OLLI Celebrates Veterans’ Day By John Nash, E-News Writer
For the past several years, OLLI has recognized the services of our military members on or near Veterans Day. This year, we will continue that tradition with a special program on Friday, November 13, beginning at 1:00. We will join in a rousing singing of the various military service songs and recognize special OLLI members and visitors. The feature this year is a presentation by Veterans Moving Forward, an organization headquartered in the Dulles area that provides service dogs to qualified veterans. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day celebrating the beginning of the allied invasion that ended World War II in Europe.
OLLI has many military, military-related, and military-supportive members, so this event highlights our appreciation for their service and support. Plan to join other OLLI members in this special tribute to our veterans on Friday, November 13.
Register for Special Event 989 at the member portal. The event will be on Zoom, of course, so watch the emailed OLLI daily schedule to obtain the pass codes or sign in at the member portal and click on ZOOM CLASS LINKS at the lower left.
Summer Term Course Proposals Due January 29 By Alice Slayton Clark, Communications and Program Associate
Calling all longstanding and new OLLI instructors! Please be aware that the deadline for course proposals for summer term 2021 is January 29, 2021. Summer term 2021 runs from June 21-July 30. If you haven’t submitted your proposal yet, please do so soon to ensure we will have space for your offering. Your description does not need to be catalog-ready for you to submit, but your submission allows us to save you a spot on the calendar. The earlier you submit, the more likely we can fit your offering into the term and provide you with your preferred dates for the class. Spaces fill up quickly, so act soon!
If you need more time, the deadline for course proposals for fall term 2021 is April 12, 2021. Fall term 2021 runs from September 20-November 12. We encourage all to send in offerings!
You can find the course proposal form at: https://ollidev2.earthcare.com/olli-course-proposal-form/. Please fill it out in its entirety, click “submit,” and the OLLI program planners will be in touch with you soon thereafter about your offering. Thanks for your support for OLLI programming!
By John Olsen and Edward Marion
Photography Club Co-Coordinators
Noted Photographer to Speak at OLLI Photo Club
Many of us have enjoyed the beauty of our national parks and often whipped out our cameras to record a scene, only later to be disappointed in not coming close to capturing what we saw. Well, there are techniques to getting the picture you saw.
The speaker at the November 13 OLLI Photography Club (OPC) meeting will be noted landscape photographer, Wayne Wolfersberger. A life-long photographer and a native of this area, he has served as a military photographer, taught photography, and worked many years in Yellowstone National Park. He will talk about the challenges many of us face in trying to successfully photograph nature scenes, from panoramic vistas to close-up details we might overlook. He will illustrate his talk with examples of his work, some of which you can see on his website at https://www.waynewolfersberger.com.
Plan to join members of the OPC at the monthly meeting, Friday, Nov. 13, at 9:30 (on Zoom, of course). Zoom codes will be available in the emailed OLLI daily schedule, or you can sign in to the OLLI member portal and click on ZOOM CLASS LINKS at lower left.
The OPC meets twice monthly: the second Friday of each month at 9:30 for special speakers and discussions; and the fourth Friday at noon for technical discussions and to review OPC member photos. Join the OPC and learn how you can improve your photography skills. The OPC is a benefit of your OLLI membership.
Tallwood Book Club By Betty Ellerbee, Tallwood Book Club Coordinator
The Tallwood Book Club, which meets on the 2nd Friday of each month at 2:30, will be discussing Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly at its November 13 meeting (via Zoom). The link and other information will be in the daily emailed schedule, or you can obtain the link by signing in at the member portal and clicking on ZOOM CLASS LINKS at the lower left.
The December selection is The Library Book by Susan Orlean. Registration for this club occurs during registration for the 2021 winter term.
Reston Book Club Meeting By Nancy Scheeler and Luci Martel, Reston Book Club Coordinators
The Reston Book Club will meet on Thursday, November 12 at 4:00 via Zoom (a direct link and other information can be found by signing in at the member portal and clicking on ZOOM CLASS LINKS in the list at the left side of the resulting screen). The selection will be Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo, one of two winners of the 2019 Booker prize.
The book is a magnificent portrayal of the intersections of identity and a moving and hopeful story of a group of black British women. The book is populated with unforgettable characters brimming with energy and humor.
It seems some evil presence,
Timed Covid by design,
To coincide with America’s,
Civil and political decline.
Here I sit with CNN,
Watching pols strut and rant,
And cable pundits twist and turn,
Every story to their slant.
Extreme left, extreme right,
I put to you this riddle,
Why in heaven’s name,
Don’t we have an extreme middle?
Unlikely, if you think about it,
But thinking’s not “in” currently,
The election going on right now,
Illustrates that to a tee.
Anger and histrionics,
Are the flavors of the day,
Damn the facts and issues,
They just get in the way.
Pundits are predicting,
A tumultuous election,
Maybe we’ll see violence,
Or even insurrection.
But I don’t think so,
Despite all the ado,
I think that somehow,
America will muddle through.
I’ve endured eight decades,
Of political generations,
Each claiming his to be,
The fulcrum of this nation.
No, we shall indeed survive,
This Presidential election,
And four years from now we’ll have,
More bombast and trepidation.
For now I think I’ll simply relax,
Put some more miles on my rocker,
Here in my den, with a Guinness in hand,
I’ll be safe from that Covid stalker.
But there’s nothing in the world I know,
Not armies, navies, or even nuclear fission,
That can ever keep me safe enough,
From those blasted politicians.
Although Mason’s campus is shut down, online entertainment continues for us to access and enjoy. 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 send an email to Brianna Schoen atbschoen@gmu.edu. Also, the Center for the Arts has a websiteMason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances. Information can also be found atCFA ticket purchase pageor theHylton ticket purchase page.
School of Dance: Beyond the Stage
Fri, Nov 6 and Sat, Nov 7, 6:00
Student choreographers will have original dance-video works projected onto the outdoor walls of the Center for the Arts. Register to reserve a free chair.
Please note: Physical meetings for clubs and activities are canceled until further notice in accordance with Mason’s guidelines. OLLI is conducting its classes and activities online. Refer to the university's coronavirus website for official university updates and check the OLLI calendar for revised information.
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 Nov 7
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Tue Nov 10
4:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed Nov 11
2:00 pm
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Nov 12
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Reston Book Club
Tai Chi Club
Fri Nov 13
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
2:30 pm
Photography Club
Craft & Conversation
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Tallwood Book Club
Sat Nov 14
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Tue Nov 17
9:30 am
4:00 pm
Annex Art
Tai Chi Club
Wed Nov 18
10:00 am
10:30 am
4:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Tom Crooker Investment Forum
Ethnic Eats Lunch Club
Thu Nov 19
4:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Nov 20
9:30 am
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
2:00 pm
Craft & Conversation Grab ‘n’ Gab Coffee Klatch Board of Directors Meeting
Homer, etc.
Cooking Club
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.
OLLI has many military, military-related, and military-supportive members, so this event highlights our appreciation for their service and support. Plan to join other OLLI members in this special tribute to our veterans on Friday, November 13.
