 Message from the President
Dear <<First Name>>,
Welcome Back!
A warm welcome back to campus to all LLI members. This year, we had a high renewal rate combined with roughly 155 applications. Ultimately, 39 new members have joined us. LLI is well known for the quality of its programming. Two of our top priorities are striving for excellence and diversity in the classroom. We will also continue to provide opportunities for members to socialize at our picnics and cocktail parties, attend a wide variety of events on campus, and much more.
As we return to campus, it is important to remember that LLI’s COVID policy follows Bard’s policy. You can read the policy later in this issue and on our website. In short, we are mask-friendly and ask all members to bring a mask with them in case they are in a class where the presenter requests one be worn. Please feel free to wear a mask if you want to. Make sure you stay up-to-date with vaccines, and not just COVID boosters. According to health experts, fall and winter will see an uptick in positive COVID cases and other unpleasant viruses. Keep safe. Please stay home if you are feeling unwell.
Just a reminder that registration for in-person classes is secured on a first-come, first-served basis. Members should not ask presenters to reserve a place for them, as this is not within the control of any presenter.
Finally, whether you are taking classes on Zoom or in person or enjoying a special event, have fun and be courteous and considerate. Our presenters, producers, session and class managers and tech team advisors are volunteers. Being respected is part of our shared experience at LLI, one that every member and guest is entitled to regardless of the setting or issue and includes spoken and written words. Please feel free to contact me if there are any questions or complaints.
I encourage our members to enjoy their fall experience and participate in everything that LLI has to offer.
Best,
Robert Beaury
president@lli.bard.edu
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Notes on Returning to Campus
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by Robert Inglish and Fern Fleckman
If you are a new member or a returning member who has not yet been on campus, there are important steps to take. You need to register your car, get your parking hangtag, secure your Bard student ID (optional), and be familiar with LLI's COVID-19 protocol, which is outlined in a separate article. Here are the basics.
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LLI's COVID Vaccination Policy
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by Deborah Lanser
LLI’s policy regarding COVID-19 is aligned with Bard’s. The requirement that all members, presenters, and guests be fully vaccinated and boosted remains in place. Our plan is to continue with the “mask-friendly” policy that Bard follows as well. Anyone who wants to wear a mask on campus is welcome to do so, and presenters can set a mask policy in their own classrooms. It is important for members to remember to carry a mask with them in case they need one.
Moreover, out of consideration of others, we ask that no one attend class or any other LLI event if you are feeling unwell, including dealing with a persistent cough or the sniffles or other easily communicable virus.
Members will not be able to register on ProClass for any in-person class or event until they have presented proof of vaccination, including at least one booster. Vaccinations are not required for classes presented on Zoom only.
If you have not already done so, please email your proof of vaccination, including at least one booster, to registration@lli.bard.edu. You may email a photo or screenshot of either your CDC COVID-19 vaccination card or digital NYS Excelsior Pass. Members are reminded to wear their lanyard at all times while on Bard’s campus or at an LLI event off campus.
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Luncheon Celebrating Indigenous Peoples
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by Linda Scherr and Robert Inglish
On Monday, October 9, Bard LLI members will be able to share a free luncheon celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day! The event will begin at noon in the Multipurpose Room room of Bertelsmann Campus Center on the Bard campus. The meal will feature Native American recipes prepared with produce gathered from Bard Farm.
Tatiana Blackhorse, founder and head of the Indigenous Students’ Association, will open the program with a land acknowledgment followed by a short talk on the food offered, the Food Sovereignty Movement, and the activities of her student group. Tatiana is a Bard sophomore and is of Navajo descent.
An email invitation to all LLI members will be sent mid-September. There is a limit of 100 members for this event so register promptly through ProClass. Registration will open on September 18.
The luncheon is hosted by the Bard LLI DEI/Social Justice Team along with the Social Gatherings Team. They were inspired by the Bard College Rethinking Place: Bard-on-Mahicantuck initiative chaired by Professor Christian Crouch. LLI will offer a seven-session fall course entitled Indigenous Peoples of the Hudson Valley and Beyond: We Are Still Here. Also, a public webinar will be held on November 9th co-sponsored by LLI, Oblong Books, Starr Library, and Bard’s Center for Indigenous Studies in which Professor Crouch will interview Yale University Professor Ned Blackhawk about his new book The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History. These events follow the LLI Summerfest courses on Indigenous Peoples and the July tour of the Hessel Museum’s Indian Theater exhibition.
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LLI Contacts for Help and Information 2023
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by Deborah Schwartz
LLI is a rich and rewarding adventure, but finding out who to contact to resolve a particular issue or get certain information can be confusing. So, if you don’t know where to start, check out the email addresses below and send someone a quick message. LLI volunteers know how to help and refer questions to the person who can provide the best answers. Remember, everyone is eager to help our members and build community.
Group Email Addresses
Bard LLI uses group email addresses to communicate with LLI committees and teams. Following are some commonly used email addresses.
For General Inquiries
Go to info@lli.bard.edu
If you don’t know where to start, this group can answer your questions or forward them to the appropriate team.
