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OLLI
E-News
#44-11 of November 18, 2011
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Issue #44-11 of Nov 18, 2011
| ALERTS |
> NO E-NEWS NEXT WEEK: OLLI will
be closed next week for Thanksgiving. OLLI reopens Mon, Nov 28; the
next issue of OLLI E-News
will be emailed on Fri, Dec 2.
>
WINTER CATALOG NOW
ONLINE: Check out the winter catalog on our website by clicking
Our Program/Latest
Catalog on any page. Special thanks to Catalog Editor Lee Greene,
Program Associate Beth Davis and Webmaster John West.
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THANKFUL
From the executive director
SINCE THIS IS MY LAST COLUMN prior
to Thanksgiving, I can't resist the urge to share my thoughts on that
topic.
It's so easy to take things for granted. It's
human nature to see flaws or shortcomings and gripe about them to
someone. After all, we want things to improve, don't we? I'm
occasionally guilty of this type of thinking.
However, today I want to shout to the world
that I am ever so thankful for…
- 991 members
of OLLI at Mason who actually think learning is fun!
- 6 staff
members who genuinely care about OLLI and make our work enjoyable.
- 18 directors
who make policies that keep our OLLI among the best in the country.
- 80+ faculty
members from Mason who unselfishly donate of their knowledge, expertise
and professional skills for OLLI each year.
- Volunteers
who give approximately 9,000 hours of their time each year to make our
program the envy of all OLLIs.
- The Bernard
Osher Foundation for making lifelong learning its top funding priority
and recognizing our achievements.
- George Mason
University leadership for 20 years of support.
If space allowed, I could continue, but you get the
idea. Happy Thanksgiving!
Back to top
LET'S
APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE!
OLLI-Mason is truly a special place
AS WE END this
year of OLLI's 20th anniversary, let's appreciate what
we have—
- We're independent. We control our
own destiny. Not necessarily true at almost all other OLLIs, which are
part of their
supporting university's continuing education department.
- We receive incomparable support.
One-quarter of our instructors and speakers are
volunteer faculty members from Mason.
Since 1994 Mason has provided the beautiful, secluded
Tallwood campus to us for one dollar per
year – and expertly maintained it for us; and Mason lets OLLI use its
modern
Loudoun site at no charge.
- We have a "membership culture."
Members can take
as many courses and events as they desire for annual dues that
are a bargain. We
have four terms a year, more than many OLLIs, and in each
term, we offer a very large number of courses and events for a learning
program than is likely unsurpassed by other OLLIs.
- We have access to amazing talent.
Our location near Washington, DC gives us the ability to attract
high-level government officials as speakers and also means our
membership ranks include retired military, government and industry
officials, many of whom willingly volunteer as speakers, instructors
and coordinators.
- We offer free parking and free coffee and
cookies! Just imagine what it must be like at most OLLIs where
members have to compete with thousands of students for scarce parking
places, walk long distances to campus classrooms and pay for their
coffee and snacks at campus facilities.
Our wonderful Institute is truly special –
probably the best lifelong-learning institute
in the country. We can be thankful to be part of OLLI at Mason.
Back
to
top
Selected by the OLLI Photography Club
"Hatfield
Tree"
by Dick Young
THIS
MONTH'S
PHOTO
may be viewed in various sizes at this
page.
To view other photos by
members of the OLLI Photography Club, visit the Club's website.
THEY TASTED AS
GOOD AS THEY LOOKED
Thanksgiving pies
 By Debbie Halverson, Culinary Coordinator
Pumpkin and
apple pies baked
by class attendees; photos by Bill Walsh.
of
the Cooking Basics course was a tribute to Thanksgiving as our learning
chefs found out how to make the arguably crowning glory of most
Thanksgiving meals, a pumpkin pie and an apple pie. My pitch pointed to
how
easy it is to make such pies – and therefore taking one as a guest to
the
dinner's hostess would be a fine gesture.
While each session has
focused on methodology ... knife skills, sauces, dry- and wet-heat
cooking, eggs, tomatoes and braising ... the cooking ability of our
class members has increased far beyond what each recipe outlined.
Members, men and women, have reported exploring their new knowledge at
home as they try the methods taught and come up with new culinary
conquests.
