Development Committee members are selling raffle tickets for a 1‑year OLLI membership. Look for them at classes or events. Drawing will be held at the holiday party; you need not be present to win.
OLLI's annual holiday party, Friday, December 1, noon to 3:00, at International Country Club, 13200 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Fairfax. Fee: $38; register for Event 1107. Click on party icon at left; choose chicken or pasta lunch entree.
At our board meeting this month we will approve a budget for 2018. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about it and expressing our concerns about the membership projection that underlies it. You could conclude that it is financing that drives everything OLLI does and plans for. I’m going to try and make the case that “it just ain’t so.”
Of course, finances are vital, but we are a community of volunteer members who are most concerned about our intellectual and social needs and desires. A solid number of members have always come together to devise our goals, programs, and myriad activities great and small. I have no doubt whatsoever that this arrangement will continue as long as we have yet another academic term before us. Let’s celebrate and nurture this club of volunteers.
There are tried and true principles and guidelines for volunteer organizations. I looked up a few just now to tailor for us and share with you.
1. Seek and employ volunteers to apply a more diverse range of skills, experience, and knowledge than we have in a paid staff.
2. Reach more potential new members.
3. Raise awareness about lifelong learning in general as well as OLLI-Mason, our profile, and what we do.
4. Build relationships within the community in which we work and contribute to supporting others in our community. By providing volunteering opportunities, we provide opportunities for social inclusion, skills development, and potential routes to employment. There is also evidence that volunteering can help to improve health and well-being for individuals.
5. Inform the development and delivery of our activities, projects, and services by bringing in new opinions, ideas, or approaches. This can help us to adapt and to stay relevant to what our beneficiaries and community need, as well as to identify opportunities to improve what we do.
6. Deliver our service and projects in a more effective and efficient way, which can help to save money and resources. However, organizations do have to invest in supporting volunteering for this to work effectively.
By Nancy S. Scheeler, OLLI Program Committee Co-Chair
Gloria Sussman has taught “The Ongoing Pleasures of Music” in Reston for 17 years – over 400 classes in all. Now 93, she is retiring from teaching at OLLI and moving to a retirement community in Loudoun. At her last scheduled class on November 6, faithful class members thanked her with a resounding ovation.
A carefully curated selection of classical music, Gloria’s class began with just a boom box and CDs from her own collection. Today she uses a computer-driven system of high quality speakers and videos, often from YouTube. In spite of her very limited eyesight, she produces visual and aural presentations of professional quality.
Variety has been her trademark. She has used every form of music – soloists, orchestras, chamber and choral groups – almost always finding the very best examples to make a point. Often her focus was a current topic in music – deaths of outstanding musicians, new talented musicians on the scene – aimed to keep attendees up‑to‑date with the musical world.
For her last class, Gloria selected some of her favorites, beginning with the hymn “What Wondrous Love” and ranging through excerpts from a Bach string quartet to Renee Fleming singing a Villa‑Lobos aria to a Rachmaninov cello sonata to a Mozart opera.
The second half of the class focused on honoring Gloria. In 2014, Gloria’s sons commissioned a sonata, entitled "Sonata di Gloria," to be composed in honor of her 90th birthday. Both Scott Solak, the composer, and Monika and Armine Chamasayan, two of the three original performers, were present at the class to honor Gloria and to watch a replay of the world premiere of the sonata.
OLLI Executive Director Jennifer Disano presented Gloria with a one‑year OLLI membership from the Board of Directors in appreciation of her service to OLLI.
Carol Henderson read a poem (see following article) describing her own reactions to Gloria’s class over the years. Jean Keefe presented a hand-crafted memory album to Gloria. Class members also recorded a video thank‑you card for Gloria to remember them. Rosemary McDonald was master of ceremonies and obtained a Phalaenopsis orchid for the class to give her.
Afterwards, all gathered for cake and coffee. All hope that, once she is settled, Gloria will return to teaching from time to time, perhaps at the OLLI Loudoun campus.
A Tribute to Gloria Sussman and
Her "Ongoing Pleasures of Music" Of all the courses I could take, There’s only one I’d not forsake. Despite the offerings so rich and various, The OLLI catalog so multifarious, It’s Monday music I must make.
I’d never miss my music time, Its “bits and pieces” so sublime, The themes skillfully drawn from each composition And from every performance and every musician. To miss the “Pleasures…” would be a crime.
