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With a curriculum ranging from art, fossils, and fiction to the Muslim discovery of coffee, causes of the Arab spring, and relationship between age and happiness, alumni and friends spent July 17-20 exercising their intellects during the fifth annual Alumni Summer College.
“Topics that I have been nervous about not enjoying have turned out to be some of my favorites because of the professors’ enthusiasm and knowledge of their fields,” says Colin Roosman ’01, who was back for his second year.
“I enjoyed all of the sessions but if I had to choose favorites, I would say the classes taught by David Sunderlin and Alison Byerly,” says Ingrid Orav P’16, “because of their vast knowledge of their topics, their passionate presentation, and their engagement with the audience. I could have listened for hours and hours.”
The intensive schedule of 10 courses over three days began Thursday afternoon followed by a reception and dinner that evening. President Alison Byerly taught The Reality of Fiction.
Classes were held in Kirby Hall of Civil Rights and on Friday and Saturday began at 9 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. Some special options this year included a field trip to LaFarm, the College’s community garden and working farm, or an exploration of unusual and unexpected items from Special Collections in Skillman Library.
“I enjoyed the classes about the Middle East,” says Joanne Lilliendahl ’01, who has attended all five years, “they shed so much light on a complicated situation. I was amazed to learn that it is acceptable to view the area as difficult to define and then to hear a well-articulated and succinctly summarized perspective raised my awareness.”
During breaks, attendees enjoyed campus tours led by students, met with friends, stopped by the College Store, or exercised at Kirby Sports Center.
Sponsored by Alumni Relations, the Alumni Summer College program provided alumni and their friends a way to step back into the life of the College for a few days.
COURSES
Make. Believe. Art. Nestor Armando Gil, assistant professor of art
The Reality of Fiction President Alison Byerly
Extinction: Fossils and the Future David Sunderlin, associate professor of geology and environmental geosciences
A Warm Ancient Alaska: A Rogue Geologist’s Journey David Sunderlin
The Arab Spring: Causes and Consequences Ilan Peleg, Dana Professor of Government and Law
Is that Food Pure and Natural? Let’s Ask the 1800s Benjamin Cohen, assistant professor of engineering studies
The Muslim Discovery of a New Beverage: Coffee and Urban Culture in the Early Modern World Rachel Goshgarian, assistant professor of history
Lafayette Alumni, American Missionaries, and Iran: A Snapshot into the Complex Relationship between the United State and the Middle East Rachel Goshgarian
Age, Time, and Feeling Happy: Theory and Research from Lifespan Psychology Jamila Bookwala, professor of psychology