OLLI-Mason Involved in Major NEH Grant Effort and Curriculum Resource Publication for National OLLI Network
By Jennifer Disano, Executive Director
I am pleased to announce the recent publication of a special curriculum resource book, The Humanities of War, with a major academic contribution by Mason University Professor and Provost Emeritus Dr. Peter Stearns. I was pleased to be a member of the committee tasked with the success of this effort. The formal announcement from the Osher National Resource Center (NRC) appears at this link.
There is lots of excitement at OLLI—we are busy finalizing the fall catalog and there are many intriguing classes offered. Everyone is sure to find something of interest, whether your interests are eclectic or specific to only one or two areas. Here is a sneak peek at the fall lineup.
A course that may pique your interest is F309/L317 “Comparing the French and Russian Revolutions,” taught by two retired George Mason history professors and scholars. This promises to be a stimulating class with a unique perspective. For international affairs buffs, look into F308 “Henry Kissinger and the American Approach to Foreign Policy.” Other classes to consider are L315 “Roman Emperors Gone Bad” or L608 “From Peter to Pope: The Development of the Roman Catholic Papacy from St. Peter Onward, Part 1.”
If your tastes run to art history, you will want to check out R114 “The Four Greatest Sculptors: From the Renaissance to the Modern Era,” to be offered in Reston. Glenn Winters, the Virginia Opera outreach director, will present F102 “Understanding Opera, Part 1,” which tracks the company’s two productions coming to the George Mason Center for the Arts this fall.
OLLI will repeat the highly popular “True Colors: Self Awareness and Interpersonal Relationships” course, which generated a long wait list when offered in 2016. Four sessions will be available in the upcoming fall term, F615A/B/C/D.
Literature classes that have great potential (among many others) are F409 “Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea” and F403 “Shakespeare in Twilight: The Great Romances.”
A notable humanities course being offered is F658/L659 “ISIS Defectors: Inside Stories of the Terrorist Organization.”
We anticipate so many exciting classes in the fall term; this is just a smattering, so stick around to view them all. The much anticipated fall catalog will be online and mailed out in August. And please remember—you are encouraged to bring a friend to two sessions of any OLLI class not oversubscribed! We love visitors.
By Alice Slayton Clark, Communications and Program Associate
If you think the course offerings for fall term 2017 are impressive, check out the roster of special events. From bus trips to presentations and demonstrations, OLLI program planners have something for everyone—and more!
Interested in art, architecture or astronomy? Enjoy classes on Frank Lloyd Wright, valuing jewelry and antiques, Italian Renaissance with OLLI favorite Chris With, and a visit to the Mason Observatory with a telescopic viewing of the sun. If economics tickles your fancy, don’t miss a special presentation on capitalism, “Is Greed Good?” by renowned Washington Post columnist Steven Pearlstein.
History and current affairs buffs can dive deep into presentations on Elie Wiesel, Alexander Hamilton, Kent State, and the prevalence of human trafficking in Northern Virginia. Dr. Peter Stearns is back by popular demand with a between-term lecture in September on “Episodes of Tolerance in World History.”
Music aficionados will be impressed with classes ranging from Beethoven to special military bands. And our literati will enjoy forays into the lives and literature of Robert Frost and William Shakespeare accompanied by an Elizabethan feast. Autumn always marks the annual Fall for the Book festival, this year featuring, among other things, Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and a Jane Austen panel and tea party hosted by OLLI at Fairfax Old Town Hall.
Intrigued? This is just the tip of the iceberg. Discover something for you in our fall-term course catalog. And remember to sign up early! Bus trips and socials fill quickly as they are registered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Understanding the OLLI Budget Part Five: General and Administrative
By Paul Howard, Board Member and OLLI Finance Committee Member
Ed. Note: This is part five of a series of six articles on the OLLI budget, prepared by the Finance Committee to provide insight into the OLLI budget process for E‑News readers.
This figure shows general and administrative expenses projected for this year.
