September, 2022 | Vol 2, No. 11

Here Comes the Fall Semester!

Have you signed up for your OLLI fall term classes and lectures yet? Registration opened this week, and our registrar, Charise Dixie, is enthusiastically standing by at 813-974-5848 to answer questions and help us enroll in classes. If it is your time to renew your membership, Charise will remind you and get that done, too.

Fall catalogs were mailed a couple of weeks ago. If you know someone who would like to have one, our current course catalog is always posted on our website here. 

Last Sunday, the Tampa Bay Times ran a colorful and informative four-page OLLI brochure with each newspaper copy delivered in our area. The brochure listed all our fall classes and included lots of information about us. 

And that’s not all: A separate two-page article ran in the same issue as the focus feature of the LifeTimes section! It is full of information about OLLI, including details on the Fall Open House on September 7 and a profile of its speaker, Rich Kennedy. See all about the Open house in an article below.

                                 Catalog update alert

It’s not unusual for some new classes and other activities to be added after the catalog goes to press. Right now, three new classes that didn’t make the catalog are “All About the Midterms,” “Multicultural Café: A Taste of Ukranian Culture,” and “National Security Threats: Are They Real?”

So keep an eye out for updates from OLLI, especially via Joseph McAuliffe’s periodic OLLI eblasts and Jeanne Dyer’s colorful technology news reports. And check the OLLI Master Calendar, at our website www.usfseniors.org, to see what things are happening each day.

                                       We're Honoring Ara

Here's something in the works to look forward to – a party in December to celebrate and honor our special OLLI director, Ara Rogers, as she retires after 21 years at the helm. Our terrific long term technology coordinator, Jeanne Dyer, was planning to retire at about the same time, but she has graciously decided to give us another six months so we won’t lose both of them at the same time.

Here's to cooler days after one of the hottest summers ever!

Sept 7 - OLLI's Open House at Centro Asturiano

Sept 23 - Volunteer Information Session

         IT'S OUR FALL OPEN HOUSE!

 Join The Fun!

Please save the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 7, beginning at 10 a.m., for OLLI’s Fall Open House. The event will be held at the beautiful and historic Centro Asturiano de Tampa, 1913 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa.

Join us for coffee, conversation, and community. Meet our fall instructors and find out what else is coming up in our community of older learners.

If you are a newer member, we invite you to arrive at 9:30 a.m. for a brief new member orientation and welcome.

Our meeting highlight will be our keynote speaker. Rich Kennedy (pictured), a popular OLLI instructor of political science and history. Rich will discuss The Erosion of Trust: We face difficult times both at home and abroad with multiple, increasingly complex problems that sorely need to be addressed. At the same time, trust in almost every major institution and many public figures has been eroded. What does this mean for our future?

To join the fun, you can register online at www.usfseniors.org, email olli-inquiries@usf.edu, or phone 813-974-5848.

                PROFILE OF THE MONTH

Meet Nancy Stuart:

She Brings a Lifetime of Experience

What does it take to earn a Lifetime Achievement Award from OLLI-USF?

Take Nancy Stuart, one of OLLI’s two 2022 Lifetime Achievement winners, as an example. Nancy is someone who has applied her life experiences into making great contributions to our organization.

Here are some of those contributions:

Nancy joined OLLI in 2010. A year later, she joined the Board of Advisors. By the next year, she was board chair. While on the board, she initiated, and for a couple of years taught, the Leadership Class to help OLLI members develop their leadership skills.

“At the time, we were having a hard time finding people who were willing and able to be on the board. Through the class, we were able to teach what OLLI was about and about OLLI’s finances. The goal was to get people interested and able to participate,” Nancy says.

Nancy has also served on the board as treasurer and as chair of the Finance Committee. She has worked on the Curriculum and Nominating committees. She has taught classes in life story writing.

Currently, she is a member of the Travel Opportunities Committee and co-chair with Kun Shi of the China SIG (Shared Interest Group).

All of these activities come from a lifetime of professional and personal achievements.

Living Large

Nancy grew up in a small town in Indiana expecting a “small” life, she says. She had no idea how large her life would become.

