OLLI E-News (Weekly Newsletter)

February 17, 2023

Alerts & Notices

• Reminder: Meeting of the Computer Club, Saturday, February 18 (tomorrow), at 1:00, via Zoom. For details click this link; the Zoom link will also appear in the OLLI daily schedule email.
• Reminder: Mason Jazz Festival, Saturday, February 18, all day, in Mason’s Harris Theatre, free and open to the public. See article below.
• Spring-term registration begins February 21 at 9:00 and continues throughout the term; spring term is March 27 through May 19.
• The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, March 3; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, February 28, at 6:00.

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Nominating Committee Seeks
Board of Directors Candidates

 

By Marilyn Harriman, Board Member and Nominating Committee Chair


As five OLLI Board of Directors members end their three-year terms of office in May, the Nominating Committee is seeking candidates for the spring general election to fill their positions.

To be considered as a director candidate, qualifications include the member having the willingness to contribute energy, ideas, and time in support of OLLI and a desire to assume an active role in the governance of our organization.

Being a Board member is a great way to play an active role in OLLI’s transition to our future “new normal.” It’s also a great way to learn more about the inner workings of OLLI and meet other members.

Currently, Board members are working to increase membership and energize members in Northern Virginia to attend more in-person classes and events. Board members are also planning ways to optimize our Zoom program planning. There is also a need in the areas of marketing, finance, and fundraising.

If you are interested in being a Board member, want to help OLLI reach its goals, desire further information, or would like to nominate another OLLI Board member, please get in touch with the Nominating Committee chair, Marilyn Harriman, at mlwharriman74@gmail.com.

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It’s in Your Hands!
 
By Debby Mossburg, Outreach Committee Chair

Did you know that YOU can help OLLI to expand membership to keep us financially healthy and make a great program greater? A short piece that advertises the OLLI program has been approved and run in neighborhood newsletters at no cost and with good success. Would you be willing to make a phone call or send an email to have that same piece run in your neighborhood newsletter?

If you can help, we'll send you a PDF of the article with George Mason and OLLI logos. To follow up, or for any questions you may have, please contact Jim Dann at jimandsue70@gmail.com (phone: 703-690-7982), or Debby Mossburg at debby.mossburg@verizon.net (phone: 703-973-8080).

You’ve got the power to make a real difference! Thanks.

Editor’s Note: This article appears on a semi-regular basis to encourage your support of OLLI’s outreach program help recruit new members. Thank you.

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Jazz Events Reminder
 
By Darden Purcell, D.M.A.,
Mason Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice


The Mason Jazz Festival is coming up on Saturday, February 18 (tomorrow), from 10:00 in the morning until 10:00 in the evening in the Harris Theatre on the Mason campus. It is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

Also, later this month, the Mason Jazz Faculty return to Washington’s historic Blues Alley, in shows at 7:00 and 9:00 on Monday, February 27. For tickets, click this link.

Arriving with the summer, the Mason Jazz Camp will be held June 19-23. For registration and camp details, click here.

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Help Bring More Music and Art to OLLI
 
By Marianne Metz, Music and Art Program Planning Group Co-Chair

As winter term 2023 ends, OLLI program planners are busy planning classes for fall 2023 and winter 2024. Our Art and Music Program Planning Group will meet on Tuesday, February 28. We need your help!

Is there a topic in music, dance, film, architecture, painting, photography, or other visual arts that particularly interests you? Why not take the plunge and turn that interest into an OLLI class? If you’re not sure of the steps to take, start by joining the February 28 meeting to talk about it.

Or perhaps you have a family member or friend whose special passion could fuel an OLLI class. Or maybe you’d simply like an inside look into the process that creates our wonderful panoply of classes. (It’s much prettier than sausage-making.) In any case, you’ll enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded arts enthusiasts. We welcome new ideas and new people and would love to meet you.

