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Electronic Newsletter of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - November 2010
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 Olli, Not Holly!
Looking for a gift idea for a "hard to buy for" person on your list? How about an OLLI membership? Spring membership is $75 and includes one class plus all of the lunchtime lectures and study groups. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce OLLI to a friend. Call Brenda Deaville at 244-9141 for more details. We can provide you with an OLLI Gift Certificate to present to your friend as well!
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 Instructor Spotlight: Susan Post and Michael Jeffords
"He had the camera, I had the car." This is Sue Post's concise explanation of how her professional and personal partnership with Michael Jeffords began at the Illinois Natural History Survey. Sue and Michael, who have been married 28 years, retired last summer after more than 30 years with the Survey; Sue was a research biologist, Michael an education and outreach coordinator.
Both were born and raised in Illinois, Sue in the country near Mackinaw, Michael in Brookport, a small town in southern Illinois. Michael says he started collecting "bugs" when he was nine, foreshadowing his graduate study at the University of Illinois where he received a PhD in entomology. Sue earned a BS in entomology from the UI.
In spring 2009 Sue and Michael taught their first OLLI course, Illinois Wilds: The Nature of Illinois . Their students loved it, and they have returned this fall to teach A Natural History of North America.
 A s OLLI members who have taken Sue and Michael's classes know, this energetic and talented duo have traveled extensively throughout the United States, documenting in photos and journals the wonders of the natural areas they explore. With Natural History Survey colleague Ken Robertson, they wrote and illustrated with their photographs the book Illinois Wilds, and Sue wrote the popular Hiking Illinois. Both have contributed for two decades to the magazine Illinois Steward.
Next July they will travel for the first time to our forty-ninth state to host the OLLI thirteen day Alaska tour. They are thrilled with this opportunity and have already begun their research into the natural history of this magnificent part of our country.
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OLLI Profiles
 Bonnie Hudson
Where did you grow up? Grew up in Champaign, believe it or not, although I have lived in Southern Illinois, Chicago metro area and Minneapolis.
Describe your education. I am a slow learner, so it took me three degrees before I thought I had it right, all from the University of Illinois...all very different. BS: Teaching of Social Studies and Sociology. MA: American Intellectual History. PhD: Leadership & Organizational Behavior (College of Education). First degree: 1967, PhD, 1993.
Describe your family. Married to Jim R. Hudson, 43 years, married in Holy Cross Catholic Church, right here in C-U. One son, Michael, is a wildlife/fish biologist, Portland, OR. He and his wife, Bernadette, have two beautiful daughters, Clara and Nora. Eric is our second son and is a policy analyst for the U.S. General Accountability Office. He and his wife, Nerissa, live in Elmhurst and are the proud parents of Grace and Sarah. We all use Skype a lot, so the granddaughters know their cousins and grandparents. We love being back in central Illinois, where Jim's Mom will celebrate her 90th birthday soon, and where we both have some family...and many friends.
What do you do now? I am not retired, but do control the amount of work I do today. I am a leadership and organizational development consultant, having my own consulting firm, BBH Consulting. Today, I limit myself almost entirely to Executive Coaching, doing a little Strategic Thinking Coaching.
What magazines do you read? My favorite, must-read is still the Harvard Business Review. Two VERY FUN regular reads: Cooking Light, and Wine Spectator.
Describe a remarkable OLLI experience. I have only been a member for about 18 months, so I am just beginning to really get my feet wet. But Bob Rich's classes are always marvelous. He is a master at facilitating groups, and can handle a class of 50+ discussing political beliefs with ease, a wonder to watch.
Tell a secret about yourself. I have worked in and with very diverse organizations and people, and I am trying to make time to capture some of this in writing. For example, I have done a longitudinal study of People in Change, with partners and employees of Arthur Andersen as the case study. As a member of that group, I began interviews in 2002, and have done three additional since then with 30 individuals affected by the consulting firm's implosion. I am now trying to pull all of that together.
Do you have a Facebook page, and if you do, how many Facebook "friends" do you have? I do have a Facebook page, but use it to keep up with my children's pictures, as well as my 45+ nieces and nephews, their children, and all of their life experiences. I NEVER write on the wall; rather, I send messages directly, visible only by the message receiver. I do not LIKE Facebook; I do accept it as a reality.
Describe your OLLI committee, the Curriculum Committee. We have great classes, with a high level of professionalism, and participation of members that most faculty would love to see in their campus classes. We have expectations that such a level continues. The Curriculum Committee synthesizes current and potential course and faculty information, requests, and evaluations. We analyze, discuss, and make decisions that result in a schedule to appeal to and meet the interests of our membership. Our Spring Schedule, 2011, for example, is already completed. We have begun to look at Fall 2011.
