Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

ENews April 17, 2026

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OLLI E-News April 17, 2026
Print a condensed pdf copy of this newsletter, two web pages per sheet of paper.

Photography Club Members Tom Simpson and John Olsen Presented a Talk on Travel Photography Based on 2024 and 2025 Trips to Oslo, Bergen, and the Fjords of Norway: Tallwood, April 10, 2026

April 17, 2026


Editor of the Week: Chitra Mohla
Table of Contents

Alerts & Notices

  • The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, April 24; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, April 21, at 6:00.

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1207E Bus Excursion to VA Holocaust Museum on May 21-
Open to Friends and Relatives


By Gay Alper, Trip Coordinator


How is the VA Holocaust Museum different than the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC?
The museum in Richmond is one of only several places in the country that offers an interactive opportunity to speak with a survivor.

In their Dimensions in Testimony theater, attendees will be enabled to have a conversation with a pre-recorded video image of a Holocaust survivor―a cutting-edge exhibit.

This organized bus trip will be canceled if there are not at least 25 people registered by April 30; click this link for the member portal to register.

Coordinator: Gay Alper
Thursday, 8:45 – 5:00, May 21
Bus Trip
Limit: 30
Fee: $87 includes museum admission

The bus will leave promptly at 9:00 from the Fairfax Swimming Pool parking lot (4200 Roberts Rd., Fairfax, VA). On arrival we will visit the Dimensions in Testimony theater and hear the story of a Holocaust survivor. Participants can ask questions to her “hologram” which is a pre-recorded video interview, made to look 3D. We will break for lunch in a room at the museum. Participants must pre-order and pre-pay online for lunch which will be delivered from a nearby designated restaurant to the lunchroom. (Registrants will be contacted with details by the coordinator prior to the excursion.)

We will then view a short video and meet Rena Berlin, currently a museum docent.

Rena Berlin taught our OLLI winter-term class, 'Learning About the Holocaust in Today’s World, Part One,' followed by Part 2 for spring term. Rena, or a 2nd docent will lead us on a tour of the museum. The bus will depart the museum at approximately 3:30.

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Computer Club
3rd Saturday, April 18
2026 Consumer Electronics Show and More
Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts
 
By Paul Howard , OPCUG Program Chair



The Computer Club (OLLI Personal Computer User Group, or OPCUG) will meet with its partner, the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society (PATACS), on Saturday, April 18 (tomorrow), in person and via Zoom. The Zoom session opens at 12:45 (Zoom link below).

2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and More―Presented by Rob Pegoraro (Editor’s Note: Information is updated below.)
Sights and Sounds: What's new in the world of consumer electronics and related technology?
  • My changing tech toolset: how I changed out notetaking apps only weeks before CES, the only way I regularly apply AI to my work, and my decision to fire Intuit from tax-prep work.
  • A year and change of Trump 2.0 tech policy: control-freakery at the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), dereliction of duty in Congress, and more thrilling news about the state of technology policy these days.
  • My sense of where self-driving cars are heading: I've now taken rides in Waymo, Zoox and Tesla vehicles without a human at the wheel, but that doesn't mean I'm universally sold on the concept.
  • Whither the Washington Post: what it's been like to watch the mothership steered onto the rocks, and how I've been going in finding replacement sources for local news.
 
Rob Pegoraro tries to make sense of computers, consumer electronics, telecom services, the Internet, software and other things that beep or blink through reporting, reviewing and analysis. You can find him at PCMag, Fast Company, Wirecutter, and many other outlets. From 1999 to 2011, he was the Washington Post’s tech columnist. He once received a single-word e-mail from Steve Jobs and may be the only person to have written for both Reader's Digest and Boing Boing.

