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.
January Board Meeting Highlights By Gloria Loew, Secretary
Photo by Paul Van Hemel January 20, 2023
The OLLI Board of Directors met at Tallwood on January 20. Some of the key topics discussed were:
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.
By Michele Romano, MD, Health Advisory Work Group Chair
Winter has arrived with all its winter viruses including COVID. Historically, winter virus season is over by mid-March, just in time for OLLI spring term.
To prevent infection, slow transmission, and protect yourself, individuals should follow the latest CDC guidelines: What to Do If You Were Exposed to COVID-19 | CDC. The key is to stay home if you do not feel well.
XBB 1.5 is now the predominant COVID variant in the U.S. It is so contagious that most of us will be exposed to it this winter. The good news is that very few people are getting seriously ill or dying from it. Per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, people who have been exposed but are asymptomatic should wear a good mask (N95, KN95) indoors and around others for 10 days. There is no need to isolate just for exposure. Do test on day 6, though, to be sure you are still negative.
When OLLI welcomes everyone back for in-person classes in spring, you will see some changes on the OLLI Health and Safety Protocols link. All members are still required to personally attest that they are fully vaccinated against COVID with the original 2‑shot series. However, you will no longer have to show us your vaccination card. Even though masks continue to remain optional, we support all those who wish to wear one.
There is a special magic that thrives only in a live classroom, and I love being the magician who generates that magic. I hear the laughter. I see the engaged, intelligent faces as they interact with me and the material and come to a new understanding. I feel the pleasure that my students get from learning something new, listening to their own and their classmates’ responses to the material, and, best of all, enjoying being with me and each other. For me, as a teacher and as a human being, there is nothing like that atmosphere and that connection. I feed off of the energy and enthusiasm in the classroom.
But every magician needs an audience who responds to the magic; every teacher needs learners who are engaged and committed to learning.
There are no good teachers without good students. Please come back to the classroom. OLLI needs you. Your instructors and fellow students need you.
The February meeting of the History Club will take place on Wednesday, Feb 1 at 4:00. Elva Card will give a presentation on Mary McLeod Bethune. Born the fifteenth of seventeen children to parents who had been slaves, and educated in church schools, Bethune went on to found the National Council of Negro Women, to serve as director of the Division of Negro Affairs in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s National Youth Administration, and to be a member of the U.S. Delegation at the founding of the United Nations. Her story is an amazing one and a fitting topic for Black History month. All OLLI members are invited to attend this month’s Zoom meeting of the History Club at 4:00 on Wednesday, February 1.
Join Theater Lovers' Group for a Talk, a Cabaret, and 46 Plays
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.
By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch, Co‑Moderators
Continuing our Wednesday Conversations series, Team Bloch (Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch) will moderate a Zoom discussion on February 1 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is the artificial intelligence application ChatGPT. The app has written us a poem:
On a Wednesday afternoon, Doris and Brenda host a chat,
For OLLI members to tune in, And discuss this and that.
Mysteries, books, and travel too, Pet peeves and Open AI,
The topics are announced in the E-News, For all to hear and say.
Only one hour to share and learn, But oh what fun it brings,
To sit and chat with friends, On a Wednesday afternoon, it rings.
So join in, won't you, For a whimsical hour,
With Doris and Brenda, And their OLLI followers.
Check your Daily Schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
Club Members Walk On Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail
By Bob Heyer, OLLI Walk & Talk Co-Chair
Debby Mossburg led a group of 26 OLLI Walk & Talk members along the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail (GCCCT), starting at the King Arthur Road bridge crossing. We began later than usual at 2:00 on a beautiful sunny 60° plus day on January 18. Debby briefed the group that the GCCCT runs through some of Fairfax County’s most scenic areas, from Great Falls Park on the Potomac River and going south to the Occoquan River. As Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Gerry Connolly supported a proposal in 1997, and the Cross Country Trail was born. The group headed northward towards the I-495 Beltway. Our group quickly stretched out, with the faster walkers striding up front and the less aggressive walkers talking their way along the trail. Although the path was paved, the vegetation, trees, and undergrowth along the stream were beautiful and like being in a secluded forest; only the noise of beltway traffic and airplanes overhead let us know we were in an urban environment. At 30 minutes into the walk, we turned around and headed back to our starting point to meet and go for coffee, sweets, and more, socializing at the Breeze Bakery and Café, a Korean/European-styled bakery. Debby Mossburg made it one of the MOST rewarding afternoons for all in the winter!
OLLI Walk & Talk February Winter Walks
By Marilyn Harriman, OLLI Walk & Talk Co-Chair
Weather permitting, the OLLI Walk & Talk Club will gather Friday, February 3, at 10:00 at Mason District Park, where Michael Nephew will show us more of the trails he introduced us to in September. This walk will be about an hour in length. Parking: Enter Mason District Park, 6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale, and turn right. Follow the road to the parking lot and park there.
Afterward, we will gather at Tous Les Jours Bakery, 4243 John Marr Drive, Annandale, for a hot beverage and continued conversation (optional).
Tuesday, February 7, the club will meet at 2:00 at Wakefield Park, 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale, with Co‑Chair Bob Heyer leading us. This walk will be about an hour. Parking: As you enter the park, parking is on the left.
Afterward, those who want a snack or beverage will meet at the Swiss Bakery at 5224 Port Royal Road, Springfield.
On Tuesday, February 14, members will gather at Huntsman Lake Park in West Springfield at 2:00. Co‑Chair Marilyn Harriman will lead walkers on the trails for about an hour.Parking: From Fairfax County Parkway, turn onto Huntsman Blvd. Drive past the Huntsman (Giant Grocery) shopping center (on your right) and take a right on the street just after the shopping center: Dorothy Lane.
