OLLI Lifetime Member Ken Plum kicked off the 2023 Cinco de Mayo picnic on May 5 in a ribbon-cutting to dedicate a decorative plum tree planted at Tallwood; members enjoyed foods of Mexico and festive activities to celebrate the day
Registration for the summer term has begun. Members may register throughout the term at the member portal. Many classes continue to have space available. Visit this page for changes to the summer catalog. Summer term begins June 20.
The spring term survey is available at this link. Please take a few minutes to provide your feedback.
Reminder: Computer Club 3rd Saturday meeting, 1:00, May 20 (tomorrow), in person in TA‑1 at Tallwood and via Zoom (Zoom session usually begins about 12:45).
Reminder: The literature, theater, writing, and language program planning group will meet on Tuesday, June 6, at 10:00 via Zoom. Check the OLLI daily schedule email on June 6 for the Zoom link. All members welcome.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, June 2; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, May 30, at 6:00.
By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator, Theater Lovers' Group
Note date change: The May meeting of the Theater Lovers' Group (TLG) will be held via Zoom on Monday, May 22, at 11:00 instead of Wednesday, May 24, to accommodate the speaker, Peggy McKowen, Artistic Director of the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF). Find the link in the OLLI daily schedule on Monday, May 22 under Theater Lovers' Group.
All OLLI members are invited to join TLG members Monday, May 22 at 11:00 when Peggy will meet with us via Zoom from Shepherdstown, WV, to talk with us about CATF and this summer's plays. CATF, as a lot of you already know, aims to produce and develop new American plays. The festival is held during the month of July and features six plays in rotating repertory. This unique theatrical experience, attended by people from around the world, is situated on the banks of the Potomac just 70 miles north of DC. TLG is planning to attend. Details to follow.
On Saturday, June 10, TLG members are headed to NextStop Theater in Herndon, VA, to see the 2:00 matinee of Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights. Tickets are $44 per person, OLLI group rate. We will go to A Taste of the World restaurant, right around the corner from NextStop, for an optional dinner. To purchase tickets, go online to nextstop.com or phone 703-481-5930. Be sure to tell them you are with OLLI to get the discount.
Planning ahead: The June TLG meeting will be an opportunity for members to finally meet in person. We are planning the meeting as a luncheon at a convenient restaurant. The agenda will include planning for plays you want to see (Sweeney Todd has already been suggested); plans for going to CATF this July; a trip to American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, VA, in October; and any other suggestions you may have for events and speakers.
Reminder: You must rejoin TLG when you register for your summer classes. You can join TLG anytime by going online or by email to OLLI Registrar ollireg@gmu.edu.
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 24 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “Loneliness."
The surgeon general recently stated that "loneliness poses a greater threat than smoking." Do you believe this is true? Loneliness as a toxic threat? Research shows that Americans, who have become less engaged with worship houses, community organizations, and even their own family members in recent decades, have steadily reported an increase in feelings of loneliness. Is OLLI helpful to you in overcoming this threat? What other strategies have you adopted?
Check your daily schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
The Tallwood Book Club will hold its June and July meetings via Zoom on its regularly scheduled 2nd Friday of the month at 2:30. On June 9, we will be discussing The Known World by Edward Jones. On July 14, we will be discussing Chasing History by Carl Bernstein.
There will be no meeting in August, and we plan to meet in person at the Tallwood campus during September, October, November, and December on 2nd Wednesdays. Our September choice is The Dead Are Arising by Les Payne, which is a biography of Malcolm X.
By Linda H. Harber, Friends of Music at Mason President
Please join the Friends of Music at Mason (FOMM) on Friday, June 9 from 6:30-9:00 at the Woodlands Retirement Community. This event includes a private concert by talented Mason music students and a delicious dinner. Details on how to register are in the illustrated flyer. Seating is limited, so please sign up today.
By Debby Mossburg, Board Member and Outreach Committee Chair
OLLI is planning a class this fall featuring a number of senior housing options at several price points and levels of service. If you think your community would be a good candidate for us to feature, please contact debby.mossburg@verizon.net. Thank you!
The May 2023 Photo of the Month theme was Flowers. We selected Rosemary Lubinski's photo "Water Lilies at Biltmore," which may also be viewed at this page. To view other photos by members of the Photography Club, visit the club's photo website.
-- By John Olsen and Ed Marion, Photography Club Coordinators
Robert Hunter Coffin, Jr.
Robert Coffin, LTC US Army (Ret.), gardener, culinary educator, gourmet, food critic, and more died on May 8. A native of Hubbardston, MA, Bob graduated from UMass Amherst and received his master’s degree from Ohio University. He presented numerous popular courses memorable to OLLI members for introducing them to varieties of cheeses, peppers, tomatoes, wines, and other delights. A celebration of his life will be held at 2:00 on Saturday, May 20, at the Blue and Gray VFW Post #8469, 5703 Vogue Road, Fairfax Station, VA. Click here for further information.
David J. Lynch
Retired US Army Colonel David Lynch, who was a long-time OLLI member, died on May 9. He was a resident of Springfield, VA. There will be a visitation at 1:00 today (May 19) at Nativity Catholic Church, 6400 Nativity Lane, Burke, VA, followed by a funeral mass at 2:00. He will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Further information is available at this link.
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or Hylton Center, 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 Centerticket purchase page.
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.
Sat, May 20, 7:00
Sun, May 21, 2:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $20 Adult, $16 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.
Company 360: ACROSS
Sun, May 28, 2:00 and 7:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Admission: $30 Adult, $20 senior.
Creative and Performing Arts Center: FENCES
Fri, Jun 2, 7:00
Sat, Jun 3, 3:00 and 7:00
Sun, Jun 4, 3:00
Fri, Jun 9, 7:00
Sat, Jun 10, 3:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $30 Adult, $17 senior.
Manassas Chorale: From Sea to Shining Sea
Fri, Jun 2, 7:30
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Admission: $25 Adult, $23 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., 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 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
Sat May 27
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon May 29
11:00 am
Poetry Writing Club
Tue May 30
9:30 am
10:00 am
4:30 pm
Annex Art Program Planning Committee Meeting
Tai Chi Club
Wed May 31
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:30 am
2:00 pm
Bridge Club
Walk & Talk Club
Investment Forum
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Jun 1
11:50 am
12:00 noon
4:30 pm
6:00 pm
All the News
Luncheon for Mason Facilities
Tai Chi Club
Ethnic Eats Club
Fri Jun 2
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
Crafts and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
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.