The earliest years have given us a great foundation. It is up to us to not just meet that standard, but to challenge it. We must continue to ask: Are we offering courses across all the areas of inquiry that our membership would like to have? How effective is this specific faculty member in teaching OLLI members? Is there another approach to a favored topic that we might offer in the future? I encourage OLLI members to have conversations with curriculum committee members if you have ideas for classes you might like to see or questions about the curriculum.
Dick Justice
Where did you grow up? Carlinville, IL
Describe your education. Carlinville High School 1964. Eastern Illinois University (EIU) B.S. Education 1968. EIU M.S. Education Administration 1971. University of Illinois Ph.D. Education Organization and Leadership 1998.
Describe your family. Wife is Patricia (recently retired from U of I; taking a class at OLLI). Son is Will, a sophomore at the High School of St. Thomas More. Older children are Stasia and Jeremy who live in Michigan. Between them we have our 6 grandsons.
What did you do before retirement? I was Associate Dean of Students at the U of I and taught in the College of Education the last 2 years.
How long have you lived in east central Illinois? All my life.
What magazines do you read? Newsweek, Time, Popular Science, Reader's Digest, Hawaii Magazine.
Recommend a travel destination. Any or all of the Hawaiian Islands.
Describe a remarkable OLLI experience. Experiencing the joy of learning without homework or exams.
Tell me a secret about yourself. I have recently become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). Patricia and I are newborn interim foster parents.
Do you have a Facebook page? I have no Facebook page and rarely visit it.
Describe your OLLI committee. My committee is the Volunteerism Committee. The committee is looking at how to best inform OLLI members about volunteer opportunities in the community.
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E-Reviews: Overnight or Weekend Travel Destinations
E-Reviews is our regular interactive column containing OLLI member submissions. With each bi-monthly newsletter, we'll print reviews on a selected subject from the perspective of OLLI's greatest resource, you. This month, we have reviews of weekend travel destinations.
If you'd like to participate in the next E-REVIEWS, please send your review for consideration to traci54@gmail.com. Try to keep the review to 30 words or less. January's: Movies.
Nan Ehrlich - New Harmony, IN. Overnight at the local golf resort with swimming pool, roofless church, two labyrinths - one very old and one brand new and modern. Fantastic building by Richard Neuman housing a museum and shop. Historic tours of the many buildings remaining from the two failed Utopias. A town for walking and cycling on old streets with charming buildings, eclectic shops, plus hiking in woods.
Bonnie Hudson - The North Shore, MN. The region from Duluth to Grand Portage, along Lake Superior. Six state parks, all with easy and challenging hiking trails along roaring rivers with waterfalls. Many blacktopped biking trails. Superior Hiking Trail system is well-marked. Lighthouses, sunrises and sunsets, artist colonies, beaches, and surprisingly good, green, and simple restaurants. Great for photographers.
Minneapolis, MN. Three great art museums, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (in SW suburbs), great theater (new Guthrie Theater the star of the district overlooking the river), and a great 'FOODIE' town - organic, naturally grown beef and vegetables, or walleye tacos (Oceannaire, Maynard's, and Caribou Coffee). What other city lets you stay out of the winter downtown through connecting above-ground glass walkways?
Barbara Meyer - Chicago, IL. In summer, ride a water taxi up and down the river from Trump Tower to Chinatown. Buy an all day pass for $6. In winter, stroll along the Magnificent Mile and gaze at the holiday lights. Anytime, view the moving works at National Vietnam Veteran's Art Museum on Indiana Avenue. Tour the nearby Prairie Avenue Historic District for a glimpse of the mansions of Chicago's 19th century elite. Don't miss the magnificent Tiffany windows in the Presbyterian Church.
Craig W. Cutbirth, Ph.D. - The Chicago Christkindlmarket. Located in Daley Plaza (50 W Washington Street, Chicago, IL 60602). The German-themed market with gifts and food is open daily from 11 AM - 8 PM November 24 to December 24. Visit their website: http://www.christkindlmarket.com/en/
Mary and George Perlstein - Shawnee National Forest. Have a fine weekend staying at Giant City Lodge, hiking, exploring Giant City itself, fabulous barbeque (nationally ranked) in nearby Murphysboro at the 17th St. Bar & Grill. Gorgeous scenery over to Elizabethtown, KY on the Ohio River. Relatively inexpensive. On the way home try a detour to the Mitchell Museum just east of Mt. Vernon - beautiful place.
Cleo D'Arcy - John James Audubon State Park in Henderson, KY has 700 acres with lakes, a golf course, cabins, playgrounds, and picnic areas. The park museum has a large collection of original Audubon prints integrated into a multi-room display that tells the story of Audubon's life. It's an easy overnight trip to a scenic, educational park.
Not exactly a weekend getaway, but interesting!
