Board of Directors Meeting, Friday, January 15, 10:00; all members are welcome to join via Zoom. Watch the daily schedule emailed to members to obtain Zoom link and meeting information.
Winter-term registration continues on a space-available basis. The winter-term catalog is available online at this link. Winter term begins January 25.
Since winter catalog production, a few classes have been added, changed, or canceled. Click here for a full listing.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, January 15; regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, January 12, at 6:00.
In 2021, OLLI celebrates its 30th year of classes for seniors. This feature provides fun facts and interesting milestones about our institute each week that E-News is published throughout the year.
January 1 A survey of new members in 1992 showed that most came because they were invited by Learning in Retirement (LRI) members or read about LRI in the news. The one outstanding negative was the lack of space to socialize.
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, January 16, via Zoom. Program activities begin at 1:00.
Video Editing Fundamentals Plus – Presented by John Krout
This demo will introduce you to the fundamental concepts and methods for editing videos on a personal computer. Compared to the bad old days of editing using videotape machines in the 1970s, computer-based video editing is a pleasure. Video editing with inexpensive software is much like using a word processor to edit text.
You will learn how to create videos including still images or videos, how to include creative transitions between one scene or video and the next, how to create video virtual backgrounds for Zoom, and even how to pan across and zoom into or out of still photos, Ken Burns style.
John Krout has been using the inexpensive Magix Movie Studio version 16 to create the monthly PATACS/OPCUG pre-meeting slide show videos starting with the April 2020 virtual meeting. He shot live video and created 30+ DVDs of high school concerts and Children’s Theater stage performances when his daughters were performing in the public school system.
Attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service, beginning at 1:00. Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/93730244342 and use Passcode 728227 or enter this Meeting ID from ‘Join’ in the Zoom app: 937 3024 4342 Passcode 728227.
By John Olsen and Edward Marion,
Photography Club Coordinators
Guest Speaker for 8 January
The OLLI Photo Club guest speaker for their 8 January meeting, at 09:00, will be Ben Greenberg. Although his initial passion for photography came with the birth of his first son, Ben’s primary goal for this 50-year passion has been capturing the full range of diverse natural beauty in landscape images of his native Virginia and 20 other states, and encouraging preservation of this beauty. Ben has received numerous awards in juried competitions.
His images are represented in many galleries and shops, primarily in central Virginia and West Virginia. Ben’s first book, Natural Virginia, is available in bookstores and gift shops throughout the state. Numerous art consultants in Virginia and Maryland frequently purchase large versions of his color and black and white images for their clients.
Ben has devoted significant time to helping others learn, including teaching classes for UVA OLLI, leading workshops, giving presentations to groups, and providing mentoring in the field. He was a featured speaker for two presentations at the Nature Visions Photo Expo in Northern Virginia in 2016. More recently he has been adding wildlife to his landscapes and is planning a second book to emphasize the importance of preserving national, state, regional and local parks, preserves, and refuges, as shown by the sample images.
By Bernie Oppel, History and Current Events Program Planning Group Co-Chair
History traditionally has offered a very extensive and broad array of courses at OLLI. Our program planning group has been fortunate to consistently receive many course suggestions and find instructors to teach them from among our members and outside sources. However, recent OLLI member surveys indicated strong interest, especially from newer members, in further broadening the scope and depth of our History offerings. Suggested possible history topics include China, Russia, Greece and Rome, and the history of infrastructure development. At present we do not know possible instructors for most of such courses.
Have a topic that inspires you and would interest OLLI members? Interested in planning for future history courses? Know someone who has unique knowledge of a topic? Best of all, do you want to teach and share your interests? ZOOM instruction with technical support from OLLI makes it possible to teach from home with ease! Planning for 2021 summer and fall terms is now in progress, and we would love to hear from you soonest.
