Lifelong learning at CCU continues with excursions, lecture series and much more
New this fall, a series for OLLI members pairs lectures with an excursion. Titled "South Carolina Crops," the first in the lecture/excursion series features E.E. "Wink" Prince, CCU Distinguished Professor Emeritus and author of "Long Green: The Rise and Fall of Tobacco in South Carolina and The Great Harvest: Remembering Tobacco in the Pee Dee." After the lecture from 10-10:50 a.m. at the Litchfield Education Center, the excursion will depart at 11 a.m. for the Tobacco Museum in Mullins.
David Palmer, CCU assistant professor of anthropology, will speak on Nov. 1 about rice, and a visit to the Rice Museum in Georgetown will follow.
On Nov. 8, O'Neal Smalls will speak about sugar cane and Freewoods Farm. The series will end on Nov. 15 with James Arendt, associate professor of art and director of CCU's Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery, speaking about cotton and indigo, followed by a trip to the Cotton Museum in Bishopville.
Lectures are $5 each and the excursions range from $20 to $25 for OLLI members.
OLLI has a planned fundraiser that serves as the culmination of the fall lecture series "Local Celebrities' Life Stories." Lee Brockington will tell her story on Wednesday, Nov. 13, between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Wachesaw Plantation.
A gifted storyteller, Hobcaw Barony's coordinator of public engagement, and one of OLLI's instructors and guides, Brockington is also the author of "Plantation Between the Waters" and two books on Pawleys Island.
"Lee Brockington has long been a supporter of OLLI@CCU and of lifelong learning in general," said Carol Osborne, director of academic and community outreach at CCU. "We are so happy to have her as the guest speaker for our fundraiser this year. She is sure to bring lots of laughter and valuable insights about this area of the country to our audience."
The luncheon costs $55, and the public may register for this event at the Litchfield Center, 14427 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island, or the Conway Center at 290 Allied Drive, Conway, or by calling 843-349-6584 or 843-349-5002.
OLLI also offers a variety of lecture series through the year on Saturdays that are free and open to the public. The current series is "Political and Economic Systems," and each lecture include refreshments at 9:30 a.m., a lecture at 10 a.m., and a question-and-answer period immediately following the lecture.
"A well-informed, voting population is so important to a democracy, and with politicians slinging terms like democratic socialism and autocracy around these days, we thought it would be useful to have the political science professors address these political systems directly," said Osborne.
Kim Hale, assistant professor of politics, will present "Superabundance, Moral Hazard, and Self-Interest Rightly Understood: Modifying Capitalism in 21st Century America," on Oct. 19.
Holley Tankersley, professor of politics and associate provost, will deliver "'A Charming Form of Government': Democratic Political Systems" on Nov. 2, and Jonathan M. Acuff, associate professor of intelligence and national security studies, will present "Varieties of Tyranny: From Autocracy to Totalitarianism" on Nov. 16.
These lectures all take place at the Burroughs & Chapin Building at 290 Allied Drive in Conway.
A second lecture series, "Gullah Geechee Culture and Heritage," begins Oct. 28 and is free and open to the public. From 1-3 p.m., David Palmer, assistant professor of anthropology and archaeologist-in-residence at Brookgreen Gardens, will speak about his archaeological work at Brookgreen.
Ray Funnye will speak about the Village Project at the Plantersville Community Center on Nov. 4, and Alli Crandell and Eric Crawford from CCU's Athenaeum Press will discuss current preservation projects on Nov. 11 and 18. Over the past several years, Coastal Carolina University's Athenaeum Press and the Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora Studies have been awarded several grants to preserve the unique heritage of the historically African-American communities of Sandy Island and the Murrells Inlet region.
All the lectures in this series are scheduled from 1-3 p.m. at the Litchfield Education Center, 14427 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island.
"Coastal offers many programs of interest to the public on campus, but this series allows the community to hear about several important initiatives without having to travel to Conway," said Osborne. "The Athenaeum Press and the Joyner Institute are directing significant local preservation projects that involve students, professors and community members."
For more information about OLLI or to become a member, visit coastal.edu/olli or call one of the education centers at 843-5002 or 843-349-6584.