Arts & Literature: F2001, Poems That Tickle Your Fancy PROGRAM POSTPONED TO A LATER SEMESTER
Speaker/Host: Mr. Conrad Geller
Description: This one-session presentation is intended as punishment and corrective for those who think they dislike poetry. It’s a survey of light and nonsensical verse from Alexander Pope to Calvin Trillin, including poems by Ogden Nash, Dorothy Parker and Lewis Carroll. There will, of course, be limericks and maybe a clerihew or two.
Biography: Conrad Geller studied English literature at Harvard and ever since has been a passionate though still inexpert reader and writer of poetry. His poems have appeared in many obscure publications, and he has won prizes from, among others, the Poetry Society of Virginia. He is also a veteran presenter for George Mason University’s OLLI, having given classes about Chaucer, Swift and Poe in Sterling and Reston.
LLI Coordinator: Karen Waltman
Email a question to a coordinator
Arts & Literature: F2002, Stephen Sondheim: Celebrating A Genius
Wed, Oct 14, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 97
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Dan Sherman
Description: Stephen Sondheim began his career as a protégé of Oscar Hammerstein and eventually became one of Broadway’s most celebrated lyricists and composers. In writing a wide range of “adult musicals” over nearly 40 years, Sondheim covered a huge range of subjects with songs that deeply explore human emotions, happy or otherwise. In honor of Sondheim’s 90th birthday, Dan Sherman will present many audio and video selections to show Sondheim’s contributions to American musical theatre.
Biography: Dan Sherman is a recently retired economist who earned his doctorate at Cornell University. He has taught more than 25 courses to lifelong learning groups in the Washington area, mostly on topics related to musical theatre. He gave his first LLI-Manassas class in April 2018, on “Hamilton: The Man and The Musical.” Since then he has given us classes on Frank Lloyd Wright, Oscar Hammerstein, George Gershwin, and early movie musicals.
LLI Coordinator: Lynn Hoffman
Email a question to a coordinator
Arts & Literature: F2003, Something Coming, Something Good: Theater music of Leonard Bernstein
Wed, Oct 07, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 97
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Dan Sherman
Description: Leonard Bernstein’s musical genius enriched many fields, including musical theatre. Best known as the composer of West Side Story, Bernstein wrote several brilliant scores for Broadway that helped bring an American sound to the stage. The class will review Bernstein’s early success as a theatre composer through a career in which theatre became less important. The class will present many unusual video clips to present Bernstein’s work, including clips of America’s maestro himself.
Biography: Dan Sherman is a recently retired economist who earned his doctorate at Cornell University. He has taught more than 25 courses to lifelong learning groups in the Washington area, mostly on topics related to musical theatre. He gave his first LLI-Manassas class in April 2018, on “Hamilton: The Man and The Musical.” Since then he has given us classes on Frank Lloyd Wright, Oscar Hammerstein, George Gershwin, and early movie musicals.
LLI Coordinator: Lynn Hoffman
Email a question to a coordinator
Arts & Literature: F2004, Change: A Writing Workshop, Groups A and B
1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Group A: Oct. 26, Nov. 9, 23, Dec 7
Group B: Nov. 2, 16, 30, Dec. 14
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: Group A 9 and Group B 9
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Mary Winsky
Description: Change, its choices, and challenges have grown lately in new directions that invite us, once again, to learn. And what better way to learn than by writing? This Zoom workshop will invite writers of all levels to explore what change has meant in our lives and what it may mean now and in our futures. In a change from the past, writers will be divided into two smaller groups, which will meet on alternate Mondays. Before class every other week, you will receive a prompt to make your own (or ignore) for a 25 minute writing burst. When we are on Zoom together, we will do a very brief check-in, then read to each other what we have written for appreciative feedback. We will end each session with a quick write to reflect on our own and the other writers’ pieces. This will be a grand experiment in which to grow together as writers and listeners making meaning.
Biography: Mary Winsky will facilitate as she has learned to do from writers of all ages and stages in all her collaborative years as teacher and fellow writer.
LLI Coordinator: Elizabeth Crawford
Email a question to a coordinator
Arts & Literature: F2005, Introduction to French Impressionist Painting
Fri, Nov 20, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 65 in person; 97 on Zoom.
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Jeanette Nicewinter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Art History
Description: French Impressionism is cited as many people’s favorite artistic movement. However, French Impressionism was highly criticized at the time it appeared because it represented new modern ideas. This talk explores the major characteristics and artists of French Impressionism while also considering the historical and cultural context of the period. By considering French Impressionism as the first “modern art movement,” we can consider how we continue to uphold these ideas.
Biography: Dr. Jeanette Nicewinter is an Assistant Professor of Art History at Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale Campus. She earned her Ph.D. in Art Historical Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2016. Her area of specialization is Ancient American Art with a focus on ceramics from the northern highlands of present-day Peru. However, she frequently identifies as a “generalist” and enjoys teaching a broad spectrum of art-historical topics.
