Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

ENews21-14

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OLLI E-News July 11,2014
Print a condensed .pdf copy of this newsletter, two web pages per sheet of paper.
OLLI Members immersed in A Quest for Perfection: The Symphonic Journey(s) of Jan Sibelius, during Course F102, taught by Christopher Zimmerman,
music director of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra

July 11, 2014


Editor of the Week: Paul Van Hemel
Table of Contents

Alerts & Notices

The fall catalog in paper copy will be mailed in mid-July; it is currently available online at https://olli.gmu.edu/current-catalog-fall-2014/

Registration for the fall term begins July 30 and runs through August 22 at noon.

The Tallwood office will be closed August 1-15.

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Futurist Joins OLLI-Mason Board:
Meet Director Joel Ticknor


By Nancy Scarborough,  OLLI E-News Staff Writer


As OLLI-Mason continues to grow, who better to help plan for the future than our new Board of Directors member, Joel Ticknor, a professional member of the World Future Society?

Joel explains, “A futurist is someone who studies how economic, social, political and technological developments are shaping the future. A futurist tries to help people anticipate, prepare (influence) and gain from these developments and changes. Futurists don’t try to predict what will happen in the future, but what could happen, and depending on circumstances, what should happen.”

“I try to incorporate this understanding of trends, change and anticipatory thinking (foresight) in my OLLI courses on Exploring the Future.” Joel taught this course most recently in the spring semester as an introduction to “global challenges and mega-trends with implications for future generations.” He also hopes to “bring whatever strengths I may have as a futurist to my work on the OLLI Board.”

Joel and his wife, Beth, live in Reston. They have three children and five grandsons. Two of their children live in Arizona. Their daughter is an attorney and author. Their younger son is a high school Spanish teacher, and their older son is a Foreign Service officer who will be returning this summer from an overseas posting for a Washington tour.

A former officer in the Foreign Service and Central Intelligence Agency, serving in Africa and Eastern Europe, Joel, with his wife, developed a taste for travel. They are planning a trip to France in September as part of a study tour of the impressionist painters. They enjoy theater and classical music and Washington’s rich cultural offerings.

Joel’s other interests include closely following world and national politics, walking, swimming, biking and hiking. He is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, the CIA Retirees Association and the National War College Alumni Association, and, of course, OLLI-Mason.

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Inside
OLLI-Mason





The OLLI Webmaster


By Gordon Canyock, retired Board member


OLLI-Mason’s website, maintained by our webmaster, is hosted on a server at Mason and is accessed by your computer’s Web browser. It contains everything you might want to know about OLLI, even things you were afraid to ask. It was first created in 1993 when we were known as LRI. The format has changed dramatically since then under the auspices of Webmasters Allen Montecino, Rod Zumbro, Michael Coyne, John West and now Ernestine Meyer.
 
As webmaster, Ernestine is responsible for ensuring that every visitor can use our website with ease and find their way to what they need or want without hassle or confusion. She always spends a few hours on the website daily, fixing broken links, tweaking the layout, and adding or replacing articles, posts and pictures. 
 
Ernestine told me that “being a webmaster is really one of the most fun jobs I have had; it gives me a real sense of accomplishment and the time I invest is worth it. It’s hard to manage everything, so it’s great to have other OLLI members on our web team to help out – Rod Zumbro and John West - especially when these two members have been webmasters themselves.”
 
Rod and John are the only members of her website team, so she can always use a couple of extra hands to spread the workload and develop new ideas for improvement. If you have knowledge of HTML and especially WordPress, please join the Website Committee. There is no specific commitment of time involved, that is purely up to you as a volunteer.

The biggest problem Ernestine faces is not mastering the mysteries of WordPress, but obtaining updates from key members, especially staff, our officers, committee and program planning group chairs. Since she is no longer on the Board and neither are Rod and John, it has become imperative that she receive timely input of new information and changes to be posted on the website. The utility of the website is highly dependent on the currency of its information. The web team is responsible for quickly updating the site, but relies on others to inform them of new or changed information.
 
For club and ongoing activity chairs, she recommends using the blogs already established on the website. Take a look at the list of blogs at https://olli.gmu.edu/blogs/. All existing activities are listed, but most only contain the catalog description and have not been actively used by the responsible coordinator. As coordinator of the Bridge Club and the Russia Discussion Club, I have made extensive use of the blog to update the club members and so have Paul Howard, Stan Schretter and Liz Bateman. If you are interested in using your blog, please send Ernestine an email. She is willing to train you on how to maintain your blog (if I can do it, you likely can too!) or she will ensure that the web team will input the updates if you provide the text.
 
