Wonderings
A publication of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at MSU
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"OLLI at MSU and its presenters are the best thing about being connected
to a university system in the Wild West!”
-Participant, Why Did the Supreme Court DO That?!
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Colors of Autumn
We hope you have been enjoying the fall semester OLLI offerings and the season's gifts and colors - autumn leaves, snow-capped mountains, and even a recent show of northern lights. It is also the season to celebrate our right to vote, whether your party is red, blue, green, or grey. A long-time OLLI member and volunteer recently shared her thoughts and stories on the topic of voting in OLLI's October Prime Magazine article.
I want to thank our eight OLLI Shorts presenters, who shared their 8-minute colorful presentations to an audience of 200+ OLLI members and friends. From a life of hot air ballooning to collaborative art, lichens, mythology, and Montana's soils - they covered from the ground to the sky - literally. Doing some quick napkin math, I calculated that there were over 550 combined years of experience and stories between our member speakers!
We are so grateful and fortunate to share the stage with these brave speakers AND each of our nearly 800 members - thank you all for your support and engagement. We look forward to seeing you at an OLLI at MSU program this semester as we celebrate the colorful gifts of the season!
Bobbi Geise
Director, OLLI at MSU
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November Friday Forum: Post Election Analysis
The OLLI at MSU November Friday Forum will host a virtual post-election analysis of election results and predictions about how the results might affect regional, state, and national audiences. Which election results were as expected, and which (if any) were surprises? How will these results affect us here in Montana? If some races remain undecided, what is the process involved in resolving the situation? Friday Forum will be held via Zoom on Friday, November 15, from noon to 1:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
A discussion on "Post Election Analysis" will be hosted by the Osher Livelong Learning Institute at Montana State University. Featured speakers include Jessikay Bennion, an associate teaching professor in MSU's Department of Political Science, and Montana Free Press reporters Mara Silvers and Tom Lutey. Silvers covers the governor's race, Supreme Court races, and CI-128. Lutey covers the Senate, Eastern District House, and attorney general races.
Please note that the November Friday Forum is on the third Friday, November 15, from noon to 1:30 p.m. online via Zoom. Click or tap here for more information or to register directly through Zoom.
Participants must register by 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 15. Upon registration confirmation, participants will receive an email with the Zoom link and instructions to join the Friday Forum. Registration is required to receive the Zoom information.
Friday Forum features presentations and community discussions on local and regional timely topics on the second Friday of each month from September through May. OLLI at MSU Friday Forum is free and open to the public.
Click or tap here for past Friday Forum recordings on the OLLI at MSU Recordings page.
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Osher Collaborative Event: Healthy People, Healthy Planet
The Bernard Osher Foundation, the benefactor of OLLI at MSU, also supports a network of Integrative Health Centers hosted within 10 U.S. medical schools and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The Osher Centers will present their 2nd Annual Virtual Symposium – Healthy People, Healthy Planet on Friday, November 8. The Osher Collaborative coordinates the event, which includes an impressive roster of presentations by Integrative Health professionals from the centers nationwide. The program will cover the following four themes:
- Healthy Lifestyle (physical, mental, and spiritual)
- Healthy Relationships (social and ecological)
- Healthy Community (in more than the human world)
- Healthy Future (for people and planet)
This event is free for OLLI members to virtually attend one or all the presentations on Friday, November 8, between 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Click or tap here for more information or to register.
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Featured Courses
Global Civics 2.0 with Steven Maly. Tuesdays, October 15 - November 26 (no class November 5), 10:00 - noon. Face-to-face.
Refresh your traditional civics knowledge and expand our shared understanding of rights and responsibilities beyond borders. Learn how the principles of sovereignty, legitimacy, and subsidiarity form a lens through which to analyze trends and events in a global context, with a view toward the progressive realization of human rights at home and abroad.
What Happened to Dick and Jane? Issues, Trends, and Best-Practices in Teaching Children to Read with Ann Ellsworth. Wednesdays, October 16 - November 13, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Face-to-face.
Revisit how you learned to read and learn about the trends that have guided reading instruction in this country for the last 100+ years. You will also be introduced to current research findings that inform how children today are instructed and understand the reading process with new insight.
Comparative Religion with David Smith. Thursdays, October 31 - November 21, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Online via Zoom.
Are world religions a mass of confusion or a world of opportunity? This course will survey and compare the central teachings of some major world religions, addressing similarities and differences. Traditions covered include Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and a brief discussion of alternative religions and cults.
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Featured OLLI Extras
OLLI on Campus with Gallatin College, Friday, October 18, 9:00 a.m. - noon. Face-to-face at Gallatin College East Campus.
Join OLLI at MSU and Gallatin College for tours and presentations about Gallatin College's many programs, including aviation, machine technology, culinary arts, HVAC, welding, business management, and more. Gallatin College MSU is Southwest Montana's two-year college, offering two-year associate degrees and one-year professional certificates. It complements Montana State University's four-year programs and ensures workforce development access that promotes a vibrant local economy. Come early to enjoy coffee and muffins before the program begins! Few spaces remain.