Jodey Schonfeld - March 23-27, 2011, Tennessee Williams festival in New Orleans, LA. Website: www.tennesseewilliams.net. Take in literary panels, plays, workshops for writers; all things Tennessee...features Olympia Dukakis, etc. 25th anniversary of festival; 100th birthday of Tennessee.
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OLLI Travel Program Moves Ahead
 The success of the first two OLLI trips established travel as a valuable component of OLLI at Illinois' program menu. This fall the Travel Sub-Committee adopted guidelines to help in the selection and scheduling of future tours.
OLLI will offer one extended tour (one to two weeks) a year, alternating foreign and domestic travel. Each trip in our OLLI travel program will be based on an overarching theme -- the OLLI Advantage. The themes will vary and might include such interest areas as art, history, science, architecture, politics, or music. In addition, a course focusing on the theme will precede each trip and will be offered to all OLLI members; participation in the trip will not be limited to those who take the course. The instructor for each trip-related course will be encouraged to participate in the trip. With these guidelines in mind, the committee selected Alaska as the next destination. The focus will be on the natural history of our largest state, and Michael Jeffords and Sue Post, who are now teaching A Natural History of North America, will host the tour in July 2011. And what a popular choice! All 50 spaces were filled within three weeks of the announcement of the tour. The committee is now working on a European tour for spring 2012.
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Spring Class Lineup Ready to Tempt You
Check out the list of classes that have been approved for the spring semester. The breadth and variety of offerings should be a delight for all in our OLLI family. Unless otherwise noted, all classes will run for eight weeks. Registration will begin on Monday, December 6. For more details about each class go to the OLLI website: olli.illinois.edu
Mondays, starting January 24 National Parks: What Ken Burns Didn't Tell You Robert Pahre, instructor 9:00-10:30am Tai Chi and Qigong Mike Reed, instructor 11am-noon How Humanists Define Our World Chris Catanzarite, instructor 1:00-2:30pm China: Overview of a Country on the Move Guest Lecturers; Ginny Waaler, Coordinator
1:30-3:00pm Sustainability: Into the Near Future
Jonathan Tomkin, instructor 3:30-5:00pm Buddy Films Craig Cutbirth, instructor 5:15-8:15pm Tuesdays, starting January 25 Pablo, Bill, Philip and Me: Development of an Artist Rosalyn Schwartz, instructor 10:00-11:30am Poetry: Yoga for the Mind Marva Nelson, instructor 10:00-11:30am Nature, Love and Death in the Symphonies and Songs of Gustav Mahler Robert McColley, instructor 1:30-3:00pm Weird Words in the Bible Steve Shoemaker, instructor 3:30-5:00pm Wednesdays, starting January 26 Ancient Technologies and Archeological Materials Sarah Wisseman, instructor 10:00-11:30am Laugh Louder, Live Longer Tom Neufer-Emswiler, instructor 1:30-3:00pm WWI: Was It Really Necessary? Walt Tousey, instructor 1:30-3:00pm Psychology and You Justin Rhodes, instructor 3:30-5:00pm Healthy Animals, Healthy Humans: Research that Benefits Both Mandy Barth, instructor 4:00-5:30pm Thursdays, starting January 27 Life Stories from Different Perspectives: The Undergraduate Student/OLLI Scholar Exchange Lauren Bowen, instructor 10:45am-12:15pm Three Trails West: Settling a Continent, 1750-1869 Fred Christensen, instructor 1:00-2:30pm From Constantinople to Istanbul Sharon and Peter Michalove, instructors 1:00-2:30pm Dickens in Print and on Screen John Frayne, instructor 3:00-5:00pm Gregorian Chant Fred Stoltzfus, instructor 6:30-7:45pm Fridays, starting January 28 Illinois Architecture in our Lifetime -- More or Less John Bennett, instructor 1:30-3:00pm Singular American Jazz Voices Sam Reese, instructor 10:00-11:30am (Begins March 4)
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Winter Lunchtime Lectures
Lunchtime Lectures are held from 12N to 1:30 PM at OLLI and are free to OLLI Scholars. We ask that you register by sending an email to OLLI@illinois.edu or by calling Brenda at 244-9141. Tasty box lunches are available for $9.00, to be paid at the door. You may down the Classic Events boxed lunch selection menu.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Being a Child's Voice in the Courtroom: An Overview of Court Appointed Special Advocates
The CASA program recruits, trains and monitors volunteer advocates who work with abused or neglected children in the court system to ensure that their best interests are heard in court. They become the "eyes and ears of the Court" and work with local schools, social service agencies and service providers and make recommendations to the judge during the court process to make sure that the best interest of the child is represented. Rush Record, the Executive Director of CASA, has worked with at risk youth in Champaign County for almost 20 years and received his MSW degree from the University of Illinois.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Britannia in Flames, AD 60: Boudica's Rebellion Against Roam
History and archaeology combine to tell the story of a dramatic event at the dawn of Britain's recorded history. In the year 60 Roman rule in the newly-conquered province of Britannia was challenged by an uprising of Celtic tribes led by the queen of the Iceni, Boudica. Recent archaeological finds have confirmed some events described by Roman historians, and provided clues to others. Fred Christensen recently visited and filmed these sites, and will use the resulting videos to tell this remarkable story.
