September 2023

BREAKING NEWS

Coming Purdue Parking Changes ***** Flu Shots

Lynne Dahmen, Managing Director, Purdue Institute for a Sustainable Future, "Working for a Sustainable Future" (Slides) and Allison Bryan Jungels, Assistant Director, Operations, Outreach & Partnerships, Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, "Purdue Research Impacts" (Slides) (Zoom)

June, Rob Ford, Communications Director, Tipmont REMC and Wintek, "Electric Cooperatives: Their Place In The Grid" (Zoom)

2023 Annual Spring Conference Video (Slides) (Previously Known as Purposeful Living in Retirement)

This PURA News edition is dedicated in remembrance of Connie Bilyeu who so faithfully and diligently assisted in producing the monthly issues of PURA News for eight years.

Welcome!

Special Events

PURA’s September Kickoff Luncheon—
Registration Closed

Tour of Purdue Athletic Facilities – October 16, 2023

PURA Business

Trivia Winners at Monthly PURA Programs - 2022-23

NEW PROGRAM/BUSINESS MEETING TIME

Tom’s Topics:

September Kickoff
Luncheon Flu Shots

Features

**Zoom Connection Information for PURA Meetings**

About PURA News

Calendars

Upcoming PURA Events

Campus/Community Calendar Highlights

Purdue Academic/Holiday Schedule

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New Program/Meeting Time

Mark your calendars now for the upcoming PURA Program/Business Meeting time change. Starting with the November meeting and running through the March meeting, your regular Monday meetings will run from 10:00 a.m. ET to approximately 11:30 a.m. ET. At that time we will make the decision if this time change will be permanent or if we will revert back to lunch time. Refreshments will be provided free of charge at these first 5 meetings. Mark your calendar today!!

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International Friendship Program

For almost 30 years the International Friendship Program (IFP) at Purdue has helped connect local volunteer “hosts” to international students.

IFP is always looking for new hosts to share their homes, experiences, and time with the incoming international students in a cross-cultural friendship.

Host-a-Boiler (HAB) is a special, one-time meet-up over university breaks for hosts and students to spend time with each other and share family and cultural traditions. These one-time events help students who are far from home feel welcomed during their school breaks. HAB happens twice a year with both events occurring in the Fall semester.

Some hosts will sign up to host students for a Thanksgiving meal, or others may sign up to host a dinner, game night, or fun outing for a student or students during the winter break session of Purdue. IFP and HAB have both been integral parts of getting international students plugged into the Greater Lafayette community for decades, and we look forward to welcoming more students this year.

For more information about these programs, please contact IFP@purdue.edu

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United Way Campaign’s Beginning Soon! Plan to support your community’s annual drive. Purdue retirees in the greater Lafayette area should receive their materials in September.

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September 2023 PURA Retirees Annual Kickoff Luncheon

The Annual Kickoff luncheon to be held at The Courtyard Lafayette Marriott, 150 Fairington Avenue, Lafayette, IN 47905.

Online Registration for the luncheon is required and closed August 18, 2023.

The luncheon keynote speaker will be Anthony Cawdron, Events Coordinator and House Manager at ‘Westwood’, the Purdue President’s official residence—a position he also held at Iowa State University before making the transition to Purdue twenty-one years ago, with now president emeritus, Martin Jischke. He continues to manage the day-to-day operations of the house and oversees the events and entertaining for Purdue’s thirteenth President Mung Chiang and his wife, First Lady Kei Hui.

Anthony also teaches business etiquette and advanced service courses in the Hospitality and Tourism Management department at Purdue, as well as advises numerous student groups on interview and work-preparedness skills. He has a Masters degree in Hospitality and has held a variety of positions including banquet manager, restaurant manager, hospitality faculty in Switzerland and three years as a butler in two of England's finest stately homes, Blenheim Palace and Sutton Place.

Anthony’s presentation will focus on: “Keeping House ~ from Blenheim to Westwood”

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Tour of Purdue Athletic Facilities – October 16, 2023

Purdue is proud to have some of the best athletic facilities in the country. On October 16th at 10:00 a.m. ET to 11:30 a.m. ET. Al Capitos, Associate Athletics Director for Facilities and Event Management will host 20 lucky Purdue retirees to tour sites including Mackey arena, Ross Ade Stadium, Holloway Gymnasium, Lambert Indoor Track and other facilities. Al will provide a brief overview of the tour and the history of athletic facilities as well as current and future projects. Please contact James Lehman of the Campus and Community Activities Committee at lehman@purdue.edu to sign up. The first 20 individuals who sign-up will be confirmed for the tour by Jim. Tour participants are asked to meet at the main ticket office in Mackey at 10:00 a.m. ET on the 16th. The entrance is along Northwestern Avenue. Wear comfortable walking shoes. We hope you will join the fun!!