Learn in 30: Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts―Presented by Frank Fota Want to move faster and work smarter in Windows 11? Join us for an interactive presentation by PATACS Director at Large Frank Fota, who will demonstrate the power of keyboard shortcuts. You’ll discover how simple key combinations can streamline your daily workflow, minimize mouse use, and boost productivity across common tasks—from window management and desktop navigation to file organization and system controls.
This guided session organizes essential shortcuts into practical, easy-to-learn categories, helping you build lasting muscle memory for effortless efficiency. Whether you’re a casual user or a power user in the making, you’ll leave with tools to make Windows 11 feel faster, smoother, and tailor-made for you.

See full details on this meeting by clicking here. For information on the Computer Club, see the OPCUG Website. OPCUG dues are $5 and are now due for 2026 (and 2025, if you didn’t get around to paying earlier!)—see http://olligmu.org/opcug/comm.html for details on making payment.
To attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service, beginning at 12:45, please click:
https://olligmu-org.zoom.us/j/87181894687?pwd=jeej4aqXUEcbKuULWcx9ACtgISnrCF.1 to join the meeting and use passcode 468224. (Note: enter passcode with NO spaces) or enter meeting ID 871 8189 4687 in the Zoom app and use the above passcode (preferred method).

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Photo of the Month
 


The April 2026 Photo of the Month theme was Basic Elements of Composition-Color: Submit photos with a dominant color theme, such as blue, red, or gold. We selected Ed Marion's photo "Hello Sunshine: Red Winged Blackbird 2026," which may also be viewed at this page. To view other photos by members of the Photography Club, visit the club's photo website.

               -- By John Olsen and Lynne Cline, Photography Club Coordinators

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Poet's Corner
Courtesy of the Poetry Workshop

Port of Call                            
 
As a young man I sailed the horizons.
       In the quiet harbors Calliope would sing.
              I longed to join in chorus
                      but my ship had a schedule to keep.
 
Gulls and years rode the ensuing gale.
        In the windless lulls
               her dampened whisper still sounded.
                      I yearned to respond forthrightly
                             yet the vessel was fully laden.
 
Oh Queen of Muses!
       At long last I am the Captain!
              Which course will I steer
                     to truly heed your call?
 
                                                  ̶ Daniel J. Gore

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Arts & Music at George Mason
Performances April 17 through April 27


By Shelly Gersten, OLLI E-News Staff Writer


The College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) has several web sites of performances, talks etc.
CFA ticket purchase page
Center for the Arts YouTube channel 
Hylton ticket purchase page
The new https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/
music.calendar.gmu.edu/
theater.calendar.gmu.edu/
dance.calendar.gmu.edu
masonexhibitions.org/
and if you miss a live performance, there is a pay-per-view for many: https://cfa.gmu.edu/events/paid-digital-performances. For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or Hylton Center, call 1-888-945-2468. You can also buy tickets online through the event calendar (see links above) or visit the venue's box office.

Dr. Linda Apple Monson produces a periodic “Notes from the Director.” This email is full of information on interesting online performances by the students and faculty of the School of Music. If you would like to receive these bulletins, just sign up at this link to stay in touch. Also, the Center for the Arts has a website, Mason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances.

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At the Fairfax Campus Venues

No performances
 
Fairfax and Arlington Campuses Visual Arts
(details can be found at https://www.masonexhibitions.org/)
 
The Prescription is Home
Through April 18, 2026
Mason Exhibitions, Arlington Campus

Voices Held in Earth: Mary Bowron’s Silent Witnesses
Through April 24, 2026
School of Art & Design 1st Floor Lobby
Fairfax Campus

Living the Prescription
Through May 8, 2026
Founders Gallery, Arlington Campus

Paper as Politic
Gillespie Gallery, School of Art and Design
April 13 ̶ 23, 2026
Mason Student and Faculty Performances

(see music.gmu.edu for additional student recitals)

Mason Bands Anniversary Concert: 55 Years of Mason Bands
Fri, Apr 17, 7:30
Center for the Arts
Admission: $24 Adult, $19 Senior.
 
