In This Issue: What Did You Do on Your Summer Vacation? | Spotlight on Members: Ellie McKinnon and Ron Kaz | Presenter Spotlight: Amanda Turner | New Osher Sponsor: SelectHealth | Osher Programs in the Spotlight | Reminder: Open House on August 10 | Fall Semester Welcome Recording Available | Personal Writing SIG: Jud Roth | Community Events | August 11 Office Closure

"We went to Olympic and Yellowstone National Parks and attended Houston Astros games in Seattle. Too hot to do much else."

-- Martin and Elaine Mayo

This month's Members Spotlight shines on Osher members Ellie McKinnon

and Ron Kaz.

Ellie is the former Director of the Osher Institute and current Executive Director of Artisans for Hope. She has been an Osher member since the early days when it was known as the Renaissance Institute. There are many Osher classes she's enjoyed over the years, and some of her favorites were taught by Dr. Shelton Woods from Boise State and Dr. Howard Berger from The College of Idaho. Memorable trips she's taken with Osher members include Yellowstone and Oaxaca, Mexico. Traveling is one of her passions, along with riding her electric bike and kayaking.

Ellie will be presenting the Osher lecture, From Harm to Hope With a Needle and Thread on Tue., Nov. 7, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. You can register for her program by visiting the Log In/Register Online page, or by calling Customer Services at (208) 426-1709.

Ron joined Osher just over two years ago and is a member of the Marketing and Membership Committee and the Curriculum Track Two Committee. The hard work and dedication of the Osher team inspired him to want to give back to the organization. It's hard for him to pick a favorite class, but a few that were memorable were Basque History and Culture in Idaho, Owls of Idaho, The Transatlantic Slave Trade, and The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve. Ron enjoys camping, fishing, bike riding, leather work, astronomy, bird watching, hiking, playing bass guitar, listening to live music, and facilitating personal growth work.

The Osher Institute is fortunate to have a wealth of talented presenters from all across the country. This month, we spotlight Amanda Turner.

Amanda graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a degree in Modern Languages and Linguistics with an emphasis in Russian. One semester of her college years was spent at Moscow State University in Russia. She had attended a semester of high school in a Moscow suburb four years prior at the age of 15. Both semesters abroad were adventures, to say the least!

Travel has always been an important aspect of Amanda's family life. Both her daughters had their first passport pictures taken at two weeks old. Pre-COVID, they were a part-time digital nomad family of four, meaning they would travel to different countries every year to live for a few months. They've taken their daughters to Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Thailand, and many countries in Europe.

She loves teaching courses on outlining. So many people talk about writing a book or their memoir “someday.” The problem is that “someday” doesn’t exist anywhere on the calendar. (She's looked.) She enjoys teaching people how to get started, letting them know their stories matter, and building up their confidence so they can continue to achieve their goals.

Amanda is looking forward to laughter as part of her upcoming Osher presentation, Meet the Author: Amanda Turner on Tue., Sep. 5, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. She attended last semester's Craig Johnson lecture and was enamored as much with the attendees as she was with the speaker. She says, "The room seemed filled with a readiness to laugh, and everyone appeared to approach the afternoon with an open mind, joy, and curiosity." 

You can register for Amanda's lecture by visiting the Log In/Register Online page, or by calling Customer Services at (208) 426-1709.

We are happy to announce SelectHealth as a new sponsor of the Osher Institute! Together with Intermountain Health, SelectHealth forms a not-for-profit health system committed to going beyond treating illness and injury by encouraging healthy behaviors that can lead to longer, more fulfilling lives.

The Economics of Inequality (Livestream/Recorded Only)

Presenter: Dr. John Haveman, Executive Director, National Economic Education Delegation

Dates and times: Mon., Aug. 14 and 21, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Cost: $25

An Introduction to Better Capitalism (Livestream/Recorded Only)

Presenters: Paul Knowlton, JD, Partner, Stanton Law, and Aaron Hedges, CEO, Inheritance of Hope

Dates and times: Tue., Aug. 15 and 22, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Cost: $25

NEW! Fun Fridays at Osher - Popcorn and a Documentary: "Descendent" (In Person Only)

Join other Osher members for an entertaining afternoon at the Osher Institute, where we will share a staff-selected documentary to enjoy. There will be time to socialize before and after the program. Refreshments are included. This free program has been created just for Osher members, but seats are limited, so be sure to register now!

