Executive Director Jennifer Disano and President Lillian Brooks hosted OLLI's annual meeting May5; Board candidates made brief remarks and took questions from in-personandonline attendees
May 12, 2023
Editor of the Week: Paul Van Hemel
Table of Contents
Alerts & Notices
You should have received an emailed ballot for voting in the election for Board candidates. Be sure your vote is submitted by May 19.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, May 19; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, May 16, at 6:00.
From the Desk of the Executive Director Jack Wood Award for Town-Gown Relations
By Jennifer Disano, Executive Director
So pleased to be awarded the Jack Wood Town and Gown Award for Community Relations for my work as chair of the Fall for the Book Festival, along with fellow awardee Delegate Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum, member of the Virginia House of Delegates. OLLI nominated Ken for the Jack Wood Town and Gown Legacy Award for his long-term leadership. Also pictured is OLLI’s President Lillian Brooks. You can read about the 2023 award recipients at this link.
Swing into America’s favorite season with an all-American lunch of hot dog, cole slaw, potato salad, and soda drink, followed by an ice cream dessert from noon to 3:00 on Friday, May 19, at Tallwood. Weather permitting, we’ll sit outside at the picnic tables. In addition to the fun eats, we’ll be showing the iconic baseball film Field of Dreams afterward.
If you haven’t already signed up and paid for the event and want to join in the fun, it’s $12 and includes lunch and creamy vanilla ice cream custard with your choice of toppings. Register through the portal for event number 1104–Spring Lunch and Ice Cream Social, or call the registrar (have a credit card handy) at 703-503-3384. Registration ends on Monday, May 15. You must pay in advance and be registered to attend this event. Registering through the OLLI portal, check out from your cart. Your registration is complete after you submit your credit card information and receive a “Congratulations” notice. Otherwise, your registration will not be entered.
Hope to see you at Tallwood to enjoy some all-American eats and fun conversation!
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, May 20, in person and via Zoom. The Zoom session usually opens at 12:45.
Using Zoom in the Apple Ecosystem – Presented by Mike Emery
iPhone, Mac, iPad? Mike will show us the ins and outs of using Zoom with Apple devices.
Mike Emery is OLLI's Tallwood Site Assistant and has been wrestling with Zoom and a variety of computing devices since COVID changed the OLLI world beginning in March of 2020. He has many years of professional experience in IT/computer support roles in government enterprises. He is a member of the PATACS Board of Directors.
Learn in 30: Large File Transfer Techniques – Presented by John Krout
So, you want to send a file, or a group of files, via email to family, friends, coworkers, or other specific folks. Every email service imposes a ceiling on attachment size. Photo sizes grow whenever you upgrade a camera or a phone. You can shoot a dozen cute pix of the grandchild and exceed the attachment size ceiling. You can shoot 4K resolution video with a smart phone that is 5+ years old and create a 100-megabyte MP4 file in a few minutes.
While you can post to social media, and have your photo or video resolution reduced severely, some files are necessarily intended for a very specific audience, not the entire galaxy of social media friends and followers. In this presentation, you will learn about two very different free web-based solutions, their limits, and their advantages.
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.
To attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service, beginning at 12:45, please click this link to join the meeting and use passcode 569804 (Note: enter passcode with NO spaces) or enter meeting ID 823 4185 2232 in the Zoom app and use the above passcode (preferred method) or dial in – 301-715-8592.
Trip to National Museum of African American History and Culture
By Marguerite Johnson, Former Board Member and Secretary
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is dedicated to educating people of all races and nationalities about African American life from 1400 to the present day. It is a dense museum with numerous artifacts, documents, photos, videos, statues, flags, and more. Most of the items came from family archives that were preserved over generations.
On Friday April 21, twenty-seven OLLI members put on their good walking shoes to take a VIP tour of the NMAAHC. For 90 minutes our docent led us through the winding lower-level history galleries. She seamlessly connected the three galleries depicting periods in the progression of African American history from Slavery and Freedom 1400-1877 to Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: the Era of Segregation 1876-1968, ending at A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond.
Photos Courtesy of Marguerite Johnson, April 21
Feeling physically and mentally exhausted we took a break at the Contemplative Court and lunched at the Sweet Home cafe. We were then free to visit the remaining two above-ground galleries, Community and Culture, on our own.
Community broadly covers many aspects of everyday life such as education, military service, professions, political activities, and sports. Culture features provocative artwork, television, movies, plays, dance, and music. We could easily have spent at least an additional 90 minutes at each at each of these galleries. Many attendees plan a second visit.
Our visit to the NMAAHC was sometimes painful, definitely thought-provoking, and even relatable as we compared our experiences living in the 1960s.
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 May 17 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “Travel – And Packing."
As we approach the summer vacation season, thoughts turn to travel. The best part of travel is packing – NOT!! Dreading the packing? – decisions on the weather, the clothing for all anticipated events, the need to carry every single item everywhere. Team Bloch has diametrically opposite approaches to the packing quandary – one of us is a minimalist, one is everything-but-the kitchen-sink packer. What do you do? What items do you NEVER leave out? What items do you pack that you never use and plan to leave behind for the next trip? Do you intentionally leave room for the "inevitable" purchase of "souvenirs?"
Check your Daily Schedule and please join us to share your thoughts on Zoom in the OLLI Chat Room on May 17 at 4:00.
I miss my mama, gone twenty years.
A mountain woman with a huge heart
who lost her own mother when she was seven,
and mourned the rest of her life.
She never healed, but she learned to live
with it, as folks tell us to do.
She raised six children, worked from
sun-up to sundown, never took a vacation, never ate out,
never had a day off.
She cooked three meals a day,
each with dozens of homemade biscuits,
specialized in every kind of bean and potato
to “put meat on our bones.”
She lived in the kitchen, or on the back porch on wash days,
the only time she cursed was when the wringer jammed.
She doted on her children,
although she seldom had time
to sit down and play with them,
so busy she was with her chores. Pity the person
who disrespected her poverty, mistreated one of her kids.
Hear the roar of mama bear.
A support to friends and family, a caring ear to listen,
a servant to her husband, a champion for her offspring,
sacrificing her needs for family.
We had the best mama,
even when she reached for the willow switch.
If only I could wrap my arms around her,
tell her I love her one more time.
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.
