Message from the President

Dear <<First Name>>,

Our WinterFest 2022 was a huge success, evidenced by the members’ overwhelmingly positive feedback; thanks to all who submitted their evaluations. Our presenters were so enthusiastic about bringing their interests and expertise to LLI. They were warmly welcomed by the members and strongly supported by our producers and session managers. We are fortunate indeed!

I’m delighted to tell you that the Bard COVID-19 Response Team has welcomed LLI to hold in-person, on-campus courses this spring. You’ll see in the course catalog, when it is released on February 17, that we’ll again meet on-campus on Fridays for our in-person classes, beginning on March 11. We’ll also enjoy our Zoom courses on Thursdays, beginning on March 10, with a few other courses off-campus, as you’ll note.

All LLI members who choose to attend any in-person, on-campus LLI course or event will be required by Bard’s COVID-19 Response Team to show verification of full vaccination, including a booster. 

Before attending any class in any Bard building for the first time this spring, each member will be required to first come to the Olin Atrium to show full verification and also to obtain a booster sticker for the LLI name tag. I will greet you at the front door of Olin, see your verification, and direct you to our verification team members who will document your status and affix your booster sticker. Those members who are attending on-campus courses for the first time this academic year will also pick up their new name tags in Olin during the check-in. Masking will be required at all times, except for presenters who maintain social distancing while lecturing. 

Please watch for complete details to follow.

We appreciate your assistance with this process as we gratefully comply with Bard’s requirements. The goal is to keep everyone in the Bard community as safe as possible while continuing our in-person programs. So many LLI members have dedicated their time and skills, working together to make our upcoming semester possible. We all look forward to welcoming each member, either in person or on Zoom, as we continue preparing for an exciting and successful spring at LLI.

Yours,

Nanci 
president@lli.bard.edu

A Night (or Two) at the Opera

by Chuck Mishaan

I’m on my way to Lincoln Center to see a new opera production. There’s been lots of chatter about it and I’m looking forward to an interesting evening.

A performance at the Metropolitan Opera House is always special, with the grand staircase, the crystal chandeliers, the gold and red balconies, the enormous stage and orchestra, and an audience dressed up for the occasion. Anticipation is running high. It’s sure to be, as always, a great entertainment.

But tonight, October 24, 2014, there are police cars and security swarming all over Lincoln Center Plaza. Protestors are waving placards denouncing tonight’s performance, while politicians and interest groups are shouting and growling into microphones, condemning the Met’s decision to present this opera by composer John Adams. The opera is The Death of Klinghoffer, about the attack by Palestinian hijackers of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in 1985, and the point-blank killing of a disabled Jewish passenger, Leon Klinghoffer. His body and wheelchair were thrown overboard before his wife was even aware of what was happening.

LLI Isn't Just for Learning

by Carmela Gersbeck

After being weekenders for 18 years, my husband and I moved to the Hudson Valley full-time in May 2018 when we retired from our corporate jobs at JPMorgan. We had a couple of friends in the area, and one, Tom Grabeel, was a member of Bard LLI. He kept telling us that he thought we would like it, so I was thrilled when we finally joined in 2019. I remember meeting Tom Esposito at the Annual Fall Welcome Luncheon that year. He mentioned that members should not only enjoy the courses but also take part in the social aspects of LLI—and he was right!

Special Program with
US Congressman Jamie Raskin (D, MD8)

The Lifetime Learning Institute (LLI) at Bard College https://lli.bard.edu/, in partnership with Oblong Books and the Bard Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) Bard CCE - Bard College, is pleased to present a special program, via a Zoom webinar, on Wednesday, March 9 at 7 pm. The featured speaker for this program is US Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD8), author of Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy  (Harper, Jan 4, 2022). The title of Congressman Raskin's remarks for our program will be: Unthinkable: A House Divided.

Congressman Raskin is a former law professor at American University and a constitutional scholar. He is currently a member of the House's Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, and was the lead House impeachment manager in Trump's second impeachment in 2021. 

Congressman Raskin will be interviewed by Bill Press, a highly respected Washington, DC podcast host, political pundit, syndicated columnist, and prolific author (including Trump Must Go and The Obama Hate Machine). From 1993-1996, Mr. Press served as Chair of the California Democratic Party. 

