September 1, 2022

DID YOU MISS IT?

September, 2022 PURA Annual Kickoff. Jeremy Slater, Vice President of Capital Projects and Facilities for the Purdue Research Foundation (Zoom)

August, Emily Toner (from the Netherlands via Zoom!). Per her web site, Ms. Toner is a “writer, multimedia producer, soil geographer, facilitator and community builder,” and formerly a Purdue Extension Educator for Marion County. Soil Information; A World View (Zoom)

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PURA Business

Jerry’s Jottings
Big 10 Retiree Association Conference,
September PURA Kickoff, Flu Shots, United Way,
PURA’s Historic Characters Now on Our Website

Health/Benefits
PURA Health Insurance Plans Renewed for 2023
Annual Retiree Flu Shots/Wellness Screenings:
When, What to Bring, How to Get There
Can’t Hear the Program? Looping Systems Give Those With Heating Loss a Second Chance

Features

Jo Thomas: Confessions of a Book Addict
Sara Jane Coffman: College Application Essay
Tom Turpin: Eat-a-Roach Request

Events/Calendars
Upcoming PURA Events
New Purdue Events Calendar
September Campus Calendar

Zoom Connection Information for PURA Meetings

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Jerry’s Jottings

As usual, summer has flown by. Well, maybe not those weeks of the extreme heat and humidity, but here it is August once again. After spending much—or all—of our careers in higher education at Purdue, I would guess that many of you have a sense of excitement as the new school year begins. Even in retirement I know that I do. New students arriving on campus, continuing students returning, the first home football game and a new semester all point to an opportunity to begin anew.

We hope that you have made plans to join your fellow retirees at the Marriott Courtyard in Lafayette on September 12 for the annual PURA Kickoff Luncheon. This is our opportunity for celebrating past accomplishments and kicking off our new year of programming, while enjoying being with friends. The luncheon begins at noon ET with doors opening at 11:30 a.m. ET

The annual Big Ten Retiree Association meeting was held at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois, from August 1-3, with eleven schools in attendance. Tom Robertson, Larry Pherson, and I had the opportunity to attend and represent PURA. We met and interacted with the leadership of the other associations, gained an understanding of the various membership structures, and shared programming and communications ideas. Like PURA, all the others are seeking to find a new normal after their routines were disrupted by the pandemic. I want to thank Norm Long for presiding at the August monthly PURA luncheon at the VFW, and Bill Bennett for covering the August 3 Executive Board meeting while we were away at the Big Ten meeting.

Reminders:

There is no first Monday monthly luncheon in September because of the Kickoff Luncheon. We will be back at the VFW on October 3. (Lunch is available at the VFW beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET, for $10 per person).
Walk-in flu shots and wellness screenings are available on September 19 and October 19 from 8:30 a.m. ET until 4:00 p.m. ET. Drive-thru flu shots are available on September 23 from 8:30 a.m. ET until 4:00 p.m. ET. All flu shot events are being held at 2550 Northwestern (the former State Farm regional office building).
The annual United Way fund drive is kicking off soon. You will receive information about this important community giving opportunity in the coming weeks.
I want to draw your attention once again to the wealth of information available on the PURA website: https://www.purdue.edu/retirees

Recently added under the Archive menu are the photos and stories from the PURA Historic Purdue Characters Project, undertaken in 2019 to help celebrate Purdue University’s 150th anniversary. What amazing people these historic Purdue “characters” were, and what impressive accomplishments! PURA has been proud to help share their stories with the public through our reenactors project, and you can read their stories now on our website.

I think that you might find this material interesting. You may browse to the site from the Archive menu item on the PURA home page, or link directly there from this link: https://www.purdue.edu/retirees/history/PURA Historic Purdue Characters Project/index.html

Hope to see you at the Kickoff luncheon!

Thanks,

Jerry Day
PURA President

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PURA Health Insurance Plans Renewed for 2023

The Benefits Committee of the Purdue University Retirees Association (PURA) has renewed the PURcare and Medicare Advantage PPO group health insurance plans with UnitedHealthcare (UHC) for 2023. As in the past, the objective was to maintain the best medical and drug insurance plans, at the lowest premium possible, while preserving your ability to see the Medicare provider of your choice.

