Below is a list of the courses, special events and ongoing Spring 2018 activities at all three locations (Fairfax, Reston and NOVA-Loudoun). Unless otherwise noted, classes beginning with an F are held at Tallwood in Fairfax, an R at United Christian Parish in Reston, and an L at Mason's Loudoun County location in Sterling. To view non-course information in the catalog, click the following links for the Schedule of Classes (pdf) and Registration Form (pdf). If you plan to print the catalog rather than read it on your computer screen, you may prefer to print the Spring 2017 Catalog (pdf) in its normal two-column format.
Class hours are 9:40–11:05, 11:50–1:15, and 2:15–3:40, unless otherwise noted.
100 Art and Music
F101
F102
F103
F104
F105
F106
F107
F108
F109
F118
R110
R111
R112
R113
R114
L115
L116
L117
200 Economics & Finance
F201
F202
F203
F204
F205
F206
R207
L208 Money Talk:
L209
300 History & International Studies
F301
F302
F303
F304
F305
F306
F307
F308
F309
F310
F311
R312
R313
R314
L315
L316
L317
L318
400 Literature, Theater, & Writing
F401
F402
F403
F404
F405
F406
F407
F408
F409
F410
F411
F412
F413
F414
F415
F416
R417
R418
R419
R420
R421
R422
L423
L424
L425
L426
L427
L428
L429
500 Languages
F501
F502
R503
R504
L505
600 Religious Studies
F601
F602
F603
F604
R605
R606
650 Humanities and Social Sciences
F651
F652
F653
F654
F655
R656
L657
L658
L659
700 Current Events
F701
F702
F703
F704
R705
R707
L708
L709
L710
800 Science, Technology & Health
F801
F802
F803
F804
F805
R806
R807
R808
R809
R810
L811
L812
L813
900 Other Topics
F901
L902
950 Special Events
951
952
953
954
955
956
957
958
959
960
961
962
963
964
965
966
967
968
969
970
971
972
973
974
975
976
977
978
979
980
981
1001BT
1002BT
1003BT
1004BT
1005BT
1101
1102
1103
1104
1105
Ongoing Activites
Annex Art Club
Tuesdays
Feb. 14–Mar. 14, May 16–June 6, 9:30–12:00
Tallwood
Coordinator: Sue Goldstein ms.goldstein@verizon.net
All artists, whether you use pencil, ink, pastels, charcoal, or paint, are welcome to finish or to start pictures. The group consists of OLLI members at all skill levels. Join us!
Bridge Club
Wednesdays
Feb. 15–Mar. 15, May 17–May 31, 10:00–12:00
Mar. 22–May 10, 1:45–3:45
Tallwood
Coordinators: Susanne Zumbro 703-569-2750
Gordon Canyock 703-425-4607
Drop in and enjoy the friendly atmosphere of “party bridge.” Skill levels vary from advanced beginner to aspiring expert. Partnerships are rotated every four hands. The Bridge Club meets in the morning between terms and in the afternoon during the term. For details on the Club’s rules and bidding system, see its web page on the OLLI website.
Classic Literature Club
Fridays
Mar. 24–Apr. 28, May 12, 11:00–12:30
Tallwood
Coordinator: Bob Zener 703-237-0492
This club was formed to discuss great works of world literature. This spring term we plan to start with a discussion of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.
Cooking Club
Monthly dates to be determined
Fairfax Lord of Life
Coordinator: Ute Christoph-Hill utehill@cox.net
This is a club for OLLI members who enjoy preparing food and sharing hands-on, homemade dishes in a small-group setting. We meet during the day, sometimes in members’ homes and other times at Fairfax Lord of Life church or alternative sites. We often have a theme for our meetings, but our format is flexible. We also participate in food-related events, such as ethnic cooking demonstrations and restaurant outings. If these activities appeal to you, please contact Ute for more information.
Craft and Conversation Group
Fridays
Feb. 17–Apr. 28, May 12–May 26, 9:30–11:00
Tallwood
Coordinators: Doris Bloch dbloch50@hotmail.com
Pam Cooper-Smuzynski pamcs2@verizon.net
We meet weekly to work on our needlecraft projects and to share product sources, expertise, and inspiration. Our ongoing conversations encourage camaraderie, and a group setting motivates us to progress with our current projects. Interested OLLI members are invited to join us to see what we are creating. For more information, contact Doris Bloch or Pam Cooper-Smuzynski.
