Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

ENews July 17, 2026

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

Ben Greenberg shared insights on landscape and wildlife photography with the Photography Club, July 10

July 17, 2026


Editor of the Week: Paul Van Hemel
Table of Contents

Alerts & Notices

  • Note: Member parking is available in the Fairfax Swimming Pool parking lot. If you park there, use only the half of the lot closest to Tallwood.
  • Throughout the term, please use this online form to add or drop classes, clubs or other events. (Link is also available in the Daily Schedule email.)
  • The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, July 24; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, July 21, at 6:00.
“Got Course Ideas?” … Join the HSS/CE Team!


By Camille Hodges, HSS/CE Planning Team Chair


OLLI is known for its great course ideas. In case you were unaware… many of these ideas come directly from you! We at OLLI need to know what courses/topics strongly reflect your interest and/or your desire to know more about. Also, let us know of any topics you would be willing to teach at OLLI. Our members are our strength when it comes to course proposals.

Check out the current catalog and decide which category might best support your area of expertise. Also, if you have personal contact with people who would be great OLLI instructors, please invite them to present as well.

The Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events (HSS/CE) team is committed to inviting presentations that support many areas including psychology, politics, cultural interests, inter- and intrapersonal interactions, human culture, ethics, and cultural awareness. Our team meets virtually three or four times per year and communicates continuously. 

To join the HSS/CE programming team, here’s the link: [email protected].

Got course ideas?  Here’s the link:
https://olli.gmu.edu/olli-course-proposal-form/.

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Photo of the Month


The July 2026 Photo of the Month theme was Compositional Techniques: Reflections. Reflections add depth, symmetry, and artistic abstraction to your images, transforming ordinary environments into compelling visual stories. We selected the photo Reston House Reflections July 2026 by Christine Brooks, 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

Seaside
 
dolphins near the horizon cavort
their way north for it is yet morning
we will look for them later in the day
as they leap in synchrony
 
once more together for our family week
we try to ignore the pesky jellyfish
swirling around our bodies, more
prolific this year it seems
 
the occasional horseshoe crab appears
at our feet, startling in his prehistoric look
as puzzling as we must look to him
a young boy throws him back to safety
into the steady outgoing waves
 
back in my chair I close my eyes
to better hear the breaking waves
rhythmic as a metronome
as they return from their depths
with gifts of shells and sea glass
bits of driftwood, shreds of seaweed
their whoosh a musicality all their own
 
                    ‒Jan Bohall

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Obituaries

Richard "Dick" Gan Young
Richard “Dick” Young, who first joined OLLI in spring 2007, died at home in Fairfax, Virginia, on June 20, 2026. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, Dick also earned a law degree from Georgetown University in 1965. Subsequently, he became a partner at the DC law firm, Beveridge, DeGrandi, Weilacher, and Young. He maintained long-standing passions for history, the natural world, the arts, and travel. In retirement, he was a pro bono mediator at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and taught classes on his diverse interests at George Mason University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

A memorial service will take place in Northfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at the Trinitarian Congregational Church, 147 Main Street. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Dick's memory to the Northern Virginia Swimming League (NVSL), 1909 Bridle Lane, Alexandria, VA 22308-2209, or the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, 4210 Roberts Road, Fairfax, VA 22032 (olli.gmu.edu). More information is available at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/richard-young-obituary?id=61832627#obituary.

Memorials may be made to Online condolences at www.directcremationservicesofvirginia.com.

Richard Blake Chobot, PhD
Richard Blake Chobot, who was the first OLLI Mason executive director in the early 2000s, died at home on July 7, 2026. A graduate of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, Richard also received a Syracuse University doctorate in educational administration. As part of his long and varied career in education, consulting, and association management, he held a position as OLLI’s executive director at George Mason University. He was also on the Fairfax County Commission on Aging for many years.

There will be a Mass of Christian Burial for Richard at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 8800 Braddock Rd., Annandale, VA, Monday, July 20 at 11:00, following visitation in the narthex of the church at 10:00. Burial will be at Fairfax Memorial Park Cemetery following the Mass.

