Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

ENews July 3, 2026

by

OLLI E-News July 3, 2026
Print a condensed pdf copy of this newsletter, two web pages per sheet of paper.

The photos show the OLLI Hiking Club group in Skyland Lodge, and in the famous Great Stalacpipe Organ room at Luray Caverns. (See Hiking Club Update article below).

July 3, 2026


Editor of the Week: Chitra Mohla
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.)
  • March in Fairfax July 4th parade. To sign up, contact Marilyn Harriman, Diversions Chair at [email protected], 703-725-0965.
  • The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, July 10; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, July 7, at 6:00.

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From the Desk of the Executive Director

Shannon Kim Morrow Retirement
 

 
By Lisa Mariam, Executive Director



After eleven years of dedicated service, Shannon Morrow, Lead Program Associate, will be retiring from OLLI Mason at the end of July 2026. Shannon has been a steady, caring presence behind the scenes of our programs, working closely with instructors, volunteers, and staff to ensure the highest quality classes each term.

Shannon started as a site assistant, then served as registrar before taking on the programming role. She moved to the West Coast in 2024 and has continued joining morning meetings despite the time difference.

Shannon’s thoughtful approach, institutional knowledge, and commitment to lifelong learning have made a lasting impact on OLLI and our community. Her professionalism, kindness, and willingness to go the extra mile will be deeply missed by colleagues and members alike. The Monday Morning Lecture Series, one of our most popular classes, is especially notable, as Shannon identified speakers and planned the series. She worked tirelessly to coordinate each catalog (28 in all!) and built special relationships with many long-time instructors.

Please join us in thanking Shannon for her many contributions and wishing her all the best in a well‑earned retirement. We hope the years ahead are filled with new adventures, continued learning, and time to enjoy her family, pickleball, biking, hiking, and gardening.

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How Can You Support GMU Students in Fall 2026? Act as an "Elder"

  
By Camille Hodges, Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events (HSS/CE) Planning Group Chair



Over the past several years OLLI members have served as elder mentors for undergrads in Dr. Spencer Crew’s course, “History of the Family” (HONORS 240-001). This fall, the course will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30-11:45. Although the class starts on August 25th, your participation will not begin until October/November, and you will not be required to attend in person.

The objective of your participation in this class is to share an impactful part of your personal life history via interviews with one or two Mason students. And, yes, many OLLI members with remarkable life experiences have shared their stories with Mason undergrads over the past few years. You may interact with your assigned students virtually or in-person. Some have also video-taped their interviews to share via an OLLI presentation. This project has proven to be a cathartic experience for everyone involved and it can be the same for you as well.

Note that you will not be required to share your information publicly outside of the class should you choose not to, but the students will certainly internalize it.

Please contact Dr. Crew to sign up or ask questions: [email protected].

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Hiking Club Update
 


By Kathy Rones, Hiking Club Coordinator


On June 23, six of us braved wet weather and drove to Shenandoah National Park with the hope and expectation that the weather would improve and we would be able to hike Stony Man and another trail. Unfortunately, as we ascended into Skyline Drive, we saw it was totally socked in by the storm and heavy rain. We pivoted, at a member’s suggestion, and instead drove to nearby Luray, where we had lunch and toured Luray Caverns. It was interesting and fun! One great thing about hiking club is that you will have lots of time to get to know fellow members, since we carpool and drive some distance to our hiking locations. The photos at the top of this issue show our group in Skyland Lodge, and in the famous Great Stalacpipe Organ room at Luray Caverns.
 
We have this hike totally scoped out now, and I will be scheduling some SNP hikes on these or other trails in September and October. Fall is a wonderful time for hiking. I encourage you to register for OLLI Hiking Club Summer 2026 (now), and OLLI Hiking Club Fall 2026, when fall registration is open. On July 21, we will do a shaded, flat 6-mile hike on the scenic “C&O Canal Path” along the Potomac River in Point of Rocks, MD.

Note: in case of rain or high heat index, the fallback date is July 24.  Also, I am scheduling an OLLI Hiking Club interest group meeting at Tallwood on July 7, tentatively at 1:45 in TA-1. Watch E-News for updates and Zoom link. I will bring my hiking equipment in case anyone wants to see it, and welcome everyone’s ideas on places to hike in the fall and early winter.

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OLLI Artists Club

By Christine Narbut, OLLI Artists Club Coordinator



OLLI Artists hope you have enjoyed the art provided by OLLI members on the Café Wall. It’s now time to change the display for the next three months. As we celebrate summer and the 250th birthday of America, we invite you to submit your art for display.  We have frames and mats for 9 x 12 and 8 x 10 and can work with you for other sizes. Please title your art and include your name and medium on the back of the artwork. All art media such as acrylic, pastels, pencil sketches, pen & ink, oil, as well as watercolor, are welcome. We may not be able to accommodate very large submissions (24 x 36 or larger). 