It’s stunning how she can imbue A piece with depth in a word or two. Each playlist incorporates the perfect selection From her absolutely astounding and invariably increasing collection Of music old or rare or new.
From Philadelphia she’s come; Then Reston, now Ashburn hosts this talented plum. Her maiden name, she says, is Jerjisian And she herself is a fine musician Who’s so enriched the OLLI curriculum.
Of all the courses I could choose, There’s only one I’d weep to lose-- That listening state of pure euphoria Induced in every class by Gloria, Our favorite teacher and our muse.
By Camille Hodges, Humanities and Social Sciences Program Planning Committee Co-Chair
Have you ever reflected on your personal family history through the eyes of young college students? Several OLLI Humanities and Social Sciences Committee members were recently given the opportunity to share their personal family histories with Mason students from Dr. Spencer Crew’s class, “Honors 240 – Reading the Past: Families and Change Over Time.” In preparation for the project, students were given a lesson in how to conduct oral interviews.
Students and interviewees met in the East Building on the Mason campus three times during the first semester of 2017 to engage in conversations that highlighted personal experiences in the lives of OLLI members as well as others from the local community. Each participant was assigned two students as interviewers. Convivial, yet reflective, experiences were shared as students took notes and recorded highlights of seven OLLI volunteers’ lives. The end product will be a written document describing each participant’s personal oral family history, and copies will be given to participants on December 5.
OLLI participants in this highly engaging project were Ray Beery, Johnnie Hicks, Michelle Blandburg, Bernie Oppel, Alan Frederick, Jeff Milstein, and Camille Hodges. Dr. Crew has sponsored this class assignment for several years and is especially interested in continuing the project with OLLI members in the future. If you missed this first opportunity and would like to participate in fall 2018, please contact Dr. Crew at srcrew@gmu.edu or Mimi Hodges at mimihodges2@aol.com.
By Alice Slayton Clark, Communications and Program Associate
Calling all longstanding and new OLLI instructors! Please be aware that the deadline for course proposals for summer term is February 9, 2018. Summer term 2018 runs from June 18-July 27. Now is the time to start thinking about classes/events you might like to offer.
You can find the course proposal form at: https://ollidev2.earthcare.com/olli-course-proposal-form/. Please fill it out in its entirety, click “submit,” and the OLLI program planners will be in touch with you soon thereafter about your offering. Thanks for your support for OLLI programming!
Who eats ice cream in February??? Of course, OLLI members! We will be celebrating the cold weather with our annual ice cream social and Mardi Gras theme on February 15. Would you like to help plan this event or get involved in other social events for next year? If so, join us at the Social Events Committee meeting on Wednesday, November 15, at 10:00 in the Tallwood Annex.
Treat yourself to delicious goodies, enjoy a delightful movie, and raise funds for OLLI, too! Come to Tallwood on Friday, December 8, to purchase delicious homemade goodies, visit with friends, and meet new friends. Bring your lunch to supplement the yummy goodies you will find for yourself and for holiday gifting, and be a friend to our OLLI.
The bake sale will be held from 11:00 to 1:00 in the Social Room and Annex. Visit and dine a bit, then watch a fantabulous holiday movie, Love Actually, in TA‑1 from 1:00 to 3:30.
All proceeds go to Friends of OLLI to support our programs at all three campuses. With Board approval, funds may be used to supplement equipment needs, publication expenses, committee and club expenses, social events, environmental enhancements, Mason scholarship awards, and Mason community endeavors.
Your participation at the bake sale and the movie is encouraged, certainly invited, and your presence would be wonderful!
If you can be a baker for Friends of OLLI, your help is welcome, needed, and would be very much appreciated. Contact Development Committee Chair Lesley Bubenhofer at labubenhofer@verizon.net for details.
Not a baker, but an ardent goodie lover? We need you, too. Please come and enjoy!
We all like quizzes, and we all like to know about future OLLI term offerings, right? So, how can we go wrong with a guessing game?
Take a guess. How many multiple-session courses and how many one-time special events do you estimate will be offered during OLLI’s winter term? It’s almost like guessing how many jellybeans are in the jar.
Hint #1: While more one-session classes will be offered than usual, somewhat fewer multi-session classes will be scheduled. OLLI’s weather watchers are apparently prognosticating a wild (not mild) winter.
Hint #2: Only one trip, to the George Mason University Fairfax campus, is planned during winter term. (See previous paragraph for our OLLI-based weather forecasting.)
