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OLLI
E-News #39-06 of October 13, 2006
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ALERT
> OLLI HISTORY CLUB. Latest
newsletter (Oct 2006) is now available online (pdf).
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REMINDER
> UPCOMING EVENTS:
- OLLI
15th Anniversary Celebration 11:30 Fri, Oct 20, Christ Lutheran Church
- OLLI Town Meeting 10:00 Fri,
Nov 3,
Tallwood
- Special membership meeting
on bylaws revision
10:00 Tue, Nov
14, Tallwood
- OLLI Holiday Party 11:30
Fri, Dec 1,
International
Country Club of Fairfax
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| ARTICLES AND
NOTICES
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DEPARTMENTS
> PROFILE:
Marvina Munch, Artist
in Residence. By
Elizabeth Crawford
>
CENTER FOR
THE ARTS: Upcoming arts and music events at Mason. By Jan Bohall
>
MASON
HIGHLIGHTS. Other events at nearby Mason. By Barbara Kyriakakis
>
COMING
ATTRACTIONS: Upcoming OLLI non-class
events for next two weeks. |
Six OLLI members win medals at the Senior
Olympics
Left to right: OLLI medal winners George Ewing, Palmer McGrew, Chester
Myslicki, Jayne Hart, Robert McLean, Averett Tombes .
Photo of
George, Palmer &
Chester by Gordon Canyock; photo of Jayne & Robert by Louise
McLean; photo of Ave by Jane Tombes.
 By Barbara Kyriakakis, OLLI
E-News assistant editor
PING...PONG!
PING...PONG! PING...WHAP!!
WHOOOOSH!
"Game!
Match!"
And another OLLI senior Olympian wins a medal.
Robert McLean
takes a
gold in table tennis in the 70-79 age group. Robert’s second year in
the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics, he has been playing ping-pong
most of his life. He
also enjoys tennis and won a gold in mixed doubles last year.
Averett
Tombes is a seasoned athlete having
played
baseball and basketball in high school, then attending the University
of Richmond on a football scholarship and joining UR’s cross-country
team. Ave is competitive and enters the games to win as is
evident by his three golds (50, 100, 200-meter dashes) and one silver
(shot put). Way to go, Ave! He competed in the 70-74
age group.
Palmer McGrew
acquired a guest swimming pass
at the
YMCA while in Cape Cod last winter and found instead of the usual
post-exercise body aches, he felt good after a few laps. Motivated by
George Ewing’s insistence that he enter the Senior Olympics, he
continued swimming during the summer. Palmer came away
with silvers in the 50-yard breaststroke and the half-mile swim, and a
bronze in the freestyle, in the 70-74 age
category.
Also doing well, Chester Myslicki, in
the 85-90 swimming class won four
gold medals—50-meter freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and half-mile
freestyle. Chester says he is not athletic and swimming is his
only exercise.
Our only female participant, fearless Jayne Hart, tested her
skills in
mixed doubles tennis and table tennis in the 60-69 age group coming
away with silver in the latter. The first table tennis match
pitted her against one of China’s former provincial champions.
Jayne won one game of that match, a feat with which she is
pleased.
And our sixth Olympian George Ewing
competed in the 50-yard freestyle
and backstroke winning silver medals in both in the 75-79
category. His goal is to work up to the half-mile freestyle and
enter next year—that’s 18 laps of the pool. Good luck George!
Our admiration and congratulations to
all OLLI’s Senior
Olympians!
Editor's
note. Next year's Senior Olympics will be held during September
2007. See the Northern Virginia
Senior
Olympics Website
for information about all the athletic and non-athletic events in which
you can compete. Think about joining the growing
contingent of OLLI participants next year!
-- Rod Zumbro, OLLI E-News
editor |
OLLI INSTRUCTOR IN CONCERT
Reston recital on Nov 9
 By Eric Henderson, OLLI member 
CURRENT
OLLI INSTRUCTOR BEVERLY COSHAM, A WELL-KNOWN CABARET SINGER, will
present a recital on Thu, Nov 9, at 8:00 at the Reston Community
Center. Beverly calls this concert "I Choose Love." This is an
opportunity to hear a very talented performer locally at a very
reasonable price in the comfortable theater at RCC. It's located at
2310 Colts Neck Road in Reston. Tickets are $15 and are available at
703-476-4500.
