*News Flash* *News Flash* *News Flash* *News Flash*
Due to contract negotiations, the planned Tallwood parking lot renovation will be rescheduled for a later date, likely summer 2016. Therefore, the OLLI Tallwood facilities and office will remain open between the fall and winter terms, following our regular scheduled hours.
- OLLI Wine & Cheese Tasting - New Between Terms Event!
Thursday, Dec 10 from 12:30-2:30 at Church of the Good Shepherd.
Your OLLI Cheese Team (Bob Coffin and Doris Bloch) is teaming up with Josh (from The Wine Outlet) to provide a special treat as we enter the holiday season! Enjoy eight cheeses and eight matching wines, each with all the usual accoutrements, plus maybe a few new palate-pleasers (Doris’ Praline Pecans are still primo, Bob’s debuting his Asiago Polenta Bread, and who knows what else may tickle their fancies).
For more information, go to the “What’s New” section or the HTML version of the catalog under the OLLI website. Register for the tasting (Special Event 987) through the OLLI member portal: olligmu.augusoft.net. Space is limited.
- Transportation Presentation
Virginia State Senator David Marsden is coming to OLLI to discuss transportation issues affecting northern Virginia. This is a “must-see” event if you have questions/concerns about local area traffic and the future of mass transit, high occupancy toll lanes and road construction. The discussion will cover all northern Virginia traffic areas. You do not have to be a constituent of Marsden to attend.
The event will take place on Monday, Dec 7, from 10-11:30 at the Church of the Good Shepherd. Sign up through the OLLI member portal under Special Event 1007BT.
- OLLI Spiritwear - Last Day to Order!
Today, Oct 23, is the last day to order your OLLI-Mason Spiritwear. Order forms are on-line and at Spiritwear displays of merchandise available at all three OLLI campuses. Orders must be received at the Tallwood office with payment (check or cash) by 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct 23. Orders will be available for pick up at Tallwood from 9:30 until 1:30 on Friday, Nov 6, and during the week of Nov 9 to 13 at Tallwood from 11:30 to 1:30 in the Annex or Cottage (specific location to be announced later).
The Board met in Reston on Friday Oct 16. The following items were discussed:
- Glenn Kamber and Jennifer Disano touched on the highlights of their trip to the Osher national conference. They made a conference presentation on maintaining relationships with an institute's host university when its leadership changes which was very well received.
- At board meeting time, Mason had not confirmed the dates for the OLLI parking lot renovation. (Note: since the board meeting, the parking lot renovation project has been delayed. See Alerts & Notices above.)
- The Board approved the criteria for preparing the 2016 budget to be presented at the November Board meeting.
- A resolution was also passed to allocate a total of $18,500 for scholarships for students to the Mason departments that support our programming.
First Annual OLLI Registration Raffle and Fund-Raiser
Lesley Bubenhofer, Development Committee Chair
You soon will have an wonderful opportunity to support Friends of OLLI and just maybe give yourself a great gift, too. You, a friend, or family member could be the winner of a one-year OLLI membership valued at $375 for new or renewal members.
You can purchase tickets now until Dec 4 - 1 ticket for $5, 3 tickets for $10, 7 tickets for $20. A drawing will be held on Dec 4 during the holiday party at the International Country Club. The winner does not need to be present to win.
Tickets are available now from Development Committee members before and after many OLLI classes. You also can find members selling tickets on Oct 30 at Murder Mystery at Good Shepherd Church; Nov 6 at the Town Hall Meeting from 9 to 1 in the Tallwood Annex/Social Room; the week of Nov 9 from 11:30 to 1:30 at Tallwood Cottage or Annex; and Dec 4 at International Country Club holiday party.
Remember, you can’t win if you don’t buy tickets! And neither can OLLI.
Editor's Note: This is one of the continuing articles focusing on past and present members who have been instrumental in the growth and development of OLLI. Shirley Fox was an important charter member, but by 2015 not much was known about her. We’re grateful to her daughter, Lisa Robock Shaffer, a member of the city council of Encinitas, CA, who recently sent a file of early LRI materials to OLLI and provided details about her mother.
