This is the last issue of E-News for 2015. We will next publish on Jan 8, 2016. Remember to send any submissions for that issue to ollienewseditor@gmail.com by 6:00 pm Tue, Jan 5. Happy New Year!
The Tallwood office will be closed beginning Mon, Dec 21, reopening Mon, Jan 4, 2016.
By Alice Slayton Clark, Communications Associate, with Glenn Kamber, President
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings,,,,why not tax-year receiptings? Make your charitable donation to Friends of OLLI before year’s end and you can deduct the entire contribution from your 2015 tax bill!
Friends of OLLI not only supports OLLI operations such as publications and equipment updates, it provides important financial assistance to Mason programs and students, mostly in the form of scholarships. This helps maintain OLLI excellence, limit annual dues, and build critical good will and community with George Mason University.
This year, the OLLI Board of Directors approved Friends of OLLI funds for three great causes:
students in academic departments from which faculty have volunteered as OLLI instructors;
employees and/or family members of Mason’s Facility Management staff; and
Mason students from seven Northern Virginia school systems who are the first in their families to attend college and are supported by the university’s Early Identification Program.
And as we celebrate OLLI’s 25th anniversary in 2016, the OLLI Board of Directors has also approved fundraising for a one-time monetary gift to the Mason Office of Military Services (OMS) to support a variety of benefits for veterans such as scholarships, employment counseling, and job placement help.
If you wish to contribute to Friends of OLLI or the 25th anniversary gift to OMS, please go to the member portal at the following link and click the “donate” button: https://olligmu.augusoft.net/
Don’t delay! There are only 13 more days to take advantage of the 2015 tax break.
Program planners will be meeting in the new year to begin planning courses and events for the summer and fall 2016 terms. If you have a suggestion for a course or presentation, would like to teach at OLLI, or are just interested in how the program planning process works, please attend one of the following meetings.
Special Events, Wednesday, January 6, 10:00–noon, Tallwood Annex
History and Current Events, Thursday, January 7, 10:00–11:30, Tallwood, TA-2
Humanities and Social Sciences, Thursday, January 7, 1:00–3:00, Tallwood, TA-2
Loudoun, Friday, January 8, 10:00–noon, Mason in Loudoun
Art and Music, Friday, January 8, 12:45–2:15, Mason in Loudoun
Language, Literature, Theater, Monday, January 11, 10:00–noon, Tallwood, TA-2
Science, Technology and Health, Tuesday, January 12, 10:00–noon, Tallwood Annex
Reston, Thursday, January 14, 12:30–2:30, RCC Hunters Woods
Religious Studies, Wednesday, January 20, 1:45–3:15, Tallwood Annex
A survey of new members in 1992 showed that most came because they were invited by LRI members or read about LRI in the news. The one outstanding negative was the lack of space to socialize.
OLLI will celebrate its 25th year of classes for seniors in 2016. We’ll be publishing fun facts and interesting milestones about the Institute each week that OLLI E-News is published from now through the end of the fall term, 2016.
OLLI Photographers Focus on Military Members and Families
By John Nash, OLLI Photography Club Member
It’s becoming a tradition now—members of the OLLI Photo Club taking holiday portraits of military members and families. On Sunday, Dec 13, Lou Mazzatenta, Dan Feighery, Tom Simpson and John Nash joined forces with USO volunteers and staff at the USO Warrior–Family Center at Fort Belvoir to provide family portraits for 13 individuals and families…and one dog! This was the fourth year the OLLI Photo Club has supported this project.
Many of the military members and families haven’t had an individual or family portrait taken for several years, often because the military member may have been deployed or have been focusing on medical treatment and recovery. “These military members are often too busy to have a portrait taken that can mean so much to other members of their families. I can tell you that each and every family that came through was very grateful for the time spent to provide them with this gift. We thank the OLLI members very much for their support,” said Ashy Palliparambil, USO Hospital Services project coordinator.
After the professional–quality portraits were taken, the families were able to choose a favorite portrait and have it printed right there. Then members received a flash drive provided by AT&T with a complete set of their pictures.
On the morning of Monday, Dec 7, around 90 OLLI members gathered at the Church of the Good Shepherd to hear state Senator Dave Marsden (D-37th district) discuss the future of transportation in Northern Virginia. He talked about Metro, EZ Pass, VRE, the extension of HOT lanes on I-95, and the likelihood of I-66 (inside the beltway) becoming a toll road. Of particular concern to many OLLI members was the possibility that a major transportation hub might someday, in the distant future, be developed along Braddock Road. The senator concluded by fielding numerous questions from OLLI members concerned about these issues. OLLI member Stephanie Trachtenberg invited Senator Marsden to speak to OLLI, and she also asked OLLI president Glenn Kamber to introduce him. The event was covered by The Burke Connection, and once again OLLI landed front-page coverage. Kudos to Stephanie!
