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California State University, Sacramento

October 2020 Lifelong Learning for over 30 years Issue 198

leader in the spring, contact Lorene at

lorene.sarne@csus.edu.

OLLI at UC Davis partnership – OLLI at UC Davis

reached out and requested to partner on Zoom training tu-

torials, study guides and recordings. The UC Davis team

attended our RS Zoom trainings and collaborated on les-

sons learned and best practices. The RS Executive Com-

mittee officers are fully supportive of expanding our part-

nerships with the other lifelong learning organizations in

our region.

Good to Great – As my fellow Board members know,

one of my favorite reads is a brief 35-page monogram by

Jim Collins titled Good to Great and the Social Sectors:

Why Business Thinking is Not the Answer. The Collins’

philosophy describes the Renaissance Society path over the

last six months to a tee.

Please be safe and well in mind, body, and spirit!

—Ken

President’s Corner

By Ken Cross The last six months have been a testi-

mony to our Renaissance Society (RS)

volunteers’ resilience, creativity, dedica-

tion, and commitment to not shut the so-

ciety’s doors, but instead swing the virtu-

al doors wide open to our friends, associ-

ates, and family around the State of Cali-

fornia and the United States. Know that the RS leadership

is committed to continuous improvement and innovation to

provide quality programs and services to our members.

Please join me in thanking our volunteers who answered

the call to service despite a pandemic and being insolated.

Here is a list of ongoing continuous improvement initia-

tives.

Community outreach – The Membership, Diversity, and

Community Engagement (MDCE) Committee and the Am-

bassadors reached out to over 1900 previous RS members,

150 Summer Speaker Series attendees, 200 Ambassador

speaking and tabling event guests, and the Board of the

Sierra Renaissance Society in El Dorado County, to invite

one and all to join RS this fall. In total, over 2,400 potential

RS members received information about our new and im-

proved fall 2020 semester program offerings.

Debriefs – The various RS working groups and commit-

tees are de-briefing lessons learned, best practices, and tips

for moving from physical to virtual classrooms. Friday

Summer Speaker Series producers Mike Agron and Muffy

Francke presented an outstanding Summer Speaker Series

Executive Summary at the August 10th RS Board meeting.

The Program, Catalog, Orientation & Rendezvous, and

Technology working groups are reviewing next steps in

preparation for the spring 2021 semester.

Survey feedback – Our Continuous Improvement and

Technology/Zoom training working groups are collaborat-

ing to survey and gain timely feedback from our seminar

leaders, presenters, technical hosts, SIGs (shared interest

groups), and members. Expect an all member survey at the

end of this semester.

Spring semester preparation – RS office staffer Loren

Sarne is collecting program proposals for the spring 2021

Catalog. At this point we do not know for certain whether

RS will be on or off campus in the spring. We are planning

for either option. Our CSUS Liaison and Dean of the Col-

lege of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies, Di-

anne Hyson, is diligently keeping RS informed on campus

policy changes. If you’re interested in being a seminar

FORUMS Fridays, 3:00—4:00 p.m. ***

October 2: Dr. Francine Steinberg, PhD, RDN,

“Nutrition and Health: Issues and Insights.” October 9: Rob Brinzer, Navy SEAL, “SEAL

Teams to Civilian Life: Core Attributes to Bridge

Life’s Transitions.” October 16: Dr. Charles Bamforth, Distinguished

Professor Emeritus, Food Science and Technology at

UC Davis, “Beer: Looks Good, Tastes Good, Does

You Good!” October 23: Dr. Brian Landsberg, Professor Emer -

itus at McGeorge School of Law, “Voting Rights

Then and Now.”

October 30: Dr. Jim Dragna, Sac State Graduation

Czar, “Finish in Four: Graduation Success at Sac

State.”

*** Registration required to attend Forums

October 2020 Page 2

Meet our Renaissance Society Members-at-Large

Our Renaissance Society Nominating Committee consistently recruits an outstanding slate of prospective

Members-at-Large (MAL). The committee’s marching orders are to identify relatively new members who will

be exposed to the Board workings and encourage the MALs to become active RS leadership participants. The

MALs are empowered to engage in RS standing committees and become familiar with committees operations;

assist in RS activities like the Rendezvous, new members' orientation, and social functions; act as liaisons with

all RS members to solicit new ideas for society improvement; suggest potential seminar topics and Forum

speakers.