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Tom’s Topics

I hope you are all enjoying a fun summer, in spite of the heat, humidity and occasional Canadian wildfire smoke. It is hard to believe that we had several days in June and July with “Air Quality Alerts” in place!

Our first in-person Kickoff Luncheon since 2019 was held last year on September 12. Plans for our Kickoff Luncheon this year are in place as follows:

September 11
Courtyard By Marriott - Lafayette
12:00 Noon
Speaker - Anthony Cawdron
There will be door prizes this year

I hope you are registered and plan to attend with your fellow PURA retirees.

A reminder - Our next monthly meeting will be October 2nd with lunch available at 11:45 a.m. ET and the speaker at 12:30 p.m. ET at the VFW.

Note: We are not able to have our October meeting in the morning (as originally planned) because our speaker isn’t available until lunchtime that day.

We have set the dates for flu shots this September and October. They will be held at the Daniel Turfgrass Center located on Cherry Lane. Note - we will not have a designated drive-through day this year for PURA.

However, there will be four days of drive-throughs for all Purdue employees. Retirees can use any of these days, if you prefer the drive-through method (September 27: 7-9 a.m. ET; September 28: 4-6 p.m. ET; October 4: 7-9 a.m. ET and October 5: 4-6 p.m. ET). These drive-through events will be held in the parking lot at the Purdue Center for Healthy Living located at the Purdue West Shopping Center Building B: 1400 West State Street West Lafayette, IN 47906.

Following are the PURA dates for the walk-in flu shots:

September 29: 8:30 a.m. ET - 3:30 p.m. ET
October 6: 8:30 a.m. ET - 3:30 p.m. ET
October 13: 8:30 a.m. ET - 3:30 p.m. ET

Flu shots will be administered by the Purdue Center for Healthy Living. Wellness screenings will also be available on these three days.

On a personal note, I want to thank EVERYONE for your thoughts and prayers during and after my recent heart surgery. I am recovering at home and working hard to get stronger each day.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. Boiler Up!

Tom Robertson
PURA President- 2023-2024

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Age-Related Macular Degeneration
By Dr. Mary Esders
Evans, Taylor and Finney Eye Care

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in Americans 65 and over. ARMD causes blurry, distorted, or missing central vision. ARMD can be the wet form or dry form. In a healthy retina, the cellular waste/debris is carried away from the macula, the center-most area of the retina, which is responsible for our sharp, central vision, by the choroidal blood vessels under the retina. Dry ARMD occurs when drusen, or cellular waste/debris, builds up under the macula. If the condition progresses to wet ARMD, then abnormal blood vessels grow under the macula. The abnormal vessels leak blood and fluid into the macula causing swelling which distorts, blurs, or obscures the central vision.

Everyone with macular degeneration should self-monitor at home with an Amsler Grid. An Amsler Grid is a high contrast grid that helps detect central visual distortions indicating potential change or progression of the disease. To use the grid, close or cover one eye and focus on the grid’s center dot. All of the lines on the grid should be straight and all areas of the grid should be visible. If the lines become wavy or broken or areas of the grid are missing, then you should contact your eye care provider right away.

Dry ARMD is treated with vitamins and management of other risk factors including smoking, diets with high saturated fat, obesity, and hypertension. The goal of treatment is to prevent progression to severe disease. Treatment cannot reverse any retina damage that has already occurred which is why early detection is crucial. The AREDS 2 study researched which nutritional supplements are beneficial for individuals with ARMD. The research found that 500 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin E, 10 mg lutein, 2 mg zeaxanthin, 80 mg zinc, and 2 mg copper are beneficial for preventing disease progression. It is always recommended to consult with your primary care provider or eye care provider before beginning any over-the-counter treatments.

Wet ARMD is most often treated with medication administered via intravitreal injection into the eye. These medications target the abnormal blood vessels and try to reduce the fluid leakage from the vessels. Vision preservation is most effective when treatment is started at the first signs of progression from the dry form to the wet form. Therefore, close monitoring with an eye care provider and self monitoring with the amsler grid are needed for early detection.

