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OLLI
E-News #39-07 of October 12, 2007
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A WIDER SCOPE OF ACTIVITY BEGINS AT OLLI
Fridays at OLLI
 By Debbie
Halverson, Membership Committee chair
IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO, probably
two years, that on Fridays at Tallwood, only staff were present and
only in the mornings. Nothing was available for members.
Today what a difference! We have several clubs
meeting; the Homer discussion group meets on Fridays; we have special
events on Fridays. The arrival of the full-time executive director
created a situation in which the social room, the
bathrooms and the A/V equipment could be available to the members 9 to
5 every day.
Finally we have been using our wonderful facility to fuller advantage.
And we will try to use it better. We've been
trying to get more programming set up for Friday afternoons, and we now
have a schedule of events for the fall, even beyond the end of term,
when you can come to Tallwood on a Friday afternoon and expect
something to be happening. Some such events will be more serious than
others, and they should satisfy a variety of needs. Here is the
schedule; we will promote each event the week prior to its happening.
• Oct
12: Peace Corps 50+ Presentation
• Oct
19: Flu Shot Clinic
• Oct
26: Preparation for yard sale
• Nov
2: Special Event 967, The Great Society Subway: A History of the
Washington Metro
• Nov
9: Movie, Daughter from Danang
• Nov
16: Special Event 969, Meet Virginia’s Poet Laureate
• Nov
23: Thanksgiving weekend, office closed
• Nov
30: Movie, Catherine the Great
• Dec
7: Holiday Party (at International Country Club)
• Dec
14: Movie, Helen of Troy
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In addition, in an effort to enlarge social
connections among our members, we will shortly be polling you on your
interest in getting together in informal special interest groups. What
we have in mind is creating categories of names, lists of people who
might wish to create a gourmet cooking group, or perhaps a group of
folks who like to travel; several members have suggested forming a
singles' group where they can call one another to join them in a movie
or dinner; guys might like company for sporting events. Just finding
out who at OLLI would like to join such groups would enable
participants to meet outside of OLLI to pursue their chosen interests.
We think many of you, especially those who live alone, would find this
opportunity appealing. Our job is to help make it happen.
I've mentioned a few categories of activity;
do let me know if you can think of others to include in the poll.
UPDATE
Three items of interest
 By Dick Chobot,
Executive Director
• FLU SHOTS.
Remember, the clinic will be held next Friday, the 19th, from 1:00 -
5:00 at Tallwood. More than 100 members have signed up. We can still
accommodate more. If you wish to add your name to the list see the
office staff. (Read details
about the clinic.)
• PARKING. Remember, we are trying to hold the spaces in front
of Tallwood for members with mobility issues. If this does not include
you, please consider the pool lot. If you need a reserved space because
of mobility or health issues, please call the office and we will
arrange a space for you. Thanks.
• CLASS PASS. Invite a friend to attend a class at OLLI. If you
would like a Class Pass, please see the office staff. Please do not use
a Class Pass in a session that you know to be full or closed. Thanks.
CALLING ALL POETS
Poetry reading open to readers from the
audience
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ALL IN THE OLLI COMMUNITY are
welcome at a poetry reading by the Poetry Workshop on Wed, Oct 31
(please hold any comments about broomsticks or witches), at 2:00 in
TA-1.
Members of the workshop will read their work,
poems of humor and sadness, both pithy and lengthy, glimpses of life
and memories. They will then open the
mike to the audience, and welcome first-time or experienced poets who
want to read their poems. Non-workshop readers are asked to contact
Mike
McNamara or Jan Bohall about their wish to read.
This is Special Event
966 in the Fall Catalog, but everyone is welcome whether or not you
have registered.
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Back
to top
A new
feature, courtesy of
the Photography Club
Photo of the
month, by Stan
Schretter
OLLI PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB NEWS: The OLLI
Photography Club meets at Tallwood on the fourth Friday of the month at
9:30. The next meeting will be on Oct 26.
The September meeting included a presentation
by Dan Feighery to demystify the relationship of size of the lens
opening, duration of the exposure, and the part of the resulting
picture that will appear to be in focus. Club members also reviewed
photographs they had submitted for online display. Those images can be
seen by any interested at http://www.pbase.com/olligmuphoto,
under--
• The
"Members Gallery" (used for peer review during club meetings), and
• "Monthly
Critiques" (used for online critiques made by selected local
photographers).