George Mason School of Theater: Airness
Fri, Apr 17, 7:30
Sat, Apr 18, 2:00 and 7:30
Sun, Apr 19, 2:00
deLaski Performing Arts Building, A105, TheaterSpace
Admission: $19 Adult, $9 Senior.
 
Shawn Purcell Jazz Combos and Steel Pan Ensemble Concert
Mon, Apr 20, 8:00
Center for the Arts
Admission: Free.

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At the Hylton Center (Manassas Campus)

The U.S. Army Concert Band
Fri, Apr 17, 7:30
Merchant Hall
Admission: Free.
 
Ordway Ballet: The Wizard of Oz
Sat, Apr 18, 1:00 and 5:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $41, $38, $35 Adult; $39, $36, $32 Senior.
 
TheaterWorks USA: Click, Clack, Moo
Sun, Apr 19, 1:00 and 4:00
(4:00 performance is sensory-friendly.)
Merchant Hall
Admission: $24.


VISUAL ARTS 

Kevin Jones: Reflections in Black and White
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Through June 20, 10:00

Offerings to the Potomac: Acknowledging Indigenous Place
Through May 15, 2026
Buchanan Hall Atrium Gallery, Manassas Campus

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For further details on any of the above events, see the CFA Event Calendar and the Hylton Center event calendar.

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Meetings & Clubs

Please note: OLLI Meetings and Clubs may currently take place in several formats: some are in person only, some are online only, and some are hybrid, meaning that they take place in person and are accessible online simultaneously. OLLI events and activities meeting online bear the identification "Z" in their course or event number (except clubs; you may need to check the OLLI calendar and daily schedule email for location and other event 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. 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.
  Annual Meeting Annual Garden Party and Picnic Annual Meeting Annual Garden Party and Picnic
Sat Apr 18
 		 10:30 am
 1:00 pm		 Tai Chi Club – online
OLLI Personal Computer User Group
Mon Apr 20
 
 		  9:30 am
 4:00 pm
 4:00 pm		 What’s in the Daily News? – online
Family History/Genealogy Club – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tue Apr 21
 
 		  2:00 pm
 4:00 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Mah Jongg Club – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Apr 22
 
 
 
 
 		 11:50 am
12:00 noon
 1:30 pm
 1:30 pm
 4:00 pm
 4:00 pm		 Investment Forum
Chair Yoga and More – online
Board Game Club
Bridge Club
Spanish Page Turner Club – online
Theater Lovers’ Group – online
Thu Apr 23
 
 
 		 11:50 am
 3:00 pm
 4:00 pm
 4:30 pm		 All the News
Chair Yoga and More – online
Literary Fiction Book Club – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri Apr 24
 
 
 
 
 
 		  9:30 am
 9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
 2:00 pm
 4:00 pm		 Photography Club
Crafts and Conversation
Mah Jongg Club
Homer, etc.
Chair Yoga and More – online
Classic Literature Club – online
French Conversation and Happy Hour – online
Sat Apr 25 10:30 am Tai Chi Club – online
Mon Apr 27
 		  9:30 am
 4:00 pm		 What’s in the Daily News? – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tue Apr 28
 
 		  2:00 pm
 3:45 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Caregivers Support Group – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Apr 29
 
 
 
 
 		 11:50 am
12:00 noon
 1:30 pm
 1:30 pm
 1:30 pm
 2:00 pm		 Investment Forum
Chair Yoga and More – online
Board Game Club
Bridge Club
OLLI Artists Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Apr 30
 
 
 		 11:50 am
 3:00 pm
 4:30 pm
 6:00 pm		 All the News
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Ethnic Eats Club – online
Fri May 1
 		 10:00 am
 1:00 pm		 Annual Meeting
Annual Garden Party and Picnic
Sat May 2 10:30 am Tai Chi Club – online

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OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE
AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

4210 Roberts Rd. Fairfax, VA 22032-1028
Phone: (703) 503-3384
Email: [email protected]

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