SENIOR

Production of this Newsletter is supported by the Joan Hopper Trust.

College of Marin Mar. 2015 • Vol. 42, No. 2.

STUDENTS NEWSLETTER

LIFELONG LEARNING, LIFELONG DOING, LIFELONG FRIENDSLIFELONG LEARNING, LIFELONG DOING, LIFELONG FRIENDSLIFELONG LEARNING, LIFELONG DOING, LIFELONG FRIENDSLIFELONG LEARNING, LIFELONG DOING, LIFELONG FRIENDS

SENIOR

Indian Valley Fire Road Photo by Laura Milholland

A ROAD TO LIFELONG LEARNING

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Emeritus College Newsletter

Published by: Emeritus Students, College of Marin, 11 times per year

Editor: Sarah Fagan Greenberg

Writers: Gloria Kopshever, Saundra Rosenberg, Paul and Iris Tandler, Priscilla Wanat, Alicia Warcholski

Council Liaison: Paul Tandler

Illustrator: Paul Gruner

Layout & Computerization: Art Ravicz

Distribution: Maureen Phillips, Loretta Wolf Dawe, Jaye Glesener, B.J. Hauge, John Kouns

Clubs Chairman: William Raffanti

Art Chairman: Mehri Dadgar

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

[The ESCOM Newsletter welcomes letters on

any subject, including articles we have already

published and suggestions for the future. Al-

though the letters should be signed, the writer’s

name will be withheld upon request. We reserve

the right to shorten if necessary. Please send

letters to judgeinmillvalley@yahoo.com]

Home, as seen in "Life Changes," February Is-

sue: I am a long time reader of the Emeritus News-

letter and a recent member of ESCOM. I have al-ways enjoyed the excellent writing in the Newslet-ter. I recently read Anne Pearson’s story, "Life Changes," and was inspired to write my own. She describes a woman who has chosen to move into a Continuing Care Retirement Community in order to travel rather than to maintain her large home. The woman enlisted a good friend to help her go through a houseful of furniture and "treasures," some valuable in themselves and others valuable because they held memories. This story triggered my own about an aging woman living alone in a big house and what I decided to do about it.

Nancy Faw

[Nancy’s article, "Regeneration," is on page 6.]

Aging, as seen in "Mistaken Identity," Febru-

ary Issue: Re "Mistaken Identity": The thing about aging is we do not believe it will ever hap-pen to us. If we had believed it, would we have done things differently? Would we have taken more time to appreciate what was happening, looked at things differently, made other choices?

Would we just have held on a little longer to the special moments and people?

Name withheld upon request

I reread "Mistaken Identity" and saw a lot about aging had been covered in that article. It is well written, it flows, and it glows with innermost ex-periences and feelings.

Michael Sachs

[Correction: Writer’s Workshop continues to meet on the first Tuesday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We are sorry for any in-convenience caused by a mistake in the February issue announcing a meeting on a Wednesday.]

IN THIS ISSUE

Who doesn't have thoughts about home, family, travel, hobbies, among other topics? We encour-age you to contribute your thoughts and/or articles to judgeinmillvalley@yahoo.com by March 5, our next staff meeting. For "home," Nancy Faw ex-plains how her living situation experienced "Regeneration," page 6, as she mourned her hus-band's death. Iris Tandler's family essay, "Shout It From the Rooftop," page 5, shows tender but powerful love between a granddaughter and her proud grandmother. Priscilla Wanat's latest travel piece is "Chennai to Delhi by Rail," page 7. Our pleasing cover demonstrates Laura Milholland's lifelong hobby as explored in her ESCOM Inter-view, page 3. Oskar Klausenstock gifts us with a beautiful poem, page 10, and there's news, too!

COLLEGE OF MARIN BIDS

FAREWELL TO DR. JASON LAU

A farewell luncheon was held at the Kentfield Campus on January 28 to honor Dr. Jason Lau, who was leaving the next day to assume his new duties in a director’s position at Sonoma State Uni-versity. Among those attending the luncheon were College of Marin’s President Dr. David Wain

Coon and numerous faculty members and staff from both the Kentfield and IVC Campuses. Many ESCOM members were present, including council members, who individually voiced a tribute to Dr. Lau’s "enthusiasm," "energy," and "ability to get things done, regardless of how difficult they looked." They noted his many achievements and

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contributions on be-half of the Emeritus Continuing Educa-tion Programs at Col-lege of Marin.

ESCOM Council P r e s i d en t Er i c

Sitzenstatter com-mented about Dr. Lau's departure, "We have truly been blessed to have had him in our lives. His efforts for Continu-ing Education and Emeritus will keep

rippling for years to come, and he certainly de-serves this advancement of his career. We are thankful for his contribution to COM and ESCOM and the competent staff he left with us."