Date and time: Fri., Aug. 18, 1:30-3:45 p.m.

Cost: Included with membership

Exploring Indigenous Idaho

Presenter: Tai Simpson, Community Organizer, Indigenous Idaho Alliance

Dates and times: Mon., Aug. 21 and 28, 10:00 a.m.-noon

Cost: $25

For more information, and to register, visit the the Log In/Register Online page, or call Customer Services at (208) 426-1709.

Open to the Public!

Martin-Hindrichs Lit for Lunch Discussion Series (In Person Only)

The beloved, long-running literature discussion series will now be sponsored and hosted by the Osher Institute and held at the Yanke building. This session will focus on The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.

Please note: This program is open to the public; it is NOT an Osher program. There is no charge, and registration is not required.

Facilitator: Dr. Ann Campbell, Professor of English, Boise State University

Date and time: Fri., Sep. 1, noon-1:00 p.m.

We hope to see you at our Osher Open House on Thursday, August 10!

Drop in between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to enjoy refreshments, mingle with friends, pick up a new parking permit, an optional public transportation sticker, and an Osher name badge for NEW members. (Returning members, your current orange Osher name badge is still valid for this year with membership renewal.)

At 11:30 a.m., and again at 12:30 p.m., we will host a brief “All About Osher” session to meet the staff and learn more about the Osher Institute. Wear your Boise State blue and orange to join us for a photo opp that will be shared at the Osher National Conference in the fall!

To register for this free event, visit the Log In/Register Online page, or call Customer Services at (208) 426-1709. If you would like to invite a guest(s) to the Osher Open House, please submit their name here.

Calling All Photographers!

If you know your way around a camera, we'd love for you to take photos at the Open House on August 10! You can send your pictures from the event to Senior Communications Specialist Jill Chmelko at jillchmelko@boisestate.edu.

The Personal Writing Special Interest Group (SIG) welcomes the opportunity to share selected works of its members. This month's featured writing is from SIG member Jud Roth. You can read his essays on the Osher on Demand page of our website.

The Personal Writing SIG meets every other Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. starting on Friday, August 25. If you would like to join, visit the Log In/Register Online page and click on the drop-down menu for Special Interest Groups.

The Symposium on Civic and History Education presents the keynote address "Educating Our Nation: Public Schools and Our Democracy, Past, Present, and Future" with Dr. Johann Neem on Thursday, August 3, at 7:30 p.m. at the Skaggs Lecture Hall in the Boise State Micron Business and Economics Building.

The event is free and open to the public. Parking will be available in the Brady Street Garage on campus. For more information, click here or contact Dr. Lisa Brady at lisabrady@boisestate.edu.

Idaho Voices for Children is honoring Jim Jones at this year's Children's Champion Luncheon on Thursday, August 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Boise Centre.

To purchase tickets, visit the Idaho Voices for Children website.

The Osher office will be closed for an Osher staff in-service

on Friday, August 11.

You can leave a message at (208) 426-6554 or osher@boisestate.edu

and we will get back to you on Monday, August 14.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Boise State University

Phone: (208) 426-OLLI (6554)

Email: osher@boisestate.edu

Website: boisestate.edu/osher

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Boise State University operates within the Division of Extended Studies. It is a membership-based, lifelong learning program offering non-credit, college-level programs designed for intellectually curious adults age 50 and over.



Support the Osher Institute here.

Osher Institute Advisory Board

Chair: Cindy Anson | Chair Elect: Bae Emilson | Tom Baerwald | Michael Bixby

Chuck Folkner | Bob Fontaine | Dennis Hall | Rod McLean | Sharon Moses

Rainey Pieters | Dr. Chuck Robertson | Diane Ronayne

Osher Institute Staff

Director: Dana Thorp-Patterson | Assistant Director: Laura Mehlhaff

Senior Communications Specialist: Jill Chmelko

Administrative Assistant II: Cherie Ellingson