LLI Coordinator: David Pace and Karen Waltman
Email a question to a coordinator
Current Events: F2006, Politics: Morals and Word Choices
Tue, Oct 20, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional Dates: 10/27/2020; 10/30/2020 10/30 class is at 10:30
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 90
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Instructor: Mitch Rachlis
Description: The elections for Congress and the President are upon us. Politics is about moral standards and determining who is in power. Where do our moral frameworks come from, how did they evolve, and why do they differ? How do we translate our choices into words that try to convince others to vote our way? In this class we will discuss the work of Jonathan Haidt, who shows that most of us have a large and similar set of moral pillars, but we weigh these standards differently. For example, most of us value both fairness and respect for tradition. Differences in relative weights lead to different politics. People respond to stories and feelings, not facts. Frank Luntz classically proved this point when he redefined the inheritance tax as the death tax without needing to show the actual effect of these taxes. For this class participants will watch online lectures at home; then we will come together on Zoom and explore how moral choices and word choices dominate our politics. Of course, discussion and disagreements are encouraged.
Biography: Mitchell Rachlis, Ph.D. (economics) worked for the U.S. Government for 30 years specializing in transportation, financial markets, and housing markets policy issues and regulation. As an Assistant Director for Economics at the GAO, he provided technical assistance to other analysts, developed specialized analyses, and wrote reports. He taught economics and finance at local universities and published professional articles on risks in local mortgage markets, statistical appraisal methods, statistical testing for discrimination in financial markets, and financial literacy. AT LLI he has taught classes on economics and politics.
LLI Coordinator: Ann Cain
Email a question to a coordinator
Current Events: F2007, A Decade of Disruption
Thu, Oct 29, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size:
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Garrett Peck
Description: In the years that spanned 2000 to 2010, Americans experienced an unprecedented sweep of events and upheavals. The 9/11 terrorist attacks. Enron and WorldCom. Dubya. The Iraq War. Hurricane Katrina. The disruptive nature of the internet. An anxious aging population redefining retirement. The gay community demanding full civil rights. A society becoming ever more racially diverse. The housing bubble. The historic election of Barack Obama—and the angry Tea Party reaction.
The United States weathered a turbulent first decade of the 21st century, tumultuous years of economic crises, social and technological change, and war. It was book-ended by two financial crises: the dot-com meltdown, followed by the Great Recession. Banks deemed “too big to fail” were rescued when the federal government bailed them out, but meanwhile millions lost their homes to foreclosure and witnessed the wipe out of their retirement savings.
In his new book, A Decade of Disruption, historian Garrett Peck chronicles how the fallout from the Great Recession led to the hyper-polarized society of the years that followed, when populists ran amok on both the left and the right and Americans divided into two distinct tribes. Peck will discuss why a timely re-examination of the recent past reveals how we’ve arrived at our current era of cultural division.
Biography: Garrett Peck is an author, historian and tour guide in the nation’s capital. He leads tours through Politics & Prose and The Smithsonian Associates. His Temperance Tour of Prohibition-related Sites has been featured on C-SPAN Book TV and the History Channel program “Ten Things You Didn’t Know About” with punk rock legend Henry Rollins. Mr. Peck is on the advisory council of the Woodrow Wilson House and is a member of the Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of D.C. A native Californian, a U.S. Army veteran, and graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and George Washington University, he lives in Arlington. www.garrettpeck.com
LLI Coordinator: Dan Leahy
Email a question to a coordinator
Experience Buffet: F2008, A Trip Around Patagonia
Tue, Oct 13, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: venue maximum for in person, 97 for Zoom
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: David Pace
Description: Join David and Mary Pace on a trip from Argentina to Uruguay to the Falkland Islands to Chile. Go to the end of the world: Patagonia, with Cape Horn, the Strait of Magellan, Tierra del Fuego, the Beagle Channel, and the Drake Passage. Some days it is the Drake Shake; some days it is the Drake Lake. Which will it be today? Learn how if you have us over for dinner, we are entitled to eat with one foot on the dinner table.
Biography: David and Mary Pace have visited 77 countries. They started their travel hobby when David was stationed in Germany for three years. They have since visited all the continents except Antarctica and almost made it there before their flight from South America to a Chilean research station was cancelled by the Chilean Navy due to unfavorable weather at the destination. Mary has a master’s degree in education and is a retired teacher. David has a master’s degree in astronomy and is a retired meteorologist. He had career stints in the Air Force, the private sector and the FAA and is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society. David has appeared as a background extra in four TV shows and one movie.