Hint #3: Literature and Theater (400 series classes) will offer the largest number of multi-session classes, 12 in total. Art and Music (100 series) will offer 10.
Pick up a pencil and make a guess. Remember that our winter term is only four weeks long. Quiz answers can be found at end of this E-News edition.
3rd Saturday, November 18 3D Printing – What’s All the Hype About? Exposure Controls for Adjustable Cameras
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, November 18, at Tallwood. Join us at 12:30 for socializing in the Annex. Program activities begin at 1:00 in TA‑1.
3D Printing – What’s All the Hype About? By John Acton
Is 3D printing a passing technological fad, or will it change the way we live? After the presentation, you may agree that 3D printing can have a profound influence and impact on our economy, culture, and society. Printing evolved to convey a message. But 3D printers are different; they convey an object. We’ll review the amazing range of things 3D printing is being applied to and possible implications for our future in architecture, medicine, automobiles, aerospace, military, fashion, food, and other fields.
John has been an OLLI member since retiring in 2012 and is chair of the OLLI Science, Technology, and Health Program Planning Group. After 20 years as an R&D engineering officer in the U.S. Air Force, he spent the next 24 years as a support contractor for a variety of defense and intelligence communities, with his last 7 years working for the Director of National Intelligence.
Learn in 30: Exposure Controls for Adjustable Cameras - What They Are and How to Use Them, by Henry S. Winokur
This presentation discusses the three major exposure controls used by adjustable cameras. Illustrations and example photos will show what they control and how to use them and why specific settings were chosen. We hope to have time for questions and answers.
Henry is a DC native and has been taking photos for over 50 years! He has always done his own processing and printing. Since 2005, he has only worked with DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) gear. He uses Adobe’s LightRoom CC and Photoshop CC as his photo organizing and processing software packages. His prints are at minimum 12x18”. A favorite type of image is the multi-frame panorama. He has printed images that are 12 feet (!) long.
See full details on this meeting by clicking here. For information on the Computer Club, see the OPCUG website. OPCUG dues of $5 for 2018 will be collected at this meeting.
Can't make the meeting in person? Dues-paid club members may attend via Zoom's cloud meeting service, beginning at 12:45. Send a message to webinarhosts@patacs.org if you plan to attend in this way. Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android: https://zoom.us/j/2080042114 (Meeting ID: 208 004 2114).
By Paul Howard, Audiovisual Support Committee Chair
OLLI's Audiovisual Support Committee (a.k.a. The Tom Swift Squad) seeks additional volunteers to help ensure the smooth employment of OLLI's audiovisual resources. Our primary mission is to help instructors, liaisons, and staff with any audiovisual issues that might arise during the classes we attend.
We'll be meeting at 1:00 on Wednesday, November 15, in TA‑3. Our activities for this meeting will include training on OLLI's AV equipment used in classrooms and remote locations. We'll be discussing future equipment arrangements and reviewing our materials for volunteer and staff training.
Please let me know if you're planning to attend or would like to become a "Swiftie," even if you can't attend this meeting. Contact me by email (preferred) or phone (703-860-9246).
For more information on the Audiovisual Support Committee, see its web page.
Now pulling the rabbit out of the hat, our winter term will provide 59 multi-session classes, 45 special events, and three social events. The total number of multi-session class meetings comes to 221 and, at 85 minutes per session, a total of 18,785 minutes. And you thought that you would ride out the winter with the pillows over your head! This does not include the 45 special events, which provide 3,825 minutes of enjoyment!
Kudos to our diligent program planners who came up with all these terrific classes. When your winter catalog arrives in early to mid-November, check out the offerings and sign up for as many of them as interest you. Priority registration begins December 1.
Performances, November 10 through November 20By Shelly Gersten, OLLI E-News Staff WriterFor tickets for either Center for the Arts (CFA) or Hylton, call 1-888-945-2468, buy tickets online through the event calendar (see links below), or visit the venue's box office. For more information, see the CFA ticket pageor the Hyltonticket purchase page.
At the Fairfax Campus Venues
Aquila Theatre: Hamlet
Sun, Nov 12, 7:00
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company.
Concert Hall
Admission: $44, $37, $26.Doug Varone and Dancers
Sat, Nov 18, 8:00
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company.
