Senior citizens can attend classes on University of Hawaii Manoa campus through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. For 10 years OLLI has been offering non-credit, college-level courses and other activities to encourage older individuals to engage their minds, enrich their lives, and serve the community. While the institute primarily serves mature learners aged 50+, the only true requirements for participation are maturity, life experience, and a desire to learn.
OLLI currently serves nearly one thousand senior learners in their membership program. The fee is $60 per year, which entitles the learner to participate in three college level courses or community projects. Professors and project leaders are all volunteers and subjects center around social sciences: art, science, history and community service.
OLLI is now enrolling for the spring semester online at: www.osher.socialsciences.hawaii.edu/ or at their office on Manoa campus Krauss Hall, Room 113. The courses are very popular, and there is often a waiting list, so apply early. For further information, call Rebecca Goodman at 808-956-8224.
Ellen Yasuda, a 79-year-old resident of The Plaza at Waikiki, shares her UH experience. She retired at age 61 as a claims examiner for Hawaii Medical Service Association. A world traveler, Yasuda has toured most parts of Europe, South America, Japan and China. Ellen has enjoyed taking a variety of classes at UH, such as history of world civilizations, Japanese history, art history, and language courses.
UH also offers non-credit college courses for a small fee, at the UHM Outreach College website, www.outreach.hawaii.edu/. Seniors and learners of any any age may enroll now for spring semester standard college-level courses. For outreach students, UH issues no college credits and keeps no transcripts. Is there something you always wanted to learn? What’s stopping you?
Rebecca Goodman, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
(808) 956-8224 | rgoodman@hawaii.edu
Dr. Patrica Masters, UHM Outreach College
(808) 956-9317 | pmasters@hawaii.edu
Rosemarie Dungca has been working for the City and County of Honolulu since 1978. In 1983, Whitmore Village asked her to teach hula classes. Her popularity grew and soon was teaching throughout the Leeward area.
The 2015 season for the Na Koa Football Club started on Aug. 31 and will continue every Monday for 11 more lunches at the Willows Restaurant, starting at 11am. This season, the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors will play 12 straight games without a week off. There is no bye for Na Koa boosters either. Coach Norm Chow kicked off their first lunch meeting to a round of applause as he announced, “This is the best football team in the three years I have been at UH.” He beamed as he talked about his players’ and coaches’ stats, noting his admiration for each one.
Thirty-five years ago Japanese families in Hawai‘i saw the anthurium’s shiny hearts, bird of paradise’s crane neck, black berry ears of the “Mickey Mouse” plant and the mass of areca palms, fluttering in the wind. Inspired by the flowers and foliage of their new homeland, these immigrants imported Ikenobo — the soul of ikebana (the art of Japanese flower arrangement) that brought such a profound sense of peace and harmony into their western lives.
For Honolulu residents, assisted living and retirement communities used to mean moving away to a quiet suburb. They yearned for a simple life, free from home maintenance, chores, cooking and cleaning, but not seclusion — miles from their church, social clubs, stores, restaurants and civic events.
The growing demand for assisted living options means that Honolulu companies like The Plaza Assisted Living will be “building more facilities in familiar neighborhoods,” says Colby Takeda, administrator of The Plaza at Waikiki. “Our seniors want to remain active in their community — to stay at the ‘urban core’ of the city they love.”
Generations Magazine asked me to share my thoughts about the first six months of my retirement. My feelings have definitely been surreal. I can expend all the time and energy I want to on hobbies and interests I rarely had time for over the past 42 years; more importantly I have time to spend with my grandson, family and friends. If there’s a downside to retirement, it’s the loss of contact with so many great people I encountered along life’s journey. It’s a good feeling when people call or write — they still have you in their thoughts. Keeping in contact with old friends creates a lot of comfort. I know I am very fortunate, having witnessed firsthand over my career, the plight of many of our island’s kupuna, who struggle just to survive.
Generations Magazine asked me to share my thoughts about the first six months of my retirement. My feelings have definitely been surreal. I can expend all the time and energy I want to on hobbies and interests I rarely had time for over the past 42 years; more importantly I have time to spend with my grandson, family and friends. If there’s a downside to retirement, it’s the loss of contact with so many great people I encountered along life’s journey. It’s a good feeling when people call or write — they still have you in their thoughts. Keeping in contact with old friends creates a lot of comfort. I know I am very fortunate, having witnessed firsthand over my career, the plight of many of our island’s kupuna, who struggle just to survive.