Spring 2017 Newsletter - Define Your Future

Spring 2017 Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 2 March 2017

Dear LifeLong Learners, As I reflect upon my last 15 years as president of Immaculata University, your dedication to lifelong learning becomes even more admirable. Students today can become so stressed over assignments, presentations, and exams that the true joy of learning becomes secondary. You, as

members of LLI, are shining examples of how education can enhance one’s life and reverberate in every aspect of life. I am so appreciative of your support for our campus community, including finding opportunities to work with students and making time to attend various campus events. Perhaps your biggest, most enduring gift to Immaculata is your joyful demeanor and eagerness to learn. I am pretty sure some of our students, especially the ones with early morning classes, are astonished to know that you are up, in class, and ready to learn and it is not even mandatory! Thank you for enhancing the culture on Immaculata’s campus. We are so grateful for your presence. Sincerely, Sister R. Patricia Fadden, IHM, Ed.d. President

In This Issue:

Message from Sister Pat Important Semester Dates Spring Picnic Save the Date March Madness Trivia LLI Food Drive LLI Volunteer Spotlight Back on Campus Join MahJongg

Good & Welfare Column

Weekly Speaker Series

Volunteer Opportunities

Exploring IU

LLI Bulletin Board Loyola Lounges Musical Performances on Campus Anniversaries The Age Called the Sixties LLI Book Club Call to Action

There appears to be some confusion regarding holidays/days off in Session B of the spring semester. Due to the Easter Holiday the University is closed on April 13th, 14th and 17th which means that LLI is also closed. To make up for these missed days members will attend class on May 1st, 4th and 5th. Classes that meet on Tuesday and Wednesday are not affected by the Easter holiday so they will not meet on May 2nd and 3rd. This schedule allows for classes to meet five times in Session B (classes should not meet more than five times).

Summer Begins May 22 The 5 week summer semester begins Monday, May 22 and ends Friday, June 30. Due to the Memorial Day holiday, Monday classes will only meet four times. There will be no class on 5/29, 6/22, 6/23, 6/26, 6/27 and 6/28 due to freshman orientation. The summer semester membership fee is a flat $75 regardless of the number of classes you register for. Annual members do not pay the summer fee.

Save The Date:

LLI Spring Picnic

Friday, May 12 More details to come!

March Madness Trivia - by Roberta McManus With one week to go in women’s and men’s NCAA tournaments, how are your brackets holding up? March is about more than basketball as this set of trivia questions will show. Good luck! 1. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has been played since 1939. Who won that first

championship? 2. Name the lowest ranked team to win the men’s NCAA basketball championship. 3. Now we give equal time to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament which was first held in

1982. Louisiana Tech won that year. What PA team did they defeat in the final game? 4. Name the former St. Joseph’s basketball star who coached Notre Dame to the women’s title in

2001 and will receive this year’s Legend of Coaching Award. 5. Leaving sports and moving to history: Name the last president to have his inauguration on

March 4, which was then the traditional Inauguration Day. 6. St. Patrick was born in Great Britain but not on March 17. Why then is this date celebrated as

St. Patrick’s Day? 7. This teacher of the deaf celebrated his birthday on March 3. Keenly interested in and successful

in science and invention, he showed great insight in 1917 by saying, “The unchecked burning of fossil fuels would have a sort of greenhouse effect.” Who was this wise man?

8. TIME magazine routinely names a person of the year every December. But do you remember that they named a Person of the Century at the end of 1999? This person was born on March 14, 1879 and lived for 76 years. Who was he?

9. Caesar was warned about the “Ides of March”. What is the meaning of the word “ides”? 10. National Pi Day is celebrated on March 14 in math classes across the nation. Who first

calculated the value of Pi?

Test your knowledge at Ross Kershey’s friendly trivia competition. Join us at 12:15pm on Tuesdays in Loyola Hall room 120.

Support the LLI Food Drive

Following the holiday rush, many food pantries need help restocking for the summer months when children are home from school. In partnership with the office of Mission and Ministry, LLI will be collecting non-perishable foods April 24-28. Donation boxes will be located throughout Loyola Hall and delivered to the Chester County Food Bank at the end of the drive.

