Director's Note
Growing the OLLI Membership
It’s August already. It has been a wonderful summer thus far. Thank you to everyone who has renewed their memberships or become new OLLI members. To date we have over 326 members. We are excited and looking forward to increasing our membership to at least 600 before the end of this program year.
Here are some ways that you can assist us in getting to that anticipated number of 600 or more:
· If you have not renewed your membership, we invite you to renew today – don’t wait.
· Invite a friend or family member to join and take courses with you.
· If you need to purchase a gift for someone, the OLLI membership is perfect.
· Bring a Friend who has never been an OLLI member – remember you can invite them to attend a class with you so they can get first-hand experience of how wonderful the OLLI classes are. Then encourage them to get their membership right away.
Remember to call the office and work with Madison to get them registered for the course.
Note: there has to be seats available in the course, and it must be a WMU OLLI course not an Osher Online course.
Thanks in advance for helping us to reach our goal of 600 members.
Together in lifelong learning,
Toni Woolfork-Barnes, Ed.D.
Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU
In This Issue
- Director's Note
- Curriculum
- Events
- In Memoriam
- Wellness Moment
- Community Connections
Curriculum
Fall Courses 2026
Fall Course registration opens on Wednesday, August 12that 10:00 a.m. You can use this link to access the course registration system. Sign in to your account
"Course descriptions and instructor biographical details are in the online version of the Fall Semester catalog - we hope you will check them out and join us for the fun of learning about widely varied topics - no tests or writing papers required and a mix of local in-person and national online courses."
Click to see descriptions - OLLI at WMU Course Catalog
Also, we encourage you to self-register for courses, you will have greater opportunities to get into the courses of your choice. As you may know or have experienced, the phones are always busy the first couple of days of registration. If you call and leave a message regarding course registration, we will return your call as soon as possible.
Events
Busy, Busy, Busy…
In June, Senior Readers Theater presented a slide show touting membership in OLLI before a performance at the Parchment Library. Community outreach helps raise our membership numbers. In the past three years, Readers Theater has performed 70 times to over 1000 people at 29 venues! If you haven’t seen one, those performances that are open to the public are advertised in NowKalamazoo, as is their second appearance on August 5 at the Parchment Library.
Thank you to all who participated in Taste of OLLI on July 22nd. People savored the Taste and its many flavors—a resounding success.
We scheduled Taste of OLLI earlier than course registration this year based on your requests in the survey. We do take your opinions on the surveys to heart when we cook up improvements for the next year.
Here are some Taste of OLLI pictures for you to savor.
SAVE THE DATE! Friday, September 18th from 1:00 to 3:00, OLLI will premiere a Sky Bergman Production, The Jollytologist. You may have attended some events of the six-month intergenerational series leading up to Bergman’s Lives Well Lived that culminated on March 25, 2025. Now she brings us 88-year-old Allen Klein who knows the secret of longevity. The venue for the film will be announced at a later date. To see a trailer, go to https://www.thejollyfilm.com/
In October, we plan on reviving “Fill-a-Trunk” after a year’s hiatus. More information will follow, but the charities benefiting from OLLI members’ and the community’s generosity are Seita Scholars, YWCA, Drop-in Child Care Center, Kalamazoo Literary Council, Ministry with Community, and Housing Resources Inc.
In Memoriam
In Memoriam Remembering Our Beloved
Jo Arnold
Most recently, Mrs. Josephine Lucia Arnold— “Jo”—passed away. We wish to honor her memory and recognize her deep dedication and unwavering commitment to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU. Jo was instrumental in shaping OLLI’s growth and success, serving in numerous roles, including (but not limited to) chair of the Executive Committee, as well as key positions on the Curriculum and Events Committees.
Even after moving to Carmel, Indiana in 2020, Jo remained actively engaged with OLLI through virtual participation.
We will deeply miss Jo—and her husband, Chet—who together brought warmth, generosity, and steadfast support to OLLI.
Wellness Moment
Wellness Moment
Our Precious Vertebral Discs
Written by Tyler Norman, Ph.D.,
ACSM Exercise Physiologist, NCFI Corporate Fitness Specialist, and Manager of Corporate Outreach at West Hills Athletic Club, WMU
Speaking from a recent experience, our vertebral discs are WAY more important than many people realize. Full disclosure, I’m supposed to be some kind of an expert in preventing this sort of thing, but after a recent vacation at our family cottage, where I felt great for the whole week and participated in my normal trail walking, sand dune climbing, and weight room workouts, just like normal, I suffered a herniated disc. It’s the most painful injury I’ve ever had in my life. A visit to the emergency room resulted in steroids and pain killers, and some relief. When I was able to walk upright again, and limp into work, I was seeking a physical therapist that I know and trust for advice. He didn’t hesitate when he said that I needed to do the McKenzie Cobra pose, and I couldn’t do it too much. A herniated disc occurs when the vertebral disc, which is filled with a gelatinous material, springs a leak so to speak and the gelatin leaks out of the disc putting pressure on the nerves. I felt like a hot poker was running down my leg. The McKenzie pose creates a position to allow the gelatin to move back into place. I’m a good patient, did the McKenzie pose 3 times a day like religion, and 3 weeks later I’m pain free- thank you Derrick for the great intel!
McKenzie Cobra Pose: start on your stomach, then to your elbows below your shoulders, then hands palm down and SLOWLY push up to the position in the picture
Community Connections
Kalamazoo Literacy Council
Kito Jumanne-Marshall
Marketing and Development Manager
Game on! Join Us at the 15th Annual
Kalamazoo Scrabble® Fest
Calling all word lovers, strategy enthusiasts, and lifelong learners! The Kalamazoo Literacy Council (KLC) invites you to its biggest fundraiser of the year — the 15th Annual Kalamazoo Scrabble® Fest — on Saturday, August 8, from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo.
Whether you're a seasoned Scrabble champion who knows every two-letter word in the official dictionary or a casual player who just enjoys a friendly tile-draw, this event is for you. Individuals and teams compete in a lively tournament atmosphere, all in support of a vital cause: helping adults in our community build literacy skills that transform lives.
Tickets are $25 and include a t-shirt, delicious snacks, parking, and the satisfaction of knowing every word you spell helps fund KLC's adult literacy programs like one-on-one tutoring, classes, and other resources for adults to improve their reading, writing, and English language skills.
Gather your friends or come solo and make new ones. Scrabble Fest is a perfect outing for OLLI members — a chance to exercise your mind, connect with the community, and support literacy in Kalamazoo.
For any questions, please call Kito (269) 382-0490 ext. 4761.
What is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute?
The program was initiated under the auspices of the WMU Emeriti Council and EUP, but now currently resides within the office of Government Relations and External Partnerships. OLLI offers intellectually lively and culturally appealing learning experiences. We accomplish this by focusing on intellectual stimulation, personal growth, social engagement and enrichment. Read more
What do we do?
We offer short courses for one to four weeks. Sessions are usually two hours long. Travel programs are also a part of our offerings. There are no tests and no required homework, just exploring lots of interesting topics.
In the near future we will offer courses in different formats -- noon hour discussions, several sessions in one week, and more evening courses. OLLI courses and activities are developed and produced by its members with the support of the staff of Government Relations and External Partnerships.
We need your ideas for course topics and instructors. Let us know your suggestions. Call the OLLI office at (269) 387-4157 or send an email. The curriculum committee will review all suggestions.