Well the current crew of MALs has jumped in with both feet and gotten engaged above and beyond the call

of duty. MALs Christie Braziel and Susan George help lead the RS Ambassadors community outreach speak-

ing and tabling events as well as the internal “Friendship Circle” calls to keep our members socially connect-

ed. MAL Karen Martin is an active member of the Program Committee and the Education working group that

plan and organize our seminar, presenters, and SIGs (shared Interest groups) schedule each semester and our

semi-annual Seminar Leaders’ Workshop and Orientation and Rendezvous.

MAL Deborah Seiler is the Communication & Mar keting chair per son, publisher of the weekly

Wednesday Constant Contact messages and co-editor of the upcoming 2019-2020 RS Annual Report. MAL

Chuck Wisely is a member of both the Educational and the Continuous Impr ovement wor king gr oups

helping to use his decades of educational research experience to share lessons learned in teaching and organi-

zational improvement. Most of the MALs serve on multiple working groups and committees to share their tal-

ents and vocational experience. .

Christie Braziel Susan George Karen Martin

Deborah Seiler Chuck Wisely

If you are interested in knowing more about being a MAL, please contact Board President and former MAL

Ken Cross at kencross@kencrossconsulting.com or r each out to one of the current MALs. https://

www.csus.edu/college/social-sciences-interdisciplinary-studies/renaissance-society/meet-us/#board-executive-

committee.

October 2020 Page 3

RS Members – Your Generosity! By Nancy Findeisen

The Renaissance Society (RS) Board of Directors established the Resource Development Committee to coor-

dinate and promote fundraising efforts that support Sacramento State students and RS programs. The Commit-

tee first met in July 2019 and set three ambitious fundraising goals for the fiscal year. The goals were to (1)

develop a standardized process for resource development activities, (2) increase the number of individual do-

nors by 10%, and (3) increase the total revenue from individual donors by 33%.

By the end of FY19-20, Renaissance members had responded positively and generously, exceeding all our

original goals. The number of individual donors increased dramatically from 60 in FY 2018-19 to 250 this

year, a 300% increase, and this number does not include the hundreds of members who gave anonymously to

the ASI Food Pantry each month in their seminars and at Forums. The individual donations to the RS Scholar-

ship Fund increased substantially by 48%, from $9,300 the previous year to $13,600 this year.

In fiscal year 2019-20 Renaissance Society members contributed

more than $71,000 to support RS programs and Sacramento State stu-

dents.

Donations include:

· $31,000 - to the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) Food Pantry;

· $13,600 - to the RS Scholarship Fund to benefit Sac State students;

$9,000 - to the new RS Special Programs Fund, created within the Sac

State College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies (SSIS)

and the University Foundation, to support new and innovative programs benefitting the Renaissance Society

and Sac State students;

(continued on Page 7)

19th Amendment Centennial Celebration

The Renaissance Society 19th Amendment Centennial committee joined with many other notable women’s

groups in Sacramento to celebrate Women’s Equality Day on August 26, 2020. This was a virtual celebra-

tion, featuring special guest, Civil Rights Icon, Dolores Huerta. The program was moderated by Heather Far-

go, Capital Women’s Campaign (CWC) President and former Sacramento Mayor. With special thanks to RS

members Muffy Francke (program design and implementation), Marian Kile (production crew), Mike Agron

(Zoom webinar license) and Nancy Findeisen (content), for making this event possible. It was well attended

by 278 participants and eleven panelist/support crew members. Living Voices, Rachael McClinton per-

formed her Hear My Voice role (as seen by many of you at our September, 2019 Tea). There were trivia

questions and prizes; a panel discussion moderated by Dr.Kim Nalder of Sac State. Follow this link to the

archived version of the production: https://tinyurl.com/rs-stage.

October 2020 Page 4

It’s not your Round Table First Friday anymore! It was a successful and fun First Friday Zoom Pizza on September 4!