ARTFactory’s Pied Piper Theatre: School of Rock
Fri, May 12 and 19, 7:00
Sat, May 13 and 20, 7:00
Sun, May 14 and 21, 2:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $20 Adult, $16 senior.
CAMMO Voices
Sat, May 13, 8:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
A pre-performance discussion begins one hour prior to the performance.
Admission: $48, $41, $29, free for veterans.
Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra: How to Opera: Overtures, Arias, and Recitatives
Sun, May 14, 3:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Admission: $20 Adult, $17 senior.
Manassas Ballet Theatre: Swan Lake
Fri, May 19, 7:30
Sat, May 20, 3:00 and 7:30
Sun, May 21, 3:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Admission: $65, $55, $45, $35, $25.
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., bolded below. 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 May 13
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon May 15
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue May 16
9:30 am
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Health Advisory Workgroup Meeting
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed May 17
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
Bridge Club
Mah Jongg Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu May 18
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri May 19
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
Craft and Conversation
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Sat May 20
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Mon May 22
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Poetry Reading Club
Theater Lovers’ Group
Tue May 23
9:30 am
4:30 am
Annex Art
Tai Chi Club
Wed May 24
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:30 am
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Walk & Talk Club
Investment Forum
Spanish Club
Mah Jongg Club
Thu May 25
10:00 am
11:50 am
4:00 pm
4:30 am
Loudon and Reston Program Planning Group Meeting
All the News
Reston Book Club
Tai Chi Club
Fri May 26
9:30 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
Craft and Conversation
Homer, etc.
Photography 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. 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:ollidev2.earthcare.com/" without the quotes.
From the Desk of the Executive Director OLLI Receives Arts Education Award
from ArtsFairfax
By Jennifer Disano, Executive Director
I am so pleased to announce that OLLI has received the 2023 Arts Education Award from ArtsFairfax. This organization is Fairfax County’s local arts agency funded in part by Fairfax County, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as corporations, foundations, and individuals. What an honor to be recognized for our efforts at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University!
The Education Award recognizes an artist or arts organization for providing exceptional arts education opportunities and experiences. In making the award, ArtsFairfax cited OLLI’s more than 30 years of commitment to providing educational, cultural, and social opportunities for adults in their retirement years. They noted the range of courses that “sparks the creativity and interests of its intellectually curious and active senior membership.” You can read their statements on the 2023 honorees at this link.
After calling the April 28 meeting to order, President Lillian Brooks reported on activities of OLLI and the executive committee since the last Board meeting. One item of note for members addressed upcoming group travel opportunities to California and Iceland later this year. Interested members will make trip arrangements with travel agents; there will be Zoom presentations on May 12 and May 19 to provide specific information about these trips.
Executive Director Jennifer Disano provided an update on OLLI memberships; of note, so far, 26 promotional members from prior years renewed their membership in 2023. She also reported on her busy schedule of local OLLI and Mason meetings, as well as numerous offsite meetings, including attendance at a national OLLI symposium in Chicago with directors from other OLLI institutes, on the topic of collaboration.
Under new business, the Board approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between OLLI and the Fairfax County Public Library. Under this MOU, the library will pay OLLI $20,000 in return for our OLLI providing them with four in-person and 16 virtual lectures over the course of a year beginning July 1. The virtual classes will be part of our catalog and all OLLI members will, of course, be able to attend the on-site lectures. It is hoped that these lectures will help OLLI become better known throughout the county and perhaps increase our membership. The Board also approved a resolution noting the first year assessment of progress on implementing the strategic plan submitted on April 28, 2023, by the Strategic Planning Committee.
Save the Date: Literature, Theater, and Writing/Languages Program Planning Group to Meet June 6
By Pat Bangs, LLT Program Planning Group Co‑Chair
Meeting Date and Time: Tuesday, June 6, 2023, 10:00 What: LLT Program Planning Group meeting Via Zoom: Link to come at a later date before the meeting
Mark your calendars for our semi-annual all-campus program planning group meeting for OLLI's Literature, Theater, and Writing/Languages (LLT) program on Tuesday, June 6 at 10:00 via Zoom.
We will be reviewing past terms and looking forward to planning for the 2024 winter term and beyond. All OLLI members can contribute to the excellent programming offered to our membership. Bring ideas for literature, theater, or writing/languages programs, as well as instructor resources.
We’ve had requests for programs on topics such as Greek plays; new Broadway plays; old film history; old movie stars; Joyce’s Ulysses; basic literature/composition elements; and journalism basics/how to research facts. We are able to offer Spanish language classes, but there have been requests for French, beginning German, Arabic, Chinese, and Italian. I’m sure there are more ideas. This is just a sample of what we would like to offer. All we need are instructors to teach them. Bring your class and resource ideas or just come to learn how OLLI programs develop. All members are welcome.
By Dr. Michele Romano, Health Advisory Workgroup Chair
One third of people over the age of 65 fall each year. Over 95% of hip fractures are due to falls. Falls are the leading cause of death from injury in older adults. The major result of falls in our age group is loss of the ability to function and live independently.
Both internal and external factors contribute to falls. A few common internal factors involve medical conditions that accompany aging, such as muscle weakness, neurological problems, arthritis, medications, and poor vision. External factors would include bathtubs, improper shoes, clutter on floors/stairs, and poor lighting. Calculate your risk of falls on this Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website: Stay Independent (cdc.gov). Check out tips for fall prevention at: Fall prevention: Simple tips to prevent falls - Mayo Clinic.
Maintaining muscle strength and balance is key. Did you know that OLLI Mason can help you do both? The Tai Chi Club holds classes three times a week via Zoom geared to any level of ability, and all are welcome. We have had numerous yoga classes over the years so check your catalogs.
If you enjoy the great outdoors, the Walk & Talk club may be a perfect fit. They meet every 1-2 weeks at different parks in Fairfax County and often stop for coffee after. It’s a great way to get in your daily steps, improve strength and balance, and meet new friends. What’s not to love?
May 30 through September 1, OLLI will offer class 1201Z SAIL (Stay Active and Independent for Life) on Zoom. This is a strength, balance, and fitness program. Look for more details in issues of OLLI E‑Blast and E‑News.
As long as you are an OLLI member you can participate in any or all of these for free. Does it get any better?