Confluence: Nature's Symmetry, Mathematics and Science in Poetry with Michael Smith. Wednesdays, October 30 - November 13, 10:30 a.m. - noon. Face-to-face.
Hidden within poetic forms are underlying mathematical or symmetrical structures found in nature. Examples include sestinas, the Fibonacci sequence, and fractal poems. We will consider several poems grounded in mathematics, science, and nature, gaining an appreciation of the challenge of writing them and their poignant results.
Brawl of the Wild, Today's Collegiate Sports: How NILs are Changing the Game with Sean Dotson and Jean Gee. Wednesday, November 20, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Face-to-face.
Join your fellow OLLI at MSU members in person and UM OLLI counterparts virtually for a friendly and cheer-filled educational program celebrating the long-standing Cat-Griz rivalry. Learn more about name, image, and likeness (NIL) and its impact on college sports from Montana State University and the University of Montana representatives.
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Belgrade Community Library
These community events are free and open to the public, and they are presented by OLLI at MSU and the Belgrade Community Library, with sponsorship by the Belgrade Community Library Foundation. Refreshments are available at 5:30 p.m. We recommend advanced registration, but walk-ins are welcome.
Galloping in the Gallatin: Montana's Horse Racing History with Brenda Wahler. Thursday, October 17, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Face-to-face.
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Autumn Reads
OLLI at MSU offers three member exclusive book discussion groups. We are sharing the below titles to allow you time to enjoy a good cozy read and join in the discussions! You may join any of the groups below for one, a few, or all of the sessions. Registration is required to participate in the book discussion groups.
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Learning Opportunities for Everyone: Feed Your Curiosity at a Price That Works for You!
We aim to make participation accessible for everyone aged 50 and older who wants to engage in lifelong learning. Recognizing that program or event fees can be a barrier, OLLI at MSU provides financial assistance for both tuition and membership.
We are grateful to the family and friends of our late OLLI at MSU leader and consummate lifelong learner, Doug Young, for establishing the Doug Young Memorial Scholarship Fund. We encourage you to apply for membership or program tuition assistance as needed and encourage your neighbor or friend to do the same. Our application is quick and easy. Click or tap here to view more information or apply for financial assistance. Please complete the application process BEFORE registering for programs.
Online donations are also encouraged to help us sustain and support the OLLI at MSU Doug Young Memorial Scholarship fund and OLLI at MSU general program fund.
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Campus Corner
Below are a few upcoming events offered on the Montana State University Bozeman campus that may interest our OLLI at MSU members. Click or tap titles and locations for more information. These events are not sponsored or produced by OLLI at MSU.
Provost’s Distinguished Lecturer Series, All in the Family: The Scientific Study of Families and Relationships with J. Mitchell Vaterlaus. Tuesday, October 15, beginning at 7:00 p.m., Reception to follow. Museum of the Rockies, Hager Auditorium. J. Mitchell Vaterlaus, who came to MSU in 2014, will share highlights of his career and discuss his research on family dynamics, including information about his research on family dynamics and particularly how media, technology, the COVID-19 pandemic, and inherent family strengths shape relationships within the family unit. This lecture, designed for both members of the public and those in academia, is free and open to the public; tickets are not required.
Hidden Figures: Breaking Barriers Within STEM with Margo Lee Shetterly. Wednesday, October 30, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Strand Union Building, Ballrooms. Best-selling author Margo Lee Shetterly is the author of "Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race," which was a top book of 2016 for both Time magazine and Publisher's Weekly, a USA Today bestseller and a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. The book recounts the true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped make possible some of America's most outstanding achievements in space. This presentation is the third and final speaker in MSU's second annual President’s Crossing Boundaries Speaker Series. Free and open to the public.
Honors Presents: Flying Supersonic with Dr. Anthony Demetriades. Thursday, November 7, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., Chemistry & Biochemistry Building, Byker Auditorium. Frequent OLLI at MSU speaker Dr. Anthony Demetriades will give a presentation on supersonic flight, the sonic boom phenomenon, and aerodynamic heating.
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Would You Like More OLLI?
Follow the OLLI at MSU Facebook page for program updates and reminders, news, and technology tips. The best time to follow is now.
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We hope you enjoy the selection of items we have chosen for this edition. Everything in this email will be archived on the Newsletter Archive page of our website. | |
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at MSU is a program of MSU Academic Technology and Outreach. OLLI at MSU provides intellectually stimulating and enjoyable programs that foster lifelong learning and community engagement for individuals 50 and greater. There are no tests, no grades and no papers. OLLI at MSU offers opportunities for the pure joy of learning. Become a member, support lifelong learning, consider teaching for OLLI at MSU. Contact the OLLI office by phone at 406-994-6550. | | | | |