It started right out of school with her marriage to her college sweetheart. He joined the army, and off they went to Korea.

“There I was living overseas, ten thousand miles from home,” Nancy says. “Before that, I had almost never left Indiana except for some visits to relatives.”

Armed with a degree in economics and business, Nancy took a job in Korea with an American-based childcare corporation. While there, she set up a new accounting system for the company, among other accomplishments. She also got to travel around Korea, visiting the company-supported facilities.

Back in the states, Nancy continued to work in the finance realm, she worked in banking and served as chief financial officer of an educational services program in central Oregon. She also earned a CPA and a master’s degree.

And over the years, Nancy has traveled around the world, taking in not only Korea but also nearly two dozen other countries in Europe, Asia, and North and South America.

Ask Nancy what her proudest accomplishments are and she will talk about raising three daughters while holding down a full-time job and serving on school boards for 12 years while her children were in school.

Sixteen years ago, her daughter and son-in-law, both USF professors, asked Nancy to move here to help with their two daughters, then ages 3 and 6. Nancy immediately left Oregon to begin her new life in Tampa. Both girls, now 19 and 23 are in college.

Along the way, Nancy has developed a love of learning and teaching, a passion for travel, and of course great financial expertise.

All of which have been of great benefit to OLLI-USF. For that, we thank Nancy Stuart, a well-deserved winner of OLLI's Lifetime Achievement Award.

--Sandy Buckley

OUT AND ABOUT WITH OLLI

A Taste of New Orleans

Sixteen members of the Lunch Bunch let the good times roll recently as they dined on po' boys, jambalaya and other Cajun and Creole goodies at Tibbys New Orleans Kitchen in Brandon. The Lunch Bunch is a subgroup of the Food! Glorious Food! SIG.

Down by the

River Side

Conviviality and Celebrations chose Tiki Docks on the lovely Alafia River in Riverview for their August luncheon.

This group of gastronomic gourmets meets the fourth Wednesday

of each month to celebrate and recognize birthdays and other special occasions.

Their next luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 28, at

p.m., at Ulele, 1810 N. Highland Ave., Tampa. All OLLI members and guests are welcome to join in the fun. Email Kat Hanscom for more information.

OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteering with OLLI Lets You Follow Your Passion!

Attend a free, no-obligation volunteer information session to learn more about how your knowledge, skills or experience can help OLLI!

The next session will be held Friday, Sept. 23, at 1 pm. Click here to register. 

Have a question? Ask Us Anything about volunteering by emailing the Ask Team at OLLIder962@gmail.com.

--Diane Russell

Shutterbugs Focus on Fall Activities

Shutterbugs SIG members are excited to be getting active again and meeting for some exciting photo opportunities after the summer break.

Our first planned event will be a tour of the Florida Holocaust Museum in downtown St. Petersburg on Wednesday, Sept. 21. The group will meet in the lobby at 10 a.m. Spend as much time as you desire, but we will plan to meet for a late lunch at around 2 p.m.

If you have any questions or to RSVP, email Jean Nixon. We would love to have you join us!

Our photo theme for September will be “Stop the Hate!” Please submit any photos honoring this theme for entry into our Shutterbug Facebook account.

We will be starting a monthly Walk in the Park in October with photo opportunities while walking in the various parks in the area. Our first walk will be at Tampa Riverfront Park. We will have impromptu shoots with some time for questions and answers regarding your photo shoots. Stay tuned for more on this later. 

Contact Jean Nixon or Rich Edwards if you are interested in joining Shutterbugs or would like more information.

--Jean Nixon 

Free Concerts at USF

Enjoy all USF has to offer.

The College of the Arts presents delightful concerts every semester at the USF Concert Hall and the Barness Recital Hall.

These concerts have been free since spring, when the school began allowing an audience again after COVID protocols had shut them down. I have attended the Jazz Ensemble performances for a few years. These music students have incredible talent, and the venue has state-of-the-art acoustics.