We hope you will join us at this very special program. You will receive an email from LLI soon with a link to register, through Oblong books, for this free event.

You're Kidding, Right?

by Gary Miller

Most members appreciate and understand the tremendous effort and dedication of the Curriculum Committee. What is not known, however, is that their high set of standards and schedule restrictions mean some courses inevitably fall by the wayside. In the spirit of transparency, then, here are some of the courses that met their premature death.

Thanks from Jonathan Becker

Dear Nanci:
 
I wanted to thank again LLI for its great support of the Afghan students who have come to Bard and to share this photo of orientation week.
 
Wishing you and LLI all the best.
 
Best,
 
Jonathan

Changemakers Forging Ahead

by Felice Gelman

In last semester’s very popular African Americans in the Hudson Valley class, we heard from two elected officials and changemakers – Barrington Atkins, a County Legislator from Poughkeepsie, and Kamal Johnson, the Mayor of Hudson. These two relatively young men of color are in historical positions of political power. As the first Black assistant minority leader of the Democratic legislature, Atkins has made history. (It is worth noting that the Democratic minority leader, Yvette Valdes Smith, is the first Latina in that position.) In Columbia County, in Hudson, Kamal Johnson, elected mayor in November 2019, is the youngest mayor the city has had and its first African American mayor. Both Atkins and Johnson talked about their plans and the challenges they faced in our Fall 2021 class African Americans in the Hudson Valley Then and Now. We followed up with them in the new year. 
 

In Memoriam

by Cathy Reinis

With sorrow, we share with you the news of the deaths of three of our members. Ron Neufeld was a longtime LLI member, along with his wife, Ann. I remember him as a faithful member of the Bard Masters of Math and Science class. You can read more about Ron here.

Nancy Conklin was in the very first class of LLI members. For many years, she and her husband, Jack, were active LLI members. Jack supported Nancy through a very long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. For more about Nancy, click here.

Philip White was a class of 2021 new member of LLI who died suddenly in a traffic accident last December. Nanci Kryzak was his mentor, and had several good meetings with him. He had a remarkable and heartwarming career.

Council Notes for January 2022

by Deborah Lanser

At the Council meeting of January 18, 2022, the following issues were discussed:

LLI, in partnership with CCE and with Oblong Books, will present a special program in March with Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD8) and journalist Bill Press. Oblong Books has agreed to host the presentation via Zoom.

We need to plan for ways to check member vaccination status for those who attend in-person classes in the spring. This is to comply with the rules established by the Bard COVID-19 Response Team.

Council agreed not to proceed with developing a policy for recording our classes in accordance with a memorandum from the law students at George Mason University Law Arts and Entertainment Clinic. 

Revised bylaws will be sent to the members for their review in advance of the annual meeting. 

Any member interested in observing a Council meeting should email Linda Stanley at lstanley@lli.bard.edu.

Bard is on vacation this month.

Important Dates for LLI Members

February 8: Curriculum Meeting on Zoom at 10:00 a.m. If you would like to attend, please email Bill Tuel at btuel@lli.bard.edu.

February 9: Membership Development Meeting on Zoom at 9:00 a.m. If you would like to attend, please email Linda Still at lstill@lli.bard.edu.

February 17: Spring catalog is released

February 24: Spring Registration begins

March 8: Curriculum Meeting on Zoom at 10:00 a.m. If you would like to attend, please email Bill Tuel at btuel@lli.bard.edu.

March 9: Membership Development Meeting on Zoom at 9:00 a.m. If you would like to attend, please email Linda Still at lstill@lli.bard.edu.

March 9:  Special program on Zoom at 7:00 PM. US Congressman Jamie Raskin (D, MD8): Unthinkable: A House Divided. Registration link will be sent soon.

March 10 - April 21: Spring classes on Zoom, Thursdays on March 10, 17, 24, 31; April 7, 14, 21

March 11 - April 22: Spring classes on Campus, Fridays on March 11, 18, 25, April 1, 8, 15, 22

March 14 - March 28: Election Voting takes place

March 21: Council Meeting. Any member interested in observing a Council meeting should email Linda Stanley at lstanley@lli.bard.edu.

March 25: Last day to register for a spring course.