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OLLI
E-News #17 of Nov. 18, 2005
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NEWSFLASH
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NO OLLI E-NEWS NEXT FRIDAY--After 17 consecutive
weekly issues, OLLI E-News is
taking a break over Thanksgiving. We wish you a happy and safe
Thanksgiving with family and friends. We resume publication on Fri, Dec
2. |
ALERTS
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>>
OLLI
OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED
Thu & Fri, Nov 24-25, for
Thanksgiving.
>> VEHICLE TOWING AT UNIVERSITY
MALL: The shopping center is towing vehicles that belong to
people who are not patrons of merchants, such as anyone parking in the
shopping-center lot and walking to the GMU campus. |
REMINDERS
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>>
OLLI
HOLIDAY PARTY:
On Fri, Dec 2, 11:00 to 3:00, at the Country Club of Fairfax. Cost, $30
per person. Sign up in the office by Nov 28. Read details.
>> JAZZ FOR JUSTICE:
Benefit
performance by GMU Jazz Ensemble tonight
at 8 pm, Center for the Arts
Concert Hall. Admission seniors $5. Read details. |
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QUESTION
OF THE WEEK
Our weekly Web polls reveal how voting
members feel about issues
IMPORTANT
NOTE. The
results of these weekly Web polls are strictly advisory to the Board,
Executive Director and committee chairs. Your feedback is important to
them in determining the best way to improve our program and resolve
operational issues, but there is no guarantee of
action in response to the preferences expressed by voting members.
Background for the following question.
Traditionally OLLI runs three 90-minute classes a day, starting at
9:30, 11:30
and 2:00. Some members have suggested more time, 45 minutes or 60
minutes rather than
30 minutes, between classes so members can more easily get to
Tallwood from Reston and vice versa; other members have
suggested that 30 minutes between all classes is the right time period.
Question: "What
is
your preference on the length of time between the three classes?"
Vote
here in this Web poll and
then instantly see the results to date, including your vote. Later,
anytime
during the week, check back to see how the online membership has
voted. A new question will be posted each Friday, for
your voting pleasure. Note:
We apologize
if the Question of the Week is not visible, which can sometimes happen
when
this free service we are using exceeds its bandwidth, and we ask you to
re-visit
the site later to see if you can vote.
| Last
week's
question was, "What type of
Internet service do you use?" |
| Results:
More than 80 members voted, or 12 percent of the membership. A large
majority, more than three-fourths of voting members, use
high-speed Internet service
("broadband"), most via cable modem and the remainder via DSL (Digital
Subscriber Line) service. Slightly under one quarter of voting members
use the much-slower
dialup modem service for Internet access. |
FOLLOW
UP ON OLLI'S TOWN
MEETING
A report to the membership from the
Publications Committee chair
 By Gordon
Canyock, Publications
Committee chair
 BASED
ON THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED DURING AND AFTER THE TOWN
MEETING, we have decided to omit the Zip Code section of the
Directory,
printing only two copies of it and posting them at Tallwood and Lake
Anne. We will publish it each fall and issue an addendum in the spring,
which will include a list of the names of the deletions and the full
data on all the new members.
Remember, when
classes are in session OLLI
E-News appears in your inbox three days before OLLI News appears at
Tallwood and
Lake Anne.
During the fall term, we reduced the
print run of OLLI News from
600 a week to 400. At the start of the winter term, we will print only
350 copies, then cut it by 50 each week, ending with 200. We will
monitor the remainder pile and membership complaints to see if changes
are needed in the projected print run of 200 per week for the remainder
of the year. We have fewer than 100 members without email accounts, but
many members have told me they prefer to read it in hard copy.
Remember, OLLI E-News is
identical
in content to OLLI News when
classes are in session, but OLLI
E-News appears in your inbox three days before OLLI News appears at Tallwood and
Lake Anne.
We have asked the Office to print a copy of OLLI E-News each week when classes
are not in session and post it on the bulletin board in Tallwood for
those members without email accounts. Due to time and cost factors, we
will not attempt to include past E-News stories in the issues of OLLI News during the winter term as
we did in the fall.
The
above steps will reduce the Publications
Budget for FY2006 by $2,000. The Directory will cost $1,200
instead of
$2,800 and OLLI News $1,400
instead of $1,800.
We encourage all committee chairs and the
staff to submit to the editors any job openings for volunteers,
describing in detail the duties and time commitment required so that we
may publish them in OLLI News.
