1 00:00:01,567 --> 00:00:03,901 - Welcome to WEDU Quest, I'm Dr. Shannon McQuaig. 2 00:00:04,968 --> 00:00:06,834 Oh, what to do when we grow old? 3 00:00:06,834 --> 00:00:09,200 Some pursue sports like golf and tennis, 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:10,701 others seek the sun at the beach 5 00:00:10,701 --> 00:00:13,501 or meet friends for cocktails or afternoon teas. 6 00:00:13,501 --> 00:00:16,067 And the TV beckons many others to become couch potatoes. 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:18,834 But there is more. 8 00:00:18,834 --> 00:00:21,000 Meet a group that challenges us to pursue knowledge 9 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:22,801 and keep our brain in good working order. 10 00:00:23,901 --> 00:00:24,701 (mellow guitar music) 11 00:00:26,033 --> 00:00:28,667 This is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute 12 00:00:28,667 --> 00:00:31,300 of Ringling College in Sarasota, Florida. 13 00:00:31,300 --> 00:00:33,767 It is a place where retirees come to pursue knowledge. 14 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:37,767 - The organization began 20 years ago. 15 00:00:37,767 --> 00:00:40,200 A few retirees said there has to be more to retirement 16 00:00:41,634 --> 00:00:43,934 than just golf and the beaches. 17 00:00:43,934 --> 00:00:47,000 They were bright individuals and they met each other 18 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:48,567 and decided, hey you know what? 19 00:00:48,567 --> 00:00:51,467 I'd like to learn more about what you know and vice versa 20 00:00:51,467 --> 00:00:52,834 and so they started this program, 21 00:00:54,667 --> 00:00:56,400 and the first year, they had 75 students. 22 00:00:58,534 --> 00:01:00,167 This past year, we had about 2,700. 23 00:01:01,601 --> 00:01:03,000 - [Shannon] According to executive director 24 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:04,501 Janna Overstreet, life-long learning 25 00:01:05,634 --> 00:01:07,968 is best done in a group. 26 00:01:07,968 --> 00:01:10,434 - You are growing new challenges to your own thinking 27 00:01:14,300 --> 00:01:17,000 by listening to others in class and so our students respond 28 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,234 really well to that because they feel like 29 00:01:19,234 --> 00:01:20,868 they're not just getting information, 30 00:01:22,334 --> 00:01:24,467 they're getting a learning experience 31 00:01:24,467 --> 00:01:26,567 and they're meeting new people, 32 00:01:26,567 --> 00:01:28,934 they're developing social networks. 33 00:01:28,934 --> 00:01:31,434 - [Shannon] She finds the lifeblood of this program 34 00:01:31,434 --> 00:01:32,100 is its teachers. 35 00:01:32,767 --> 00:01:32,901 Ooh 36 00:01:34,167 --> 00:01:35,834 - Tony Moon, the man is something else. 37 00:01:37,300 --> 00:01:39,467 So, he was a songwriter, he's a music producer, 38 00:01:41,167 --> 00:01:43,334 he worked with Patsy Cline, he was in Nashville, 39 00:01:44,534 --> 00:01:46,501 and his students love him. 40 00:01:46,501 --> 00:01:48,467 They will follow him to the ends of the earth 41 00:01:48,467 --> 00:01:49,968 to take one more Tony Moon class. 42 00:01:50,734 --> 00:01:51,267 Without you 43 00:01:53,868 --> 00:01:55,868 - I'd never heard anything like that before. 44 00:01:55,868 --> 00:01:57,734 I research a lot for these classes, 45 00:01:57,734 --> 00:01:59,033 I just don't come in here 46 00:01:59,033 --> 00:02:00,467 and try to fly by the seat of my pants, 47 00:02:00,467 --> 00:02:02,801 I try to really have it together and ready for them 48 00:02:04,067 --> 00:02:06,567 because these students that at are this school, 49 00:02:06,567 --> 00:02:08,834 they have got it together. 50 00:02:08,834 --> 00:02:11,167 That whole class I'm teaching this quarter is called 51 00:02:11,167 --> 00:02:14,234 In Harmony: A History of Vocal Groups, United States. 52 00:02:14,234 --> 00:02:16,901 We're doing, yeah Motown groups, doo-wop, 53 00:02:16,901 --> 00:02:19,000 groups like Pentatonix doing a capella stuffs. 54 00:02:20,267 --> 00:02:22,367 - [Shannon] Tony loves to discuss influences 55 00:02:22,367 --> 00:02:24,601 artists have on each other. 