The First Commandment of Aging: DO NOT EVER GET ON A LADDER
A Conversation on Contemporary American Theater Festival with Peggy McKowen
By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator of Theater Lovers' Group
Who would have thought that the newest plays written by America's playwrights are developed and performed each July in Shepherdstown, West Virginia's oldest town, which sits on the banks of the Potomac River, an easy drive from OLLI?
Save the date and be there Monday, May 22, 2023, at 11:00 when Peggy McKowen, the new Artistic Director of the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF), joins OLLI members via Zoom to talk with us about her vision for the annual festival and for celebrating in 2023 the "Summer of Six" – the six new plays that will be performed in repertory this July. They are contemporary plays that make you want to talk about the stories, the characters, and the issues they represent.
McKowen can also tell us about the unique "talktheater" events, which deepen your understanding of theater and the theatrical process of perfecting a play. The variety of these free events provides you with ample opportunities to speak one-on-one with the actors, playwrights, and Peggy herself.
All OLLI members are invited to join the members of the Theater Lovers' Group to meet and chat with this extraordinarily talented theater icon.
Mark your calendars: Monday, May 22, from 11:00 to 12:30.
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 May 10 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “Your Suggestions for OLLI."
How can we enhance the OLLI experience? Perhaps more or fewer courses to be offered, more or fewer trips or clubs, ideas for future classes or instructors, schedule tweaks? This is your chance to give feedback and chime in with what you like and what you think might be improved at OLLI – with an emphasis today on program content. (We will do our best to communicate your compliments and suggestions to the most effective persons.)
Check your Daily Schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
Stories never told to grandchildren
mothers not called
relationships never repaired
songs never composed or sung
books never written
elderly friends not visited
apologies never given
poems not written
trips never taken
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.
Mason School of Theater: Concert Presentation of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Fri and Sat, May 5-6, 8:00
Sun, May 7, 2:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $20 Adults, $10 seniors.
Manassas Symphony Orchestra: Aspirations
Sat, May 6, 7:30
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Admission: $25.
Academy of Russian Ballet and Northern Virginia Youth Ballet: Coppélia
Sun, May 7, 2:00 and 6:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Admission: $28 Adult, $20 seniors.
ARTFactory’s Pied Piper Theatre: School of Rock
Fri, May 12 and 19, 7:00
Sat, May 13 and 20, 7:00
Sun, May 14 and 21, 2:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $20 Adult, $16 senior.
CAMMO Voices
Sat, May 13, 8:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
A pre-performance discussion begins one hour prior to the performance.
Admission: $48, $41, $29, free for veterans.
Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra: How to Opera: Overtures, Arias, and Recitatives
Sun, May 14, 3:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Admission: $20 Adult, $17 senior.
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 May 6
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon May 8
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue May 9
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed May 10
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Spanish Club
Mah Jongg Club
Thu May 11
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri May 12
9:30 am
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
2:30 pm
Photography Club
Craft and Conversation
Walk & Talk Club
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Cooking Club
Tallwood Book Club
Sat May 13
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon May 15
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue May 16
9:30 am
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Health Advisory Workgroup Meeting
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed May 17
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
Bridge Club
Mah Jongg Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu May 18
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri May 19
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
Craft and Conversation
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
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. 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:ollidev2.earthcare.com/" without the quotes.
Annual Meeting May 5, 10:00, Tallwood, TA-1 and on Zoom; meet the candidates for the Board election and plan to vote May 5-19. Cinco de Mayo picnic at 1:00 after the meeting.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, May 5; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, May 2, at 6:00.
By Paul L. Howard, OLLI Computer Club Treasurer and Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society President
On March 16, the Friends of OLLI (FOLLI) received two donations from area computer groups. One donation, in the amount of $250, was presented by the OLLI Personal Computer User Group (OPCUG).
A second donation, in the amount of $500, was presented by the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society (PATACS). Since January 2009, when the computer groups started holding joint meetings, PATACS has donated $4,250 for enhanced technical resources and TA-1 facility improvements. In general, donations to FOLLI support items such as articles for classroom comfort, equipment enhancements, and scholarships to deserving Mason students in Mason departments that provide instructors for OLLI courses.
The photos below show Paul Howard presenting the FOLLI donations to OLLI Board Member Bob Heyer. The one on the left shows the $250 donation on behalf of OPCUG and the one on the right shows the $500 donation on behalf of PATACS.
Join the AARP Scam Jam on Saturday
By Brenda Bloch-Young, Economics and Finance Program Planning Group Chair
To strike back against scammers, AARP Virginia and Fairfax County Government's Silver Shield Task Force are bringing together experts and law enforcement officials to present at a free informational Scam Jam from 9:00 – 12:00 on Saturday, April 29 (tomorrow) at Tallwood and on Zoom. OLLI members are aware that we are often the targets of these scams. This is an important event for us to learn more tips.
Mason Jazz Ensembles in Concert May 3
By Darden Purcell, D.M.A., Mason Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice
The Steel Pan Ensemble directed by Victor Provost, the Braddock Road Brass Band directed by Graham Breedlove, and the Latin American Ensemble directed by Juan Megna perform their spring concert:
Jazz Ensembles in Concert Wednesday, May 3, 8:00 deLaski Performing Arts Building, 3001, deLaski Rehearsal Room Admission: Free.
These three specialty groups within the Mason Jazz Studies department, allow students to focus on genre-specific music from around the world. From traditional brass bands of New Orleans to music of the Caribbean, including Calypso and Soca, to the Brazilian sounds of Bossa Nova and Samba, these ensembles showcase the beauty and breadth of global artistry.
It’s In Your Hands!
By Debby Mossburg, Board Member and Outreach Committee Chair
Thanks to ten helpful OLLI members, an OLLI promotional ad has been placed in community newsletters in Burke Centre, Greenbrier, Penderbrook, Wakefield Chapel Woods, South Riding, Kings Park West, Rustfield, Ravensworth, and South Run Oaks, as well as with a group of Reston runners/walkers. As a result, we’ve gotten the word out to thousands of households at no cost, hopefully to add members and so keep down members' tuition costs.
If you'd like to add your community to the list—and its easy to do—please contact Debby Mossburg at debby.mossburg@verizon.net or Jim Dann at jimandsue70@gmail.com. We'll send the ad on to you, and you just have to forward it with a note to your newsletter's contact person.