The December 2015 Photo of the Month theme was "Nature." We selected Rita Gustin's photo "Blue Tanager" which may also be viewed at this page. To view other photos by members of the Photography Club, visit the club's photo website. -- By Dan Feighery, Photography Club Coordinator
honey, before you go to work today,
would you kiss me goodbye one last time,
and honey, before you do would you bring
me the glass of orange juice I put in the
fridge for you—you didn’t want it, did you—
and honey, would you remember to let Fifi out—
you know how she chews up the living
room rug when she gets bored, and I’m too
tired to get up just yet—and honey, you know
I love you right, and be sure to lock the back
door on your way out, and you won’t forget to
kiss me goodbye one last time, will you
Performances, through Jan 10By Shelly Gersten, OLLI E-News Staff WriterFor tickets for either Center for the Arts (CFA) or Hylton, call 1-888-945-2468, buy tickets online through the event calendar (see links below), or visit the venue's box office. For more information see the CFA ticket page or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
At the Fairfax Campus Venues
Vienna Boys Choir: Christmas in Vienna
Fri, Dec 18, at 8:00
Pre-performance discussion: David Srebnik, Classical Music Program Director, SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Concert Hall
Admission: $54, $46, $32.
Savion Glover: DANCE HOLIDAY SPeCTaCULaR
Sat, Dec 19, at 8:00
Pre-performance discussion: member of the company
Concert Hall
Admission: $54, $46, $32.
Art Feast by Associate Artists at the Workhouse
Continues through Jan 31
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
The Gallery is open to the public Tue-Sat, 10:00 - 6:00, Thu, 10:00 - 8:00 and two hours before performances. Admission: Free.
Manassas Ballet Theatre: The Nutcracker
Thu, Dec 17 through Sat Dec 19, 7:30
Sun, Dec 19 through Wed, Dec 23, 3:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $25 - $65
Woodbridge Dance Company: A Coffee House Concert Collection
Sat, Jan 9, 7:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $25, adults; $20, seniors
The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office, with direct web links added when available. The list is accurate as of midweek but to check anytime for the latest information, please view the latest forecast of upcoming events on our website (News/OLLI Calendar). Note: All OLLI members are welcome at, and encouraged to attend, meetings of the Board of Directors, committees and resource groups, kickoff coffees, etc. (bolded below).
Sat Dec 19
10:00am
10:30am
Computer Club–TA-1
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Mon Jan 4
10:00am
What’s in the Daily News Cont’d–TA-1
Tue Jan 5
9:30am
10:00am
Cottage Art–Cottage
Knitting and Needlework Club–Panera, Herndon
Wed Jan 6
10:00am
10:00am
10:00am
10:30am
Bridge Club–TA-3
Mah Jongg Club–TA-2 Special Events Committee–Annex
Tom Crooker Investment Forum–TA-1
Fri Jan 8
9:00am
9:30am
10:30am
11:00am
12:00pm
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Photography Club–TA-1
Craft and Conversation–Cottage
Homer, etc–Annex
Religious Studies Club–TA-2
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor/Technical Editor: Irene Osterman
Associate Editor: Sheri Siesseger
Weekly Editorial Team: John Nash, Paul Van Hemel, Sheri Siesseger, Leslie Vandivere, Jean Boltz Proofreaders: Gordon Canyock, Jerry Moore, Marilyn O'Brien, Susan Van Hemel
Backup Chief Editor: Alice Slayton Clark
Submissions. Members are encouraged to submit letters to the editor, letters to Ms. Ollie Ettakit (on etiquette matters), OLLI-related news items, articles and photos. Submit material to: ollienewseditor@gmail.com. Deadline – 6:00 Tuesday for that week's issue (6:00 Monday for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words. Note: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News on the DocStore. To search the content of issues, use Search Our Site or put your search term in Google followed by "site:ollidev.earthcare.com/" without the quotes.
and staff at the USO Warrior–Family Center at Fort Belvoir to provide family portraits for 13 individuals and families…and one dog! This was the fourth year the OLLI Photo Club has supported this project.
VRE, the extension of HOT lanes on I-95, and the likelihood of I-66 (inside the beltway) becoming a toll road. Of particular concern to many OLLI members was the possibility that a major transportation hub might someday, in the distant future, be developed along Braddock Road. The senator concluded by fielding numerous questions from OLLI members concerned about these issues. OLLI member Stephanie Trachtenberg invited Senator Marsden to speak to OLLI, and she also asked OLLI president Glenn Kamber to introduce him. The event was covered by The Burke Connection, and once again OLLI landed front-page coverage. Kudos to Stephanie!