For Technical Help
techhelp@lli.bard.edu
The tech team helps members deal with ProClass, Zoom, and Google Workspace. The team volunteers are great with phone help and will call you if you include your phone number in your message.
Usually, someone gets back to you within a few hours. However, the fastest way to get help is to check out the Bard LLI website, where there are videos and detailed instructions about how to perform common tasks:
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For ProClass (where all your information about membership, course registration, and personal data is stored), the website provides short, Quickstart videos on all the commonly performed tasks in ProClass, including logging in, recovering your password, looking at your account, and searching for courses.
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For Zoom online classes, go to How to Zoom Online Meetings and Zoom tips.
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For Google Workspace, you can go to Using G-Suite for LLI members or the Google Workspace Learning Center.
For New Member Help
newmemberhelp@lli.bard.edu
Of course, new members can always contact their mentors for information about LLI. There is also a team dedicated to helping new members get the most out of Bard LLI.
Committee and Team Email Addresses
Every committee in LLI has a group email address. Case does not matter in email addresses. Here are some of them:
Organization
council@lli.bard.edu
president@lli.bard.edu
Standing Committees
curriculum@lli.bard.edu
membershipdevelopment@lli.bard.edu
programsupport@lli.bard.edu
Teams
Teams are coordinated by committees. Here are some you may be interested in contacting.
catalog@lli.bard.edu
classsupport@lli.bard.edu
communications@lli.bard.edu
memberservices@lli.bard.edu
registration@lli.bard.edu
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Walking the West Meadows at Montgomery Place
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by Gretchen Lytle
In early August I found time to return to Montgomery Place. My plan was to explore the west meadows, the descending space between the mansion and the river. Following trails mowed through the meadows, I looked closely for insects around and on the plants. The colors of blossoming wildflowers and cultivated flowers caught my eye—and attracted insects as well. My main concern was whether monarch butterflies would be plentiful. Populations change from year to year. Why aren’t the birds eating the monarchs? It turns out birds learn early on that those colorful butterflies have a bitter taste—because as caterpillars they spent their time eating milkweed, which has a toxic substance that birds dislike.
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Bocce is Ongoing and Pickleball Returns!
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by Carmela Gersbeck
If you are looking to share some fun activities with other LLI members, try the LLI bocce group, which meets for open play every Wednesday from 10 am to 12 pm at Robert Post Memorial Park in Kingston. Join this friendly group and learn to play—it’s easy and fun! No special equipment is needed. For more information, contact Carmela Gersbeck at cgersbeck@lli.bard.edu.
If you have heard about pickleball and want to learn more, we are lucky to have four dedicated pickleball courts at the Red Hook Recreation Park on Linden Avenue. We have open play at all levels—just show up on Tuesdays from 10 am to 12 pm on September 12, 19, 26 and October 3, 10, 17, and 24. For more information, contact L. Walker at lwalker@lli.bard.edu.
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by Susan Simon
At the Council Meeting of August 21, 2023, we discussed:
- Treasurer Jerry Brockett and Robert Beaury will be scheduling a meeting with the Bard Accounting Supervisor to discuss their financial reporting.
- Robert Inglish reported we are all set for the 9/7/23 LLI New Member Orientation.
- Carmela Gersbeck reported there is a new version of ProClass with helpful features.
- Eleanor Weider reported the next meeting of the DEI/Social Justice Team is 9/7/23.
- Susan Simon reported that we will not be renewing an LLI PO Box.
Next LLI Council Meeting scheduled for Monday, September 18, 2023 @ 9:30 am via Zoom.
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Important Dates for LLI Members
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by Carmela Gersbeck
Friday, September 1: Registration opens for fall classes.
Friday, September 7: New members attend orientation and tour the campus.
Tuesday, September 12: Curriculum Committee meeting at 10:00 am on Zoom. Anyone interested in joining a meeting can email Anne Brueckner at abrueckner@lli.bard.edu.
Wednesday, September 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.
Thursday, September 14: Fall semester starts.
Monday, September 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.
September 1–September 29: Classes can be added and dropped in ProClass.
Monday, October 2: Communications meeting at 9:00 am on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Communications meeting should email Deborah Lanser at dlanser@lli.bard.edu.
Monday, October 9: Indigenous Peoples’ Day luncheon will be held in the multipurpose room of Bertelsmann Campus Center starting at noon.
Tuesday, October 10: Curriculum Committee meeting at 10:00 am on Zoom. Anyone interested in joining a meeting can email Anne Brueckner at abrueckner@lli.bard.edu.
Wednesday, October 11: 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, October 13, and Friday, October 14: No classes will be held.
Monday, October 16: 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.
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This newsletter is a publication of Bard LLI Council. Communications Team Chair: Cathy Reinis. Writers and editors: Susan Christoffersen, Kathryn Clark, Felice Gelman, Carmela Gersbeck, Ann Green, Alan Katz, Deborah Lanser, Jill Lundquist, Gretchen Lytle, Kathy OConnor, Susan Phillips, Margaret Shuhala. Photographers: Gary Miller, Chair, Carol DeBartolis, Carmela Gersbeck, Gretchen Lytle, Kathy OConnor
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.
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