56 00:02:24,601 --> 00:02:26,367 - I've got examples of The Four Freshmen 57 00:02:26,367 --> 00:02:29,634 doing Beach Boys songs better than the Beach Boys, okay. 58 00:02:29,634 --> 00:02:32,534 What I was trying to show them was the correlation 59 00:02:32,534 --> 00:02:35,701 between The Four Freshmen, who were a big vocal group, 60 00:02:35,701 --> 00:02:38,133 mostly a jazz very modern harmony, and the Beach Boys. 61 00:02:39,734 --> 00:02:42,367 And everybody knows who the Beach Boys are obviously. 62 00:02:42,367 --> 00:02:45,934 And I wanted to show how Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys 63 00:02:45,934 --> 00:02:48,067 were incredibly influenced by The Four Freshmen. 64 00:02:49,968 --> 00:02:53,234 - It's amazing to learn about all these different groups. 65 00:02:53,234 --> 00:02:55,400 Tony has a wealth of information on these groups 66 00:02:57,167 --> 00:02:58,601 and he worked with many of them 67 00:02:58,601 --> 00:03:00,100 and it's just exciting to be here. 68 00:03:01,033 --> 00:03:02,467 - And then we have Monroe Brett. 69 00:03:03,367 --> 00:03:03,834 (upbeat music) 70 00:03:05,734 --> 00:03:07,300 He is a fantastic history instructor. 71 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,167 I do not understand how he knows and keeps 72 00:03:12,167 --> 00:03:15,300 all of that information in his mind at one time. 73 00:03:15,300 --> 00:03:17,801 - And in August of 1914, all hell is gonna break out. 74 00:03:19,534 --> 00:03:21,801 The two things which are the outstanding feature 75 00:03:25,367 --> 00:03:26,934 of being an instructor here, 76 00:03:26,934 --> 00:03:30,167 number one is the students, they are all inquisitive, 77 00:03:30,167 --> 00:03:32,367 they all wanna be here, they are all well read, 78 00:03:32,367 --> 00:03:34,033 they're all well traveled. 79 00:03:34,033 --> 00:03:36,367 But number two, is the administration of the academy 80 00:03:39,601 --> 00:03:41,868 makes it so easy to be involved with this program. 81 00:03:46,367 --> 00:03:49,067 In economics, we have something called opportunity cost, 82 00:03:50,334 --> 00:03:52,968 what you give up to get something else, 83 00:03:52,968 --> 00:03:54,734 and these people have an opportunity cost. 84 00:03:54,734 --> 00:03:55,968 They could be doing something else 85 00:03:55,968 --> 00:03:57,200 but they're here, they wanna be here 86 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,801 and it's just terrific working with them. 87 00:03:59,801 --> 00:04:02,601 - Monroe Brett is a premier instructor in our organization. 88 00:04:06,133 --> 00:04:08,968 He has done classes here for about five or six years 89 00:04:08,968 --> 00:04:11,801 and they're always very interesting, very informative 90 00:04:11,801 --> 00:04:12,701 and very entertaining. 91 00:04:14,434 --> 00:04:15,734 - Then you have Ted Russell. 92 00:04:15,734 --> 00:04:17,367 (gentle music) 93 00:04:17,367 --> 00:04:19,467 Our students walk in with a lot of information, 94 00:04:20,634 --> 00:04:22,834 so you have to be ready to be challenged 95 00:04:22,834 --> 00:04:24,234 on what you're sharing 96 00:04:24,234 --> 00:04:26,934 and to delve deeper into the subject matter 97 00:04:26,934 --> 00:04:28,834 than what you maybe had prepared for 98 00:04:28,834 --> 00:04:30,868 and Ted is great at doing that. 99 00:04:30,868 --> 00:04:32,701 - So far, I've taught probably 15 courses. 100 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:36,868 US Constitution, Second Amendment, 101 00:04:38,634 --> 00:04:42,467 Amendments to the Constitution, Women in American History, 102 00:04:42,467 --> 00:04:45,701 History of the Presidency, History of the Vice Presidency. 103 00:04:45,701 --> 00:04:47,667 - [Shannon] His class on the vice presidents 104 00:04:47,667 --> 00:04:50,567 covers both the famous and the obscure. 105 00:04:50,567 --> 00:04:54,534 - There's no doubt that Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman 106 00:04:54,534 --> 00:04:57,667 are the two vice presidents that came into the presidency 107 00:04:57,667 --> 00:04:59,067 and really did a fantastic job. 108 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:02,334 We get into Charles Curtis, who by the time 109 00:05:03,734 --> 00:05:06,567 he was eight years old, he never spoke English, 110 00:05:06,567 --> 00:05:09,067 he could only speak his Kaw Indian language and French. 111 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:12,234 And people go whoa we had a vice president 112 00:05:13,167 --> 00:05:14,367 who grew up on a reservation? 