Welcome to another SOAR Spring Term! I continue to be impressed by the work of the Curriculum Committee, identifying topics, finding, and engaging speakers, gathering the class information; it is no small task. But, they have done another incredible job. This term there are more than 50 individual classes, almost 20 faculty that are new to SOAR (including yours truly), and some truly fascinating topics.
Take Zach Stanton’s class, A Hidden History of America’s Suburbs. When I came across his Politico article, I was surprised to find that it mentioned, not one, but two SOAR members who were part of the history of housing integration he discussed, Marion Muma and Mary Killeen. Zach, Marion, and Mary are eager to share their story with us, and I am excited to hear this first-hand account.
Or Becky Ridky, from Michigan Senior Olympics, who will share with us how you can get involved. She’ll be joined by some Senior Olympians including our own Tom Neal who will be competing in up to four swimming events at this Summer’s National Senior Games in Des Moines, Iowa.
Our community never ceases to amaze me.
Speaking of community, it runs through all of SOAR. From our online SIG communities, our various committees, and our in-person lunches, SOAR continues to work hard to provide opportunities to engage, not only your brain, but also your Self. We do hope you’ll take advantage of the opportunities.
In Spring 2024 we began offering hybrid classes and worked through the next couple of terms to get the sound and experience right. What we have found is that it’s just not working the way that we had hoped. We have not been able to provide the experience and engagement that you or our faculty have come to expect from SOAR and so, we’re trying something different. This term, there will be fewer hybrid options for classes. In place of the Live Broadcast, we plan to record more in-person classes and share them out with our recorded Zoom classes at the end of each week (an R by the class in the pull out calendar indicates recording). In this way we hope to be able to provide options for our homebound members while still providing the in-person experience that SOAR members and faculty value.
As SOAR continues to grow and improve, please continue to consider how you might contribute to our success whether through actions or finances. Volunteers are the heart of SOAR, and we could not do it without you. If you are interested in joining a committee, please reach out. And, as always, please share SOAR with your friends and neighbors, it is our number one means of growth.
Here’s to April showers and May flowers!
-Deb
Enrollment begins March 10th and classes begin on April 14th.
SOAR’s Shared Interest Groups bring together SOAR members for conversation, discovery, connection.
SOAR members hail from across the country, each person bringing their own diverse background, experiences and perspectives.
