The Super Salad Social and Meet the Candidates for the OLLI Board event will be Friday, April 26 from 12:30 to 2:30 at United Christian Parish in Reston. This is a new location! Please bring a salad (green salad, pasta salad, grain salad, or fruit salad), fruit, or dessert to share.
The annual business meeting and picnic will take place at Tallwood Friday, May 3. The business meeting begins at 10:00 followed by the picnic at 11:00. If you register for the picnic (special event 1105), please bring a dish to share based on your last name: salad (A-G), side dish (H-O), or dessert (P-Z).
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published April 12; regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, April 9, at 6:00.
By Jennifer Disano, Executive Director with Alice Slayton Clark, Communications and Program Associate
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. --Mahatma Gandhi
OLLI exists due to the efforts of hundreds of volunteers who contribute their time, talents and energy year after year. Although OLLI has a small part-time paid staff, over 80 percent of the work of running OLLI is done by member-volunteers. Courses, clubs, special events, social activities, publications, and classroom services—all are developed by members like you. And every single one of OLLI’s instructors, whether OLLI members, Mason professors, or outside experts, are unpaid volunteers. Just think of what that saves you in terms of member dues!
If you volunteer at OLLI, THANK YOU!
Volunteering at OLLI not only is rewarding but can be life‐altering for many members. Studies show that volunteering may help to lengthen vital telomeres by supporting prosocial helping behaviors and social interactions. Volunteering creates opportunities to make new friends, build community, develop new skills, and contribute ideas to shape the future of OLLI! You don’t need prior experience or particular expertise, although that is welcome. Everyone has the talent to help in some capacity. If special knowledge is required, we can train you. You should volunteer only for what you want to do. Your time is valuable. We won’t ask you to put in more time than you can handle comfortably or serve longer than you can. You should look on volunteer work as enjoyable and rewarding. If it isn’t, we are doing something wrong.
OLLI Is currently in need of volunteers to fill the following exciting positions:
Loudoun Coordinator—Serve as point‐of‐contact for the Loudoun campus and coordinate with staff.
Publications Chair—Lead OLLI publications production efforts, particularly the OLLI course catalog.
Member Services Representative Reston—Lead efforts on the Member Services Committee to develop social events in Reston.
One of our most dedicated volunteers sums up the experience: “OLLI is a quality organization, and it is a pleasure to be a part of it both as ‘student’ and volunteer.”
Interested? Contact us today: volli@gmu.edu or (703) 503‐3384 (OLLI Office).
Tallwood Book Club By Ceda McGrew, Tallwood Book Club CoordinatorThe Tallwood Book Club will meet on Wednesday, April 10, at 1:30 in the Tallwood Annex. The book for discussion is March: Book 1, the first book in a graphic memoir trilogy by Georgia Congressman John Lewis. Born in 1940 to an Alabama sharecropper family, as a young man he became interested in the Civil Rights Movement. He participated with the Freedom Riders and was one of the organizers of the March on Washington. March: Book 1 was the 2018 Mason Reads selection, the book chosen to be read and discussed by each incoming Mason freshman. Congressman Lewis was one of the featured speakers at the 2018 Fall for the Book. All OLLI members are welcome to attend the book club meeting.The reading selection for May 8 is Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard.
By Nancy Scheeler and Luci Martel, Reston Book Club Coordinators
The Reston Book Club will meet on Thursday, April 18 at 2:15 at the United Christian Parish Church in Reston. The book selection is Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout, a Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction. The book explores the whole range of human emotion through the intimate dramas of people struggling to understand themselves and others. It was written in conjunction with Strout’s previous bestseller, My Nameis Lucy Barton, which is the club’s selected reading for May.
