Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

ENews1-15

About OLLI E-News

OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013. Editorial Staff Chief Editor/Technical Editor: Irene Osterman Associate Editor: Weekly Editorial Team: Paul Van Hemel, Sheri Siesseger, Leslie Vandivere, Proofreaders: John West, Gordon Canyock, Susan Van Hemel Backup Chief Editor: Sheri Siesseger 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 pm Tuesday for that week's issue (6:00 pm 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.

OLLI E-News January 9, 2015
Print a condensed .pdf copy of this newsletter, two web pages per sheet of paper.
 
Cookies by Wendy Campbell and Martha Powers for About 50 OLLI Members
at Screening of “Hansel & Gretel” Opera, Dec 9, 2014

January 9, 2015


Editor of the Week:  Paul Van Hemel and Irene Osterman
Table of Contents

Alerts & Notices

All members are welcome to attend the Board of Directors meeting on Friday January 16 at 10:00 in TA-1.

The Humanities and Social Sciences Planning Group will hold its winter meeting on Thursday, January 22 from 2:00-3:30 at the Tallwood Annex. We will be completing planning for the spring term and then focusing on our potential summer courses. This is a great opportunity for OLLI members to learn about and participate in program planning. Please come and enjoy a lively exchange of course ideas and camaraderie.

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Reminder to Pick up Parking Permits for Loudoun Site
 
If you plan on attending a class or event at OLLI in Loudoun, please remember to pick up a FREE parking permit. You can begin picking up your permits on January 12 between the hours of 9:00  and 3:00 at the George Mason office in Loudoun, 21335 Signal Hill Plaza, Sterling, VA 20164, in Suite 130 (see the receptionist). Please note, the George Mason office is closed on Monday, January 19th in honor of Martin Luther King's Birthday. You can also arrive early on your first day of class and pick it up then.
 
Parking regulations have not changed. Please park in the East Lot; if no spaces are available there, you may park in the student lot (please see map here: https://ollidev2.earthcare.com/maps-directions/#loudounparking). ​Always display your parking permit on your dashboard when at the Signal Hill Plaza. The parking permit will be valid until the end of the fall 2015 term.

Please contact Maria Buczek at mbuczek@gmu.edu if you have any questions, or call the main OLLI office 703-503-3384.

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OLLI “Pony Express” Volunteers Needed!


By Alice Slayton Clarke, Communications Associate


Giddyup! OLLI is looking for a few members who regularly take classes at both Tallwood and the Reston or Loudoun campuses to join the OLLI “Pony Express.” 
 
The “Pony Express” is a posse of OLLI volunteers willing to transport critical items between OLLI offices; items that can’t be delivered through Mason mail.  Volunteers will be required to check in with the Tallwood office on a weekly basis when they are attending classes in Fairfax to retrieve items that need delivery to Reston or Loudoun. The Pony Express volunteer will then take the items to the site administrator of the Reston or Loudoun campus the next time the volunteer is attending classes there. 

Items for delivery will include small packages, supplies or documents – nothing too big or heavy for your saddlebag. All items needing delivery will be found in boxes at the Tallwood Office marked “Reston Accumulator” and “Loudoun Accumulator.” OLLI staff can help identify the materials.

Yes!  It’s that easy! Just pick up and deliver items during regular visits to OLLI. But don’t be fooled. Though simpler (and safer) than it was during the frontier days, the “Pony Express” service is critical to maintaining business operations at OLLI.

So what are you waiting for? Mosey on up and join the OLLI “Pony Express!” Contact Kerin Braudaway at olli@gmu.edu or 703-503-3384.

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Computer Club



By Paul Howard, Computer Club Coordinator


The Computer Club (OLLI Personal Computer User Group, or OPCUG) will meet with its partner, the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society (PATACS), Saturday, January 17, at Tallwood. Join us at 12:30 for soft drinks and socializing in the social room. Presentations will begin at 1:00. This month's offerings will include the following:

Everything You Really Didn’t Remember About Traveling
Presentation By Dan and Jean Feighery
As we start a New Year we sometimes think of planning a trip to somewhere in the U.S., to Europe or another great spot, taking some photographs along the way. For January's presentation, Dan Feighery and his wife Jean will talk about everything they consider when taking a trip and preparing one of OLLI’s Trip Tales Presentations. Included are:
  • Types of limitations on that passport you thought was good for 10 years
  • Passport renewal
  • How to expedite U.S Security and Customs lines
  • Available free government publications about your destination country
  • Planning your itinerary
  • Selecting a tour company
  • Preparing a presentation on your trip
and other great travel tips. Included will be photos and insight from a trip to Seattle.

