Classes open to those 55 and older
For immediate release: Aug. 23, 2007
GALVESTON, Texas - The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston will hold registration for fall classes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29, at the UTMB Primary Care Pavilion entrance B lobby, 400 Harborside Dr., in Galveston. Pre-registration is available by phone at (409) 747-4657.
Membership in OLLI is required to enroll in classes. Annual membership is $25. Classes are open to anyone 55 and older. Tuition is $25 per course until Sept. 1 and $30 thereafter. Payment for classes and membership may be made by check, money order, cash or credit card. Do not mail cash or e-mail credit card information.
Participants who plan to pay by mail are asked to make checks payable to UTMB with the notation "OLLI" in the memo area. Mail checks to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UTMB, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-0972. Please include the ZIP+4 code.
For more information, please contact Michelle Sierpina, OLLI founding director, or Julia Barragan, OLLI coordinator, at (409) 747-4657; or send e-mail to msierpin@utmb.edu or jdbarrag@utmb.edu.
OLLI offers college-level courses to seniors 55 or older regardless of previous education. There are no prerequisites for most classes and no grades or tests are given. However, registration is required. Unless otherwise specified, class sessions are held in Galveston. After registration, participants will receive letters with details about course locations and other important information.
OLLI fall 2007 classes
Old Testament Origins of New Testament Writings, Wednesdays, 10-11:30 a.m., Sept. 19-Nov. 7
Learners in Rabbi Jimmy Kessler's spring semester course challenged him to develop a course examining Old Testament origins of New Testament writings. In his summer session, you will taste a sampling of Rabbi Kessler's fall semester course on this topic and have the opportunity to reserve space in this increasingly popular OLLI offering.
Artful Expressions, Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sept. 18-Nov. 6
Galveston artist and gallery owner Sallie Anderson introduces basic art principles in this experiential leap into creativity. Learners will also get practice in origami and other paper craft skills. Art is in the doing. For instance, if you think you cannot draw at all, there will be a skills building class on drawing when you'll discover the basics and surprise yourself with your talent. No art experience is necessary. At the conclusion of each class session, each learner will have created a personally designed greeting card. Supplies are provided for an additional fee of $10.
Composers of Note(s) - Lyrics, Musicals, and Movies, Thursdays, 10 a.m.-noon, Sept. 20-Nov. 15 (no class on Oct. 4)
Join popular local entertainer Bonnye Karger in examining the creative processes and lives of a select number of gifted composers of music and lyrics for stage, screen and the pop charts. Learners will reflect on how these composers' music has affected and influenced lives and memories. They will also explore the elements involved in creating compositions and in the development of a stage production. This is an exciting opportunity to witness first-hand the initial stages of a local composer's process of developing a new musical show. No musical talent or experience is required for this course. Composers not included in the previous course will be introduced, so the course is open to those who have taken it before.
Become a Hurricane Expert, Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sept. 13-Nov. 1 (This course is held at a Texas City location.)
Instructor: Stan Blazyk is the author of "Weather: People and the Elements on a Barrier Island." Hurricanes and tropical storms are the most fearsome and fascinating weather events facing Gulf Coast residents. Using new material, this course explores almost every feature of these storms, from the basic meteorological factors behind tropical weather patterns to the latest information and theories on hurricane frequency, intensity and tracking. The course will introduce interesting tropical weather facts, including information on the most intense United States and world hurricanes, cyclones in the Pacific and even European hurricanes. The class may include a field trip to the National Weather Service and a visiting hurricane expert. Learners who have enjoyed this instructor in the past will want to sign up again. This is a new course.
That's Another Story, Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sept. 18-Nov. 6
Scientific evidence demonstrates the importance of telling and sharing life stories. Learners at all levels of writing skill, including novices, will enjoy sharing their memories. In this course, instructor Alison Barker will help learners explore those narratives when "another story" emerged from their work in previous writing groups. The course is also open to those who have not experienced OLLI lifestory groups in previous semesters. Learners get a chance to develop and share their stories and give feedback on stories they hear.
The Possible Human, Wednesdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sept. 19-Nov. 7
Popular instructor Vasiliki Eckley invites you to co-create a shared journey exploring the transformations and possibilities of human potentiality. Eckley will facilitate, rather than "teach," this exciting, mutually enlightening investigation into what comprises the wholeness of being human. What is the "truth" of being, the role of the soul/psyche, and other components in human being and becoming? How may human becoming be facilitated? What may obstruct or even pervert the possible human? Learners will consider ancient and archetypal examples as well as contemporary and future perspectives.
Lifestory Legacies, Mondays, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sept. 17-Nov. 5. (This course is held at a Texas City location.)