Finally, the participants at the Town Meeting
who addressed publications issues were very helpful, and I believe we
have accommodated all but one suggestion they presented -- I have
passed
the buck on their expressed desire for more chocolate-chip cookies to
the hospitality committee. Nice try!
| Editor's Note. This is the first
report on actions
being taken to implement or follow up on suggestions made by members at
the Nov 4 town meeting. In future editions of OLLI E-News, we hope to be able to
publish similar articles from OLLI officers and other committee chairs. |
MEET DIRECTOR GORDON CANYOCK
Our continuing series, profiling members
of
OLLI's Board of directors
 By
Jane Tombes, OLLI
E-News
staff writer
GORDON CANYOCK HAS WORN MANY HATS AT
OLLI.
Presently he is a Board
member and Publications Committee chair, and he occasionally
co-coordinates the Readers’ Theater classes. He formerly served on the
Planning Committee and organized the Bridge Club. Additionally, he has
moderated a seminar and presented a lecture.
BUT
PERHAPS THE HAT HE MOST ENJOYS WEARING IS THAT OF STUDENT. Having
been attracted to OLLI because of the wide
variety of class sizes and courses, he says, “OLLI has broadened my
horizons and tapped talents I didn’t know I had.”
Gordon grew up in Long Island, NY, and received
his BA from Cornell in Political Science and his MA from the University
of Kansas in Soviet Area Studies. He also attended the U.S. Army
Russian Institute and the Command & General Staff College. He
retired as a colonel after 30 years of service as a military
intelligence officer, with posts in Germany, the USSR, and Vietnam.
Before OLLI, he was involved with non-profit
organizations only peripherally as a consultant to the U.S. Agency for
International Development and the State Department and through his wife
Judy, who works with three different non-profits. The two have been
married for 42 years and have one son.
Editor's Note. You
would not be reading this newsletter if it were not for Gordon. During
July 2005, as Publications Committee chair, he immediately approved
my concept of a weekly email newsletter in html format (photos, colors,
clickable links),
to be published between class terms as well as during class terms, as a
way to keep OLLI members
informed on a continual basis. Gordon
has been totally supportive and helpful to me in this endeavor from the
very
beginning.
-- Rod Zumbro,
OLLI
E-News
editor |
GMU'S THEATER OF THE
FIRST AMENDMENT
Another "First Fridays" performance at
Fairfax City Old Town Hall
 By Kevin Murray, Theater
of the First Amendment managing director
USHER
IN THE HOLIDAYS with the Theater of the First
Amendment. TFA presents First Fridays at Old Town Hall, Fri, Dec 2
at
8:00 pm. Join us for dramatic readings, seasonal music and singalongs!
Featuring--
- A
Child's Christmas
in Wales, by Dylan Thomas,
- Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus,
- The holiday vocal stylings of Rick
Davis, and
- Much more!
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Admission is free, and refreshments will be served. For more
information, please contact me by telephone (703-993-2195) or email. Back to top.
GMU HONORS VETERANS ON VETERANS' DAY
President Alan Merten hosts a luncheon for
GMU veterans
 By
Rod Zumbro, OLLI
E-News
editor
ON
NOV 11, VETERANS' DAY, SOME 180 MILITARY
VETERANS from the GMU
community were hosted by GMU President Alan Merten (photo at
right) at a luncheon in the
Center for
the Arts Concert Hall Lobby.
GMU
students, faculty and staff--including OLLI
members--who are military veterans were included in the
invitation.
I attended along with several other OLLI members, including Leo
Brennan, Gordon Canyock,
Pat Carroll,
George Ewing, Joe Kanyan, Palmer McGrew and Carr Whitener.
The luncheon
was a good
forum to exchange histories and foster comradeship over fancy
sandwiches, fresh fruit, brownies and coffee.
Dr. Merten, an Air Force veteran (1963-1967) who met
his
wife Sally, then an Air Force nurse, at Andrews Air Force Base, spoke
first.
The special guest speaker was an active-duty Army
captain and GMU graduate who had recently returned from duty in
Iraq. After the captain's moving remarks, we rose for the benediction
and a moment of silence in honor of fallen veterans ... and then
snapped to attention as the unexpected, solemn notes of taps echoed
throughout the lobby.
President Merten told us that he expected to
make this luncheon an annual tradition, so OLLI veterans take note and
be prepared to RSVP next year to the invitation. Back
to top.
READY...SET...WRITE!
