Gee's Bend: The Quilters, Stories, Music, and Quilts
Wednesday, March 19

Join us at 11 a.m. at Cody's Roadhouse in Mattoon for lunch with the Academy of Lifelong Learning group from Lincoln Land Community College.  Buy $1 raffle tickets to win a wine gift basket and quilt book at the luncheon.

After lunch and discussion about our similar programs and new ideas, we will drive to the Mattoon Train Depot from 1-3 p.m. to view the exhibition of quilts by Gee's Bend quilters. The quilters will present a program of stories and sacred songs of living in the rural south during the Great Depression, through the Civil Rights Movement, and into today. Quilted items from the Gee's Bend Quilt Collective will be available for purchase with a variety of prices. Refreshments will be provided.

Michael Strange, from Effingham, IL,  has been a member of the Academy for the past three years. He is passionate about learning and enjoys participating in the free full semester audit courses offered through the Academy. His favorite subject is Sociology, because it is the framework of society. Michael pursues learning because it helps to maintain critical thinking skills. His favorite hobby is reading, while his favorite author is William Wright. He believes learning from your peers is one of the best ways to learn! Michael also believes that the process of learning is life long and that we will never be done!

Thursdays, March 20, 27 & April 3
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
EIU Blair Hall, Room 2116

Academy member: $5
Non-member: $5

A brief overview of the context for U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict will transition into an examination of some ways in which the war was fought, and the impact that it had on protests at home during the 1960s and 1970s. Most importantly, we will explore impacts the war had on veterans, both in the short and long term. Bring your questions for a dynamic discussion over coffee (provided) with Craig Eckert.

April 1
7:00 p.m.
Newman Center

Participants in the interfaith panel will discuss aspects of their faith, especially how they view animal welfare in scripture and practice. If time permits, the panelists (representing Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism) will discuss, more broadly, commonalities that their various belief systems share.

"In my 89 years, I've learned that happiness is a choice, not a condition."

In a survey asking individuals mostly 70 and older what advice they would like to pass on to younger people, the answers centered around the same theme: Being happy is a choice, and therefore, you should make a conscious effort to maintain a positive attitude despite the unpredictable events such as loss, illness, and disappointment that are likely to occur.

The experts offer up specific tips to help younger generations assume control over their happiness:

• Eliminate unnecessary worrying
• Focus on the short term rather than the long term
• Actively work toward acceptance of problems and limitations
• Savor the small stuff

Many of the respondents claim that they wish they would have learned to practice this advice in their younger years, and urge that we start living in the moment in order to enjoy life for as many decades as possible.

Click here to read the full article: http://legacyproject.human.cornell.edu/2014/02/26/staying-positive-a-good-idea-but-how-do-we-do-it/

As of January 1, NEW Academy members will receive an EIU gift, courtesy of the MLK Jr. University Union Bookstore.  Stop in and check it out with your membership card.