GRAY MATTERSNews of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute | Sonoma State University

Community Building

A basic defi nition of community might be: a group of people who share common values, traits, or interests and engage in joint action in a common place or space. There is also an element of social cohesion, and Merriam Webster adds joint ownership or participation. With these ideas as a measure, OLLI certainly represents a rich community of which we are all members.

When I moved to Sonoma County from the East Bay four years ago, I had to build a new community. This involved aligning myself with people, places, and activities around my new home. Starting where I lived, I began to explore my neighborhood. Living on a one-block-long street made this part easy, and I quickly got to know my immediate neighbors (several of whom are now OLLI members)! Moving outward, I identifi ed a local organization where I could volunteer. I discovered the Petaluma Arts Center and am now president of their board, a position which has put me in contact with a wonderful group of fellow cultural consumers. In addition to developing my network within OLLI, SSU provided a new landscape for exploration. I soon learned more about my colleagues and their areas of interest, met with various campus administrators, and reached out to fellow OLLI directors at other CSU campuses. Community building is a layered process!

All of us belong to multiple communities built around faith, family, politics, and geography. In our attempts to broaden and diversify our OLLI community, I invite each of you to bring one new person to a class this season (or perhaps to our OLLI Summer Sampler, previewed in this issue), introducing them to all that OLLI has to offer: the people and programs that nurture both the mind and the heart.

Carin Jacobs, Director

Vol. 45 No. 4 | Spring 2017

Spring 2017 Sample Presentations

Please join us in the Cooperage between classes during the week of April 10 – 13 to hear short talks from new faculty on proposed courses. We welcome your feedback and will have evaluation forms available.

Monday, April 1011:40 a.m. Douglas Lee — History and Political Economy

of China (1949 – 2014)12:10 p.m. Marie Huhtala — Adventures in English

Tuesday, April 1111:40 a.m. Chong He — Biology of Aging12:10 p.m. Vic Liptak — Architecture Now: Trends, Triumphs,

and a Few Terrible Ideas

Wednesday, April 1211:40 a.m. David Conrad — From Guinea Coast to Namibian

Desert: Struggle, Endurance, Achievement and Power in the Lives of African Women

Thursday, April 1311:40 a.m. Stephen Campbell — Your Amazing Mind:

Rewiring Your Brain for Success12:15 p.m. Nicole Myers — Dinosaurs of the Past and Present

I AM BECAUSE… Dr. Judy Sakaki’s Journey to the

SSU Presidency

This exhibit in the SSU Library Gallery explores the challenges, victories, and motivations Dr. Sakaki has faced on her path to becoming SSU’s seventh president. From her grandparents’ struggles as fi rst generation immigrants to the inspirational support of her mentors, Dr. Sakaki’s personal and professional journey would not be possible without the people and events that have shaped who she is today.

The exhibit will be on display all summer, so stop by after one of our June/July lectures to get to know our new president!

OLLI@SSU Summer Sampler - 2017Person Theatre, Sonoma State UniversityTuesdays, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

June 13 Heidi Saleh — “An Exploration of Cairo’s Islamic Monuments”

June 20 Mara Vejby — “The Woven Past: Reading Medieval Tapestries”

June 27 Rob Eyler — “Death by 1,000 Births: Economics and Population Growth”

July 11 Claudia Luke — “The Nature of How People Learn”July 18 Daniel Malpica — “Trump’s America: Immigration,

Race and Citizenship”July 25 Sally Heath — “Matter, Energy and E = mc2“

OLLI a la Carte at Oakmont - 2017Berger Center, OakmontThursdays, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

June 22 Mick Chantler — “The History of the Homer: From ‘Shoeless Joe’ to A-Rod”

July 13 Bob Kirk — “Utopia at Gunpoint: The Russian Revolution, 1917 – 2017”

Each class is $25. Registration forms and summer catalogs will be available during the last week of our spring session.

SYRCE

Sonoma State University’s Second Year Research and Creative Experience (SYRCE) invites OLLI students to the SYRCE Symposium on May 16, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Weill Hall in the Green Music Center.

As some of you know, SYRCE is a constellation of General Education courses designed to offer sophomore students a multi-disciplinary approach to a common topic, The 1970s, via a series of lectures from Arts & Humanities faculty and guest speakers. The fi nal symposium includes a rich variety of poster and video sessions, installations, and exhibitions of original art pieces, as well as stage performances created by SYRCE students in their respective seminars.

A post-symposium reception will give you the opportunity to linger, meet the participants, and share your thoughts about this new curricular effort to meet the needs of sophomore students.

RSVP to Iris Leal (syrce@sonoma.edu) by April 27. For more information: http://www.sonoma.edu/ah/syrce/

Bring a Buddy/New Student Discount

New students receive $20 off their fi rst OLLI class at the time of registration. To receive the discount, registration must be done via phone (707.664.2691) or by mailing the form to the OLLI offi ce. It is not redeemable online.

If you introduce a friend to OLLI and your friend registers for a class, YOU receive a $20 SeaWolf Gift Card. The gift card is redeemable at any of the dining venues on campus and at the SSU Bookstore. Please fi ll out the green half sheet form and return to the OLLI offi ce.

SSU’s Center for Ethics, Law, and SocietyTuesdays, 12:05-12:55 p.m.Stevenson Hall 1002 | Free and open to the public

April 4: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Sonoma County — Jen Lewis, Special Projects Director, Sonoma County Department of Health Services

April 11: Electioneering vs. Governing: The Challenges of a Trump Presidency after the First 100 Days — David McCuan, SSU, Political Science

April 18: Making a Difference: The Future of Non-Profi t Work — Karin Demarest, Community Foundation Sonoma County; Paul Fordham, Homeward Bound of Marin; Matt Martin, Social Advocates for Youth

April 25: The Rise of the Good Food Movement — Naomi Starkman, Civil Eats

May 2: Law, Order, and Algorithms: Criminal Justice in the Age of Big Data — Sharad Goel, Stanford University, Engineering