Michael R. Heib, Mason Research Professor at Center for Excellence in C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence) and Cyber, Describes Research on Drones as First Responders to Traffic Accidents, June 22
In the last three years, Zoom has made a huge difference in all our lives and especially with our OLLI program.
Three years ago, we published an E-News article that enumerated all the ways that online participation in OLLI courses was desirable! Lots of members told us that they hated Zoom and they never wanted to go online. Instructors said that they would not teach online. Nevertheless, due to the pandemic we were forced to cancel all our in-person classes.
Times change, and the tables have turned. Now it seems that online access is so popular that we have a majority of members using and preferring that mode of class attendance.
The pandemic is not 100% over, but OLLI’s policies have pivoted to accommodate safety measures to keep us apart in the classroom space. We have vaccines and medications to protect us from Covid and boost our immunity. For the most part, recently we have adapted to a reasonable amount of risk-taking, some more than others. And social isolation brings its own physical and mental challenges.
Our instructors have told us that they want to see more faces: faces on the Zoom screen, but more importantly, faces in the classroom. It is disheartening to prepare for an 85‑minute class (and devote many hours in preparation ahead of class) and then see fewer than 10 people in the lecture room.
Why should I come to class? Well, for starters, there is a social aspect to OLLI that is absent in the online experience. How can we make friends or be friends when we can’t even see your face? It is hard to make friends with “Laptop3” in the right-hand corner of thescreen 😉. The classroom is where we meet face to face to share our questions and views, where we might agree or disagree, where we meet with others who have similar interests. There is more to OLLI than a lecture utility. Get to know the staff, the physical layout, the coffee room. Get to know your instructors! By the way, the annuals planted in the Tallwood gardens are spectacular right now and worth a trip to see.
Zoom has its benefits, but let’s also recall how much fun it is to return to togetherness in the classroom. It adds a whole new dimension to OLLI membership!
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 July 5 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “Classical Music and Its Resurgence."
Did you know that there has been a recent resurgence of interest in classical music? Are you a regular listener?
It seems that younger generations discovered classical music during the pandemic. The movie Tar is credited with driving Mahler's 5th to the top of Spotify's playlists last fall. Classical music has become so popular that Apple has created a separate iPhone App just for this genre. Have you tried it? If you are a fan, do you listen to specific composers or prefer themed playlists? Or do you stick with classical radio stations?
A few online resources of interest are available at this link. WQXR (NYC) runs a podcast on classical music that is also good.
Check your daily schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
As a creature of constant awe
I dare to turn my gaze
to the wonder of stars
to the beauty of a sticky web
to my cat as it rips its prey
As a creature of constant awe
I kiss my lover with open eyes
and plunge into freezing ponds
yet dread the growing apathy
from a dear, old friend
As a creature of constant awe
I marvel at the enormity
of a planet bursting with life
yet tremble to the piercing laughter
of a small child’s joy
Slipping through wonder worlds,
I look away yet cling tight
with slippery fingers to lust and life,
unsure if my inner creature
dare close its many, many eyes
Kay Menchel, OLLI member since 2021 and long-time OLLI instructor in literature courses, died June 28.
Richard Crawford writes:
It is with a heavy heart that we share the tragic news that our beloved teacher and friend Kay Menchel passed away on June 28 after her fierce battle with cancer. Kay had been a 12‑year instructor here at OLLI. Her courses covered a wide range of literary expression, including Victorian and classic novels, Jewish writers, poetry, and graphic novels. And her discussions covered much more than the written words. She would go into detailed explorations of the working conditions of children in factories in the 1800s, or the customs and mores that shaped a Victorian lady’s day-to-day life. In her recent class on “Keep the Home Fires Burning” we learned personal stories from diaries and news clippings of how families fared in Britain during World War II.
Kay was a constant source of sharp wit and unflagging vitality. She had a passion for good writing in any form and frequently joked that her pile of books ‘to read’ grew by three for every one she read. During the challenging months of COVID, she graciously led us through some of the longest novels—between sessions—to keep us reading, laughing, and connected with each other. In other words, she kept us sane. She was generous with her humor, time, and compassion. We at OLLI join with her husband Marc and children Hannah and Cameron in mourning her loss.
There will be a memorial service on Monday, July 3, at 11:00, at the Adams‑Green Funeral Home, 721 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170. The family ask that guests leave the first three rows free for close family.
Doris James
Long-time OLLI member (since 2001) Doris James died on June 20 after a battle with cancer. Born in 1931, she graduated from Muskingum College, New Concord, Ohio, where she received a teaching certificate in 1952. She spent a year in Denver and then returned to Ohio State University to begin a master’s program and was recruited to work for the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington DC. She was highly respected for her leadership role at work. In 1976, she received her Master of Science degree in Library Science from Catholic University, Washington DC.
Services will be held at St Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 6509 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA 22015 as follows: July 1, 10:00 Saturday – visitation; 11:00 – services with reception immediately following. More information is available atthis link.
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or Hylton Center, call 1-888-945-2468, 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 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.
ARTfactory's Pied Piper Theatre: Disney's Descendants: The Musical
Fri, Jul 7, 7:00
Sat, Jul 8, 2:00 and 7:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $20 Adult, $15 senior and under 17.
Please note: Although some physical meetings for clubs and activities are canceled, some may be meeting in person or, in a hybrid mode, both in person and online. 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.. 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 Jul 1
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Jul 3
10:00 am
Bridge Club
Tue Jul 4
10:00 am
4:30 pm
Walk & Talk Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed Jul 5
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Spanish Club
Conversation with Team Bloch
Thu Jul 6
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Jul 7
9:30 am
11:00 am
Craft and Conversation
Homer, etc.
Sat Jul 8
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Jul 10
9:30 am
10:00 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Bridge Club
Tue Jul 11
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed Jul 12
11:00 am
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
Spanish Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Conversations with Doris & Brenda
Thu Jul 13
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Jul 14
9:30 am
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
1:00 pm
2:30 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Photography Club
Craft and Conversation
Homer, etc.
Cooking Club
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Tallwood Book 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, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Jane Hassell
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.