Beverly is teaching "The Great Ladies of Song"
course this fall in Reston. She provides background about the lives,
careers and music of a group of performers, many of whom need only one
name for identification, such as Ella, Sarah, Peggy, Rosemary, Billie
and Bessie. She also plays samples of their songs.
As the class liaison, I'm aware of how much
Beverly is enjoying her research into these singers. She's already
found she could do a whole course on the composers of the music these
"Great Ladies" sing. As a singer herself, the insights she shares with
the class are especially noteworthy. Come hear her interpretations of
some of these songs on November 9.
Beverly has appeared at venues from Blues
Alley to the Kennedy Center. Her career has included numerous stage
roles, concerts and recordings. Now we have an opportunity to hear her
in her own back yard. She's a long-time Reston resident and community
leader.
A HISTORY OF
CHANGES
A look-back at OLLI's history
 By Valerie Braybrooke, Board member
[The
following history of OLLI was recently presented to the Planning
Committee by committee member Valerie Braybrooke. We
thought that members would find Valerie's presentation of interest
since it shows how
much OLLI has changed and progressed over the past 15 years ... and
the history is especially timely because of the upcoming 15th
anniversary
celebration at 11:30 Fri, Oct 20, at Christ Lutheran Church.]
The
further back you can look
The further
forward you can see.
(Winston Churchill)
A HISTORY OF CHANGES
The
initial idea that was rebuffed was followed by a series of changes
that have ultimately led to the building of one of the strongest
lifelong learning institutes in the United States.
1984 Program concept of a Learning in
Retirement Institute (LRI),
affiliated with a university, was presented to George Mason University
but rejected.
1990 Steering Committee composed of 15 founding
activists, plus a legal adviser.
1990 GMU reconsidered and agreed to the
establishment of the Institute at the University.
1991 LRI incorporated as a 501(c)(3) and obtained
National Taxonomy
of Exempt Organizations designation in Gerontology (not
Continuing Education).
1991 First named Kathryn Brooks Learning in
Retirement Institute at George Mason University.
1991 Board of Directors elected and Bylaws written.
1991 One month later the name was amended by the
Board of Directors
to Learning in Retirement Institute at George Mason University, and
approved by State Corporation Commission in October 1991.
1991 Classes began in one room of GMU’s Commerce II
Building, with
100 members able to choose from 14 classes for annual dues of $200.
Half-year memberships were tried and discontinued.
1991 The administrator’s office, in the classroom
with a donated
computer at a donated desk, alternated with space in the lobby.
1991 A second classroom was found for classes
scheduled early in the day.
1993 Resolution passed in Virginia General Assembly:
"That . . .
Commonwealth's institutions of higher education be encouraged to
support the establishment of Learning in Retirement institutes and
organizations."
1993 Administrator received state-of-the-art
computer donated by IBM.
1993 Free classroom space provided in scattered
locations: City
Hall, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program (ASAP), Gold’s Gym Building,
and Juvenile Justice Courthouse of Fairfax County.
1994 Two LRI members provided computer expertise to
faculty and
staff at GMU. This, long before Mason became state and area leader in
Information Technology.
1994 Tallwood Annex (built in 1922) became home
of LRI with 5-year lease. Pool parking lot available free.
1995-1999 Two modular classrooms purchased:
TA-3 bought with $25,000 one-time donation from Board of Supervisors.
1996 300 members; 75 classes; $200 annual dues.
1997-1998 Membership reached 425 which was
"near capacity" and
capped at 420. Suggestion to limit number of classes to five that each
member could take, to control the capacity
load.
1997 Pool parking lot rented for $10,000 per
year.
1997 33 of 48 LRI members from the Reston area
pressed for classes in Reston.
1999 Reston became an LRI satellite, starting
classes in a church on Lake Anne.
2000 171 classes scheduled for three periods during
three days a week.
2001-2002 Group from Arlington lobbied for an
LRI. LRI-GMU served
as consultant and ALRI became independent, although affiliated with GMU.
2001 650 members; 188 classes; $260 annual dues.
2002 Database created to track enrollment,
attendance, membership trends, etc.
2002 First audited financial statements.
2003 640 members; 191 classes; $270 annual dues.
2003 OLLIWOOD Gardens began.
2004 Christ Lutheran Church (Fairfax) rented as
off-site classroom.