BRIDGE ANYONE?
The Beginning Bridge course
 By Barbara Kyriakakis, OLLI
E-News Associate Editor
Instructors
Gordon Canyock
(far corner) and Susanne Zumbro (standing); photo by Thom Clement.
"YOU'RE
THE DUMMY!"
"What!? How dare you!"
"No, no. You’re not a dummy.
Your partner will play the hand; therefore, you are the dummy. You sit
out."
This is but one of the many miscommunications
that come up when teaching Bridge to beginners. But Susanne Zumbro and
Gordon Canyock did one fantastic job bringing 28 OLLI members, most of
them neophytes, into the world of Bridge, and they did it with
patience, wisdom and expertise.
 Most of the group
finished the eight lessons
knowing the basics of the game: how to shuffle, deal, and cut the
cards; how to count high card points; the number of points needed to
open a hand; and how to get back and forth from dummy to hand. Many
learned overcalls and response to opening bids. Some of us remember
takeout doubles and the Stayman convention. And then there are those
experts who had no trouble with the preempt bids, slam bidding, scoring
and Bridge etiquette.
Putting all of this information into play is
daunting. Remembering point count for the various opening and response
bids is probably the most difficult part of the game. But with Susanne
and Gordon's diligence and perseverance most of our small community of
learners came away with the ability to start playing on their own and
possibly with the OLLI Bridge Club.
Comments heard from students: "I would love to
do this again." "Do you think they would teach another class?" "This is
so much fun." "I wish I had learned Bridge when I was young. There's so
much to remember." "This book is much better than the one I used in my
last Bridge class." "Gordon and Susanne are wonderful."
Back
to top
HAPPY TRAVELERS WANTED
...To present Trip Tales in the spring
Previous
Trip Tales have
included, from left, Tunisia, Kenya and
Italy; photos by Rod
Zumbro.
OLLI'S POPULAR TRIP
TALES series
will continue in the spring term on Monday afternoons at 2:00. Tom Hady
will be the coordinator. We need you to tell about one of your favorite
trips. You don't have to be a PowerPoint maven or a polished speaker.
Your fellow OLLI members want to hear about your experiences.
If you are
willing to share your travels – or just want more information, please
contact
Tom ( email or phone,
703-569-9395).
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OLLI
SPIRITWEAR
Click image or here to shop
Order
sweatshirts,
shirts, caps and tote bags with the OLLI/Mason logo
at any time directly from the vendor for delivery to your home. At the
store, click "OLLI-GMU Store" to see the pictures, then click on each
item
to see details. Note: The
pictures do not show our logo but it
will be embroidered on items that you order.
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OLLI FACEBOOK GROUP
Click
icon or here to
join
OLLI
members are
encouraged to join the OLLI Facebook group as
a means
of enhancing intra-OLLI communications. Recent articles: how to join;
how to post
photos. (The icon is also under the Quick
Links table
on our Home page and What's New page.) Note: Once you join the OLLI group,
you can access the group from your personal Facebook page by clicking
on "Groups" or "More" in the left-side navigation area. |
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Selected by the OLLI Poetry
Workshop
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Orufff!
My dog,
Cora,
writes poems.
(Poet's Corner – limited to
twenty lines,
or is it words?)
Hers are better
than mine.
Mine always seem to go
over twenty lines,
over twenty words.
Her
"Orufff"
is precise, concise,
and says all
that any poem
has ever said.
(At least as
canines seem
to sniff them.)
Tony
Rounds
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Back
to top
MASON ARTS AND
MUSIC
Upcoming Fairfax performances, Nov 18 -
Dec 4
 By Jan Bohall, OLLI
E-News Staff Writer
FOR
TICKETS, call
1-888-945-2468 or buy online
(phone and online orders are handled by
tickets.com; a service charge applies) or visit the Center for the Arts
Box Office, Tue-Sat,
10:00-6:00. More info on tickets is at the CFA tickets page.
Mason Players
Medea
Fri, Nov 18 & Sat, Nov 19, 8:00
Sat, Nov 19 & Sun, Nov 20, 2:00
The classic Greek tragedy of Euripides, in a translation by Nicholas
Rudall, deals with betrayal and revenge. After Jason's heroic
adventures seeking the Golden Fleece, he abandons Medea and their
children to marry a Corinthian princess. Hell hath no fury….
