L earning for L ife!
It’s what you learn
after you know it
all that counts.
Harry S. Truman
Centre for Continuing Studies
ElderCollege ENews
Issue 2, February 2011
W
elcome to the second issue of the ElderCollege members’ on-line newsletter,
ElderCollege ENews. The purpose of the newsletter is to...
Taking Control Of
Your Health & Wellness
♦♦ Keep you informed about ElderCollege courses and other happenings.
♦♦ Tell you of relevant special events at Vancouver Island University and in
the community.
♦♦ Add to your understanding of what ElderCollege is and does.
♦♦ Provide a space where you can ask questions or share your ElderCollege
experiences.
♦♦ Draw your attention to specific areas where volunteer help is needed.
In general, the newsletter serves as a reminder that ElderCollege is not just about
courses but also about people. In this issue we highlight ElderCollege instructors,
those dedicated volunteers who make life-long learning possible for the rest of us.
According to John Gunton, this photo of an ElderCollege class on a field trip in Nanoose
Bay shows a fine outcrop of 200 million-year-old granodiorite, which belongs to the
Granite family of igneous rocks. This is surprisingly massive for a rock that was
tectonically transported several kilometres. Thanks to Rolande (Rollie) Bachynski for
the photograph. Rollie has enjoyed Graham Beard's "Fossils: Windows on the Past",
especially fossil-hunting on Hornby Island, as well as John Gunton's "What Shapes B.C."
Saturday Speakers Series
T
he twice-yearly Saturday Speaker Series
brings guest lecturers to either the Nanaimo
or the Parksville campus on consecutive
Saturday mornings, to address a common topic
in their areas of expertise.
Click here to view a larger
version of this photo.
Coming Up This Spring
A new set of courses begins February 28, and some are filling up quickly.
Who Knew Writing Could Be Fun Sandra Petrie
Discover that you have something to write about,
in a safe, non-critical environment.
(Parksville) Mon, Feb 28-Apr 4; 10-Noon
Opera for Everyone Roy Ashcroft
“Grand” and “Light” opera on video, with
comment and discussion.
(Parksville) Mon, Apr 11-May 9; 10-Noon
Chess For Beginners Ray Mitchell
Learn to play the King of Games.
(Parksville) Thu, Mar 3-Apr 7; 10-Noon
The Nature Versus Nurture Debate Anne Toby
The relative importance of innate qualities and
environment on personal traits.
(The Gardens, Qualicum Beach)
Mon, Feb 28-Apr4; 1-3
In/Equality: An Alternative Anthropology
David Aliaga
An anthropological understanding of nonegalitarian societies.
(Nanaimo) Wed, Mar 2-Apr 6; 1-3
Population Geography Warren Munroe
The relationship between population change and
social and economic activity.
(Parksville) Wed, Mar 2-Apr 6; 10-Noon
1-866-734-6252
History Of The English Language David Hobson
A look at some fascinating word origins, with
emphasis on native English words.
(Nanaimo) Tue, Mar 1-Apr 5; 1-3
This year’s Current series, Taking Control
Of Your Health And Wellness, deals with
measures that we as individuals can take to
ensure that the health care system, in its various
guises, serves us best as we age. This series
runs until March 12 on the Nanaimo campus
(Building 250, Room 125).
Call today for tickets, 1-866-734-6252.
Revolution, Empire And Change Brett Bowen
The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era
and how they changed the world.
(Parksville) Fri, Mar 4-Apr 8; 10-Noon
Three Irish Writers Sandra Walker
Edna O’Brien and her kinship with W.B. Yeats
and James Joyce.
(Parksville) Thu, Mar 3-Apr 21; 3:30-5:30
It’s Never Too Late to Date Maryanna Sinclaire
A fun-filled and interactive workshop on dating.
(Nanaimo) Mon, Feb 28-Apr 4; 10-Noon
Law For Seniors John Hossack
Legal issues surrounding wills and estate
administration.
(Parksville) Wed, Mar 2-Apr 6; 1-3
Earth’s Changing Climate Dale Bent
The well-established facts on climate change,
and how they are gathered.
(Parksville) Thu, Mar 3-Apr 7; 1-3
Vancouver Island University
Arts and Humanities
Colloquium
History on Stage: Transforming History Into
Relevant, Entertaining Musical Theatre
Ross Desprez, Theatre Department
March 4, 2011
(Malaspina Theatre - Bldg 310
Theatre ticket required)
Graphic Matters: Women Making Comics
Dr. Marni Stanley, Department of Women’s Studies
and Department of English
April 1, 2011
(The Library Boardroom --Bldg 305, Room 507)
For details see:
www.viu.ca/artsandhumanities/Arts_Humanities_Colloquium.asp
www.viu.ca/eldercollege
ElderCollege ENews
Issue 2, February 2011
Highlighting ElderCollege Instructors
ElderCollege Instructors, Well-established and New
Billi Nicol has long had a love affair with Greece and has
visited the country four times. On one of those trips she and her
husband Andrew went to Olympia, where Andrew, a marathoner,
ran around the arena. (Billi did not!) She has also travelled to
Italy and Britain. Billi has a BEd from the University of Victoria
and an MA from Oregon State University, and had a successful
career as a teacher.