Your committee is announcing the following monthly premiums for 2023:

PURcare (UHC Senior Supplement plus Part D prescription plan)—$290.97/member
UHC Group Medicare Advantage PPO (including Part D prescription plan)—$172.91/member

The 2023 monthly PURcare premium has increased $10.20 /month. The Committee is disappointed by the 3.6% increase, but in light of current economic conditions, we believe that we have met the objective of obtaining the lowest premium possible while maintaining the outstanding medical and drug insurance plan.

Historically, the PURcare premium (per member, per month) has been:

For PURcare members with prescription coverage from the Veteran’s Administration, the 2023 supplement-only monthly premium will be $185.43/member, an increase of $7.13.

The 2023 monthly premium for the Group Medicare Advantage PPO Plan does not increase and will remain $172.91/member. There will be no change to Hospital and Medical co-pays nor to the Annual Out-of-Pocket Maximum for the Medicare Advantage PPO Plan.

There is one significant change in the benefits provided by both plans for 2023. Effective January 1, 2023, Renew Active will replace SilverSneakers as the fitness program available through PURcare Senior Supplement and Group Medicare Advantage PPO plans. Renew Active is a comprehensive Medicare fitness program that will be available through your plan at no additional cost to you. The Renew Active benefit will provide:

Free gym membership.
Access to a nationwide network of gyms and fitness locations, the largest of all Medicare fitness programs (including the West Lafayette Wellness Center).
Annual personalized fitness plan.
Allows you to bring a friend or family member to the gym to assist in your workout, at no additional cost.
Access to thousands of on-demand workout videos and livestreaming fitness classes.

The Committee is, and will continue to be, working with UnitedHealthcare to make the transition from SilverSneakers to Renew Active as seamless and transparent as possible for you. Be watching for future communications from both PURA and UnitedHealthcare regarding the transition to Renew Active.

The PURA Benefits Committee’s goal for the future is to continue to provide outstanding group health insurance plans while maintaining stability in monthly premiums. PURA members continue to receive outstanding support from Purdue Human Resources. PURA’s plans support a portion of the costs of these staff.

If you are currently enrolled in either of the plans, PURcare or Group Medicare Advantage PPO, and you do not want to make a change, no action is required. Your coverage will automatically continue for 2023. Re-enrollment is not required!

If you elect to terminate your PURA group coverage for a non-PURA plan, you will not be permitted to rejoin later.

Please contact Kate LaMar with questions about plan details or enrollment at klamar@purdue.edu or (765) 494-1694

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Annual Retiree Flu Shots/Wellness Screenings:
When, What To Bring, How To Get There

When
Three retiree flu shots will be offered in September and October—two in-person sessions and one drive-through session. Optional wellness screenings will be available at the in-person sessions.

All flu shot events will be held at 2550 Northwestern Avenue (entry via Kent Ave.), Suite 1100, in West Lafayette, from 8:30 a.m. ET to 4:00 p.m. ET. (The building is the former State Farm Insurance Company building in West Lafayette.) Note the meeting room differences below.

September 19, in person, Room 1200A.
September 23, drive-through, 2550 Northwestern Ave Parking Lot. (Retirees need not exit their vehicles; they will receive their shots through the car window. No wellness screenings will be offered on this date.)
October 19, in-person, Room 1160A.

Because of the heavy demand in 2021, we encourage everyone to avoid arriving at the opening times; rather, try to space yourselves out to facilitate social distancing and reduce wait times.

What To Bring
If you wish to have a flu shot, please bring your insurance card. If you’re covered by Medicare, you will need to bring your Medicare card.

How to Get There
Due to ongoing road construction on Yeager Road (which will allow only northbound traffic in Sept./Oct..), it’s recommended that retirees take Cumberland Ave.—north of the building—to Kent Ave. Use the first (north) entrance to enter the parking lot. (See the map below.) PURA volunteers will be on hand to direct you into the building.