Please send your ideas, instructor suggestions, etc., to me at boppel1@verizon.net and I will forward the information to the other members of the History and Current Events Program Planning Group. And don’t forget to include yourself as a possible instructor.
Ellen Moody is changing one of two books required for her winter 2021 literature course. Most simply put, read Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day instead of When We Were Orphans. One of the reasons for the change is that the film adaptation of The Remains of the Day is excellent. The course description is also different, noting (as the catalog did not) the movies we are going to discuss.
F406 Winter 2021 Two Novels of Longing Set in an Imperial Age Wednesdays, 9:40–11:05, Jan. 27–Feb. 17Instructor: Ellen Moody
Class limit: 40
The class will read as a diptych E.M. Forster’s Howards End (1910) and Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day (1989). Both examine class, race, war, fascism, and colonialism; in addition, the books treat family, sex, and property relationships from the “empire’s center,” England, from a post-colonial point perspective. The core centers of both novels are the human needs of their characters against capitalist, gender- and class-based backgrounds. On their own people should see either the 1992 Merchant-Ivory-Jhabvala film Howards End (w/Thompson & Hopkins) or the 2015 HBO serial, Howards End (Kenneth Lonergan w/Atwell & Macfayden); and the 1993 Merchant-Ivory-Jhabvala film The Remains of the Day (also w/Thompson & Hopkins). We can ask how ironic romances can teach us fundamental lessons about how to survive and thrive in today’s worlds.
Ellen Moody has been teaching since 1972, 12 years with OLLI. She is a published scholar with specialties in the 18th through the 20th centuries. She has a special love for Bloomsbury novels, Booker Prize books, historical and political novels, and life-writing.
Would You Like to Join the E-News Team of Weekly Editors?
By Paul Van Hemel, E-News Chief Editor
After several years of valued service, Leslie Vandivere, one of the E-News weekly editors, will be taking a break from editing. Accordingly, we have an opening for another editor.
The task is relatively light; as a member of a five-person team, you will only be asked to edit every fifth issue. We publish each week when OLLI is in session and every two weeks between terms, so it is less than once a month. Content is supplied, and the weekly editor enters and formats the material for the draft issue, which can usually be done in a total of half a day or so. Then, on Wednesday, you send the draft to the proofreaders, who return comments by Thursday morning. You respond to proofreader comments by entering any needed changes, usually minor, by Thursday afternoon – typically less than an hour of effort.
We use MailChimp software to enter and format the material. I will provide information and instruction on MailChimp use, as well as style guidelines. Most of our weekly editors use personal computers with the Windows operating system, but we do have one editor who uses an Apple computer and operating system.
If you are interested in becoming an E-News editor, please let me know at enewseditor@gmail.com. Thanks!
Meet the Artistic Director of The Little Theater that Could!
By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator, Theater Lovers’ Group
Lucky for us, our smaller local theaters (as well as university schools of theater such as George Mason’s) continue to perform in spite of the pandemic.
Please join the Theater Lovers’ Group (TLG) on Friday, January 22, 2021 at 2:00 when Amanda Herman Snellings, Artistic Director for the City of Fairfax Theatre Company (CFTC), will join us in a Zoom session to tell us about how it succeeded in keeping its theater program alive. CFTC focuses its performing-arts experiences on the community and reflects the diversity and uniqueness of Northern Virginia. Its shows are multigenerational. Each year, CFTC produces a fall play for kids with kids, a spring drama for adults, and a summer musical with participants of all ages.
Next up at CFTC, from February 5 through 14, is Spellbound, which, according to Amanda, is “an interactive, virtual performance by Lars Klores, a practicing magician.” She adds, “Spellbound is a reality-bending virtual performance featuring astounding acts of magic and mind-reading, with effects that happen in your own home.” Each household will receive a sealed Mystery Package to be opened during the performance. For more information, visit www.fairfaxcitytheatre.org.