Doctor Who Club
First and third Fridays
Feb. 17, Mar. 3, Mar. 17, Apr. 7, Apr. 21, May 19, 1:00–3:00
Tallwood
Coordinator: Wendy Campbell neoblivis@earthlink.net
This group is for those of you interested in Timey Wimey Stuff—we are meeting to watch Doctor Who on the “big screen” in a Tallwood classroom. We will follow each presentation with discussion. Some of us are new to Who; some of us are very longtime fans. Everyone is welcome.
History Club
First Wednesdays
Mar. 1, 10:00–11:30
Apr. 5, May 3, 2:15–3:40
Tallwood
Coordinator: Beth Lambert elizabethlambert7@gmail.com
We welcome OLLI members who are interested in discussing historical events or sharing reviews of articles, books, or other interesting historical topics. Our meetings feature speakers who present on historical topics ranging from the Silk Road through the present crises in the Middle East—and everything in between. The club maintains a list of books reviewed by members at www.ollidev.earthcare.com/historyclubbooklist.pdf. To receive emails about History Club meetings, contact Beth Lambert.
Homer, etc.
Fridays
Feb. 17–Apr. 28, May 12–May 26, 11:00–12:30
Tallwood
Coordinator: Jan Bohall jbohall@verizon.net or 703-273-1146
Join us to read aloud a traditional or contemporary classic. We are currently finishing Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and will begin The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol to tie in with a spring theater production at Mason. Drop in at the Tallwood Annex any Friday morning; new members are always welcome.
Mah Jongg Club
First and third Wednesdays
Mar. 1, Mar. 15, May 17, 10:00–12:00
Apr. 5, Apr. 19, May 3, 1:30–3:30
Tallwood
Coordinator: Margaret Massey newfdog22@mac.com
We welcome all members who want to learn mah jongg or already know how to play. Stretch your mind and have fun with a game that is (maybe) easier than bridge, but definitely challenging! For more information, contact Margaret or visit the Mah Jongg Club blog at http://ollidev.earthcare.com/mah-jongg-club/.
Memoir —and More—Writing Group
Wednesdays
Tallwood
Coordinator: Betty Smith
We meet about every other Wednesday during the year, at or near Tallwood, except during the fall and spring terms when Dianne Hennessy King’s Memoir Writing class is in session. We meet twice during those terms. In addition to memoirs, we write fiction, poetry, and personal essays. Writing groups have to stay fairly small and we’re currently full, but if you are interested, sign up in the member portal and you will be notified if a space becomes available.
Personal Computer User Group
Generally third Saturdays
Feb. 18, Mar. 18, Apr. 15, May 20, 1:00
Tallwood
Coordinator: Mel Goldfarb mgoldfarb5@gmail.com
In partnership with the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society (PATACS), the OLLI PC User Group (OPCUG) focuses on Windows and Mac computers and software for enhancing our lives. Members and presenters also discuss smartphone and tablet apps across Android and iDevices, the Internet, digital photography, related technology, and open-source software. Our aim is to bring broad expertise about technology and topics of interest to attendees. PC clinics for members are offered twice yearly. Our target audience encompasses all computer users, from complete beginners to intermediate amateurs to experts. Our motto is “users helping users.” Club dues (currently $5 per year) are payable at the first meeting attended in each calendar year. Dues-paying members can view monthly sessions online via the Zoom cloud meeting service on a variety of devices from home or anywhere with an Internet connection. More details are available on the group’s website, www.olligmu.org/~opcug.
Photography Club
Second Fridays
Mar. 10, Apr. 14, May 12, 9:30–11:30
Fourth Fridays
Feb. 24, Mar. 24, Apr. 28, May 26, 12:00–2:00
Tallwood
Coordinators: Angie Talaber talaber@comcast.net
Dave Talaber talaber@comcast.net
Meet with experts and others interested in photography and develop skills by participating in theme-based monthly photo submissions. The Photography Club welcomes all members, whether they use a basic camera or specialized equipment, and whether they are novice or experienced photographers. We discuss technical aspects of photography, as well as the artistic aspects of visual design. We have guest speakers on the second Friday of each month, and on the fourth Friday, workshops cover specific topics in detail. We also regularly plan field trips in the local area. Contact Angie or Dave Talaber for further information.
