OLLILife
A community of learners over 50

December, 2022 | Vol 3, No. 2

FROM THE DESK OF VERONICA MAXWELL

I’m Getting To Know You!

 

Greetings OLLI Members!  

 

I’m deep into my second month with OLLI and the ride is still smooth and sweet.


Ara has handed me more responsibilities, and her trust is invaluable. I have joined several committee meetings to get better acquainted with the plans and functions of each group.


I recently had the distinct pleasure of attending the OLLI Outdoors/Foodie Smash Up, and it was spectacular. I learned so much about gardening and harvesting herbs, and I enjoyed a walk while meeting some of OLLI’s newest members.


The Faculty Lunch & Learn was another opportunity for me to engage with some of the magnificent faculty members who volunteer their precious time to teach for OLLI. I also have attended more classes, had the pleasure of chatting with several teachers, and have sat for a couple of interviews to express my early thoughts about the organization.


One of the most intriguing events of this last month was the opportunity to represent the university and OLLI at Hillsborough County's Great American Teach-In. I was thrilled to read to three Head Start classes at Robles Elementary School. The little ones were full of personality and even tried to master the USF #GoBulls sign.



Community Service is dear to my heart and, as always, it is my utmost pleasure and honor to serve you all.



A Big Thank You To Mary Ettinger!


After several years of informing and entertaining OLLILife readers through her monthly columns, Mary Ettinger is taking time to pursue other activities that benefit OLLI.


OLLI Director Veronica Maxwell is now providing a monthly column that is sure to enlighten and delight OLLILife readers.


Mary’s columns were filled with news about OLLI activities as well as interesting personal insights. We thank her so much for her contributions to this publication, and we look forward to seeing her in class and at SIG events.



-- The Editors

MARK YOUR CALENDARS


Dec. 16 -- OLLI Holiday Social


Dec. 21-25 -- OLLI Office Closed for Holiday


Jan.11 -- OLLI Open House


Jan. 18 -- OLLI Bird flies away after 4:30 p.m.



OLLI HOLIDAY SOCIAL

You’re Invited:

Come to the OLLI Holiday Social


Friday, December 16

10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

at USF’s NEC building (map)


Stop by for conversation, muffins and coffee.

 

Let’s Celebrate!



School is out, so parking will be ample!


Call Charise to RSVP at: 813-974-5848

WINTER OPEN HOUSE

Centro

You are invited to enjoy OLLI's Open House in January at the beautiful and historic Centro Asturiano located at 1913 N. Nebraska Ave., in Tampa.


Date: January 11, 2023.

Time: A New Member Orientation starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Open House at 10 a.m.


At the event, you'll have the opportunity to meet our new director, Veronica Maxwell, and also enjoy coffee, conversation and community. You'll also be able to meet our instructors and find out what else is coming up in our community of older learners.

We are delighted to have Golfo Alexopoulos - professor and director of the USF Institute for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies as our guest speaker. She will enlighten us on some of the following questions we have been wondering/concerned about:


  • What was Russian President Vladimir Putin thinking?
  • What are the Kremlin’s stated objectives for invading Ukraine?
  • What are Putin's maximalist war aims, and how do Putin and the Russian people view the conflict?
  • How might this war end?


Please register here for the Open House!

OLLI'S BIRD IS BACK


The OLLI bird has flown our way again, bringing us joy with a 50 percent discount on selected classes. Not only is there a discount, but there are no minimum purchases or codes to remember. Easy peasy! Look throughout the class catalog to see what courses you are interested in attending - perhaps some will include the discount. Click here for the class catalog.


Receive your discount by registering by 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 OR between 8:30 a.m. Jan. 11 and 4:30 p.m. Jan. 18, as the OLLI bird will be flying away after that.

PROFILE OF THE MONTH

Meet Veronica Maxwell:

She’s Back Where She Belongs

 

By now, many of you have met Veronica Maxwell. Since she joined OLLI in October as our new director in training, Veronica has sat in on classes, participated in some shared interest groups, and joined committee meetings.


I first met Veronica at a joint event of the Food! Glorious Food! and OLLI Outdoors Shared Interest Groups.

She came to meet the members and learn about what we do. By the end of her visit, she had talked to nearly every one of the 40-plus people there. And we were thoroughly charmed.


Veronica has a friendly smile and a big, outgoing personality. But even more than her positive personal aspects, her strength as our new leader lies in her wealth of experience in education, fundraising, working with volunteers, and serving older adults.


From Younger To Older


Veronica began her career nearly 20 years ago working with a much younger group of people.


Shortly after earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and African studies from the University of South Florida, Veronica became a schoolteacher for the Hillsborough County school system. For the next eight years, she taught science and related topics to middle and high school students.


Her next career move brought her into a totally different world.


As senior program coordinator for nutrition and wellness for Hillsborough County Aging Services, Veronica helped manage the county’s senior centers and supervised the staff and volunteers who serve them.


In this role, she was working with people who had led lives rich with experience.


“I had worked with children before, but never older adults,” Veronica says. “I met so many amazing people who had accomplished so much in their lives. And I loved that they were willing to share their wisdom and their experiences. It added color to my work. I felt like I was standing on their shoulders.”


Among Veronica’s roles as senior program coordinator was management of the numerous volunteers who participated in the centers. She also cultivated the many corporate donors who helped fund the centers’ events.


Coming Home


But although she immensely enjoyed her work with the county, she always kept a decades-long goal in mind – to return some day to USF.


“For as long as I can remember – ever since I went to school here at USF –I’ve wanted to end up here,” she says. “As a student, I fell in love with USF. I loved living in the dorms. I loved walking the grounds. I loved going to classes. I loved everything about the university.”