LLI Volunteer Spotlight - Ann Calef By Roberta McManus

This column is usually about spotlighting an instructor and this month’s VIP certainly fits that bill. However, Ann Calef does so much more than that for our LLI community that we are spotlighting her volunteerism, as April is National Volunteer Month. Her energy, voice, enthusiasm, and capabilities have been utilized by the LifeLong Learning programs both here and at Widener since 2004. Like many of us, it eased her into retirement as she ended her professional career as a psychologist working with community mental health, victims of sexual abuse, and treatment programs for court ordered offenders in the areas of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and anger management. Ann’s involvement and volunteerism have taken many forms. She has served on the Advisory Board for three years, the Hospitality Committee for two, and is currently serving her 10th year on the Curriculum Committee. You may know Ann as a tour guide, trip planner, facilitator of films, and instructor throughout many years. As an instructor, Ann loves to share her enthusiasm with others. Her list of courses reflect her many interests: The English Novel, China - A Century of Revolution, The United States and the Middle East, Victorian Britain, Churchill, The Other 1492, Charles Dickens’ 1842 Tour of America, Jane Austen Novels, and 5,000 Years of Chinese History. With that impressive list, thank goodness she enjoys planning, reading, and researching! From 2012 to 2016, Ann organized four fund-raising trips with Collette Vacations for OLLI members. Almost $10,000 was raised! Trips included South Dakota and Mount Rushmore, Islands of New England, Northern California and Wine Country, and finally, London. A good time was had by all. One of her favorite trips was a Danube River Cruise, especially a stop in Salzburg. Future travel plans include the Pacific Northwest. When asked to tell something about herself that others didn’t know, Ann replied that people may not know that she was a flight attendant with American Airlines and that may be where she learned to love travel! Do you know that Mrs. Calef is one of our returning Immaculata University graduates? Ann was a continuing education student who didn’t spend much time engaging in campus activities since she was a mom to three youngsters. She found the teaching staff to be friendly and helpful and she graduated in 1977. Ann especially enjoys spending time with her family who live close by. Her many interests include crocheting, reading, travel planning, and the National Women’s History Museum. Her all-time favorite activity – enjoying nature from her swing on the porch, watching and listening to birds – a peaceful way to begin a morning and end an afternoon for a busy lady! Maybe you are inspired by Ann’s sharing of her time and talents with us. There are many areas that could use your talents also. Contact Amanda Atkins for ideas to begin your volunteerism here at Immaculata!

Back on Campus By: Mary Walker

After sending my children to college, I decided that it was time for me. During an interview with the registrar at Immaculata, I expressed concern that I would be fifty when I graduated. She wisely said, “You will be fifty anyway, dear.”

Because I love it, I chose English literature as

my major but also added a minor in Business Administration. I watched my children write papers while sitting in front of the television. I, however, spent hours in the library. The 800 Dewey decimal sections became my second home. But I knew that I had arrived when a young student sitting next to me said that she had convinced her mother to return to school.

After graduation I received a call from Immaculata. Weston Solutions, a nearby

environmental engineering firm, had asked them to recommend an English major who also had secretarial experience. At first the position was much too secretarial. But I soon became the manager of Weston’s library and information center where I stayed for an interesting and challenging 20 years.

Immaculata has been a tremendous influence on my life. It is wonderful to be back.

Join the Fun! By Judy Evans

MahJongg is a tile game. It has origins from China. It was brought to the United States in 1937 and Americanized. The game consists of strategy and luck. We play Pick and Throw (13 Tiles), no betting, National MahJongg League Rules. A good reference is A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg : How To Play the Game and Win by Elaine Sandberg. All are welcome to join; we're a friendly group! Hope to see you there! We play Mondays 12:30-2:30p.m., at the Mac Shack in Good Counsel Hall. If interested contact Judy Evans at 610 742-7426 or [email protected]

Interested in starting your own club? Contact Amanda at 484-323-3236

Good and Welfare Column

It is with great sympathy that I inform the LLI membership of the passing of instructor Robert D. Allen, 78, of King of Prussia. A retired computer engineer Bob died unexpectedly on February 21, 2017 while on vacation in Florida. Bob was born in Denver, CO, on November 10, 1938, to Verna Saltzman Allen and Jack Allen. After graduation, he spent seven years in the Navy in support of missile guidance, which started his career in design and development of computer systems. To view the complete obituary please click here.