2004 Osher grant #1, $100,000. Changed name to Osher
Lifelong
Learning Institute at George Mason University. New audio/visual
equipment; two new roofs; new office furniture.
2005 Tallwood House closed: termite-riddled;
bathroom wing renovated with two more bathrooms.
2005 Osher grant #2, $100,000. New staff positions,
Executive Director, four part-time staff.
2005 670 members; 242 classes expanded to four days
with Fridays for more activities; $280 annual dues.
2005 OLLI-E
News launched as weekly html email newsletter; OLLI News still available in
black-and-white in classrooms.
2006 Osher Endowment, $1,000,000. |
HEALTH
EDUCATION PROGRAM
About a Mason-sponsored health &
fitness program
By Pat Capozzi
THE
HEALTH EDUCATION AND PHYSICAL FITNESS
PROGRAM FOR 50+ ADULTS ("HEP") is a nationally recognized
program that is sponsored by George Mason University and managed by its
participants.
The focus of this integrated exercise program
is to improve physical well-being and to increase stamina. Total body
conditioning classes include low-impact aerobics, strength training,
Pilates, yoga-based stretches and balance. Classes meet Tue, Thu and
Fri from 9:15-10:15 AM on Mason's Fairfax campus. The monthly fee is
$40.
For additional information and directions,
please contact HEP by email
or phone (703-278-8259) to leave your name and phone number; a HEP
representative will respond in a timely manner.
Pat Capozzi, a resident of the city of
Fairfax, has been a HEP member for four years and currently serves on
the HEP Executive Board as secretary.
PROFILE: MARVINA MUNCH
About OLLI's Artist in Residence
 By Elizabeth Crawford, OLLI E-News staff writer
WE
AT OLLI OWE OUR THANKS TO MARVINA MUNCH for
sharing her love of art and nature with us. Marvina joined OLLI (then
LRI) in 1995 and began displaying pieces of art in the Social Room
Annex to celebrate LRI's tenth anniversary in 2001. The first exhibit
included works by art instructors from that time, followed by an
exhibit of members' work completed in their art courses. Fortunately,
Janice Dewire, chair of the tenth anniversary celebration, recommended
continuation of the exhibits, and Marvina has been busy ever since.
Through the years photography, paintings,
quilts, and needlework have been featured in the Annex. Many works have
been completed in class, but at times Marvina has invited members to
show work they have produced at home over a period of years.
It is no surprise to most of us that Marvina
is more than an OLLI curator. Upon retirement from the National
Security Agency after 27 years, she was able to devote herself to her
real love, nature photography.Her travels to Africa, Alaska, and
Iceland to photograph wildlife, primarily birds and bears, led to some
great adventures.
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ANNEX EXHIBITS
This
fall's exhibit features paintings from the late Peter Ball's Reston
workshop last spring.
To follow in January will be an exhibit of
photos taken during the OLLI Trip to Ireland
(to complement Susanne and Rod Zumbro's Trip Tale Jan 23, 2007 on the
Ireland trip).
Next is planned an exhibit of acrylic, water
color,
and pastel paintings from Harriet Grever's spring 2006 course. |
The birds did not usually present a threat, but
preparation to consort with bears demanded a lot of reading and
attention to instructions from the Park Service. Even so, while at
Katmai National Park in Alaska on a platform erected over a salmon
jump, where Marvina thought she was watching bears coming to feed, she
turned to find a bear on the platform watching her. Luckily, it
eventually turned its attention back to the salmon.
Over a period of about fifteen years,
Marvina's photos have been featured in National Wildlife Federation and
U.S. Forest Service greeting cards and calendars and in U.S. Forest
Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service brochures. Her photo of
seven geese in a perfect V formation can be seen at the National Air
and Space Museum "How Things Fly" exhibit as an example of aerodynamics
and lift. Marvina has exhibited her nature photos at Tallwood as well
as at the Fairfax Wildlife Art and Photo Exhibit, the Easton (Maryland)
Waterfowl Festival, and the Waterford (Virginia) Fair, where she has
won prizes and sold to private collectors.
While arranging exhibits at Tallwood is a
service to the members, Marvina says that she has profited by making
many friends. She is always impressed by the quality of members'
artwork and pleased to share their enthusiasm when they see their work
on exhibit. Marvina is no longer able to snowboard at Yellowstone in
January to photograph trumpeter swans or travel to North Dakota to
capture the mating dances of western grebes, but she has thousands of
photos that recall how close she has come to the wonders of nature.