Marian Mermel, past ESCOM president and pre-sent ESCOM organizational liaison, said, "Jason's compassion, kindness and work ethic resulted in not only an amazing amount of beneficial changes for Community Education and Emeritus, but the special relationships he formed. His ability to con-nect and make so many people feel valuable is why we all feel his leaving so deeply. One of the things I so respected in Jason was his openness to an idea. You could present an idea to him and be-fore you knew it you were involved in one of his amazing productions. His energy and ability to make things happen brought excitement to all of us. We felt a part of something that would benefit us all."

In his own remarks, Dr. Lau referred to ESCOM and members of the audience as his "family" dur-ing his three and a half years at College of Marin. As well as offering boxes of candy as gifts for all, he handed out a farewell gift to every member of his Continuing Education Staff.

Among the most outstanding additions made to the Lifelong Learning and Community Education Pro-grams through Dr. Lau’s efforts were the: (1) Gold

Card Program, (2) Haddie Scholarship Fund, (3)

new registration system, and (4) the recent gain in

new ESCOM membership numbers, primarily due to easier accessibility to classes.

Dr. Lau spent his early years in Hong Kong, where he received an AA degree. He came to the United States after being noticed by a visiting educator from Iowa, who arranged for a scholarship and an opportunity for him to pursue his doctorate at the University of Iowa. Always with an interest in youth, Dr. Lau became involved in a large pro-gram known as "Camp Adventure," which pro-vided children of those serving in the military in various parts of the world access to a camp-oriented summer experience. One of Dr. Lau’s University of Iowa professors described him as "Quality driven, eager to explore learning opportu-nities, helpful, creative and unwaveringly positive, in addition to his having sustained excellence in academics, student lead-ership, service to his de-partment, his university and his country of ori-gin."

ESCOM members ob-served those very same qualities.

Alicia Warcholski

THE ESCOM INTERVIEW

Laura Milholland and her husband Paul are co-leaders of ESCOM's IVC Digital Cam-era Club, which meets first Mondays for photo expedi-tions and third Mondays for IVC club meetings from 1–3 p.m. Her cover photo-graph is located in the Indian

Valley Open Space Preserve, next to the Indian Valley Campus. The Indian Valley Fire Road pic-tured attracts dog walkers, joggers, and equestri-ans, as well as those pursuing a beautiful and gen-tle walk. A Marin County resident since the age of two, Laura's adventures in photography began while honeymooning with Paul in Victoria, British Columbia, and have continued for over 35 years. She says, "I can't think of a better hobby to share with your best friend and partner...we continually learn about ourselves and each other as we dis-cover what has been captured through our lenses."

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Laura's photo galleries can be viewed on her web-site, http://www.pbase.com/milholland_1.

When did you first take a picture? What cam-era were you using?

My first camera was a Kodak Brownie that I worked hard to win in a contest when I was about nine. The earliest photos I remember taking with it were on a six-week family trip around the U.S. My film was all black & white. It fascinated me when I noticed how different the images were compared to the reality of color.

What are three important rules you would rec-ommend for would-be photographers?

First, be prepared; the best camera is the one you have with you! I grab a camera most of the time I head out the door; you just never know what will happen. When I haven't brought my camera, even on just an errand, I have many times missed un-usual opportunities. And YES, you can get some nice photos even with your cell phone. Having a lightweight option in addition to a "serious" (meaning "heavy" – LOL) camera is a good way to go. I do take my tripod and some-times go for specific photo outings. Planning what camera gear to take on any trip is always a big part of our preparations.

Second, look at lots of photos others have taken. Photos are available in books and online through Google or photo sights such as Flicker, PBase.com, 500px and many others. Check out photography galleries and studios. See what you like about a particular image. That will help you decide what kind of photos you want to take. With time, you'll improve your "eye" as to what makes a good or great photo.

Third, take lots and lots of photos. In other words, practice! Try setting your camera on "P" (Program) instead of "Auto" and try out some of your setting options. The little +/- is a way that you can brighten or darken the resulting image, so as you take it you will get a better exposure with better color. Using "P" will let you use that tool, whereas you can't change any settings when on "Auto." You learn by seeing what you like and fig-uring out why.

How do you feel about the photoshopping that's done for ads and magazine covers to, say, make someone thinner and with perfect skin and hair?