Amanda is thrilled to help lead the CFTC as its Artistic Director after having been involved in its productions for the past few years. She is a director, performer, and producer. In her non-theatre life, Amanda plans fundraising galas for the National MS Society. She grew up in Herndon, Virginia, and holds a BA in Theatre and Dance from James Madison University.
To join the TLG, please go to OLLI’s web site at https://olli.gmu.edu/, click on the Member Portal, then on Register, and add Theater Lovers’ Group as you would a class. Or email the registrar Sue Job at ollireg@gmu.edu and ask Sue to add your name to the TLG Fairfax. Everyone is welcome.
Lou Mazzatenta, treasured OLLI member who loved OLLI in return, died December 25. Retiring in 1994 after a 42-year career as a photographer at National Geographic, among editorial and other roles, he spent another several years in special studio and photographic assignments for the magazine. His work was featured in several US and other international publications, and in exhibitions in New York, Spain, Italy, and other locations. He received a BA in journalism from Kent State University and MS from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
Lou photographed many areas of the world, and especially enjoyed the archaeology of China and Italy. Among his achievements are the production and picture editing of articles on the restoration of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. At OLLI, he was a member of the Photography Club and valued presenter among speakers for their meetings.
Lou also loved Latin America and the Spanish language, giving highly-appreciated presentations on his travels throughout Latin America in Spanish conversation classes at OLLI. He will be remembered and greatly missed by his classmates and instructors as a fascinating friend and an extraordinary man.
Because of COVID, there will be a small private service for him, with burial at Fairfax Memorial Park; at a later time, there will be a larger celebration of his life. Memorial contributions in Lou’s name may be made to Capital Caring Health. Further details are available at this 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 CFAticket pageor the Hylton Centerticket purchase page.
There are no arts and music events scheduled at Mason for the period January 1 – 18.
Please note: Physical meetings for clubs and activities are canceled until further notice in accordance with Mason’s guidelines. OLLI is conducting its classes and activities online. Refer to the university’s coronavirus website for official university updates and check the OLLI calendar for revised 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 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.
Mon Jan 4
9:30 am
11:00 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Poetry Club
Tue Jan 5
9:30 am
4:30 pm
Annex Art
Tai Chi Club
Wed Jan 6
10:00 am
10:30 am
2:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Tom Crooker Investment Forum
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Jan 7
10:00 am
11:50 am
4:30 pm
Program Planning Committee
All the News
Tai Chi Club
Fri Jan 8
9:00 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
2:30 pm
Photography Club
Craft & Conversation
Homer, etc.
Tallwood Book Club
Sat Jan 9
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Jan 11
8:30 am
9:30 am
Gentle Yoga Club
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Jan 12
9:30 am
11:00 am
4:30 pm
Annex Art
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed Jan 13
10:30 am
6:00 pm
Tom Crooker Investment Forum
Ethnic Eats Club
Thu Jan 14
11:00 am
11:50 am
4:30 pm
Poetry Club
All the News
Tai Chi Club
Fri Jan 15
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
2:00 pm
Craft & Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Homer, etc.
Cooking 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, Leslie Vandivere,
Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Roz Stark
Marian Drohan, Jane Hassell
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: 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. Search E-News: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News at ENews Archives. To search the content within issues, use Search or enter your search term(s) in Google followed by “site:olli.gmu.edu/” without the quotes.
OLLI Personal Computer User Group (OPCUG) meets Saturday, February 20 (tomorrow), at 1:00 via Zoom; use the link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/93730244342 and Passcode 728227 or enter Meeting ID 937 3024 4342 from ‘Join’ in the Zoom app: Passcode 728227.
Priority registration for spring term is February 24 (9:00)–March 3 (noon). The spring-term catalog should have arrived in your mail last week; it is available online at this link.
A few spring-term courses have been added, changed, or canceled since catalog production; click here for a full list.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, March 5; regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, March 2, at 6:00.