LLI Coordinator: David Pace and Karen Waltman
Email a question to a coordinator
Experience Buffet: F2009, An Invitation to Ron Knowles’ Open House PROGRAM POSTPONED TO A LATER SEMESTER DUE TO COVID-19
Speaker/Host: Host: Ron Knowles
Description: This is an LLI Experience Buffet OPEN HOUSE to see the garden that Ron Knowles created in memory of his wife, Betty, as well as a tour of his picture framing business. Both Ron and Betty were Master Gardeners, and the plantings in the Memorial Garden were selected to be visible during each season of the year. As you enter Ron’s property, please take the concrete sidewalk through the white arbor to the granite benches for the best view of the garden. Ron designed the garden and also did the layout. After you have seen the garden, you are invited to Ron’s professional picture framing business known as Knowles Custom Creations, Inc. You will be able to see Ron’s creative picture framing and woodcarvings, which have won honors by being on display in such places as the White House, U.S. House of Representatives and the Freedom Museum at the Manassas Airport–to name just a few. A wide variety of the tools Ron uses for his creations will be on display. You may come and go at any time during the four hour period that Ron is opening his home to fellow LLI members.
Biography: Ronald K. Knowles retired as a Master Sergeant in 1977 having served for 20 years in the U.S. Army. For seventeen of those years he served at the White House Communications Agency, and for most of that time he was in charge of drafting and reproduction. In 2019, he was officially recognized for creating the White House Communications Agency Seal. While on active duty, he also served in Vietnam and as an instructor at the U.S. Army Engineer School at Fort Belvoir. Ron has been active with the Boy Scouts of America for 60 years, holding various positions with merit. Currently Ron is active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and Vietnam Veterans of America. He serves as chaplain for VFW Post 7589. Ron is the recipient of many Army and Boy Scout awards, such as the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Presidential Service Badge and the Boy Scouts of America 50 Year Veteran Award.
LLI Coordinator: Nancy Osborne
Email a question to a coordinator
Health & Fitness: F2010, The Aging Eye
Wed, Nov 04, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 AM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 95
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Dr. Richard Katz
Description: This presentation will address various issues of the eye that can affect all of us as we age. It will provide strategies on how to cope with a variety of eye diseases and how to determine the best course of action.
Biography: Dr. Katz graduated from Towson State University with a bachelor’s degree in biology and then went on to earn his doctorate in optometry from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Since 1984, he has worked in Burke, Virginia, currently at My Eye Doctor. He enjoys traveling with his wife and has two grown children.
LLI Coordinator: Jo Anne Renton
Email a question to a coordinator
History: F2011, Reconstruction: America After the Civil War
Mon, Oct 12, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional Dates: 10/19/2020, 10/26/2020
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 90
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Facilitator: Ann Cain
Description: This class is based on the PBS series of the same name. It explores the years 1865-1877 when the nation struggled to rebuild itself in the face of massive destruction and revolutionary social change. Millions of former slaves and free black people sought to find their rightful place in the American democracy. Although short-lived, this bold democratic experiment gave Black Americans, in the words of W.E.B. DuBois, a “brief moment in the sun.” Participants will watch three 45-50 minute videos on their own and then discuss them in the Zoom classes. Instructions on how to watch the videos will be sent to those who sign up.
Biography: Ann Cain spent 39 years teaching American history and government to high school and community college students in several states including Virginia. She received her undergraduate degree in history from Duke University and her master’s degree in history from the University of Tulsa. She is a James Madison Foundation Fellow with a special interest in the creation of the United States and the U.S. Constitution. Ann is a member of the LLI program committee.
LLI Coordinator: Ann Cain
Email a question to a coordinator
History: F2012, The Trail of Tears
Tue, Oct 20, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 97
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: William Johnson
Description: Between 1830 and 1850, approximately 60,000 Native Americans were forcibly removed from their traditional lands in the Southeastern US and relocated west of the Mississippi River. This removal has come to be known as the “Trail of Tears,” not only because these people were removed from their native lands but also because between 2000 and 8000 people perished during the journey. This was but one element of our government’s Indian removal policy. We will briefly examine several other Indian removal programs and what motivated those programs.
Biography: Bill Johnson has been doing genealogy research on his extended family for over fifty years. He has made dozens of presentations at national conferences on the topic. He is knowledgeable on numerous other historical topics and has presented several classes for LLI.
LLI Coordinator: Janet Wheatcraft
Email a question to a coordinator
History: F2013, Legal Anomalies of the Lincoln Assassination Conspirators’ Trial PROGRAM POSTPONED TO A LATER SEMESTER DUE TO COVID-19
Speaker/Host: Dr. Paul Severance, Colonel (Ret.), U.S. Army, Visiting Professor of Military History, National Defense University
Description: Following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on Good Friday, April 14th, 1865, Secretary of War Stanton launched a massive, nation-wide manhunt for actor John Wilkes Booth, other would-be assassins who were the key players in the larger plot against Lincoln, and certain high-level members of the US government and military.
Within 12 days of the assassination, Booth was dead and government military forces and civilian police departments had apprehended and incarcerated over 300 individuals thought to be associated with the assassination plot. Of this number, eight people—one woman and seven men—were singled out for trial by a military tribunal.