Dan and Jean are long time OLLI members. Jean retired from the Fairfax County Public Library and Dan from the Air Force. Jean’s love of opera has greatly influenced where they travel and take their cameras to build the travel presentations they provide for OLLI and other venues.

Learn 30:  PATACS member Geof Goodrum will report on highlights from the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show, an annual industry event held
in Las Vegas the week of January 6-10 to showcase new and updated
consumer technology products. Geof will comment on emerging technology
trends at the show, supplemented with pictures of the latest gadgets,
tech toys, and unique items on their way to stores this year.

For information on the Computer Club, see the OPCUG website.   
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, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/215323545.

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OLLI Book Club


By Ceda McGrew, Club Coordinator


The OLLI Book Club will meet on Wednesday, January 14 at 10:00 at Tallwood. The book for discussion is The Book Thief by Australian author Markus Zusak. Set in Nazi Germany, it tells the story of a young German girl living with foster parents in a suburb of Munich. A movie based on the novel, which starred Canadian teen actress Sophie Nelisse, was released in 2013. After the book discussion, we will watch and then discuss the film.

All OLLI members are welcome. 

The book for discussion in February is Elsewhere by Robert Russo.

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Ask Uncle Olli



By Uncle Olli, Driver Safety Consultant 



Uncle Olli has lived in Northern Virginia most of his lifetime, and has encountered every traffic problem. But sometimes the little problems seem so trivial you are embarrassed to admit them. Easy. Ask Uncle Olli at ollienewseditor@gmail.com. He is embarrassed by nothing!
 
ALL THE LINES PAINTED ON THE ROAD CONFUSE ME. DO THEY MAKE ANY SENSE?
 
Yes, they do. The lines actually are a great help – if you know the code. White lines have traffic running in the same direction on both sides. Yellow lines have traffic running in opposite directions. You'll see white lines between lanes of multi-lane roads, but yellow lines in the middle where traffic flows in opposite directions. Where the lines are solid, don't pass; you may pass only where the lines are dashed. If the line is dotted (short dashes), the lane is disappearing soon – either it is a turn lane, or the road is narrowing and losing that lane. You may see a solid white line on the edge of the road meaning don't cross (but that traffic is moving in the same direction). On a rainy night, make sure you are driving on the right hand side of a yellow line! And those solid white lines as you approach an intersection mean you should not change lanes!

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Insiders' Tour for Opera Lovers to the Amalfi Coast Music & Arts Festival, Maiori, Italy 
 
July 5 - July 13, 2015

Editor’s Note: Published as a courtesy to a fellow OLLI affiliate; this is not an OLLI-sponsored event.
 
Looking for an unforgettable musical and cultural experience as you explore the magnificent Amalfi Coast of Italy, renowned for its historic landmarks and stunning landscapes? Sign up now and indulge at the Amalfi Coast Music & Arts Festival, an annual celebration being held this July in Maiori, Italy!

As a participant in the festival, you will join opera singers, painters, and renowned professors of music and art to partake of rich offerings such as:
  • A workshop on how opera production comes together
  • Festival concerts every evening in historic cathedrals and cloisters
  • rehearsals where you can observe and meet the ”rising stars” backstage or at dinner
  • Pre-concert round-tables and slide lectures on the area’s artistic traditions, and
  • Lectures from luminaries such as Stephen Brown of the Metropolitan Opera and the artistic director of the Teatro di San Carlo.

All of this will take place in Maiori, Italy, a charming coastal town overlooking the Gulf of Salerno. From there, you can visit the area’s legendary sites such as Pompeii, the island of Capri, Ravello and the Greek temples of Paestum. A plus, you can savor delicious Italian cuisine at every meal and even learn to recreate the menus yourself.

To register, go to: www.amalfi-festival.org
For more details, contact: music@amalfi-festival.org or 301-587-6189.

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Poet's Corner
Courtesy of the Poetry Workshop

TODAY
 
My parrot portrait waited
to be hung. I chose the spot
and made, I thought,
a pencil dot.
 