The planning meeting will be held via Zoom at 10:00 on February 28. Zoom information will appear in that day’s daily-schedule email. In the meantime, if you have questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to contact any of the Art and Music Program Planning Co-Chairs:

• Chris Narbut (nickelpickel.chris@cox.net)
• Linda Harber (lharber@gmu.edu)
• Kosmo Tatalias (kosmotat@gmail.com)
• Marianne Metz (mandsmetz@gmail.com)

Corrected Course Description for F405Z

 

By Ellen Moody, OLLI Instructor

There is a corrected course description for spring OLLI class F405Z: Contemporary Italian Novels and Memoirs (English), eight sessions scheduled for Thursdays, 2:15 to 3:40. Some of the books to be reviewed have changed from those published in the spring catalog.

In this course, participants will read and discuss a group of Italian works to better understand the culture, history, and politics of Italy. These works will include: Natalia Ginzburg's memoir, The Family Lexicon (1963), which takes place in Turin and Rome before, during, and after WWII; Carlo Levi’s Christ Stopped at Eboli, a memoir of his time in exile in WWII (1947);  Primo Levi's Periodic Table (1984), a memoir of his using the periodic tables wittily; Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend, the first of the Neapolitan Quartet books (2012); a non-fiction essay on life writing by Iris Origo and poetry by Elsa Morante (both sent via attachment). The course will have as subthemes Italian-Jewish writing, WWII, women’s and life-writing.

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George Mason School of Theater Proudly Presents
The Night Knights 

 

By Ruth Yamamoto, Production Manager/Adjunct Faculty Mason School of Theater

Looking for a play to enjoy with your grandchildren? Follow The Night Knights on their quest to put the kingdom to bed. What story will the princess want to hear tonight? Will the dragon need a glass of water? This order of knights is prepared for any bedtime demand. But will they ever get to go to sleep?

Designed for younger audiences, this whimsical, family-friendly play brings the battle for bedtime to silly, exuberant life. Created by Mimsi Janis and devised by The Mason Players from favorite fairy tales and bedtime stories, don’t miss this world premiere, with a sensory-friendly performance on March 4 at 11:00.

Directed by Mimsi Janis
March 3* at 8:00 in TheaterSpace (deLaski Building)
March 4 at 11:00** and 2:00***
Tickets $10: Click here

 *ASL interpreted and talkback to follow
** Sensory friendly
*** Audio described

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Join the Theater Lovers' Group for an Outing at a Group Rate

 

By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator, Theater Lovers’ Group

On Sunday, March 5, you and your guests are invited to join members of the Theater Lovers’ Group to attend the 2:00 matinee performance of How the Light Gets In at 1st Stage Tysons. The play, set in a peaceful Japanese garden and told as a Japanese fairytale, tells how four disparate people find a way to build a community of healing and hope. The theater is located at 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons. Plenty of free parking.

As we go to press, the tickets are $40/person, the group rate for ten attendees. If we have a group of 15 people, the cost will be $37/person.

In keeping with the Japanese theme, we will enjoy a Hibachi-style dinner at Sakura Restaurant, not far from 1st Stage Theater. Dinner (cooked in front of you) is optional.

If interested, please email Norma at njreck@cs.com ASAP, as reservations for tickets and dinner are being made now.

Thanks to Mary Mudd for taking this photo of Theater Lovers and their guests enjoying lively conversation and a yummy lunch at the Ornery Beer Co. before attending a wonderful musical performance of the Mason Cabaret at Harriman Theater on the Mason campus, February 4. A very fun afternoon was had by all!

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OLLI Weekly Conversations Continue – February 22 

Continuing our Wednesday conversations series, Team Bloch (Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch) will moderate a Zoom discussion on February 22 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “Who Was Louise Weiss?”

 Are you familiar with Louise Weiss and her contributions to 20th century European culture? (Doris had never heard of her until a few months ago, so if you haven’t either, you are not alone.) She was an amazing woman, particularly for her time. Depending on our participants and their knowledge of Ms. Weiss, we will either host a mini-history presentation to explain what she did OR we will discuss her and perhaps other women who never gained longterm recognition. Your contributions are always welcome.

