If the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow because he’s too buried in snow to come out of his hole, does it still mean that spring isn’t too far away?
For OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, at Granite State College, Spring begins Feb. 22. That’s the first day of classes in the spring term. Online member registration begins Feb. 8 and nonmembers may register by calling the OLLI office beginning Feb. 10.
Continuing remote learning using the Zoom platform for the third term, OLLI members remain steadfast in their preference for getting together in person in the classroom but Zoom has begun to attract an appreciative audience. Members who attended a Game Day by Zoom last week when the temperatures were in single digits and the wind was howling all commented on how much they appreciated getting together with their friends, sharing stories, singing songs and playing $25,000 Pyramid, without the $25,000, all while staying cozy in their homes.
OLLI will offer some 80 courses on the Zoom platform from February 22 through mid-June. Featuring a number of provocative topics, the first two weeks of the term will include “1984” and “Brave New World: A 2020 Perspective,” “Race for a Vaccine: The Push and Pull Between Regulations and Profit,” “American Literature: Attack on the Village,” “Exuberance! Understanding the Arts of India,” “Immigration Redux: Meaning of the Biden Victory,” “Elections Matter” and “Two Existential Films: A Thousand Clowns, My Dinner With Andre” and more.
In addition, members will enjoy a series of fee-free mini-classes. In February these will include “An Introduction to Vegetable Gardening” taught by OLLI member and Master Gardener Ed McGonagle and “Changing the Culture Surrounding Mental Illness- It’s Way Past Time” by former Chief Justice John Broderick.
An OLLI membership makes a terrific Valentine’s Day present. Several of OLLI’s most active volunteer leaders joined OLLI as a result of friends’ generosity. Or, as one member admitted, “Friends saw a need for me to have something constructive in my retirement so I didn’t turn into an old codger.”
OLLI is a program designed for active, engaged adults age 50 and up. It specializes in “learning for the fun of it” which means no homework, no tests, no prerequisites. The broad variety of courses are sourced by volunteer committees and taught by experts who volunteer their time and expertise. Courses may be single sessions or meet weekly for six weeks or more, usually for 1-2 hours.
A modest membership fee entitles members to discounted rates for those classes as well as two other main features of OLLI: social interaction with a community of peers and the opportunity to share skills. Social interaction does occasionally take the form of a party, but more often, small groups gather to talk about their life experiences, general opinions and anything that interests them. Book clubs, a movie club, creative writing club, gardening club and a quilting club involve regular “meetings” of interested members. One-time events have included holiday traditions, books that changed one’s life, weather-related adventures, travel experiences and, coming up in mid-February, in a “Love Stories” event we will learn about first dates gone wrong, how I met my first (or current) love, favorite movie love stories, and more.
Skills-sharing involves anything members know how to do: computer analytics, project management, hospitality, teaching, data entry, writing, committee participation, and so many more opportunities. OLLI is program of Granite State College which provides classroom space, the Zoom technology currently in use for classes and meetings and support from its various administrative departments. A small paid staff and over 500 volunteers make OLLI work. Information about the program and the courses available in the Spring term can be found on OLLI’s website, olli.granite.edu.