OLLI NOTES January 10, 2020
OLLI Office hours are 8:30-5, Monday-Thursday, and 8:30-4 on Fridays. The office number is 864-294-2998.
In the event of inclement weather, OLLI follows the university schedule. If Furman closes, we will cancel OLLI classes and close the office. We will send an email and post on Facebook if there is a closing.
Nametags: Thank you for wearing your nametag! That makes it easy to greet friends old and new. We make nametags for all brand-new members. If you are a returning member, we only make a new nametag if you let us know you have lost the original. Please use your nametag from term to term.*** Whether you are a new or returning member, please check the nametag boxes to see if yours is in there. If it’s a duplicate, turn it in to the office so that we can recycle it.***
The Herring Center is a busy place when classes are in session. Remember that there is a small window of time after a class ends to the next. If you are enjoying a chat with someone, please continue those in the lobby.
Check out the new edition of OLLILife! Find our quarterly magazine online or in the office. Congratulations to Editor, Sue Renault and her contributors on an outstanding issue!
Presenting the Osher Lecture Series: New in 2020, OLLI is joining with various campus departments to present the Osher Lecture Series. We’ll bring scholar experts to campus to give presentations to OLLI members as well as spend time with undergraduate students. The first lecture will be Thursday, January 16 at 3:15 in room 110 of the Herring Center. Join us for Tracing the Sister’s Story in Homeric Epic, presented by Mary Ebbott, Professor, Department of Classics and Dean of the Faculty at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. Professor Ebbott is one of the world’s leading scholars of the Iliad and Odyssey. She will uncover the stories of some “hidden figures” of Greek epic poetry, the sisters of the heroes of the Trojan War. Some were hiding in plain sight, others were hidden in the ancient manuscripts. This talk will teach you more mythology than you knew existed and show how an expert “literary archaeologist” works! Free! Reservations are helpful in the OLLI office. Questions? Contact Nancy at nancy.kennedy2767@furman.edu.
There is ROOM for you to Travel with OLLI! There are spaces available in the Hidden History of Columbia, SC (February 28) and Walnut Grove, Revolutionary War Stories (January 31) day trips with Explore Up Close. Detailed trip descriptions are posted online and in the Winter20 catalog. Contact the OLLI office to sign up or for more information.
READ & EXPLORE with OLLI 2020
If you haven’t picked up a loaner copy of this year’s book selection, News of the World by Paulette Jiles, you may do so in Manly Lobby or the office this week. Impressively, in its spare 213 pages, Jiles’ book is packed with wonderful prose, historical detail, and a story you won’t want to miss. The Dallas Morning News declared it “haunting, transporting and full of historical grit.” Our great line-up of programs begins on January 23 with a talk on the history of Texas music. Please return your copy to the OLLI office so others can enjoy it.
OLLI HAPPENINGS
Lunch and Learn Tuesdays, community speakers present a variety of interesting topics. Free and open to the public, 12:30-1:20 p.m., HC110. Bring your lunch and enjoy! On January 14 OLLI will have several local arts organization guests to present Greenville Music Concerts at Affordable Prices.
Save the Date! OLLI Happy Hour in your neighborhood on February 18, 4-6 p.m. Details to come!
Make plans to attend the Chautauqua Winter 2020: Teddy Roosevelt series including a special OLLI Show & Social on Feb 1, 4-6 p.m. with Doug Mishler. Cost is $6 and signups are available in the OLLI Office! Visit ONLINE for a list of all of 2020 Chautauqua events.
Do you enjoy needlework? Come by on Thursdays 1-3 p.m., in front of the Manly Lobby fireplace, for the Needlework SIG. We enjoy knitting, crocheting, and counted cross stitch. Anyone that wants to stitch is welcome to join in!
When discussing politics, do you ever wish the other guy knew what he was talking about? Do you ever wish you knew what you were talking about? Join us for the new Political Philosophy Seminar SIG on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. in HC102. Questions? Contact Kevin at kevin.mcmurtrey@gmail.com.