You’ve got the power to make a real difference! Thank you.
History Club Meeting By Elizabeth Lambert, History Club Coordinator
The last meeting of the History Club for this term will take place on Wednesday, May 3 at 4:00. Our presenter will be Peter Ansoff, and his topic will address a mysterious flag of the American Revolutionary War Navy that was flown in Philadelphia 21 years before the revolution, when the colonists were still the King’s loyal subjects. The answer to this mystery involves events on three continents, including some maritime history, some art history, and even an excursion into the history of beer. Clearly there is something here for everyone, and it is a fitting end to our presentations this year.
The History Club will not meet again until October, so take advantage of this chance to gather and to learn something new. Those who have attended Peter’s classes know that his presentation of “The Continental Colors in Philadelphia in 1754?” will be an excellent one.
By Camille Hodges, Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events Program Planning Group Co-Chair
There has been some interest among OLLI members in starting or participating in a “Banned Books Club.” If you would like to explore that idea with friends, OLLI can provide guidance to get you started. Simply click on this link to begin.
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 May 3 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “Will Social Security thrive or survive?"
Is Social Security approaching insolvency? If no revisions are made, projections suggest a 23% reduction in benefits in 2033. Options for maintaining current benefit levels are to increase the payroll tax, raise the retirement age, or possibly revise how the benefit is calculated. What are your thoughts? Any creative remedies to share?
Check your Daily Schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and join Team Bloch for some social time.
We are seeking one or two members to volunteer to proofread E-News. A proofreader’s job is to review all articles for spelling, punctuation, grammar, syntax, consistency, and clarity. We have, and will provide, guidelines that cover some issues that are specific to E-News.
We publish weekly beginning one week before classes are in session, with occasional issues during the between-term periods. The proofreading commitment is typically a period of less than one hour per week. Editors send a draft version to the proofers no later than 6:00 on Wednesday evening (often earlier), and comments must be returned to the editor by 10:00 Thursday morning.
A bonus to proofreading E-News is that you will know what is happening at OLLI Mason several days before most other members! If you can help, please contact me at the OLLI E-News mailbox: ollienewseditor@gmail.com.
By Dr. Vivian G. Motti, Mason Assistant Professor, Department of Information Sciences and Technology
We are conducting a research study (survey) to characterize the level of awareness of older adults about technology risks (privacy). Participation takes around 20 minutes. We appreciate if you share the survey with the OLLI community to complete the questions using the link below. There are no known risks involved in this research.
The survey includes a few short videos about privacy and security for information purposes. For more information about the study and access to the survey questions, click this link. Thank you.
National Poetry Month is coming to a close, but we must not let it go before announcing that long-time OLLI member Joan Lunsford has had one of her poems accepted for an anthology, Our Changing Earth, to be published by The Poet Magazine, an online literary platform. Her poem also was the magazine’s featured poem on April 8, 2023.
Every Litter Bit Hurts By Joan Lunsford
“Please, please, don’t be a litter-bug
‘Cause every litter-bit hurts?”
Remember the ad we heard on TV?
Way, way back in 1953?
I took that to heart and you’d never see
Trash thrown out of a car by me.
But it’s common now to see debris
On sidewalks, roads, and in the sea.
Do they think things thrown from afar
Magically disappear, without a scar?
Plastic’s a real hazard, as you may know.
Tons of it pollute our oceans with nowhere to go.
Fish and other sea life think that it’s food
So they eat it; we eat them; not good.
Or is it fitting, somehow, that we become obsolete
From the food we have thrown in the sea and the street?
Yes, every litter bit hurts, even more than we thought
So let’s turn this around and do what we were taught.
Joan is part of the Poetry Workshop and read in The Poets of OLLI’s 17th Poetry Reading earlier this month.
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.
Indigenous Enterprise: Indigenous Liberation
Sat, Apr 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.
An interactive question-and-answer session will conclude this program.
Mason Opera Presents: Die Fledermaus
Sat, Apr 29, 8:00
Sun, Apr 30, 3:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: $20 Adult, $15 seniors.
International Jazz Day Concert
Sun, Apr 30, 7:00
Concert Hall
Admission: $12 Adult, $8 seniors.
University Singers Concert
Tue, May 2, 8:00
Concert Hall
Admission: $12 Adult, $8 seniors.
Jazz Steel Pan, Latin American, and Braddock Road Ensembles Concert
Wed, May 3, 8:00
deLaski Performing Arts Building 3001, deLaski Rehearsal Room
Admission: Free.
Mason School of Dance: Spring: Dance Innovations
Fri and Sat, May 5-6, 2:00 and 8:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: $15 Adult, $10 seniors.
Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month Celebration
Sat, May 6, 4:00
Concert Hall
Admission: Free.
Mason Symphony Orchestra Concert – Late Spring 2023
Sun, May 7, 7:00
Concert Hall
Admission: $20 Adult, $15 seniors.
13th Anniversary Gala: Reception, Dinner, Music, Dancing
Fri, Apr 28, 6:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Admission: $300.
Wicked Sycamore
Sat, Apr 29, 8:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $30.
Axial Dance: Art in Motion
Sun, Apr 30: 2:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $12.
Mason School of Theater: Concert Presentation of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Fri and Sat, May 5-6, 8:00
Sun, May 7, 2:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $20 Adults, $10 seniors.
Manassas Symphony Orchestra: Aspirations
Sat, May 6, 7:30
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Admission: $25.
Academy of Russian Ballet and Northern Virginia Youth Ballet: Coppélia
Sun, May 7, 2:00 and 6:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Admission: $28 Adult, $20 seniors.
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., bolded below. 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 Apr 29
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon May 1
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue May 2
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed May 3
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Mah Jongg Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
History Club
Thu May 4
10:00 am
4:30 pm
6:00 pm
Diversions Committee
Tai Chi Club
Ethnic Eats Club
Fri May 5
10:00 am
1:00 pm
Annual Business Meeting
Cinco de Mayo Picnic
Sat May 6
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon May 8
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue May 9
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed May 10
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Spanish Club
Mah Jongg Club
Thu May 11
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri May 12
9:30 am
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
2:30 pm
Photography Club
Craft and Conversation
Walk & Talk Club
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. 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:ollidev2.earthcare.com/" without the quotes.