113 00:05:15,934 --> 00:05:16,734 (mellow guitar music) 114 00:05:18,334 --> 00:05:20,934 - [Shannon] Sometimes, the OLLI goes on the road. 115 00:05:20,934 --> 00:05:24,701 These students are taking a day trip to Ybor City in Tampa. 116 00:05:24,701 --> 00:05:26,467 - One of the reasons the tours are so important 117 00:05:26,467 --> 00:05:29,534 is because we provide a liberal arts program which is 118 00:05:29,534 --> 00:05:33,434 history and some science and current events and music. 119 00:05:33,434 --> 00:05:36,434 So, this sorts of tours, these are an extension of history, 120 00:05:36,434 --> 00:05:39,200 you know, we're taking history outside the classroom. 121 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:41,467 - [Shannon] Their tour guide is Max Herman. 122 00:05:41,467 --> 00:05:43,667 - It gets know worldwide as one of the top three cigars 123 00:05:43,667 --> 00:05:45,434 that you can purchase in the entire world. 124 00:05:45,434 --> 00:05:47,701 - [Shannon] He has a treasure trove of knowledge 125 00:05:47,701 --> 00:05:49,601 on the history of Ybor. 126 00:05:49,601 --> 00:05:52,234 - The importance of Ybor City mainly is it was almost like 127 00:05:52,234 --> 00:05:54,234 a safe haven for all these immigrants that came this way 128 00:05:54,234 --> 00:05:56,100 to find an industry to work in. 129 00:05:56,100 --> 00:05:58,400 The cigar industry was something that could be easily taught 130 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,267 and this was a place where all these people thrived 131 00:06:00,267 --> 00:06:03,734 and built a place where they could live in America. 132 00:06:03,734 --> 00:06:05,901 This is a place that had southern influence, 133 00:06:05,901 --> 00:06:08,801 Italian influence, Cuban influence, all kinds of influences 134 00:06:08,801 --> 00:06:10,601 that came together to make such a unique city 135 00:06:10,601 --> 00:06:12,567 that most people say they woulda just drove right through 136 00:06:12,567 --> 00:06:14,634 if they didn't hear the stories. 137 00:06:14,634 --> 00:06:17,200 - [Shannon] These students from the OLLI at Ringling College 138 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,601 are here out of a desire to understand local history. 139 00:06:21,267 --> 00:06:23,200 - They come down here because they wanna experience 140 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:24,567 such a unique place that they probably read 141 00:06:24,567 --> 00:06:26,501 a couple little articles or books about 142 00:06:26,501 --> 00:06:28,400 but to really hear it from the horse's mouth 143 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:30,501 of somebody who's born and raised in this area, 144 00:06:30,501 --> 00:06:33,767 it gives them a really in-depth touch to this place. 145 00:06:33,767 --> 00:06:35,200 - [Shannon] For the people of OLLI, 146 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:36,701 life-long learning feeds the soul. 147 00:06:38,501 --> 00:06:41,367 - We see ourselves as one ingredient in the soup 148 00:06:41,367 --> 00:06:43,868 that makes Sarasota and Manatee Counties 149 00:06:43,868 --> 00:06:46,234 such a rich experience for people who are retirees. 150 00:06:47,467 --> 00:06:49,767 - This is so fulfilling to be in the classroom 151 00:06:49,767 --> 00:06:51,601 with the students and it is such a feeling 152 00:06:52,801 --> 00:06:54,901 of accomplishment on my part. 153 00:06:54,901 --> 00:06:57,467 - This has been a wonderful experience for me to be here 154 00:06:59,534 --> 00:07:02,167 doing something that I've been doing actively in my life 155 00:07:05,667 --> 00:07:07,634 and then taken that knowledge and giving it to people 156 00:07:07,634 --> 00:07:09,834 that don't happen to have that knowledge 157 00:07:09,834 --> 00:07:12,367 and that's what teaching's all about. 158 00:07:12,367 --> 00:07:15,434 - I never wanna stop learning, there's so much new. 159 00:07:15,434 --> 00:07:17,968 Every door you open, this leads to two more, 160 00:07:17,968 --> 00:07:19,400 which leads to two more. 161 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,267 If you stop learning, then you stop living. 162 00:07:22,868 --> 00:07:23,367 (gentle music) 163 00:07:26,300 --> 00:07:28,934 - Quest for Lifelong Learning, visit at ollitampabay.com.