If good vision is not able to be preserved with treatment, then you may need to see a low vision specialist. This is a specialized type of optometrist that can prescribe numerous types of magnifiers including hand-held, hands free, and electronic which can assist you with daily activities. A low vision specialist may also be able to help you make accommodations in your home to help with mobility and activities of daily living.

Besides lifestyle, genetics is another risk factor for macular degeneration. Research has shown a strong connection between two genes and increased risk for ARMD. However, the role of genetics is still being heavily researched. At home genetic tests can check for ARMD markers, but genetic testing is not currently recommended as the standard of care. In the future, genetic testing may be able to help with individualized treatments. Since you cannot control your genetic risk factors, make sure you control the risk factors that you can. Do not smoke, control your blood pressure, maintain a healthy weight, eat a healthy diet low in saturated fat, and remember to get your eyes checked by your eye care provider annually.

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Confessions of a Book Addict
By Jo Thomas

Tom Brokaw - An Autobiography of Growing Up in the American Heartland

This is not a recitation of Tom’s many achievements. Rather it is the awe and thanks for the many who came before him. He talks about his life, but in the context of family.

The first Brokaw to arrive was Richard P. Brokaw a member of the Huguenot religion. They had suffered much which may have encouraged him to leave Europe, travel to New York; then to South Dakota. He and his wife traveled in a covered wagon. He founded a town, Bristol, and built a hotel, the Brokaw House. He must have been very canny because he placed his town right where the East-West and the North-South railroads crossed. Richard P. was Tom’s Great Grandfather.

South Dakoda was not a welcoming place. There were draughts and dreadful rains. Once the Easterly winds were so strong that it was said there was a film of South Dakota soil on FDR’s desk in the White House. Both of Tom’s parents lived during the devastating depression during their coming of age. They practiced all sorts of saving, sure that another depression was coming. They even smoothed out wrapping paper and carefully folding it for the next gift. WWII brought money but their highest value was hard work.

Brokaw’s father, Anthony Orville Brokaw, was usually called Red for his blazing red hair. He left school at age 10 and lost his mother at 12. The youngest of 10 siblings he had no support. All he had was his work ethic and the plan to be better than people thought of him. He married the girl of his dreams and they had three boys. Tom was the oldest. Tom loved sports, joining football, basketball, baseball and track. He was never the best, but was tops in other areas.

They moved to a larger town, bought their first house. After dinner they would watch the nightly Huntly & Brinkley Report. It was the first time they could relate to the larger world. In High School Tom was Class President, Meredith Auld was Vice President. He had the male lead in the Senior play, she had the female lead. He played football. She was a cheerleader. He liked her, but she was too smart with too much self-control. Not to his taste.

Enrolling in the University of Iowa he developed a gigantic big head. Drinking heavily, ignoring responsibilities, and thinking he was entitled to everything. Fortunately, a Professor invited him to dinner and a conversation in his office. He said Tom was at a crisis point. If he didn’t clean up his act his life was pointless. His friend Meredith sent him a scathing letter calling him many colorful and hurtful names. After a time she called and asked to meet. She said she meant all the words but regretted calling him names.

They have been happily married for 61 years and have 3 daughters.

This is the most intriguing autobiography I have read and I left half of it out.

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Trivia Winners at Monthly PURA Programs - 2022-23

October 3, 2022
Question – What was the first time Purdue opened for classes?
Answer – September 16, 1874
Winner – Marilyn Yoder

November 7, 2022
Question – How many students were admitted the first year Purdue held classes? Answer – 39
Winner – Roy Johnson

December 5, 2022
Question – I could not find which Big Ten school had the first mascot, but I did find which United States University had the first mascot. Obviously, not a Big Ten school. Can you name the school?
Answer – Yale – Bulldog named Handsome Danny – Class of 1892
Winner – Shay Kohne

February 6, 2023
Question – The first time classes were held at Purdue was 9/16/1874 – Men only. What was the first year that women were admitted to Purdue?
Answer – 1875
Winner – Betty Nelson

March 6, 2023
Question – The first classes started at Purdue on 9/16/1874. When was the first graduation?
Answer – May 1875
Winner – Ken Sheeringa

