Monthly Meetings

Agenda for all Meetings:

8:45 a.m. Doors Open

9:30 a.m. Meeting Begins 

RSVP is Required. There is a link to RSVP on the bottom of this webpage. 

Guest Policy:

Monthly meetings are an SVSU-OLLI member benefit. Guests are welcome to attend one OLLI monthly meeting without a charge.  This gives a non-member a chance to check our program out. If you come more than once you either need to join OLLI or pay a $10 fee per meeting. 

September 9 - Reframing the City Beautiful

September Monthly Meeting

Reframing the City Beautiful: Parks, the Environment, & Health in Nineteenth-Century American Cities

Presented by Lisa Krissoff Boehm, SVSU Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs

Often, when we take on leadership positions, we find ourselves critiqued by others. Sometimes it seems like those who put themselves "out there" can never win!

This talk offers an example of rewriting history in an honest, open way that happens to yield a more positive account. It has a lot to tell us about the community work we all undertake and may offer us solace. In the end, the good guys may get their due!

The City Beautiful movement, an offshoot of the progressive movement, is a pivotal example of concerted urban boosterism in the nineteenth century. It has not been well regarded by scholars. Urban historians routinely approach the middle- and upper-class-driven movement uneasily and characterize the leaders as wealthy people who just wanted to make their cities more aesthetically pleasing.

This presentation proposes a partial reframing of the City Beautiful movement as a project directly influenced by emerging environmental thought. In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and beyond, the team of Warren Manning, Mira Lloyd Dock, and Horace McFarland studied science but absorbed the emerging tenets of the social sciences. The three drew on their considerable scientific knowledge and passion for the natural world to foster collaboration and enact sustained, positive changes in U.S. cities, thereby improving the daily lives of urban dwellers.

October 14 - Doing 100 on Route 66

October Monthly Meeting

Doing 100 on Route 66

Presented by John Lacko

Join John Lacko for a visual journey down the Mother Road, from Chicago to Santa Monica, during Route 66's centennial year. Discover the highway's unique features and surprising, little-known facts along the way.

John has been active in the Kalamazoo photography community for over 40 years and is a semi-retired editorial photographer. For nearly 20 years, he and his wife Nancy have driven the legendary highway, seeking out its traditional, historic, and off-beat corners. Come enjoy the beauty, legends, and curiosities of Route 66.

November 11 - Ernie Harwell: War Correspondent and Beloved Sportscaster

November Monthly Meeting

Ernie Harwell: War Correspondent and Beloved Sportscaster

Presented by Kendal Wingrove

For more than 40 years, Ernie Harwell was the voice of summer in Michigan. The Detroit Tigers' announcer earned the respect of his colleagues and the devotion of many baseball fans. Before he became a broadcasting legend, Harwell served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II as a correspondent for Leatherneck Magazine. Kendall Wingrove will explore several aspects of Harwell's long career. * OLLI Veterans will also be acknowledged at this meeting.

December 9 - Fascinating World of Drones

December Monthly Meeting

Fascinating World of Drones

Presentation by Kevin Campbell, AML Central Michigan University

Join us for an engaging look at the fascinating world of drones. Discover how drones are changing the way we work, create, and explore, from aerial photography and multimedia to education and other innovative applications. Whether you're simply curious or interested in learning more about this rapidly evolving technology, this presentation is sure to provide new perspectives and plenty of opportunities for discussion.

January 13 - An African Safari: More Than Just a Game Drive

January Monthly Meeting

An African Safari - More Than Just a Game Drive

Presented by Elaine Douherty

In June 2026, Elaine Dougherty traveled with SVSU-OLLI to Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar on a 16-day learning adventure. We covered more than 1,500 jeep-driven miles and took seven flights to experience game drives through some of the world's premier wildlife-spotting destinations, including the legendary Maasai Mara, Solio Game Reserve, Lake Naivasha, the Great Rift Valley, Mikumi National Park, and Samburu National Reserve.

Our journey also took us to the Kiambethu Tea Farm, Sandstorm Workshops, Ubuntu Made Studio, and so much more. Elaine exclaimed, “I knew I would love the animals, but I didn't expect this trip to become a life-changing experience — the culture and community I encountered in Kenya and Tanzania touched me in ways I never anticipated.”

We also traveled to Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago whose main island has a storied past and eclectic culture all its own. Join Elaine for a day-by-day photo gallery and hear some of the lessons she learned on this trip of a lifetime!