The Perfect "Smize"

According to the Urban Dictionary, supermodel Tyra Banks coined the term “smize” years ago when hosting the reality show “America’s Top Model.” To smize is to “smile with your eyes” and while Tyra was keen on teaching prospective top models how to do this in an alluring way, I’ve recently been noticing some great, genuine smizes behind the de rigueur face masks worn in public these days. I’m still working on my smize but I can spot a great one when I see it! And there is none better than the way Shelby Jones is smiling with her eyes while holding her two precious newborns, Jackson Thomas and Logan James, who simply couldn’t wait to join the world. They arrived a bit ahead of schedule but everyone is doing well! We all know that underneath that mask, she is beaming. If that doesn’t put a smize on your face, I don’t know what will! But wait, there’s more: in this newsletter we have some good news about the fall 2020 semester. And now that I have you thinking about babies and the fall semester, I want to note that you are not limited to just using your eyes to smile. With or without a mask, go ahead and grin from ear to ear!

Stay safe and healthy,

Tracy Jacobs

The Osher News & Notes e-newsletter comes out bi-weekly. Please continue to check your email for updates from Osher staff in between newsletters.

What: All fall courses will meet live via Zoom. There are 4-week and 8-week courses in a variety of subjects. You will see that many of the spring 2020 selections are back in the lineup. There will also be a few new courses added to the mix. The online catalog will be available the first week of August. Please keep your eyes on your email to get the link.

When: Session I (September 14 – October 8) and Session II (October 12 – November 5). Classes will meet Monday through Thursday at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, and 1 pm unless otherwise noted. We will note any exceptions to the schedule in the calendar.

How: The fall semester will be fully online with all courses meeting via Zoom. Classes will meet in real time. Most class meetings will consist of lecture with time at the end for Q & A.

Who: Courses are open to current members. Renew your membership today. Your membership not only allows access to courses, it helps to sustain our lifelong learning community.

Why: Member safety is our top concern and we want to be sure it is fully safe before we have in-person courses, lectures, and meetings.

Learn about the fall semester classes by viewing Osher instructor presentations. Many courses will be familiar to you from the spring schedule while some are new offerings. On August 10, we will email our members the link to the Online Preview. The pre-recorded preview session will be available to watch beginning on August 10.

Membership fees directly impact our ability to provide excellent programming and an excellent value to our participants. The 2020–21 membership fee remains at $50 per person and includes participation in Zoom Into Summer, our summer program, at no additional fee. Contact osher@towson.edu with any questions.

Join us every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. unless otherwise noted, June 30–August 13. Explore a wide range of topics in 14 lectures. Nearly all will be delivered live with time for Q&A. A few will be pre-recorded with complementary ancillary materials to enhance your experience. VIEW LECTURE DESCRIPTIONS (PDF)

Registration

This year's summer session is offered at no additional cost to current Osher members. If you haven't yet renewed your 2020–2021 membership, CLICK HERE TO RENEW today.

Please Note: Members will receive notification on how to access the weekly lectures at the beginning of the week. Membership data is not immediately available, so thank you for your patience if you have just renewed.