Homecoming 2006 “Sailing Into the Sea
of Knowledge”
A celebration of
lifelong learning!
In keeping with the
Homecoming theme of “Set Sail to Bethel”,
the Friends chose to celebrate lifelong learning by “Sailing Into the Sea
Knowledge”. During the annual Open House, guests heard about the post-college
adventures of five lifelong learners:
Dr. John Lawyer
(Professor of Political Science
Emeritus) spoke about The Great Courses
collection that he recently donated to the Bethel University Library. The Great Courses website describes
this series as follows: “…brings
engaging professors into your home or car through courses on DVD, audio CD, and
other formats. Since 1990, great teachers from the Ivy League, Stanford, Georgetown, and other
leading colleges and universities have crafted over 200 courses for lifelong
learners like you. It’s the adventure of learning without the homework or
exams”.
http://www.teach12.com/
Lorraine Eitel (Associate Professor of English Emerita) described
her many Elderhostel trips that were
full of learning and adventure.
http://www.elderhostel.org
Beth Peterson (Associate
Professor of Nursing.) talked about the wonderful experience of growing up in a
home where her mother was the epitome of a lifelong learner.
Speech (PDF)
Donna Barnett (retired
Bethel University Librarian) spoke about her enjoyment of courses taken through
OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute), an affiliated, noncredit program of
the University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education. OLLI is a membership-based community of older
adults in the Twin Cities metropolitan area who love learning and enjoy
spending time with like-minded individuals.
http://www.cce.umn.edu/olli/
Jocelyn Jensen (Bethel University
alumna) described in voice and slides her adventure of learning to scuba dive.
Posters invited guests to
“Share the lessons you have learned as you have sailed the Seas of Life. Live, learn, and pass it on…” by writing
answers to the following questions:
1. Who has been your most influential teacher?
Parent? Spouse? Neighbor? Co-worker? Car mechanic?
What did you learn from this person?
2. What is the most useful thing that you have
learned outside a formal educational setting?
3. What is one thing that you would still like
to learn how to do?
4. What is the name of a good book that you read
recently? Was it fiction? A “how to” book?
Travel book? Biography? Children’s literature?