Concert Hall
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Fall New Dances
Fri, Nov 10, and Sat, Nov 11, 8:00
Fri, Nov 10, 2:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: Adults, $15; seniors, $10.Mason School of Music: Jazz 4 Justice
Sat, Nov 11, 8:00
Concert Hall
Admission: Adults, $20; seniors, $15.Vocal Pops A Capella Concert
Sun, Nov 12, 4:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: Free.GMU Tuba Euphonium Ensemble Concert
Sun, Nov 12, 7:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: Free.
Jazz Workshop Concert
Wed, Nov 15, 8:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: Free.
The Pillowman
Thu, Nov 16 – Sat, Nov 18, 8:00
Sat, Nov 18, and Sun, Nov 19, 2:00
TheaterSpace
Admission: Adults, $20; seniors, $10.
National Jazz Workshop All-Star Jazz Orchestra
Sun, Nov 19, 3:00
deLaski 3001
Admission: Free.
Hurricane Relief Concert
Sun, Nov 19, 6:30
deLaski 3001
Admission: Advance, $5; at door, $7.
Mason Jazz Vocal Night
Mon, Nov 20, 8:00
Concert Hall
Admission: Adults, $12; seniors, $8.
Gallery Exhibit: War and Recovery Works by Martin J. Cervantez Continues through Dec 2
The Gallery is open to the public Tue-Sat, 10:00 - 6:00, Thu, 10:00 - 8:00, and two hours before performances.
For more information, visit https://cvpa.gmu.edu/gands.
Gallery receptions are open only to Friends of the Hylton Center. Contact Jacque Connor at 703-993-7150 or http://jconnor@gmu.edu for more information. Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Mason School of Music: Jazz 4 Justice
Fri, Nov 10, 8:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: Adults, $20; seniors, $15.
American Festival Pops: Salute to Veterans: A Concert for All Ages
Sat, Nov 11, 4:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: Adults, $15; veterans, free.
The Martial Artists and Acrobats of Tianjin
Sun, Nov 12, 2:00
Merchant Hall
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company.
Admission: $50, $43, $30.
The Washington Saxophone Quartet: Matinee Idylls
Tue, Nov 14, lunch 12:15, concert/dessert 1:15
Admission: Lunch and concert, $47; concert, $27.
Nobuntu
Fri, Nov 17, 8:00
Pre-performance discussion: Member of the company.
Merchant Hall
Admission: $46, $39, $28.
Youth Orchestras of Prince William
Sun, Nov 19, 3:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: Adults, $20; seniors, $12.
The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office, with direct web links added when available. The list is accurate as of mid-week but to check any time for the latest information, please view the latest forecast of upcoming events on our website (News/OLLI Calendar). Note: All OLLI members are welcome at, and encouraged to attend, meetings of the Board of Directors, committees and resource groups, kickoff coffees, etc. (bolded below).
Sat Nov 11
10:30am
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Mon Nov 13
10:00am
What’s in the Daily News, cont’d–TA-1
Tue Nov 14
9:30am
10:00am
Annex Art–Annex Loudoun Program Planning Meeting
Wed Nov 15
10:00am
10:00am
10:00am
10:30am
12:00pm
1:00pm
Bridge Club–TA-3
Mah Jongg Club–TA-2 Social Events Committee–Annex
Tom Crooker Investment Forum–TA-1 Program Committee–TA-1 A/V Committee–TA-3
Fri Nov 17
9:15am
9:30am
10:00am
11:00am
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Craft and Conversation–Annex Board of Directors Meeting–TA-1
Homer, etc.–Annex
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Technical Editor: Irene Osterman
Associate Editor: Sheri Siesseger
Weekly Editor Team: Jean Boltz, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger, Leslie Vandivere,
Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Polly Johnsen, Shirley Springfloat
Backup Chief Editor: Alice Slayton Clark
Submissions. Members are encouraged to submit letters to the editor, letters to Ms. Ollie Ettakit (on etiquette matters), OLLI-related news items, articles, and photos. Submit material to: ollienewseditor@gmail.com. Deadline – 6:00 Tuesday for that week's issue (6:00 Monday for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words. Note: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News on the DocStore. To search the content of issues, use Search Our Site or put your search term in Google followed by "site:ollidev2.earthcare.com/" without the quotes.
Have you ever reflected on your personal family history through the eyes of young college students? Several OLLI Humanities and Social Sciences Committee members were recently given the opportunity to share their personal family histories with Mason students from Dr. Spencer Crew’s class, “Honors 240 