This question inspires debate among photogra-phers at all skill levels. Each needs to decide his or her ultimate goals. If it's to sell images for ads and to magazines, you will definitely need skill in post-processing work. If you hope to do journalistic work of any kind, you will still need to know how to "make the most" out of your original image without alterations that negate its authenticity. Much is being done now as "photographic art," that really only uses the captured image as a basic starting point for creating whatever the artist's mind can conceive and his or her skills can pro-duce.

In most cases, I try to stay true to what I saw when I took the picture. I take no issue with creativity, but I do with deception. As it is with movies, all the "CGI" (computer graphic imaging) altered re-ality is more than prevalent in the photography we are bombarded with every day. Sometimes it's hard to trust our eyes: is it real or not? Creating or per-fecting a beautiful image can bring enormous en-joyment and gratification. I believe there should also be honesty in putting forth an image as a crea-tion rather than as a reality.

Do you prefer taking candids or posed photo-graphs of family members?

I don't consider myself a portrait photographer. I much prefer to take candids most of the time, be-cause to me, they give a better glimpse into who the person is; they're much more filled with life. I did do a series of monthly portraits of my grand-daughter over her first year, starting with her at four-days-old. My goal was a calendar. I did themes and nice set-ups with props, which were great fun, and quite challenging as she became mo-bile. In some sense though, even those pictures were candids as she didn't really "pose." I just took many photos to catch a fleeting expression that I liked.

If you could go anywhere for a photographic trip, where would it be?

Going to New Zealand has been a dream of mine. Since nature and wildlife are where my interests truly are, New Zealand holds a lot of appeal. We have become close friends with a photographer in New Zealand. Over the last 12 years, she has shared some of her gorgeous photos from both islands. I would love to meet her in person and have the chance to go out shooting with her.

Sarah Fagan Greenberg

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COLLEGE OF MARIN IN THE NEWS

Community Colleges Afford-

able Stepping Stones to Higher

Education Opportunities – In his State of the Union Address,

U. S. President Barack Obama

brought up the subject of count-less bright students being priced out of higher edu-cational opportunities. With 40 per cent of our na-tion’s college students choosing community col-leges for their higher education, President Obama proposed to make the first two years of community college free. How this will be pursued is yet to be determined.

Drama Department – College of Marin’s Drama Department received five nominations for 2014 Excellence in Theatre Awards given by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Out of four shows in 2014, two were ranked with profes-sional company performances. Awards will be pre-sented on March 9, 2015, at the Victoria Theatre in San Francisco.

Mini Medical School Sampler – a Half-day Pro-

gram exploring the "Field of Medicine and the

Science of Aging Well" – This well-attended event was held at College of Marin in Kentfield on January 24, 2005. The program is a part of the Haddie Mini-Lecture Series sponsored by the Haddie Emeritus College Scholarship fund for Older Adults, and has been developed by the U. C. Davis School of Medicine’s Mini-Medical School (MMS) in collaboration with College of Marin Community education. The presentation by U. C. Davis School of medicine faculty included topics on: The Anatomy of Aging, New Thinking About

Heart Health, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Nutri-

tion Facts and Medications As Related to the

"Older Adult." Since the presentation was so suc-cessful and well received, as evidenced by the 250 plus audience turnout, it is hoped that Emeritus members can look forward to future events pre-sented by the U. C. Davis School of Medicine’s Mini Medical School in conjunction with College of Marin’s Community Education Department.

New Executive Director of Development Ap-

pointed – On Friday, January 16, 2015, the Col-lege Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Linda P. Frank as Executive Director of Development at COM. This is a new management position created

after the retirement in June 2014 of former Execu-tive Director of Communications, Community Re-lations and Advancement, Cathy Summa-Wolfe. Dr. Frank’s most recent position was at the Uni-versity of the Pacific’s Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, where she managed a portfolio of 150 major donors as part of the Major Gifts Team, rais-ing $40 million to finance a new facility in San Francisco. As a Certified Fund Raising Executive and a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving, Dr. Frank has an extensive understanding of bequests, planned gifts, and trusts as well as a thorough knowledge of marketing. She has a Bachelor’s Degree from City College of New York and Master of Arts and Doc-torate Degrees from Purdue University.

Alicia Warcholski

Family

SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOF TOP

Someone’s a knockin’, someone’s a knockin’ at my door. The Wizard of Oz, uh-uh, President Obama with Malia and Sasha, I don’t think so. It is my granddaughter, Michelle, who breezed into my kitchen like a breath of spring on a cold winter evening. She is carrying two huge bags filled with dinner she has cooked for us. She opens a cabinet and grabs the largest pot I own, a pot I have not used since I was cooking for three adolescent boys and a very hungry husband.