Club members are also now selecting a Photo of
the Month to be published in OLLI
E-News. The September selection shown above is a photograph
called "Fishing at Daybreak" taken by Stan Schretter at
Bethany, Delaware.
| COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS ABOUT OLLI? |
HERE'S HOW to express your views--
• Publicly
(if you would like your comments published in this newsletter): Email
your "Letter
to the Editor" or "Letter to
Ms. Ollie Ettakit" to the editor. Anonymous
submissions are
acceptable if you provide contact information so we can verify that you
are an OLLI member. Whenever an official response is
clearly appropriate, the editor will obtain and publish the OLLI
response in the same issue so members will have more complete
information and a balanced picture of the matter.
•
Privately--
• Contact any Board member,
committee or
resource group chair, or the executive
director;
• Send an email to the
entire Board
(email the editor or the office to have your
message forwarded to all members of the Board);
• Submit a suggestion online
or in the box in the Tallwood social room or on one of the "parking
lots for ideas" in classrooms; or
• Contact the office by
email
or phone (703-503-3384). |
MASON FILM FESTIVAL
More info now available at the festival's
Website
DON'T FORGET THE MASON FILM FESTIVAL, Oct
19-21, being held at the Johnson Center Cinema on Mason’s Fairfax
campus. Senior ticket prices are $20 for the entire event or $10 for
one day. Free parking is located in lot K on the campus.
Please
contact Jane Tombes or Mason's Jim Maiwurm (jmaiwur1@gmu.edu or 703-303-4144)
if you would like to help with tickets, ushering, or the Friday evening
reception – and receive a free ticket for the entire weekend.
For more
information, including
daily schedule and details about some
of the films, see the Mason Film Festival Website.
YARD SALE UPDATE
Read all about it
 By Bob Lawshe,
Board member
 THE FIRST-EVER OLLI
YARD SALE is just around the corner, and the excitement is
building!
• Where
will the sale be? The "front" OLLI parking lot. Buyer parking
will be in the pool lot.
•
What's for Sale? Treasures you have lying around the house,
including household items, tools, books, prints, games, sports stuff,
bicycles, posters, small
(i.e., easily carried by one person) items of, say, outdoor furniture,
cookware, kitchen stuff (dishes, utensils, etc.), toys, clothes (from
kid's to adult's, including T-shirts in good repair, no missing
buttons, holes, etc.), collectible items, doll furniture, musical
instruments, plants and pots, cat collars, etc. You get the idea. If
you have questions about an item, please just ask. Sorry, no computer
equipment, sofas, beds, armchairs, etc., and nothing that's broken.
• When
and where do I drop stuff off? Items may be dropped off in TA-1
on Fri, Oct 26, between 9:00 and 3:30. If you need to (i.e., you live a
long way away and don't usually come to Tallwood on Friday), you can
drop them off on Thu, Oct 25, after 3:30, or earlier by special
arrangement; just ask Debbie or Bob.
• What
do I need to do before I drop items off? Make sure they are
clean and in working order. Clothes should be arranged by type, i.e.,
kid's, men's, women's, etc., and by size.
• How
will they be priced? All items will have a small round sticker
with the price displayed. You should mark your items with a price.
Stickers will be available in TA-1 on Friday. If you can't figure out a
price, we'll do it for you. An exception is that paperback books will
go for 50 cents and hardbacks for 1 dollar.
•
What’s needed?
• Plastic
grocery bags – you can drop them off in the marked box in the Tallwood
social room.
• Publicity –
Posters are available for placing in appropriate places to help
advertise the sale. In fact, you can just print all the posters you
need by clicking on this page on our Website: http://www.olli.gmu.edu/yardsaleimg.jpg.
• Oh yes, you
are, and your treasures, of course. Lots of volunteer positions are
still open. You can sign up on the sheet in the social room or email
Bob Lawshe ( rlawshe@cox.net) to
volunteer. Do not get left out. And don't forget to come shopping for
some super deals!
• Why
are we doing this? To benefit the Friends of OLLI fund which
helps support OLLI's operations, primarily "capital expenditures"
(e.g., classroom A/V equipment) and George Mason scholarships.
HEAR YE! HEAR YE:
TOWN MEETING IS COMING!
All members encouraged to attend
By Debbie
Halverson, Membership Committee chair
 THE THIRD ANNUAL OLLI TOWN MEETING is
scheduled for Fri, Nov 2, at 10:00 at Tallwood.
All members are encouraged to attend.