OLLI Members Tour MPSTOC By John Nash,OLLI E-News Staff Writer and Editor“So that’s what happens to a 9-1-1 call,” said one OLLI member as she observed the large room with state-of-the-art communications equipment. Twenty-five OLLI members toured the McConnell Public Safety and Transportation Operations Center (MPSTOC) in Fairfax on Friday, March 29.After the visitors were screened by security, Tracey Shelton, general manager, gave an overview of the MPSTOC responsibilities as the group looked down on the operations center floor. Then Sulayman Brown explained the functions of the emergency operations center, which is activated only in emergency situations. The tour group learned how the MPSTOC serves as the central nerve center for the county’s emergency action requirements that may involve police, fire and rescue, transportation, and human services, as well as coordination of out-of-county emergency requests and participation. The group was then shown the actual operations center where the presentation became a reality.Members of the OLLI group were definitely impressed. “I know about emergency action response, but I had no idea that the system here in Fairfax County was so extensive and responsive,” said OLLI member John Acton. “Just seeing this operation makes me feel better that any emergency action is covered.” A resident of Burke, John is a member of the Community Emergency Response Team, a civilian community volunteer group which, in case of emergencies, “helps until help arrives.”This tour was one of a number designed to acquaint OLLI members with some of the outstanding operations and resources of Fairfax County government. The next tour, listed in the OLLI summer catalog, will be of the county’s public access facility. Attendance will be limited.
A related note regarding emergency preparedness: Fairfax County has a new Community Emergency Response Guide to help residents prepare for, and respond to, local emergencies and disasters. You can download a copy at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergencymanagement/cerg, or visit a county public library to pick up a printed copy.
Many OLLI class attendees have commented regarding the perceived long drive from Reston to the Loudoun campus. I suggest the following alternative driving route.
Take the FAIRFAX COUNTY PARKWAY north, to cross Route 7 (with its two lights) and CONTINUE northbound. The road name changes to the ALGONKIAN PARKWAY.
Continue as the parkway heads west. Turn LEFT on POTOMAC VIEW Road (route 637) southbound, turn LEFT on COTTAGE Road, make an immediate RIGHT turn into the KOHL's parking lot, and then a LEFT turn at OLLIE's Bargain store and the La-Z-Boy store. The George Mason Loudoun Campus, 21335 Signal Hill Plaza, is the brick building ahead on the right, across from La-Z-Boy. Here is a map: https://info.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/LoudounMap2018.pdf
Driving here in northern Virginia can be frustrating, due to the thriving tech sector with thousands of employees having varied schedules. With our four-lane highways, I suggest driving as much as possible in the RIGHT lane, letting the speed demons and lane switchers pass you by.
Hope this helps. Try doing a preview drive a day or so before heading to an unfamiliar location. Get to know the features and traffic patterns.
Member Achievement: OLLI Member Featured in Washington Post Column
By Jan Bohall, Co-Moderator of the Poetry Workshop
OLLI member Tony Rounds' springtime-in-Washington haiku was selected for inclusion in John Kelly’s column in The Washington Post on April 2nd:
spring in washington now announced by angry tweet cherry trees be damned
Tony is a seasoned member of OLLI and the Poetry Workshop, and in his words, “...is grateful to all the Poetry Workshop members who have made subtle, sensitive, beneficial, and, when necessary, brutal suggestions to help him become a better poet.”
Late afternoon in a rising sea,
I hefted the last pot aboard the launch
And found one small, but legal
Lobster huddled against the netting,
Out of its element and clearly alarmed…
(Strange how compassion grips you.)
I thought to let it go free,
Perhaps to join those
Mysterious long, long single-file
Marches of lobsters
Moving in migrations
Along the ocean bottom,
Each in touch with the one before…
Distracted by thinking,
(For the mind is its own place,)
I negligently reached into the pot,
And the lobster bit me.
Goddamned hard.
So, after I sold off the others
Of its caught kin,
I took the biter home.
Then boiled, ate it, and somehow
Felt a lot better.
(Ah! But who said revenge is a dish
Best served cold?) Mike Mc Namara
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 CFA ticket pageor the Hylton Centerticket purchase page.
At the Fairfax Campus Venues
Russian National Ballet: Giselle
Sat, Apr 6, 8:00
A pre-performance discussion with a member of the company begins 45 minutes prior to the performance.
Concert Hall
Admission: $56, $48, $34.
Russian National Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty
Sun, Apr 7, 2:00
A pre-performance discussion with a member of the company begins 45 minutes prior to the performance.
Concert Hall
Admission: $56, $48, $34.
Pablo Sáinz Villegas
Fri, Apr 12, 8:00
A pre-performance discussion with a member of the company begins 45 minutes prior to the performance.
