SEX, INTIMACY AND AGING

Melanie Ramey, CEO of Hope of Wisconsin, JD and MSW

Sexual intimacy among older Americans is alive and well.  It’s just a subject we don’t talk about much.  This silence allows misconceptions to flourish - including the widespread assumption that seniors lose interest in sex and are, or should be, asexual.  According to leading researchers, that is far from the truth.

Recently Melanie Ramey presented a lecture on Sexuality and Aging to a class at the UW Madison School of Social Work.  On this program, Melanie shares her message on the importance and broad existence of intimacy in older adults lives and the need for family members and care professionals to recognize this.  This open conversation covers the myths, barriers, dynamics, and benefits of sex as we age, and how the need for intimacy is ageless and should be supported.

MY LIFE WITH EPILEPSY

Guest: Kristin Seaborg, M.D.

What is it like to live with epilepsy?  One in 26 people know as that is how many will develop epilepsy at some point during their lifetime.  Epilepsy affects over 3 million Americans of all ages.  In America, epilepsy is as common as breast cancer.

 On this program, Kristin Seaborg, a pediatrician, parent, and advocate for epilepsy awareness describes her experiences with seizures and epilepsy over 20 years.  After a diagnosis of epilepsy in her teens, Kristin lived in constant fear that her seizures would intensify and prevent her from practicing medicine. She kept her condition a closely-guarded secret, leading a tenuous double life as patient and practitioner - until now.

Kristin Seaborg chronicles her journey in her newly-published memoir, The Sacred Disease, with the hope that writing about her disease will build public awareness and decrease the stigma associated with seizures.

THE UW ODYSSEY PROJECT: A GATEWAY TO OPPORTUNITY

Guests:  Emily Auerbach, Project Director, UW-Madison Odyssey Project; Tosumba Welch, Odyssey Project Success Story

What do Emily Dickinson, Martin Luther King, Walt Whitman, Shakespeare and Gandhi have to do with breaking down economic barriers that so many low-income adults face today? A whole lot, says Emily Auerbach, Project Director of the UW-Madison Odyssey Project and award-winning English Professor.  Each Wednesday from September to May, low-income adults enrolled as UW special students in the Odyssey Project, gain a voice and a sense of empowerment through lively discussions of literature, history, philosophy, art and writing. They receive six credits through the English Department, and for many it is the launching pad for a college education or skilled career path.

On this program, Tosumba Welch, one of the Odyssey Project’s many success stories, joins Emily Auerbach and describes how his life has been changed and gives us a sample of his writing and oratory skills.

The public is invited to attend the 2016 graduation ceremony, Wednesday, May 4, 6:30-8:00 PM in Varsity Hall at Union South.  For more information go to odyssey.wisc.edu.

KIDS "STAR" IN MONEY MANAGEMENT

Guests:  Kristel Renn, Youth Development Director, STAR Credit Union;  Kelsey Johnson, STAR Exceptional Saver

Empowering young people to create the future they want is the philosophy behind STAR (Save to Achieve Results) Credit Union, the only kids-chartered credit union in the world. STAR CU is financed entirely by Summit Credit Union and is housed in the Boys and Girls Club where members under the age of 18 can open a savings account with a minimum deposit of 25 cents and participate in financial literacy classes.

On this program, Kristel Renn describes how at risk kids are learning about money management and saving for their future through their hands-on experience with a financial institution. Longtime member Kelsey Johnson, one of STAR’s exceptional savers, shares how having a savings account and being involved with the credit union operations have inspired her to plan for college and perhaps a career in the financial industry or teaching.

For more information, go to saveatstar.com.