35 people present and accounted for – lots of new faces for First Friday. Many thanks to Craig McCulloch who took this

screen shot of more than half the people who stayed until the end. We shared the names of favorite pizza par lors

in Sacramento and around the country. Some folks had ordered in and others had made their own pizza. A few folks

held up slices and pointed out the distinctive features in their pizza choice. We picked up some new tips on local pizza

joints. Maryellen Burns gave a slideshow of the history of pizza in Sacramento with ads from the newspapers going

back to 1940s and 1950s. The attendees decided to feature a different kind of food each First Friday.

First Friday ZOOM Pizza!

Mike Storey’s Story After growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, Mike Storey earned a degree in English Literature from John Car-

roll University in Cleveland. This was followed by two master’s degrees, one from Niagara University in

English and a second in Liberal Arts from John Hopkins University.

His two-year ROTC commitment first took him to the Dominican Republic, in the aftermath of the revolu-

tion there. He reports that the United States was concerned that the election of a socialist president there

would allow the Dominican Republic to turn into another Cuba. Mike completed his Army obligations at

Fort Eustis, Virginia.

Mike began teaching at College of Notre Dame in 1967 (in 2008 it became a university and was renamed

Notre Dame of Maryland University) in Baltimore. He started his Ph.D. work at Catholic University a few

years later, while still teaching. After completing his degree in 1978, Mike published a book on Irish litera-

ture: Representing the Troubles in Irish Short Fiction. He led numerous field trips to Ireland with his stu-

dents, where they studied the literature, history, culture and politics of that country. After 45 years of teaching, he retired in 2012.

It was in Baltimore that Mike met his wife, Anna Storey, who taught at a college prep school. Anna is also a Renaissance member.

Following the couple’s retirement, their Sacramento daughter encouraged them to relocate to Sacramento, so that they could enjoy

watching their grandchildren grow up.

Mike first learned about the Renaissance Society from a neighbor. He recalled a similar program, the Renaissance Institute, at

Notre Dame, where members designed and taught their own classes. With a membership of about 300 retirees, he was frequently

requested to provide lectures.

The American River bike trail has become one of the couple’s favorite locations for their four to six mile daily walks.

Until the COVID19 pandemic closed down most entertainment, they enjoyed many theater performances. Traveling was also high

on their list of activities. Recently they were advised that their Viking cruise through the heart of Europe had been cancelled for the

second time, first in April and now for October. They’re hoping for the best and are rescheduled for October of 2021.

On November 17, Mike will share his knowledge to the Renaissance Society with a presentation on “Ireland Today.”

Member Profile By Judy Lewis

October 2020 Page 5

Documentaries *** Co-leaders: Allan Keown, Judy Maben, Dale Stark

CLIMATE CHANGE (cont.)

October 2: 180 Degrees South: Conquerors of the Use-

less (2010) This powerful, multigenerational environ-

mental documentary follows Jeff Johnson as he retraces the

epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug

Tompkins to Patagonia. Along the way he gets ship-

wrecked off Easter Island, surfs the longest wave of his life

- and prepares himself for a rare ascent of Cerro Corcova-

do. Jeff's life takes a turn when he meets up in a rainy hut

with Chouinard and Tompkins who, once driven purely by

a love of climbing and surfing, now value above all the

experience of raw nature - and have come to Patagonia to

spend their fortunes to protect it. 180 Degrees South works

as sheer travel documentary, but it is clearly a call to arms

about protecting wild lands.

(From Amazon) (DVD; 1:25:00)

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

October 9: Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives

(1977/2010) Forty years ago, in 1977, Word is Out: Stories

of Some of Our Lives startled audiences across the country

when it appeared in movie theaters and on television. The

first feature-length documentary about lesbian and gay

identity made by gay filmmakers, the film had a huge im-

pact when it was released and became an icon of the

emerging gay rights movement of the 1970s. The film im-

pacted audiences around the world in 1978 by destroying

stereotypes of the gay experience. Today, on the 30th anni-

versary of its release, the power of this film lies not only in

its disarming interviews but in how these beautifully wo-

ven interviews stand as a watershed to gay history. These

stories are a record of struggles, dissension, joys, loves, and

lives. (from Milestone Films) (DVD; 2:00:00)