Fun Facts for OLLI’s 30-Year Anniversary By Ray Beery, OLLI Member and Former PresidentIn 2021, OLLI celebrates its 30th year of classes for seniors. This feature provides fun facts and interesting milestones about our institute each week that E-News is published throughout the year.February 19
In 2001 Ray Solomon began a campus-wide landscape project for LRI’s 650 members. Ray submitted his landscape plan to the Board of Directors, stating that the purpose “was to develop the LRI campus into an oasis of beauty and pleasure.” In other words, it was to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse. (Source, History of the Dirty Knee Club, November 2015, Valerie Braybrooke.)
If you have a feline family member, please join us for class 992 “Does My Cat Have Cataracts?” on Thursday, February 25, at 2:15 – even if you attended the previous OLLI class with this title. This fast-paced slide show includes updated information about feline dietary needs and aging issues, plus we’ll have lots of fresh facts about the impact of the current pandemic on cats in our country, answering questions like:
Can my cat catch COVID-19 from me if I get it?
If my cat sneezes incessantly, could he be a COVID carrier?
Has the virus affected animal adoption rates in the U.S.?
You’ll also hear lots of basic tips for better living with your furry friend, including the simple formula for Martha’s Magic Cat Pee Solution and the name of THE best cat litter scoop. You know your cat well; isn’t it time you found out how many teeth she has?
By Alice Slayton Clark, Communications and Program Associate
Come one, come all! Anyone interested in program planning, please join the OLLI Special Events Program Planning Group for its next planning meeting online on Wednesday, March 3, 12:15—1:45. Use the following information to link into the meeting on that date/time:
We will talk about all of the fabulous special events being planned for OLLI for summer term 2021 and beyond. All of these great programs are designed and coordinated by members like you who volunteer their time to shape the OLLI curriculum. You do not need to be an expert in curriculum development or education management, and you can dedicate as much or as little time as you have available. There is no pressure. So, join us; brainstorm on classes; make some new friends; have fun!
By Nancy Scheeler and Luci Martel, Reston Book Club Coordinators
The Reston Book Club will meet via Zoom on Thursday, February 25, at 4:00. The selection will be: The Liars’ Club by Mary Karr.
This book raises the art of a memoir to a new level. It is the story of Karr’s comic childhood in an east-Texas oil town bringing darkly hilarious characters—a hard-drinking daddy, a sister who can outtalk the sheriff at age twelve, and an oft-married mother whose accumulated secrets threaten to destroy them all. It was on the New York Times Best Seller List for more than a year.
One of the benefits of Zoom for members is the opportunity to experience instructors who live elsewhere. During spring term 2021, one of those instructors will be Cate Wnek, an internationally recognized and published fine arts photographer who lives with her family in Harpswell, Maine. She also happens to be my daughter.
Cate’s 4-session course (R113) is titled “The Fine Art Photographer Within You.” Her aim is to help OLLI photographers find their creative voices by seeing the world in a new way though their cameras. She is hoping class members will find “the magic of seeing a bit differently than before, forgetting for a moment the formal elements of photography.” Cate says that “each participant will be encouraged to experiment with making photographs reflective of their curiosity and feelings. We will set aside rules, and just run with the wonder of whims.” Any camera will do, including smartphones.
Working with the images class members show to the group, Cate says that her role as leader will be to “listen, watch, and see how each participant unfurls, gently guiding each into a bit of innate genius.” This workshop approach will allow participants to focus in turn on their own images. Because of the personal attention, Cate has limited active participation to eight OLLI members. Depending on registration numbers, she will consider allowing additional “silent” observers in the class.
Cate’s work has been featured in a number of gallery and museum shows in New England, New York City, Rome, and Colorado, and she’s been recognized in a number of juried competitions. Images and details about her career can be found at catewnek.com.
The image featured here is part of her first published collection “Raising Goosebumps.”