Instructor Martha Theiss creates a relaxed setting for learners to experience this lifestory writing group where each person shares personal vignettes. Every writer learns through practice, gaining confidence through encouraging comments. Positive feedback builds skills in both writers and listeners. Learners at all levels of writing skill, including novices, may enroll. The course is also open to those who have not experienced OLLI lifestory groups in previous semesters.
Tai-Chi, 10 a.m.-noon, on first and third Fridays in September and November, and every Friday in October.
Join certified Instructor Julia Barragan as she demonstrates the Yang style of Tai-Chi in a chair and in a standing position. The session will concentrate on balance, flexibility and slow movement along with breath control. Research has shown Tai-Chi to increase balance and decrease likelihood of falls.
Tai-Chi, Mondays, 10 a.m.-noon, Sept. 18-Nov. 5. (This course is held at a Texas City location.)
This section of this popular course will be offered consecutive Mondays. Learners may register for the Monday, Thursday or Friday sessions, each lasting eight weeks. Each is a distinct course. Tuition is $25 for each eight-week session. Tuition is $75 for those who wish to enroll in all three sessions
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Tai-Chi, Thursdays, 10 a.m.-noon, Sept. 13-Nov. 1. (This course is held at a Texas City location.)
This is a third section of this popular course. Learners may resgister for the Monday, Thursday or Friday session, each lasting eight weeks. Each is a distinct course. Tuition is $25 for each eight-week session. Tuition is $75 for those who wish to enroll in all three sessions.
Shall We Dance?, Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-noon, Sept. 12-Oct. 31.
Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York found that people 75 and older who engaged in cognitively stimulating activities including ballroom dancing demonstrated reduced risk of dementias. If you have always wanted to learn ballroom dancing, join Bill and Judy Biggs as they provide an introduction to the waltz, fox trot and swing, and perhaps a few other steps as well. Novice or experienced dancer, learning a few new steps could jazz up your routine. Stay fit and flexible, keep alert, and have lots of fun dancing. Only a few openings remain in this course since some from summer school signed up in advance. Those interested in joining, with or without dance partners, are encouraged to phone the OLLI office as we may able to match you with someone.
Network: Five Mutually Influential Women Reweave the Fabric of 20th Century American Poetry, Fridays, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sept. 28-Nov. 16.
Join instructor Dr. John Gorman for a look at a selection of American poets, including Adrienne Rich, Denise Levertov, Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath and Maxine Kumin. By the 1950's it was no longer quite true that poetry was "missing half the human testimony." Come and get to know these poets, who are women who lit up America between then and now with clear-eyed perspectives, memorable phrasings, psych and politics. They created new contexts for conversations within and among genders. Come engage in the intellectual interchange that inevitably occurs in Dr. Gorman's classes.
Mah Jongg, Tuesdays, morning session 10 a.m.-noon; afternoon session 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sept. 18-Nov. 6.
Participants are permitted to register for only one course, morning or afternoon, and must attend all eight sessions. Learn about research demonstrating that this game requiring skill, strategy, intelligence, calculation and luck engages both hippocampi of the brain. Other research shows that cognitive activities such as Mah Jongg contribute to healthy aging. Want to have lots of fun and exercise your brain at the same time? Come join a group of friends as you are introduced to Mah Jongg, a fascinating, fast-paced game that has rapidly become a favorite among all who play. A traditional Chinese tile game, Mah Jongg, dates back more than 2,000 years to the Ming dynasty.
Culinary Creativity, Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sept. 20-Nov. 15 (no class on Nov. 8).
Join Darlene Cass, RN, community education specialist, UTMB Office of Community Health Services, and Marilyn Simmons, M.E., family and consumer science agent with Texas Cooperative Extension, who will guide participants week after week with menus, recipes, food and nutrition tips, and hints on how to prepare delicious, healthy meals. Each week you'll sample foods, some weeks experimenting with preparation techniques in class, and always learning something new you can put into practice in your own kitchen.
Hellenic History and Heritage - From Alexander the Great to Today, dates and times to be announced.
Join Connie Charalampous, M.D., a native of Greece and founding member of the Hellenic Cultural Center of Houston and the Southwest, on an interactive educational adventure. You will learn how the history of Greek-speaking people exemplifies the achievements of man and, at the same time, the misery of the human condition. In this course participants will learn about Greek cultural history and heritage, from Alexander the Great's predecessors to contemporary Greece. Ancient Greece and Rome, the Byzantium Empire, Greek revolutions, Greece in World War II and civil wars will come alive for learners in interactive sessions rich with historical stories.
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
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301 University Boulevard, Suite 3.102
Galveston, Texas 77555-0144
www.utmb.edu