Week of February 2, 2026

Week of February 2, 2026

OLLI INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY- If URI is closed due to inclement weather, OLLI will also be closed. Use the URI Alert Page (uri.edu/safety/alert) for information on power outages, weather alerts, and other campus notices. Your safety is our concern. Should the OLLI staff determine it is best to cancel OLLI classes, every attempt will be made to notify you two hours prior to the start of your scheduled class.If a class is canceled due to weather, we will work with instructors to reschedule whenever possible. Updated dates will be shared with members by email once confirmed. Information about closings and rescheduled classes will be available:

Check OLLI website at uri.edu/olli
Call the OLLI office at 401-874-4197 for a recorded message.
Watch for email notifications from OLLI

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – Keep in mind that OLLI parking options have changed. Members will continue to enjoy FREE parking in the Plains Rd Lot (#25). There are signs indicating there are some reserved spots for OLLI members. Please plan ahead and allow extra time for the short walk to OLLI or hop on the complimentary shuttle, which runs every 15 minutes beginning the week of January 20. For more information on URI shuttles, please click here. You can also check out the live shuttle tracking by clicking here. To take the shuttles, please look for the glass shelters located in the center of the Plains Road Lot. Click on the MAP for OLLI parking and handicapped parking options. If you need assistance locating either lot, please call the office at 401.874.4197 and we’ll be happy to show you. Come early, stay late, and enjoy a cup of coffee with your OLLI friends.

CANCELLED CLASSES –

QPR Suicide Prevention Training
How to Find Reliable Medical Information on the Internet
Galentine’s Day Floral Workshop

DON’T LET THIS CLASS GET CANCELLED!

HEALTHY EATING MADE SIMPLE – 6 Sessions with Kathy Tonelli beginning Mon, Feb 9, 9:30AM -11:00AM Learn about the health benefits connected with eating real, whole foods and explore various ways of incorporating them into daily meals. Current ideas and general guidelines around macro and micro nutrients will be discussed as well as how to eat healthy both at home and when away. Participants will also be provided with many simple recipes. Some classes may also include food samples. Click Here To Register

WINTER ADD ON CLASSES-

SQUARE FOOT GARDENING – 6 Sessions with Kathy Tonelli beginning Mon, Feb 9,11:30AM-1:00 PM Click Here For More Info & To Register

CYBERSECURITY- Strategies for Keeping Your Personal Information Safe and Secure – 1 Session with Joanne Daly, Thu, Feb 12, 11AM – 12:30PM Click Here For More Info & To Register

WHERE WERE YOU IN THE LATE 1960s-EARLY 70s? – 2 Sessions with Jim Buxton beginning Wed, Feb 18, 1:30PM-3PM Click Here For More Info & To Register

FOOD IS MEDICINE: HEALING YOUR BODY ONE BITE AT A TIME – 1 Session with Sandra Musial Tues, Mar 24, 10-11:30AM Click Here For More Info & To Register

CLASS SPOTLIGHT-

The FDA and Drug Approval Process – 1 Session with John McLane on Thurs, Feb 5 1:30-3PM The FDA has been approving drugs and medical devices for over five decades using rigorous processes. The evidence-based process is designed to ensure safety and efficacy. We will discuss how the system balances thorough evaluation with multiple stakeholders collaborating throughout the process: the FDA, sponsors, investigators, and patients. Every approved drug represents years of scientific dedication and unbiased scientific and regulatory rigor. There are current challenges and future directions such as use of AI, or changes in regulations that the FDA must consider for upcoming drugs. These issues, of concern to all, will be addressed in this session. Click Here to Register

TRAVEL WITH OLLI- Join us at OLLI Mon, Feb 2, 3pm for a preview of two scheduled trips – Discover Croatia, Slovenia & The Adriatic Coast (Oct 10-21) and Nashville & the Smoky Mountains Holiday (Nov 28-Dec 5). Our Collette sales rep will be here to showcase these trips and answer any questions. CLICK HERE to visit our website for more information.