David and Roberta Matz are thrilled that their granddaughter Ellie has completed 2+ years of chemotherapy for leukemia. She is doing well and the family celebrated with a carnival party in early March to thank the many friends, neighbors and relatives who helped during the long and sometimes difficult treatment process. Thank you to all the LLI members who expressed care and concern to us.

One afternoon after class, Julia Danta waited in the café located in the lower level of Loyola Hall for her Rover transportation. While it is customary for drivers to assist people into the vehicle, we’ll give this driver the benefit of the doubt that he didn’t know. As Julia gathered her things to walk to the bus, two Immaculata students noticed her struggling and offered their help. They walked with Julia to the door and down the sidewalk to help her onto the Rover. Julia shared this information with the assistant director stating that these students were “Immaculata Angels”.

All sessions are held on Wednesdays from 12:10-1:10pm in Loyola Hall, Room 127

The public is welcome to attend the Speaker Series for free.

Parking permits may be printed by Clicking Here! March 29 - Genocide in Carlisle

This is the story of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (Carlisle, PA) that was opened in 1879 to be a prototype for other schools around the country in an attempt by the U.S. to take children from Indian Reservations and wipe out their Indian ways. The school was finally closed in 1918. Dick Calef - BSEE, University of New Hampshire

Dick spent 40 years in the Power Systems and Aerospace industries and has been an active member in Lifelong Learning as an instructor, noontime speaker, Board Member and Committee Chair.

April 5 - Don’t get Caught Dead! What Everyone Should Know about Estate Planning

This presentation, by an attorney with more than 30 years in practice, will cover the important planning and documents everyone should have in place as they get older. It will include topics such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney and advance health directives, as well as covering which valuable assets do NOT go through your will. Barry Rabin - University of Pennsylvania; Delaware Law School Barry Rabin has been engaged in the practice of law in Chester County for more than 30 years. He currently concentrates his practice in the areas of Estate Planning, Estate Administration and Elder Law, with his primary office in Downingtown. He is a lifelong resident of Chester County, and currently resides in the West Chester area with his wife, two children and small fluffy dog.

April 12 - American Realists: Artists Portraying the World Around Them As They Saw It Discussion of prominent American Realist painters such as Wyeth, Hopper, Rockwell and others.

Fred Dixon - BA, MA. PhD 10 yrs. docent at Barnes Foundation, dozens of lectures on art history at various venues, published "700 Years of Art History: Pre-Renaissance To Modernism".

April 19 - Duffy’s Cut

PowerPoint presentation on the story of the deaths of 57 Irish immigrant railroad workers from cholera and violence in 1832, and the archaeological discovery and the reburial of their remains. William Watson - PhD., History, Univ. of Pennsylvania; tenured professor of History, Immaculata (19 years); author of numerous scholarly books and articles; Director of the Duffy's Cut Project.

April 26 - Water Music

The power and beauty of water is displayed in some of the most descriptive works for orchestra. From Bedrich Smetana's most endearing work Vltava (The Moldau) from "Má vlast" to Mendelssohn's musical waves into the legendary Fingal's Cave, you'll hear and see how these composers paint a musical picture. Afterwards, hear the Immaculata Symphony perform these works and more at their Spring Concert on Saturday, April 29. Joseph Gehring, MM Performance, West Chester University Associate Faculty and Director of Ensembles at Immaculata University. Music Director of the Immaculata Symphony, the Chesco Pops Orchestra, and West Chester Band. Teaches courses in Music Theory, Technology, Piano, Brass Methods, Composition, and Conducting.

WANTED:

Speakers for the Fall 2017 Semester! If you wish to volunteer or have any suggestions for interesting topics or presenters, please contact

Jeanne McFeely at [email protected]

Weekly Speaker Series

Volunteer Opportunities By: John Bakken

I’m sure many LLI@IU members have included volunteering as part of their retirement lives. I’d like to share two of my volunteer experiences with you: Chester County Library at Exton and the People’s Pantry at Church Road in Frazer.