A Teacher Appreciation and Student Scholarship Breakfast Program, April 14, Honoring Volunteer OLLI Instructors from Mason and Students Awarded Scholarships by Friends of OLLI
Meeting of the Board of Directors is Friday, April 28, 10:00, Tallwood, TA‑1 and Zoom. All members welcome.
Annual Meeting is Friday, May 5, 10:00, Tallwood, TA‑1; meet the candidates for the May 5‑19 Board election. Cinco de Mayo picnic begins at 1:00 following the meeting.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, April 28; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, April 25, at 6:00.
By Marilyn Harriman, Member OLLI Board of Directors and 2023 BOD Nominating Chair
How would you like your OLLI membership to improve? How can the organization better serve you? You’ll get to ask these questions and listen to this year’s Board of Directors candidates share their vision in a Meet the Candidates forum on May 5 from 10:00‑12:00 noon at the Tallwood Campus, TA‑1, and on Zoom.
To kick off the forum, our executive director, Jennifer Disano, and our OLLI president, Lillian Brooks, will share updates and news about programming and operations. After the annual report, this year’s Board of Directors nominating chair, Marilyn Harriman, will introduce the eight Board of Directors candidates who are running to fill five positions that become vacant in June. Voting for the five candidates opens via email after the Meet the Candidate forum; voting runs until May 19.
To meet the candidates in person at Tallwood, sign up for Event 1102 in the member portal. This Meet the Candidates forum event is your chance to get to know the people who will represent you at OLLI! Be sure to mark the event in your calendar and register, so you can participate and vote for your favorite candidates!
Following the forum, a Cinco de Mayo picnic and celebration will be held with tacos and a potluck (Event 1103).
The final day for OLLI members to run by way of signature petition for this year’s Board of Directors election is April 25.
Any OLLI active member may run for office and be added to the current slate of candidates by getting a nominating petition signed by 10% of the active membership. Petitions must be presented to the nominating chair, Marilyn Harriman, or OLLI Administrator Susan Todenhoft (Tallwood Office).
The only prerequisite to becoming a candidate for election to the board is being an active OLLI member who wants to contribute ideas and enjoys volunteering.
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 April 26 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “Have you experienced subscription creep?"
During the pandemic while we were stuck at home, many of us signed up for more subscriptions such as newspapers, magazines, financial sites, paid Substack blog posts, and newsletters. Are you still able to absorb all of the additional content? Have you stepped back and listed all of the new subscriptions you added? And, added up the annual costs? If yes, have you canceled or unsubscribed to many of them? Have your favorite sources for information changed as we emerged from the pandemic?”
Check your Daily Schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
Please join us and tell us what your favorites are. Meeting ID and password are on the OLLI daily schedule and are identical to the chat line logins; plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
The OLLI Spanish Club will be showing the movie Volver at Tallwood on April 26 at 1:45 in TA-3, and all interested OLLI members are invited. This Spanish-language film will be shown with English subtitles, so you can enjoy it regardless of your level (or lack) of Spanish. This 2006 comedy-drama starring Penélope Cruz received 12 nominations and won five awards (best film, director, actress, original score, and supporting actress) in the 21st Goya Awards. If you are interested in a short Spanish Club handout on this film prior to seeing it, please send me an email at MarkRamage@cox.net and I’ll forward it several days in advance.
By Marilyn Harriman, OLLI Board of Directors Member and Diversions Chair
After a three-year pandemic hiatus, we can finally get back together in person and enjoy each other’s company at our annual spring picnic. This year the event falls on Friday, May 5, or Cinco de Mayo. We’ll gather at the Tallwood campus on Roberts Road (TA‑1, the annex, and outdoors) from 1:00‑2:30. Food will be tacos (meat or vegetarian) provided by our OLLI administrators and potluck contributions from attendees.
Besides enjoying each other’s company, we’ll have festive celebration including music, a free dance lesson from a professional dance company, and a chance at whacking a pinata filled with sweet treats.
If you haven’t yet signed up for the event and would like to join in the fun, you must register. It’s easy! Go to the member portal and enter Event 1103: Cinco de Mayo Celebration & Picnic. Registration for this event closes on May 1. All participants will sign in at the check-in table for this event.
Each guest is asked to bring a dish to share based on your last name in the alphabet:
A-H: Appetizer
I-R: Side Dish Taco Accompaniment
S-Z: Dessert
To mitigate germs, all potluck items must be served using tongs, serving spoons, serving forks, or toothpicks. Please bring a serving utensil for your shared dish.
This is a fun opportunity to mingle with your OLLI friends, have a delicious lunch, and enjoy Mexico’s history and heritage. Hope to see you there!
By Michele Romano, Board Member and Health Advisory Workgroup Chair
Foodborne illnesses are with us all year long but are especially prevalent in warm weather. Also known as gastroenteritis, or stomach flu, they are caused by a variety of bugs. Norovirus accounts for roughly 60% of cases in adults in the U.S. It is highly contagious. Bacteria in contaminated food can also cause gastroenteritis. Outbreaks are especially likely to occur in high density venues such as cruise ships.
The most prominent symptoms are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These usually occur within 24 hours of exposure and last 24‑72 hours. Infection is spread by direct contact or contaminated food/water.
The major driver in foodborne illnesses is "pilot error": (1) cooking at improper temperature; (2) maintaining food at improper temperature (not keeping it hot or cold enough); (3) contaminated equipment; (4) cross contamination; (5) food from unsafe sources; (6) poor hygiene/improper handwashing. Follow the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Two‑Hour Rule: Do not leave perishables out for more than two hours before refrigerating them (one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees).
What should you do if you are unfortunate enough to get gastroenteritis? Most important is to stay ahead of dehydration. See these Mayo Clinic websites for more information: (1) Dehydration – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic; (2) Gastroenteritis: First aid – Mayo Clinic. If you have underlying health problems (diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, among others), notify your health care provider as soon as you develop symptoms. You can get very sick very quickly and not know it.
