The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University, also known as OLLI at Auburn, has released its class list for the fall quarter.
OLLI started in Auburn in 1990 and o\0x99ffers a wide variety of classes for anyone interested.
"Come spend a day with us," said Linda Shook, OLLI at Auburn coordinator. "We encourage people to come visit and see what we're doing."
Classes begin Sept. 24 and range from lectures to physical activities.
"Our classes meet once a week," Shook said. "Most of our classes are about six to eight weeks...Some classes are hands on, and some are art-type classes."
Jim Barber, a student and teacher for OLLI at Auburn, said the classes are great ways to keep the mind learning and to make friends.
"I have made some of the best friends and met some of the nicest people in my life through OLLI," Barber said. "We're all equals in the classrooms, and there's a wide dichotomy of people."
Barber is instructing a course this quarter titled "Fly Me to the Moon: NASA's Project Mercury." He said throughout the course they will be looking at videos about NASA and discussing them.
"The first two classes will set the stage of the political, social and economic conditions in 1956, '57 and '58," Barber said. "In '57 the Sputnik satellite went up, and it was an earth shattering event worldwide because all of the sudden the United States was brought to the realization that we were not ahead of the Russians in rocket and space technology."
OLLI's special October Harvest Social will be held Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 4-6 p.m. at the Ag Pavilion at Heritage Park. \0x10The gathering will feature food, a cake walk and line dancing hosted by Bonnie Stau\0x99ffer.
The Auburn Writers Conference is scheduled for Oct. 12 and 13 and is sponsored by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities. OLLI at Auburn members may register at the student rate of $40. \0x10The conference, "\0x10The Winding Road: Travel, Identity and the Search for Voice," will be led by a sprawling list of authors from diverse fields and genres, including several employees of Auburn.
Other classes offered this fall include "Flying High: Auburn Aviation," "Dream a Little Dream: Dreams and their Meaning," "Spanish for Beginners Part 1," "Spanish Intermediate," "History of Freedom Part 1" and a class on the Cuban Missile Crisis that is scheduled for its 50th anniversary.
To see a full class listing, visit the OLLI at Auburn website.
Some Auburn University professors will teach courses o\0x99ffered this fall by OLLI at Auburn. Steve Brown, a political science professor at Auburn, will be teaching a course on the Constitution, and faculty members from the Auburn University Theatre Department will be conducting a course that covers all aspects of the theatre business.
"We try to have at least one course taught by active Auburn University employees," Shook said. "\0x10This time we have four."
The other two courses taught by Auburn employees are "Shedding Light on your Hearing and Balance Loss," taught by Marsha Kluesing, Martha Wilson and Kelli Watts. Tracy Donald will teach the course "I didn't know I could do that! An introduction to tools that make the computer and other technologies easier to use."
OLLI at Auburn is gathering more publicity this year as Mayor Bill Ham proclaimed Monday, Sept. 17 as OLLI at Auburn Lifelong Learning Day.
"We're really excited about Sept. 17," Shook said. "It's an official proclamation and the proclamation will be presented that day."
An open house will be held Wednesday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to noon at the East Alabama Medical Center's Health Resource Center.
Rheta Grimsley Johnson will be the featured speaker at a general membership meeting Monday, Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. Opportunities abound to experience what OLLI at Auburn is like and to gather more information about the courses and people.
"Come try us," Barber said. "Come to some classes. Come meet some of the people. Come sit with us and learn. These classes are like potato chips; you can't take just one."
Registration is now open and those interested can register by visiting the website or mailing in the registration form available on the website.
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