The History Club will meet via Zoom on Wednesday, February 7, at 4:00. At the meeting, I will present on the life and career of the notorious outlaw Jesse James. As a Confederate guerilla during the Civil War, James participated in numerous murders and robberies. When he continued to do so after the war, a newspaper editor glorified James as an American Robin Hood in order to help former Confederates regain political power in Missouri and nationwide. Join us on February 7. Thanks.
By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator, Theater Lovers’ Group
The Who's Tommy on Sunday, February 11 at 2:00 The Theater Lovers' Group (TLG) and guests will go to the Workhouse Arts Center to see this Tony award-winning musical that forever changed musical theater. It's all about a young boy's story of hope and healing as he overcomes unthinkable adversities to develop into an international star. To purchase a group-rate ticket for $27, click here. Lunch before the show TBD.
Shutter Sisters on Sunday, February 18 at 2:00 TLG and guests will go to 1st Stage to see this moving story of the parallel lives of two women. According to Broadway World, "It is a very enjoyable and empathic look at how connections between mothers, daughters, friends, and some strangers impact the story of your life." Phone 1st Stage at 703-854-1856; tell them you are with OLLI. Tickets may be either $25 or $35, depending on what is available (tier pricing). Lunch before the show TBD.
An Invitation to all OLLI Members and Your Guests: Lunch at Brio on Wednesday, February 28 at 1:00 You are cordially invited to join the TLG members for a delicious lunch at Brio Tuscan Grille in Fair Oaks Mall on Wednesday, February 28 at 1:00. Plenty of parking and a short walk to the restaurant. Come and meet fellow theatergoers, learn about TLG activities, make your own suggestions, or just enjoy a tasty lunch and hanging out with delightful people.
If you have any questions or want to join in any of the above mentioned events, please email me at njreck@cs.com.
To join TLG for this winter 2024 term, go online to the member portal and Search 'Theater Lovers' Group' or email Registrar Susan Job at ollireg.gmu.edu and ask her to enroll you in the Theater Lovers' Group.
Diversity Initiative Survey
By Harry Johnson, Diversity Committee Co-Chair
The OLLI Board of Directors plans to expand OLLI's marketing in our traditional Northern Virginia catchment area by reaching out to underrepresented communities and making them aware of the benefits of having membership at OLLI.
With a more diverse membership, OLLI will have the opportunity to become even stronger by expanding the scope of course offerings, and by enriching our learning experience, with seniors learning from other seniors who have different experiences and perspectives.
This marketing initiative also offers OLLI the opportunity to realize additional revenue from increased membership, and to return to the higher levels of membership we enjoyed just a few years ago.
However, we need your help to assist us in planning this marketing initiative.
In last week's E-Blast, we asked OLLI members to complete a short 2–question survey to give us a baseline of the current level of diversity in our membership, and to solicit whether you are able to help us identify and reach out to those communities that are underrepresented at OLLI.
If you have already completed the survey, Thank You! If you have not yet completed the survey, we ask that you take the time now. The survey should only take you a minute or so to complete; less than the time it takes to read this article.
If you have any questions, please email Camille Hodges. We ask that you complete the survey by Wednesday, February 7.
By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch, Co‑Moderators
Continuing our Wednesday Conversations series, Team Bloch (Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch) will moderate a Zoom discussion on February 7 at 4:00.
The topic for February 7: Multi-Tasking—remember that? Doing three things at once―what are the pros and cons of dividing your attention among multiple tasks and activities? Have you burned your dinner while listening to a podcast? Or can you watch television and knit at the same time? Exercise on a treadmill and watch a video simultaneously without falling off? We have heard that multi-tasking becomes harder as we age―do you agree?
Or once retired, perhaps it isn't necessary to squeeze out extra time. Perhaps it is better to "smell the roses" and enjoy one thing to the maximum. What do you think?
Check your Daily Schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesday February 7 and participate in a conversation with Team Bloch.
By Camille Hodges, OLLI Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events Committee Co-Chair
Forbes Health Advisory Board has four top resolutions for 2024. Make OLLI part of your list.
Improve fitness: Join OLLI Walk and Talk and Tai Chi clubs and enjoy friendships too!
Improve finances: Sign up for OLLI courses on financial literacy which offer information in a comfortable environment.
Improve mental health: Enjoy interactive OLLI courses and/or join an OLLI book club; both feature lively discussions.
Lose weight: Join the OLLI Walk and Talk and Tai Chi clubs.
Here’s number five to consider for your list: Increase your OLLI involvement by teaching a class at OLLI that supports the Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events (HSS/CE) program—e.g., analysis of How to Know a Person by David Brooks, or more information on guardrails for artificial intelligence. Chances are you are not alone in wanting to hear more in-depth information about a particular topic or a topic not yet covered. If you know, or can suggest, someone to teach an HSS/CE course, please contact any of the OLLI program committee chairs or send the course proposal form (see link in the paragraph below) to the potential speaker. It could be you!