Most events are from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Parking is free after 7 p.m. on the night of events. There is ample handicapped seating. For more

information, see their website below.

https://www.usf.edu/arts/events/index.aspx

--Shirley Herring

We are Still Here: Indigenous Peoples of the Northeast

OLLI at Berkshire Community College is sharing its upcoming University Day programs with other OLLIs. The theme this year is the Indigenous people of the Northeast. The programs run through 

Sept. 29.

There are opportunities to explore art shows, music performances and tours of historic sites with emphases on connections with the indigenous community if by chance you are visiting Massachusetts while the programs are available.

Fortunately, online activities are also being offered. They include guided reading groups focused on books by indigenous authors of the Northeast and four online lectures by leading scholars. 

Online Lectures Include:

• From Nonotuck to Northampton: Recovering Histories of Indigenous Persistence
• Dawnland Sovereigns: Northeastern Tribal Nations in the Era of Self Determination
• The Common Pot: The Recovery of Native Space in the Northeast
• William Apess, A Native Son of Western Massachusetts

Reading Group Books Include:

• The Common Pot: The Recovery of Native Space in the Northeast
• Dawnland Voices
• Motherland and Out of the Crazy Woods
• Braiding Sweetgrass
• Indigenous Children's Literature

You can explore more and learn how to register here for all of these fabulous opportunities to explore this subject. 

Be Part of the PACT: Join the Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease

There is still room for volunteers to sign up for the University of South Florida study, Preventing Alzheimer’s with Cognitive Training (PACT).

The study focuses on using computerized brain training exercises with the hope of reducing dementia risk.

The USF PACT team is seeking 3,000 healthy volunteers aged 65 and older with no signs of cognitive impairment, dementia, or neurological disorders. Once accepted into the study, participants will begin their exercises at a PACT location such as Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Lakeland or Winter Haven.

“We are very grateful to the 1,800 volunteers from Tampa Bay who have already joined our fight against Alzheimer’s disease by enrolling in PACT,” said principal investigator Jerri Edwards, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated 6.2 million Americans, including one in nine people aged 65 and older, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. This number is projected to nearly triple to 14 million by 2060. African Americans and Hispanics are especially encouraged to enroll in PACT, as they are nearly twice as likely to suffer from dementia.

As of today, there are no proven cures or treatments to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. The few medications on the market provide only short-term management of symptoms for those who already have dementia. This is why studies like PACT are so important.

If you or a loved one are interested in more information, please visit the PACT study website, pactstudy.org, or call (813) 974-6703.

OLLI-USF Florida Wilds

Mar. 5-9, 2023

Many USF-OLLI members remember Kevin Van Dien who gave excellent classes at the Florida Aquarium. He had quite a large number of followers from OLLI. A couple of years ago, Kevin changed occupations and went to Holbrook Travel. He has put together a specialized small-group trip for us. OLLI-USF Florida Wilds will take place Mar. 5-9, 2023. Kevin will also be at our OLLI Open House on Sept. 7, so please stop by the travel table to say "Hi" and get a brochure on this trip.

To learn more about the trip, a virtual presentation will be provided on Oct. 3. Join us to hear about this five-day, four-night customized Ecotour in Captiva, Sanibel and the heart of the Everglades. The trip's cost will range from $3,150 to $3,350 depending on the number of travelers.

A few highlights:

• Birding and hiking in Myakka State Park
• A private birding and marine life tour around Sanibel and Captiva Islands
• A tram tour in J.N. Darling National Wildlife Refuge, home to 245 species of birds and wildlife
• A visit to Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, North America’s orchid capital
• A gentle dawn paddle in the Everglades mangrove tunnels, led by a naturalist guide

Register here for the free information session on the Florida Wilds 2023 trip.

River cruising is a very relaxing way to travel. The number of passengers is minimal, the food is fantastic and the places you venture to are amazing.

Now OLLI members have the opportunity to enjoy a spectacular river cruise, complete with amazing scenery and fascinating history aboard the Holland Windmills, Waterways & Tulips River Cruise that starts Apr. 26, 2023. 