Preliminary to that is the creation of the
topics to be addressed. As you recall, the format includes a panel of
Board members that will bring you up to date on matters regarding
administration, budget and other issues involving governance that
should concern you.
Then we break into discussion groups where you
can kick around ideas about where and how you think we need to improve.
For both aspects of the meeting, we need you to let us, in this case
me, know what is on your mind. So, send your suggestions to me within
the next several weeks so I can throw your ideas into the mix.
And if participating in stimulating talk isn't
enough to get you to the meeting, maybe our phenomenal hospitality
committee's goodies will help.
 OLLI'S SPECIAL
FORCES
Kathie West, co-chair of the Literature,
Language and Theater Resource Group
By Elizabeth Crawford, OLLI
E-News
staff writer
ALTHOUGH
THE TALLWOOD SECTION OF ROBERTS ROAD does
not yet shine with the bright lights of Broadway, theater is thriving
at OLLI, thanks in large part to Kathie West. Formerly an actress in
Pittsburgh, founder and director of the New Vintage Players based at
the Hollin Hall Senior Center, and drama teacher and director in
Fairfax County high schools, Kathie has been co-chair of the
Literature, Language and Theater Resource Group for the past two years.
In addition to planning courses and recruiting
instructors with co-chairs Doris Bloch and Jane Tombes, Kathie has
taught several courses, including the ever popular "Readers' Theater."
Currently, she and Bill Rita are teaching a course based on his play
about Aaron Burr's daughter, Theodosia. Students are learning the
history of the period and reading and critiquing his play,
contributing, it is hoped, to its eventual publication or performance.
Kathie invites everyone to join the Drama
Club, which meets every Friday at Tallwood. Members learn stage
direction, movement, dramatic reading and improvisation. Soon they will
work on Generations, a
not-yet-performed play by Bill Strauss of Capitol Steps.
Kathie enjoys working with OLLI members
because they are "willing to try anything." Anyone who remembers the
Rudolph the Arthritic Reindeer skit from the 2005 holiday party can
testify that this is true. Helen Anderson, one of Kathie's students,
has aptly described Kathie's contribution to OLLI: "She does wonderful
stuff."
Photo
of Kathie by Gordon Canyock
OPEN LETTER ABOUT A
COURSE
"One of the best courses"
THE
FOLLOWING LETTER was sent by OLLI member Bill Sprecher to
Executive Director Dick Chobot. We are publishing it with the author's
permission because we thought it may be of interest to other OLLI
members. We encourage others to provide comments about courses they
liked because such feedback is useful for the
Program Committee, resource groups, instructors and coordinators.
One of the best courses I’ve attended
at OLLI finished today. That course – "The War," Ken Burns’ documentary
on World War II – sparked many memories for me. My older brother has
confirmed that he and I were listening to a radio show when it was
interrupted by an announcement that the Japanese had attacked Pearl
Harbor – Dec 7, 1941. I remember our Victory Garden on the edge of town
and the day President Roosevelt died.
The class, which was moderated
by Phil True, loosened the memories and emotions of many men and women.
Several people in the class reminisced about their "home front"
experiences. Several World War II veterans described the ordeals and
horrors of that conflict. Some of them verged on tears as their
memories found expression in that classroom.
Tribute is due to at least three
people. Phil True both guided the discussions and fostered intimate
glimpses of wartime life. Pat Callahan and Mark Jones of WETA-TV were
outstanding in their organization of and dedication to the class. They
were the compelling force. I understand they spent many hours reviewing
the Burns film in order to select film segments that would capture the
essence of America's fight for freedom and liberty. They deserve our
accolades.
I’m a volunteer with the General
George C. Marshall International Center (Dodona Manor), which is
located in Leesburg, Virginia. General Marshall purchased Dodona Manor
as a family home in early 1941. Today, it is a restored tribute to one
of this country's greatest military leaders and statesmen. Dodona Manor
is open to the public, and I urge anyone interested in World War II to
visit Leesburg. |
RELATED WEBSITE
For more information about Dodona Manor, see its Website at http://www.georgecmarshall.org/.
 EVENTS AT THE
CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Arts and music events at Mason,
Oct 12-21
By Jan
Bohall, OLLI
E-News staff writer
FOR
TICKETS, call 1-888-945-2468 (phone orders are handled by tickets.com)
or visit the Center for the Arts Box Office, Tue-Sat, 10:00-6:00. More
info on tickets at the CFA tickets page.
