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Message from the President

Dear <<First Name>>,

Summer Break

A hearty welcome to the 55 new members joining LLI as of July 1st. This year we received 93 applications, and five applicants received priority admission for committing to present a course for LLI. The other 50 new members had a 57 percent chance of being selected—by random lottery. Congratulations to all.

LLI operates year-round, with classes in the fall, a four-week Winterfest program, a spring semester, and a four-week Summerfest program. We have much to offer, and with few exceptions, it is all included in your annual membership fee.

In addition to classes on Zoom and in-person, we host special events such as lectures and films, arrange guided tours at Hessel Museum, the Fisher Center, and local murals, and sponsor outdoor activities – bocce, pickleball, and walking groups. We also celebrate together at our winter party and the summer picnic. This year the picnic is on July 24th at Robert Post Park, in the Town of Ulster. We celebrated at the park last year, and everyone had a wonderful time. Watch your email for the invitation to register. 

All the work invested to operate LLI is done by members who volunteer and give generously of their ability and time, and for some, their willingness to learn new tasks and assignments. All of us can thrive in this environment, intellectually and socially.  

When I joined LLI in 2019, my first impression of the organization inspired me to want to become involved in the operation. I attended a Curriculum Committee meeting and was so impressed with the professionals that form the core of this organization, that I signed up on the spot to present two courses that fall, and I have presented about a dozen courses to date. Also, in 2019, by dint of good fortune, I was invited to a Council meeting. Like most folks who are guests at Council meetings, I was thoroughly impressed by the structure of the meeting and the professionalism of the Council members. These people knew what they were talking about, and they cared about what they were doing. The vibes were positive, and I was sold. I was elected to Council in 2020, served two years as LLI’s treasurer, and am just starting my second two-year term as president. Five years have passed, and my first impression has not changed one bit.

I invite all our members to explore everything LLI offers. May your journey with us be as rewarding as mine.  

To all our members, I wish you the best. You are the backbone of LLI. To our volunteers, you have my deepest respect and gratitude for all that you do.

Best, 

Robert Beaury

president@lli.bard.edu

Curriculum: Where the Magic Happens

by Deborah Lanser and Margaret Shuhala

The Curriculum Committee provides us with the main reason we joined LLI: courses on a wide range of engaging subjects taught by presenters who are knowledgeable and passionate about their interests. The Committee is made up of producers, those LLI members who work with the presenters to bring their course ideas to fruition. The work is sometimes time-consuming, but the rewards for all involved are substantial. Here is a brief overview of what they do and why.

Funny Bones: We Want You!

by Alan Katz

“I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.”
Groucho Marx

Yes, Groucho said it, but only in a pique after he did not get into Bard LLI under the lottery system. Chico and Harpo are already members, and they each happily volunteer their unique skills in the Bard LLI marching band (piano and harp, respectively). Zeppo, well, what was with Zeppo anyway? A subject for another day.

Bard LLI is always in need of new volunteers, and remember, unique skills are not required. After all, I was a lawyer for four decades, so I came to Bard LLI completely devoid of any useful skills, and they still figured out a way to put me to some (albeit limited) use. 

Bard LLI needs class managers to make classes run smoothly (contact Joanne Goodman jgoodman@lli.bard.edu), mentors to help new members get acclimated (contact Robert Inglish, ringlish@lli.bard.edu), techies to meet our technology needs (contact Carmela Gersbeck, cgersbeck@lli.bard.edu), producers to help develop courses (contact Mary McClellan, mmcclellan@lli.bard.edu), writers and editors so the newsletter can replace my drivel with something comprehensible (contact Cathy Reinis, creinis@lli.bard.edu), and so much more.

An easy way to start is to look at the Important Dates for Members section at the bottom of every newsletter. This section provides information regarding Bard LLI committee meetings, and all members are welcome to attend (by Zoom) by simply reaching out to the committee chairperson. Make new friends by joining in and participating or, if you prefer, just listening in to better understand how Bard LLI works. 

I cannot speak for other committees, but our Communications Committee meetings are not something to miss. We start with a signature cocktail personally mixed and delivered to each individual’s home by our chairperson, allowing us all to loosen up and kick off the meeting with a karaoke contest. Committee business happens afterward, but, at that point, who can remember.  And as I understand it, we are relatively tame compared to the other committee meetings. 

Maybe I exaggerate a bit, but you are welcome to join in and see for yourself!

Class Managers Wanted!

by Carmela Gersbeck and Alan Katz

When you were young, you dreamed of roaming the outfield for the Yankees or the Mets or belting out a tune and bringing down the house at Carnegie Hall. Sadly, youthful dreams die hard (well, the way my Mets are playing, maybe some youthful dreams are still possible). But have you ever considered truly fulfilling your dreams and becoming a class manager? 

I know, I know, what a brilliant idea! Everybody needs a manager. Rocky Balboa did not become champ until he had Mickey as his manager, and only Jerry Maguire could “Show me the money!” Well, LLI classes also need managers, and it’s a great way to get to know your other Bard LLIers. If you manage a class with limited enrollment, you are guaranteed a spot in it! You will get to know the presenter and producer as you prepare for the class, as well as others who are taking it, and you will be uniformly lauded and possibly receive a MacArthur “Genius Award” for your contributions to humankind. Class managers take attendance, send out emails to the class, and assist the presenter and perhaps the producer with any needs they may have to ensure the successful delivery of the course. You will be trained on any skills needed—and it’s a fun team! If you are interested in being a class manager for the fall semester, please email Joanne Goodman (jgoodman@lli.bard.edu) or Carmela Gersbeck (cgersbeck@lli.bard.edu). Applications to play for the Mets should go directly to Steve Cohen.

