OLLILife

A community of learners over 50

June, 2024 | Vol 4, No.8

On New Members, Generous Donors And A Personal Milestone

Greetings OLLI Members.

Can you believe we're already halfway through the year? Summer is just around the corner, bringing new adventures and opportunities.

Despite printing a shorter version of our catalog, your enthusiasm and commitment to lifelong learning have shone through. You've eagerly registered for our engaging courses, and I appreciate your continued support. It’s not easy making difficult decisions, but serving you is a choice worth making.

This past month, we hosted one of our largest Summer Open Houses and welcomed an influx of new members! I was also so honored to attend the recent Donor Appreciation Lunch, where nearly 40 of our generous donors gathered. Your contributions are vital to our program's success, and I cannot thank you enough for your continued support.

This wonderful event was coordinated by our Development Committee Chair Kevin Chittim and sponsored by the USF Foundation and the foundation's Marion Yongue, associate vice president of university development (pictured with me). It was a true testament to the strength and generosity of our community.

On a personal note, I am thrilled to share that my oldest son has graduated from high school and will be attending Howard University this fall. So, if you happen to see me with tears in my eyes, you’ll know why.

Thank you for being the best part of our organization!

Lots of hugs

June 6 - Free Screening: "Hiding In Plain Sight" (See information below)

visiting professor at the USF College of Honors. He described his earliest experiences in 2005 with his educationally elite students in a class on satire and social commentary. 

When he mentioned then Vice President Dick Cheney, the students didn’t know who Cheney was. Just a few of them could name three Supreme Court justices. And only about half could name the three branches of the U.S. government.  

“Houston, we have a problem,” Ruth quipped. 

Since then, Ruth has become what he describes as a “one-man civic literacy department” in the Honors College, teaching a class every semester on the topic. On the first day of every class, he gives a 30-question quiz, 10 of which are included on the test for U.S. citizenship. 

“In that case, some of them would be shipped out,” he quipped. 

Whose Fault Is It?

The fault doesn’t lie with the students but with the U.S. educational system, Ruth said. 

“Most students today do not get a solid education in social studies. Instead, there’s a big emphasis on STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics]. But there needs to be an emphasis on who this country is and what it is,” he said. 

He describes the lack of civics education as a “national security problem,” pointing to the events on Jan. 6, 2020. 

“It was stupid people being motivated to storm the citadel of American democracy,” he said. “These were people who I greatly suspect do not understand how this country works or how it’s supposed to work.... The dumber you can keep society, the easier it is to manipulate them, to spread disinformation and get them to do whatever you want them to do,” he said. 

Pointing to recent college protests focusing on the war in Gaza, Ruth said he admired the students’ passion but faulted them for being misinformed. 

So are we doomed, as the title of his speech asked? 

It depends on the results of the upcoming election, he said. “It could literally go down to the wire,” he said. 

Other Highlights

Dan Ruth’s speech was one highlight of the morning at Centro Asturiano. The program also included a description of upcoming classes and an introduction to this semester’s newest teachers. In addition, attendees were able to meet instructors of this semester's classes, leaders of the Shared Interest Groups, and members of various committees. And they had the opportunity to gather and meet old friends and make new ones. 

Special thanks to Open House sponsor Wellcare. 

Here are some scenes from the Open House. 

-- Sandy Buckley

--Photos, George Hyde and Sandy Buckley

Board Focuses On Innovative Ideas

Just two days after the Open House, members of the OLLI Board of Advisors sequestered themselves in the USF Tampa Library for an all-day review and planning session.

Board members saluted outgoing Finance Chair Bruce Gobioff for his years of service and insightful analysis. They also welcomed another longtime IBM veteran, Karen Wright, as the new chair of the Travel Opportunities Committee, along with Diane White, serving as chair of the Volunteer Engagement Committee.

The discussion focused on innovative ideas for growth in membership, class registration, philanthropic giving, ancillary revenue, and enhanced member engagement.

The incoming board welcomes your ideas for continuous improvement at OLLI-USF. You can meet your representatives online in the About Us – Leadership section of the OLLI website, www.usfseniors.org. They look forward to hearing what’s on your mind!

-- George Hyde

Helping Stock The Shelves For Summer

The Feed-a-Bull food pantry will remain open during the summer months to provide supplemental assistance to USF students experiencing food insecurity.  

OLLI continued its support of the food pantry on two occasions in May.

OLLI members were invited to bring non-perishable food donations to the Summer Open House at Centro Asturiano de Tampa on May 8. Multiple cartons and bags of food donations and a gift card were collected at the event and delivered to the food pantry.

Going West

Kathryn Ludwig, right, a docent with the James Museum in St. Petersburg, discusses this sculpture and its artist with members of the Local Culture Shared Interest Group.