Admission: $8 seniors &
groups, $12 other adults
TheaterSpace (Lower level of Performing Arts Bldg, next
to Black Box Theater. From Level 2 of Mason Pond Parking Deck take the
bridge. Enter first door on left and follow hallway; go through gray
door and down stairs) |
National Acrobats of the People’s Republic
of China
Direct
from Beijing
Fri, Nov 18 & Sat, Nov 19, 8:00
Sat, Nov 19, 2:00
Centuries ago Chinese performers combined dramatic folk arts with their
cultural roots and traditional Chinese music to create a unique
acrobatic art. Established in 1950, this is the group's first North
American tour. Click here
for details and a video.
Admission: $48, $40, $24
Family friendly: Youth grade 12 and under, half price with an adult
Concert Hall
Come 45 minutes
before each performance for an artistic discussion on Grand Tier III. |
Homay and the Mastan Group
Iranian
Lady
Sun, Nov 20, 7:30
This young and energetic group will play traditional Iranian music.
Homay has received honors as a Persian classical music composer,
performer, singer, lyricist and poet. He has performed at the Lincoln
Center, Strathmore Hall locally and in Los Angeles and Toronto. Click here for details and
a video.
Admission: $69, $59, $55, $44,
$35, $29 Discounts
for seniors
Concert Hall |
 Chanticleer
A
Chanticleer Christmas
Sat, Nov 26, 8:00
This Grammy-Award winning ensemble of 12 male voices is renowned for
its original interpretations of vocal literature that spans genres and
centuries, from Renaissance music to jazz, from Gregorian chants to
spirituals. Click here
for details and a video.
Admission: $48, $40, $24
Concert Hall
Come at 7:15 for an artistic discussion on Grand Tier III.
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Mason Lab Band Concert
Tue, Nov 29, 8:00
Admission: Free, non-ticketed
de Laski Bldg, Rm 3001
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Virginia Opera
Hansel
and Gretel
Fri, Dec 2, 8:00
Sun, Dec 4, 2:00
Punished by their mother, Hansel and Gretel are sent into the
Ilsenstein Forest to look for strawberries, but lose their way toward
home as nightfall approaches. They find a cottage made of gingerbread
and are trapped by the resident evil witch, until they are saved by
Gretel. Based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, this production
features a sophisticated score by Humperdinck. Sung in English and
German with English supertitles. Click here
for much more info (Virginia Opera website).
Admission: Fri, $86, $72, $44
Sun, $98, $80, $48
Family friendly: Youth grade 12 and under, half price with an adult
Concert Hall
Come
45 minutes early
to each performance for an artistic discussion on Grand Tier III.
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Mason Opera and Orchestra
Totally Mozart
Fri, Dec 2 & Sat, Dec
3, 8:00
Admission: $15 seniors, $20 other adults
Harris Theatre
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Dailey & Vincent
I
Believe in Christmas
Sat, Dec 3, 8:00
Bluegrass music fans will be treated to the masterful arrangements of
Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent, often compared to legendary duos such
as Bill and Charlie Monroe, Ralph and Carter Stanley and the Statler
Brothers. Dailey and Vincent have won numerous bluegrass awards and
received a 2011 Grammy nomination. Click here for details and
a video.
Admission: $48, $40, $24
Family friendly: Youth grade 12 and under, half price with an adult
Concert Hall
Come at 7:15 for an artistic discussion on Grand Tier III.
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Mason Guitar Chamber Ensemble
Sun, Dec 4, 7:00
Prof. Larry Snitzler will direct his guitar students in this program of
chamber music.
Admission: Free, non-ticketed
Harris Theatre
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Other Mason events, next three weeks
 By Helen Ackerman, OLLI
E-News Staff Writer
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> Arab Uprisings Brown Bag Lecture:
"From Dictatorship to Constituent Assembly: What Comes After the
October Elections in Tunisia?" by Douja Mamelouk, University of
Tennessee. Mon, Nov 21, noon, Research Hall, Room 161. Free.