The trial opened less than a month after Lincoln’s assassination. From the outset, serious questions surfaced about the constitutionality of the trial and incarcerations, as well as the actual conduct of the proceedings. The trial was rigidly controlled by Secretary of War Stanton and Army Judge Advocate General Holt, a longtime friend and ally of Abraham Lincoln. To this day, the question remains whether Stanton’s and Holt’s purpose was justice before the law or revenge to appease an outraged nation.
Dr. Paul Severance will step us through the arrests, incarcerations, trial, and sentencing of the eight major conspirators, with a particular focus on the legal (or “extra-legal”) dimensions of the judicial process pursued in the trial. In the course of his presentation, Dr. Severance will address several myths that have grown up around the trial to include major conspiracy theories—a staple of American national culture.
Biography: Dr. Paul M. “Mauler” Severance is the Historian and Head Docent of the Lincoln Assassination Conspirators’ Trial Restored Courtroom at Fort Leslie J. McNair in Washington D.C. From 1993 to 2018, Dr. Severance served as a professor of strategy and subsequently professor of military science at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) (now the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy), National Defense University, Washington, D.C.. In this capacity, he taught core courses in military strategy and warfare, war studies, military strategy and logistics, and defense strategy and resourcing, as well as elective courses in strategic geography, geo-politics, military geography, and maritime security. Dr. Severance is a faculty member of the Blue-Gray Education Society and a highly sought after educator on the American Civil War and the Gettysburg and Antietam Campaigns. He has conducted over 275 staff rides to the respective battlefields as well as staff rides to Fredericksburg, Manassas, Harper’s Ferry, Seven Days, and Chancellorsville. In February 2013, Dr. Severance assumed responsibilities as the Chief Historian and Head Docent for the Lincoln courtroom at Fort McNair and has conducted nearly 400 tours and presentations associated with the history of both Fort McNair and the courtroom. Dr. Severance received his bachelor’s degree in education from Northeastern University, his master’s in systems management from the Florida Institute of Technology, and his doctorate in human development, with a major in adult learning, from Virginia Tech. Currently, Dr. Severance serves as a visiting professor of Military History at the National Defense University and is also a docent for the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir.
LLI Coordinator: David Pace and Karen Waltman
Email a question to a coordinator
Lifestyle: F2014, Travel Adventure Road Scholar
Thu, Nov 05, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: According to venue for in-person or 97 for Zoom
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Kelly Espy
Description: Come and enjoy hearing about many unique travel opportunities that over 5 million people have experienced. Road Scholar is a “not for profit” travel organization that visits over 150 countries and all 50 states. It is not a commercial tour company. Why is Road Scholar different from all the other travel organizations? Road Scholar concentrates on learning, giving the travelers the opportunity to be with expects in their respective fields that have a passion for their craft. Programs range from very active, such as skiing or hiking, to the more relaxed river boat cruise. The programs are different in many ways from other tour companies because Road Scholar programs include all hotel costs, meals, tips, taxes, all entrance fees and equipment. There are programs for singles and for small groups, grandparents and grandchildren, multiple generations, and more. Come and learn why you too can enjoy learning with friends and family while you meet and make new friends that share the same interests that you are exploring. Each Road Scholar program is designed to enrich, thrill and challenge you. Are you ready to see where your love of learning can take you?
Biography: Kelly Espy was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to the Washington, D.C. area 45 years ago. She completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at George Mason University. Kelly is a Registered Nurse, and presently she is teaching Water Aerobics at the Freedom Center in Manassas. Kelly has enjoyed traveling with friends and family and has attended many Road Scholar Programs.
LLI Coordinator: David Pace and Karen Waltman
Email a question to a coordinator
Lifestyle: F2015, Holiday Flower Arranging PROGRAM POSTPONED TO A LATER SEMESTER DUE TO COVID-19
Speaker/Host: Instructor: Doug Burroughs
Description: Doug will demonstrate the techniques of floral arrangements. The attendees will be given supplies to make a floral arrangement to take home to enjoy.
Please note: In early December, you will receive notification of the guidelines required by the CDC and other government agencies for holding the classes. The $40.00 fee will be paid at the door – credit or check only, NO cash. Each session will cover the same topic.
Biography: Doug Burroughs, owner of The Flower Gallery for over 40 years, began by delivering flowers while in high school. His interest grew into a career in all aspects of the floral business with emphasis on design. He shares his knowledge and love of the floral world with garden clubs, women’s clubs, school groups and often with LLI.
LLI Coordinator: Jill Gentry
Email a question to a coordinator
Lifestyle: F2016, Last Taste of Summer
Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 97
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Lynn Hoffman
Description: Join me from my kitchen as we take advantage of the last harvest of Summer produce. I will show you how to make a delicious Middle Eastern Salad brimming with fresh vegetables on a base of creamy hummus. Also, we will make a refreshing Blackberry & Ginger cocktail that helps get us through the quarantine! Both are great any time of year. Cook along with me—and have dinner ready for tonight. About a week before class, I will send out a list of ingredients and equipment needed to make these two recipes. Note: you do not have to make these with me to attend the class, but since we can’t meet in person, I thought it would be fun!