If you like beautiful music, then you’ll want to consider the Music Sampler offered in OLLI’s spring line-up of programs. Created for OLLI many years ago by Dr. Linda Apple Monson, director of the Dewberry School of Music at Mason, the Music Sampler showcases students and faculty from the Dewberry School.
For those who love music, attending the Music Sampler is a wonderful way to begin the week. “I always try to sign up for this program,” said one OLLI member. “I enjoy performances and hear outstanding music that I would expect to pay big bucks for at the Kennedy Center or other professional venues.”
If you have not attended one of these Music Sampler programs, you will be in for a treat. Plan to include the Music Sampler (F102) on your spring term registration list. Normally, the Music Sampler is offered live, but due to the constraints of the COVID-19 virus, musical performances this spring will be offered on Zoom.
The February 2021 Photo of the Month theme was Creative Techniques. We selected Stan Schretter’s photo “The Real GREAT Falls,” which may also be viewed at this page. To view other photos by members of the Photography Club, visit the club’s photo website. — By John Olsen and Ed Marion, Photography Club Coordinators
Baffling, the mystery of the loyal solar lamp—
How does it store the gleaming light of day
To return it to me at nightfall
In gentle shades of white?
I watch it come to life as the sky begins to darken.
Perhaps I’d rather not know the precise workings;
Best keep a bit of awe about how it is done.
Janice Dewire, long-time member, died on February 12. Jan joined the Learning in Retirement Institute (LRI) in the fall term of 1992 and was devoted to OLLI for many years of membership. She was co-moderator (with Carol Henderson) of the Literary Roundtable course in Reston for 15 years. Jan served as president and member of the Board of Directors in the late 1990s. OLLI was a major part of her life, and of the life of her husband George until his death in 2003.
Further information will be provided in a later issue of E-News.
Virtual Performances
Although Mason’s campus is shut down, online entertainment continues for us to access and enjoy. 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 send an email to Brianna Schoen atbschoen@gmu.edu. Also, the Center for the Arts has a websiteMason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances. Information can also be found atCFA ticket purchase pageor theHylton ticket purchase page.
Please note: Physical meetings for clubs and activities are canceled until further notice in accordance with Mason’s guidelines. OLLI is conducting its classes and activities online. Refer to the university’s coronavirus website for official university updates and check the OLLI calendar for revised 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 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 Feb 20
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Feb 22
8:30 am
11:00 am
Gentle Yoga Club
Poetry Club
Tue Feb 23
11:00 am
4:30 pm
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed Feb 24
4:00 pm
6:00 pm
Theater Lovers’ Group
Ethnic Eats Club
Thu Feb 25
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Reston Book Club
Tai Chi Club
Fri Feb 26
9:30 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
Craft & Conversation
Homer, etc.
Photography Club
Sat Feb 27
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Mar 1
8:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
Gentle Yoga Club
What’s in the Daily News
Poetry Club
Tue Mar 2
9:30 am
4:30 pm
Annex Art
Tai Chi Club
Wed Mar 3
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:30 am
12:15 pm
2:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
History Club
Tom Crooker Investment Forum Special Events Program Planning Group Meeting
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Mar 4
10:00 am
11:30 am
11:50 am
4:30 pm
30th Anniversary Committee Meeting Development Committee Meeting
All the News
Tai Chi 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, Leslie Vandivere,
Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Roz Stark
Marian Drohan, Jane Hassell
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: 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. Search E-News: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News at ENews Archives. To search the content within issues, use Search or enter your search term(s) in Google followed by “site:olli.gmu.edu/” without the quotes.
National Park Ranger Susan Philpott Introduces the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument and Discusses the Fight for Women’s Rights, February 4
Correction: To RSVP for Mason Cabaret Sing Happy! this Sunday, February 14, at 4:00, email amagelss@gmu.edu or phone 703-993-1593. Everyone is invited to attend this free Zoom musical event, but you must register ASAP. (Note: The previously published email address was incorrect.)