The Local Culture SIG members visited the museum, which focuses on the American West, on April 30 for a private, docent-led tour followed by a lecture on Protecting Intangible Cultural Heritage by a member of the museum's educational staff.

The museum visit was followed by dinner at local seafood restaurant the Fourth Street Shrimp Store.

They Had A Berry Good Time!

Members of the Food, Glorious Food! Shared Interest Group hold up their bags of blueberries, which they picked on a trip to Lyna Berry Farms in Lithia on May 2. Before the berry picking began, the group was treated to a brief talk about the farm by co-owner Lyna. Then, with buckets provided by the farm, the group spread out among the thousands of bushes.

After picking berries, the hungry berry pickers headed to Fred’s Market restaurant, a buffet restaurant serving country comfort food, for some lunch and a chance to compare berry-picking experiences.

The event was so much fun that the group hopes to make the berry picking an annual event.

A Potluck Extravaganza!

Surrounded by nature, friends, and smiling faces, Outdoors SIG members met in Windsor Park on May 9 for their annual Potluck Extravaganza.

Exemplifying the event's theme, Bee Happy!, the nature walk was just perfect and felt miles away from everything, as the group snaked through the woods.

After taking their annual photo, Outdoors members were treated to an engaging discussion about honeybees by John Morse, from GEM Apiaries. John is in the third year of the University of Florida's four-year Master Beekeeping program. 

That bee-utiful talk was followed by a potluck picnic. It was quite the spread and all delicious! The Extravaganza wrapped up with SIG members sharing ideas for what they want to do next year.

-- Diane White

A Visit To Keel Farms

A guide at Keel and Curley Winery in Plant City explains the wine and cider-making processes to members of the Food, Glorious Food! SIG during a visit to Keel Farms on May 14. The group was there for lunch at the farm's restaurant and a tour of its 25 acres, which included a visit to the winery and the farm's brewery, where a variety of beers and ales are produced.

OLLI Meets BULLI

OLLI Volunteer Engagement Committee member Diane Russell had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Tim Bryant, the executive director of BULLI, Brenau University Learning and Leisure, in Gainesville, Georgia, on May 15.

Pictured is Diane Russell (center) with Dr. Bryant and his assistant, Chelsea Enochs.

Brenau University is participating in a survey of select lifelong learning institutes conducted by the Volunteer Engagement Committee. The intent of the survey is to determine best practices to recruit volunteers and ways to fill the need for volunteers in leadership roles.

Pizookie Anyone?

Twenty-one OLLI members and guests from Conviviality and Celebrations recently enjoyed lunch at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse at Citrus Park Mall for their May meeting.

Several in the group tried BJ’s famous decadently delightful pizookie dessert for the first time. A pizookie is a dish consisting of a large cookie topped with ice cream and is one of BJ's signature dishes.

The group of traveling culinary connoisseurs meets once a month for lunch to celebrate and recognize birthdays and other special occasions at various eateries in the Tampa area. The next luncheon is scheduled for Fri., Jun. 7 at Maggiano’s Little Italy, 203 Westshore Plaza, Tampa. 

All OLLI members are invited to join in the fun. Email Kat Hanscom for further information.

-- Photo, Kat Hanscom  

Meet Brian and Penny Noriega

2024 Above and Beyond Award Recipients

The Volunteer Recognition Awards honor volunteers who have made significant contributions to the mission and values of OLLI-USF. In April, the awards were presented to four individuals and one team. Over the next few months, OLLILife will introduce you to these award winners.

Brian and Penny Noriega were college students at the University of Florida when they first met, and they’ve been together ever since. Over 45 years of marriage, they raised two daughters and welcomed two grandchildren. They adopted and nurtured five dogs and five cats. They built careers, developed interests, and supported each other through the good and bad times. Theirs is a true partnership.

So when both Brian and Penny were named recipients of the Above and Beyond Awards at the Volunteer Appreciation Program in April, it was altogether fitting that they would share this honor.

“Either Penny or Brian could have been given this award individually. We are lucky to have both of them. To me, they exemplify the meaning of volunteerism in OLLI. As instructors and volunteers, they have been enthusiastic and consistent supporters of USF and OLLI membership,” said Awards Committee member Arlene Zimney while presenting the awards.

Both Brian and Penny are instructors of technology and liberal arts courses and serve as coaches for technology classes. And both contribute a lot of time and effort to the Outdoors SIG. But each of them also brings their own individual perspectives and talents to their activities.

The Scientist

Brian is a scientist: a physicist and a founding staff member of Moffitt Cancer Center, where he spent the last 30 years of his career. He has also taught medical physics to radiation therapy students at Hillsborough Community College.

His interest in medicine inspired him to volunteer for the American Red Cross and Hospice before the Covid pandemic brought that to a halt. He also participated in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Funded by the city of Tampa and administered by the Tampa Fire Department, the organization taught hurricane preparedness and other safety topics to the public until its funds dried up.