A typical meeting of the OLLI Fiction
Writers' Club
 by Barbara Kyriakakis, OLLI
E-News staff writer
"SUSAN,
WHAT IS YOUR NOVEL ABOUT?" ASKED PETER, WELL INTO THE FICTION
WRITERS' CLUB'S hour-and-a-half meeting. “Well, it centers
on a
30-year old woman questioning her marriage, her self-esteem, and the
external stimulus that pulls her away from her marriage,” replied Susan
dePorte, one of the writers in OLLI’s Fiction Writers' Club. A small
group is gathered around a large table in the Fairfax City Regional
Library’s assembly room for its bi-monthly meeting to discuss its
members’ creative works.
The Fiction Writers' Club is one of OLLI’s
many outstanding outside activities available to its members. An idea
spun from a short-story class taught by Peter Poole in 2000, the Club
presently has six members—Paul Andino, Bill
Helmantoler, Joan Salemi,
Winifred Scheffler, Peter Poole and Susan dePorte, several of
whom are
published writers.
“Bill Helmantoler has had the most success
with his
stories,” remarked Peter. “Yes, I am a paid, published writer,” laughed
Bill modestly. He won the National Public Radio’s short-story contest
in 2001 with his piece, "The Last Hand," which NPR included in Paul
Auster’s book, I Thought My Father
Was God.
The
Club's purpose is to help writers get their work in shape for
publication.
Although Peter, a retired Foreign Service
Officer, has written a number of academic books and articles, including
a book on the European Union published in 2003, he has for the past 10
years been trying his hand at fiction, with some success -- several of
his short stories have been published. He is currently working on a
book on Southeast Asia, which is scheduled for publication in 2007.
Winifred Scheffler, the only absent member of
the Club, won the OLLI short-story contest two years in a row.
“Let’s go on to Paul’s story entitled "The
Appraiser,” suggested Peter. Each member had received an advance copy
of
his anecdote, as well each other’s anecdotes, which they read in
preparation for
this meeting. The writer determines at what point to submit his or her
piece. Suggestions, criticisms, views and ideas are skillfully,
knowledgeably and deftly offered. The author accepts them graciously
and later determines whether to incorporate them in the rewrite. “I
like your extensive use of dialogue to show
rather than tell,” extolled Bill. “I think more color is needed,”
suggested another member.
The purpose of the Club is to help each writer
get his or her piece in shape for publication or as a winning entry in
a contest. Critical assessment is an important part of this process.
“The class is basically to critique in the nicest sense of the
word…because what happens in the class is that you get a different
vantage point,” explained Joan. As the meeting wound down, the members
seemed rejuvenated and ready to tackle their next drafts or to put
their works into final form.
The Fiction Writers' Club also publishes Fairfax Ink, OLLI's literary
magazine, and runs the OLLI short-story contest in the spring. The Club
welcomes new members. Back to top.
COMING
EVENTS AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
Something for everyone at nearby GMU
By Jan
Bohall, OLLI Catalog editor
For
tickets, call
888-945-2468 or visit the Center
for the Arts Box Office, Tue–Sat, 10:00–6:00
GMU Jazz Ensemble
Jazz for Justice
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GMU
Players Studio Series
Fefu
and Her Friends |
GMU
Chamber Orchestra |
Benefits
GMU Music Department plus Fairfax Law Foundation
(at-risk youth, pro bono
programs, victims of domestic violence)
Friday, Nov 18 at 8:00
Admission seniors $5
Concert Hall |
Friday,
Nov 18 at 8:00
Saturday, Nov 19 at 2:00 & 8:00
Sunday, Nov 20 at 2:00
Admission free, tickets required
Black Box Theater (adjacent to Concert Hall) |
Saturday,
Nov 19 at 4:00
Admission seniors $5
Harris Theater |
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GMU
Various Chamber Ensembles |
Virginia
Opera
Romeo
& Juliet
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Saturday,
Nov 19 at 8:00
Sunday, Nov 20 at 2:00
Admission $42, $34, $21
Children 12 and under
attend at half price, with an adult
Concert Hall |
Tuesday,
Nov 22 at 7:30
Admission is Free
Harris Theater
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Friday,
Dec 2 at 8:00
Sunday, Dec 4 at 2:00
Admission $84, $68, $44
Sung in French with English supertitles
Concert Hall
Come early at 6:30 to the Concert Hall Lobby for a wine and cheese
tasting!
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LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
A forum for members to voice their views
on OLLI matters
THE
EDITORIAL STAFF WILL
PUBLISH your brief letters commenting on OLLI activities and will try
to include follow-up information from the relevant committee or staff
member, in the same or a subsequent issue. Submit your letters via
email to Rod
Zumbro, OLLI E-News editor or to me, or
submit them (please indicate that it is a 'letter to the editor') via
the online
suggestion box or the suggestion box in the Tallwood Social Room.