A last thought: “The best comfort food will always be greens, cornbread, and fried chicken” –Maya Angelou
The April 2023 Photo of the Month theme was People You Know. We selected Edward Marion's photo "Handstand," 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 Edward Marion, Photography Club Co-Coordinators
For I will consider my cat Blackie
For he was born in a coal yard and sent to a church rummage sale
For he was accompanied by a sibling and each sold for 25 cents
For he was Blackie because only a paw had a small spot of white
For the rest of him was coal black
For his sibling was Pinkie because he had a pink nose
For I named them both when I was six years old
For Blackie loved to eat Cheerios without milk
For he loved to stretch out near a sun-filled window
For he roamed freely outside but ran inside at night when called
For both he and Pinkie slept beside me in my bunk beds
For Blackie taught himself to ring the old-fashioned handled doorbell
For he then rejoiced in the reaction from visitors when they realized who was at the door
For he walked in with a supercilious air happily lording it over the visitors
For he did a human action and they could not do many cat actions
For they could not climb high trees or eat Cheerios from a bowl on the floor
For he loved to play chasing a string or a ball even as he aged
For he chose to sit first in the laps of people who did not like cats
For usually he sat in the laps of his family and he purred contentedly
For he once left the car when we stopped for gas traveling far from home
For when we returned in trepidation an hour later he was there and we rejoiced
For he meowed outside my empty bedroom when I had left for college
For we had each other for 14 years until one night he did not return when called
Betty Smith
Without Christopher Smart’s (1722-71) Jubilate Agno this attempt would not exist.
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.
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra with George Li, piano
Sat, Apr 22, 8:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion with pianist George Li and Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Conductor Christopher Zimmerman will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Admission: $65, $55, $40.
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., bolded below. 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 Apr 22
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Apr 24
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Apr 25
1:15 pm
4:30 pm
Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events Program Planning Group Meeting
Tai Chi Club
Wed Apr 26
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Spanish Club
Mah Jongg Club
Theater Lovers’ Group
Thu Apr 27
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Reston Book Club
Tai Chi Club
Fri Apr 28
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
2:00 pm
Craft and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Photography Club
Walk & Talk Club
Sat Apr 29
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon May 1
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue May 2
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed May 3
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Mah Jongg Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
History Club
Thu May 4
10:00 am
4:30 pm
6:00 pm
Diversions Committee
Tai Chi Club
Ethnic Eats 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. 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:ollidev2.earthcare.com/" without the quotes.
Correction: The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be at 10:00 on Friday, April 28, hybrid in TA‑1 at Tallwood and on Zoom. The Meetings & Clubs table in the April 7 E‑News showed it incorrectly for April 21.
Get ready to vote (for five) in the OLLI Board election! Click here to read candidate statements. Watch for events where you can meet the candidates (e.g., Annual Meeting May 5, 10:00). The election is May 5‑19.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, April 21; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, April 18, at 6:00.
By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch, Co-Moderators
On Wednesday, April 19, at 4:00, Team Bloch will moderate a conversation on “What are you streaming now?”
During the pandemic, we all adapted to streaming movies and series at home. What streaming options do you favor? Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, or others? Do you opt in and out based on current offerings? Now that we are more comfortable interacting with the world, have you canceled any of these services? Has your content consumption changed? Please join us and share your thoughts.
Please join us and tell us what your favorites are. Meeting ID and password are on the OLLI daily schedule and are identical to the chat line logins; plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
By Darden Purcell, D.M.A., Mason Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice
In the last issue of E-News, we noted two jazz offerings coming up next week (The Jazz Workshop on April 17 and The Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble at Blues Alley on April 19). Here are three more great events near the end of April to cap off the month!
MASON JAZZ VOCAL NIGHT
April 24, 2023, 8:00
Center for the Arts, Concert Hall Tickets:Click here.
Join Dr. Darden Purcell, the Mason Jazz Voice Studio, and Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble for an evening of swinging standards and classic hits from the Great American Songbook. Special guest choir is Forest Park High School Platinum Vocal Jazz Ensemble, directed by Lara Brittain!
JAZZ COMBOS
April 26, 2023, 8:00
De Laski Performing Arts Building, 3001
Free and Open to the Public
The Mason Jazz Combos, directed by Wade Beach, perform their spring 2023 concert!
International Jazz Day
April 30, 2023, 7:00
Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Share the vibrancy and vitality of jazz music with Mason Jazz students and faculty on April 30! International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts on all continents to celebrate and learn about jazz and its roots, future, and impact. School of Music ensembles performing will be the Mason Jazz Ensemble (director, Jim Carroll), Latin American Ensemble (director, Juan Megna), Mason Steel Pan Ensemble (director, Victor Provost), Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble (director, Darden Purcell) and very special guests, Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra (directors, Khandeya Sheppard, Domenic Lewis and Ronald Lee Jr.).
By Norma Jean Reck, Theater Lovers’ Group Coordinator
Urinetown
Sunday, May 7, join Theater Lovers’ Group (TLG) to see the 2:00 matinee performance of Urinetown at Workhouse Arts Theater in Lorton. The play, a Tony award-winning comedy musical, is set in a Gotham-like city where only public toilets are available for everyone's use due to a 20-year drought that caused a severe shortage of water. A hero emerges to lead a revolution that exposes the shortcomings of the social, legal, and political systems that results in gales of raucous laughter.
Tickets: $33 plus $3 per person fee. Optional riverside dining in Occoquan immediately following the performance. For more information, email Norma at njreck@cs.com.
Audrey
Sunday, May 21, join TLG to see the 2:00 matinee performance of Audrey at Creative Cauldron in Falls Church. This regional premiere is a musical based on the life of Audrey Hepburn from her teenage years as a spy in Holland during WWII to her iconic star status as a leading lady in Hollywood. Who can forget her 'little black dress'?
Tickets: Group rate is $45 per person. Optional après-show dining at a sophisticated restaurant nearby. To sign up for the show and dinner, please email Norma at njreck@cs.com ASAP as tickets are going fast.
In the Heights
Saturday, June 10, join TLG to see the 2:00 matinee performance of In the Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda at NextStop Theatre in Herndon. The award-winning musical tells the story of the sea change that occurred during a period of three days of sweltering heat to the Dominican immigrants living in New York City's Washington Heights area, through the eyes of the local bistro owner. It's the prequel to Westside Story. Group-rate tickets are $44 per person. Optional après-show dinner at a nearby restaurant. To sign up for the show and dinner, please email Norma at njreck@cs.com.