Into this pot she dumps the contents of two cartons of Boeuf Bourguignon she has made, beef, pota-toes, carrots and onions, enough to feed us for two weeks. She has laced this heavily with her father’s (my son’s) best burgundy, similar to wine that was recently stolen from the cellars of the French Laundry. My mother had been known to sneak a tumbler of Mogen David into her beef stew and it didn’t taste much different. Simultaneously, Mi-chelle puts a pint of water up to boil, and cooks couscous to go with our dinner.

Michelle is my oldest granddaughter. She is cur-rently a graduate student at Harvard and will graduate in May with an MBA. She is wearing black tights and a black and blue silk shirt.

"You look absolutely gorgeous," I tell her.

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"Thank you," she says. "You could use a pair of these tights. They would look great on you. I’ll send you a couple of pair."

"Yup" I say. "That’s exactly what I need." Men-tally, I am thinking how will I get them on and off?

I am beginning to feel dizzy from the fumes com-ing off the Boeuf. Earlier Grandpa has set the table for our Sabbath dinner and it does look truly beau-tiful with my best place mats, best china, best crys-tal, fine silver and candles. We hold hands, light the candles and say the blessings and pray over the wine and Challah, which Michelle has also brought us, a lovely Sabbath for the three of us.

"Are you coming to my graduation in May?" she asks.

"We will be trying to get to your Grandfather’s 68th College Reunion from Washington Univer-sity," I respond. "I don’t think we can make both."

"What am I going to do with an 8"x10" piece of paper?" she asks me. She answers herself—"Put it on a shelf somewhere?"

"Michelle, one pair of your great-grand-parents came over steerage from Russia," I lecture her sternly. "The other pair probably came over the same way from Poland. Send me the 8"x10" piece of paper. I will blow it up to 20"x60" and mail it to all my friends. Then I will climb to the top of the house and shout it from the roof top."

"You are the American Dream, Michelle. The fu-ture is yours." I walk her to the door.

"Grandma," she says, "I love you the whole world." Big hugs and kisses.

"I love you the whole world," my eyes full of tears.

Iris Tandler

Home

REGENERATION

My late husband, David, and I were married al-most sixty years and for fifty of them lived in the same house. Our six children grew up in this house and our six grandchildren have spent many happy days here. We still all gather together for Thanks-

giving and Christmas and other important family events.

After David’s death three years ago, I realized that the ache of missing him will never go away. Eve-rything in my house is a reminder of him.

I am not one who needs to be surrounded by a lot of people. I have always savored solitude, but be-ing alone and being lonely are two different things. I have been doing all the right things to deal with my loneliness and sadness. I took a part time job, started yoga, took some COM classes, joined an Emeritus club. Five of my children live in the area and, although I see them and talk to them and text them (the only way to communicate with grand-children), they are all busy with their own lives.

After awhile, I entertained thoughts of having my own small condo on the water and with a view. I would take only the furniture that fit and the things that I really love and enjoy. Then I thought of what moving would be like and how much stuff would have to be disposed of and how many decisions would have to be made. Where would the family go for special gatherings? Could I really dismantle my children’s childhood home? What if someone bought my house for the location, tore it down and built a replacement? I could not bear to see that, even though it may still happen someday. So I filed away my dream and faced reality.

My reality was that I had too much stuff that I did-n’t want or need and wasn’t even mildly sentimen-tal about. David was something of a pack rat. He collected. He started projects and didn’t finish them. He left me with a house and garage full of his treasures. He had bought several lots of 78 re-cords and planned to sell them on EBay. He took eighty commemorative plates someone else inher-ited and didn’t want. EBay again. David was an artist and made sculptures of driftwood and stone and abalone shell. I have four buckets of abalone shell. Our home office was littered with old com-puter parts. Who needs four monitors? David did most of our home repairs over the years. He never came out of a hardware store without buying more nails, screws, caulking, tools.

I began to get rid of stuff. I made countless trips to Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Renew Computers. I participated in a family garage sale. Do you know about Image for Success in San Rafael? They take good used clothing and give it to people

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just starting jobs who don’t have appropriate ward-robes. Do you know about The Away Station in Fairfax, a non-profit that will take your used build-ing supplies? This is an ongoing project. Although I have made progress, it will never be done.

Last summer I learned that my daughter-in-law Victoria (Vic) was losing her rental house because the landlord wanted to put it on the market. She was also out of work. Her 24-year-old son and his girlfriend who both lived with her were going to find their own place, but Vic and her 20-year-old, my grandson Sam, had no place to go.