Shirley Fox was LRI’s first vice president and program chair and its second president in 1992/93. She put together the first programs and wrote the first Administration Handbook of procedures. Later she wrote a history of LRI’s development and its first five years. It’s available on OLLI”s website at http://ollidev2.earthcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/lrihistory.pdf.
Shirley was from Pittsburgh and graduated from what is now Carnegie Mellon University. She worked for the steelworkers union in Washington, DC, married Stefan Robock and had four children. The family moved frequently in support of Stefan’s career. Shirley held various jobs and volunteer posts, including integrating the League of Women Voters in Knoxville, TN. While in New Jersey she volunteered with the National Urban League and was hired by them after earning a masters degree in urban planning at Columbia University.
After a divorce she moved to the Washington area to be near family and later married Larry Fox, settling in the Lake Barcroft area. She worked for the National Institute for Work and Learning and was a volunteer tutor in Fairfax County’s Adult Basic Education program. In retirement, she and Larry were both active participants in LRI which gave them a place to both teach and learn, as well as a social network that was very important to them. Our mother occasionally recruited my brother, Alan, and me, both PhDs, to give talks to LRI groups.
When Shirley died of cancer in 2003 the family held a memorial service on a Saturday at Tallwood since LRI was the most important organization for her.
Everything was cheaper "back then!" In the 1992 fall term, LRI had a six-month membership fee of $125, as well as the $200 annual fee. Both fees were available to current and new members. After evaluation, the half-year membership fee was eliminated as of fall 1995.
OLLI will celebrate its 25th year of classes for seniors in 2016. We’ll be publishing fun facts and interesting milestones about the Institute each week that OLLI E-News is published from now through the end of the fall term, 2016.
The Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Planning Group: Who We Are and What We Do
By Camille Hodges, E-News Staff Writer
The HSS Planning Group consists of dedicated OLLI members headed by Johnnie Hicks. Other group members are Peg O’Brien, Walt Carlson, Kathryn Russell, Terri Feldmayer, Bernie Oppel, Dave Talaber, Gloria Loew, Jeff Milstein, Ted Parker, Rita Way, Michelle Blandburg, Russell Stone and Camille Hodges. OLLI Program Associate Beth Davis assists the group. They are charged with the task of creating and supporting courses whose focus engages OLLI members in learning experiences that help them better understand human culture and behavior. Technically, this incorporates anthropology, communication studies, criminology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, religion, social studies, and sociology. That’s a mouthful!
The group meets formally and informally to discuss ideas and topics of interest presented by its members as well as those who have ideas to share but may not be “official members” of the group. Ideas presented are thoroughly discussed, rationale is determined, contacts are established, and everyone has a chance to present his/her thoughts. Potential course instructors then meet with a few group members to outline course ideas and discuss the direction of the class. All ideas are encouraged and discussed and a course coordinator is determined once the course has been finalized. Needless to say, Beth Davis is also on hand to make sure no courses overlap and that there are meeting places available.
One major consideration of the HSS group is to incorporate our partner professors at George Mason University as well as to pull from our “experts” within OLLI. Recently, the HSS group went on a field trip to Mason Hall to discuss a potential class with a professor at Mason. This was a real treat as we traditionally invite potential contacts to meet us at Tallwood. Changing the meeting environment gave us a different perspective on how we can approach potential instructors from Mason for OLLI courses and reminded us of the richness of our George Mason resources.
Members of the HSS group are dedicated to offering OLLI members the best course selections to suit their needs and interests. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome! You are also invited to participate in future planning sessions. Watch E-News for meeting dates, time and location.
The Religious Studies Club will meet at noon the Tallwood Cottage, Friday, Oct 23. The meeting will focus on a possible new course on the music and poetry of Amy Grant. She is one of the most important Christian poets of our time, speaking to often complex and sensitive subjects with elegant prose that come alive in music that can be powerful, haunting and often sublime.
The session will end at 12:45, allowing members to attend the presentation at Tallwood by Dr. Garry Sparks on “The Rise (Again) of Charismatic Catholicism and Protestantism in Latin America.”