Only two committees have web pages, which are designed to provide more information on their functions, needs and accomplishments and thus encourage volunteers to join. Chairs should consider participation either using a separate web page or developing a blog (one committee has done both). Once again, Ernestine is willing to provide assistance.
 
For everyone else, if you see something on the website that you know is out of date, please let Ernestine know.

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We Need Your Help to Enhance Our Current Events Classes



By John Woods, Past President, Board of Directors


I have been asked to join the History/Current Events Program Planning Group as co-chair for current events. During the last couple of years we have lost part of our team of course organizers arranging these exciting courses. So, we hope that you might be interested in helping us to identify subjects for new current events courses and to find potential instructors. When I was at the National Osher Foundation meeting two years ago, several people commented about how lucky our OLLI was for being located at the heart of world affairs. Our members who are involved in arranging these courses get to meet some very interesting people.
 
We are looking for members who have an interest in the news and follow national and international events. We would also like to hear from any who have worked for international agencies, think tanks, or companies. Let me know – [email protected] – if you are interested to join our team.

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Exploring the Grand Canyon's Reach

By Bill and Jane Taylor, OLLI Members

From May 17 to May 23, we traveled with ten others, including some OLLI members, to explore the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and many other points of geological interest in the area. Our guides were Dr. Barbara Frank, aka “Doc Rock,” who has presented well-received OLLI courses, and Dave Hall, a Professor of Geology at the University of Northern Arizona.

The trip was organized by Road Scholar, and proved to be an effective blend of unforgettable sights and learning about how those sights were formed. Not only did Barbara and Dave educate us, they also gave or arranged for after-dinner lectures on geology and Southwest Native American history and culture. Barbara also gave an evening lecture on “Sharing Nature with Your Grandchild” based on her book Grandparenting with the Wisdom of Nature. As a group we found the trip to be well-organized, worthwhile, and reasonably priced. As a plus, we had the privilege of meeting and travelling with a great group of people.

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The Tom Swift Squad Needs You!

Interested in technology? Learn with us!

By Paul Howard, Audiovisual Support Committee Chair


OLLI's Audiovisual Support Committee (a.k.a. The Tom Swift Squad) seeks additional volunteers to help ensure the smooth employment of OLLI's audiovisual resources. Our primary mission is to help instructors, liaisons and staff with any audiovisual issues that might arise during the classes we attend. Our team is learning to use the new LifeSize video teleconferencing system that offers the ability to share classes and meetings between OLLI locations.

We'll be meeting at 1:45 PM on Wednesday, July16th in TA1. We'll be doing hands-on training on OLLI's classroom audiovisual equipment, including new projectors, HDMI connections, and labeling equipment and storage locations, if time permits. We'll be investigating methods for presenters to annotate their PowerPoint slides 'on the fly' as questions arise during class sessions.

Please let me know if you're planning to attend or would like to become a "Swiftie," even if you can't attend this meeting. Contact me by email (preferred) or phone (703-860-9246).

For more information on the Audiovisual Support Committee, see its web page.

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Computer Club



By Paul Howard, Computer Club Coordinator


The Computer Club (OLLI Personal Computer User Group, or OPCUG) will meet with its partner, the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society (PATACS), Saturday, July 19th at Tallwood. Join us at 12:30 for soft drinks and socializing in the social room. Presentations will begin at 1:00. Our primary program is one that was canceled because of an ice storm in February.

Learn 30: Gabe Goldberg will discuss the Google Chromebook - a recent addition to the world of laptop offerings for the "Cloud" era.
 
“Save Your Memory and Your Mind: 7 Steps to Better Brain Health”:
Our meeting discussions usually center on hardware and software. In July, our speaker Susan Wranik will talk about 'wetware'—the component truly vital to keeping our technology exploits really on track!
 
How many times do you say “I don’t know” in the course of a day? Do you go to the store for a specific item, only to return with everything but? Do you go from one room in the house to another and forget what you went there for? Do your thoughts evaporate in mid-sentence? Do you have difficulty finding the right word or recalling names? This program is based on the clinical protocol for treating short-term memory issues and cognitive deficits related to stroke, traumatic brain injury, and dementia…but why wait? If it works clinically, it can work for you, too! Susan explains what’s happening to your memory, why, and what you can do about it. She'll introduce seven helpful strategies for better brain health, including a 60-second trick for recall.
 
Susan I. Wranik, a Milwaukee native, is a speech-language pathologist, linguist, speaker and writer. She has over 30 years of experience in the communication field, initially as an interpreter/translator and then clinically as a speech-language pathologist.
 
See full details on this meeting by clicking here.  For information on the Computer Club, see the OPCUG website.  OPCUG dues of $5 for 2014 will be collected at this meeting.