The Personal & Community Engagement Initiative has helped over 200 OLLI members find ways to become involved in the Greenville community. Interested? Stop by our Community Volunteering SIG. We meet on select Wednesdays, 12:20-1:20 in HC113. Learn about opportunities with 27 organizations! Jan 22: United Ministries & Triune Mercy Center. Feb 5: Mental Health America GC & Foothills Family Resources. Feb. 19: Greenville Free Medical Clinic & Greenville County Animal Care. Mar 4: American Legion &Pendleton Place. Info: www.PCEgreenville.com, thomasonowlin@gmail.com, jeanfblank@yahoo.com.
The popular OLLI “Nature and Landscape” photography class is officially retiring after a great eleven year run. To honor this beloved class the theme of the Spring 2020 Crabtree Photography Showcase will be “Nature and Landscape.” Olli members who have participated in the class at one time or another are invited to submit a photo that best represents the skills they have learned. Natural Landscapes or Wildflowers are requested. Submittals for this juried show must be received by February 15. Email ONE submission per artist to mailto:furmanolliphoto@gmail.com Photo must be no larger than 2000mp on long side.
What’s Going at Furman?
The Toqueville Lecture Series will present “Taking Populism Seriously” with Patrick Deneen, University of Notre Dame on Thursday, January 23, 5 p.m. in the Watkins Room, Trone Student Center.
What’s Going on Around Greenville?
Don’t miss out on one of Greenville’s best affordable music events, featured next week in our Tuesday Lunch & Learn series! Jack Cohan and Friends will perform for the Music on Sundays series at the Temple of Israel (400 Spring Forest Road, Greenville)on Sun, Jan 12 @ 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door or here.
First Baptist Greenville, (847 Cleveland St.), is hosting a dedicatory piano recital for their new Steinway piano on Sunday, January 12 at 3 pm. The recital is given by Robert Blocker, guest artist, and Dean of the Yale School of Music. It is free and open to the public.
Join OLLI’s beloved AV Huff as he leads a Chautauqua Talk on Teddy Roosevelt. Tuesday, Jan 14 at 7:00 pm. Discover inside stories of how the Rough Rider, wilderness lover, Nobel Peace Prize winner, president reinvented American politics. Hughes Main Library, downtown Greenville. Call 244-1499 or visit online. FREE!
Upstate International World Affairs Council Upstate’s Lunch & Learn lecture series America and the World: Flashpoints will feature Dr. Akan Malici speaking on Iran and Nuclear Weapons on Jan 15, 12-1:30 p.m. (Ogletree Deakins Room, 300 N. Main St., Greenville) What is the current state of Iranian nuclear power and how does it affect the region, the U.S.- Iran relationship, and the world? Dr. Akan Malici will provide insight into these questions. Cost is $10 for U.I. members, $15 non-U.I. members. Register HERE.
Berea Middle School is looking for mentors to join our afterschool bike club and/or afterschool tutoring program, who can be the guides and champions that will give students the scaffolding they need to dream big. If you are interested in joining in as a part of the programs listed here or would like to learn more, please contact at Michael Arsiniega at marsiniega@cisgreenville.or or 864.355.1727.
What do you do to increase graduation rates from 49% to 75% ReUnited will host an event at Carolina High School on Wednesday, Jan 29, 10-12:30 p.m. to learn how to tackle the issue and the meaning behind their “whatever it takes” motto. Speak with students and teachers, and dive into the innovative programs in place to assist Carolina High students on their path to graduation. They will also be accepting basic needs items for students. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by January 20 to ReUnited.
Snippet from Sally..Yesterday was Back to OLLI which is always one of my favorite events. Huge thanks to the OLLI staff and a host of volunteers who worked to make everything perfect! The lobby was filled with old and new friends munching and mingling, buying car passes, picking up name tags, purchasing lanyards & cups, and checking out our new Read and Explore book. Can you believe we welcomed 180 new members?! In class be sure to watch for anyone with a red dot on their name tag. It means they are one of our new folks starting to enjoy the fun of being part of OLLI@Furman.