Priority registration for spring term begins Wednesday, February 24 and ends Wednesday, March 3. The spring-term catalog should have arrived in your mail this week; it is available online at this link.
OLLI Mason will be open Monday, February 15 (Presidents Day). Staff will be working remotely.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, February 19. Submissions are due by 6:00 Tuesday, February 16.
In 2021, OLLI celebrates its 30th year of classes for seniors. This feature provides fun facts and interesting milestones about our institute each week that E-News is published throughout the year.
February 12
George Mason University offered space in three rooms in the Tallwood Building at 4210 Roberts Road on October 29, 1993 with a five-year lease. At the February 24, 1994 Board meeting, it was reported that the contract with Mason had been signed for the use of Tallwood. By the March 17, 1994 Board meeting, LRI (Learning in Retirement Institute, OLLI’s predecessor) had moved to Tallwood and obtained permission to use the Fairfax swimming pool parking lot next door to Tallwood.
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, February 20, via Zoom. The program begins at 1:00.
Recap of Virtual CES 2021 – Presented by Gary Arlen
The 2021 CES (formerly the Consumer Electronics Show), the electronics extravaganza usually held in Las Vegas in early January, is presented as a reality TV show—a four-day video production of virtual booth visits and conference sessions.
Gary Arlen, president of Arlen Communications LLC, a Bethesda consulting and analysis firm, will summarize this year’s highlights. Gary’s presentation will look at the array of technologies that have become CES mainstays (e.g., artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, resilience, and digital health). He will also evaluate how global vendors at CES show their technological wares within the constraints of streaming media. Gary’s report will assess performance of the live and on-demand production built on Microsoft platforms.
Gary, who has attended the show for more than 35 years, brings an insider’s viewpoint, providing insights about the technology as well as marketing and public-policy aspects. He has written and published a newsletter and industry reports about new media and telecom technology.
Learn in 30: Computer and Electronics Recycling – Jim McGovern
Jim’s presentation will discuss electronic and computer recycling from an insider’s perspective. He is the president and founder of eAsset Solutions, located in Vienna, Va.
Attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service. Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/93730244342 and use Passcode 728227 or enter Meeting ID 937 3024 4342 from ‘Join’ in the Zoom app: Passcode 728227.
Wanted: Teachers and Speakers for OLLI Classes (Update) By Jeffrey Milstein, Humanities and Social Sciences Program Planning Group Member
(Editor’s Note: This article is based in part on an item previously published in the OLLI E‑News; this update specifically lists additional potential class topics identified by the Humanities and Social Sciences Planning Group.)Memo to OLLI Members: Recall that OLLI is a volunteer organization. That includes our teachers and speakers, all of whom are unpaid.As a member, you have enjoyed the interesting classes that OLLI has offered on many subjects. Every OLLI class needs a teacher or speaker. Recruiting knowledgeable teachers and speakers for OLLI classes is a major challenge for us all.Here are a few additional topics proposed by the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Program Planning Group for which we need speakers for the coming summer and fall terms:
Humanities and Social Sciences OLLI Class Topics, Summer & Fall, 2021
6
The Trump’s Administration’s Domestic and Foreign Policies of 2017-2021: Who Won What? Who Lost What?
7
Multifaceted Crises in America: + SARS-Co-V-2 Pandemic + Economic Recession + Social-Racial Justice + Political Polarization + Legacy of the Trump Administration
8
Is America In Decline? Empirical Indicators and Implications for Us, Our Children and Grandchildren
9
US-North Korea Relations
10
US-Mexico Relations
11
US Military Involvement in the Middle East
If you would like to speak on any of these or another topic of interest to you, or if you know someone who is knowledgeable about a topic that you think would interest OLLI members, please send the name and contact information for that person, along with the topic and your name to the following OLLI staff and program planning group members:
A more extensive list of possible future topics under consideration by the HSS Program Planning Group is available at this link. The group members are working to find speakers for topics on the list. You are encouraged to propose other topics, too.