The HSS/CE Program Planning Group is now accepting course proposals for fall 2024. The deadline for submission is April 8. See the OLLI Mason course proposal form at this link.
Thank you!
Editor’s note: This article has appeared in previous editions of E-News. It is repeated here to encourage member participation in OLLI program planning, especially for the HSS/CE program.
Schedule Change for the OLLI Caregiver Group
By Doris Bloch, Support Group/Chat Line Coordinator
The OLLI Caregiver Support group is adopting a new schedule for our biweekly meetings. We are now meeting via Zoom at 2:30–3:30 every second Friday afternoon, with our next meeting slated for February 9th.
OLLI's Caregiver Support group has been meeting since early November. The group is intended to support those OLLI members who are caregivers for any family members and friends who are exhibiting symptoms of dementia, although it is certainly open to any interested OLLI member. In this effort, we are fortunate to be cooperating with the George Mason University School of Social Work, which has provided us with a facilitator! The group’s primary focus is on the emotional and practical side of caregiving, but we also share links to informational websites of interest.
You need not be a full-time caregiver or even a current caregiver to contribute your experiences and emotions to this group. You can share or lurk, as you wish!
Please contact Doris Bloch (dbloch50@hotmail.com) or Nancy Klein (nklein4@gmu.edu) if you are interested in participating in the group, or if you have suggestions or questions.
The Tallwood Book Club will be discussing Department of Speculationby Jenny Offill at its February meeting on Zoom. The time is Friday, February 9th at 2:30.
Trivia night at the Mellow Mushroom is where you want to be to help our OLLI Team. We enjoy pizzas, salads, and more. What we enjoy the most is competing with a dozen or so other tables full of Trivia lovers.
Every Tuesday night at 7:00 we gather to win. And—win is what we have been doing.
The Mellow Mushroom is at 14335 Newbrook Drive in Chantilly.
For additional information contact Diane Singleton at 361-648-0007.
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.
Virginia Opera: Sanctuary Road
Sat, Feb 3, 7:30
Sun, Feb 4, 2:00
A pre-performance discussion with Mason Professor Spencer Crew, who served as president of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center for six years and worked at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History for 20 years (nine as the director of NMAH), will take place in Monson Grand Tier 45 minutes prior to curtain. Seating is limited, and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Following the Sun, February 4 matinee, a post-performance discussion will be held with the artists in the Center for the Arts main lobby.
Concert Hall
Admission: $110, $70, $40.
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra: The Four Seasons
Sat, Feb 3, 8:00
Harris Theater
Admission: $65, $55, $40.
Legends and Legacies with Chita Rivera Thu, Feb 8, 6:30 Harris Theater Admission: Free, but registration required.
Les Grands Ballets Canadiens Sat, Feb 10, 8:00 A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier 45 minutes prior to curtain. Concert Hall Admission: $60, $51, $36.
12th Annual Prince William County Public Schools Student Exhibition
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Through Feb 17
Admission: Free.
Cirque Mechanics
Sat, Feb 3, 8:00
Sun, Feb 4, 2:00
A pre-performance discussion begins one hour prior to the performance.
Merchant Hall
Admission: $55, $47, $33.
DRUM TAO 2024 Sat, Feb 10, 8:00 A pre-performance discussion begins one hour prior to the performance. Merchant Hall Admission: $60, $51, $36.
American Youth Symphonic Orchestra Sun, Feb 11, 3:00 Merchant Hall Admission: $10.
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). Refer to the university's coronavirus website for 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., bolded below. 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 Feb 3
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Tue Feb 6
1:00 pm
4:30 pm
7:00 pm
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Tai Chi Club
Trivia Club
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,Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Tom Appich, Martha Kossoff, Anne Hartshorn, Bonnie Becker, Carol McManus
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.
The Who's Tommy on Sunday, February 11 at 2:00
TLG and guests will go to 1st Stage to see this moving story of the parallel lives of two women. According to Broadway World, "It is a very enjoyable and empathic look at how connections between mothers, daughters, friends, and some strangers impact the story of your life." Phone 1st Stage at 703-854-1856; tell them you are with OLLI. Tickets may be either $25 or $35, depending on what is available (tier pricing). Lunch before the show TBD.
You are cordially invited to join the TLG members for a delicious lunch at Brio Tuscan Grille in Fair Oaks Mall on Wednesday, February 28 at 1:00. Plenty of parking and a short walk to the restaurant. Come and meet fellow theatergoers, learn about TLG activities, make your own suggestions, or just enjoy a tasty lunch and hanging out with delightful people.
Trivia night at the Mellow Mushroom is where you want to be to help our OLLI Team. We enjoy pizzas, salads, and more. Wh
at we enjoy the most is competing with a dozen or so other tables full of Trivia lovers.
