A March 3 class with instructor Dr. Linda Miller and six amazing students from the Mason School of Dance previewed a March 28 & 29 Mason dance gala; it promises to be a wonderful show.
The OLLI Personal Computer User Group meets March 15 (tomorrow) at 1:00 in person at Tallwood and via Zoom (Zoom session opens at 12:45). See article below.
Spring registration continues. See new Zoom offering: 202Z Navigating the Obstacles in Estate Planning and Administration, 3 sessions, 9:40, Mar 27-Apr 10.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, March 28; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, March 25, at 6:00.
The OLLI Board of Directors is pleased to report that we have received more than 70 resumes for the OLLI Executive Director position! The submission window closes today, March 14th, and we're very happy with the response. Our nonprofit executive-search firm, AMorrison Consulting, LLC, is now reviewing the submissions to prioritize them in terms of compatibility with our job description and requirements. Next week, the search committee will meet to set timelines for the review and selection process and begin reviewing the resumes. Once we know what we're working with, we'll be able to start interviewing the top candidates, with the aim of making our final recommendation to the full Board of Directors for approval at the end of April.
If you have any questions, please contact our President, Debbie Engleson.
By Dennis VanLangen, Member of OLLI Website Team Volunteers
The OLLI Website Team, with assistance from a web designer and developer from Earthcare Technologies, Inc., has deployed OLLI's newly redesigned website. The website has a new look and feel and includes enhancements to more effectively market to non-members all the benefits that an OLLI membership provides. It shows new images, videos, and testimonials from our current and former members. It has separate sections with resource links to help members and teachers find pertinent information.
You may access the website here. Note: If the new website is not accessible through this link, please try again later.
You have two sources of support to help you get accustomed to the new website and get help using it:
You may report issues and problems to the OLLI Website Help Team by emailing the help desk at [email protected]. The help desk team also welcomes your suggestions for further improvements.
We have arranged a training session for OLLI members to explore and learn about the new website. The website team will hold this session via Zoom on Thursday, March 20, starting at 1:00. You don’t need to register for this class. Watch for other OLLI communications to alert you to this training session. OLLI staff will include the Zoom link for this session in the OLLI Mason Daily Schedule on the morning of March 20. See you there!
By Margie Wildblood and Sophia Elberti, OLLI Ink Co-Editors
OLLI writers—beginners and experienced—take note: OLLI Ink is now accepting submissions, including poems, fiction, personal essays, and memoirs, for its 2025 edition.
Now moving into its 15th year, OLLI Ink is a well-established publication whose contributors come from a wide spectrum of OLLI members, including, but not limited to, those enrolled in writing classes and workshops.
How to Submit: Please send your entries and any questions to either Margie Wildblood at [email protected] and/or Sophia Elberti at [email protected].
Guidelines:
Poems – please limit number of lines to 30.
Prose – please single space and indent the first sentence of each paragraph; limit number of words to 2,500.
Contributions are welcome through the end of March.
Editor’s Note: This article appeared in a recent issue. It is repeated here to encourage submissions to OLLI Ink.
Looking for a way to spread the word about OLLI's great programs? Know a group of friends or colleagues who might like OLLI’s programs? Excel at public speaking or giving a presentation? Live in a large complex that OLLI programs would appeal to? Know teachers who would like to deliver a class to our members? Then we could use your talents in the Outreach Committee! Below you'll find a few of the things we do as part of the Outreach Committee:
Develop and update content for OLLI publicity materials
Distribute catalogs, brochures and flyers to community centers, libraries, retirement communities, condo associations, and large apartment complexes
Promote OLLI through local senior-focused events and neighborhood newsletters
Present information on OLLI programs at US Government retirement seminars, senior communities, and volunteer fairs aimed at continuing education
Target underrepresented parts of the community through specific information sessions
Analyze our membership data for program and demographic trends to ensure we provide for all of our members' needs
Promote a collaborative, interesting, and supportive environment for members to have fun
If this seems like something you’d enjoy being a part of, please contact Dean Salpini at [email protected] or 571-407-4272. Thanks.
Start the Spring Term with Coffee with Your Friends!
By Toni Acton, Member Services Chair
Join your friends at the OLLI spring Kick-off Coffee and Activities Fair on March 20 at 10:00 at Tallwood. Before the official program begins, check out the many clubs and volunteer opportunities we have at OLLI—there’s a lot more to OLLI than just classes! Hear from our Executive Director, Board President, and Program Planning Chair to find out what’s new and exciting this spring, with plenty of time for questions. And, of course, indulge in the great refreshments provided by our wonderful Diversions Committee.
Please join us on March 20! Register for Event 1204F via the member portal or contact the registrar at [email protected].
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, March 15, in person and via Zoom. The Zoom session opens at 12:45.