To exit the lot, go out the south exit to Kent, and turn left (north) back to Cumberland to avoid Yeager Road.

Which Flu shot Will Be Offered?
We will be offering Seqirus Fluad at the retiree clinics. This flu vaccine contains more antigen (more protection) compared to a standard flu shot. It is approved for 65+ and is preservative free. If you have questions or need any information, please contact Erika Burchett, PPHC Manager, One to One Health, by phone at 765-494-0111, or by email at Erika.Burchett@121.health.

Other flu shot options
Of course, PURA members may alternatively schedule their flu shots with their respective medical providers or contact their local pharmacies.

Wellness screenings
Every Purdue retiree and spouse is entitled to have one free wellness screening each year. A wellness screening includes a blood pressure check, pulse, O2 saturation and a finger stick for glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, and total risk calculation.

If you plan to have a wellness screening, a 6-hour fast is recommended.

Wellness screenings are conducted by RNs getting their practitioner degrees and 4th year students. We recommend a six hour fast, but also have non-fasting values. These screenings will not be offered at the drive through flu clinic. Come support the nursing students and get your screening. If you have any questions or need any information, call 765-496-0308.

Retiree flu shot website:
https://www.purdue.edu/hr/CHL/Services/FluShots/retireeFlushot.php

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Confessions of a Book Addict
By Jo Thomas

Carl Bernstein at 16 was an unlikely candidate for awards and honors including the Pulitzer he would later receive. He preferred the pool hall to the classroom. He was truant, inquisitive, funny and uncertain if he would graduate from high school. He aspired to join the newspaper business, knew little about it, but read the Washington Post every day.

His worried father arranged an interview with Evening Star, the top paper in the area at that time. He was asked if he could type and demonstrated his speed. As he had no interest in shop he had elected typing in the Home Economics department. Strangely, he was a natural. He was hired on the spot as a copy boy.

Copy boys ran when a reporter yelled “copy”, grabbed the copy and rushed it to the proper editor. Carl was often sent out to pick up photos of Ike golfing (former U.S. president, Dwight Eisenhower), senate papers, or a JFK rally (former U.S. president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy) . Carl really didn’t understand the frenzy. Copy boys were encouraged to write copy which an Editor would critique. If it was put in print he or she was given a green scrapbook.

Carl Bernstein’s memoir Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom only covered 5 years, to age 21. They were years of world-wide news: Russia’s Sputnik orbiting the world, Kennedy’s election and death, school integration and more. He left the Evening Star, which was losing power, and worked for a couple of regional papers before being hired by the Washington Post. He met and liked a reporter named Bob Woodward and hoped they might do something together.

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College Application Essay

By Sara Jane Coffman

The other day, my friend Linda showed me the essay her granddaughter, Emma, submitted on her college application. The only thing I knew about Emma was that she didn’t always keep her room clean, so I wasn’t expecting much from her essay. But when I read it, I was blown away. Emma writes better than I do and has done more in her 18 years than I’ve done in my lifetime. I didn’t keep a copy of the essay that I wrote, but most likely it went something like this:

Dear Admissions Person,

I really want to go to your school. I think I would be an asset to your school. I am a hard worker. The pictures of your school are really pretty. I love all the trees. I am into trees. I don’t have anything to put in the section on the application form for extra-curricular activities because I’ve been trying to maintain my “C-” average, which is a big feat for me, especially if you knew the grades I used to get. I also don’t have any recommendations (that you’d want to hear) from any of my teachers or the guidance counselor (who has it in for me.) Also, do you have any scholarships that I could apply to? Hope this is what you’re looking for. I did my best and edited this more than once time.

Sincerely,
Sara Jane

Dear Sara Jane,

Thank you for your interest in our school and our trees. Unfortunately, the cut-off date for whatever year it was that you were enrolling for was two years ago.

Admissions “Person”

Dear Admissions “Person,”
REALLY?

Dear Sara Jane,
Really.