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Winter Study Groups
As our newsletter "goes to press," only one of the winter study groups has any openings: Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings": FILM, BOOK, IDEAS Facilitator: Fred Christensen Dates and Times: Wednesdays, December 1, 8, 15; January 5, 12, 19. 1:30-4:30pm. The "extended edition" of the films in this trilogy will be shown in six episodes of two hours each. Discussion after the showing can cover everything from characters and plot to the fantasy world of Middle Earth, moral and religious themes explored, as well as the art of adapting a literary work to film.
Because there are wait lists for the others, and because we're delighted to showcase the broad scope of topics our wonderful OLLI members have suggested for the groups, we give you a brief summary of each of them. If one seems interesting to you, check the OLLI Web site for more details, and check the sign-up sheets in the OLLI office to see if space has become available. Health Affairs Reading Group Facilitator: Sallie Miller Dates and Times: Thursdays, November 11, 18; December 2, 9, 16; January 6, 13, 20. 1:30-3:00pm. Participants will read and discuss articles from Health Affairs, a peer reviewed journal that explores health policy issues in both domestic and international spheres. Two articles per session will be discussed and will cover such issues as quality of care, access, and health care expenditures. Representation of Women in Early Cinema 1920-1940's Facilitator: Connie Hosier Dates and Times: Mondays, November 8, 15, 29; December 6,13; January 3,10,17. 5:15-8:15pm. One movie will be shown at each session that highlights the different "types" of women featured in these decades. Science and Technology Reading Group Facilitator: Norman R. Miller Dates and Times: Tuesdays, November 9,16, 30; December 7, 14; January 4,11,18. 10:00-11:30am. This group discusses articles about new developments in science and technology. Main source is Scientific American magazine, but other sources are used as well, as is the expertise of group members. BEST OF ALL -- A Special Book Discussion/Interest Group Facilitator: Pauline Cochrane Dates and Times: Second Tuesday of each month, starting November 9. 12 noon. Group members will recommend books they have loved and would like to re-read and discuss with friends. The first book will be chosen by e-mail, and the next assigned book will be determined at each prior monthly meeting. Olive Kitteridge Facilitator: Paula Watson Dates and Times: Tuesdays, November 16, 30; December 7, 14; January 4, 11, 18. 2:00-3:30pm. Participants will discuss two chapters per week of this Pulitzer Prize winning novel that consists of thirteen interlinked stories dealing with such themes as love, loss acceptance and aging. The paperback costs about $14. New Yorker Magazine Facilitator Section I: Cheri Sullivan Facilitator Section II: Jean Weigel Dates and Times: Wednesdays, November 10, 17; December 1, 8, 15; January 5, 12, 19. 10:30am-12 noon. Group members read will and discuss the unique mix of articles that run in The New Yorker as well as reviews in the magazine on current topics, literature and the arts. Spring of the Ram by Dorothy Dunnett Facilitator: Sharon Michalove Dates and Times: Thursdays, November 11, 18; December 2, 9, 16; January 6, 13, 20. 10:00-11:30am. In discussing this book, which focuses on the rich cultures of the fifteenth century, the group will gain perspective on how many of the issues of today have continuity with the past. Critical Thinking about the Vietnam War in Modern American Society: A Comparison to the Present Facilitator: David Zell Dates and Times: Thursdays, November 18; December 2, 9, 16; January 6, 13, 20. 10:00-11:30am. This study group will ask some pertinent questions, based on lessons learned from the Vietnam War, about assumptions and ideas -- or lack of ideas -- that determine where we are heading as a democratic republic. Film clips and documents will be used.
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Do You Have an Idea for a Study Group?
The study group sub-committee will be meeting on January 25 to review proposals for the spring intersession, March 28-May 16. Study groups have been very popular, and the committee hopes to receive proposals on a wide variety of topics. So if you have an idea, please share it by sending an email to Janet Summers at jis@illinois.edu. .
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SAVE THE DATE
Another OLLI Celebration!
Please join us for our annual end of semester celebration.
Monday, December 6, 2010
5:30 - 7:30 pm
1800 South Oak Street
Champaign, IL
We want to share OLLI - please bring a non-member guest (or two)!
Cost: $10 per person for dinner catered by Classic Events. Cash Bar
Please pay in advance by check or cash.
RSVP to 217-244-9141 or olli@illinois.edu
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OLLI Funnies
OLLI Funnies are created by David Zell.
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