General and Administrative expenses constitute the third largest budget category— $86,800 for 2017. Straining with 14 sub-categories, this includes $14,000 for the convenience of paying our dues with credit cards, $12,000 for purchase of Social Room Supplies—coffee and cookies, and $12,000 for communications—phone and internet services. Registration system expenses for software and maintenance—$10,000. The remaining 44%, in alphabetical order: bank service charges; conference/dues; Executive Director discretionary; insurance; meals; mileage/parking; office printing/supplies; postage—including bulk mail); professional fees; and recruitment/training.
By Martha Powers, Member Services Committee Chair and Board Member
OLLI’s second annual Christmas in July (Texas Style!) party drew at least 50 attendees on Friday, July 14. They enjoyed homemade cookies and snacks, including sweet tea, Texas Trash, Texas sheet cake, and cookies shaped like armadillos and hot peppers. Once again Jim Dunphy played Santa Claus (our MC), and Toni and John Acton presided over a challenging game of Texas Bingo, with door prizes kindly provided by Thelma Weiner. Stephanie Trachtenberg played a mean fiddle to the tune of the Bonanza theme, accompanied by the antics of three “horses” who looked suspiciously like Wendy Campbell, Manny Pablo, and Joan Lunsford. The agenda was also peppered with video clips and sing-alongs, ending with a rousing rendition of “Happy Trails to You.”
By Alice Slayton Clark, Communications and Programming Associate
Summer term marked the successful roll-out of a new registration policy for bus trips and special events with fees. All were processed this term as “add to cart” selections, where payment was collected at registration, and enrollment was provided on a first-come, first-served basis. We are pleased that this change went smoothly and proved highly efficient, reducing the administrative costs of collecting payments after enrollment.
One kink found in the new policy was allowing members to sign up two registrants in one transaction, to facilitate enrollment of an OLLI-member companion. Because the two registrations were linked by one transaction, class rosters were missing names, creating confusion for instructors and unexpected additional administrative costs.
For fall term, therefore, OLLI is eliminating the feature to add a guest when signing up for a bus trip or event with a fee. In order to maximize your chances of getting on a bus trip with an OLLI-member companion, we recommend that you coordinate your efforts and each sign up early.
OLLI staff is grateful for your patience as we work to make our registration process as efficient and user friendly as possible to the membership.
The July 2017 Photo of the Month theme was Sports. We selected
Ed Marion's photo "South Paw Reliever," 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 Angela Talaber, Photography Club Coordinator
I once had a cat named Sebago,
A beautiful seal point Ragdoll.
His mother dull grey, his father a stray
Their offspring a prize-winning furball.
Sebago was sweet, his habits unique,
He loved to eat watermelon instead of good meat.
He played the grand piano, both treble and bass
Sometimes loud, sometimes soft on the keys he would race.
3 blind mice took a tumble
Up and down they would run.
It was always his favorite
And he played just for fun.
He would purr and he would snuggle
In our bed with his jungle
Full of toys that squeaked and teased him
Till he slept and the night appeased him.
What a joy it was to have him,
And he lived for many years
Spreading fun and affection
To those he knew and all who loved him.
For 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 No performances scheduled.
Prince William Little Theatre: Oklahoma!
Fri, Jul 21, and Sat, Jul 22, 8:00
Sat, Jul 22, and Sun, Jul 23, 2:00
Fri, Jul 28, and Sat, Jul 29, 8:00
Sun, Jul 30, 2:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: Adults, $25; seniors, $20. Gallery Exhibit: Marti Patchell, Botanical Fusion
Continues through Aug 26
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 reception: Thu, Aug 3, 6:00 - 8:00. Wines by Stone Tower Winery. Gallery Receptions are free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required. RSVP to spavia@gmu.edu.
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Admission: Free.
Cello Fury: Melodies, Moods, and Movies
Wed, Aug 2, 11:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $15.
K-Tigers with K-Pop (taekwondo)
Sun, Aug 6, 5:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $50, $40, $30.
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).
Note that some activities and clubs will continue to meet even though OLLI is closed. Check with the coordinator for information on your club.
Sat Jul 22
10:30am
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Mon Jul 24
10:00am
10:30am
Bridge Club–TA-3
What’s in the Daily News, cont’d.–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
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.
