PRESIDENT'S CORNER - Daylight Savings Time | School of Public Health

Daylight Time Edition: So we’ll all be rising at 2 AM on Sunday morn to set our clocks forward…yes? It feels like we just set our clocks back last fall. Time really is flying.

Sonnet 19: Devouring Time blunt thou the lion's paws by William Shakespeare

Devouring Time blunt thou the lion's paws,
And make the earth devour her own sweet brood,
Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger's jaws,
And burn the long-lived phoenix, in her blood,
Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleet'st,
And do whate'er thou wilt swift-footed Time
To the wide world and all her fading sweets.
But I forbid thee one most heinous crime:
O carve not with thy hours my love's fair brow,
Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen,
Him in thy course untainted do allow,
For beauty's pattern to succeeding men.
Yet do thy worst old Time: despite thy wrong,
My love shall in my verse ever live young.

“Moonlight:” The Oscar winner for Best Film is finally here, playing once daily (as of today) at the Carmike. It is a beautifully rendered film, but will not be to everyone’s taste, so I urge you to read up on it or read a review first. I agree with the Golden Globe awards that gave it and “La La Land” Best Picture awards in different categories. It was a really tough year to decide on the best.

Met in HD: Here comes “La Traviata” again. I will never get Franco Zeffirelli’s gorgeous film with Domingo and Stratas out of my head, so IF you like far out design concepts and want to hear the singers, it’ll be at the Regal on Saturday. I hated the design so I won’t be there. The 2017-18 Met in HD series has been announced. Here it is in a quick list: Norma (Oct 7), Die Zauberflote (the complete version in Julie Taymor’s production)—Oct 14, The Exterminating Angel (Nov 28), Tosca (new production)—Jan 27, L’Elisir d’Amore (Feb 10), La Boheme (Feb 24), Semiramide (Mar 10), Cosi fan tutte (Mar 31), Luisa Miller (Apr 14), and Cendrillon (Apr 28).

Spring Term: A reminder that our spring term will begin April 17. You may register for classes beginning March 17. I had a sneak peek at the catalog that is just back from printing, and it looks like an exciting list of classes and interest group activities. I am excited that we are beginning to explore what it would take to give us video conferencing capability. This could mean that we could easily share some of the courses offered in Morgantown to our OLLI members in Charleston or wherever we grow another satellite. Once we’ve figured out what kind of equipment is needed, then we’ll need to find the right grant to apply for to underwrite the process. You have to have the equipment at both ends to make it work—here and in Charleston, for example. Stay tuned…

Coffee/Tea/Not Me: a gentle reminder that it would help us a lot if you would remember to drop a few shekels into the contribution box in the lounge when you get coffee or tea or cocoa. It’s more expensive than you might think to provide this service. So many Americans have now become convinced that we don’t need to pay taxes and still get all the stuff we expect from government. Well, think of this as a small user tax. Tolls on roads are user taxes. Gas taxes are user taxes that pay for road upkeep. If you want those pot holes filled, how do you think they get paid for? And that tax hasn’t gone up in way too long, so the Highway Trust Fund is nearly bankrupt. Oops!

It’s gonna be COLD this weekend, so plan something cozy that includes hot chocolate and a fire.

Jim Held, President