August 19, 2016

• Alerts & Notices
• Parking Lot Construction Update
• Special 25th Anniversary Book, The Story of OLLI, Coming in Early September
• Preview of the OLLI Fall Course Lineup
• More Great Music for You
• Kathie West Recognized with
  National Youth Arts Award
• Where the Books Are
• Inside
  OLLI-Mason
• Meet Camille Hodges, Humanities and Social Sciences Planning Group Co-Chair
• OLLI Promotion on Mason Marquee
• Poet's Corner
• Arts & Music at George Mason
• Meetings & Clubs
• About OLLI E-News

Alerts & Notices

• The Senior Theatre Resource Center, an Art Age Publications venture that helps older performers pursue their theatrical dreams, in July selected the OLLI Players as the Senior Theatre group of the month. Read more here.
• Fall-term registration began August 16 and ends August 25 at noon. Registrations will be accepted only online or by mail (no fall-term registration drop-offs because of parking lot reconstruction at Tallwood; please do not attempt to come to campus at this time).
• The publication date for the next issue of OLLI E-News is September 2; the deadline for submission (to ollienewseditor@gmail.com) is Tuesday, August 30, at 6:00.

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Parking Lot Construction Update

By Jennifer Disano, Executive Director

Tallwood is currently undergoing a major parking lot construction project as part of George Mason University’s commitment to providing safe and accessible facilities to OLLI members. The project will take some time, and we appreciate your patience and support as we make these needed improvements.

There are several modifications that will be installed within the construction period JULY 22-SEPTEMBER 9:

• Mark all utility lines (DONE)
• Remove shrubs from front of building while preserving the center garden (DONE)
• Close off access to Tallwood from all side of construction site (DONE)
• Dig out old parking surface (DONE-AUG)
• Install drainage piping. (AUG-SEP)
• Regrade and resurface parking lot (AUG-SEP)
• Construct retaining wall and ramp (AUG-SEP)
• Construct curb and gutter (AUG-SEP)
• Paint (SEP)
• Landscape (SEP)

Currently, construction is on time, and we fully expect to be ready to open by fall term. We are especially excited to show off our newly designed parking lot on September 15th for OLLI’s Open House Event 10:00-1:30 (specific details to be announced shortly), so mark your calendars and remember to bring a friend!

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Act now to reserve your own copy of The Story of OLLI, a history of OLLI at George Mason University. Learn about the dramatic evolution of OLLI from its founding days to the present. The book includes lively text and beautiful photos.

The cost is only $25. Click here to learn more or place your order.

Books will be available in the coming weeks. Purchasers will receive an email at that time, with directions for picking up your copy.

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By Kathryn Russell, Program Committee Co-Chair

If you’re growing weary of this sweltering August weather, take heart─September will soon be here with many wonderful OLLI classes. Our program planners have assembled lots of tempting choices: learn another language, take a trip, hear great lectures, read a book, take part in drama. The possibilities are nearly endless─113 courses, 45 special events, and many enticing social and ongoing activities and clubs.

We’re welcoming an impressive group of Mason and NOVA instructors this fall. You won’t want to miss “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle” (F654), featuring several Mason instructors and other speakers involved in the historical movement. Also check out these courses by visiting instructors:

• “Religion in American History” (F604 and L609 videoconference) – Prof. John Turner, Department of Religious Studies at Mason
• “An Economics Potpourri” (F203) – By Mason professors from the Economics Department
• “The Black Death” (L317) – Stephanie Campbell, NOVA instructor
• “Enhancing Your Well-Being” (F657) – Members of Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being
• “Search Like a Librarian” (972) and “The Libraries at Mason” (985) – Mason librarians guide us through research and a tour of Mason’s new library
• “The 7 C’s of Communication” (L659) – NOVA’s Prof. Josh Pachter, assistant dean for communication studies and theater
• “Contemporary Issues in Criminology” (F656) – Team from the Department of Criminology, Law, and Society at George Mason
• “Status of Fear in the United States” (959 and 960 videoconference to Loudoun) – Peter Stearns, University Professor at George Mason

We also welcome many OLLI-member instructors and others from the community. Here’s a sample of enticing classes to consider:

• “A New Look at the Old Dominion” (R314)
• “You Come Too: My Journey with Robert Frost” (971)
• “Let’s Turn It into a Musical” (F101)
• “The Mind-Body Problem in Modern and Contemporary Philosophy” (F655)

And don’t forget to take advantage of Fall for the Book events. We offer two (954 and 958) at OLLI sites and four at nearby venues. We can also access two (952 and 955) via bus from Tallwood.