Biography: Lynn Hoffman earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s from Fairfield University. She was director of marketing communications for several high-tech companies including Oracle. Lynn has enjoyed cooking and entertaining family and friends since at age five she pulled her first cake out of her Easy-Bake oven. Lynn is on LLI’s board of directors and is a member of the program committee. She has taught more than 20 cooking classes for LLI.
LLI Coordinator: Lynn Hoffman
Email a question to a coordinator
Our Neighborhood: F2017, Walk at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Chantilly PROGRAM POSTPONED TO A LATER SEMESTER DUE TO COVID-19
Speaker/Host:
Description: Choose to walk on either Nov. 12(A) or Nov. 18(B). We will meet at the Walney Visitor Center in Ellanor C. Lawrence Park and walk the half mile to Walney Pond. The return will be a half mile on different trails. We will stop briefly at some historic sites and hope to see some late fall colors in the trees. The 650 acres used to be the Machen farm, which was called Walney. Those who wish a longer hike can also walk the one-mile North Loop. LLI members have enjoyed a couple of walks at ECLP in the past.
Biography: Karen Waltman worked at ECLP for 21 years as a naturalist and loved the mix of history and nature at this Fairfax County Park Authority property. She’ll share both as we walk along Walney Creek and through the rolling landscape.
LLI Coordinator: Karen Waltman
Email a question to a coordinator
Our Neighborhood: F2018, Current Issues with the Police and Understanding the Virginia Criminal Justice System
Fri, Nov 13, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: Zoom capacity 197 connections.
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: The Honorable William E. Jarvis, General District Court Judge, Prince William County
Description: Judge Jarvis returns, by popular demand, to continue talking about current issues with our police and the Virginia Criminal Justice System. He plans to be joined again by a member of the defense bar and a representative from the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office. All who attended his earlier classes enjoyed his presentations and the questions that followed.
Biography: Honorable William E. Jarvis graduated from Old Dominion University in 1985 with bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and criminal justice. After doing graduate work at the University of Virginia, he attended George Mason University School of Law and graduated in 1991. He served as a prosecutor in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, from 1992 to 1998 and in Marion County, Florida, from 1998 to 2002. Upon his return to Virginia in 2002, he prosecuted in Prince William County until 2012, when he was appointed to the PWC General District Court Bench. Judge Jarvis has taught search and seizure as well as right to counsel legal updates to police, attorneys and judges throughout his legal career.
LLI Coordinator: Bob Marsh
Email a question to a coordinator
Our Neighborhood: F2019, Reforesting the Land: Prince William County’s Efforts, Past & Present
Thu, Nov 19, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: None
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Julia Flanagan
Description: This class will consider 20 years of Prince William County reforestation efforts, from humble beginnings, to how the Chesapeake Bay has fostered local reforestation projects, to lessons learned. Ms. Flanagan will discuss hope for a future in which private land owners can envision re-establishing forests on their own land and in their communities.
Biography: Julia Flanagan, Prince William County’s first professional arborist on staff, has over 32 years of experience working first as an Urban Forester for Fairfax County and the last 22 years caring for our PWC forests. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Forestry and Wildlife Management from Virginia Tech. Her work has focused on two primary responsibilities: 1) applying landscaping and tree preservation regulations to the development industry and 2) overseeing the successful re-establishment of forests on over 15 reforestation projects encompassing over 60 acres and several stream restoration projects. She has been an ISA Certified Arborist since 1997 and an ISA Qualified Tree Risk Assessor since 2010.
LLI Coordinator: Valerie Kenyon Gaffney
Email a question to a coordinator
Religion & Philosophy: F2020, Introduction to Bioethics
One course, meeting in four different consecutive sessions. The first session is Tue, Nov 10, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional Sessions are on: 11/17, 11/24, 12/1
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 97
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: James Fletcher, Ph.D
Description: In the 5th century BCE, Hippocrates famously instructed physicians to “First, Do No Harm.” In the time since, the focus of medical ethics has been on the qualities and duties of health care professionals. Developments in biology and medicine have refocused the ethics of health care on the patient. Four principles form the basis for ethical consideration: Autonomy, Nonmaleficence, Beneficence, and Justice. The instructor will examine this approach to bioethics. We will look at some common attempts to provide a definition of “person” and consider some issues that have shaped contemporary bioethics, namely, physician assisted dying and research involving human subjects.
Biography: James Fletcher received his bachelor’s degree from Iona College, his master’s from Marquette University, and his Ph.D from Indiana University. He is professor emeritus of philosophy at George Mason University, where he specialized in courses in general ethics, bioethics, and the ethics of health care. His research interests in bioethics included organizational ethics for health care providers, end of life issues, and community health needs.