Hammer, bracket, nail in hand,
certain of the permanence
of pencil lead, I stretched
my hands above my head.
 
Positioned there above the dot
my eyes grew wide.  Surely not!
My pencil mark began to slide,
then scrambled down and to the side.
 
The tiny spider must have been 
alarmed to see my spear
approach his tender abdomen
with such alarming speed.
 
No less alarmed was I,
a monster in his eye…
my human certainty
now shaken to the core of me.
 
I caught my breath and hoped
that he could see I meant no harm.
Still, I apologized to him
and set him free.
 
I wonder what he might have said
to me?
 
 
Helen Harvey

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Arts & Music at George Mason

Performances, next two weeks

By Shelly Gersten, OLLI E-News Staff Writer

For tickets for either 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 page or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
At the Fairfax Campus Venues

United States Marine Band Concert
Sun, Jan 11, 2:00
Concert Hall
Admission: Free

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At the Hylton Center

Altered Terrain Today
Rosemary Luckett, artist
Through Feb 1
The Buchanan Partners Art 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 about the current exhibit, visit HyltonCenter.org/gallery. For reception RSVP to Hylton@gmu.edu.
Admission: Free
 
Dance Etc.: 34th Annual Winter Concert
Sat, Jan 10, 7:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: Adults, $20; seniors, $18.
 
Woodbridge Dance Company: A Coffee House Collection
Sat, Jan 10, 7:30
Merchant Hall
Admission: Adults, $25; seniors, $20.
 
Pied Piper Theatre: Disney's Aladdin, Jr.
Presented by Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory
Sat, Jan 17, 2:00 and 7:00
Sun, Jan 18, 3:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: Adults, $15; children (under 12) $12.
 
Stand-up Comedy with Jim Tews
Sat, Jan 17, 8:30
Gregory Family Theater
Performance includes adult content and adult language.  Parental discretion is advised.
Admission: $20.00

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For further details on any of the above events, please see the CFA event calendar and the Hylton Center event calendar

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Meetings & Clubs


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 anytime 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 Jan 10 10:30am Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Mon Jan 12 10:00am What’s in the Daily News, cont’d–TA-1
Tue Jan 13   9:30am
10:00am
10:00am
 		 Cottage Art–Cottage
Knitting and Needlework Club–Panera, Herndon
Reston Program Planning Meeting–Hunters Woods
Wed Jan 14 10:00am
10:00am
10:00am
 
10:30am		 Bridge Club–TA-3
Book Club–TA-2
Science, Technology and Health Program Planning meeting–Cottage
Tom Crooker Investment Forum–TA-1
Thu Jan 15 10:00am Liaison Training–TA-2
Fri Jan 16   9:00am
10:00am
10:00am
11:00am
12:00pm		 Recorder Consort–TA-3
Board of Directors Meeting–TA-1
Craft and Conversation Club–Cottage
Homer, etc–Annex
Cooking Club–Cottage
Sat Jan 17 10:30am
  1:00pm		 Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Computer Club–TA-1
Tue Jan 20 10:00am Knitting and Needlework Club–Panera, Herndon
Wed Jan 21  1:30pm
 1:45pm
 1:45pm		 Mah Jongg Club–TA-2
Bridge Club-TA-3
Loudoun Bridge Club
Thu Jan 22  2:00pm Humanities and Social Sciences Program Planning Group–Annex
Fri Jan 23   9:00am
  9:30am
10:00am
10:00am
 
11:00am
11:00am
12:00pm		 Recorder Consort–TA-3
Travel Club–TA-1
Craft and Conversation Club–Cottage
Classic Fiction Book Club–Cascades Library, Loudoun
Homer, etc–Annex
Moby Dick Club–TA-2
Photography Club–TA-3

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About OLLI E-News

OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.

Editorial Staff
Chief Editor/Technical Editor: Irene Osterman
Associate Editor:
Weekly Editorial Team: Paul Van Hemel, Sheri Siesseger, Leslie Vandivere
Proofreaders:  John West, Gordon Canyock, Susan Van Hemel
Backup Chief Editor: Sheri Siesseger

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 pm Tuesday for that week's issue (6:00 pm 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.

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OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE
AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

4210 Roberts Rd. Fairfax, VA 22032-1028
Phone: (703) 503-3384
Email: olli@gmu.edu

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