INSIDE OLLI -
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SF Supervisor Myrna Melgar addressing the group - Photo by M. Lambert
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The Event: About 150 Members of the OLLI at SFSU Program met on the sunny afternoon of March 23 at the Seven Hills Conference Center on the SFSU Campus to celebrate the fact that the program has been in existence for 20 years, from 2003 till 2023. OLLI Director Kathy Bruin and her staff members hosted the event. Speakers at the event included: Lynn Mahoney, President of SFSU; State Senator Scott Wiener; San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Myrna Melgar, Kelly Jane Rosenblatt—Program Director of the Osher Foundation; and OLLI faculty member Charlie Goldberg. Snacks, drinks, and good fellowship were enjoyed by all participants at the 2-hour event. Our Vistas & Byways Roving Reporter held short discussions with randomly chosen OLLI members. Here is what he heard from those members.
Editor’s Note: These discussions have been edited to remove duplications, exclamations, and other fluff frequently found in person-to-person conversations. |
Our Roving Reporter
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The Assembled OLLI Members - Photo by David Elijah
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Discussion with Richard Chackerian
M: Tell us your name and how long you have been an OLLI member. R: Richard Chackerian, and I have been an OLLI member for about 10 years. M: Why do you keep coming to the OLLI courses? R: I just find them interesting. I like learning new things. That’s one big reason. The other big reason is you get to meet people. M: And we’re having a nice social occasion today. R: Yeah. M: Do you still have some family members? Children? Grandchildren? R: I do. M: If they ask you, why do you go to OLLI, what would you answer? R: I would say it is a place where I go to meet people and learn things. M: Thank you for talking with Vistas & Byways. |
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Discussion with Kathryn Santana Goldman
M: Please tell us your name and how long you have been an OLLI member. K: My name is Kathryn Santana Goldman and I have been an OLLI member for seven years. M: Have you taken any OLLI courses recently? K: Yes, I took a reading workshop with Richard Bell, and I have been teaching a course called Your Write to Resilience. M: Did you do it on Zoom? K: We did it on Zoom. This is the third year I have taught it. I started it during the Pandemic, and I did it as a 6-week course and we will do it again in late summer. M: Are you a writer? K: I am a writer, but I am also a nurse. So, this course is designed as a place of wellness. COVID gave some people something to write about. And even now people have a lot to write about. M: Thank you for talking with us at Vistas and Byways. |
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Discussion with Dina Martin
M: Please tell us your name and how long you have been an OLLI member. D: My name is Dina Martin and I have been an OLLI member since about 2015 or 2016. M: Have you taken a course recently? D: I have taken a couple of writing courses. I just took a wellness writing course. M: With Kathryn Goldman? D: Exactly. It was excellent. I was out of the state for a month and it helped to sort of ground me. M: Tell me one thing that was memorable about that class. D: I just really enjoyed being with people, on a very personal level, in the class. We did a lot of exchange of writing in the course and talking about it; and it felt like a really good community. M: OK, thank you, Dina. |
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Discussion with Ken Kirsch
M: Tell us your name and how long you have been an OLLI member. K: My name is Ken Kirsch and I think I have been a member for three or four years. M: Have you been going to the in-person classes recently? K: I haven’t been going to any classes recently, but in the past, I did go to the in-person classes. I think that is the way to do it. So, when COVID hit, I took classes remotely. I took a film class and it wasn’t so bad; you could look at the film at home and then attend the class on Zoom. M: What film class did you take? K: I took a film noir class on Zoom. M: Who was the instructor? K: I can’t remember the instructor’s name. It wasn’t Michael Fox. I took a another Zoom class with Michael—it was a documentary film class. And really great. I think that Zoom classes are OK for film courses. But in general, I think you should get together in person for classes. M: Thank you for talking with us. |
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Discussion with Lyle Norton
M: Tell us your name and how long you have been an OLLI member. L: My name is Lyle Norton and I have been an OLLI member for three years. M: Have you taken any courses recently? L: I have taken eight or nine courses over the last three years. M: Wow! Most of them on Zoom? L: Yes. I live in Santa Rosa and all of them were on Zoom. M: Well then, using Zoom for this program lets you participate, even if you are in Santa Rosa and you can avoid the dangerous highways. L: I have some friends who live down here and I heard them talk about it. So, during the Pandemic I decided to get involved and enjoy the classes. M: What do you think is the main benefit to you--going to the OLLI classes? L: The Zoom is the access, then the variety of classes; you can take classes on the history of Italy. I have taken film noir classes. I have taken a class on the history of stolen art. One of the benefits is that I have never had a bad instructor. M: Thank you for visiting with us. |