Guests are always welcome to join members of TLG at our outings. If you would like to join OLLI's TLG, go online to the member portal and register for it just like you do for a class, or you can email Susan Job, OLLI's registrar, at ollireg@gmu.edu, and ask Susan to help you sign up for Theater Lovers' Group.
By Norma Jean Reck, Theater Lovers' Group Coordinator
Did you know that about fifteen to twenty minutes from OLLI's Fairfax campus, just off Route 123, there is a 55‑acre campus that is home to a flourishing community center for the visual and performing arts? This year‑round venue offers opportunities to meet with working artists; browse art galleries; enjoy live music, stand-up comedy, and dinner and a movie; take health and wellness classes like Pilates, Yoga, art, and cooking classes; visit a museum on the history of the suffragettes, and so much more.
Want to know more about The Workhouse Arts Center? Be sure to join the class “Couch Tour of the Workhouse Arts Center” via Zoom on Wednesday, April 19, at 2:00 when Liz Colandene, the Performing Arts coordinator for Workhouse Arts Foundation, Inc., will meet virtually with OLLI members to discuss its history, educational and military art program offerings, and current theater offering – Urinetown – a laugh-out-loud show with a terrible title.
Mark your calendar: Wednesday, April 19, at 2:00. Everyone is invited to join Theater Lovers’ Group!
Start from the Nature Center parking lot,
the flyer said, take the mulched woodland path
and follow it through hardwoods, pines,
cross a small stream on logs—note the bluebells,
native plants—continue on.
And there, where the path curves, skirting
a low treeless mound, we saw them—outcropped
jutting stones—but low now and worn—and old—
old as continents, old as the Triassic Lowlands,
angular and still amid small mossy plants
and ferns.
Abrupt old stones, you who knew the
Pleistocene, tectonic lift, the folding and rift
and the long, unimaginable eons—the Miocene,
the Cambrian—you who have come to rest—
who tell us of deep time. Caroline McNeil
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or HyltonCenter, 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 CFAticket pageor the Hylton Center ticket purchase page.
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.
State Ballet of Georgia
Sat, Apr 15, 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: $60, $51, $36.
Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel: Mozart and Friends
Sun, Apr 16, 7:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance “Young Artists Musicale,” featuring piano students of Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association members, will take place from 6:00-6:30 in the main lobby of the Center for the Arts.
An interactive question-and-answer session will conclude this program.
Admission: $50, $43, $29.
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra with George Li, piano
Sat, Apr 22, 8:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion with pianist George Li and Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Conductor Christopher Zimmerman will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Admission: $65, $55, $40.
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., bolded below. 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 Apr 15
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Apr 17
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Apr 18
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed Apr 19
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
Bridge Club
Mah Jongg Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Apr 20
2:00 pm
4:30 pm
Walk & Talk Club
Tai Chi Club
Fri Apr 21
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
Craft and Conversation
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Sat Apr 22
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Apr 24
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Apr 25
1:15 pm
4:30 pm
Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events Program Planning Group Meeting
Tai Chi Club
Wed Apr 26
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Spanish Club
Mah Jongg Club
Theater Lovers’ Group
Thu Apr 27
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Reston Book Club
Tai Chi Club
Fri Apr 28
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
2:00 pm
Craft and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Photography Club
Walk & Talk 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. 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:ollidev2.earthcare.com/" without the quotes.
US Congressman Gerald Connolly of Virginia Presents Kick-off Lecture for Spring Term 2023, March 20
April 7, 2023
Editor of the Week: Paul Van Hemel
Table of Contents
Alerts & Notices
Spring-term registration continues throughout the term (through May 19).
Check this page on the website for changes to the spring term catalog.
Get ready to vote (for five) in the OLLI Board election! Click here to read candidate statements. Watch for events where you can meet the candidates. The election is May 5‑19.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, April 14; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, April 11, at 6:00.
Geraldine Brooks to Headline Fall for the Book on April 16
By Kara Oakleaf, Director, Fall for the Book Festival
Fall for the Book is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and we’re connecting our community of readers with writers whose work has shaped the last 25 years of literature. We’re so pleased to welcome Pulitzer prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks as our spring headliner on Sunday, April 16.
Brooks’s latest novel, Horse, is an intricately crafted historical fiction novel about a record-breaking racehorse. Brooks braids narratives from 1850 Kentucky, 1994 New York City, and 2019 Washington DC into a sweeping novel about science, obsession, and injustice in America. Brooks is also the author of the bestselling novels March, People of the Book, and Caleb’s Crossing.
Sponsored by the Fairfax County Public Library. To reserve your free tickets starting on April 7, click here.
Did you know that OLLI has a book exchange? Since many new members are unfamiliar with the Tallwood campus, and others have been away for a while, we are offering this reminder that OLLI welcomes your good, no-longer-needed books for others to read. The exchange shelves are in the Social Room, at the far end of the right-hand wall as you enter the room. Please feel free to bring a few books, take a book or two (yes you may keep them, or bring them back if you choose, or both). When bringing books, please try to choose topics that still have some appeal; the 1979 World Almanac is not a favorite, nor is Windows 95 for Dummies! Popular and literary fiction, biography, and general non-fiction volumes are popular, and recent magazines (e.g., Smithsonian, National Geographic) are also good. Take a look, and maybe take a book, the next time you’re at Tallwood!
By Marilyn Harriman, OLLI Walk & Talk Club Co-Chair
The OLLI Walk & Talk Club celebrated the start of spring with Michael Nephew as our guide on March 29 at Mason District Park. Michael led 27 walkers across level paths and up and down hills for an invigorating experience. Afterward, most of the group gathered at Café V in Annandale for light refreshments and continued conversation.
Upcoming walks include a trek to the Mason main campus from the OLLI Tallwood pool parking lot on Wednesday, April 12 at 2:00; a hike along Long Branch Stream Valley Trail in Annandale starting at 2:00 on Thursday, April 20; and an exploration of trails at Wakefield Park on Friday, April 28, beginning at 2:00. After each walk, an optional get-together for continued conversation and beverages is held at a café near our walk location.
If you’d like to get out, get some fresh air, exercise this spring, and enjoy the company of a fun group of OLLI members, the club always welcomes new members. You can register for the OLLI Walk & Talk Club through the member portal. Once registered, you’ll receive additional details and directions to upcoming walk locations. Club members are not obligated to walk every week; each walker moves at their desired stride.