COVID-19 Policy Revisited

by Robert Beaury

Bard recently updated its COVID-19 policy and no longer requires all incoming students and new hires to provide proof of vaccination. After careful consideration, LLI’s Council approved a similar change to our policy effective immediately. 

LLI’s policy regarding COVID-19 is aligned with Bard’s. In accordance with CDC recommendations and the evolving public health situation, LLI is strongly encouraging our members and guests to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. However, LLI will no longer require new members and guests to submit COVID-19 vaccination data in order to become a member, register for a class, or attend an LLI event. 

Our plan is to continue with the “mask-friendly” policy that Bard follows as well. Masks are not required, but anyone who wants to wear a mask on campus is welcome to do so. Individual presenters may ask class members to wear masks in their own classrooms. It is important for members to remember to carry a mask with you in case you need one.

Moreover, out of consideration for others, we ask that you do not attend class or any other LLI event if you are feeling unwell, including dealing with a persistent cough or the sniffles.  

Members are reminded to wear their lanyard at all times while on Bard’s campus or at LLI events off campus.

Bard's Young Composers on the Radio

by Rob Saffer
Rob Saffer is the host of Overlooked, a radio show that focuses on overlooked and under-heard jazz, improvisational, and other fringe music, from early roots to contemporary experiments. As an LLI member, he got to know Asher B. Edelman Professor of Music Joan Tower and the music of Bard composition students in Professor Tower’s classes.

A few years ago, the composer and Bard Conservatory of Music Professor Joan Tower brought some young composers into our LLI class so we could hear their music. The music sounded alive and fresh, and I thought it’d be a perfect focus for my radio WGXC show, Overlooked.  I asked Joan about playing their music on the radio, and she loved the idea. I wasn’t sure if undergraduate students today had any idea what a “radio show” was but they were as enthusiastic as Joan.

Open Play Bocce

Council Notes for June 2024

by Susan Simon

At the meeting on June 17, 2024, the LLI Council discussed that:

• The SummerFest 2024 classes are going very well.

• The Annual Survey is in the process of being reviewed; results will be published in the August newsletter.

• The list of donations to Bard in 2024-25 Bard has been approved; LLI will donate approximately $41,000 to the college. Bard is very appreciative.

• Planning for the LLI 25th anniversary celebration (tentatively to be held July 2025) is in process.

Highlights of the Bard Calendar

by Felice Gelman

In July, the Bard Spiegeltent is in full swing, and the Bard Music Festival begins, but those are not the free events we cover in this column. For more information about those events, go to the Fisher Center Box Office.

There are still several events to enjoy without pulling out your credit card. 

Wednesday through Monday each week in July from noon to 6 p.m., the Hessel Museum of Art will have opened its retrospective of Carrie Mae Weems’ work, Remember to Dream. Ranging from large-scale installations to bodies of photography, you can trace the racial reckonings from the civil rights movement to Black Lives Matter through Weems’ lens. The exhibit runs through December 1. 

The Hessel is also exhibiting Ho Tzu Nyen: Time & the Tiger, the first US view of Singaporean filmmaker and artist Ho Tzu Nyen’s work in five multimedia installations first presented at the Singapore Art Museum. His work embodies fact and myth with references to multiple disciplines to illuminate Southeast Asia’s history, politics, and religion. The exhibit runs through December 1. 

Thursdays each week in July from noon to 5 p.m., the Bard Farm Stand on Library Road will offer herbs, vegetables, mushrooms, honey, flowers, grass-fed meat, and eggs. You can sign up for a newsletter to learn what’s available each week and pricing here. When the weather is too hot, the farm stand may relocate to the Campus Center. 

Upcoming Meetings and Important Dates
for Members

by Carmela Gersbeck

Wednesday, July 10: Membership Development Committee meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a Membership Development meeting should email Robert Inglish at ringlish@lli.bard.edu.

Thursday, July 11: DEI/Social Justice team meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a DEI/Social Justice meeting should email Laura Brown at lbrown@lli.bard.edu.

Monday, July 15: Council meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Council meeting should email Mary McClellan at mmcclellan@lli.bard.edu.

Tuesday, July 16: Curriculum Committee meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom. Anyone interested in joining a meeting should email Anne Brueckner at abrueckner@lli.bard.edu.

Wednesday, July 24: All members are invited to Bard LLI’s Summer Picnic at Robert Post Memorial Park, Kingston, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Monday, July 29: The Communications team meets at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Communications meeting should email Deborah Lanser at dlanser@lli.bard.edu.

Thursday, August 1: DEI/Social Justice team meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a DEI/Social Justice meeting should email Laura Brown at lbrown@lli.bard.edu.

Saturday, August 10: New member letter goes out to all new members with details on upcoming events.

Tuesday, August 13: Curriculum Committee meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom. Anyone interested in joining a meeting should email Anne Brueckner at abrueckner@lli.bard.edu.

Wednesday, August 14: Membership Development Committee meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a Membership Development meeting should email Robert Inglish at ringlish@lli.bard.edu.

Monday, August 19: Council meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Council meeting should email Mary McClellan at mmcclellan@lli.bard.edu.

Tuesday, August 20 and August 27: Campus tours for new members will begin at Bertelsmann Campus Center at 11:00 a.m.

Thursday, August 22: Fall catalog is released.

Monday, August 26: The Communications team meets at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Communications meeting should email Deborah Lanser at dlanser@lli.bard.edu.

Thursday, August 29: Registration for fall semester starts.

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.