I have plenty of extra room. I thought it over care-fully and discussed it with some of my kids. I got a positive response. So I emailed Vic and offered her and Sam a temporary place to stay. I don’t like to admit it, but I don’t reach out to people easily. I had misgivings about sharing my home. Would we get along? Could we be honest with each other? Would I get stuck with them? Would it cost me money? Would I be sorry?

Vic and Sam moved in with me September 1st. We all settled in much more easily than I anticipated. After a couple of weeks they told me that they felt safe in my house. I realized that they were recover-ing from a nightmare summer—out of work, no home, a houseful of stuff to store, sell, and give away. I wanted them to find refuge in my home and they had.

Vic got a job in October, a promotion and raise in January, so her life is going well. Sam tried to move to Los Angeles with his band, but has not found a job or a good living situation, so is coming home.

Vic buys most of the food and does most of the cooking, a big relief for me. (My husband David had done the cooking; I am out of the habit.) Sam likes my oatmeal cookies, and I am happy to bake them for him. We sit at the table after dinner and talk and talk. I have learned about Vic’s family and her childhood. She has learned about mine. We lead different social lives, but share funny sto-ries about our experiences.

I am seeing the world through the eyes of two gen-erations, both different from mine. I never antici-pated that sharing my home with people could make such a difference in my life. I am no longer lonely. I don’t like to think about the day they

move on, but I know it will come. And a new phase of my life will begin. I will stay in my home as long as I am able. There is a lot of life still to be lived here.

Nancy Faw

[Nancy Faw was secretary to the President and

Board of Trustees of College of Marin until she

retired in 2001. She then went to work for the

College of Marin Foundation until after her re-

tirement in 2012. She is currently working for

United Professors of Marin but plans to retire

again this spring and volunteer for ESCOM.]

Travel

CHENNAI TO DELHI BY RAIL

In 2000, I visited my friend, Sury, and his family, in Delhi. I travelled from Chennai, formerly Ma-dras, on the east coast of India. I'd booked the pas-sage rather late so was booked into a six berth first class compartment, rather than the deluxe cabin I'd hoped for.

The train was supposed to leave at 11 p.m., but when I got to the station I found it was going to be an hour late in arriving. I stood around the plat-form, waiting with everyone else. It was India. There were people everywhere, mostly sitting or lying on the station floor. It was hot. There were beggars. I peeled off one of my stack of 100 brand new, stapled together 10 rupee notes, worth maybe 25 cents, and gave it to a small beggar woman. She showed it to all her friends. I felt terrible.

About ten minutes before it was due to depart, the train arrived. There was no way that the supplies of food and bedding, and passengers with their luggage, could be loaded in time for the train to leave as scheduled. It was chaos. It was India. Ten minutes later, the train pulled out of the station, with all and everything aboard. The journey would last 32 hours.

I shared a compartment with a family, a man of about my age, his wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandson. The family had been in Chennai, where the patriarch had had surgery. The other family members had stayed for a couple of weeks to care for him and keep him company Another passenger, a man who was silent, remained silent to the end of the trip, so I learned nothing about him.

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The family members were very kind to me. They didn't mind that my over large suitcase stuck out below the bunk. They offered me candy and cook-ies and chatted with me. The son and his wife had lived in England for a couple of years where he'd worked as a construction engineer. The men had changed from their suits into informal clothes for the journey. The older woman wore a sari but the younger wore a shalwar kameez, which is a tunic and pants combination. My long top over loose slacks conformed to the dress code, more or less.

The train was air conditioned but we also had an overhead fan. Four bunks, upper and lower, faced each other across the width of the compartment, with an upper and lower on the other side of the corridor. The compartment was curtained off from the rest of the carriage and each bunk was cur-tained from the rest of the compartment. It was very comfortable and private.

"Wallah" is a generic term that denotes a worker in a particular job. The bedding wallah distributed our sheets, pillow, case and blankets, all still warm from the laundry. A punkah wallah operated our overhead fan.

Our bedding wallah was a hard working guy. All through the journey, he went through the train, col-lecting orders for and distributing tea, coffee, meals, and at the end worked out the bill and col-lected payment. It wasn't obvious how he kept track. I must have looked worried about something at one point. "No problem, madam, no problem." He was sensitive, too, and kind.

I love traveling on trains, especially in sleepers. That great clackety-clack putting me to sleep, my waking up at stations to peer out at all the bustle on the platform, and then off to sleep again, clack-ety-clack.

The next day, I expected and waited for us all to take on our day time roles—beds to be hooked back and we'd sit until night time. Nothing of the sort —it was India. Beds stayed down. People re-laxed, and chatted and ate and dozed, relaxed and chatted and ate and dozed some more. It was very restful. Why not? There was nothing that had to be done except let the train take us where we were scheduled to go. Feeling that way was a revelation. I relaxed and chatted and ate and dozed and read and looked out the window.