Billi started offering ElderCollege courses in 1998. Her topic is
always history, whether Greek, Roman, or British, and her classes
are spiced with accounts of her travels. She has found mental
stimulation, comfort (following Andrew’s death), and friendship
through teaching and taking ElderCollege courses.
David Prud’homme, currently giving his first ElderCollege course, earned a
Ph.D. in Slavic Linguistics, had a stint in the computing field as a Programmer Analyst, and
from 1983 to 2007 was with the Federal Government, mainly in the Department of Western
Economic Development. In 2006, he was named “Mentor of the Year” for his mentoring of
co-op business students. He enjoys “sharing knowledge and sharing experiences.”
All this seems an unlikely precedent to an ElderCollege course called “Introduction to the
Night Skies.” As a teenager David was already an astronomy enthusiast, and his interest
as an adult dates back to 1996, the year of the Hyakutake comet. He joined the Edmonton
Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and eventually became its president.
Astronomy is not David’s only hobby, however. For over twenty years he and his wife
Linda gave ballroom dancing lessons. Maybe another ElderCollege course in the making?
Instructors In The News
David Hobson, whose courses on
Vancouver Island history
always fill up, has
recently seen two
articles printed
in the Island
Times Magazine:
“Choosing the
Capital of British
Columbia” (Volume
2, Issue 3), and
“The Reason we call it
Duncan” (Volume 2, Issue 5).
The fossil of a newly-identified
species of pterosaur, Gwawinapterus
beardi, has been named after
Graham Beard,
paleontologist
extraordinaire,
curator of the
Vancouver Island
Museum of
Paleontology in
Qualicum Beach,
and long-time
ElderCollege
instructor, in recognition of
“his contributions to the study of
paleontology on Vancouver Island.”
Share Your Passion Become An ElderCollege Instructor
Do you love to talk about something to which your family
and friends respond only with polite nods and glazed eyes? I
have that problem with First World War poetry, a topic that, as
you can imagine, rarely arises in everyday conversation. Last
fall, however, I was able to enjoy stimulating two-hour-long
discussions on the subject with a small group of enthusiastic
ElderCollege students once a week for six weeks. What a
pleasure it was to talk with people who were really interested!
And how much good it did for my brain, which suddenly leapt
back into gear after several years of relative idleness!
As always, ElderCollege is looking for new instructors and new
courses. Are you willing to volunteer? I promise you, the pleasure is well worth the effort.
A list of suggestions for course topics appeared in the first issue of ElderCollege ENews,
now on the VIU website www.viu.ca/ccs/courses/eldercourses.asp#news
Brighten your day with a visit to VIU’s Nail Salon in February and March!
Our Nail Technology students are eager to beautify your nails with the application of gels or
acrylics for a professional and elegant appearance. These applications are also terrific for soft
or thinner nails that require more strength while growing. You may request french or clear
applications. Note that with gels or acrylic nails, you can apply
and remove colour polish and they will always look stunning!
The two parts of this rock at Cottam Point in
Nanoose Bay represent an age difference of
150 million years—igneous rock of the Buttle
Lake group (up to 250 million years old) and
conglomerate from the Cretaceous Age
(95 million years).
For Your Interest
Gabriola Artist Gerrit Verstraete
Still Learning at 65!
Artist Gerrit Verstraete, whose
home and gallery are on
Gabriola Island, is maintaining a
blog about his experience as a
65-year-old student. According
to Dale Bent, Chair of the
ElderCollege Board, Gerrit’s website is truly
one of the most interesting and inspirational
places you can visit online.
www.gverstraete.com
July 6 & 7, 2011
Grandchildren and grandparents come
together to learn in a dynamic atmosphere!
During two fun-filled days, grandkids and their
grandparents will:
♦♦
♦♦
♦♦
♦♦
Share hands-on learning activities
Earn a “degree” in one of the offered majors
Attend a BBQ and take part in evening recreation
Stay together in the Student Residences on
campus
♦♦ Enjoy time together and create lasting memories!
Select majors from:
Anthropology ● Field Biology
● Fisheries And Aquaculture ● Fine Arts ● Nursing
● Retelling Stories: Classical Mythology
Spaces fill quickly, book your spot now!
S
hare Your IDEAS
and Experiences
Spa manicures and pedicures are also available.
Visit www.viu.ca/ccs/courses/viuspa.asp
Your comments, questions, photographs or
recollections of ElderCollege activities, or any
other submissions, will be gratefully received
by the newsletter editor, Elizabeth Marsland
[email protected].
Please call 250.248.6419 to book your appointment in our Parksville Salon!
As always, we very much appreciate your support of our students.
We hope you have enjoyed the second issue of
ElderCollege ENews.
1-866-734-6252
www.viu.ca/eldercollege