Dear Everybody in Admissions,
Could I get someone else to look at my application?
Sara Jane

Dear Sara Jane,
No. By the way, is there a chance that any of your family members ever applied to our university? We seem to remember an essay similar to yours being submitted in 1988 by someone with your last name.

Dear Admissions People,
Yes! That was my mother. Could I write another essay?

Dear Sara Jane,
No. Incidentally, our office is going to be closed indefinitely. FYI: there are many schools with trees. Some of them have even more than we do. It is our collective, and sincere, desire that you apply to one of those.

Editors Note: Our sincere apologies to David Bunte, the Purdue retiree profiled in last month’s article, and to author Sara Jane Coffman. There was a spelling error in Mr. Bunte’s name in the email version of the August PURA newsletter. Though PURA’s website and printable copy of the newsletter on the website appeared correctly last month, the typo in the email version was not caught before the email was sent.

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Can’t Hear the Program?
Looping Systems Give Individuals with Hearing Loss a Second Chance
By PURA Member Steve Hall, former Director, Elliott Hall of Music/Hall of Music Productions

One of the most frustrating things for individuals with hearing loss is the inability to hear the actors speak or the musicians play at a live event in a theatre or public assembly area. The inability to hear and understand the words when an orator speaks or to comprehend the richness of the soft passages of a musical presentation leads to one outcome…. and that is to stop going to live presentations. Looping systems can give you a second chance!

When a venue installs a looping system, it will assume a significant investment in time and expense. However, that investment returns great dividends in terms of good will and income. It is the right thing to do to make the venue accessible to persons with hearing loss just as it is to make it accessible to persons with mobility issues. The venue creates new revenue streams by including people who previously would not have bought tickets in their base by providing access to the programming.

The basis of a loop system is as old as the first telephone coils and copper wiring. In the venue, a copper wire is installed around the perimeter of the venue, or in the cases of a larger venue, around zones. The copper wiring eventually runs back to an audio receiver or audio console. The wiring is attached to the output of the receiver or audio console. Similar to how speakers would be attached to a home stereo. The audio program, usually originating from a mixing console, is then fed into the input channels) of the receiver. The program is transmitted thru the copper wire as electromagnetic energy. This is where individuals whose hearing aids include a T-Coil can now receive the program directly into their hearing aids.

The telecoil, or T-Coil, is a small induction pick-up coil (a tiny, wire-wrapped rod) which can be placed inside a hearing aid. When activated, the telecoil permits coupling of the personal hearing aid to sources of electromagnetic energy, including a telephone and assistive listening devices and systems. It serves as an antenna and picks up the electromagnetic energy and converts it into an electrical audio signal that is picked up by the receiver inside the hearing aid.

The good news for people with hearing loss and either don’t have hearing aids with T-Coils or don’t wear hearing aids, is that there are tools available for them to pick up the electromagnetic signal as well. This is done by an external receiver unit that picks up the electromagnetic energy and then sends it, as an audio signal, to either a headset or the hearing aids. The receiver is often attached to a lanyard and worn around the neck. These devices may be available for temporary use through the venue or may be purchased.

All the public assembly venues at Purdue have loop systems installed. Many local churches also have looped systems. In most cases, if a venue is looped you will likely see this symbol displayed either as a sign(s) or in the program.

It is important to work with your audiologist so the hearing aids may be programmed to utilize the loop system. This usually entails the audiologist creating (or activating) a loop program for your hearing aids; which allows you to select it either by clicking a button on one of your hearing aids or by using an app on your smart phone. In some hearing aids, the wearer can have the loop program sent to one hearing aid while the other hearing aid hears the program naturally. Usually, this all boils down to preference.

If you have not done so, it’s time to get back to your favorite venue and experience the satisfaction of hearing the spoken word or musical score as it was intended… to inform, to challenge, to enrich, to motivate, to inspire, or to entertain the listener. The Arts are what make us human and hearing systems—as do all systems of accessibility—help keep us human.