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Performances, next ten daysBy 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 page or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
At the Fairfax Campus Venues
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
Sat, Oct 24, 8:00
Sibelius: Valse Triste and Scene with Cranes
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2
Sean Chen, piano
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2
Concert Hall
Admission: $58, $46, $34.
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Chopin and Grieg – A Musical Friendship
Sun, Oct 25, 7:00
Concert Hall
Admission: $40, $34, $24.
The Beauty of Sichuan Night, Chinese Cultural Festival
Fri, Oct 30, 8:00
Sichuan professional art ensemble led by opera singer, Liao Changyong, followed by a magical act.
Concert Hall
Admission: $40, $30, $20.
L.A. Theatre Works: Dracula
Sat, Oct 31, 8:00
Pre-performance discussion with a member of the company.
Concert Hall
Admission: $44, $37, $26.
Concurso de Tinku 2015 (Bolivian Dance)
Sun, Nov 1, 5:30
Concert Hall
Admission: $20.
Mason Student & Faculty Performances
(see music.gmu.edu for additional student recitals)The Crucible
Thu, Oct 22 through Sat, Oct 24, 8:00
Sat, Oct 24, 2:00
Thu, Oct 29 through Sat, Oct 31, 8:00
Sat, Oct 31, and Sun, Nov 1, 2:00
Join us for a talk-back with the directors and cast after the Oct 31 2:00 performance
Harris Theatre
Admission: Adults, $25; seniors, $15.Fall Choral Invitational Concert
Sun, Oct 25, 3:00
Concert Hall
Admission: Adults, $12; seniors, $8.
Mason Percussion Festival
Tue, Oct 27, 8:00
Evening to benefit the Mason percussion program and Begun Scholarship
Concert Hall
Admission: Adults, $12; seniors, $8.
Jazz Combos Concert
Wed, Oct 28, 8:00
deLaski 3001
Admission: Free.
Jazz Ensemble at Blues Alley
Mon, Nov 2, 7:00 and 9:00
Blues Alley, Canal Square 1054 31st Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20007 Parking at Canal Square, 1054 31st Street, NW, Washington, DC
Admission: $20.
US Army Ceremonial Tuba Euphonium Quartet
Tue, Nov 3, 8:00
Contact the School of Music for venue
Admission: Free.
Nature Visions Traveling Exhibition
Oct 5 - Nov 15
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
The Gallery is open to the public Tue-Sat, 10:00 - 6:00, Thu, 10:00 - 8:00 and two hours before performances. Gallery Reception: Thu, Oct 8 from 6:00 to 8:00. RSVP to jconnor8@gmu.edu.
Admission: Free.
Prince William Little Theatre: Julius Caesar
Fri, Oct 23, and Sat, Oct 24, 8:00
Sun, Oct 25, 2:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: Adults, $20; seniors, $17.
Manassas Ballet Theatre: Jazz in Motion
Fri, Oct 23, and Sat, Oct 24, 7:30
Sun, Oct 25, 3:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $15 - $55
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 Oct 24
10:30am
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Tue Oct 27
10:00am
Knitting and Needlework Club–Panera, Herndon
Wed Oct 28
1:45pm
1:45pm
Bridge Club–TA-3
Spanish Club–TA-2
Fri Oct 30
9:00am
10:00am
11:00am
11:00am
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Craft and Conversation–Cottage
Classic Literature–TA-2
Homer, etc–Annex
Sat Oct 31
10:30am
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Tue Nov 3
10:00am
Knitting and Needlework Club–Panera, Herndon
Wed Nov 4
1:30pm
1:45pm
1:45pm
2:15pm
Mah Jongg Club–TA-2
Bridge Club–TA-3 Special Events Committee–Annex
History Club–TA-1
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: Sheri Siesseger
Weekly Editorial Team: John Nash, Paul Van Hemel, Sheri Siesseger, Leslie Vandivere Proofreaders: Gordon Canyock, Jerry Moore, Marilyn O'Brien, Susan Van Hemel
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.