At the library, I work as a greeter, meeting patrons as they

come into the library, answering their questions, directing them to various locations in the library, and helping them sign up for library cards. Library volunteers also work as sorters, shelvers, tech support staff and literacy tutors, to name a few. I meet lots of interesting people, including parents and grandparents with their children and grandchildren, professionals looking up research information and a variety of patrons looking for leisure reading, audiotapes, videos, computer services, museum passes, etc..

My other volunteer experience is at the Peoples Pantry in

Frazer. I volunteer every other week when the pantry is open to distribute food and household items to our clients. I’ve found that you can’t work with these ladies and gentlemen without smiling and laughing. They come to the pantry because they’ve reached a “bump” in their lives where they need help making ends meet. It is my pleasure to meet them, get to know them by their first names and help them. They are gracious and appreciative.

I recommend either the library or pantry volunteer work to anyone with time available,

realizing there are a number of locations close to where you live. There are 17 local library branches along with the Center in Exton, and over 25 food pantries throughout the county.

It is truly my pleasure to be working with each of these very special programs.

Research demonstrates that volunteering leads to better health and that older volunteers are the most likely to receive physical and mental

health benefits from their volunteer activities.

-Corporation for National & Community Service 2007

There are many more opportunities in our area. You too can find a volunteer opportunity that will bring a smile to your face and lift in your step. If you volunteer with an organization that you think is fabulous, please share your story with LLI @IU members. Send an email to Roberta McManus at [email protected]

April is National Volunteer Month April is when many organizations take the time to honor their volunteers and encourage others to donate their time and talents to help others. You too will find that volunteering is a way to feel good about your abilities, be productive, and smile. Here are some listings submitted by Roberta Matz that you can check out. (These days, everything is online, but you can call and then make appointments to see the services first hand). West Chester area Click Here Click Here Chester County Click Here Exton area

Click Here

Click Here

Delaware County

Click Here

With April being National Volunteer Month, let’s extend a HUGE thank you to the many volunteers who donate their friendliness, expertise, and helpfulness to our LLI program. We are talking about the many guides, greeters, curriculum committee members, technology helpers, and those who contribute to the newsletters. A BRAVO! also to our talented instructors for their many hours of preparation and teaching their areas of interest. It is hard to believe that it was almost one year ago that we were in great despair over the idea of losing the camaraderie and knowledge that this Institute offers. Volunteers like you help keep it alive!

Thank you!!

Coatesville, Pa

Click Here

Phoenixville, PA

Click Here

Kennett Square, PA

Click Here

Wilmington, DE

Click Here

Exploring IU

Stay Up-To-Date With Announcements

Contact Amanda if you don’t receive the LLI weekly/biweekly email announcements.

Do you ever arrive on campus and forget where your classroom is? Are you wondering who's presenting for the upcoming weekly speaker series? Are you interested in learning about events on campus? The NEW bulletin board located by room 116 in Loyola Hall is dedicated to LLI members. At the beginning of each semester the calendar will be updated with classroom assignments and the campus events section will be kept up-to-date as well. The LLI bulletin board is all about YOU! Feel free to email Amanda at [email protected] if you feel something should be included or would like to include information about an organization that you volunteer with. Consider it a community board for LLI!

Date Event Location Time

Tuesday, April 4 * Free - Student Recital Memorial Hall 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 6 *Free - Student Recital Memorial Hall 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 11 *Free - Immaculata Ensembles Concert Memorial Hall 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 23 *Free - Immaculata Choral Concert Great Hall 3 p.m.

Wednesday, April 26 *Free - Immaculata Concert Band Concert Alumnae Hall 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 27 *Free - Immaculata Jazz Ensemble Concert Memorial Hall 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 29 Immaculata Symphony Spring Concert Alumnae Hall 7:30 p.m.

IU student concerts and recitals are FREE to attend. Tickets for the symphony are $12 and available online or at the box office. For more information about the symphony please click Here. For more information about the Music Department events (student recitals) click HERE.