By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch, Co‑Moderators
On Wednesday, April 12, at 4:00, Team Bloch will moderate a conversation on the kitchen appliance that you use or enjoy the most. Alternatively, what appliance would you replace IMMEDIATELY if it were no longer functioning?
For some people it would be the microwave or the coffeemaker or even an outdoor grill. For one of Team Bloch’s members who recently replaced their refrigerator, that would be the choice. Another team member has indicated that her SodaStream is essential to her life. Everyone has different priorities. Be sure and join us on the OLLI chat line for a discussion of this fun topic.
We look forward to your joining us on this lighthearted discussion, using the Wednesday daily‑schedule email for the Zoom link/meeting ID and password; plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
By Darden Purcell, D.M.A., Mason Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice
Mason has two great jazz offerings coming up in the next couple of weeks. We welcome you to join us for these special events!
The Jazz Workshop
Monday, April 17, 8:00
Harris Theatre
Free and open to the public
The Jazz Workshop, directed by John Kocur, explores the intersection of improvisation and composition in the traditions of the great dance and studio jazz bands. The concert will feature compositions by jazz musicians such as Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Bobby Watson, Freddie Hubbard, and Michael Phillip Mossman.
Darden & The Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble at BLUES ALLEY (Jazz Supper Club, 1073 Wisconsin Avenue NW, DC)
April 19, shows at 7:00 & 9:00
The Mason Jazz Vocal Jazz Ensemble, directed by Darden Purcell, performs for the first time at America's oldest continuing jazz supper club, Blues Alley! Blues Alley has showcased internationally-renowned artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Garrett, Maynard Ferguson, the Yellowjackets, and more. Located in the heart of historic Georgetown in an 18th century red brick carriage house, Blues Alley offers its patrons a unique ambiance, reminiscent of the jazz clubs of the 1920's and 30's.
At certain special times
I like to take
The long way ‘round
To see more clearly
Ordinary things
Note the twittering
Titmouse at work
In the underbrush
Watch its small self
Ignore the intruding human
Close across the trail.
A hawk loops low
At the edge of the wood
In search of living food.
A deer stands stock-still
Beside a fast-moving stream
That burbles with joy
In the long way ‘round.
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.
Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra with Bobby Floyd
Sat, Apr 8 at 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: $48, $41, $29.
State Ballet of Georgia
Sat, Apr 15, 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: $60, $51, $36.
Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel: Mozart and Friends
Sun, Apr 16, 7:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance “Young Artists Musicale,” featuring piano students of Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association members, will take place from 6:00-6:30 in the main lobby of the Center for the Arts.
An interactive question-and-answer session will conclude this program.
Admission: $50, $43, $29.
Eric Garner: Multiple Repeat Mistakes
Through Apr 15
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Admission: Free.
Sistas: The Musical
Fri Apr 7 at 7:00
Sat, Apr 8, 2:00 and 7:00
Fri, Apr 14, 7:00
Sat, Apr 15, 2:00 and 7:00
Sun, Apr 16, 3:00
Hilton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $30
Matinee Idols: Leo Sushansky and Michelle Lundy
Wed, Apr 12, Lunch 12:30, Performance 1:30
Jacquemin Family Foundation Rehearsal Hall
Admission: Lunch, concert, and dessert reception: $60;
Concert and dessert reception only: $35.
Mason Chorale Broadway Showcase
Sat, Apr 15, 2:00 and 8:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $20 Adult, $15 seniors.
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., bolded below. 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 Apr 8
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Apr 10
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Apr 11
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed Apr 12
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Spanish Club
Mah Jongg Club
Thu Apr 13
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Apr 14
9:30 am
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
2:30 pm
Photography Club
Craft and Conversation
Grab ‘n’ Gab Coffee Klatch
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Cooking Club
Tallwood Book Club
Sat Apr 15
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Apr 17
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Apr 18
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed Apr 19
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
Bridge Club
Maj Jongg Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Apr 20
2:00 pm
4:30 pm
Walk & Talk Club
Tai Chi Club
Fri Apr 21
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
Craft and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
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:ollidev2.earthcare.com/” without the quotes.
I am so pleased to announce that OLLI has received the 2023 Arts Education Award from ArtsFairfax. This organization is Fairfax County’s local arts agency funded in part by Fairfax County, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as corporations, foundations, and individuals. What an honor to be recognized for our efforts at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University!
Save the date and be there Monday, May 22, 2023, at 11:00 when Peggy McKowen, the new Artistic Director of the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF), joins OLLI members via Zoom to talk with us about her vision for the annual festival and for celebrating in 2023 the "Summer of Six" – the six new plays that will be performed in repertory this July. They are contemporary plays that make you want to talk about the stories, the characters, and the issues they represent.
Admission: Free.
Urinetown
Audrey
In the Heights
Want to know more about The Workhouse Arts Center? Be sure to join the class “Couch Tour of the Workhouse Arts Center” via Zoom on Wednesday, April 19, at 2:00 when Liz Colandene, the Performing Arts coordinator for Workhouse Arts Foundation, Inc., will meet virtually with OLLI members to discuss its history, educational and military art program offerings, and current theater offering – Urinetown – a laugh-out-loud show with a terrible title.
Fall for the Book is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and we’re connecting our community of readers with writers whose work has shaped the last 25 years of literature. We’re so pleased to welcome Pulitzer prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks as our spring headliner on Sunday, April 16.
Did you know that OLLI has a book exchange? Since many new members are unfamiliar with the Tallwood campus, and others have been away for a while, we are offering this reminder that OLLI welcomes your good, no-longer-needed books for others to read. The exchange shelves are in the Social Room, at the far end of the right-hand wall as you enter the room. Please feel free to bring a few books, take a book or two (yes you may keep them, or bring them back if you choose, or both). When bringing books, please try to choose topics that still have some appeal; the 1979 World Almanac is not a favorite, nor is Windows 95 for Dummies! Popular and literary fiction, biography, and general non-fiction volumes are popular, and recent magazines (e.g., Smithsonian, National Geographic) are also good. Take a look, and maybe take a book, the next time you’re at Tallwood!
Mason has two great jazz offerings coming up in the next couple of weeks. We welcome you to join us for these special events!
Darden & The Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble at BLUES ALLEY (Jazz Supper Club, 1073 Wisconsin Avenue NW, DC)