Your OLLI spring catalog should have arrived in the mail. Registration for the spring term begins February 20 at 9:00 and continues throughout the term.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, February 16; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, February 13, at 6:00.
2024 Board of Directors Election Nominations Now Open
By Marilyn Harriman, Board Member and Nominating Committee Chair
The OLLI Board of Directors (BoD) Nominating Committee is recruiting candidates from our membership for the 2024 Board of Directors election. This year, five board positions will be elected in May to fill open positions for directors whose three-year terms are ending.
Qualifications for becoming a candidate include being an active OLLI member who is willing to contribute energy, ideas, and time to support OLLI. Candidates need experience or an active interest in teaching, moderating, or coordinating a course, committee, event, and other volunteer work. This election year, board leadership is also seeking candidates with certified public accounting experience and a representative who can help us engage with underrepresented groups in our membership.
OLLI’s BoD is a working board. Board members are expected to assume responsibilities beyond policy-making in roles such as officer, committee chair, or active committee member.
Why be a candidate? Being a board member is a great way to play an active role in OLLI Mason’s transition to our “new normal.” It’s also a great way to learn more about the inner workings of OLLI, meet other members, and help make a positive difference in our organization.
The board meets monthly in person/on Zoom except in December, May, and August.
If you are interested in being an OLLI Mason Board member, want additional information, or wish to nominate another OLLI member, please get in touch with the Nominating Chair, Marilyn Harriman, at mlwharriman74@gmail.com.
By Linda H. Harber, Friends of Music at Mason President
Friends of Music at Mason love our Friends! And we want you all to be healthy and happy! Since February is Heart Month, the wonderful Healing Arts Ensemble, led by Rita Gigliotti, will be putting on a special program to help our health through the healing power of music. If anyone saw this group perform last year at Good Vibrations, you saw the wonder and power of music for healing. I am looking forward to their wonderful program this year.
Please RSVP by emailing Johnna Thompson Johnson at jthomp76@gmu.edu. Parking is available at the Mason Pond Deck or Lot K. Looking forward to seeing you there!
By Brenda Bloch-Young, Economics and Finance Program Planning Group Chair
Join us on Wednesday, February 14 at 2:15 for a special session presented by Tom Manganello. Tom is a senior counsel in the Securities and Exchange Commission's Office of Investor Education with years of experience in enforcement and investigating violations. This is a session that should benefit all of us.
This class is hybrid, but we would love to see your faces in the classroom. The Zoom link should be in the Daily Schedule.
Theater Lovers’ Group Upcoming Events, Tour, and New Class
By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator, Theater Lovers’ Group
Sunday, March 3 at 2:00: Working at Creative Cauldron Working, a musical, is based on Studs Terkel's book of interviews with American workers—the workers the world so often takes for granted—the schoolteacher, the phone operator, the waitress, the housewife, just to name a few. Nominated for six Tony awards, this classic has been updated for the modern age, featuring songs by Tony-award winning Lin Manuel Miranda. The Theater Lovers' Group (TLG) will go to the Creative Cauldron, located at 410 S. Main Street, Falls Church 22046, to see this totally relatable, delightfully entertaining musical on Sunday, March 3, at 2:00. Group rate tickets are $45/person. Email me at njreck@cs.com ASAP if interested. Free garage parking. Pre-show lunch TBD.
Wednesday, February 28 at noon: Lunch at Brio's Tuscan Grille
If you have been thinking about going to the theater or wondering about TLG activities, here's your chance not only to meet other theater lovers, but also to enjoy a delicious lunch. You are invited to join TLG members for lunch at Brio's Tuscan Grille, located in Fair Oaks Mall near the Cheesecake Factory. There is plenty of free parking and it's a short walk to the restaurant. Please email me (njreck@cs.com) to let me know you will be joining us. Separate checks.
Reminder: You must sign up for the spring term of TLG when you register for spring 2024 classes to keep receiving TLG emails.
Also, check out the OLLI spring catalog for the TLG Tour of Wolf Trap on March 20 (followed by lunch at Pazzo Pomodoro in Vienna) (special event 1204) and the Theater Potpourri four-class course (F402) on Tuesdays, March 26, April 2, 9, and 16, from 11:50 to 1:15, where we meet the talented artistic directors from the Barter Theater, Castleton Festival, Contemporary American Theater Festival, and Creative Cauldron.
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, February 17, in person and via Zoom. The Zoom session usually opens at 12:45.