Loyola Lounges Looking for a place to meet with friends after class or enjoy a quiet place to eat lunch? While many members visit the dining hall or Mac Shack to enjoy lunch, there are lounges located throughout Loyola Hall for LLI members to meet in-between classes. Check out the options below, ALL of which are centrally located in Loyola Hall. Learn about other areas on campus in our previous Newsletter by CLICKING HERE!

Teach With Us!

LLI@IU is looking for a few good men and women to be instructors in the upcoming semester.

Do you have a hobby, an expertise, interest, or passion you could share?

Do you like to discuss literature, politics,

sports, fashion or teach others your skills? Do you want to turn your ideas and energy into

a course?

We’ll give you tools and tips to be a great instructor!

Attend the Instructor Information Session Monday, May 18th 12:00-2:00

We all have to start somewhere. Give it a try. Attend the Instructor Information Session and you’ll learn from current LLI instructors how to prepare for a class, what materials to have, advice on how

to use the audio/visual equipment and how to inspire students. You’ll be a pro in no time!

Interested members should RSVP with Amanda at

[email protected]. A light lunch will be included. Membership Areas of Interest: Literature

Science/biology

Cooking

Photography

Bird watching

Bridge

Physically active classes

Anniversaries…numbers….we pay attention to them, honor them, mark time with them. Comedy

writers mine laughs joking about wedding anniversaries. Newspapers and TV gently remind us of important events of the past. Some anniversaries that stand out for 2017 include:

150 year anniversary of the Alaskan Purchase (What a bargain!) 100 year anniversary of the Russian Revolution (It still reverberates in our news stories today.) 100 years ago the US declared war against Germany and entered WWI 100 year anniversary of the birth of JFK (He is forever frozen in time as a young man of only

46.) 75th anniversary of the Battle of Midway On a less serious note, here are a few other milestones to mark 2017: 125 years ago James Naismith published the rules of basketball (And the 76ers are showing

life this year!) 125 year anniversary of the debut of Sherlock Holmes in literature. (I like to think that Doyle

would delight in the many paths his stories have taken.) 100 years ago the National Hockey League was born 100th anniversary of the birth of Andrew Wyeth (Check out this summer’s exhibit at the

Brandywine River Museum.) 75th anniversary of Casablanca (You must remember this…) 50 years ago we were watching The Graduate

Whoa!! The Graduate is 50 already? Time sure flies. How do you remember the sixties? Were you wearing bell bottoms and love beads or working in a business suit? Dropping in or dropping out? Marching in protest or marching in uniform? Whether you were an adult, a baby or somewhere in-between, the 60s were a time of change. (Do you see any similarities to today?) LLI teacher Ross Kershey recently came across a poem written by his son who was 16 when he wrote it a long time ago. Ross wanted to share it with you. It is titled The Age Called the Sixties. Enjoy.

Anniversaries By: Roberta McManus

The Age Called the Sixties When will be the day, when people will be proud to say, I grew up in the sixties? When people were stalked whenever they talked, this was the age of the sixties. There was Martin, Bobby, and John; how long will it be till deeds done will be gone? This was the age called the sixties. In Dallas, John was the first to go and it dealt the nation an awful blow. This was the age called the sixties. John was good for his country, called it the new frontier, and his memory to us would always be dear. But it all faded by the end of the age called the sixties. Martin was a black man who fought for his rights and he tried to lead his people from all of their plights. He was a good man in the age called the sixties. He wanted us to be brothers and his eyes had a gleam, but it all ended a badly shattered dream. This was the age called the sixties. Bobby came along, the brother of John and with the people he tried to belong. This was the age called the sixties. The man who would be president went to California on a bright, sunny day when an assassin’s bullet took his life away. This was the age called the sixties. Some people will say the sixties weren’t that bad, but these are all of the memories I had, of the age called the sixties.

Scott Kershey (Ross’s Son)

Age 16

Join the LLI Book Club by Jeanne McFeely

The LitLovers Book Club will continue to meet in room 219 of Loyola Hall on the first Friday of each month at 1:15p.m.. All members of LLI are welcome to attend. Come join us for stimulating conversations about a wide variety of books. Below is the reading list through August. April 7 Dead Wake- Erik Larson May 5 The Magus- John Fowles June 2 Lord of the Flies- William Golding July 7 Arthur and George- Julian Barnes August 4 Hero of the Empire- Candice Millard

You asked and we acted! After many recommendations to start a walking club the LLI members have organized and will kick off the walking club on Friday April 7th! The walking club will meet on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month at 10am in the library courtyard. LLI member Ron Barchet has graciously volunteered to get the club up and running and lead the group around campus. While walks will be held on campus for the time being, we hope to expand to the wonderful regional trails in the near future.