Browsing through the thickest catalog yet, you’ll have to agree that our volunteer program planners have provided an exceptional lineup of courses. Now we just have to figure out how to narrow down the choices before August 25, the registration deadline.
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Please note the following updates to the fall 2016 catalog:

Date change:
For L421 Movie Matinees (No class September 29, there will now be class on November 3).

Additions:
L422 Writer’s Workshop, Wednesdays, 9:40–11:05, September 21-
November 9.
L705 Introduction to the U.S. Agency for International Development, Tuesdays, 9:40–11:05, October 18-25.

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Music lovers, in particular, should not overlook these wonderful one-session offerings:

Each of these promises to give us a delightful morning or afternoon of music. Don’t miss out!

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Kathie has worked with the drama program director at Blue Ridge Middle School for five years; both of her granddaughters attended school there. She participated in costuming, hair wigs, and makeup. The shows have been Annie, The Little Mermaid, Cats, Beauty and the Beast, and finally, The Lion King. In her acceptance speech, Kathie said, "after 50 years in the business, I finally received an award." It is a pleasure to offer congratulations to one of OLLI's own!

You can find more information on Blue Ridge Middle School's recognition at the National Youth Arts Awards ceremony at this link.

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On Friday, August 12, seven OLLI photo club members enjoyed a special tour of the library…with many photo opportunities! The trip formed quickly when photo club coordinator, Angie Talaber, met new OLLI member Jan Herd, recently retired LOC research librarian. Jan quickly arranged for a tour guided by Connie Carter, herself a retired research librarian and now a docent at the LOC.

“We roamed through corridors full of books and saw some pretty incredible things,” said Angie. The tour included the library’s collection of Stradivarius instruments, a display on Bob Hope and, of course, the publicly displayed Gutenberg Bible. The Library of Congress is the official research library for the United States Congress and the second largest library in the world by collection size, after the British Library, with a total of more than 160,775,400 items.

The tour concluded with lunch and great stories by the two retired research librarians making this another terrific OLLI trip. Those attending and shown in the photos, l to r: Ed Marion, Don Keith, George Bradshaw, Angie Talaber, Dave Talaber, Connie Carter (docent), Jan Herd, John Nash. Other pictures of the trip may be seen at the photo club’s website at https://olliphotoclubgmu.smugmug.com/GF-Field-Trips-by-Year/GF-FT-2016.

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An advertisement promoting OLLI will be periodically displayed on the Mason marquee from Aug16 through 26. When driving down Braddock Road, look for the OLLI announcement rotated on the marquee. The ad, in classic green and gold Mason colors, promotes the fall registration and the 25 years of OLLI’s service to our senior citizens.

According to Beth Davis, OLLI program assistant, Mason provides free space on the marquee to announce each OLLI term registration. “We appreciate Mason’s support in giving OLLI the opportunity of using a very visible medium to promote OLLI,” said Beth.

Each advertisement is the result of a coordinated effort among OLLI members and staff. This year’s ad has been relatively consistent in design, highlighting the 25th anniversary while announcing each term’s registration.

Watch for OLLI’s ad on the Mason marquee during these two weeks in August and tell your friends to do the same. This just may be the incentive someone needs to join OLLI. Fall is coming and so is another great selection of OLLI classes for all of us to enjoy!

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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).

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OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.

Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Technical Editor: Irene Osterman
Associate Editor: Sheri Siesseger
Weekly Editorial Team: Jean Boltz, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger, Leslie Vandivere,
Paul Van Hemel
Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Lorna Moran, Marilyn O'Brien, Susan Van Hemel
Backup Chief Editor: Alice Slayton Clark

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 – 6:00 Tuesday for that week's issue (6:00 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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