Off and on, I didn't find the scenery very interest-ing. It reminded me of inland Australia: brown, straggly and monotonous. There were many, many villages, with buildings that looked as though they were falling down or being built, it was hard to tell which. My friend Sury told me later that in Hindu philosophy it doesn't matter which — it's all in the cycle of life. He had tongue in cheek when he said it, I think…

The farms looked not particularly productive and it was hard to tell what was being farmed, until we reached Nagpur, where there were citrus orchards. The methods were primitive, people working with their hands in the fields, the women carrying water in brass jars and plastic buckets, walking to and from the wells, seemingly at all times of day. I saw little evidence of motorized farm equipment or electricity in the villages, until we were close to Delhi.

On my arrival in Delhi, Sury was on the platform to meet me. The porter picked up my suitcase and carried it on his head. It had wheels, but we were in India and that's how it's done there.

Priscilla Wanat

LARGE TURN-OUT

FOR ESCOM JANUARY MEETING

The Humiston Reading Room was packed for the Council’s first meeting in 2015, as eight-een members and visitors gath-

ered around the conference table. Minutes of the November 2014 meeting were corrected and passed, as was the morning’s Agenda.

Dr. Jason Lau, Director of Community Educa-tion, addressed the gathering in a "farewell" ad-dress, stressing the close relationship he main-tained with ESCOM and thanking the Council and its officers for their cooperation in all of his achievements. One by one the members spoke to express their appreciation for his work benefiting older adult students.

President Eric Sitzenstatter reported progress on the expansion and rehabilitation of IVC’s Emeritus Center, which will provide a reading room annex to that well-used facility. He announced that Marje Park, who had served as the Council’s Re-cording Secretary for several years had resigned,

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and ESCOM member Anne Pearson was ap-pointed as a replacement. Marje was lauded for the excellent job she had done and received the Coun-cil’s appreciation.

Dick Park, Chairman of the ad hoc Bylaws Revi-sions Committee, introduced changes submitted during the mandatory comment period and moved for the adoption of the amended Bylaws and Pol-icy documents. They are now "the law."

A detailed Treasurer’s Report was submitted by Art Ravicz, who had previously informed the Council that he was stepping down as Treasurer at fiscal year-end, June 30. Numerous Purchase Or-ders were approved as submitted. Council member Toni Middleton is slated to be appointed Treas-urer.

Marlene Knox, reporting for the Marketing Com-mittee, announced that the theater advertising has been concluded. Due to the heavy increase in membership as a result of changes in the fee struc-ture for EC Classes, the effects of this advertising on membership cannot be determined, but Marlene feels that "brand recognition" for ESCOM was worth the expense.

An art exhibition titled "Line and Shadow," by Ay-ris Hatton, is currently on display in the Kentfield Emeritus Center. A reception will be scheduled. The exhibition will continue into March.

The Curriculum Committee will soon resume its schedule of instructor interviews, beginning with a planning session on January 21. Dick Park, Chair-man, has met with C.O.M. officials concerning the startup of a lecture series in collaboration with Book Passage. The first lecture, titled "An Inno-cent Abroad," is scheduled for February 27, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., at the College Library. There is no admission charge and parking will be free.

Council elections are due in April, according to Paul Tandler, Chairman for Nominations and Elections this year. He will contact Council mem-bers whose terms expire at mid-year to determine their wishes to be on the forthcoming ballot.

Newsletter Editor Sarah Fagan Greenberg is encouraging our readers to submit stories for fu-ture editions, including the upcoming Literary Is-sue.

Karen Hemmeter’s Office Report announced that ESCOM membership had grown to more than 1200, and additional growth is anticipated.

Changes in data processing services as they pertain to membership records are complex and will re-quire good collaboration with the college staff. Kevin Colgate assists Karen in the performance of office services.

The Hospitality Committee needs a new chair, as the present team has resigned. This committee pro-vides refreshment services at art receptions, at the Annual Meetings, and at other functions as re-quired. We need one or more volunteers to fill this need. Call Karen if available.

Low turnout at the December Holiday Party engendered a discussion concern-ing the conduct of these meetings. The matter was tabled for further considera-tion at subsequent Council meetings.

Paul Tandler

ESCOM/IVC NEWS/EVENTS/CLUBS

College of Marin Board of Trustees: March 10 Regular Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Building 5, Room 188, Indian Valley Campus. Don’t miss the oppor-tunity to hear plans for the COM Novato Campus, especially the repair of ESCOM/IVC community room. The agenda opens with time for public com-ments. Trustee Brady Bevis, a Novato resident, would like to meet those who use the COM/IVC facilities.