Photo
of Marvina by Gordon Canyock
COMING EVENTS AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Something for everyone at nearby Mason
 By Jan Bohall, OLLI
E-News staff writer
For tickets, call 888-945-2468 or visit the Center for the Arts Box Office, Tue–Sat, 10:00–6:00.
Virginia Opera
Carmen
by Georges Bizet |
Betty
Buckley |
GMU
Symphony Orchestra |
GMU Players—Mainstage
The
Shape of Things |
Featuring Soprano Christina Nassif.
Seen
last year in
Virginia Opera’s La Traviata, Ms. Nassif will sing
the role of the sultry gypsy, Carmen, in this beloved opera. It will be
sung in French with English supertitles.
Friday, October 13, at 8:00
Sunday, October 15, at 2:00
Admission: $86, $72, $44 on Friday
$90, $76, $48 on Sunday
Concert Hall
Come
early at 7:15
for a pre-performance discussion in the Grand Tier Lobby |
Renowned for her roles in Broadway
musicals Song and Dance, Pippin, and
Sunset Boulevard, and with a Tony for Cats to her credit, Betty Buckley
brings her distinctive voice to this performance.
Saturday, October 14, at 8:00
Admission: $44, $36, $22
Concert Hall
Come
early at 7:15
for a pre-performance discussion in the Grand Tier Lobby |
 Reigning Miss Virginia Adrianna Sgarlata,
the
Mason
graduate music student whose beautiful singing thrilled attendees in a
spring Music Sampler class, will sing two arias from Madame Butterfly at
this concert entitled "Brahms,
Divas & Divo."
The performance will be
conducted by Mason
Prof. Anthony Maiello, who educated and entertained the Oct 3
Music Sampler class. (Photo
of Adrianna at
OLLI by Rod Zumbro)
Tuesday,
October 17 at 8:00
Admission: $7 seniors/students, $10 adults
Concert Hall
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by Neil Labute
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, October 19, 20, 21 at 8:00
Saturday, Sunday, October 21, 22 at 2:00
Also October 26, 27, 28 at 8:00
October 27, 29 at 2:00
Admission: $8 seniors/students, $12 adults
Harris Theater |
| Fairfax Symphony Orchestra |
GMU
Band & Wind Symphony |
Ivo
Pogorelich, pianist |
Maestro William Hudson,
conductor
Timothy
Fain, violinist
Maestro Hudson, who taught "Enjoying Classical Music" during OLLI's
fall term, has led the orchestra for
the past 34 years. Timothy
Fain, winner of the 1999 Young Concert Artists International
Auditions, joins the orchestra for Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Op. 61.
The program also includes Brahms’ Symphony No. 2.
Saturday, October 21, at 8:00
Admission: $50, $42, $25
Family Friendly: Children 12 and under half price
Concert Hall
Come
early at 7:15
for a pre-performance discussion in the Grand Tier Lobby |
Sunday,
October 22, at 2:00
Admission: $7 students/seniors
Concert Hall
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Sunday,
October 22, at 7:00
Admission: $44, $36, $22
Concert Hall
Come early at 7:15 for a pre-performance discussion in the Grand Tier
Lobby
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MASON HIGHLIGHTS
A brief listing of other events at nearby
Mason
By Barbara Kyriakakis, OLLI
E-News assistant editor
| Lecture: Dr.
