Lunch & Learns

Leitch will speak about his work, about why these changes have happened, how they have affected fandom, and whether they're an existential threat to college athletics. This will be an interactive discussion, one that begins with Will summarizing his work on the subject but mostly consists of talking about the issue with fans in the audience.

Leitch is the author of the novels How Lucky and The Time Has Come, a contributing editor at New York magazine, and the founder of the late sports website Deadspin. He writes regularly for the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Atlantic, NBC News, CNN, and MLB.com. He lives in Athens, Georgia, with his wife and two sons.

In the 1980s and 1990s, demographic dynamics became considerably different from what American adults had experienced when they were growing up - things like Baby Busts replacing baby booms, new life stages after age 65, and increased racial diversity. By 2000, Americans had settled into the new perspective, but now we are undergoing another demographic transformation. One aspect, below-replacement fertility in many countries as well as here, goes against demographers' expectations as well as the public's. And population decline has entered the picture, even in the U.S. What might today's young generations confront as they mature?

Martha Farnsworth served as Director of the U.S. Census Bureau between 1994 and 1998. Since then, she has consulted, written, and lectured on demographic changes and their effects on policies, programs, and products. A fellow of the American Statistical Association, she is affiliated with the University of Georgia's School of Public and International Affairs.

This session will feature a variety of techniques that Chris Greer uses to find unique compositions and capture landscapes in ways that viewers appreciate and remember. He will talk about the gear he uses, his approach to finding locations and good light, as well as the things he thinks about out in the field and also when he is doing my post-processing. There are many images that he plans weeks or even months in advance, and others that are captured with a fair amount of serendipity. He will also talk about his PBS show “View Finders,” which chronicles the adventures of two photographers in search of beautiful locations to photograph. Chris wrote and photographed the best-selling book, View Finders, upon which the PBS show is based.

Chris Greer is a multi Emmy-nominated television producer, award-winning photographer, author, and college professor. He produces and co-hosts the national PBS TV show, Georgia Discovered: Exploring the Best of the Peach State as well as Naturally Georgia: From the Mountains to the Coast.

The future has arrived! Discover how those artificial intelligence chatbots can boost your health, wealth, and happiness in this fun, interactive, non-technical session. In two short years, chatbots and other artificial intelligence applications have turned the world upside down, making some occupations nearly obsolete while creating new opportunities for those getting on board early. With help from the audience, Chuck will demonstrate some of the amazing tasks the chatbots can do for you today. He’ll also help you select the best bot for a particular task and provide tips for sorting out what’s real from what’s harmful nonsense.

Chuck Murphy, a trailblazer in software development, received OLLI's Outstanding Achievement award in 2023 for his teaching efforts and other volunteer accomplishments. After embracing ChatGPT since its November 2022 release, he has mastered leveraging this innovative AI technology in everyday life. He’s now ready to share the fun and benefits of AI and those chatbots with his OLLI friends and colleagues.

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), one of Mexico's most celebrated modern artists, has achieved cult status for her compelling, original paintings, of which 55 out of 143 are self-portraits. Essentially self-taught, Kahlo rightly asserted that "painting completed my life," and it is her pain-ridden tumultuous life that she inscribed on her canvases in inventive self-portraits and allegorical imagery. This lecture will provide an overview of her artistic accomplishments while, also out of necessity, exploring her fascinating, short life. This course is offered in anticipation of the OLLI trip to Mexico where Kahlo's Blue House will be on the tour.

Dr. Janice Simon is Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor Emerita of the University of Georgia where she taught Art History for thirty-five years. In addition to teaching American art, she taught Spirituality in Modern Art and Modern Artists in Film, where she engaged with the life and art of Frida Kahlo.

Thurmond invites guests to immerse themselves in dialogue along with questions and answers. He encourages exploration into James Oglethorpe's transformation, sparking reflections on the intricate dynamics of history and human evolution. By delving into Oglethorpe's journey from privilege to advocacy, Thurmond ignites discussions on the complexities of societal change and the power of individual enlightenment. Through Thurmond's meticulous research and compelling storytelling, guests are invited to dissect Georgia's historical intricacies, while celebrating Oglethorpe's role in the fledgling abolitionist movement. The luncheon becomes a platform for shared insights, fostering a deeper understanding of the past and its implications for the present.

Michael L. Thurmond (aka Mike) is the current CEO of DeKalb County and a long time committed and effective public servant for the people of Georgia. Graduating from Clarke Central High School, he then completed his formal education at Paine College, a historically Black Methodist college in Augusta, and the University of South Carolina Law School. His continuing education is as a historian, as evidenced by the publication of three well-respected books.