After the display period (about three months), your art will be returned to you. Place your art in an envelope and deliver it to the OLLI Artists Club meeting on July 13 in the annex from 9:15-11:00, or leave it in the OLLI office. Indicate on the envelope that it is for OLLI Artists.

The OLLI Artists group meets every other Monday during the summer session in person and on Zoom. Feel free to join us in pursuing your artistic soul.


 

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Amazing Record Achieved by Tai Chi Instructor!



By Catherine Weir-Parker, Tai Chi Club Member



Jerry Cheng, the OLLI Tai Chi Club instructor, has taught 738 Zoom classes for us in the 6 years between May 2020 and May 2026! This may be a record for the most classes taught at OLLI Mason. It might even be a record for any teacher at any of the OLLIs around the country.

Initially, Jerry started teaching one class a week during term time. Our collective memory believes that was 2011. Before long a Tai Chi Club was organized for Saturday mornings at Tallwood. Many students attended the class and club. When the pandemic started in May 2020, Jerry suggested members could benefit from the gentle exercise of Tai Chi on Zoom three times a week, not just on Saturdays. Since then, we have had classes at 4:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, allowing Jerry time to return home from work, and also at 10:30 on Saturday mornings.

During those 6 years, Jerry, who is an active attorney, has missed teaching some classes due to court dates, client consultations, and vacations. That’s when the OLLI members who host the meetings share a recent recording of an earlier Tai Chi session. The 738-class total mentioned in the first sentence is when Jerry has led us in-person on Zoom (is that an oxymoron?).

Many OLLI members have been pleased to discover the benefits of regular physical activity that would not be possible without a virtual option. One attendee even attributes coming to Tai Chi classes for a reduction in his blood pressure without needing medication. Thank you Jerry for providing this opportunity for us, for our joints and muscles, and a chance to forget our worries for three hours each week!

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Ancient Italy Trip April 2027


By Laura Vinti, OLLI Instructor and Italy’s Hidden Gems Trip Coordinator



Have you ever dreamed of exploring the places where the Etruscans flourished, the Romans built their empire, and medieval towns have remained remarkably unchanged for centuries?

If so, this journey was created for you. Personally designed and hosted by cultural tour leader and OLLI instructor Laura Vinti, Ancient Italy: Etruscans, Romans, and Medieval Splendor is a 13-day journey through Central Italy (April 7–19, 2027) for a small group of just 10–14 travelers. Laura recently taught OLLI's History for Travelers course and will return this October with a new class featuring the Monterozzi Necropolis in Tarquinia, Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli, and the medieval city of Siena—offering a preview of several of the remarkable places you'll experience on this tour. Along the way, you'll visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites, magnificent archaeological parks, charming hill towns, and some of Italy's most beautiful countryside while enjoying regional cuisine, some of Italy's finest wines, carefully selected accommodations, and in-depth cultural experiences that go far beyond the usual tourist routes. For more information, visit  www.ItalysHiddenGems.com  or contact Laura at [email protected].

                 
   

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Photography Club

OLLI Photo Club Meeting on Friday, July 10

   
   
  By John Olsen, Photography Club Coordinator

 

Ben Greenberg will be the guest speaker at the OLLI Photo Club’s (OPC) next meeting on Friday, July 10, from 9:30-11:00. The OPC will meet in person in room TA-1 and on Zoom. The Zoom link can be found on the Daily Schedule email sent each weekday morning by 8:00, or on the OLLI member portal. Guests at OPC meetings are always welcome!

Ben Greenberg is an award winning landscape photographer, who enjoys teaching classes and workshops and mentoring individuals in their quest to improve their photography skills and decision-making. 

In March 2014 Ben published his first photography book, Natural Virginia.  A coffee-table-sized book, Natural Virginia features panoramic color landscape and wildlife photographs from throughout the state, celebrating its natural beauty and the need for its preservation. Ben is working on his second Virginia book focusing on the importance of the state’s national, state, regional, and local natural public lands. The book has a working title of Natural Public Lands of Virginia.

Ben’s photographs can be viewed on his two websites:  The OLLI Photography Club is delighted that Ben Greenberg will be our guest speaker on July 10th, sharing with us some of his favorite (and best) landscape photographs and the stories behind them.

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Theater Lovers' Group Planning Getaway to Broadway and the Big Apple This Fall  


By Norma Jean Reck, Theater Lovers' Group, Coordinator


Have you ever wanted to see a show on Broadway or the Rockettes line dance, visit MoMa or ice skate in Rockefeller Center? All this (and more) is possible when you join Theater Lovers' Group (TLG) for their 'do-your-own-thing' motor-coach trip to NYC this fall.
 