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Discussion with Karen Rhodes
M: Tell us your name and how long you have been an OLLI member. K: My name is Karen Rhodes and I have been a member since 2017. M: What prompted you to join the OLLI program? K: I am a San Francisco resident and spent my career working for UC Berkeley and when I retired, I thought here is an opportunity to get to know my city, my home for the last 30 years. I set out to get connected to my neighbors and my community, stay active and learn, grow. Retirement for me has just been a wonderful chapter—shaking up my conventional ways of seeing things. M: Were you a teacher at UC? K: I was an administrator. I worked for the University of California for almost 40 years. But I like to say that I never left school. That was a big reward. M: What was the last OLLI class that you took—what was the subject? K: The last OLLI class that I took—I’m going to say it was the best class I ever took. It was a course on Art of the West, taught by Avril Angevine. Terrific lecturer, great context. We got to meet live, which was great because there were slides and we got to talk about the artwork and learn from a terrific instructor. M: Have you signed up for a course for the Spring Session? K: I have not yet. M: Take a look at the course listings. Thank you for talking with me. |
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Discussion with Kelly Jane Rosenblatt
M: Tell us your name and your position with the Osher Foundation. K: I am Kelly Jane Rosenblatt. I am the Program Director for the Bernard Osher Foundation and I help oversee the Osher programs at 125 educational institutions. M: Wow! 125 Osher programs. I am curious. We are celebrating our 20th anniversary. How many of those 125 programs have gone as long as 20 years? K: Oh! I’m not prepared for that answer. But I know that we have one program that is celebrating 45 years. They started as a different program and converted to lifelong learning along the way. M: Is Mr. Osher still alive? K: Yes. I saw him this morning. M: He’s based in San Francisco now, isn’t he? K: He lives in San Francisco with his wife, and he is in the office every day. He’s celebrating his 95th birthday. M: Is San Francisco the National Headquarters for the Osher Foundation? K: San Francisco is the location for the National Headquarters. We are at One Market Plaza, just one block up the street from your OLLI location here. (160 Spear Street). M: Thank you very much for talking with Vistas and Byways. |
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Discussion with Kathy Bruin
M: Please tell us your name and your association with our program. K: My name is Kathy Bruin and I am the Director of the Osher Program here at San Francisco State. M: How long have you had that job, Kathy? K: On April 10, 2023, I will have been here four years. M: What was your reason for holding this event today? Which, by the way, I thought went very well. K: Well, it’s our 20th anniversary this year. OLLI at San Francisco State started in 2003 and it seemed like we should mark the occasion. We thought having in on the main campus would be a good idea since this is our host University. Hopefully, we thought we could get some of the University Leadership to attend: President Lynn Mahoney, the Provost, and others. M: They came. I heard some of them talk. How many people came today? K: About 150. M: What’s next, Kathy? K: Oh. God! What’s next? Well, tomorrow I get on an airplane and fly to Virginia to visit an old friend. M: OK. Personal time. K: Yes. And my friend asked me “Do you want to do anything?” and I said “No. I just want to sit and look at the water.” M: Thank you very much, Kathy. |
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Recognition by Officials
Resolutions and congratulatory letters from several Government groups and Government Officials were received by our OLLI office in recognition of our 20th anniversary. Mayor London Breed sent a proclamation and named March 23, 2023 as OLLI Day. Another tribute was a letter from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein dated March 1, 2023. It reads, in part: “It is an honor for me to congratulate all of you for your hard work and dedication to the community you serve. Since the founding of OLLI in 2003, your outstanding partnerships with local community members, as well as your steadfast commitment to provide enriching courses and activities, serve as a testament to your passion for supporting the people of San Francisco.” “As a United State Senator, representing the people of California, I commend the Osher Lifelong Leaning Institute at San Francisco State University for your many accomplishments and achievements. I wish you all continued success in the years to come." (signed) Dianne Feinstein United States Senator |
Letter from Senator Feinstein
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This Reporter’s Conclusion: We’re doing Good! What do you think, Dear Reader?
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We Welcome Comments |
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Vistas & Byways Review is the semiannual journal of fiction, nonfiction and poetry by members of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at San Francisco State University.
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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Francisco State University (OLLI at SF State) provides communal and material support to theVistas & Byways volunteer staff.
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