 Virginia Opera Series
The Tales of Hoffmann
Offenbach’s opera deals with the forces of mysticism versus
enlightenment. A young poet in a tavern with friends relates stories of
his three great loves, Olympia, Antonia and Giulietta, and evil
geniuses
who thwart his intentions. Hoffmann, despairing, is rescued by the muse
of poetry who revives his
romantic soul. The opera will be sung in French with English
supertitles.
Note:
The
Sunday performance is an OLLI special event (See Fall Catalog, page 27).
Fri,
Oct 12, at 8:00
Sun, Oct 14 at 2:00
Admission: $86, $72, $44—Fri
$94, $78, $48—Sun
Concert Hall
Come early at 7:15 and at 1:15 for a free artistic discussion in the
Grand Tier Lobby.
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GMU
Players #1
As
Bees in Honey
Drown
Thu, Fri, Sat, Oct 18, 19, 20, at 8:00
Matinee Sat, Oct 20, at 2:00
Also Thu, Fri, Sat, Oct 25, 26, 27, at 8:00
Matinees Sat-Sun, Oct 27-28, at 2:00
Admission: $8 seniors/students, $12 other adults
Harris Theater
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 Leon Bates
Gershwin
on Broadway
with
vocalists Louise
Toppin and Robert Mack
Said to be one of America’s leading pianists, Mr. Bates will bring his
genius to us in the immortal Broadway classics of Gershwin, including
favorites from hit shows Lady Be Good,
Funny
Face, Strike Up the Band
and Girl Crazy.
Fri, Oct 19, at 8:00
Admission: $40, $32, $20
Family friendly: Children 12 and under, half price with an adult
Concert Hall
Come early at 7:15 for a free artistic discussion in the Grand Tier
Lobby.
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Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
featuring
Alon Goldstein,
piano
Mr. Goldstein, who was born in Israel, will play the demanding Third
Piano Concerto of Prokofiev, the Russian and Ludmilla Overture by
Glinka and
Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky/Ravel.
Sat, Oct 20, at 8:00
Admission: $55, $45, $35, $25
Concert Hall |
GMU Symphony Orchestra
and
Chamber Orchestra
Leonard
Slatkin, Guest
Conductor
Sun, Oct 21, at 3:00
Admission: $10 seniors/students, $15 other adults
Concert Hall |
MASON HIGHLIGHTS
Other events at Mason
 By Barbara Kyriakakis, OLLI
E-News assistant editor
• Moments
of Truth: Public and Private Ethics in the Age of New Media -
Speakers: J. Beckwith Burr, Partner in the Wilmer Hale Law Firm, and
Jules Polonetsky, Chief Privacy Officer with American Online, Inc. Mon,
Oct 15, 3:00 to 4:30 in the Concert Hall Lobby.
• Disarming Terror:
On the Trail of an Arms-Trade Magnate – This lecture features the
release of the book Merchant of Death,
which chronicles the inner workings of Russian arms dealer Victor
Bout's transnational arms-trade organization. Tue, Oct 16, at 3:00 at
the Arlington Original Building, Rm 244. The authors will be available
to sign copies of the book. Space limited. RSVP at traccc@gmu.edu.
• Cinema Series - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,
6:00 and 9:00, Fri and Sat, Oct 19 and 20. Free with Mason ID. JC
Cinema.
• Library
Workshops – Introduction to Library Research. Learn the basic
elements of the research process and the GMU library system. Mon, Oct
22, 3:00 to 4:30, JC Library Rm 228.
• Maestros
in action—vintage videos of eminent conductors. Watch short
excerpts of rehearsals and performances by prominent conductors of the
mid-twentieth century … Sergiu Celibidache, Arturo Toscanini, Leonard
Bernstein, and others. Fri, Oct 26, 1:30 to 2:25, JC Library Rm 228.
• Center
for Social Science Research Lecture – "On the Eve of the Election:
The Immigrant Issue and the Challenge to Virginia's Communities." Thu,
Nov 1, 7:30 in Dewberry Hall North, JC. Speakers are drawn from the
faith community, from academics versed in questions of economic
development, and from human service administrators.
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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 master calendar maintained by the office (see the OLLI
Staff Forecast of Non-Class Events for more details and to view the
actual OLLI online calendar used by the office). Board,
committee, resource-group and
'membership-type' meetings/events below are highlighted
in bold. OLLI members are
welcome at all Board, committee and resource-group meetings (except
executive sessions).
