The OLLI fall term is September 23 through November 15; fall term registration is under way and continues throughout the term.
Plan to attend ARTS by George on Saturday, September 28 at Mason; for more information, click this link.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, September 13; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, September 10, at 6:00.
It’s Game On!
By Marilyn Harriman, Diversions Chair
It’s game on! Come to Tallwood campus on Tuesday, September 10, 10:00-1:00, for a fun morning of entertainment and camaraderie with Debby Mossburg and me. We’ll play fun and easy table games, and at the end of the morning, awards and prizes will be announced and presented to the winners. After the event, participants are invited to continue the fun at the new Coyote Grill on Main Street in Fairfax.
Additional details about the event are in the fall catalog.
To join in the game fun, register for event 1201. To attend the lunch at Coyote Grill, register for event 1202.
There is no cost for the Tallwood Game event. Transportation and the cost of lunch are on your own.
This is an excellent opportunity to get revved up for the fall term and reconnect with your OLLI friends!
Mason’s “History of the Family” Course Invites OLLI Members to Share with University Students
By Camille Hodges, Board Member and Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events Program Planning Group Co-Chair
Intergenerational conversations not only provide a pathway of understanding the history of OLLI members but also encouraging Mason students to research and appreciate the history of their own families. Both students and OLLI members encountered an experience like no other as they engaged in Mason’s fall 2023 Honors course, “History of the Family,” taught by Dr. Spencer Crew. During the July 30, 2024, Humanities and Social Sciences OLLI class, Dr. Crew and his team of presenters discussed the rich rewards of intergenerational dialogue, which elicited many emotional responses from those who attended.
The Honors course “History of the Family” is available once again during the fall 2024 term which begins on September 26. If you would like to participate by sharing your family history and encouraging Mason students as they research theirs, please contact Dr. Crew via email at srcrew@gmu.edu. The in-person student interview process is required but will not begin until later in the fall and may also be conducted via Zoom. Testimonies have shown that this is a personal experience of tremendous value.
Editor’s Note: This article appeared in a previous E-News issue. It is repeated here to encourage members to participate in Dr. Crew’s “History of the Family” course in the fall.
By Christine Narbut, Art and Music Program Planning Group Co‑Chair
Program planning for the fall term has resulted in some amazing choices for OLLI members that will engage the creative brain. Check out the following classes in the current fall catalog, which can awaken your music gene, recall memories of times past, and present an opportunity to sing along.
F104Z From Tin Pan Alley to Motown: Music’s Intersection Between Entertainment, Politics, and Social Justice – Presented by Michael Agron
F105 Singing for Fun – Instructors: Gayle Parsons, Linda Harber, Sophia Elberti, and Linda Gordon
The offerings below may inspire you and cause you to consider learning how to paint or nudge you back to painting again.
F110Z Something Always Comes Out of Innovation: 1874 and the Birth of Impressionism – presented by Chris With
1206 National Gallery of Art: Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment– field trip coordinated by Bonnie Nelson and Lucy Martel
OLLI can help you find and nurture your creative side. Consider the opportunities below.
F103 Watercolor Painting: Building Additional Skills Beyond Novice– Instructor: Chris Narbut. If you have always had a desire to try painting, here is your opportunity to experience the joy of creating art in a supportive environment with guidance from experienced instructors.
Dabbling Artists Club – Coordinator Chris Narbut; meeting every other week on Wednesdays, artists who dabble in watercolor, pastels, pen and ink, drawing and sketching, or other media meet in person and on Zoom to share ideas and helpful hints with each other. The club is a source of ideas and encouragement for each other and the OLLI community.
The Art and Music Program Planning Group meets quarterly to plan for sessions and to recruit instructors for upcoming terms. Spring term plans are underway. If you are interested in making a suggestion for a class or in teaching, or have contacts in the art and music community who might be interested in teaching, consider joining the Art and Music Program Planning Group. Please contact Chris Narbut at nickelpickel.cgrus@cox.net or Linda Harber at lharber@gmu.edu.
Wednesday Team Bloch Conversation for September 4 and September 11
By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch, Co‑Moderators
Team Bloch is proposing topics for the first two weeks in September, before fall term begins.