LLI Coordinator: Janet Wheatcraft
Email a question to a coordinator
Religion & Philosophy: F2021, Getting to Know the Different Faiths in Our Community
Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 97
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Instructors: Imam Cemal Gumus and Imam Abdulahad Farooq
Description: This class has been re-scheduled from spring 2020 without a visit to the Mosque as previously planned. Zoom will be our medium for learning about the Islam faith from two Dar al-Noor Imams. We have asked them to cover their history, their concept of God, the texts they use, their worship service(s), their mission in the community, the role of women in their faith, and their religious holidays.
Biography: Imam Cemal Gumus, a graduate of Madinah Islamic University of Saudi Arabia, has been the Imam of Dar al-Noor Islamic Community Center since 2008. He has forged relationships with the local faith-based neighbors and participated in many interfaith events. He was born and raised in Turkey and has resided in the United States since 2000. He is married and has five daughters.
The biography for Imam Abdulahad Farooq will be given to registrants for the class prior to October 19th.
LLI Coordinator: Nancy Osborne
Email a question to a coordinator
Religion & Philosophy: F2022, What was the Star of Bethlehem?
Fri, Dec 11, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 97
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Instructor: Douglas Wulf, Ph.D
Description: The Bible describes a mysterious star that appeared in the sky and led the wise men, known as the Magi, to find the newborn Jesus in the town of Bethlehem. Ever since this account in the Gospel of Matthew was written, people have debated what this star really was. Was it an actual star, some other astronomical phenomenon, a miracle, or a fiction? In this class, we will look closely at the Biblical account and discuss some possible explanations for this famous star.
Biography: Douglas Wulf is Director of Linguistics in the English Department of George Mason University. In addition to Dr. Wulf’s interest in the history of the English language, he does work in the study of meaning (semantics/pragmatics) and applied linguistics as it pertains to preparing individuals to become teachers of English as a second language. He has taught several classes for LLI Manassas relating to the English language but also about his other fields of interest. Last winter he presented information on the Star of Bethlehem in an adult forum at Trinity Episcopal Church and was asked to share his information with an LLI Manassas class this December. We look forward to having him return to LLI for another class.
LLI Coordinator: Nancy Osborne
Email a question to a coordinator
Religion & Philosophy: F2023, Biblical Portraits
Tue, Oct 06, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional Dates: October 8th and October 21st
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 97
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: The Rev. James Hughes
Description: In this Zoom class The Rev. James Hughes and the registrants will consider the figures presented in a book by Ellie Wiesel titled Five Biblical Portraits. Featured will be King Saul, the prophets Elijah, Jonah and Jeremiah, and the young warrior Joshua, successor to Moses. Each of these five figures has a story to be told and an historical background to be examined. Father Jim will then supplement these portraits with more stories about Balaam, Samson, Naaman and Joseph, the son of Jacob and brother to eleven terrible siblings who sold him into slavery in Egypt.
Biography: The Rev. James Hughes holds bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and the classics and a master’s in biblical studies and systematic theology from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in 1982. More recently he studied at the Virginia Theological Seminary, which led to being received as an Episcopal priest in December of 2016. Currently he serves as an associate priest at Trinity Episcopal Church in Manassas. Father Jim has taught 10 classes for LLI-Manassas. His first two classes were about the Library of Congress, where he worked for 23 years in the Visitor Services Office. Subsequently he has taught classes on The Book of Job, Biblical Issues including Inspiration, Inerrancy and Canonicity, and a variety of Preacher Stories–all poignant. LLI-Manassas is very fortunate to have Father Jim Hughes, who is always willing to teach those of us eager to learn from him.
LLI Coordinator: Nancy Osborne
Email a question to a coordinator
Science & Technology & Nature: F2024, The Search for the Smallest Thing
Fri, Sep 25, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional Dates: 10/02/20, 10/09/20, 10/16/20
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 97
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Mark Dodge
Description: For thousands of years people have wondered what the universe was made of, and if there is a “smallest thing” from which everything else is made. Knowing the answer to this might lead to the ability to do things seemingly magical and fantastic. This class will follow the story of that search, starting with the philosophers of ancient Greece, then moving to the alchemists of the Middle Ages, and finally to the scientists of the scientific revolution. The class will explore the development of the Periodic Table and how the ideas about atoms developed, and it will end with the discovery of the first subatomic particle near the turn of the 20th century. A follow-on course will show the full development of the “particle zoo,” which has occurred in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Biography: Mark Dodge received his bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of California, Berkeley and his master’s degree in engineering physics from the University of Virginia. He worked as an engineering scientist with IBM in Manassas for 12 years before changing careers and becoming a high school physics and computer science teacher. He spent 24 years teaching physics at H-B Woodlawn in Arlington, retiring in 2016. In those 24 years he developed a fascination for the history of physics and particularly for the development of our understanding of the universe.
LLI Coordinator: Perley Eaton
Email a question to a coordinator
Science & Technology & Nature: F2025, Are You Smarter than Your Smart Phone?