Check your daily schedule email for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.

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Volunteers Needed for OLLI Office

 

By Toni Acton, Member Services Committee Chair


OLLI depends on its volunteers! If you enjoy meeting people and
want to learn more about what makes OLLI “tick,” this is the job
for you.

As we start in-person and hybrid classes again this spring,
volunteers are needed to help in the OLLI office. This is a great
volunteer activity for both members who have been around for
years and “newbies” who want to get involved.

Greeting visitors, answering the phone, mailing out catalogs, and
just helping staff where needed; there is no time commitment –
we work around your schedule of classes. Once/month,
once/week – it can be whatever works for you!

If you think t

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January 27, 2023

• Alerts & Notices
• January Board Meeting Highlights
• Health and Safety Update, January 2023
• The Joy of Classroom Teaching
• History Club
• Join Theater Lovers' Group for a Talk, a Cabaret, and 46 Plays
• Weekly Conversations Continue – February 1
• OLLI Walk & Talk Club News
• Photo of the Month
• Poet's Corner
• Arts & Music at George Mason
• Meetings & Clubs
• About OLLI E-News

Alerts & Notices

• Note: At this time, OLLI staff are no longer checking COVID vaccination cards. For any in-person activities, masks continue to remain optional, but members who wish to wear them are welcome to do so. (Of course, for the 2023 winter term, classes are virtual only.)
• Note: The Mason music academy has a program to receive donations of old musical instruments. If you have an instrument to donate that you think might be suitable, click here.
• The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, February 3; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, January 31, at 6:00.

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Photo by Paul Van Hemel January 20, 2023
 

• President Lillian Brooks and ED Jennifer Disano have begun talking with several senior living community organizations in the area to explore ways in which we might offer our programming to them through a mutually beneficial association. 

• The Board continues to work on activities from the strategic plan to strengthen our organization.

• A resolution was approved to appoint Marilyn Harriman to chair the Nominating Committee that will develop a slate of candidates for the five new Board members who will be elected this spring.

• The Board discussed the updated COVID guidelines developed for members by the Health Advisory Workgroup consistent with GMU and CDC guidelines of Mason and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• A resolution was passed to approve the OLLI budget for 2023.

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By Michele Romano, MD, Health Advisory Work Group Chair

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By Barbara Wilan, Loudoun Program Chair

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By Elizabeth Lambert, History Club Coordinator

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By Norma Jean Reck, Theater Lovers’ Group Coordinator

Don't miss meeting Nicole Hertvik, editor and publisher of DC Theater Arts, today on Zoom from 1:00 to 2:30 when she talks about "Washington, D.C.: The Nation's Theater Capital?" Learn why theater in the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia area should be considered a national theater arts model and which theaters in the area focus on your kind of theater. Look for the Zoom link in today's OLLI daily schedule under Theater Lovers' Group meeting. Everyone is welcome to join us.
 
Ready for some toe-tapping music that will make you want to dance in the aisle and hum all the way home? Then come join OLLI's Theater Lovers on Saturday, February 4, at the 2:00 matinee of the Mason Cabaret: Baby Dream Your Dream, The Women of Broadway, to be performed in the Harris Theatre. But first, in keeping with the cabaret spirit, we'll have lunch (optional) at Ornery Beer Company, located on the corner of North Street and University Drive in Fairfax City, with a free parking garage next door. Senior tickets for the Cabaret are $15 and can be purchased online at theater.gmu.edu.
 
February is president's month. So, what is a better way to celebrate than to see a performance of 46 Plays for America's First Ladies on Sunday, February 12, at the 2:00 matinee at NextStop Theatre in Herndon? An entertaining, hilarious way to learn about American history through the eyes and experiences of America's first ladies. First, we'll gather for lunch (optional) at Carrabba's Italian Grill, located right across from the theater on Sunset Hills Road. Tickets cost $47 and can be purchased online at NextStopTheatre.org ASAP.
 