Custom Text Tones for Your Smartphone—Presented by John Krout
Custom text tones that announce the name of the text sender are easy to create, install and apply to text senders. The custom tones let you know who sent a text, so you can decide whether or not to look at the text immediately.
In this presentation, you will learn how to record a text sender's name in a digital audio file using your smartphone, how to name that digital audio file using the name of the text sender, how to install that digital audio file on your smartphone, and how to assign that digital audio file as the text tone for that text sender. You will also learn how to assign a silent text tone as your default, so unwanted texts from strangers do not distract you.
You can also record your own name and nickname as text tones in digital audio files. These make great digital gifts for your relatives and friends to use on their smartphones.
John Krout is a frequent presenter at our meetings on a wide range of computer, technology and photography topics, and author of many articles for the PATACS Posts newsletter.
Learn in 30: 3D Scanning Technology—Presented by Roger Fujii
3D scanning technology has improved greatly over the years. This Learn in 30 will cover the technologies involved in getting 3D data, and various use cases that one might have.
Roger Fujii has helped OLLI with technology challenges for its email and LAN systems since 2006 and has been a PATACS stalwart since the ‘80s.
See full details on this meeting by clicking here. For information on the Computer Club, see the OPCUG Website. OPCUG dues are $5 and are now due for 2025 (and 2024, if you didn’t get around to paying last year!)—see http://olligmu.org/opcug/comm.html for details on making payment.
To attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service, beginning at 12:45, please click this link to join the meeting and use passcode 340191 (Note: enter passcode with NO spaces) or enter meeting ID 8681 36 20 720 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
Team Bloch hosts a conversation every second Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 on Zoom. Our goal is to foster social interaction, camaraderie, and a good discussion. All are welcome, no need to sign up in advance (actually, there IS no sign up!), and no commitments; just an interest in meeting informally with others.
The topic for March 19 is Losing Treasured Items.
We all lose or misplace items from time to time. These items might be critical like keys or a wallet, yet often the item might represent a special memory or a gift from a dear friend. Maybe the item is broken and no longer functional? Many of us are likely to remember losing a favorite toy or stuffed animal in our childhood.
How do you feel when you have truly lost a treasured item? At this stage of our lives, we have often dealt with many losses. Is it easier now or more difficult? Do you find yourself willing to accept the loss and move on?
Feel free to join us at 4:00 on March 19; we look forward to talking with you.
By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator, Theater Lovers’ Group
Synetic Theater to Perform The Immigrant.
Your theater experience is not complete until you have seen The Synetic Theater group perform. Can you imagine theater without words? On Sunday, March 16, TLG will attend the 3 p.m. matinee performance of The Immigrant at Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre in Arlington. We will have lunch at Ruthie's All Day at 1 p.m., thanks to Gay Alper. The play is The Synetic Theater's interpretation of the silent movie of the same name, which is a comedy about the immigrants who arrived in New York at the turn of the 20th century - their trials, tribulations, and high hopes for their new life in America.
We are looking into a group rate for tickets that start at $35. Stay tuned. Please email me at [email protected] to reserve tickets. Feel free to invite a guest or two.
Editor’s Note: At the author’s request, all words are published unedited, exactly as submitted.
This body is made of earth and gold, Sky and stars, rivers and oceans, Masquerading as muscle and bone.
(Taken from The Radiance Sutras, translated by Lorin Roche)
Sometimes I feel like an anthropologist from another galaxy,
sent here to study strange Earth customs.
I observe, but do not comprehend its foreign ways.
To make sense of this world, I go to my spot…
the one down by the lake under the black gum tree.
There I lay my tired back upon the Earth
until I feel the electromagnetic pulse
of her heartbeat entraining with mine.
I then look up through the red-flame leaves
of the black gum, lacing their patterns
against the Cerulean blue sky. I then notice the small bird’s nest
cradled in its uppermost branches.
Like the fledglings that once inhabited
this home, I am newborn once again,
wonder-filled, beholding nature reveal herself to me…
my feet planted on terra firma and
my soul at home in the heavens.
Obituary: Dr. Jack Arthur Underhill
Dr. Jack Underhill, OLLI member since fall 1998, died on March 1, 2025. Born in Healdsburg, California, he completed a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of California at Berkeley in 1954. He enlisted in the US Army, attending the Army Language School at Monterey to study Russian. He was deployed to West Germany, where he served in military intelligence.
After his discharge from the Army, Jack got a master’s degree from Columbia University. He pursued a career in the federal government, eventually securing a job at the Office of Emergency Planning in Washington, DC. He served as a research analyst in community planning for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He earned a second master’s degree from Harvard University and a PhD in Public Policy at George Mason University. He retired from federal service in 1997.
At OLLI, Dr. Underhill served on the Board of Directors and was an active member until his death. A devoted member of the poets of OLLI, he wrote hundreds of poems, several of which were published in the OLLI E-News.