*New* Walking Club

Opinion Page

Call to Action - Earth Day 2017 by Roberta McManus April 22 is the 47th anniversary of the first celebration of the environment with Earth Day. People across the nation were galvanized in 1970 to take action. Now that time has come again. I am NOT saying that you must agree with my views (although I wish you would.) I am saying that it is time to make your views known – especially to your elected officials. Since Inauguration Day, President Trump has proposed spending cuts to reduce environmental regulations. His Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is planning to institute changes in our government’s actions. Where do you stand? For science? For deregulation? For clean air and water? For the oil and gas industries? For pipelines? For climate change problems? For change? For compromise? People say that America is divided and lines are being drawn. Where will those lines fall on these concerns? You can help determine their points of origin. This is not a Republican, Democratic, or Independent issue. It is a health issue that affects all of us. We remember Silent Spring, Love Canal, Three Mile Island, smog filled skies, the Cuyahoga River fire, Superfund lists, Prince William Sound and the Exxon Valdez, Flint Michigan, and more. As one current insurance commercial says, “We know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two.” So act on what you know. Whatever your knowledge base and opinion, act! March, vote, call, write – do something! Use your voice! It is your right as a constituent. Be powerful and let your elected officials know your core values on environmental policies. Speak up!! Shape the budget, the policies, the regulations, the effects. Speak up and ACT! Do you have an opinion and/or cause that you are passionate about? If you want to see your article in this space, email Amanda at [email protected].

This opinion is solely the author’s and not that of the University.

Day 1 Hello New York Meet tour director Midtown walking tour; Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral Trump Tower, Times Square, Grand Central Terminal Empire State Building & Observatory visit Dinner Day 2 Downtown New York Breakfast Whitney Museum of American Art Ferry boat to Ellis Island & Statue of Liberty Lower Manhattan guided sightseeing tour; Trinity Church, Wall Street 9/11 Memorial Visit, Chinatown, Little Italy SoHo gallery walk Dinner Optional Broadway Show Day 3 Uptown New York Breakfast MoMA visit Metropolitan Museum of Art visit Fifth & Madison Avenues Travel Home

Explore New York with LifeLong Learning Peers May 12 - May 14 (registration deadline: March 31)

Travel with LLI

Reserve Your Spot!

What’s Included We provide everything you need for a remarkable trip: Round-trip transportation 2 overnight stays in hotel Breakfast daily (except arrival day) Dinner daily (except departure day) Full-time services of a professional Tour Director Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per

itinerary Visits to select attractions as per itinerary Overnight security chaperone

Tour Expense Adults (age 23 and over): $886 Travel protection Most Explorica travelers protect their investment with on of our trusted plans, starting from just $12 per day. To learn more, visit explorica.com/cfar

View the complete trip itinerary by clicking HERE!

To register please visit: www.explorica.com/Grimes-8478 or call 1-888-310-7121 Please direct all questions to 1-888-310-7121

Volume 1, Issue 2 March 2017

March Madness Trivia Answers 1. Oregon 2. Villanova, seeded 8th in 1985 3. Cheyney 4. Muffet McGraw 5. FDR in 1933 6. That is the supposed day of his death 7. Alexander Graham Bell 8. Albert Einstein 9. Middle of the month 10. Archimedes

Test your knowledge at Ross’ friendly trivia competition. Join Us at 12:15pm on Tuesdays in room 120

Spring 2017 Newsletter Quote: "Great difficulties may be surmounted, by patience and perseverance.” Abigail Adams in a letter to John Adams (dated November 27, 1775) Submitted by Barbara Falini

Interested in helping with the Newsletter? Contact Roberta

McManus to submit your ideas! [email protected]

Special thanks to Jeanne McFeely

Read the Fall 2016 Newsletter by Clicking Here!