OLLI NEW MEMBER WELCOME- Are you new to OLLI @ URI? or returning after being gone awhile? Both current and new members are invited to attend and learn about all OLLI has to offer. We’ll review our current programs, and our special interest groups, all while exploring and becoming more familiar with our OLLI website and registration software. Plenty of time for Q & A. Coffee & refreshments too! Join us! Bring a friend! Non-members welcome! If you are not a member and need a temporary parking pass, please call the OLLI office at 401-874-4197.Thurs, Feb 12, 1:00PM Click Here to Register

CURRENT EVENTS-The next scheduled current events meeting will be held on Thurs, Feb 19, 11AM

THIS WEEK AT OLLI

Monday

10:00AM Women in Combat
11:00AM Brain & Behavior (Osher Online)
1:00PM Travel Like a Pro
3:00PM Landscape & Adventure in Photography (Osher Online)
3:30PM Travel Preview (Croatia/Nashville & Smoky Mountains)
5:00PM Post Impressionism/Abstraction (Osher Online)

Tuesday

9:30AM Roma Aeterna
10:00AM Science in Science Fiction
11:30AM Animal Farm: An Allegory for Our Time?
1:00PM Game On!
1:00PM More Than Parks: A History of American Conservation (Osher Online)
1:30PM Crime, Corruption and Conviction: The Daniel Green Story
3:00PM Modern History Through Allegory: Every Man’s Endeavoring (ZOOM)
5:00PM Einstein Without Tears (Osher Online)
6:30PM Trivia Night (Tower Hill Brewing)
7:00PM Japanese History Through the Lens of Shogun (Osher Online)

Wednesday

9:30AM The Winter’s Tale: Page to Stage
9:30AM Connected & Creative: Lifelong Learning With Today’s Tech
10:00AM Slavery, Abolition and Women’s Suffrage (ZOOM)
10:00AM Cyber Seniors
11:00AM Milestones in Medicine (Osher Online)
11:30AM Ageless Grace® for Brain-Body Fitness
11:30AM Cybersecurity – Strategies for Keeping Your Personal Info Safe and Secure
12:00PM Sweet Valentine Chocolate Experience – Gansett Craft Chocolate
12:30PM Bowling
1:00PM Hiking
2:00PM Cribbage
2:00PM Genealogical Research and Analysis

Thursday

9:00AM Let’s Skate!
9:30AM The Assassination of Olof Palme Revisited
11:00AM John James Audubon and the Birds of America (Osher Online)
11:30AM Understanding the Basics of Olympic Figure Skating
1:00PM Mah Jongg
1:30PM The FDA & Drug Approval Process
3:00PM Pharmaceuticals and Poisons: Chemistry at the Edge (Osher Online)
6:00PM Renaissance Art History (ZOOM)

Friday

9:00AM QiGong for Vitality
10:00AM Photo Friday (ZOOM)
10:15AM QiGong for Vitality – Deepening Practice
10:30AM Food Is Medicine
11:00AM How US Immigration System Works (Osher Online)
11:30AM QiGong for Vitality
1:00PM Music Biopics
1:00PM Taking the Inward Journey
1:00PM Writer’s Group (ZOOM)
3:00PM Integrative Health (Osher Online)

Saturday

9:30AM CPR Training
1:00PM American Revolution (Osher Online)

OLLI TRIVIA NIGHT – Tower Hill Brewery, South Kingstown, RI, Tues, Feb 3, 7PM (6:30 arrival) Gather your friends and fellow OLLI members for an evening of laughter, friendly competition, and community spirit! (There is still time to register for this rescheduled date) Click To Register.

CYBER SENIORS IS BACK – Stop by the lobby to get help with all your technology questions on Wednesdays, 10AM – 12PM No appointment necessary. Click Here to Meet Oge

COFFEE DONATIONS – Let’s keep our coffee station up and running this Winter! Donations of caffeinated Keurig pods and ground coffee are always appreciated. Drop them off in the office.