Brian began teaching for OLLI about four years ago, with many of his classes focusing on the iPhone. Ironically, he says, “I was the last person in my family to get an iPhone, maybe the last person in the world.”

Since acquiring his first iPhone, through a lot of research and by simply exploring his own device, Brian has become an expert in the technology. Now he teaches at least two technology courses a semester in addition to liberal arts classes. This semester, for example, he’s offering classes on Apple Pay and on Security and Privacy for iPhone & iPad. That’s in addition to a class on Personal Safety for Seniors, based on those he taught for CERT.

Teaching is a passion for Brian, he explains.

“I like sharing information and being able to help people. I like getting feedback from students and seeing them succeed,” he says.

He also enjoys participating in OLLI Outdoors and has led several hikes. He’s usually the bearer of a first aid kit and the person bringing up the rear on hikes, making sure stragglers don’t get lost.

The Dog Lover

For a long time, Penny thought she couldn’t have dogs in her life. That belief started when she was 13 years old and the delighted owner of a new puppy. Until she started sneezing.

So for the next 40 years, Penny lived without dogs in her home. Then one day on a walk with a friend, she learned about hypoallergenic dog breeds, which produce less dander, hair, and saliva and thus fewer allergy triggers.

Since then, Penny has not only become a dog owner but also a leader in dog activities. She is active in the Dog Training Club of Tampa where she provides dog training classes on agility and tricks. And she organized a dog therapy team, which brings canine visitors to nursing homes and hospitals.

Every year, Penny leads several dog hikes for the OLLI Outdoors SIG. That’s in addition to the several hikes a year she leads for the SIG’s human members. Those SIG activities bring no end of satisfaction, Penny says.

“I like going out in the world, being in nature and walking,” Penny says. “The Outdoors SIG gives you the chance to do all the things you should do as an older adult. You get to socialize and meet new people and go to new places.”

Like Brian, Penny, too, teaches technology classes for OLLI. This semester, she’s offering a class on Easier, Safer Passwords.

Penny honed both her tech and teaching skills while earning bachelor’s degrees in management and psychology and a PhD in educational administration. Over her career, she has taught math to community college students, and she spent many years with the USF College of Education’s Human Resources department, where she provided training classes for employees.

It was the last few years of her career that brought her to OLLI. For two to three years before retirement, Penny served as OLLI’s tech coordinator, a position now held by Jeanne Dyer.

Earning Honors Together

Neither Brian nor Penny expected to hear their names announced at the volunteer awards program.

“I was sitting at a table, and I heard a description of an award winner. I thought, ‘I probably know that person,’” Penny says. “It was such a surprise to me.”

First Penny’s name was announced. Then Brian’s. The couple, such a team in so many ways, had earned this honor together.



“It was nice that it was the two of us,” quips Penny. “It made it easy to drive home together.” 

--Sandy Buckley

Free Screening: "Hiding In Plain Sight"

Thursday, June 6: 3-5 p.m.

Charles William Young Hall (CWY), Second Floor Auditorium

12303 USF Genshaft Drive

You're invited to a private screening of the documentary "Hiding In Plain Sight," which features the life story of Bob Delaney, a former undercover New Jersey state trooper and NBA referee. The documentary was produced and directed by 22-time Emmy-winning director and producer Nick Nanton.

The documentary is being presented by USF Corporate Training and Professional Education.

In the documentary, Bob Delaney talks with Nick Nanton about his incredible careers in two vastly different fields, from infiltrating the Mafia in the 1970s to becoming one of the NBA's most respected referees. And he opens up about his experience with post-traumatic stress and his passion for helping others.

The program will include a welcome by USF President Rhea Law and a fireside chat with Bob Delaney following the screening.

There is no charge to attend.

Complimentary parking can be found in Lot 6, the lot just north of the Sun Dome, and Lot 21 just north of the CWY Hall.

Please RSVP to usf.to/BDScreening.

Yummy Bacon

Imagine waking up in the morning to the smell of bacon cooking. Picture the savory aroma sailing through the air, enticing your taste buds. And you can hardly wait to inhale it.

However, cooking bacon can be a bit of a challenge when catering to different preferences of doneness. 

For those who prefer their bacon on the wimpy side, it's a delicate dance of barely cooking it, resulting in a shimmering layer of fat that glints in the light.

Medium-cooked style doneness has a brown exterior and a lingering hint of fat. Not wimpy and not quite to the crispy stage.

Perfectly cooked bacon, where each strip glistens with a golden crispness. This style bacon promises a satisfying crunch with each snap.

And naturally, some people aren't interested in the indulgence of eating bacon.

Below is a "just for fun" poll asking about your preference of bacon.

We're On An Upward Swing!