So when the OLLI director’s role became available, she immediately applied. And much to her delight, she was selected for the job.


Now, Veronica is busily seeking to learn as much as possible about OLLI and its members. She will fully take over the organization’s reins in January when Director Ara Rogers will retire.


Veronica’s goals are to build on what Ara has achieved for OLLI-USF: to expand the membership numbers, encourage donorship, enhance the number and type of class offerings, and maintain the organization’s lively cadre of volunteers.


She describes her experience so far as “wonderful.”


“I’m loving everything about it,” she says.


In addition to her bachelor’s degree, Veronica holds a master’s degree in science education in instructional leadership. She is currently working toward a doctorate degree from USF in career and workforce education.

She also is active in the volunteer community as a leader in organizations that include Leadership Hillsborough, Hillsborough Association of Volunteer Administrators, the Suncoast Credit Union Senior Advisory Board, Touched By An Angel Community Outreach, the Church of God State Women’s Board, and the International Harvest Center Church of God.


-- Sandy Buckley

OUT AND ABOUT WITH OLLI

All About Herbs


Some 40 members of the OLLI Outdoors and Food! Glorious Food! SIGs gathered at a picnic shelter in Trout Creek Conservation Park on Nov. 3 for socializing, hiking, noshing, and a special presentation on cooking with herbs and edible flowers.


In the photo, Outdoors SIG leader Diane White (second from left) introduces Master Gardner Heather Diaz (left), who provided lots of information and tips on growing and using herbs and flowers to enhance our food.


The Trunk Is Full!


The trunk of Jane Applegate's car was filled to capacity with food items donated by members of the OLLI Outdoors and Food! Glorious Food! SIGs during their joint meeting in Trout Creek Conservation Park on Nov. 3.


Jane brought the food to the USF Feed A Bull Pantry to help nourish needy university students.

A Little Spice

Is Always Nice


A group of 14 members and two guests of the Food, Glorious Food! SIG met at Taaza Mart, an Indian market and cafe in Tampa Palms on Nov. 17.


An employee of Taaza Mart led us on a tour of the store, focusing on the spice and fresh produce sections. She explained what many of the items were and how they are used.


After the tour, we went on to a Lunch Bunch session. The Taaza Cafe operates as a cafeteria with a la carte or combo selections and very large servings.


The food was delicious, and everyone loved it. Many of us went shopping after lunch. For anyone who cooks with spices, this store is a bargain-hunter’s paradise.  


--Shelley Blood

--Photo by Jane Applegate

OPPORTUNITIES

OLLI Walking Club Forming


Do you like to walk? Enjoy walking with others?


OLLI Outdoors is interested in starting a walking club. Walks can be at neighborhood parks on paved paths with distances of two miles or less. Once formed, the group will decide where, how far, and how often to walk.


If you would like to help get this group off the ground, please email Diane at OLLI Outdoors.

SIGnificant EVENTS FOR DECEMBER 2022

Kathy Palmer, SIG Liaison

For more information on OLLI SIGs, see the full list here. Several of the SIGs continue to meet on Zoom; others have resumed in-person meetings and are organizing group outings and events. To visit a SIG, email the contact(s) below.

China SIG

For more information about the China SIG, please contact Nancy Stuart.


Community of Readers and Writers

Struggle and resistance are hallmarks of the African American experience, but they are not the only story. In developing a reading and discussion series on current Black literature, we watched Henry Louis Gates' PBS special on Making Black America: Through the Grapevine. We'll lift off discussion in January with this program as background material in four Zoom events. Contact readersandwriters@aol.com to help make this a vibrant and diverse OLLI Shared Interest Group conversation.


Food, Glorious Food!

Happy holidays to our food-loving members! There will be no meeting in December. Enjoy your family and friends. For more information about this SIG, contact Jane Applegate.


Hablemos! Spanish Conversation SIG

Tues., Dec. 6 from 3 until 4:30 p.m. All levels of Spanish speakers welcome. Email olli.hablemos@gmail.com for more information.


Games

Thurs., Dec. 8 at 3:30 p.m. To play Scattergories, email Kathy Palmer for the link.


German Conversation

Tues., Dec. 13 and 27, at 1 p.m. For more information, contact Christine Basch.

Ici on parle français!

Mon., Dec. 5 and 19, at 1 p.m. For an invitation, contact Theresa Sokol.


OLLI Outdoors

Do you love the outdoors? Our events include hiking, walking, biking, paddling and online programs. Interested in trying an event or joining? Email the coordinators at ollioutdoors@gmail.com.

Fri., Dec. 2 - Biking on the Pinellas Trail

Thurs., Dec. 8 - Boyd Hill Nature Park hike

Thurs., Dec. 15 - USF campus walk 

Fri., Dec. 16 - 3 p.m. - Online social


Operatunity

Mon., Dec. 19, from 1 until 4 p.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa, 11400 Morris Bridge Road, to view a CD/tape of the opera Silent Night by Kevin Puts. For additional information, contact Derrie Perez.


P-SIG

The next meeting will be in person on Wed., Dec. 14. Email Doug Dallio for more information.


Shutterbugs

For more information about the Shutterbugs SIG, email Jean Nixon.


Talking Movies

Fri., Dec. 16, at 1:30 p.m.   Watch a movie and then get together on Zoom to talk about it. Movie to be determined. For more information about this SIG, contact Arlene Zimney.


Write Time for Poets

Thurs., Dec. 8, at 2 p.m. For more information, email

Cath Mason.



PEOPLE NEWS

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.

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, Veronica Maxwell, Kathy Palmer, and Ara Rogers. If possible, please send a picture along with the article as pictures help tell the story.

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