Francis Collins, Dir. of NIH’s Human Genome Project, and author
of The
Language of God, will speak on Oct 18. Co-hosted by the
Provost’s
Office and Lyceum, this lecture will be presented at 7:30 in
Dewberry Hall North, Johnson Center. Call 703-993-8825 for more info. |
| Monday Seminars:
The
Krasnow Institute will continue its seminars with "Why Can I Hear You
Better With My Glasses On?" presented by Lynne E. Bernstein,
Communication Neuroscience Dept., House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, CA
at 4:00 on Oct 23 in Room 229, Krasnow Bldg. 703-993-4333. |
| Lecture: The
Council on Foreign Relations and Mason's Center for Global Studies will
present a lecture on "Iraq and the Middle East" on Oct 23 at 3:00 in
Dewberry Hall South, Johnson Center. Panelists include: Stephen Biddle
and Steven
Cook, Council on Foreign Relations; Peter Mandaville, Director, Mason’s
Center for Global Studies; Eric McGlinchey, Asst. Prof. of Govt. and
Politics, Mason; and Moderator Reuben Brigety, Asst. Prof. of Govt. and
Politics, Mason. Call Mary Glover 703-993-8722. |
| Forum on the State
of Mason Academics: On Oct 24 the Provost’s Office will sponsor a
forum that will provide an opportunity for exchange and questions
between the provost, relevant members of his staff, and the University
community. Arlington Campus Original Building, Room 244 at 10 am. Call
703-993-8825. |
| Visual Voices: Renee
Stout will present the next program in this series, Printmaking,
"Fragments of a
Secret Life," on Oct 26 at 7:30 in the Harris Theater. |
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Non-class events at OLLI for the next two
weeks
The following list covering the
next two weeks is extracted for your
convenience from the more
complete OLLI
Staff Forecast of Non-Class Events. Board, committee and resource-group
meetings are highlighted
in bold. OLLI members are
welcome at all Board, committee and resource-group meetings (except
executive sessions).
OCT
13 Friday 8:15 AM
Spec Event H: Library of Congress Bus Trip
9:30 AM Drama
Club TA-1
10:00 AM
Recorder Workshop TA-2
11:30 AM
Recorder Group TA-2
1:30 PM Homer
Book Club TA Annex
15 Sunday 2:00 PM
Spec Event I: Opera Carmen
GMU Center for the Arts
17 Tuesday 1:00-2:00
PM Bylaws Question and Answer
Session Reston
18 Wednesday 9:30
AM Painting Workshop Reston
Storefront Museum
1:30 PM
Bridge TA-3
1:30 PM Fiction
Writers' Club TA-2
2:00 PM
Genealogy TA-2
2:00 PM Spec
Event J: I Will Have Justice Done
TA-1
20 Friday 9:30 AM
Drama Club TA-1
10:00 AM
Recorder Workshop TA-2
11:30 AM
Recorder Group TA-2
11:30 AM 15th
Anniversary Party CLC
Following the
anniversary luncheon: Informal Bylaws Questions & Answers with
Gordon Canyock, CLC
1:30 PM Homer
Book Club TA Annex
23 Monday 11:00-11:30 AM Informal
Bylaws
Questions & Answers with Gordon Canyock, Social Room/Annex
24 Tuesday 1:00-2:00 PM Informal Bylaws
Questions & Answers with Gordon Canyock, Social Room/Annex
25 Wednesday 9:30
AM Painting Workshop Reston
Storefront Museum
10:00 AM
Recorder Workshop TA-2
1:00-2:00 PM
Informal Bylaws
Questions & Answers with Gordon Canyock, Social Room/Annex
1:30 PM
Bridge TA-3
2:00 AM Spec
Event K: Brazil: Future Superpower
TA-1
27 Friday 9:30 AM
Drama Club TA-3
10:00 AM
Recorder Workshop TA-2
10:00 AM
Fiction Book Club Reston Library
10:00
AM Board of Directors Meeting TA-1
11:30 AM
Recorder Group TA-2
1:30 PM Homer
Book Club TA Annex |
Rod
Zumbro
Editor
Karen
Hamilton
Deputy
Editor
|
About OLLI
E-News. OLLI
E-News is
OLLI's weekly newsletter; it is emailed to OLLI
members with email addresses on Fridays. When classes are in
session, printed copies of this newsletter are distributed in
classrooms, primarily for members without email. We encourage OLLI
members and
staff employees to submit news items and write articles; deadline to
the editor is 7:00 PM Wed for that week's issue. Comments,
suggestions or complaints? Please contact the OLLI
E-News editor or the
Publications Committee chair, Gordon
Canyock.
Note
about HTML graphics. If
you do NOT see
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three popular email systems:
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Click Tools; select Options; in the Read tab, uncheck "Read all
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Click Mail Options/General Preferences; under Security, uncheck "Block
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Upgrade,
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If OLLI E-News is being sent
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addresses such as your gmu.edu address. An alternative is to read your
newsletter online at the OLLI Website after it is posted
each Friday.
|
OLLI
E-News Editorial Staff
Assistant
Editor, Database Manager
Barbara Kyriakakis
Assistant
Editor
Arleen Richman
Photo
Editor
Michael Coyne |
| 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. |
|
Updated:
October 13, 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. |
|
