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Message from the President

Dear <<First Name>>,

Our fall semester wraps up this Friday, and another good mix of Zoom and in-person classes will close their books. I want to acknowledge the hard work put in by our presenters, class and session managers, producers, and tech advisors that make it all happen in the Zoom room and classroom. If one thinks about each class and the folks involved in its work as a team, we have more than two dozen teams working Thursdays and Fridays to deliver quality content to our members in an average semester. That takes dedication and commitment.

Even further behind the scenes are the committees and teams that meet monthly to plan, discuss, and review each aspect of what LLI does, from course development and production, communicating with members, running LLI, and providing members with opportunities to socialize and engage with friends and new people.

Last month I mentioned that it is important to submit course evaluations. These documents are an important tool for our Curriculum Committee. Your feedback is important and appreciated. Typically, far less than 50% of our members submit anonymous evaluations. If you truly enjoyed a class, let the team know; compliments are always welcome. If you have constructive criticism, please share that as well.

Before we know it, WinterFest will be here. Our Communications Team will keep members informed as we get closer to releasing the course catalog this winter.

Best,

Robert Beaury

president@lli.bard.edu

Behind the Scenes at the Newsletter

by Felice Gelman

You probably don’t think at all about how this newsletter goes from some ideas scrawled on a notepad to the professionally laid out and illustrated email you receive every month. This article will just let you in on the production end—that is, once a story has been written and edited. 

Two volunteers, both brand-new LLI members, do it all. Ann Green and Alan Katz both joined LLI this year. Neither of them had prior experience with WordPress, the program used to produce the newsletter, or MailChimp, the program used for sending out the newsletter and other LLI communications. However, they agreed to take on the challenge, and Carmela Gersbeck, chair of Program Support, trained them quickly. They have since been managing these tasks smoothly.

Dispatches From an LLI Rookie

by Alan Katz

Bard LLI first-year members.  We are easy to spot.  We are the ones looking confused and lost on campus, overwrought from having scheduled nine classes, muttering under our breath about Pro Class and inevitably asking “Does our lanyard allow us to use the pool at the Stevenson Athletic Center?” Here are some observations on the first few months of my maiden voyage.

Welcome, New Members

by Susan Phillips

By now, all 39 of you lucky new Bard LLI lottery–winning members have probably survived your first semester of in-person and/or Zoom LLI classes and are happily settled in. All of you should have been contacted by an experienced LLI mentor who would welcome contact from you about any questions you have. Are you comfortable with signing into ProClass, registering for courses, establishing a course wish list? Did you sign up for too many classes the first time around? (A common rookie mistake—speaking from experience here.) Help is always available. The Bard LLI website has lots of information and helpful, brief tutorials.

Evaluations Wanted

by Deborah Lanser

Did you enjoy your classes this fall? If you did, that’s terrific. Please fill out the evaluation form you received via email and let the Curriculum Committee know, so they can keep the hits coming. Or was the presenter disorganized and the course content not what you expected? Was the Zoom technology difficult to navigate? Use the form to let the committee know about those or any other issues you had with your classes. The committee’s goal is to present an assortment of high-quality classes that keep us engaged, which is why they take member opinions into consideration when planning future semesters. 

The evaluation form is simple—you can fill it out quickly. The committee appreciates your feedback and particularly values your comments explaining your numerical rating.

Curriculum is always looking to repeat and refine its successes while finding new appealing course offerings. Your input will help improve LLI for all of us. 

An Invitation from Curriculum

by Mary McClellan

November is traditionally the time when the Curriculum Committee invites LLI members who have expressed an interest in joining the Curriculum Committee to attend a meeting. This year we will be hosting an in-person meeting on Tuesday, November 14 at 10:00AM on the Bard Campus.

Anyone wishing to attend should contact Mary McClellan at mmcclellan@lli.bard.edu.

As with all on-campus events, vaccination status must be confirmed to attend.

A Glimpse of Indigenous Culture

The Indigenous Peoples’ Day luncheon on October 9 afforded 75 LLI members a glimpse of Indigenous culture through the eyes of Tatiana Blackhorse, a Bard sophomore and member of the Navajo nation. Although she is half Hungarian, her beliefs, values, and perspectives on the world come from the Navajo teachings of her father’s heritage. She viewed the day as a celebration of her people, other tribes, and their ancestors, a perspective she was happy to share with LLI members. She also considered some of the obstacles her people have dealt with in trying to maintain their language and culture.

Share Thanksgiving with an International Bard Student

by Cathy Reinis

As you plan for the Thanksgiving celebration, consider inviting a Bard Student from another country to join you in this unique American celebration. Manishkamala Kalupahana, Senior International Student Advisor, invites LLI members to connect with international students at Bard. You can learn more at Thanksgiving Invitation.