Homelessness Extends Horizons: As a result of the December flooding of Building 10, ESCOM clubs temporarily meet in Building 27, room 122, adjacent to the Internet Café and near the COM/IVC Library.

Indian Valley Organic Farm & Garden: Satur-

day, March 7, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fruit Tree Grafting, Propagation, and Scion Swap: This workshop will cover techniques of winter grafting and simple propagation by cuttings including after-care at home and sharing of scion of our favorite fruit varieties for grafting and propagation.

IVC Digital Camera Club: The 25 members plan a photo outing on 3/2 followed by meeting at IVC, on 3/16 when photos shot during the trip are shared

IVC Book Forum: Pearl Ly, COM Head Librarian, met with members in the Inter-net Café adjacent to the library. She pro-vided handouts detailing all the services of COM libraries now part of MarinNet and

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toured the COMIVC branch. Contact Louise Kerr for an e-copy of 2015 Book List. The book for March is Drama High, Michael Sokolove, on 3/23.

IVC Foreign Film Club: 3/3 The Fallen Idol, ‘48,

British. Last month Club Leader Annie Longtin shared her research on G.B. Shaw’s play Pygma-

lion and subsequent stage and film versions, plus

the origin of the title.

IVC Philosophy Club: Thirty-Six Events That

Changed History, the current lecture series by J. Rufus Fears, PhD, U. of Oklahoma, will conclude

and selection of the next study series will be made.

Get in on the vote!

Smart Tech Talk: 3/18 On the 3rd Wednesday monthly, this is one ESCOM club that is unpre-

dictable, free-flowing and without format but al-

ways a learning event! Bring a tech question of

any kind, from how to answer a smart phone, how

to post a photo on Facebook, or what equipment to

buy.

Global Issues: 3/20 COINTELPRO 101 This documentary exposes the official FBI COunter IN-

TELligence PROgram carried out to survey, im-

prison, and eliminate leaders of social justice

movements in an effort to destroy the movements.

The film contains interviews with activists, histori-

cal footage and draws relevant lessons for the pre-

sent and the future.

TGIF Jazz Club: 3/6 Bring a favorite CD or DVD to share.

Humanities Club:

3/7 Lecture 11, Justinian and the Byzantine Em-

pire; Lecture 12, The House of Islam.

3/21 Lecture 13, Rise of the Carolingians; Lecture 14, Charlemagne.

Film Noir Club:

3/14 The Lady in Question ’40. Brian Aherne, Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. Director Charles

Vidor.

3/28 My Name is Julia Ross ’45. Nina Foch, Dame Mae Whitty and George

Macready. Director Joseph H. Lewis.

THE GARDEN CALL I step into my garden heeding a summons Only my ears can perceive. Was it the infant's cry of thirst Of my just-planted rhododendrons? Or the parched throats Of my capricious trees? I go there called by voices In a language strange, unknown, The idiom song of a bumblebee. Only I can vaguely perceive With the skin of my eyes, The membranes of my ears. I sit upon a rough hewn stone Planted at random here and there By fire gods beneath my feet. And listen to the melody Played by the flutter of a fallen leaf Or by the wing of a costumed butterfly. Soft music, vaguely perceptible Drifts across the fragrant, seed-laden soil The whisper of a million reedy stems Of wild oats swaying on the slopes Bowing in unison to the salty wind The song, a promise of another day. I listen to their tune Of eon days as yet unknown Unknown to me, to other men Of days gone by, of days to come, Of days we shall be one The earth, the seed, and I.

Oskar Klausenstock

[Oskar Klausenstock, M.D., 92, is a longtime poet and contributor to the ESCOM Newsletter. He was born and raised in a small town in Southern Poland, until World War II, when he was imprisoned in sev-eral of the most brutal Nazi concentration camps and lost his entire Jewish family. After his camp was lib-erated by the U.S. Army in 1945, he used his multi-lingual skills as an interpreter for U.S. Headquarters. He studied medicine at Frankfurt/Main University. Arriving in this country in 1949, he was accepted to Boston University, School of Medicine followed by postgraduate specialty trainings at Harvard, Stanford, and University of California, San Francisco. He was a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps before beginning the practice of radiology in San Fran-cisco.]

Gloria Kopshever, 883-7805, sabenovato@gmail.com.

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ESCOM CLUBS Participation in clubs requires an Emeritus Students Activities Card. Feel free

to visit club meetings. A member interested in receiving news/information about a specific

club should send an email address to the club leader. For further information, including

instructions on how to form a club, please call 485-9652.