OneDrive Surprises in Windows 11—Presented by Dale Harrington
Did you upgrade to Windows 11? Did you buy a new computer with Windows 11? Do you use OneDrive? No? Well, maybe you do. Depending on how you set up Windows 11, OneDrive may be “helping” you back up and even relocate certain folders.
Dale Harrington is the Program Chair and Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG) representative of MiCROPC, the Mile High Computer Resource Organization, Denver, CO.
Learn in 30: Explaining Google Drive on a Chromebook—Presented by Ron Brown
In this video, we will explore the many benefits and features of using Google Drive on your Chromebook. You'll learn how to access Google Drive, how to create and share documents, and how to collaborate with others in real time. Google Drive is a cloud-based storage solution that is seamlessly integrated with your Chromebook. It allows you to store your files securely and access them from anywhere, at any time. With Google Drive, you can create and edit documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and forms; all from within your Chromebook, other computers, and devices. You can also share your files with others and collaborate on them in real time, making it easy to work together on group projects or presentations. In addition, we'll cover some of the advanced features of Google Drive, such as how to work offline, how to use the mobile app, and how to use third party apps to extend the functionality of Google Drive.
Ron Brown is a retired Canadian physician, who makes frequent presentations to APCUG computer groups on health and technical topics.
To attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service, beginning at 12:45, please click this link to join the meeting and use passcode 389574 (Note: enter passcode with NO spaces) or enter meeting ID 857 2717 9449 in the Zoom app and use the above passcode (preferred method), or dial in at 301-715-8592.
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 14at 4:00.
On Valentine's Day, we thought it might be fun to discuss our favorite romantic movies. There are the old classics like Casablanca or Gone with the Wind versus newer movies (yet still old) like Love Story—will you ever forget the line, "Love means you never having to say you are sorry?" Tough to beat Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw. How about the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast? Then, we saw When Harry Met Sally and Titanic. One of the top 10 romantic movie lists even included Brokeback Mountain.
Join us on Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 on the 24/7 Chat Line to share your favorites.
above a blue sheet that
folds crisply at the horizon
an enormous comforter
wraps the morning
in soft puffs of pure white
weightless down
tossed carelessly over
the broad bed of the sky
with soft imprints
from last night.
By Darden Purcell, D.M.A., Mason Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice
MASON JAZZ FESTIVAL
Saturday (all day), February 17
10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Harris Theatre
FREE parking in LOT K
No tickets or registration required to attend concerts.
There are free concerts happening all day long with FREE parking in LOT K; performances by 7 high school bands, the NOVA Nighthawks, Hot Lanes Big Band (1:00–2:00), JazzWorx Big Band (4:30–5:30), the Mason Jazz Ensemble (7:00) and Mason Faculty All-Stars (7:30).
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or HyltonCenter, call 1-888-945-2468. You can also buy tickets online through the event calendar (see the CFA ticket page link 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 link to stay in touch. Also, the Center for the Arts has a websiteMason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances.
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 10
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Feb 12
4:00 pm
Family History/Genealogy Club
Tue Feb 13
1:00 pm
4:30 pm
7:00 pm
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Tai Chi Club
Trivia Club
Wed Feb 14
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Spanish Club
Conversation with Team Bloch
Thu Feb 15
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Feb 16
9:30 am
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
1:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Crafts and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Sat Feb 17
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Feb 19
9:30 am
11:00 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Poetry Writing Club
Tue Feb 20
1:00 pm
4:30 pm
7:00 pm
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Tai Chi Club
Trivia Club
Wed Feb 21
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:30 am
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Board Game Club
Bridge Club
Investment Forum
Memoir and More Writing Group
Mah Jongg Club
Spanish Club
Conversation with Team Bloch
Thu Feb 22
11:50 am
4:30 pm
All the News
Tai Chi Club
Fri Feb 23
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
1:00 pm
Outreach Video Meeting
Crafts and Conversation
Homer, etc.
Photography Club
Stay Active and Independent for Life
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.
Also, check out the OLLI spring catalog for the TLG Tour of Wolf Trap on March 20 (followed by lunch at Pazzo Pomodoro in Vienna) (special event 1204) and the Theater Potpourri four-class course (F402) on Tuesdays, March 26, April 2, 9, and 16, from 11:50 to 1:15, where we meet the talented artistic directors from the Barter Theater, Castleton Festival, Contemporary American Theater Festival, and Creative Cauldron.
MASON JAZZ FESTIVAL