For immediate release: June 7, 2006
GALVESTON, Texas — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston continues to register students for its Summer School 2006 classes. Classes are open to anyone 55 and older.
The institute plans a Summertime Sing-Along and Ice Cream Social to celebrate Flag Day the old-fashioned way with patriotic songs and other tunes from earlier times. The event is from 1 to 3 p.m., Wednesday, June 14, in the Rosenberg Library Wortham Auditorium, 2310 Sealy Ave. Galvestonian Bonnye Karger will be featured at the keyboard. Lemonade and ice cream will be served. Registration is required. The fee is $5.
Also in June, in partnership with the Galveston Historical Foundation, OLLI is offering a free seminar titled “Voices of Freedom, Voices of Destiny,” from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, June 29. Combining theatrical intensity with the vitality of lecture, Mary Margaret Buss will bring to life the voices of women who helped shaped America, including Elizabeth a Pilgrim, a Colonial Woman, Sarah the pioneer, Mary Todd Lincoln and an Ellis Island immigrant. This event is open to the public and a light lunch will be provided. Although it is free, registration is required.
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.
Tuition is $5 per event, $30 for the first eight events, or $75 for all events throughout the summer. Payment must be by check, credit cards or cash cannot be accepted. Pre-register to hold space in any seminar.
To pre-register or for more information, contact Michelle Sierpina, founding director, at (409) 747-4657, msierpin@utmb.edu, or Alisha Goldberg, associate director, at argoldbe@utmb.edu. OLLI is on the Web at http://www.utmb.edu/aging/OLLI/default.asp?p=2.
OLLI Summer Session 2006 Classes
Kabbalah: Jewish Mysticism, Monday, June 12, 1-3 p.m.
Rabbi Jimmy Kessler unravels the mysteries behind the ancient, influential wisdom of Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah.
Aviation History and Heritage: Lone Star Flight Museum, Tuesday, June 13, 10 a.m. to noon
Explore the 100,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum, home to the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, honors the heroes and pioneers of aviation in Texas.
Summertime Sing-Along and Ice Cream Social, Wednesday, June 14, 1-3 p.m.
Celebrate Flag Day the old fashioned way with patriotic songs and other tunes from earlier times with Galvestonian Bonnye Karger’s music, then enjoy lemonade and ice cream.
Origami for Artists and “Non-Artists,” too, Tuesday, June 20, 9:30-11 a.m.
Local artist Sallie Anderson introduces you to the magic of origami, the ancient art of paper folding. Supplies will be provided.
The Adventures of a Fulbright Scholar in Hungary, Tuesday, June 27, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Kay Sandor, associate professor in UTMB’s School of Nursing, will share her impressions of her five months as a Fulbright scholar teaching in Hungary. Sandor's pictorial presentation will lead you through the beauty, the challenges and the fun of her adventures in contemporary Hungary.
Preserving Your Legacy, Wednesday, June 28, 10 a.m. to noon or 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Photo coach Lisa Gardner captures story in photo-safe scrapbooks to be passed on from generation to generation. Learn how to preserve life’s little (and big) stories. Bring two photographs to create your personalized story card. Select the morning or afternoon session.
Voices of Freedom, Voices of Destiny, Thursday, June 29, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
In this free seminar you will hear the distant echoes calling us to hear the stories of those who shaped America. Combining theatrical intensity with the vitality of lecture, Mary Margaret Buss presents voices of Elizabeth a Pilgrim, a Colonial Woman, Sarah the pioneer, Mary Todd Lincoln and an Ellis Island immigrant. This is a free seminar in partnership with Galveston Historical Foundation. It is open to the public and a light lunch will be provided.
Hurricanes on the Upper Texas Coast, an In-Depth Look at Our Seasonal Nemesis, Thursday, July 6, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Stan Blazyk, weather expert and author, will review some of the latest information on hurricanes, hurricane formation and hurricane risk (in particular the risk for the upper-Texas Gulf Coast).
Open Gates: A Talk and Tour, Thursday, July 13, 10 a.m. to noon
Lesley Sommer, director of the Galveston Historical Foundation’s Preservation Resource Center, will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the history of UTMB’s Open Gates conference center, and a tour. The home was a center of commercial and social life in Galveston for many years.