Concert Hall
Admission: $46, $39, $28.
Gallery Exhibit: David Barr
Continues through May 18
Gallery Reception: Thu, April 11, 6:00.
Gallery receptions are free and open to the public. Please RSVP to smeyer3@gmu.edu.
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery.
Russian National Ballet: Swan Lake
Fri, Apr 5, 8:00
A pre-performance discussion with a member of the company begins 45 minutes prior to the performance.
Merchant Hall
Admission: $56, $48, $34.
American Roots Series: The Seldom Scene
Sat, Apr 6, 8:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $25, in advance; $30, day of performance.
Washington National Opera’s Young Artists and Mason Opera: Raising Voices
Sun, Apr 7, 4:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $20.
Asaph Dance Ensemble: New Beginnings
Sun, Apr 14, 4:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $30, $25 Adult; $20, $15, senior.
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 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).
Sat Apr 6
10:30am
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Wed Apr 10
1:30pm
1:45pm
1:45pm
Tallwood Book Club–Annex
Bridge Club–TA-3
Spanish Club–TA-2
Fri Apr 12
9:15am
9:30am
9:30am
11:00am
11:00am
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Crafts and Conversation–Annex
Photography Club–TA-1
Classic Literature Club–TA-2
Homer, etc.–Annex
Sat Apr 13
10:30am
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Wed Apr 17
1:30pm
1:45pm
2:00pm
Mah Jongg Club–TA-2
Bridge Club–TA-3
AudioVisual Committee Meeting–TA-1
Thu Apr 18
2:15pm
Reston Book Club–Room 117 UCP
Fri Apr 19
9:15am
9:30am
11:00am
11:00am
12:30pm
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Crafts and Conversation–Annex
Classic Literature Club–TA-2
Homer, etc.–Annex
Dr. Who Club–TA-3
Sat Apr 20
10:30am
1:00pm
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Personal Computer User Group–TA-1
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, Leslie Vandivere,
Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Roz Stark,
Jane Hassell
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: 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.
By Ceda McGrew, Tallwood Book Club CoordinatorThe Tallwood Book Club will meet on Wednesday, April 10, at 1:30 in the Tallwood Annex. The book for discussion is March: Book 1, the first book in a graphic memoir trilogy by Georgia Congressman John Lewis. Born in 1940 to an Alabama sharecropper family, as a young man he became interested in the Civil Rights Movement. He participated with the Freedom Riders and was one of the organizers of the March on Washington. March: Book 1 was the 2018 Mason Reads selection, the book chosen to be read and discussed by each incoming Mason freshman. Congressman Lewis was one of the featured speakers at the 2018 Fall for the Book. All OLLI members are welcome to attend the book club meeting.The reading selection for May 8 is Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard.
By John Nash,OLLI E-News Staff Writer and Editor“So that’s what happens to a 9-1-1 call,” said one OLLI member as she observed the large room with state-of-the-art communications equipment. Twenty-five OLLI members toured the McConnell Public Safety and Transportation Operations Center (MPSTOC) in Fairfax on Friday, March 29.After the visitors were screened by security, Tracey Shelton, general manager, gave an 
overview of the MPSTOC responsibilities as the group looked down on the operations center floor. Then Sulayman Brown explained the functions of the emergency operations center, which is activated only in emergency situations. The tour group learned how the MPSTOC serves as the central nerve center for the county’s emergency action requirements that may involve police, fire and rescue, transportation, and human services, as well as coordination of out-of-county emergency requests and participation. The group was then shown the actual operations center where the presentation became a reality.Members of the OLLI group were definitely impressed. “I know about emergency action response, but I had no idea that the system here in Fairfax County was so extensive and responsive,” said OLLI member John Acton. “Just seeing this operation makes me feel better that any emergency action is covered.” A resident of Burke, John is a member of the Community Emergency Response Team, a civilian community volunteer group which, in case of emergencies, “helps until help arrives.”This tour was one of a number designed to acquaint OLLI members with some of the outstanding operations and resources of Fairfax County government. The next tour, listed in the OLLI summer catalog, will be of the county’s public access facility. Attendance will be limited.