October 16: John Lewis: Good Trouble (2020)

The film explores the Georgia Representative's 60-plus

years of social activism and legislative action on civil

rights, voting rights, gun control, health care reform, and

immigration. Using interviews with Lewis when he was 79

years old, Director Dawn Porter explores his childhood

experiences, his inspiring family, and his fateful meeting

with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957. In addition to her

interviews with Lewis and his family, Porter's primarily

cinéma verité film also includes interviews with political

leaders, Congressional colleagues, and other people who

figure prominently in his life. (from Rotten Tomatoes)

(Amazon Prime; Apple TV; YouTube; Direct TV; 1:37:00)

October 23: True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for

Equality (2019) For more than three decades, Alabama

public interest attorney Bryan Stevenson, founder and ex-

ecutive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, has advocat-

ed on behalf of the poor, the incarcerated, and the con-

demned seeking to eradicate racial discrimination in the

criminal justice system. An intimate portrait of this remark-

able man, this film follows his struggle to create greater

fairness in the system and shows how racial injustice

emerged, evolved, and continues to threaten the country, in

the process challenging viewers to confront it.

(HBO Original: 1:42:00)

CORRUPTION

October 30: The Kingmaker (2019)This documentary

is an extraordinary look into the controversial political ca-

reer of Imelda Marcos. As the former first lady of the Phil-

ippines, Imelda Marcos is best known for her opulent life-

style, but it was her behind-the-scenes influence of her hus-

band's presidency that rocketed her to the global political

forefront. A journey through the Marcos family's long his-

tory of corruption, extravagance, and brutality, this docu-

mentary tells a cautionary tale of a powerful female leader

whose questionable sense of reality divided a nation.

(Showtime; 1:40:00)

*** Registration required to attend Documentaries

Join Our Team! By Allan Keown

We are always looking for inspiring individuals to teach

for the Renaissance Society. Interested in becoming an

instructor?

Our seminar leaders, co-leaders, and speakers are at the

heart of the Renaissance experience. We welcome and ap-

preciate new and returning instructors and invite proposals

for single presentations or a series lasting three, six, or

twelve weeks. We also encourage a variety of teaching

formats, including facilitated discussions of books, films,

or ideas; informational lectures; presentations; hands-on

instruction; and field trips. From Arts to Food to Hiking to

Zoology, we welcome all topics, issues, and activities.

Our peer-to-peer instructors have found teaching, in

some cases for the first time, to be a rich and rewarding

experience. The topic selected may reflect either vocation-

al expertise or an avocational passion. Invariably, Renais-

sance instructors report that the teaching process deepens

their own knowledge of the subject matter. Participants

also bring their own expertise and life experiences to the

classroom which makes for lively exchanges.

Traditionally, Renaissance instructors have come from

the membership. However, we also actively seek present-

ers and speakers from the community who have

knowledge of a wide variety of subject matter, sensitivity

to different learning styles, and an ability to communicate

concepts in a clear fashion.

How to Submit a Proposal

Check out our website for up to date information on how

to submit a proposal. The Program Committee reviews

course proposals and provides instructor support and train-

ing. Send an email to renaissa@csus.edu phone: (916) 758-

5133 for more information.

October 2020 Page 6

Dr. Robert S. Nelsen Outlines a Vision

for the Sac State Campus By Deborah Seiler

“The Miracle on J St”

In a powerful and moving address, Sac State

President Dr. Robert S. Nelsen expressed both

fear and optimism about the future of the cam-

pus. Speaking on September 3, he mourned the

loss of 27 students to the COVID-19 pandemic,

wept about the killing of George Floyd and other racist murders,

and anguished over job losses and budget cuts. He dreaded the

effect of fires throughout the state and the coming of an “ugly”

election. Would locusts, boils, and bloody rivers be next?

Perhaps, he said, but Hornets would swarm to protect students,

faculty, staff, and the broader community. He told the story of the

first experience on the site of the current campus—then a field of

hops so muddy one vehicle plowed into a tree. The impact re-

leased 40,000 hornets swarming to protect their habitat and be-

coming the fledgling university’s mascot. He pointed to the resili-

ence of present-day Hornets as they transformed the campus in

just four days, converting to a virtual learning method, refurbish-

ing laptops for students, procuring new ones, and celebrating with

pizza. He called it the “miracle on J Street.”