April 3, 2023
Question – The first graduating class at Purdue was in 1875. How many students graduated that year?
Answer – 1 John B. Harper in Chemistry
Winner – John Norberg

May 1, 2023
Question – When were the residence halls at Purdue desegregated?
Answer – 1947
Winner – Sarah Johnson

June 5, 2023
Question – How many seats are in the Elliott Hall of Music?
Answer – 6005 (45 more than Radio City Music Hall in NYC)
Winners – In person – Harold Doermire; On zoom – Ernie Poland (Pensacola, FL)

July 3, 2023
Question – Who had the shortest tenure as President at Purdue
Answer – Abraham C. Shortridge – 16 Months (6/12/1874 – 11/6/1875)
Winner – Charlene Sullivan

August 7, 2023
Question – What President had the longest tenure at Purdue University? What was the length of his tenure? Answer – Frederick L. Hovde 25 years, 5 months, 20 days (1/1/1946 – 6/24/1971)
Winner – Sara Harlan

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Pilates Class
By Sara Jane Coffman

I don’t know about you, but every now and then – like when I can’t get into my favorite skirt -- I realize I’m out of shape. I should try to get some exercise. But exercising on my own is boring. So then I thought – maybe if I took a class I could have some fun AND get back in shape.

I happened across an ad for a Pilates class. I knew nothing about Pilates, but I went ahead and signed up. How hard could it be?

When I walked into the first class, I could see I was in trouble. I’d assumed my classmates would be women my age. These gals were all in their early
20’s. Most of them had just completed an hour-long cycling class and weren’t even breathing hard.

The instructor began by telling us the history of Pilates, which I couldn’t hear

because the music was so loud. Then she asked us what we thought about the level of music. Thank goodness! She was going to turn it down.

“Could you turn it up a bit?” someone asked.

I took a spot in the back row and unrolled my brand-new exercise mat.

The instructor began by having us bend forward and touch our toes. She looked over at me and said:

“Or your ankles.”

She looked over at me again and said: “Or your knees.”

After we did a few more stretches, we got into the more rigorous exercises. I quickly discovered I could do one squat, one crunch, and one leg lift for every ten squats, crunches, and leg lifts the other gals were doing. But that was partly because I was having trouble with my mat – it kept sliding around on the floor. I had to keep getting off my mat and repositioning it so I wouldn’t bump into the gals around me.

Then we laid down on our backs and squeezed an exercise ball between our knees. MY ball kept popping out and rolling away. I had to keep getting up and going after it.

Throughout the class, the other gals drank from their water bottles. I hadn’t brought a water bottle, so I had to get up and go to the drinking fountain . . . on the far side of the room.

While the other gals were bending, squatting, crunching, and lifting their legs, I spent most of the class repositioning my mat, chasing my ball, and going for water at the drinking fountain . . . on the far side of the room.

This was definitely the wrong class for me.

I couldn’t wait to get out of there.

Finally, the class ended. The other gals chatted on their way out while I just laid there, panting, on my mat, trying to recover.

One of the young girls came over to me and whispered: “If you put the rubber side of your mat face down, it won’t slide all over the floor.”

Now you tell me.

Using the last bit of effort I had, I got up and began rolling up my exercise mat.

That’s when I heard the instructor call across the room: “You’re not leaving, are you? This is just the break.”

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Abo

ut PURA News

The Purdue University Retirees Association newsletter is published for official retirees of Purdue University, and prepared by the PURA Communications Committee.

Send suggestions or ideas for PURA or the newsletter to:

Office of Retiree Affairs
2550 Northwestern Ave., Suite 1100
West Lafayette, IN 47906
Telephone, via Purdue Benefits help line:
(toll free) 877-725-0222
Email: pura@purdue.edu

2023-2024 PURA Communications Committee:

Chair: Karen Lembcke

Members: Connie Bilyeu, Jo Thomas

www.purdue.edu/retirees

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Zoom Connection Information for PURA Meetings

The Zoom connection information for PURA monthly meetings is shown below. The link, Meeting ID, and password will be the SAME for all future normal monthly meetings.

Members who wish to join via phone call audio only will need the separate Passcode shown below. (The password/passcode for that method is different from the normal “computer connection” to Zoom.)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/97285398989?pwd=MlB4U0FudEplMFRoWm1GTkZzNmYrZz09

Meeting ID: 972 8539 8989
Passcode: BoilerUp

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