If you would like to join the Theater Lovers for either of the lunches and theater events, please purchase your tickets online, then email Norma at njreck@cs.com to let me know so I can include you in our restaurant reservations. Guests are always welcome at our events, so feel free to invite friends and family. If you have any questions, please email me.

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By Bob Heyer, OLLI Walk & Talk Co-Chair

By Marilyn Harriman, OLLI Walk & Talk Co-Chair

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January 13, 2023

• Alerts & Notices
• OLLI President's Message January 13
• Washington, DC: The Nation's Theater Capital?
• OLLI Walk & Talk Club Report
• Computer Club
• Reston Book Club
• Tallwood Book Club
• WANTED: Poetry and Prose for OLLI Ink 2023
• Poet's Corner
• Obituary: Judith H. Baxter
• Arts & Music at George Mason
• Meetings & Clubs
• About OLLI E-News

Alerts & Notices

• Board of Directors will meet 10:00, January 20, via Zoom. All members welcome; Zoom link will appear in the daily schedule.

• The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, January 27; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, January 24, at 6:00.

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Washington, DC: The Nation's Theater Capital?

 

By Norma Jean Reck, Theater Lovers' Group Coordinator 

"While the Kennedy Center and Ford's Theatre are known to many, look a little deeper at DC's theater community and you will find an abundance of creativity. Are you a fan of commedia dell'arte? DC has a theater for that. Nerd culture? DC's got that, too. Whatever gets your creative juices flowing, chances are there are artists in the region exploring it through theater," according to Nicole Hertvik, editor and publisher of DC Theater Arts. This publication is the region's most comprehensive source of local theater news, which covers the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia area, Baltimore, and New York City.

Nicole goes on to say, “Washington, D.C. is known as the nation's political capital, but fewer people are aware that it is also a theater capital. With over 70 professional theaters and dozens of community theaters, a robust economy, and residents who support the arts, the DC region is one of the nation's most vibrant theater communities.”

All OLLI members are invited to join Nicole on Friday, January 27, 2023, from 1:00 to 2:30, when she speaks with OLLI's Theater Lovers' Group via Zoom. You will find the link for the Theater Lovers' Group listed in OLLI's daily schedule email. Join fellow theater lovers from the comfort of your home to learn more about the local theater scene, what DC theaters do right, and why the region should be considered a national theater arts model. You will also learn more about DC Theater Arts online newsletter and can ask Nicole about what's new on Broadway, too.

Nicole is a contributing writer to DC Theater Arts, DCist, District Fray Magazine, American Theatre Magazine, and more. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Cincinnati, and a master's degree in International Affairs from Columbia University. Nicole studied journalism at Georgetown University, was a 2019 Fellow in the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center's National Critics Institute, and a 2022 Fellow in the CUNY Newmark Journalism School's Entrepreneurial Journalism program. Prior to her work at DC Theater Arts, she had a career in international education. She lives in Maryland with her three daughters, two bunnies, and one very patient husband.

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OLLI Walk & Talk Club Report

 
By Bob Heyer, OLLI Walk & Talk Co-Chair


The OLLI Walk & Talk Club ventured out to Burke Lake Park on January 3 for our first walk of the new year. It was a lovely winter day, with sun peeks and a high temperature that hit 70 in the afternoon. The lake was down two feet in water level, so repairs and improvements to the park could be made over the winter months. We saw lake bottom silt in many areas around the land edges. And yet a week earlier, just after Christmas, people were ice skating on the lake in some areas.

We walked some new paths along the water’s edge, which members who have lived in Fairfax County for 40 years had never walked before. We also covered many picnic areas, volleyball, and disc golf areas, and the Burke village with the mini-golf course, ice cream parlor, merry-go-round, pavilions, and railroad station. We couldn’t resist taking time out to climb one of the kids’ jungle gyms for pictures and ride the slide down! And later at the railroad station was another picture opportunity before walking back through the Burke Lake disc golf course to the cars.

