photography, and personal insights written by our members - is insatiable. Never satisfied!
Despite three years of sharing the varied talents of our fellow OLLI-USF members, we still want more! We want to share your thoughts, insights, stories, reflections, poetry, photos, and humor.
We know you’re modest. And maybe a bit shy. But we want you to get into your dance like nobody’s watching state of mind and share a bit of what makes you unique. Then wrap that in the electronic package of your choice and send it to connectsolli25@gmail.com. We're counting on you. We'll be watching our inbox!
For inspiration take a look at the OLLI Connects website, www.olliconnects.org, to read stories that some of our fellow OLLI members have written. Or click on the Subscribe widget here. Scroll down a bit if you need to. It’s on the right if you have a large screen, and way down at the bottom on your smartphone.
----Theresa Sokol and Al Carlson, Olli Connects editors
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OLLI Catalog Distribution Volunteers Needed
Come join fellow OLLI members in getting the word out about OLLI’s great classes and activities.
Volunteers needed to distribute catalogs to different zip codes around Tampa Bay during week of December 6 and December 13. E-mail Pam Tyler or call her at 575-779-1382 if interested in helping.
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Mark Your Calendar....
Friday, Dec. 3 - Reveal Day (catalog and website go live)
Tuesday, Dec. 7 – Flying Tigers China SIG event (see below)
Monday, Dec. 13 – Winter-Spring 2022 registration opens
Dec. 20 – 31 – Winter break-USF closed
Tuesday, Jan. 11 – Winter Open House
Thursday, Jan. 13 – OLLIBird promo ends
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They're Getting A Taste Of Cuba
Some 90 people from OLLI and the Tampa Bay area sampled the tastes, sounds and history of Tampa’s Cuban community on Nov. 10 at the Taste of Cuba Multicultural Cafe at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC.
Attendees sipped special cocktails while dining on a Cuban-inspired dinner of black beans, rice, plantains, picadillo and Cuban bread. Speakers from the Tampa Bay History Center and the local Cuban-American community talked about the lives of Cuban immigrants as they settled into the their new homes in Ybor City.
The Cuba-themed event was one of three Tampa Multicultural Cafés offered this fall at the JCC. The first event in October focused on Italy. The next café, on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 5-6:30 p.m., will focus on Ancient Greece but with a modern twist that includes fun Greek-style cocktails and refreshments.
The Multicultural Cafes were developed by JCC Educational Director Pnina Levermore, Nancy Dalence, educational director of the Tampa Bay History Center, and Joseph McAuliffe, OLLI’s educational programming manager.
You can sign up for the next session, Culture Café: A Taste of Greece, by clicking on this link.
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Send Us Your Pictures and Articles
The OLLILife team invites your participation in our monthly newsletter.
Let OLLI members know what exciting things are happening within our organization by sending pictures and articles about activities and events you're involved in so we can run them in OLLILife. Please include as much information as you can with each picture.
OLLILife is published the first of each month. The deadline for submitting your items is the 25th of the month before publication.
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She's Our New Operations Manager |
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Cath Mason has been named OLLI-USF's first ever Operations Manager, a full-time administrative position in which she will expand the behind the-the-scenes work she has performed for nearly a decade.
Cath appeared on our doorstep in September 2012 as an office volunteer. In March 2014, she was hired as temporary part-time staff, half time.
Even as a once-a-week volunteer, Cath assisted with catalog production; as a staff member, she organizes and leads the team that edits, checks and refines our course catalog. She's also responsible for ensuring instructors have the necessary information for teaching, which now includes Zoom.
Throughout her time with us, Cath has also been an active OLLI member, channeling her literary interests into attending, developing, and teaching classes while also leading the Write Time for Poets SIG.
She is a truly valuable member of the OLLI team. Congratulations, Cath!