ADVENTURER’S CLUB: Fourth Mon. of the month, 1 p.m., location varies. Call Ruth King,

898-5845, for information on next meeting.

BOCCE/PETANQUE CLUB: Every Tues. 9:30

a.m. at Albert Park San Rafael. Bill Raffanti, 883

-4079, billraffanti@yahoo.com.

BRIDGE CLUB: Mon. 1:00 - 4:30 p.m., Cafete-ria, Kentfield. Lynn Mason, phone 456-2508,

lynn.mason@gmail.com.

CHESS CLUB: Every Wed. except last Wed. of the month, 1:00 p.m., Kentfield Emeritus. Ron

Evans, 924-0998, brittron@comcast.net.

CURRENT EVENTS CLUB: 2nd & 4th

Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon, Emeritus Kent-

field. Jerry Weisman, 383-1831, gweis-

man@sprintmail.com; and James Kennedy, 388-

3939.

GREAT MINDS OF WESTERN PHILOSO-

PHY CLUB: 1st & 3rd Mondays, 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Kentfield. Contact Arlene Stark,

925-1214, or arlenestark@att.net.

ISLAMIC STUDIES CLUB: Every Fri. night at

7 p.m., Community Room at Sausalito Civic

Center, 420 Litho St., Sausalito. Mehri Dadgar,

927-1388, MEHRIDADGAR@aol.com.

IVC ATELIER CLUB: Weekly on Wednes-days. Two sessions, 9 a.m. - noon and 1-4 p.m..

Glen Miller, email glenmiller12@comcast.net,

415-457-2459.

IVC BOOK FORUM: 4th Monday, 3-5 p.m., Emeritus IVC. Louise Kerr, 883-2823,

Lrkerr210@gmail.com.

IVC BRITISH & FOREIGN FILM CLUB: First Tues. of month, 1-3 p.m., Emeritus IVC,

Annie Longtin, annie.dance@yahoo.com, 382-

1360.

IVC DIGITAL CAMERA CLUB: Photo outing

1st Monday, time/location TBA; club meeting

3rd Monday, 1-3 p.m., Emeritus IVC. Phone

Laura Milholland, phone 578-2972 or e-mail

milholland_l@hotmail.com .

IVC FILM NOIR DVD CLUB: 2nd & 4th Sat-urdays, 1-3 p.m., Emeritus IVC. Rudy Ramirez,

491-0522, rudycram@gmail.com.

IVC GLOBAL ISSUES CLUB: 3rd Friday, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Emeritus IVC. Colleen Rose, 898-

0131, colleenrose@juno.com.

IVC GREAT IDEAS IN PHILOSOPHY

CLUB: Thursdays, 1-3 p.m., Emeritus IVC. Lillian Hanahan, donaldhanahan@comcast.net,

209-9452.

IVC HUMANITIES CLUB: 1st & 3rd Satur-days, 1-3 p.m., Emeritus IVC. Rudy Ramirez,

491-0522, rudycram@gmail.com.

IVC JAZZ CLUB: 1st Fri., Bldg. 10, Rm. 140. Call Ruth King, 898-5845, for information.

IVC SMART TECH TALK CLUB, 3rd Wednes-day, 1 to 3 p.m., Eileen Ziegenhagen, 897-2824,

edzjoy@ yahoo.com.

MORAL-ETHICAL & LEGAL ISSUES

ROUNDTABLE: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - 12 noon, Emeritus Kentfield. Cole Posard, 491-

4118, colemanposard@att.net; Arlene Stark, 925-

1214, or arlenestark@att.net.

OPERA AND BEYOND: Last Wednesday of month, 1-3 p.m., Emeritus Kentfield. Michael

Sachs, michahsachs@gmail.com, phone (415)

298-1939.

SCRABBLE CLUB: Every Thursday, 2:00-4:00 p.m., Cafeteria, Kentfield. Marlene Knox,

459-1427, marlsteve@comcast.net.

WRITERS’ WORKSHOP: 1st Tues. of each month, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Emeritus Kentfield.

Treva Strauss, 454-6641, trevastrauss@att.net.

Emeritus Students

College of Marin

835 College Avenue

Kentfield, CA 94904-2590

Return Service Requested

TIME DATED MATERIAL

Non-Profit

Organization

U. S. Postage Paid

Permit No. 8

San Rafael, CA

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Corner Table is an oil on canvas, 20" by 17," by Ayris Hatton, whose exhibit, Line and

Shadow, Faces and Figures, is currently on display until the end of March at the

Emeritus Center in the Humiston Reading Room.