Dr. Nelson noted there were 31,156 Hornets last year and

31,735 this year. Why the increase in enrollment during these

times? “Because we are Sac State. Because we are there even

when we can’t be there in person.” He cited tremendous accom-

plishments in graduating students within four years and in gradu-

ating transfer students in two years. The percentage increase

among Black, Latinx, and Asian students were part of the miracle.

All 9,500 eligible seniors graduated in the spring. Over 150,000

Zoom meetings took place around kitchen tables, living rooms,

bedrooms, and even closets. Student admissions, registration,

paychecks and W-2s went paperless. The number of student

scholarships rose dramatically. All “miracles.”

Looking forward, Dr. Nelsen cannot predict when there will be a

return to campus. The immediate outlook for sports, dance, thea-

ter, and music are uncertain. But virtual learning could be at least

part of the curriculum for the future. He called for Hornets to

swarm to attack root causes of our problems: a frail health care

system, racism, and budget cuts. “We must act quickly by think-

ing long-term. And we must adopt a renewal mindset,” he said,

citing the need for increased philanthropy and community engage-

ment.

Dr. Nelsen’s commitment to achieving an anti-racist campus

was at the forefront of his remarks. On September 29, Sac State

will conduct a Convocation to address the issue, and small task

forces are being organized to begin the long and arduous process

of ending racism on campus and in the community. Evidence of

racism “shredded my heart,” he said, especially on this campus

which is the fourth most diverse campus west of the Mississippi

River.

Finally, he expressed his yearning to eat Pho on campus again,

and to see the trees. “To see the beauty.”

Dr. Nelsen’s full remarks are available on the Sac State website,

https://www.csus.edu/president/presidential-communications/.

RS's 19th Amendment Centennial

Committee Assists Monroe Lodge

Residents Celebrate Major Suffrage

Anniversary

by Mele Huffman A 100 year anniversary party for the ratification of the 19th

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was celebrated in the back-

yard gardens of Monroe Lodge located on Freeport Boulevard in

the Land Park area of Sacramento on August 18, 2020. About

40 residents and staff at Monroe Lodge attended the party. Mon-

roe Lodge has been the site of many Renaissance book clubs,

seminar presentations and meetings over the last 20 years. At-

tending residents included Marjorie LeDonne (pictured below),

who taught many RS seminars with her daughter, Claire Le-

Donne. RS member, Ginger Mack, supplied seven exhibi-

tion boards displayed in Monroe Lodge's lobby showing the

many outstanding women and events which contributed to the

amendment's ratification (pictured below). A major theme of

this celebration was voter registration. Gift bags of black dis-

posable masks, a variety of "vote" stickers, the Renaissance So-

ciety book marks, and a few of the foil wrapped Hershey kisses

were distributed. A Monroe Lodge resident sang a suffrage

marching song. There were voting picket signs placed on the

walkway out to the party area. Residents were able to self-check

their California voter status on site. Oh yes, there were mimosas

as well!

October 2020 Page 7

Reprints may be made with the permission of the author. Please

contact Dolores Eitel at doloressurvived@gmail.com

CLINICAL PEARLS By Dolores J. Eitel, BSN, MA, cNY

Family Nurse Practitioner

KEEP A LID ON IT ! Back by Popular Request

with a COVID-19 update

Does it really matter if the toilet lid is up or down when

you flush? The answer is yes, you should always close the

toilet lid when you flush and keep it down. Here’s why:

When you flush the toilet, the swirling water that re-

moves your waste from the bowl mixes with the small par-

ticles of that waste and then sprays it up into the air in a

fine mist to a distance of 6-20 feet. Distance depends on the

force of the flow. Low flow toilets decrease the risk. This is

a phenomenon called “toilet plume.” Your waste may con-

tain potentially infectious bacteria and viruses. It is sug-

gested that these bacteria and viruses can be spread via fe-

cal-oral transmission. Most recently covid-19 has been

found in the esophagus, small intestine and in feces of in-

fected persons. Traces of covid-19 have been found in the

toilet bowl, and on the toilet seat, sink and door handles of

infected users.