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Conviviality and Celebrations met recently for lunch at Babushka’s Restaurant in Temple Terrace to celebrate November birthdays. This group of OLLI members and guests meets monthly to socialize and celebrate special occasions. All are invited to join in the fun. Email Kat Hanscom for information on upcoming dates and locations.
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Operatunity SIG Members recently spent their Saturday evening enjoying wine, food, and opera, of course, at “Serata Italiana” at the beautiful Italian Club in Ybor City.
Pictured left to right: Beryl Byles, Derrie Perez,
Cindy Constantino
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The Volunteer Management Committee held its monthly meeting while enjoying lunch at Tiki Docks Restaurant on the beautiful Alafia River in Riverview on Friday, Nov. 19. Unfortunately, several members were not able to attend due to other commitments. The Committee looks forward to more in person meetings in the months ahead.
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OLLI Asks......
What are your favorite holiday traditions?
We all have them - traditions we've developed over the years to celebrate or commemorate holidays of the season, whether with family, friends, or by ourselves.
OlliLife would like to hear from you about your traditions. In a few sentences, please share them with us by emailing ollinewsusf@gmail.com no later than Dec. 25. They will be published in our January 2022 edition.
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Meet Diane White:
She Goes “Above and Beyond”
If you want to learn how to use Zoom, find your way through the woods, take great outdoor photographs, or navigate the Hillsborough County library system, you’ll want to meet Diane White.
Diane, recipient of this year’s Above and Beyond Award from OLLI-USF, has been teaching OLLI members about technology and the great outdoors almost since she joined our organization five years ago.
That’s in addition to co-chairing the OLLI Outdoors Shared Interest Group and the Volunteer Management Committee, which focuses on recruiting, orienting, and keeping track of 182 active volunteers.
She’s busy but having lots of fun, she says.
“I get a lot out of helping people, and people in the classes seem to get a lot out of it,” she says.
In Her DNA
Teaching seems to be in Diane’s DNA. She began her career as a teacher of English and journalism to rural Florida high school kids. Then her career took a turn into information technology, ultimately becoming a project manager for Verizon.
Now she’s come full circle, combining her talent for teaching with her expertise in technology.
Her dedication to her OLLI students and her hard work for OLLI Outdoors made her an obvious choice for the Above and Beyond Award.
Here’s how Diane was described during the awards program:
“Our 2021 Above and Beyond Award recipient does not know the word ‘no’ or the phrase, ‘I’m sorry, I just don’t have time for that.’
“She is exceptional in everything she does including teaching and accepting to teach an encore class when her class sold out, teaching six classes this term and helping instructors in their Zoom pursuits, such as volunteering to teach two instructor classes this summer!
“Additionally, she co-chairs the very active OLLI Outdoors Shared Interest Group (SIG) and the Volunteer Management Committee. “
A Total Surprise
As co-chair of the Volunteer Management Committee, Diane was emceeing the Volunteer Recognition Event last spring when awards were given out to outstanding volunteers.
She had no idea she was to be one of them until another event organizer announced her name. She was floored, she says.
“It was a total surprise. I thought I was going to break down and cry. I almost did,” she says. “It was so special, and I was so honored.”
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Congratulations
New Volunteers
Congratulations to four new OLLI volunteers welcomed at the Volunteer Orientation and Information Session on November 5.
A special thank-you to the Board of Advisors members who attended the session to provide additional information and insight.
Pictured are top row: Karen Wright and Peter Glatte; bottom row: Shirley Herring and Susan Greenbaum.
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Why They Volunteer
Check out this video created by Theresa Sokol for the Volunteer Management Committee. The two-minute video features OLLI volunteers who discuss why they love participating in OLLI. It's being used to promote OLLI volunteerism internally and within the community.
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SIGnificant Events for December 2021
For more information on OLLI Shared Interest Groups, see the full list here. Most SIGs are meeting on Zoom; some are starting to organize small group outings. To visit a SIG, email the contact(s) by clicking the links listed with the SIGs below.