Friday
Oct 12 9:30am Spec Event 961
Wineries - Bus Departs Fair Oak Mall Lot 44
10am Italian Conversation Club Org. Meeting - Annex
10am Recorder Group - TA-2
10am Program Committee
meeting -
TA-1
1pm Peace Corps 50+ Presentation - Tallwood
1:30pm Homer Etc. Book Club - Annex
Sunday Oct 14 2pm
Spec Event 962- VA Opera, The Tales
of Hoffmann - GMU- Center for the Arts
Monday Oct 15 1pm
Lake Anne Bridge Club - Lake Anne Church
Tuesday Oct 16
8:15am Reston Walking Group - Lake Anne Plaza
9:30am Finance Comm
meeting - TA-2
Wednesday Oct 17
1:30pm Bridge - TA-3
2pm Genealogy Club - TA-2
2pm Facilitator Workshop - Annex
2pm Spec Event 963-Where 100,00 Fell - TA-1
Friday Oct 19
9:30am Drama Club
10am Recorder Group - TA-2
1pm Flu shot clinic - TA-1 & Annex
1:30pm Homer Etc. Book Club - TA-3
Monday Oct 22 1pm
Lake Anne Bridge Club - Lake Anne Church
Tuesday Oct 23
8:15am Reston Walking Group - Lake Anne Plaza
Wednesday Oct 24
1:30pm Bridge - TA-3
2pm Facilitator Workshop - Annex
3:30pm Board of Directors
meeting - TA-1
Friday Oct
26 Yard Sale Drop Off
9:30am Drama Club
9:30am Photography Club - TA-1
10am Classic Fiction Book Club - Reston Regional
Library
10am Recorder Group - TA-2
1:30pm Homer Etc. Book Club - Annex
Saturday Oct
27 Yard Sale - Tallwood |
Back
to top
Rod
Zumbro
Editor
Karen
Hamilton
Deputy
Editor
|
About OLLI
E-News. OLLI
E-News, OLLI's weekly newsletter, 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. Comments,
suggestions or complaints? Please contact the OLLI
E-News editor or the
Publications Committee chair, Gordon
Canyock.
| Submissions. We encourage members
to submit news items, articles and photos for this newsletter; deadline
to
the editor is 7:00 PM Wed (Mon for letters to the editor for which an
OLLI response is appropriate) for that
week's issue. Please limit
articles to about 250 words. Submit material to editor Rod Zumbro
(email rzumbro@gmu.edu, phone
703-569-2750); email strongly preferred. |
Note
about HTML graphics. If
you do NOT see
photos and
clickable links in this message, you might want to ask a teenaged
grandchild or a neighborhood teenager or college student to fix things
for you. Or you could change your
email settings yourself. Here's how to view html-formatted messages
like this newsletter in five popular email systems:
•
Microsoft Outlook
Express and Windows Mail.
Click Tools; select Options; in the Read tab, uncheck "Read all
messages in plain text."
• Mozilla Thunderbird.
Click Tools; select Options and click the Privacy icon; click the
General tab. Uncheck "Block loading of remote images" and uncheck
"Block Javascript." Click OK. Now click View; select "Message Body As
... Original HTML" (not Plain Text). Also in View, select "Display
Attachments Inline" so that selection is checked.
• 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
(i.e., iPlanet "Messenger Express") to read this newsletter
because it
is normally impossible to view the newsletter in GMU
Webmail
as a single
integrated
document, with text and accompanying images. You could forward the
newsletter to your alternate Web-based email account such as Yahoo Mail
or
Hotmail and read it there ... or read it online at
the OLLI
Website each Friday.
Perhaps the easiest solution for those of you with GMU email accounts
is to configure your desktop email system such
as Microsoft Outlook Express or Mozilla Thunderbird to retrieve mail
sent to your gmu.edu address. To do this, see these
instructions.
Finding
the Latest
Issue Online. The
new weekly issue of OLLI E-News
is
usually posted Thursday evening. Here's how to read the online version
right after
it is posted:
• It is identified by
the next number in
sequence for that year -- e.g., if last week's issue number were
enews1-07, the next issue number would be enews2-07 and could be found
at www.olli.gmu.edu/enews2-07.htm.
•
Thus, go to the list of the last 12
issues, click the most recent issue (probably last week's), change
(in the address field of your browser) the enews number to the next
number, and then press Enter.
|
OLLI
E-News Editorial Staff
Assistant
Editor, Database Manager
Barbara Kyriakakis
Assistant
Editor
Arleen Richman
Photo
Editor
Michael Coyne |
|
Updated:
October 12, 2007
Copyright © 2007 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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