Foods for Wellness, SuperFoods R, Friday, July 14, 1-3 p.m.
Dr. Julie McKee, an integrative medicine expert at UTMB, will explain the 14 foods identified through research as “superfoods,” basic, simple foods that provide the essential micronutrients for overall well-being.
Galveston’s New Justice Center on Tour, Monday, July 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
OLLI learners are invited on a private, behind-the-scenes tour of Galveston’s new Justice Center.
Oyster Biology: Oysters as Canaries, Thursday, July 20, 10 a.m. to noon
Sammy Ray, professor emeritus of marine biology at Texas A&M University at Galveston, will explore the role of oysters as the canary that warns of a troubled environment in monitoring Galveston Bay. In addition to a brief overview of oyster biology, topic areas will include environmental issues of fresh and saltwater ecosystems.
Why We Look Up: an Afternoon of Metaphor, Friday, July 28, 1-3:30 p.m.
Join John Gorman, University of Houston professor, as he wonders why we look up. From “The Epic of Gilgamesh” to the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Festival, a dynamic one might call “upwardness” has been a key to what we humans think is going on in life.
Ocean Star Offshore Museum: History of Galveston Bay, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 10 a.m. to noon
Explore three stories of exhibits about the offshore industry. The Ocean Star is a retired, jack-up rig, authentically refurbished and opened as a museum. As a member of OLLI you will enjoy a special docent-led tour.
Holocaust Museum Houston Education Center and Memorial, Thursday, Aug. 10, 1-3 p.m.
Anna Steinberger, founding visionary and vice chairwoman for education at HMH, will bring this amazing museum to life. HMH is dedicated to educating people about the Holocaust.
Symbols Smorgasbord, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 10 a.m. to noon
Rev. Kelley Vaughan invites learners along for a look at some of the symbols used and abused throughout the history of Christianity.
Dance of the Silk Road, Thursday, Aug. 17, 1-3 p.m.
Daralyn Brody has trained in, practiced and taught dance since the 1970s. She will give a brief history of traditional dance that evolved along the Silk Road trade routes, including belly dance and the veils and props associated with it. Come to this seminar dressed in loose fitting, comfortable garments so you can participate in demonstrations.
Your Dreams are a Gift: a Dreams Workshop, Monday, Aug. 21, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Your dream is a gift, but what will you do with it? Vasiliki Eckley, a psychologist and relationship expert, designed this workshop to foster appreciation of dreams and to make them available as a useful resource for waking life.
Writers Unite: a “Virtual” Summer Lifestory Writing Group (two separate writing groups are scheduled: Mondays, June 19, July 3, 17 and 31; and Wednesdays, July 12, 26, Aug. 9, and 23)
At the request of the spring writing groups, writers from any spring classes can “unite” into a new “virtual” group. Attend sessions that suit your schedule. You must sign up in advance because class size is limited and open only to those who have completed one or more lifestory groups in OLLI.
New Medicine (two sessions held one week apart)
PBS television’s “The New Medicine” provides a multi-faceted look at the humanistic frontier of medicine taking shape in hospitals and medical schools throughout the country. Technological advances are enabling us to see for the first time the physical connections between mind and body, and science is enabling us to determine the effectiveness of Non-Western approaches. View the documentary and hear from experts at UTMB on how new medicine is transforming the nature of health care in the United States.
· New Medicine, Part One, Thursday, July 27, 1:30-3:30 p.m. The first hour of the documentary will be shown followed by discussion with Dr. Victor Sierpina.
· New Medicine, Part Two, Thursday, Aug. 3, 1:30-3:30 p.m. The second hour of documentary will be shown followed by discussion with Sierpina
Footprints of a Washington Lobbyist, Thursday, Aug. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Put aside everything you think you know about logic and reason. Join Victor Lang for stories from his 45 years as a congressional staffer and lobbyist in the private sector in Washington, D.C.
The University of Texas Medical Branch
Public Affairs Office
301 University Boulevard, Suite 3.102
Galveston, Texas 77555-0144
www.utmb.edu