Next was to visit the Burke Center Chesapeake Bagel Bakery for munchies, coffee, and continued conversations. We had a successful day and welcomed a new club walker to the group.

Upcoming OLLI Walk & Talk Outings

 

By Marilyn Harriman, OLLI Walk & Talk Co-Chair

Weather permitting, the OLLI Walk & Talk Club will meet two more times this month: Wednesday, January 18, at 2:00 (please note afternoon time) at King Arthur Road in Annandale and Monday, January 24, at 9:00 at Fred Crabtree Park Trail in Herndon.

On Wednesday, January 18, Debby Mossburg will guide club members in exploring 60 minutes more of the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail. We will meet on King Arthur Road, at 2:00. The easiest way to reach King Arthur Road is from the Little River Turnpike.

On Little River Turnpike, there is a stoplight at Duncan Drive. Make an immediate left after turning north, follow the service road one block, and make a right onto King Arthur. Parking is available on both sides of the street. A visual map of where to park will be sent to those who sign up for this walk.

Afterward, those who would like a hot beverage and continued conversation will meet at Breeze Bakery Café, 4125 Hummer Road, Annandale.

On Monday, January 23, leader Carol Esteki will show us the 2.4 miles of the Fred Crabtree Park Trail in Herndon. Those who sign up will start at 9:00. Parking is available at the site: 2801 Fox Mill Road, Herndon. Afterward, those who would like a hot beverage and continued conversation will meet at Le (Vingt Trois) 23 Cafe, 311 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon.

Walkers are asked to sign up for each walk with one of the club co-chairs, Marilyn or Bob. New walkers are always welcome and must register first with the club through the OLLI member portal.

ALL walkers are asked to bring their cell phones with them on the outings and let the co-chairs know if they are running late or have a change in plans while on the trail.

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Computer Club

3rd Saturday, January 21 Via Zoom
Electric Vehicles: Concepts and Comparisons
Learn in 30: Bluetooth and Pairing

 By Paul Howard, OPCUG Program Chair

The Computer Club (OLLI Personal Computer User Group, or OPCUG) will meet with its partner, the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society (PATACS), on Saturday, January 21, via Zoom. Program activities begin at 1:00; the Zoom session usually opens at 12:45.

Electric Vehicles: Concepts and Comparisons – Presented by Geof Goodrum

Major automakers are playing catch-up with Tesla Inc. in the manufacture and marketing of electric vehicles (EVs). This presentation will review basic EV concepts and terminology, some differences between Tesla and non-Tesla EVs, near and long-term EV considerations, and a demonstration of useful mobile apps for EV drivers. There will also be an opportunity for open discussion and questions.

Geof Goodrum is a retired physical earth scientist, technology enthusiast and early adopter. Geof’s vehicle history includes a 2002 Honda Insight (1st Generation Gas-Electric Hybrid) and a 2019 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). He recently completed road trips in his 2022 Kia EV6 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, and cross-country trips.

Learn in 30: Bluetooth and Pairing – Presented by John Krout

This presentation provides you with the fundamental knowledge to use your smart phone or tablet together with Bluetooth devices. You will find answers to questions such as these: Why is Bluetooth useful? What does pairing accomplish? Step-by-step examples of pairing using both an Android phone and an iPhone are included. If Bluetooth is a mystery to you, you will be enlightened by this presentation.

John Krout is a frequent presenter at our meetings on a wide range of computer, technology, and photography topics, and author of many articles for the PATACS Posts newsletter.

See full details on this meeting by clicking here. For information on the Computer Club, see the OPCUG Website. OPCUG dues are $5 for 2023—see http://olligmu.org/opcug/comm.html for details on making payment.

To attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service, beginning at 12:45, please click this link to join the meeting and use passcode 085407 (Note: enter passcode with NO spaces) or enter meeting ID 860 4783 3447 in the Zoom app and use the above passcode (preferred method) or dial in – 301-715-8592.