In Memoriam

With great sadness, the LLI community learned of the death of Linda LeGendre. Linda was a longtime LLI member who in recent years had chaired the Curriculum Committee and brought many wonderful presenters and courses to LLI. In addition, she was a beloved friend of many LLI members. Linda lived a full and active life, which you can read about her in her obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thesunchronicle/name/linda-legendre-obituary?id=53436484. 

Council Notes for October 2023

by Susan Simon

At the meeting on September 16, the following items were discussed:

• The PO box has been closed; all mail is being forwarded to Secretary Susan Simon. (Nothing new has been received to date.)
• LLI 2023 revenue is on track.
• LLI policies were reviewed (ongoing monthly).

Highlights of the Bard Calendar

by Felice Gelman

The Thanksgiving break cuts the Bard calendar a bit short in November.  Nonetheless, there are some very interesting events. Don’t miss them!

Wednesday, November 8, at 5:15 pm, in Olin 102, several Bard departments and programs will present Naiima Khahaifa, a post-doc fellow at Dartmouth College speaking on Carceral Care: Prison Work through the Lens of Black Correctional Officers. Khahaifa will talk about the ways the racialized mass incarceration process came to depend on the labor of Black COs and how race, class, and gender shape the relationships between incarcerated individuals and Black COs. 

Thursday, November 9, from 4:00–6:00 pm, an online event hosted by Bard LLI, Oblong Books, Starr Library, and Bard's Center for Indigenous Studies will feature a conversation between Dr. Ned Blackhawk of Yale University and Bard’s Dr. Christian Ayne Crouch. They will discuss Blackhawk’s recent book, The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of US History, which was nominated for the National Book Award. You can register for this webinar here. 

Friday, November 10, from 7:00–9:00 pm, at the Bitó Conservatory, beatboxer Shodekeh will give a not-to-be-missed percussion studio recital.  

Friday, November 17, from 7:30–9:30 pm, at the Chapel of the Holy Innocents, the wonderful Bard Baroque Ensemble, directed by Renée Louprette, will perform works by Elisabeth de la Guerre, Ignatius Sancho, and J.S. Bach, and excerpts from Codex Caioni. 

Tuesday, November 28, from 5:00–7:00 pm, at the Bard Farm and at the Manor House, Juliana Steiner will present Writing as Sowing, Reading as Eating, an installation and food gathering. An immersive sound installation at Bard Farm, Entre la danza y el Mambeo, will be followed by a communal food gathering and talk. The event is sponsored by the Center for Human Rights and the Arts. 

Upcoming Meetings and Important Dates
for Members

by Carmela Gersbeck

Wednesday, November 8: Membership Development Committee meeting at 9:00 am on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Membership Development meeting should email Robert Inglish at ringlish@lli.bard.edu.

Thursday, November 9: Webinar co-sponsored by Bard College, Bard LLI, Starr Library, and Oblong Books with Ned Blackhawk, PhD, of Yale University, who has just published a seminal book reanalyzing Native American history. Click here to register. 

Tuesday, November 14: The Curriculum Committee will be holding an open meeting at 10:00 am in person on the Bard campus. Anyone interested in finding out more about the Curriculum Committee should email Anne Brueckner at abrueckner@lli.bard.edu.

Thursday, November 16: The DEI/Social Justice team meets at 4:00 pm on Zoom. Any member interested in joining the meeting should email Laura Brown at lbrown@lli.bard.edu.

Monday, November 20: Council meeting at 9:30 am on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Council meeting should email Mary McClellan at mmcclellan@lli.bard.edu.

Monday, November 27: The Communications team meets at 9:30 am on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Communications meeting should email Deborah Lanser at dlanser@lli.bard.edu.

Thursday, December 7: The DEI/Social Justice team meets at 4:00 pm on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a meeting should email Laura Brown at lbrown@lli.bard.edu.

Tuesday, December 12: The Curriculum Committee will be holding an open meeting at 10:00 am on Zoom. Anyone interested in joining a meeting should email Anne Brueckner at abrueckner@lli.bard.edu.

Wednesday, December 13: Membership Development Committee meeting at 9:00 am on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Membership Development meeting should email Robert Inglish at ringlish@lli.bard.edu.

Monday, December 18: Council meeting at 9:30 am on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Council meeting should email Mary McClellan at mmcclellan@lli.bard.edu.

Tuesday, January 2: The Communications team meets at 9:30 am on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Communications meeting should email Deborah Lanser at dlanser@lli.bard.edu.

The opinions and views expressed in the LLI Newsletter are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of LLI or its members. In addition, any link to a website or content belonging to or originating from third parties are not investigated, monitored or checked for accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability or completeness by LLI, nor does LLI accept any responsibility for such content.