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OLLI Book Club



By Ceda McGrew, Book Club Coordinator


The OLLI Book Club will meet at 10:00 AM  Monday, June 14 at Tallwood. The book for discussion is The View from Castle Rock by Canadian author and 2013 Nobel Prize Winner in Literature Alice Munro. Published in 2006, it is a collection of twelve short stories, fictionalized tales based on events in Munro's family history. All OLLI members are welcome.
 
The OLLI Book Club does not meet in August. The selection for September is Yellow Star by Jennifer Rozines Roy.

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Poet's Corner

Courtesy of the Poetry Workshop
Petroglyphs
 
Petroglyphs are today’s event forecast
The OLLI Crew loads for the short journey
Settled with a hearty Chrystal Inn breakfast
The last visit of our desert land tourney
 
On to the Parowan Gap northeast of Cedar City
The Red Hills thrust upward from the Escalante Desert
Sliced by a 600 foot notch in the Navajo Sandstone
Became the palette of ancient Indian rock carvings
 
Pre-Fremont authors of these chiseled expressions
Left the tediously carved images of primitive legions
Some defaced by modern reckless transgressions
We stand in the same space, in awe of our current day vision
 
Those hearty souls lived in pit houses and hand ground maize
Precious water stored in fragile earthen clay jug
We suck our water bottle, chuck granola and gaze
Some chill out in the bus giving the old stuff a shrug
 
The end of the final exciting sixth day on the road
Routed through Vegas’s, congestion to our destination
Treasure Island Casino so the OLLI Crew may dump their last load
Lady Di and I have our own spot, BlueGreen Club 36 is the designation
 
Bob Graham

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Arts & Music at George Mason

Performances, next two weeks

By Shelly Gersten, OLLI E-News Staff Writer

For tickets for either CFA or Hylton, 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 page or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
At the Hylton Center

Hylton Performing Arts Center First Annual Juried Exhibit
Continues through July 18
The Buchanan Partners Art Gallery is open to the public Tue-Sat, 10:00 to 6:00, Thu., 10:00 to 8:00 and two hours before performances. For more information about the current exhibit, visit HyltonCenter.org/gallery

Prince William Little Theatre: The Musical of Musicals
Fri, July 18 - Sat, July 19, 8:00
Sun, July 20, 2:00
Fri, July 25 - Sat, July 26, 8:00
Sun, July 27, 2:00
Admission: Adults, $25; seniors, $20; children, $15
Gregory Family Theater

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For further details on any of the above events, please see the CFA event calendar and the Hylton Center event calendar.

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Meetings & Clubs


The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office, with direct web links added when available. The list is accurate as of mid-week but to check anytime for the latest information, please view the latest forecast of upcoming 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, Kickoff Coffees, etc. (bolded below).
Sat Jul 12 10:30am Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Mon Jul 14 10:00am
10:00am
10:00am
10:00am		 Bridge Club–TA-3
What’s in the Daily News cont’d–TA-1
Book Club–TA-2
Finance Committee–Annex
Tue Jul 15 10:00am Knitting and Needlework Club–Panera, Herndon
Wed Jul 16  1:45pm AV Committee Training/Meeting–TA-1
Fri Jul 18  9:00am
10:00am
10:00am
11:00am
11:30am		 Recorder Consort–TA-3
Craft and Conversation–Cottage
Board of Directors Meeting–TA-1
Homer, etc–Annex
Cooking Club–Cottage
Sat Jul 19 10:30am
 2:00pm		 Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Computer Club
Mon Jul 21 10:00am
10:00am
10:00am
12:00pm
 1:30pm		 Mah Jongg Club–TA-2
Bridge Club–TA-3
What’s in the Daily News cont’d–TA-1
Russia Discussion Group–TA-1
Reston Program Planning Group–UCP 117
Tue Jul 22 10:00am Knitting and Needlework Club–Panera, Herndon
Thu Jul 24  1:30pm Religious Studies Program Planning–Cottage
Fri Jul 25  9:00am
 9:30am
10:00am
10:00am
 
11:00am		 Recorder Consort–TA-3
Photography Club–TA-2
Craft and Conversation Group–Cottage
Classic Fiction Book Club–Cascades Library
Potomac Falls
Homer, etc–Annex

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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.

Current Editorial Staff
Chief Editor/Technical Editor: Irene Osterman
Associate Editor:
Weekly Editorial Team: Paul Van Hemel, Sheri Siesseger, Leslie Vandivere,
Proofreaders:  John West, Gordon Canyock, Susan Van Hemel
Backup Chief Editor: Sheri Siesseger

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 – 6:00 pm Tuesday for that week's issue (6:00 pm Monday 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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AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

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