>Vision Series: Ken
Elston, Chair, Department of Theater will present "Local
Theater: Tracing a Contemporary Theater's Redefining of Creative
Passion." Click
here
for details. Mon, Nov 21, 7:30, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Prince
William Campus. Free, tickets not required. Each lecture is followed by
an informal reception with the speaker. Light refreshments are offered.
>Film: Contagion. For doctors and administrators at
the U.S. Center for Disease Control, several days pass before anyone
realizes the extent or gravity of this new infection. As the contagion
spreads to millions of people worldwide, societal order begins to break
down as people panic. Thu, Dec 1, 9:00; Fri, Dec 2, 6:00 and 9:00, Sat,
Dec 3, 6:00 and 9:00. Sun, Dec 4, 6:00. Johnson Center, Cinema.
>Vision Series:
Linda Monson, Director of Keyboard Studies, School of Music will
present "Music and Math: Bridging the Two Cultures." Click
here for details. Mon, Dec 5, 7:00. Center for the Arts, Concert
Hall. Free, tickets not required. Each lecture is followed by an
informal reception with the speaker. Light refreshments are offered.
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 HYLTON ARTS AND MUSICUpcoming Manassas performances, Nov 18 - Dec 4
By Sheri
Siesseger, OLLI
E-News Staff Writer
FOR
TICKETS, call
1-888-945-2468 or click "Buy Tickets" at the event listing in the calendar
(phone and
online orders are handled by
tickets.com; a service charge applies) – or visit the box office in the
lobby of the Hylton
Performing
Arts Center on Mason's Prince William Campus in Manassas, Wed-Sat,
noon to 6:00. More info on tickets is at the ticket
purchase page. Note: Two OLLI
members have advised E-News that tickets for events at the Hylton
Performing
Arts Center in Manassas are also routinely available at the Center for
the Arts box office on the Fairfax campus, open Tue-Sat, 10:00-6:00.
American Festival Pops Orchestra
Salute
to Our Veterans
Sat, Nov 19, 8:00
Anthony Maiello conducts a program of patriotic music from World War I
to the present. The orchestra presents works by composers George M.
Cohan, John Williams, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and John Phillip
Sousa. Featured performers are Washington National Opera soprano Angela
Knight and Scott Shelsta, trombonist, formerly a member of the United
States Army Band and Brass Quintet.
A pre-performance discussion
begins at 7:00.
Admission: $30, $38, $46
Merchant Hall |
Caro
Earth.
Soul. Sky.
Sun, Nov 20
Caro (Manassas-based photographer Carolyn Russo) specializes in
portraits, terrains, colorscapes and water/vapor imagery. The photos in
this exhibit were inspired by her recent experience as part of the
Helsinki International Artist in Residence Program at Suomenlinna,
Finland.
Admission: Free/non-ticketed
Buchanan Partners Arts Gallery |
Youth Orchestra of Prince William
Latin
Flair
Sun, Nov 20, 3:00
Featuring student musicians from Northern Virginia, this concert
presents two ensembles: the Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Concert
Orchestra.
Admission: $15
Merchant Hall |
Mason Symphony Orchestra
Mon, Nov 21, 8:00
Conducted by Dr. Dennis M.
Layendecker, the orchestra will present "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas
Tallis" by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, Piano Concerto in A
minor, Op. 16 by Edvard Grieg, and Symphony No. 2 in D
major, Op. 73 by Johannes Brahms.
Admission: $15, $10 students and
seniors
Merchant Hall
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Encore Theatrical Arts Project (ETAP)
Santa's
Special Delivery
Fri, Nov 25, 7:00
Sat, Nov 26, 1:00 and 5:00
The program is ETAP's
Broadway-style musical kick off of the holiday season. This year's
original tale ranges from New York City to Santa's abode at the North
Pole. Music includes traditional favorites as well as new discoveries.
Chantilly-based ETAP was founded in 1996 to present live musical
theater aimed at family audiences in Northern Virginia.
Admission: $15, $20, $25
Merchant Hall
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Chanticleer
A
Chanticleer Christmas
Sun, Nov 27, 4:00
This ensemble of a cappella
male voices from San Francisco presents an evening of traditional
Christmas carols, sacred music, and contemporary holiday favorites. The
group has been enchanting both audiences and critics for more than 30
years.
Pre-performance discussion
begins at 3:00.