 We will leave Fairfax at 9 a. m. on Tuesday, November 17 and return   Wednesday night November 18 about 11 p.m. We'll stay at the Marriott    Marquis in the Theater District, which makes touring, dining, and seeing   two Broadway shows convenient.

Kim, the tour director, will be on hand to help with planning your trip, purchasing show or tour tickets, making dinner reservations, etc. The cost includes round trip motor-coach transportation, lodging, and portage: $548 for a double room; add $178 for a single.

A deposit of $250 is due to Champlain Tours ASAP. Balance is due in August. If interested, please email Norma at [email protected] for more information. 

Remember we welcome guests, so feel free to invite your family and friends; they may want to visit Macy's and start their Christmas shopping early.

TLG members and guests dining at The Hamilton after enjoying marvelous June 28 performance of  Suffs at the National Theater

Editor’s Note: At the author’s request, all words are published unedited, exactly as submitted.


 

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Poet's Corner
Courtesy of the Poetry Workshop

Colbert Rare Luminaire
 
Colbert
   Wise
    - Ass
Extraordinaire
 
Dares     
to laugh
at power’s
graft
 
His brilliance
ignites           
America’s
resilience
 
The baddies
are on the run
They can’t handle
a bit of fun
 
His every quip
our every laugh
calls us together
“Stand tall in all weather”
      
His jeers
embolden outraged peeps      
“Unveil the absurd”                        
Sagacity’s voice is heard          
 
The Colbert Chorus for Us
signals – “Proceed”
Thanks, Stephen
for taking the lead
 
Stephen Colbert
Jester Extraordinaire
has us tackling baddies                  
with our own savoir-faire
 
         ̶ Susan Rexroad

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Arts & Music at George Mason
Performances July 3 through July 13


By Shelly Gersten, OLLI E-News Staff Writer


The College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) has several web sites of performances, talks etc.
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or Hylton Center, call 1-888-945-2568.
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

Brian Ganz in Concert: Piano
Thu, Jul 9, 4:30
Harris Theatre
Admission: Free and Open to the Public.
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)
 
Mason Summer Piano Academy: Academy Faculty Recital
Mon, Jul 6, 4:30
Harris Theater
Admission: Free.
 
Mason Summer Piano Academy: Dr. Yukiko Fujimura in Concert
Tue, Jul 7, 4:30
Harris Theater
Admission: Free.
 
Mason Summer Piano Academy: Dr. Linda Monson and Dr. Anna Balakerskaia in Concert
Wed, Jul 8, 4:30
Harris Theater
Admission: Free.

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At the Hylton Center (Manassas Campus)

Prince William Little Theatre: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fri, Jul 10, 8:00
Sat, Jul 11, 2:00 and 7:00
Sun, Jul 12, 2:00
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., bolded below. The OLLI office has sent (or will send) emails with links and meeting passwords to club members.

 
Fri Jul 3
 		 11:00 am
12:00 noon		 Homer, etc. - online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Sat Jul 4 10:30 am Tai Chi Club – online
Mon Jul 6
 
 
 		  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 7
 
 		  2:00 pm
 3:45 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Caregivers Support Group – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Jul 8
 
 
 		 11:50 am
12:00 noon
 2:00 pm
 4:00 pm		 Investment Forum
Chair Yoga and More – online
Memoir and More Writing Group – online
Spanish Page Turner Club – online
Thu Jul 9
 		  3:00 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Spanish Club – online
Fri Jul 10
 
 
 
 
 
 
 		  9:30 am
 9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
12:00 noon
 2:30 pm
 4:00 pm		 Photography Club
Crafts and Conversation
Mah Jongg Club
Homer, etc. – online
Cooking Club
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tallwood Book Club – online
French Conversation and Happy Hour – online
Sat Jul 11 10:30 am Tai Chi Club – online
Mon Jul 13
 
 
 
 
 		  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 14
 		  2:00 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Jul 15
 
 
 		 11:50 am
11:50 am
12:00 noon
 4:00 pm		 Investment Forum
Literary Roundtable – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Spanish Club – online
Thu Jul 16
 		  3:00 pm
 4:30 pm		 Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri Jul 17
 
 
 
 
 		  9:30 am
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon		 Crafts and Conversation
Board of Directors Meeting
Mah Jongg Club
Game On: Talking Sports
Homer, etc. – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Sat Jul 18
 		 10:30 am
 1:00 pm		 Tai Chi Club – online
Personal Computer User Group

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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
and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national/ethnic origin.