-- Gordon
Canyock, OLLI News editor
Another
supporter of longer winter terms
I enthusiastically echo Renata Bardo's suggestion that the winter term
should be longer, lasting at least six weeks.
-- Stan Michaels, OLLI member
Correction:
In the
response to Renata Bardo's letter to the editor (OLLI E-News of Nov. 4,
2005), we stated, "By
the way, the last time OLLI polled its members, they indicated they
wanted the schedule to stay the same." That statement was misleading,
since it implied that the membership had been surveyed about the length
of the winter term when, in fact, we now understand that the survey
focused
on allowing
sufficient travel time between Tallwood and Reston. We apologize for
the error.
Letter
from Mathilde Speier to the
Reston OLLI membership
Dear Member-Friends,
I was deeply moved by your farewell party for
me. I am still somewhat overwhelmed by number of you who attended, all
the kind words you spoke and wrote to commemorate me, and your gifts
(these include a huge, 2-pound candle from Janice [Dewire], which my
husband
refers to as "the OLLI Love Lamp"). Thank you! What a wonderful
community you are!
It has been an honor to be your
classroom facilitator, and I already miss your cheerful presence in the
classes. However, I hope to meet with you often on the Lake Anne
premises while walking, lunching, shopping or whatever. I wish you the
very best. May you continue to enjoy good health and spirits,
stimulating classes and a flourishing membership.
Bravo for OLLI Reston!
Sincerely,
-- Mathilde [former Lake Anne administrative assistant]
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Kudos
to Webmaster and Newsletter Editor
MESSAGE
TO THE BOARD:
Do what you can to keep the OLLI Webmaster and
newsletter
editor happy and on board -- they are very, very good!
-- Ludwig Benner, OLLI member [Editor's
Note. Ludwig is one of several OLLI members who have created their own Websites.]
RESPONSE FROM THE PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
We on the Publications Committee are well
aware of the fine work,
dedication, and many hours put in by both the Webmaster and the OLLI E-News editor.
In the FY2006 budget, as an expression of my
gratitude, I have requested that their salaries be doubled.
-- Gordon
Canyock, Publications Committee chair |
| Need
a Roommate for the Turkey Trip? |
Thinking of going to
Turkey with the GMU trip in March
2006? Looking
for a roommate with whom you can share this adventure? If OLLI members
in this situation will let me know, then we can put you in touch
with each other, and everyone who needs a roommate will have one. At
least that’s what we hope.
Send
me an email with your name, email address, and phone number so I
can keep track of who wants to go. Hopefully, this will facilitate your
finding someone. As the application
deadline is not far off (Dec
16, 2005), don’t put it off too long. I think this sounds like a great
trip!
--Helen Anderson, OLLI member |
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Rod
Zumbro
Karen
Hamilton
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OLLI E-NEWS
Editor
Proofreader
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About OLLI
E-News. OLLI
E-News is
emailed to OLLI
members on Fridays when sufficient content is available. Each issue
contains new content (during class terms, the same content will appear
the following week in the printed OLLI
News at Tallwood and Lake Anne). We encourage OLLI members and
staff employees to submit news items and write articles. Comments,
suggestions or complaints? Please contact the OLLI E-News editor or the
Publications Committee chair, Gordon
Canyock. If this newsletter sometimes appears in your junk-mail
folder, we suggest adding our address, olli@gmu.edu, to your address
book.
Note
about HTML graphics. If
you do NOT see
photos and
clickable links in this message, you might want to ask your child or
teenage grandchild to fix things for you. Or you could change your
email settings yourself. Here's how to view html-formatted messages in
three popular email systems:
- Outlook
Express.
Click Tools; select Options; in the Read tab, uncheck "Read all
messages in plain text."
- Yahoo
Mail.
Click Mail Options/General Preferences; under Security, uncheck "Block
HTML graphics in email messages from being downloaded."
- AOL.
Upgrade,
if possible, to an AOL version above 5.0.
GMU
Webmail. If OLLI E-News
is being sent to your
gmu.edu email address, we recommend against using GMU Webmail to read the newsletter
because you will not be able to view it as one document, with text and
images. Back to
top. |
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Updated:
May 15, 2006
Copyright © 2006 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at
George Mason University. Materials in this publication subject to
OLLI-GMU copyright may be reproduced for noncommercial educational
purposes as long as credit is given to OLLI-GMU.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University
4210 Roberts Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032-1028
Phone: (703) 503-3384; E-mail: olli@gmu.edu;
Fax: (703) 503-2832
Original site design and construction by OLLI-GMU member Rod Zumbro. |
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