Fri, Oct 23, 2020, 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 40
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: NVCC Students and Dr. Dahlia Henry-Tett
Description: This class has been repeated over several semesters, but each year Smart Phone manufacturers add more effective and helpful functions to their products, so users often need an update to keep abreast of these improvements. For the first time, this class will be offered using the Zoom Meeting application, and participants will be placed in selected Zoom Rooms dependent upon their smart phone or skill level.
Instructors (NVCC students) will guide users to become competent in the latest functional operations on their devices. Further, they will introduce applications available to help users function more effectively in daily life tasks such as selecting groceries and wine; communicating in real time in various foreign languages; or planning a healthier lifestyle. Participants will have an opportunity to request help with any concerns they may have dealing with their smart phones.
Biography: Dahlia Henry-Tett holds an Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University and has over 20 years of experience in higher education. She joined the NOVA Manassas Campus family as a faculty member and program administrator in Fall 2008. During her tenure at NOVA, Dahlia has received several professional awards for leadership, innovation, teaching and service. For the 2020-2021 academic year, Dahlia serves as the Campus Honors Program Leader, Collegewide Chair of the Physical Education and Health Faculty Discipline Group, and professor in the Health and Physical Education Department.
LLI Coordinator: E. Perley Eaton
Email a question to a coordinator
Science & Technology & Nature: F2026, Giants: The Big Planets of the Outer Solar System
Wed, Oct 07, 2020, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 97
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Dr. James Zimbelman
Description: Our solar system is separated into two types of planets, the inner “rocky” terrestrial planets and the outer “gas giant” planets, with the asteroid belt in between these groups. This lecture will discuss the four giant planets, all of which are much larger than the Earth. The innermost two giants are Jupiter, the largest planet, and Saturn, distinct because of its lovely ring system; these planets are called gas giants because both are comprised primarily of hydrogen and helium, much like the bulk composition of our sun. The outermost giants are Uranus, rotating on its side, and methane-rich Neptune; these planets are called “ice giants” because the interiors of both include zones comprised of materials that would form ice if not inside of these planets. Each of the four is unique, but together they tell us much about what the majority of the recently discovered “exoplanets,” those orbiting other stars, may be like.
Biography: Dr. James R. Zimbelman is a planetary geologist in the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. He has been at the Smithsonian since 1988, conducting research on analysis of spacecraft imaging data of the planets, geologic mapping of Mars and Venus, and investigations of lava flows and sand dunes on planetary surfaces. Dr. Zimbelman is a lecturer on cruises organized by the Smithsonian Journey program and on commercial cruise lines for which the Smithsonian provides lecturers. He has presented several classes for LLI-Manassas
LLI Coordinator: Lynn Hoffman
Email a question to a coordinator
Science & Technology & Nature: F2027, Changing the World One Standard at a Time
Wed, Dec 02, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size:
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Dr. Charles H. Romine
Description: Home to five Nobel prize winners, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has an incredibly broad portfolio of responsibilities. As America’s laboratory for advancing innovation, it does everything from building the world’s best atomic clocks to developing standing for robots in manufacturing, to helping fire fighters predict the behavior of wildfires. With programs focused on national priorities from advanced manufacturing and the digital economy to precision meteorology, quantum science, and biosciences, NIST’s overall mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. In this class, Dr. Romine will illustrate the many ways that standards and measurement have improved the quality of life and strengthened our economy.
Biography: Dr. Charles H. Romine is director of the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). ITL, one of six research laboratories within NIST, has an annual budget of $160 million, nearly 400 employees, and approximately 300 guest researchers from industry, universities, and foreign laboratories. Dr. Romine oversees a research program that cultivates trust in information technology and meteorology by developing and disseminating standards, measurements, and testing for interoperability, security, usability, and reliability of information systems, including cybersecurity standards and guidelines for federal agencies and U.S. industry, supporting these and measurement science at NIST through fundamental and applied research in computer science, mathematics, and statistics. Dr. Romine has bachelor’s (mathematics) and doctorate (applied mathematics) degrees from the University of Virginia.
LLI Coordinator: Dan Leahy
Email a question to a coordinator
Science & Technology & Nature: F2028, Getting Ready for Fall in Your Landscape
Wed, Sep 23, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional Dates: None
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: none
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Nancy Berlin
Description: Nancy Berlin will provide tips for homeowners on fall care of lawns, perennials, trees and shrubs as well as instructions on enhancing your landscape to create a habitat for pollinators, birds and beneficial insects.
Biography: Nancy Berlin, the Natural Resources Specialist and Master Gardener Coordinator for Virginia Cooperative Extension-Prince William, holds a graduate certificate in Natural Resources Management and Policy from Virginia Tech and has been with the Cooperative Extension Office since 2007.