What is known is, whatever you put in your toilet bowl

can stay there and remain on nearby surfaces after you

flush. The aerosol resides on surfaces until it is scrubbed

off. As an example, research indicates that coronavirus can

survive up to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel.

Think about what is within that distance of the spray in

your bathroom: Toothbrush? Razor? Drinking glass? Tow-

els? Be aware. Remove non-essentials from bathrooms and/

or keep them in closed cabinets.

Tips to keep a healthy environment in your bathroom:

Keep the lid down when you flush and keep it down.

Keep your head out of the toilet (even if you vomit),

Keep your personal care items (don’t forget the tooth-

brush) in a closed container or closet.

Clean your bathroom with a solution of 1/3 cup of

Clorox to 1 gallon of tepid water: Prewash with soapy

detergent, follow with Clorox solution leaving it on for 5

minutes, rinse and dry. Lysol Spray Disinfectant may

also be used. Wear disposable gloves and use a long

handled toilet brush that you wash after each use. Wash

your hands before putting gloves on and after removing

them. Wash your hands (20 second rule) before and after

using the toilet.

Wash your hands before going into the bathroom and

before leaving the bathroom.

It is recommended that you carry disposable hand

wipes for use in public bathrooms. In public bathrooms

with lid-less toilets, wipe the seat with wipes that contain a

minimum of 70% alcohol. Paper toilet seat covers are not

dependable. Wipe doorknobs and everything stainless steel

or plastic with an alcohol wipe before handling. When you

prepare to leave, unlock the door, hold it open, flush the

toilet handle with your foot if possible, and run like h_ _ _.

Beat the toilet plume. (Did Jennifer/Cheryl bleep me?) Af-

ter you wash your hands use a paper towel to open and

close the entrance/exit door.

Bottom line: KEEP A LID ON IT!

References: GastroJournal.com: Various articles on

COVID-19: Invasion of the gastrointestinal found in ex-

creted feces and in the GI tract. March-July 2020.

https: the conversation.com.March2020

www.sciencedaily.com/

releases2020/05/2005044091438.ntm

(Generosity from Page 3 continued)

$7,000 - to RS general operations; and

· $4,500 - to the Music Department, from members in

the fall 2019 Classical Music seminar.

· 2,000 - RS Membership Scholarships-

In addition, as the pandemic caused the cancellation of

spring 2020 seminars and excursions, Renaissance

members enrolled in the Classical Music seminar re-

sponded generously to help Sacramento State stu-

dents:

$1,525 in donation of pre-paid excursion fees to the

ASI Food Pantry; and $2,400 in direct donations to the

Sacramento State CARES Fund.

(Editor’s note: The generosity of our Renaissance

Members continues to grow! The information here is

pulled from the RS Annual Report for 2019/2020. If

you wish to make a contribution please go to: https://

tinyurl.com/RSSpecialProgramFund. And for infor-

mation on contributing to the ASI Food Pantry, see the

note on the mail page of this issue.)

In Memoriam

Member Thomas C. O'Brien

passed away in January, 2020.

His wife, Pamela O’Brien is a

Renaissance member.

California State University, Sacra-

mento

The Renaissance Society

6000 J Street – MS 6074

Sacramento, CA 95819

Renaissance Recorder Editors For Submissions, use these contacts:

Jennifer Cummings, jennifer1945@hotmail.com

Phone: 916.425.9350

Cheryl Huffman, chuffman79@aol.com,

Phone: 530.708.0499

**Deadline for November issue is October 2,

2020.

Renaissance Society ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE

E-mail: renaissa@csus.edu

Website: www.csus.edu/org/rensoc

(916) 758-5133

Remember the contribution envelopes that have been passed around at every First Fri-

day seminar? Monies that you contributed went directly to the ASI food pantry, to help

replenish food stuffs for Sac State students. In these very difficult days, food insecurity is

rampant. Bob Lang in his virtual seminar reminded methat we can still make these

monthly contributions by going directly to: https://asi.csus.edu/asi-food-pantry. Please

consider making a contribution during the first week of each month this semester. Thank

you!