Donations will be accepted at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Holy Spirit Conference, P.O. Box 11997, Burke, VA 22009, or at the website: https://svdphsconf.org/donate/. Further information is available at this link.

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Eating healthy can be challenging. Do we use the old tried and true food pyramid, the new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines or other nutrition recommendations? And why does it all have to be so complicated?? Consider using the Healthy Plate model. Check it out here> Healthy Eating Plate • The Nutrition Source.
From the Healthcare Advisory Workgroup

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Arts & Music at George Mason
Performances July 17 through July 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/.

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/)
 
Flare: Finding a Sense of Place in the Chronically Ill
Body
Mason Exhibitions
Arlington
Through August 1
 
Pulp Fictions: the stories we tell about paper / the stories paper tells us about ourselves
Through August 14
Special Collections Research Center, Fenwick Library
Mason Student and Faculty Performances

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

No Performances

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At the Hylton Center (Manassas Campus)

Prince William Little Theatre: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Fri, Jul 17, 8:00
Sat, Jul 18, 2:00 and 7:00
Sun, Jul 19, 2:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $35 Adult, $29 Senior, $25 Student, youth, military, group (8+).

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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. The OLLI office has sent (or will send) emails with links and meeting passwords to club members.

 
Sat Jul 18
 		 10:30 am
 1:00 pm		 Tai Chi Club – online
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Jul 20
 
 
 		  9:30 am
10:00 am
10:00 am
 4:00 pm		 What’s in the Daily News? – online
Board Game Club
Bridge Club
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tue Jul 21
 
 		  2:00 pm
 3:45 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Caregivers Support Group – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Jul 22
 
 
 
 		 11:50 am
12:00 noon
 2:00 pm
 4:00 pm
 4:00 pm		 Investment Forum
Chair Yoga and More – online
Memoir and More Writing Group – online
Spanish Page Turner Club – online
Theater Lovers’ Group – online
Thu Jul 23
 
 		  3:00 pm
 4:30 pm
 6:00pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Ethnic Eats Club – online
Fri Jul 24
 
 
 
 
 		  9:30 am
 9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
 1:30 pm		 Photography Club
Crafts and Conversation
Mah Jongg Club
Homer, etc. – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
French Conversation and Happy Hour – online
Sat Jul 25 10:30 am Tai Chi Club – online
Mon Jul 27
 
 
 
 
 		  9:15 am
 9:30 am
10:00 am
10:00 am
 4:00 pm
 4:00 pm		 OLLI Artists Club
What’s in the Daily News? – online
Board Game Club
Bridge Club
Family History/Genealogy Club – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tue Jul 28
 		  2:00 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Jul 29
 
 		 11:50 am
11:50 am
12:00 noon		 Investment Forum
Literary Roundtable – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Thu Jul 30
 		  3:00 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri Jul 31
 
 
 		  9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon		 Crafts and Conversation
Mah Jongg Club
Homer, etc. – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Sat Aug 1 10:30 am Tai Chi Club – online

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About OLLI E-News

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 Editors: David Gundry, Deborah Kruesi

Weekly Editor Team: Chloe DiStaso, David Gundry, Deborah Kruesi, Chitra Mohla, John Nash,
Paul Van Hemel
 
Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Thomas Appich, 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: [email protected].
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.

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Notice: You received this newsletter because either you are a current OLLI member or you have been provided a courtesy copy. If you are an OLLI member who did not renew your membership, you can continue to receive our newsletter by emailing the office at [email protected] with your request. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you and you'd like to receive it each week, please email the office and ask to be added to the courtesy-copy list.

Copyright 2026 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University, 4210 Roberts Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032-1028
Phone 703-503-3384, Fax 703-503-2832


 






OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE
AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

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

Copyright ©2026 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. All Rights Reserved.

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OLLI Mason is a nonprofit, equal opportunity 501(c)(3) organization
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