Admission: $32, $40, $48
Merchant Hall
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Leahy
A
Leahy Family Christmas
Wed, Nov 30, 8:00
Noted for traditional Celtic
melodies from their Irish-Scottish roots, Leahy returns to the Hylton
Center with a Christmas celebration that includes its own hits as well
as traditional Christmas carols. The program can be expected to feature
energetic fiddling and step dancing along with enchanting vocals.
Pre-performance discussion
begins at 7:00.
Admission: $32, $40, $48
Merchant Hall
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Sweet Honey in the Rock
Sat, Dec 3, 8:00
A Grammy Award-winning group of six African-American women present a
holiday concert of blues, spirituals, Gospel, jazz, reggae and African
chants.
A pre-performance discussion begins at 7:00.
Admission: $30, $38, $46
Merchant Hall
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Asaph Dance Ensemble
Clara's
Christmas
Sun, Dec 4, 3:30 & 7:30
The company's 2011 Christmas production is based on The Nutcracker, a traditional
holiday favorite. The program follows Clara's adventures and utilizes
Tchaikovsky's score.
Admission:
Adults,
$20; children 12 and under and seniors, $10
Merchant Hall
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COMING
ATTRACTIONS
Upcoming non-class events at
OLLI
THE
FOLLOWING LIST covering the next two weeks is extracted for your
convenience from the master calendar maintained by the office, with
direct web links added when available. OLLI members are welcome at all
Board, committee and resource group meetings. For more activities
specifically related to the Loudoun
site, see Roberta Sherman's latest Loudoun
Notes (pdf). For
more activities
specifically related to the Reston
site, see Sharon Gilman's latest Eye on Reston (Word
document).
Note:
The below list is accurate as of mid-week but for the very latest
information, please see Upcoming
Non-Class Events to view the
real-time OLLI online
calendar maintained by
the office.
Back
to top
KEY
CONTACT
INFORMATION
How to contact OLLI
HERE
IS A READY REFERENCE on how to contact OLLI.
For email
addresses and phone numbers not listed below, please consult the online
Membership Directory (log in to Member
Portal).
About OLLI E-News
and the
member/volunteers who
produce it
Rod
Zumbro
Editor |
Barbara Kyriakakis
Associate
Editor |
Ernestine Meyer
Backup
Editor
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Review Team: Gordon
Canyock,
Barbara Kyriakakis, John West
Database
Manager: Barbara
Kyriakakis
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- About
this newsletter.
OLLI's
weekly newsletter, OLLI
E-News,
is
emailed
to
current
OLLI
members
with
email
addresses
on
Fridays.
When
classes
are
in
session, printed copies of this newsletter are distributed in
classrooms. Comments,
suggestions or complaints? Please contact Editor Rod
Zumbro or Communications Committee Chair Gordon
Canyock.
- Submissions. We
encourage members
to submit news items, articles and photos for this newsletter. The deadline
to
the editor is 7:00 pm Wed (7:00 pm Mon for letters to the
editor
for which an
OLLI response is appropriate) for that
week's issue; submissions
earlier in
the week are strongly encouraged and greatly appreciated.
Please
limit
articles to about 250 words. Submit material via email to Editor Rod
Zumbro
(email rzumbro@gmu.edu).
- Read the latest
issue early. The
new weekly issue of OLLI
E-News
is posted to the OLLI website Thursday evening. Read it by visiting http://www.olli.gmu.edu/pubs.htm#enews,
where
you
will
find
a
list
of
the
last
12
issues;
click
the
latest issue listed.
- Viewing or searching past
issues. Your options for finding items in past issues of OLLI E-News
include viewing the last
12
issues; searching the
content of
ALL issues for any word or words; and searching the
DocStore archive of all past issues by date or issue number.
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Updated:
November 18, 2011
Copyright © 2011 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at
George Mason University. Materials in this publication subject to
OLLI-Mason copyright may be reproduced for noncommercial educational
purposes as long as credit is given to OLLI-Mason.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George
Mason University, 4210 Roberts Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032-1028
Phone: (703) 503-3384; Email: olli@gmu.edu;
Fax:
(703) 503-2832
Original site design and construction by OLLI-Mason member Rod Zumbro. |
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