We are currently accepting proposals for fall 2021 and winter 2022 terms. Share your expertise—teach for OLLI! To teach a course for OLLI, please complete the online course proposal form at this link.
Please note that OLLI classes are planned six months in advance. Thus, the deadline for a teacher proposing a class for fall term 2021 is April 12.
Remember, we are all in this volunteer organization of OLLI together! Thank you very much for your contribution.
After the land is bleak and barren
After the cold crashes on our bones
After the wicked wind whispers
Words of frozen fear
There is always spring.
After the most terrible war
When boys too young to shave go off to fight
After the deprivation, hunger
Even then, there is always spring.
After the hurricane rips out levees
And drowns our low-lying land
And lives are uprooted and torn
There is always spring.
When the ground is hard as granite
The energy in bulbs lies asleep beneath
And rises up like Lazarus
When the warm winds come
The energy is released.
There is always spring.
Virtual Performances
Although Mason’s campus is shut down, online entertainment continues for us to access and enjoy. 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 send an email to Brianna Schoen atbschoen@gmu.edu. Also, the Center for the Arts has a websiteMason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances. Information can also be found atCFA ticket purchase pageor theHylton ticket purchase page.
Mason Student & Faculty Performances (seemusic.gmu.edu for additional student recitals)
Mason Cabaret:Sing Happy! The Music of Kander & Ebb Sun, Feb 14, 4:00
Center for the ArtsYouTube channel. See Alerts & Notices above for registration information.
Prince William Little Theatre: Relationships in COVID Times
Thu, Feb 18, 7:15 Facebook and YouTube. Hylton at Home Story Corner: The Trouble with Ben
Sat, Feb 20, 10:15
Hylton Center Facebook page, and YouTubechannel. It will be available to watch until Feb 26 at 5:00.
Please note: Physical meetings for clubs and activities are canceled until further notice in accordance with Mason’s guidelines. OLLI is conducting its classes and activities online. Refer to the university’s coronavirus website for official university updates and check the OLLI calendar for revised 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 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 Feb 13
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Tue Feb 16
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed Feb 17
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
Memoir and More Writing Group
Mah Jongg Club
Thu Feb 18
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Feb 19
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
2:00 pm
Craft & Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Cooking 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, Leslie Vandivere,
Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Roz Stark
Marian Drohan, Jane Hassell
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: 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. Search E-News: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News at ENews Archives. To search the content within issues, use Search or enter your search term(s) in Google followed by “site:olli.gmu.edu/” without the quotes.
goal for this 50-year passion has been capturing the full range of diverse natural beauty in landscape images of his native Virginia and 20 other states, and encouraging preservation of this beauty. Ben has received numerous awards in juried competitions.
leading workshops, giving presentations to groups, and providing mentoring in the field. He was a featured speaker for two presentations at the Nature Visions Photo Expo in Northern Virginia in 2016. More recently he has been adding wildlife to his landscapes and is planning a second book to emphasize the importance of preserving national, state, regional and local parks, preserves, and refuges, as shown by the sample images.
History traditionally has offered a very extensive and broad array of courses at OLLI. Our program planning group has been fortunate to consistently receive many course suggestions and find instructors to teach them from among our members and outside sources. However, recent OLLI member surveys indicated strong interest, especially from newer members, in further broadening the scope and depth of our History offerings. Suggested possible history topics include China, Russia, Greece and Rome, and the history of infrastructure development. At present we do not know possible instructors for most of such courses.
t-paced slide show includes updated information about feline dietary needs and aging issues, plus we’ll have lots of fresh facts about the impact of the current pandemic on cats in our country, answering questions like:
pant will be encouraged to experiment with making photographs reflective of their curiosity and feelings. We will set aside rules, and just run with the wonder of whims.” Any camera will do, including smartphones.
from the Dewberry School.