Do you share an interest in a topic or activity with other OLLI members? Did you recently take or offer a class that might lead to a Shared Interest Group? Coming soon in this space will be an opportunity to promote your SIG ideas, to reach out to other like-minded OLLI members.
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Community of Readers and Writers
Food, Glorious Food!
There won't be a regular meeting/program in December. For more information about this SIG, contact Jane Applegate.
Ici on parle français!
Mon., Dec. 6 and 20, at 1 p.m. For an invitation, contact Theresa Sokol.
Games
Thurs., Dec. 9, at 3:30 p.m. To play Scattergories, email Kathy Palmer for the link.
German Conversation
Write Time for Poets
Thurs, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. Email Cath Mason for more information.
Shutterbugs
December theme: Photographing Holiday Lights and Candles; outings include: Fri. and Sat., Dec. 4-5, at 10 a.m. - Lutz Annual Arts and Crafts Festival
Tues., Dec. 21, 7-9 p.m. - Church Street Christmas Walk, Dade City. For information about Shutterbug activities, contact Jeanne Nixon.
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OLLI Outdoors
Mon, Dec. 6, at 10 a.m. - Picnic at Trout Creek with Food, Glorious Food, wait listed
Thurs., Dec. 9, at 10 a.m. -Blackwater Creek Preserve
Fri., Dec. 17, at 3 p.m. – Holiday social and program, “Underwater Photography, Social Distancing My Way,” by Donna McGrew. All OLLI members and guests are welcome to enjoy Donna’s stunning underwater photographs!
Operatunity
P-SIG
Wed, Dec. 8, at 1 p.m. Email Doug Dallio for more information
Talking Movies
No Dec. meeting; join us Fri,
Jan. 21, at 1 p.m. for socializing/technical support. Discussion starts at 1:30 p.m. For more information, contact
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Maryam Mercier teaches Zentangle classes for OLLI. We recently learned her son, Alexander, is USF's first Rhodes Scholar finalist! Congrats to mom and son! Read more about him here.
Carolyn Clark is our Goodwill Ambassador, sending notes of support, congratulations and comfort on our behalf. If you or another OLLI member have a significant personal event, please let Carolyn know.
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Guilty Pleasures - Binge Worthy TV Happy Hour
Tuesday, Dec. 7
Social time begins at 3:45 p.m.
"Confessions" 4-6 p.m.
"Just one more," I whispered to myself as I picked "Next Episode."
Join us for a fun and guilt-free discussion about what we binged on TV or streaming. We'll find OLLI friends with the same interests and find some new shows to enjoy.
Contact your hostesses (Judy Hanna or Robyn Cheung) if you want to be included in the Sign-UP Genius invitation. Sign-UP Genius and Zoom invitations will be sent prior to the event.
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Flying Tigers in China – 80th Anniversary
Remembering the Shared American and Chinese Legacy of World War II
Free, virtual event: Tuesday, Dec. 7, 11 a.m.-noon
In December 1941, the American Volunteer Group, better known as the Flying Tigers, fought its first air battle with the Japanese over China. Over the next three and a half years, American and Chinese service members, civilians, soldiers, airmen, and volunteers stood shoulder to shoulder and flew wing to wing to bring World War II to a victorious conclusion in Asia.
You can learn more about these dramatic events during a virtual program that honors these heroes and provides memorable historic moments.
The two keynote speakers include:
Major General Arthur Clark, USAF (retired), served in China during 1944-45 and is the author of Eyes of the Tiger: China 1944-1945 ((2015)
Daniel Jackson, a military historian and active officer of the U.S. Air Force,
is the author of Fallen Tigers - The Fate of America's Missing Airmen in China during WWII (May 2021)
This free, special event is brought to you by OLLI-USF and its China SIG, as well as USF World, the Chinese American Association of Tampa Bay and the Suncoast Association of Chinese Americans.
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