The OLLI social whirlwind activity is slowing down. But summer classes are up and running. I hope to meet many of you over the summer in one of the great classes being offered, or perhaps over lunch.

Meanwhile, I’d like to give a shoutout to Membership Committee members who have faithfully helped OLLI-USF rebuild its post-COVID community.

In June 2021, then Board of Advisors Chair Michael Viren informed me that the OLLI membership stood at 1,120. Bruce Gobioff, OLLI’s superstar number cruncher, advised last week that OLLI now has 1,376 total members. We are thrilled to see the upward swing but are mindful that sustaining this growth relies not only on new members but also on existing members renewing their OLLI commitment annually.

Bravo: Thanks to OLLI Membership team members Shirley Herring, Sally Ordway, Linda Rounsaville, Al Wileden, Kathryn Alyson, Donna McGrew, Ray Ann Favata, Greg Pennington, and Linda Tournade for all their efforts. 

Circles: I’m looking for Circle "point people" who can welcome OLLI newcomers who live in your zip code circle. Call me at 575-779-1382 or text me at that number.

Enjoy your summer.

--Pam Tyler, Chair of the Membership Committee

The Membership Committee has an article each month introducing a new OLLI member. Congratulations and welcome to two of OLLI’s newest members.

Introducing Mark and Waynette Brown

Mark and Waynette moved to Lakeland from Arizona at the end of last year. They belonged to a senior learning group there and were happy to find OLLI.

They have been quite active in their short time with OLLI, enjoying the many SIGs including OLLI Outdoors, Local Culture, Food, Glorious Food, and the new Florida Gardening SIG. The Florida Gardening SIG formed from a butterfly class at USF and led to Waynette volunteering at USF Botanical Gardens. Within Food, Glorious Food, Waynette leads the Cooks on the Loose cooking club, which meets monthly at one of the 12 members' homes to dine on homemade dishes based on a theme. Mark and Waynette also loved the class Communicating Through Art: The Murals of Tampa, taught by Bruce Johnson.

Mark and Waynette have also become OLLI instructors and will be teaching in the fall. Together they will teach two travel classes, one featuring Germany, Austria and the Christmas Markets and the other featuring China. Mark will also teach a class about the Holocaust based on a course he taught at a community college in Arizona.

Mark comes from Philadelphia originally, and Waynette from Paramus, New Jersey. They met at the New Jersey Shore and lived in Pennsylvania to start their life together. When their son entered Arizona State University, they moved to Arizona. Waynette had always thought of retiring in Florida, and the perfect opportunity came about when she visited the state to help her daughter find a house in Lakeland. She ended up finding a wonderful house for her and Mark.

Mark spent most of his career in journalism and still publishes articles about the Tampa Bay Rays and local news. Waynette spent most of her career in retail buying and insurance. More recently, she worked as a seasonal bus driver in Yosemite National Park while living in a dorm (before Covid shut

things down). This summer, Mark and Waynette are off on another adventure for seven weeks in Europe, starting in Amsterdam.

--Shirley Herring

OLLI: Une Invitation à Parler Français

How the Ici on parle français! SIG came to be.

“Parlez-vous français?” asked Theresa Sokol and Susan Goodwin at the beginning of 2021. They were both fluent in French; Susan was, and still is, offering an introduction to French for OLLI, and Theresa had learned French through relationships and a long career in Europe. Following the old French tradition of the salon, but with a modern twist, they were inviting OLLI members eager to converse in French on a variety of subjects.

That September, I joined the group and found myself to be the only native French speaker. I had been a French teacher for almost 30 years in Hillsborough County, and pretty soon I was asked to facilitate the exchanges among members and develop the topics of our discussions. And so, thanks to Olli, I got the opportunity, like so many other members have, to again use all those little grey cells in my brain before they turned into a béchamelle.

No need to be fluent in French to join the SIG

The SIG meets on Zoom the first and third Mondays of every month. The degree of fluency among members varies; some can express themselves fairly easily in French while others take advantage of the many tools on the internet such as pronunciation modeling, translation, subtitles, etc. to prepare and participate. Some members learned French in high school and in college; others lived for a while in a French-speaking country. But all want, so many years later, to experience again the thrill of taking risks and the joy of successfully finding a way to experience another culture.

Topics of conversations

With good humor, curiosity and respect, we recall and share memories of our childhood and youth, such as the kind of food we ate; the places where we have lived; the cars our parents and ourselves drove; our college and workplace experiences; our travels, etc. We talk about our lives, our hopes and worries, how we are facing old age with its little and big pleasures, how we handle the constant changes brought by technology, how we deal with the political climate, the problems of our times, etc.

Through all of it, hopefully every time we meet, while speaking French among friends, we capture a little bit of that elusive joie de vivre!

--Lise Bérubé

SIGnificant EVENTS FOR JUNE 2024

Nancy Baily-Williamson, SIG Liaison

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