There will be a memorial service at 2:00 on Saturday, March 15 (tomorrow), at Annandale Methodist Church, 6935 Columbia Pike, Annandale. More information is available at this link.
Opportunities to Join the OLLI E‑News Editorial Team
By Paul Van Hemel, E‑News Chief Editor
If you love OLLI and are interested in an easy way to contribute a volunteer effort to the organization, here’s an opportunity to do so by becoming a member of the E‑News editorial team. By serving one day every four or five weeks as Editor of the Week, you can have a positive impact on OLLI and enjoy a pleasant journalistic experience. We have openings for a couple of new editors.
E‑News is one of several OLLI publications that is created using MailChimp software. We will teach you what you need to know to put together an E-News issue. You don’t have to generate content, which generally is submitted by OLLI-member coordinators for committees, clubs, and activities. If you are interested and have questions or would like to know more, please contact me at [email protected]. Thanks!
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.
Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Pre-performance discussions will take place in Monson Grand Tier, which is located on the third level of the Concert Hall, 45 minutes prior to curtain. As seating is limited, a livestream will also be available on screens in the main lobby.
Cherish the Ladies (a Musical Group)
Sat Mar 15, 8:00
Pre-performance discussion.
Concert Hall
Admission: $55, $47, $33.
Rhythm India
Sat, Mar 22, 8:00
Pre-performance discussion.
Concert Hall
Admission: $55, $47, $33.
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Humor in Music
Sun, Mar 23, 7:00
Concert Hall
Admission: $50, $43, $29.
Les Arts Florissants: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at 300
Sun, Mar 30, 4:00
Pre-performance discussion.
Concert Hall
Admission: $60, $51, $36.
Jigjam: Irish Bluegrass
Fri, Mar 14, 8:00
A pre-performance discussion begins one hour prior to the performance.
Merchant Hall
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Prince William Little Theatre: The Secret Garden, The Musical
Fri, Mar 14, 8:00
Sat, Mar 15, 2:00 and 7:00
Sun, Mar 16, 2:00
Fri, Mar 21, 8:00
Sat, Mar 22, 2:00 and 7:00
Sun, Mar 23, 2:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $30 Adult; $25 Senior, Student, Military; $20 Youth.
Manassas Chorale: Come to the Music
Sat, Mar 15, 7:30
Merchant Hall
Admission: $25, $23.
Chloé Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies LIVE
Sat, Mar 22, 8:00
A pre-performance discussion begins one hour prior to the performance.
Merchant Hall
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Ordway Ballet: Mary Poppins
Sun, Mar 23, 1:00 and 5:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $32, $29, $26 Adult, $30, $27, $24 Senior.
A Year With Frog and Toad (a Musical)
Sat, Mar 29, 11:00 and 2:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $15.
Alison Brown
Sat, Mar 29, 5:00 and 8:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $30.
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 Mar 15
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club – online
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Mar 17
9:30 am
11:00 am
4:00 pm
What’s in the Daily News? – online
Poetry Reading Club – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tue Mar 18
2:00 pm
3:45 pm
4:30 pm
Chair Yoga and More – online
Caregivers Support Group – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Mar 19
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:30 am
12:00 noon
1:30 pm
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Board Game Club
Bridge Club
Investment Forum
Chair Yoga and More – online
Dabbling Artists Club – online
Memoir and More Writing Group – online
Spanish Club – online
Conversation with Team Bloch – online
Thu Mar 20
10:00 am
11:50 am
3:00 pm
4:30 pm
OLLI Kick-Off Coffee and Activities Fair
All the News – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri Mar 21
9:30 am
10:00 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
Crafts and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Mah Jongg Club
Homer, etc. – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Sat Mar 22
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club – online
Mon Mar 24
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Family History/Genealogy Club – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Tue Mar 25
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Chair Yoga and More – online
Mah Jongg Club – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Mar 26
12:00 noon
1:30 pm
1:30 pm
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
Chair Yoga and More – online
Board Games Club
Bridge Club
Spanish Club
Theater Lovers’ Group – online
Thu Mar 27
3:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Chair Yoga and More – online
Literary Fiction Book Club – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri Mar 28
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
2:00 pm
Photography Club
Crafts and Conversation
Homer, etc. – online
Chair Yoga and More – online
Classic Literature Club – online
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, Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Thomas 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: [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.
Community Theatre in Arlington. We will have lunch at Ruthie's All Day at 1 p.m., thanks to Gay Alper. The play is The Synetic Theater's interpretation of the silent movie of the same name, which is a comedy about the immigrants who arrived in New York at the turn of the 20th century - their trials, tribulations, and high hopes for their new life in America.
To make sense of this world, I go to my spot…
I then notice the small bird’s nest 