Editor’s Note: Stephan Hall was employed at Purdue for 40 years, retiring in January 2019. In 1990 he became the Director at the Elliott Hall of Music/Hall of Music Productions. In this position he oversaw the loop system installations in Fowler Hall, Loeb Playhouse and Elliott Hall of Music.

After many years of “too loud” music, he became a hearing aid patient. He knew from first-hand experience the frustration of not being able to hear and enjoy a performance. The Hall of Music Productions is the University’s event production company providing lights, sound, video and staging to events across campus. In his final year at Purdue, the Hall of Music Productions were producing on an average three events per day, or over 1,000 events annually.

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True Tales of an Entomologist
By Tom Turpin

Editor’s Note: Another installment of Tom Turpin’s colorful experiences, which appear in his self-published Memoirs.

Eat-a-Roach Request

One time after we had completed the cockroach races at the state fair, two twenty-something young men joined the crowd that had gathered around in order to get a closer look at Roachhill Downs.

One of the young men asked if he could eat one of the Madagascar roaches that were crawling around in the circular exercise arena that was part of the track. I’m not sure what prompted his request but at the time the Fear Factor TV show had introduced a Madagascar cockroach eating challenge. I had always been a bit concerned when contestants on that TV show would sometimes try to swallow the roach whole. I worried that trying to swallow such a large, live roach might be a choking hazard and I really didn’t want someone to choke trying to eat a roach at the Indiana State Fair.

So, I told the young man he could eat one of the roaches but I suggested that he bite the roach into two pieces before chewing and swallowing it. I really didn’t think he would do it but he picked up one of the roaches and held it between his thumb and index finger as one might hold a section of an Almond Joy candy bar. He then put the front end of the roach into his mouth and chomped down severing the roach into two equal-sized sections while dribbling a little roach juice off his lips. He chewed for a few seconds and swallowed.

He then put the back end of the roach in his mouth chewed for a few more moments and swallowed again.

I asked him how it tasted. He answered “Not so good!”

He and his friend walked away and I never knew what prompted him to want to eat a roach. I suspect there might have been a bet with some cold, hard cash on the line. I do know that the people standing around watching him eat that Madagascar cockroach displayed a range of emotions, mostly YUCK!

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New Purdue Events Calendar

Check out the Purdue events calendar at events.purdue.edu , which features many campus, student, and community events, listed by date. Items apparently are submitted by the event organizers. Clicking on any of the photo icons takes you to a new page listing additional information about the event, including intended audience and the event’s home website.

So far, it appears to include Purdue athletic events, Purdue Musical Organizations, community events, Convocations, and some Purdue lectures and symposiums. Presumably other organizations will follow suit as time goes by. Currently included, among the many events highlighted, are:

Thursdays, through Oct. 13—Purdue Farmers’ Market, 11:00 am—3:00 pm ET.
2 Sept.—Purdue Varsity Glee Club “First Nighter”. 7:30 p.m. ET. Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center. This concert is free and open to the public; tickets not required.
Sept. 8-9—Free outdoor aerial performance by Australian group Sway; 3 performances a day on the south lawn of the Purdue Memorial Union.
9 Sept.—Purduette “Premiere” concert. 7:30 p.m. ET. Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center. This concert is free and open to the public; tickets not required.
Sept. 10, 17, 24 respectively—Community concerts and festivals. For example, St. Boniface Germanfest, north 9th St., Lafayette; 27th Annual West Lafayette Globalfest, in downtown West Lafayette; Tippecanoe Latino Fest, Columbian Park, Lafayette.

It seems clear that this site consolidates the multiple event calendars offered by many individual organizations—as the “Campus Calendar” item in PURA News has attempted to do.

In the future, PURA’s “Campus Calendar” in PURA News may include a few noteworthy highlights from the Purdue Events Calendar, but will primarily focus on the academic/holiday schedule and listings for other Purdue cultural events not yet represented on the events website.

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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

One tap mobile
+13126266799,,97285398989#,,,,,,0#,,41051096# US (Chicago)
+19292056099,,97285398989#,,,,,,0#,,41051096# US (New York)

Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 972 8539 8989
Passcode: 41051096
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/acvQQKVcnE

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