Recorder Consort
Fridays
Feb. 17–Apr. 28, May 12–May 26, 9:15–11:30
Tallwood
Coordinator: Helen Ackerman helenackerman@hotmail.com
If you have been part of the consort or have previously played the recorder and would like to expand your abilities, please join us on Fridays. There will be on- and off-campus performances. You may need to purchase music.
Reston Book Club
Thursdays
Mar. 23, Apr. 13, May 11, 2:15–3:40
United Christian Parish
Coordinators: Luci Martel, Nancy Scheeler
This is a book discussion club for OLLI members who find it convenient to meet on the OLLI Reston campus. The purpose is to focus on serious contemporary fiction, primarily—but not limited to—works by American or UK authors. We will avoid current bestsellers and look for good novels on the long lists, short lists, and winner lists of the US National Book Award and the UK Man Booker prize. We will discuss the following:
- Mar. 23: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It won the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Fiction award and received much acclaim in the press.
- Apr. 13: How It All Began by Penelope Lively. Written in 2011, it features several of Lively's pet themes: memory, history, and the role of happenstance in our lives.
- May 11: Amsterdam by Ian McEwan. Winner of the 1998 Booker Prize, the author is now well-known in the US.
Spanish Club
Second and fourth Tuesdays (out of term)
Feb. 21, Mar. 14, May 23, 10:00–11:30
Second and fourth Wednesdays (in term)
Mar. 22, Apr. 12, Apr. 26, May 10, 1:45–3:15
Tallwood
Coordinators: Dick Cheadle dbcheadle@verizon.net
Lois Lightfoot lelghtft@outlook.com
This is a relatively new club designed for those who are at the intermediate stage in understanding and speaking Spanish—further along than 1-2-3 and A-B-C, but not fluent. The club member leading a particular class will choose the subject and prepare the lesson for that class. Members will not have to participate beyond their comfort level.
Tai Chi Club
Saturdays
Feb. 18–May 20, 10:30–11:30
Tallwood
Coordinators: Russell Stone 703-323-4428
Susanne Zumbro 703-569-2750
The Tai Chi Club meets almost every Saturday, year ‘round. It is open to all OLLI members.
Tallwood Book Club
Second Wednesdays
Mar. 8, 10:00–11:30
Apr. 12, May 10, 1:30–3:00
Tallwood
Coordinator: Ceda McGrew 703-323-9671
Our selection for March 8 is My Life as a Dog by Reidar Jönsson. On Apr. 12, we plan to read My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. The selection for May 10 is The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse.
Theater Lovers' Group
Generally last Fridays
Feb. 24, Mar. 31, Apr. 28, May 26, 10:00–11:30
Tallwood
Coordinators: Norma Reck njreck@cs.com
Nancy Scheeler
The Theater Lovers’ Group (TLG) aims to provide OLLI members with various opportunities to participate in and learn about our local theater scene and the people who make it possible by attending and discussing theater performances, hosting pertinent theatrical persons to speak at our monthly meetings, and pursuing interests as expressed by TLG members themselves.
The Tom Crooker Investment Forum
Wednesdays
Feb. 15–Mar. 15, May 17–May 31, 10:30–12:00
Tallwood
Moderator: Al Smuzynski
For activity description see course F205.
Walking Group
Weekly
Tallwood/Fairfax Swimming Pool Parking Lot
Coordinators: Ute Christoph-Hill utehill@cox.net
Jerry Remson yofidog@yahoo.com
When OLLI is in session, the Walking Group meets one morning each week, generally an hour before the first morning class. We gather in the Fairfax Pool parking lot next to Tallwood and walk for about 45 minutes, arriving back at Tallwood in time for the start of classes. Because our goal is camaraderie as well as exercise, all levels of walking ability and speed are accommodated. The day of the week is determined by our schedules and the weather, so it may change from week to week. Between terms we continue to walk on a weekly basis, but for longer distances and at more varied locations. Contact Ute Christoph-Hill for more information.
What’s in the Daily News? Continued
Mondays
Feb. 27–Mar. 13, May 15–May 22, 10:00–11:30
Tallwood
Facilitators: Don Allen 703-830-3060
Mel Axilbund maxilbund@verizon.net
Dorsey Chescavage dchescavage@cox.net
Caroline Cochran ccochran50@aol.com
This is the between-term continuation of the discussion group for news junkies who can’t wait to express their opinions and discuss current events.