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Reston Book Club

The Reston Book Club will meet via Zoom 2:15-3:40 on Thursday, January 26. The winter 2023 book choice is Hotel Du Lac by Anita Brookner, the 1984 Booker Prize winner.

In this novel, which not only won Brookner the Booker Prize but established her international reputation, she tells the story of Edith Hope, who writes romance novels under a pseudonym. After jilting someone at the altar in London, she goes on a sabbatical to a Swiss hotel to take stock of her life and do some writing. Instead, she ends up absorbed in the lives of her fellow guests and attracts an unwanted suitor. The choice before Edith is either safety or passion; and it is unclear which path she will chose until the very end. The discussion will be led by Luci Martel.

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Tallwood Book Club

 

By Betty Ellerbee, Tallwood Book Club Coordinator


The Tallwood Book Club meets on the second Friday of every month (e.g., today) at 2:30. For winter term, the meetings are via Zoom; the Zoom link appears in the daily schedule email. The January book to be discussed is The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante.

Our February selection is The Children Act by Ian McEwan.

WANTED: Poetry and Prose for OLLI Ink 2023

 

By Caroline McNeil, OLLI Ink Editor
 

OLLI writers—beginners and experienced—take note: OLLI Ink is now accepting submissions, including poems, fiction, personal essays, and memoirs, for its 2023 edition.

Now moving into its 13th year, OLLI Ink is a well-established publication whose contributors come from a wide spectrum of OLLI members, including, but not limited to, those enrolled in writing workshops.

How to Submit: Please send your entries and/or any questions to Caroline McNeil at caromcneil@gmail.com.

Guidelines:

• Poems – limit number of lines to 30
• Prose – limit number of words to 2,500, single-spaced.

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December 30, 2022

• Alerts & Notices
• Lifetime OLLI Membership for Fairfax City Mayor
• Teach at OLLI Mason Summer 2023
• A County Program to Combat Social Isolation Among Older and Disabled Adults, and a Volunteer Opportunity
• Poet's Corner
• Arts & Music at George Mason
• Meetings & Clubs
• About OLLI E-News

Alerts & Notices

• The Tallwood offices are currently closed and will reopen Monday, January 2.
• The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, January 13; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, January 10, at 6:00.

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By Camille Hodges, Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events Program Planning Group Chair

• January 17 for the summer 2023 session
• April 10 for the fall 2023 session.

A County Program to Combat Social Isolation Among Older and Disabled Adults, and a Volunteer Opportunity

By Yashoda Premysler, CARE Mobile Program Manager

On August 1, 2022, ServiceSource launched CARE (Community Access to Resources and Engagement) Mobile, a program to reduce social isolation among older adults and adults with disabilities and to improve community and social connections. ServiceSource is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to facilitate services, resources, and partnerships to support older adults and adults with disabilities, families, their caregivers, and community members, to build more inclusive communities.

CARE Mobile is a 100% mobile program based on a public-private partnership model which provides free, roving, on-site, outdoor health and wellness programming; engaging community activities; and entertainment for older adults (age 50+) and adults with disabilities. Local community resources and consultation are also available to connect individuals to organizations for support. This program helps eliminate transportation and technological barriers by going directly to neighborhoods identified by Fairfax County’s One Fairfax initiative. Areas include Mount Vernon, Springfield, Bailey’s Crossroads, Annandale, Falls Church, Herndon, and Chantilly. Events are held outside when the weather permits.

Services include wellness checks such as:

• screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, vision and hearing;
• vaccine clinics such as flu and COVID boosters;
• activities such as expressive music, dance, Tai-chi, yoga, creative arts, and crafts; and
• entertainment, such as bingo, movies, games, and karaoke.       

Other services, activities, entertainment, and educational programming are available upon request. Click here to see our website for additional information and to request CARE Mobile in your neighborhood!

We also welcome volunteers to provide or assist with any of the activities above or to contribute additional ideas. Thank you.

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