The park entrance we’re using is at the very end of Dorothy Lane. There is a semi-circle for cars to park. You may need to park in front of someone’s house depending on how big our group is and what other cars are parked there.
Afterward, those interested in a hot beverage and/or snack will meet at Chloez Café, 5622 Ox Road, Unit F, Fairfax Station.
RSVP: Email Marilyn or Bob (mlwharriman74@gmail.comrheyerw64@gmail.com) about the date(s) you will be coming, so we can wait for you. Call if you are running late: Marilyn: 703-725-0965; Bob: 571-214-8597.
OLLI Registration: Walkers are required to register for the club. If you haven’t yet, it’s easy: Log into the OLLI member portal and type in the search box “OLLI Walk and Talk Club Winter 2023” or Call 703-503-3384.
Cell Phone Numbers: If you have not, please provide your cell phone number. We need it to contact you in case of inclement weather or last-minute updates.
The January 2023 Photo of the Month theme was open. We selected John Olsen's photo "View of Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan" 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 John Olsen and Ed Marion, Photography Club Coordinators
In 500 feet turn right at the next light. Really? In two miles, turn left onto Rolling Road. That doesn’t make sense. BILL. Have you been here before? I have. Many times. What’s with you? Every direction I provide, You second guess, go off on your own, request my directions again, usually with a nasty tone. I’m sick and tired of it. Who is this? Who do I sound like? By the way, you missed your turn. Make a u turn at the next light. Pull over? This may be hard to hear. What?? You ask for directions and then argue with them. You do this with me, your wife, others. If what they say doesn’t comport to your preconceptions, you become obnoxious. You waste a lot of time for yourself and others. Am I infallible? I’d like to think so given the billions of dollars spent on developing me. How much money has been spent on you? Why not trust, just trust, what I say? You may have a point. Ok, I’ll try. Proceed to the route and then turn right onto Rolling Road. No way. That’s just wrong. You’re hopeless. I pity your wife.
-- Bill Sinclair
Current vaccination policy for the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center is summarized as follows:
Audience members are not currently required to show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test result for most events except when required by the event organizer or artist. If proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result is required for a specific event, it will be indicated on the webpage with event details.
Dr. Linda Apple Monson produces a periodic “Notes from the Director.” This email is full of interesting online performances by the students and faculty of the School of Music. If you would like to receive these bulletins, just sign up at this link to stay in touch. Also, the Center for the Arts has a website,Mason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances. Information can also be found at CFA ticket purchase page, Center for the Arts YouTube Channel, or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
The Acting Company: The Three Musketeers
Sat, Jan 28, 8:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Admission: $50, $43, $30.
Silkroad Ensemble: Uplifted Voices
Sun, Jan 29, 8:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
The artists will participate in a post-performance discussion from the stage.
Admission: $55, $47, $33.
Virginia Opera: Fellow Travelers
Sat, Feb 4, 8:00
Sun, Feb 5, 2:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion featuring Virginia Opera Resident Scholar, Joshua Borths, will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Following the Sat, Feb 4 performance, PEN/Faulkner Award finalist Thomas Mallon, author of the 2007 novel Fellow Travelers on which this opera is based, will participate in a post-performance discussion from the stage.
Following the Sun, Feb 5 matinee, Virginia Opera Resident Scholar Joshua Borths will lead a post-performance discussion with the artists in the Center for the Arts main lobby.
Admission: $110, $70, $40.
Sankofa Danzafro: The City of Others
Sat, Feb 6, 8:00
Admission: $15-$45, Pay-What-You-Wish in $5 increments (click here).
11th Annual Prince William County Public Schools Student Exhibition
Through Feb 18
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Admission: Free.
ARTFactory’s Pied Piper Theatre: Big Fish
Sat, Jan 28, 2:00 and 7:00
Sun, Jan 29, 3:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $20 Adult, $16 senior.
Machine de Cirque
Sat, Feb 4, 8:00
Sun, Feb 5, 2:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Please note: Although some physical meetings for clubs and activities are canceled, some may be meeting in person or, in a hybrid mode, both in person and online. OLLI events and activities meeting online bear the identification "Z" in their course or event number (except clubs; you may need to check the OLLI calendar and daily schedule email for location and other event information). Refer to the university's coronavirus website for official university updates.
The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office. The list is accurate as of mid-week but for the most up-to-date information, please view the latest forecast of coming 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, kick-off coffees, etc. The OLLI office has sent (or will send) emails with links and meeting passwords to club members; you may also log in at the member portal and click on ZOOM CLASS LINKS.
Sat Jan 28
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Jan 30
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Jan 31
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed Feb 1
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
History Club
Conversations with Doris and Brenda
Thu Feb 2
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Feb 3
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
Craft and Conversation
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Sat Feb 4
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Feb 6
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Feb 7
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed Feb 8
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
6:00 pm
Spanish Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Mah Jongg Club
Ethnic Eats Club
Thu Feb 9
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Feb 10
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
2:30 pm
Photography Club
Craft and Conversation
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Cooking Club
Tallwood Book Club
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Associate Editor: David Gundry
Weekly Editor Team: David Gundry, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger, Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Jane Hassell
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: Tuesday, 6:00, for that week's issue (Monday, 6:00, for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words. Search E-News: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News at ENews Archives. To search the content within issues, use Search or enter your search term(s) in Google followed by “site:ollidev.earthcare.com/” without the quotes. An Amazon Smile Link appears here. When you shop using the Smile link designating OLLI as your charitable choice, we'll receive a 0.5 % donation, based on the value of your purchase.
Photo by Paul Van Hemel January 20, 2023
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 
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.