GREAT DECISIONS BOOKS – If you have registered for Great Decisions-America and the World: Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy and/or Great Decisions-Trump Tariffs and the Future of the World Economy (or plan to enroll in future GD classes) and you wish to purchase the 2026 GD Book – we have 13 copies left for the discounted price of $31. The GD book is not required to participate in the class but it is recommended. Click Here To Purchase or give us a call in the office at 401.874.4197

OLLI MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT – URI Campus Recreation offers OLLI members a special discount to access the Mackal Field House facilities. A special day pass rate of $5 (regularly $10) includes use of the track, cardio room, weight room, and basketball courts. Please request a membership card from the OLLI office which must be presented each time you visit. Stay warm and fit this winter by taking advantage of this OLLI benefit. (If your card from last year has expired, stop by the office for a new one.)

OLLI MERCH – We have beautiful and cozy OLLI winter scarves to help you stay warm through the winter! Represent OLLI at URI sporting events! CLICK HERE to view and purchase! ($15) Stop by the office or call 401.874.4197.

GILDED AGE UPDATE: You may remember OLLI instructors Nancy Markey and Kay Adams who recently taught a class for OLLI on the Gilded Age. They have a new book out about Ben Burton called A Harbor of Deceit. The book is available now on Amazon and other bookstores. And good news for us….Nancy and Kay have a new class coming this fall on Newport Kingscote’s original mansion owner, William Henry King. If you are not familiar with him, his brothers had him committed to an insane asylum and then after 30 years, a woman came forward claiming he was her long lost uncle. Stay tuned for more info!

YOGA NIDRA FOR BODY, MIND & SPIRIT– With OLLI Instructor Linda Morse. Yoga Nidra is shavasana with guided meditation – the restful space between sleeping and waking activates the body’s natural healing process and increases feelings of radiance, vitality, happiness and joy. Westminster Unitarian Church, 119 Kenyon Ave, E Greenwich, 4th Thu of every month 10:30-11:30AM. Drop-in donation $5 Wear comfortable clothes and bring a pillow or blanket for support. Call Linda with any questions – 401.318.0303. Click Here For Flyer

DISCOUNT URI BASKETBALL – CLICK HERE for OLLI discounted URI Basketball tickets

RHODY OUTPOST– URI’s principal basic needs pantry for students experiencing food insecurity. The Outpost provides fresh and non-perishable food and personal care items at no charge to students. Click Here to view the updated list of all urgently needed items. You can also purchase items directly from Amazon on the Rhody Outpost Wish List.

INTERGENERATIONAL PEN PAL PROGRAM- URI student Eve Masson is looking for volunteers to participate in her honors project and hoping to host an intergenerational pen pal program for LGBTQ+ students. If you are interested, the URI group will be meeting biweekly on Wednesdays at 6pm, beginning Wed, February 4th. Each participant from URI will have an older LGBTQ+ pen pal assigned to them. If you are interested in letter writing, learning about queer history and experience, and creating connections across generations, please fill out this form! You can contact Eve via email at gmasson@uri.edu with any questions or concerns. Thank you!

URI THEATRE PRESENTS: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare Feb 27-28, and Mar 4-7, 7:30PM Mar 1 & Mar 8, 2PM, Robert E. Will Theater Click Here to Buy Tickets

IF YOU ARE ATTENDING CLASSES AT OLLI, YOU MUST HAVE A PARKING PASS! If you are not sure, please call the office at 401-874-4197. Parking is FREE with membership but you must register your vehicle now if you are taking classes in 2025 -2026. If you get a ticket you will be responsible for appealing it with the URI parking administration. If you would like us to renew your parking pass we need the following information as soon as possible: License Plate #, State, Car Make, Model & Color and if your car is gas, electric or hybrid.

If you would like to view past This Week At OLLI weekly newsletters go to https://web.uri.edu/olli/news/If you would like to receive updates of URI News and Events subscribe to Rhody Today.