September 4: Unbelievable Events in Your Life
Team Bloch is taking a personal week off the first week of September, but we are delighted to welcome a volunteer moderator this week, Elizabeth Hammer (an honorary Team Bloch member!). The topic chosen by Elizabeth for September 4: Tell us about something that has happened to you that you find to be unbelievable. It can be in any category, domain, or sector.
September 11: Birthday Celebrations
Birthday joys provide, in some sense, age-related anticipation (pun intended). Either you really look forward to them (usually when you are under 22), or you dread them (over 55). Where do you fall on this emotional spectrum? Happily anticipating your next birthday, neutral in feeling, or do you wish everyone would ignore the big day?
How do you typically celebrate your birthday? Or do you even celebrate? And if so, and you could have your wishes granted, would you alter the usual predictable celebration? Feel free to share; nothing spills out beyond the Wednesday Conversation session participants.
Our conversations are held every Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 via Zoom. The sessions are fully participatory, and all are welcome to join us. You can find the Zoom link in the Daily Schedule sent out by the OLLI office every Wednesday morning. There is no signup required; just log in to the 24/7 Chat Line.
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 below) or visit the venue's box office. For more information, see the CFA ticket pageor the Hylton Center ticket purchase page.
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 linkto 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.
George Mason School of Theater: The Originals! 2024
Fri, Sep 13, 8:00
Sat, Sep 14, 2:00 and 8:00
deLaski Performing Arts Building, A105, TheaterSpace
Admission: $20 Adult, $10 Senior.
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 theOLLI calendarand daily schedule email for location and other event information). Refer to the university'scoronavirus websitefor official university updates.
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 but for the most up-to-date information, please view the latest forecast of coming events on our website (News/OLLI Calendar). 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. The OLLI office has sent (or will send) emails with links and meeting passwords to club members; you may also log in at the member portal and click on ZOOM CLASS LINKS.
Sat Aug 31
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club – online
Mon Sep 2
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News? – online
Tue Sep 3
2:00 pm
4:30 pm
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Sep 4
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:30 am
12:00 noon
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Board Game Club
Bridge Club
Investment Forum
Chair Yoga and More – online
Spanish Club – online
Conversation with Team Bloch – online
Thu Sep 5
11:50 am
3:00 pm
4:30 pm
All the News – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri Sep 6
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
3:30 pm
Crafts and Conversation
Mah Jongg Club – online
Classic Literature Club – online
Homer, etc. – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Caregivers Support Group – online
Sat Sep 7
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club – online
Mon Sep 9
9:30 am
11:00 am
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
What’s in the Daily News? – online
Poetry Reading Club – online
Family History/Genealogy Club – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tue Sep 10
9:00 am
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Game Day Bash
Chair Yoga and More – online
Mah Jongg Club – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Sep 11
9:30 am
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:30 am
12:00 noon
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
Dabbling Artists Club
Bridge Club
Tallwood Book Club
Investment Forum
Chair Yoga and More – online
Memoir and More Writing Group – online
Conversation with Team Bloch – online
Thu Sep 12
11:50 am
3:00 pm
4:30 pm
All the News – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri Sep 13
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
12:00 noon
Photography Club
Crafts and Conversation
Classic Literature Club – online
Homer, etc. – online
Cooking Club
Chair Yoga and More – online
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Associate Editor: David Gundry
Weekly Editor Team: David Gundry, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger, Laurie Schad,
Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Tom Appich, Martha Kossoff, Anne Hartshorn, Bonnie Becker, Carol McManus Backup Chief Editor: Alice Slayton Clark
Submissions: Members are encouraged to submit letters to the editor, letters to Ms. Ollie Ettakit (on etiquette matters), OLLI-related news items, articles, and photos. Submit material to: ollienewseditor@gmail.com. Deadline: Tuesday, 6:00, for that week's issue (Monday, 6:00, for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words. Note: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News on the DocStore. To search the content of issues, use Search Our Site or put your search term in Google followed by "site:olli.gmu.edu/" without the quotes.
es in the current fall catalog, which can awaken your music gene, recall memories of times past, and present an opportunity to sing along.
