The OLLI Program at St. James Place: A Demonstration of Education as A Lifelong Pursuit
St. James Place residents Tip Tipton and Tommy Beard are firm believers that learning doesn’t have to stop simply because you’re retired. As far as they’re concerned, education is a lifelong pursuit. To prove their point, Tip, a professional composer and retired minister, and Tommy, a retired economics professor at Louisiana State University, have been teaching and taking courses through LSU’s OLLI program for more years than either of them can count.
Lifelong Learning Opportunities
For those not familiar, Tip explains, “OLLI stands for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. It’s a national organization promoting education for senior citizens or, as we like to say, seasoned citizens like ourselves. It's conducted primarily by seniors like us who contribute our time. The classes are for anyone 50 and over.”
Many residents of St. James Place are taking advantage of OLLI program classes, some of which are taught right on the St. James Place campus. Tommy, who teaches a class on opera appreciation says, “Before I moved here, I taught at the Broadmoor Methodist Church. I've always had an interest in opera so when I retired from LSU, I began to teach the course through OLLI.” Picking up where Tommy left off, Tip adds, “I have to say, Tommy's class is one of the most well attended OLLI classes offered. He does a really good job.”
As for Tip, what does a retired minister and composer teach? “I taught classes this past fall on Christmas music. It was interesting to look at the history of Christmas, and how the music has evolved in different countries — how it morphed from church music into popular music. That was fun to teach.”
Classes on Campus
Having OLLI classes taught on the campus hasn’t only been of benefit to St. James Place residents. “Most of the members attending classes here are not residents of St. James Place,” explains Tommy. “There are roughly 1000 members that participate in the LSU-sponsored OLLI courses. But only a small portion of them are residents of St. James Place.”
“During a regular semester,” continues Tommy, “OLLI offers five or six classes on the St. James Place campus.” Adds Tip, “that means we also have instructors and other students coming from off campus. It's a good outreach to the community for St. James to offer their facilities, and it’s convenient for folks who live in the area to take classes here.”
One of the other major appeals of LSU’s OLLI program is the vast array of classes being taught. “There are history, theology, gardening, and wine tasting classes,” says Tip. “There’s even one for taking pictures on an iPhone. At the end of each course, OLLI encourages people to fill out evaluations and to suggest classes they'd like to have taught. Some of the suggestions have even turned into actual classes.”
Sometimes the ideas morph into other things as well. “This past fall”, recalls Tip, “one of the members of my class came up to me and said, ‘you know I just enjoy being able to talk about things that are interesting to us. Why don't we form a group that just tells stories?’ So, we looked at the schedule to find a time and place. Now, maybe once a month, we get together to just sit down and tell stories. We’re what's called a ‘special interest’ group, but it’s through OLLI.”
Brain and Body Benefits
OLLI classes may come in many forms, but both Tommy and Tip believe what’s most important is keeping an active mind, something the classes promote. “It's important that people never get too old to learn something new, says Tommy. “OLLI gives people a chance to look at all sorts of things. I've taken history and art appreciation classes, which just shows there’s a wide variety of things you can do.”
Tip also has a thought on the matter. “I'm continually learning as I get older—I don't stop. I think OLLI promotes that kind of mindset among senior citizens. No matter how old we get that doesn’t mean we stop learning. I think continual learning helps keep your brain moving.”
Asked how they believe LSU’s OLLI program, in combination with all the events and activities St. James Place has to offer contributes to the residents’ wellness, Both Tommy and Tip are quick with the answer. “I think the activities really keep your brain and body going. That’s extremely important to your health.” Adds Tip, “I think the ability to keep learning, along with all the activities available, helps encompass the St. James Place motto, Live life well.’ All the mind, body, and spiritual needs we have are met here. That's how you totally live life well.”
Well, maybe there are a few other things. “Don’t forget about the food,” says Tommy. “I think the food is very good. That’s a big part of living well. That and happy hour.” “Yes,” adds Tip merrily, “happy hour is very popular. And it’s not just the wine or whatever you drink. It’s the social aspect. Folks gather and just sit, talk, and learn from one another.”
And with the assistance of LSU’s OLLI program, not to mention people like Tip Tipton and Tommy Beard, St. James Place certainly lives up to its motto.