You will be sailing on the MS Amadeus Queen for seven nights. Cruising down scenic waterways on the intricate canal systems, you can take in the Dutch countryside. You’ll make stops in quaint villages known for their windmills and wooden shoes, gothic and medieval churches, and cities with rich histories. Visit the famous Keukenhof Gardens, the world’s second largest flower garden with 7 million bulbs planted annually, a showplace for the tulip growers of the Netherlands. 

Other fascinating excursions/tours included on the trip:

•Amsterdam Canal cruise tour

•Zaanse Schans visit

•Arnhem city tour & World War II history

•Kinderdijk and windmills visit

•Bruges city tour

•Antwerp city tour

•Keukenhof Flower Gardens

View a recorded virtual presentation on this trip here.

Three of the 10 cabins on hold for OLLI-USF are already booked. Click here to view the flyer and registration information. Premier World Discovery is offering OLLI-USF members an Open House promotion on new bookings: discounted deposit of $250 per person from Sept. 7-9.

SIGnificant EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2022

Kathy Palmer, SIG Liaison

PEOPLE NEWS

Farewell To Thomas James McCauliffe

Thomas McAuliffe, brother of Joseph McAuliffe, OLLI's educational program manager, died unexpectedly but peacefully at home on August 4 in Watertown, Mass. He was born Sept. 29, 1953, in Syracuse, NY, the son of John “Jack” Emmett and Millie (Lonergan) McAuliffe.

Thomas was immensely popular due to his winsome personality, engaging sense of humor and cheerful smile. He was an excellent raconteur who delighted friends with his tales from Syracuse. Most notably, people loved Tom because of his genuine concern for their wellbeing. He always asked and really cared about how you were doing and was not remiss to lend you an ear or to open his wallet to help others. 

Tom is leaving a trail of brokenhearted survivors including his former spouse Patty, his beloved Christine, Kerry, and Annie, his brothers John (Colleen), Joseph (Kay), and Terry (Dorothy), and a host of adoring nephews and nieces who referred to him as Uncle Cook.

Farewell To Jack E. Fernandez

Our condolences to instructor Rudy Fernandez, who recently lost his father, Jack. Jack Fernandez was a charter faculty member in chemistry at USF who won numerous teaching awards. Staffer Jeanne Dyer studied with Jack at USF. 

Jack earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in organic chemistry at the University of Florida. After an honorable discharge from the Army, Jack taught at Duke University. He returned to Tampa with his family when USF opened its doors in 1960, where he joined the USF charter faculty as a chemistry professor. Jack published over 50 research articles in peer reviewed chemical journals, wrote five chemistry textbooks, was a Fulbright Scholar in Madrid and Bogota, and sponsored over 20 graduate chemistry students. But Jack was perhaps best known at USF as an outstanding teaching professor. 

After retiring from the university in 1995, Jack kept very busy. He wrote three Tampa-based novels, became a genealogy researcher for La Gaceta, and was a Tampa Tribune community columnist. He and his wife also honed their piano skills.

While it is a sad loss for our community, all of Jack's contributions throughout his life are greatly appreciated.  

Farwell to Marianne Cole

OLLI member Marianne Lewis Cole  left this world peacefully on May 24 at age 78. Marianne was an extraordinary woman, caring wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. 

She will be mourned by her husband, Lonnie; and her children, Brian, Brenda and Sheila (not to mention longtime friends Carol France and Janice Martin, and all the members of the book club she found such joy in, year after year.) 

When not busy in the home, Marianne personally managed all administrative aspects of her husband's private medical practice. She served periodically as scout troop leader, and ceaselessly as teacher, personal chef, chauffeur and chaperone to her three children and four grandchildren. Her golden years were spent enjoying her collection of orchids, and volunteering her time to the Jan Platt public library. She nurtured a lifelong love of movies, and could be found devouring several books, often simultaneously, right up until her final hours.

Send Us Your News

OLLILife wants to share topics of interest that pertain to OLLI-USF and other OLLIs in the country.

Send your article to ollinewsusf@gmail.com to reach your editors Sandy Buckley, Pat Dodge, Mary Ettinger, Kathy Palmer and Ara Rogers. If possible, please send a picture along with the article as pictures help tell the story.