LLI Coordinator: Valerie Kenyon Gaffney
Email a question to a coordinator
Science & Technology & Nature: F2029, NOVA Fab Lab Orientation & Tour, Identical Sessions A an B
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Group A: Oct. 16,
Group B: Nov. 13
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: 75 for each session
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Instructor: Lance Lacey
Description: The NOVA Fab Lab opened in January 2020 to provide a state-of-the-art work space to help develop STEM skills. The lab provides hands-on support to NOVA’s Engineering Technology degree and hands-on STEM opportunities for college students, staff, and community members. The Fab Lab Makerspace provides workshops, demonstrations, project collaborations with NOVA classes, tours, field trips, and special events to help enhance STEM learning. This creative space provides opportunities to learn about a myriad of topics such as electronics and coding; operation of fabrication equipment; use of design software, e-textiles/e-fashion; wood working; robotics; additive manufacturing (3D printing); and more.
Some of the equipment available includes 3D printers, a 3D scanner, laser cutters/engravers, a plastic thermoforming center, a 54″ vinyl printer/cutter, a large format CNC router (48″ x 48″), a mini desktop CNC router, a CNC wire bender, computerized sewing machines, a full woodworking shop, and a computer aided design (CAD) computer lab.
This Zoom class will provide facility orientation, a full lab tour, and two equipment demonstrations. Mr. Lacey will present and discuss lab programs, lab safety, current trends in fabrication, and Industry 4.0.
Biography: Lance Lacey grew up in upstate New York and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from SUNY Cortland. He taught high school science classes for 10 years in Florida and Virginia and also worked for the Virginia Department of Health. Currently he is the STEM Coordinator at the Fab Lab for NOVA Community College – Manassas campus. He loves DIY projects, spending time with family and friends, and anything pertaining to science.
LLI Coordinator: E Perley Eaton & Christina Cinalli
Email a question to a coordinator
Science & Technology & Nature: F2030, Understanding the Covid-19 Pandemic (A Zoom Presentation), Sessions 1 and 2
Wed, Nov 04, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional Dates: Nov. 6, 2020
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size: Zoom max
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host: Dr. Michael Dennis
Description: We have been living under the pressures of a Pandemic known as a coronavirus or Covid-19. There are many kinds of coronaviruses. Some cause mild illness, such as the common cold, while others, like Covid-19, can cause deadly respiratory diseases. Dr. Michael Dennis will offer a greater understanding of this epoch of harsh times and an awareness of what can be further expected from this pandemic. The understanding of the virus and exactly how it works is still in a state of flux, but Dr. Dennis will consider what is known so far.
In the first session he will explain the anatomy and origin of the virus, how it affects humans, the immune system’s response, and the mechanical means available to prevent infections.
In the second session he will discuss the classes of medications that have been approved, or are under consideration, for the treatment and prevention of the disease as well as their potential risks verses benefits.
Biography: Dr. Michael Dennis retired from the practice of neurosurgery after 30 years in the Washington area. He graduated from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree and earned his master’s from Yale University. He completed his surgical internship and his neurological residency at George Washington University Hospital. He became clinical professor of neurosurgery at George Washington University in 1980, where he served until December 2003. He has been on the staff of George Washington University Hospital, Washington Hospital Center, INOVA Fairfax Hospital and Reston Hospital. Dr Dennis is a long-time member of LLI and has presented several classes on various subjects.
LLI Coordinator: E. Perley Eaton or Christina Cinalli
Email a question to a coordinator
Clubs: F2031, Book Club
Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional Dates: 10/28/2020, 11/25/2020, 12/23/2020
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size:
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host:
Description: Books, both fiction and non-fiction, are selected by the members, usually one or two months in advance. The discussions are fun for all, including those who may not have finished reading the current book. Members are encouraged to lead discussions. During covid-19 restrictions, members have been agreeing on a topic, finding books to read on their own, and meeting on Zoom for animated discussions.
Biography:
LLI Coordinator: Barbara Deegan
Email a question to a coordinator
Clubs: F2032, Lunch Club
Fri, Oct 02, 2020, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Additional Dates: 11/06/2020, 12/04/2020
Location: Online via Zoom
Maximum class size:
Fee, if any: Free
Speaker/Host:
Description: Traditionally, the Lunch Club has met on the first Friday of each month at the Juke Box Diner. The purpose of the club is for LLI members to enjoy a meal together and become better acquainted with fellow members. There is no planned program or topic—we just chat about anything that comes to mind. Participants pay for their own meals. Due to COVID-19 we have been meeting via Zoom and will continue to do so this semester.
Biography:
LLI Coordinator: Mary Foster
Email a question to a coordinator
Clubs: F2033, Mah Jongg Club
Tue, Sep 15, 2020, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Additional Dates: Every Tuesday
Location: Online at RealMahJongg.com
Maximum class size: Unlimited
Fee, if any: $8 for mah jongg card annually
Speaker/Host: Facilitator: Kathy Fowler
Description: Every Tuesday, 1:30-3:30 p.m., we meet online for fun, laughter and a good time. All levels of experience are welcome from beginners through master players. To play online one can go on RealMahJongg.com and sign in for a 2-week trial. After 2 weeks there is a charge of $5.99 a month. For more information, call Kathy Fowler at 703-368-7315.
Biography:
LLI Coordinator: Kathy Fowler
Email a question to a coordinator