Lifelong Learning Institute offers fall mini-courses

GOSHEN, Ind. – The Lifelong Learning Institute of Goshen College and Greencroft Retirement Communities is offering four self-enrichment courses this fall.

Don Minter leads “Current Politics: Utopia or Quicksand?” Classes are Sept. 25, 27 and Oct. 2 and 4; 2-3:30 p.m., in Goshen College’s Newcomer Center 19. There is a $40 course fee.

Minter is a long-time Goshen physician who is completing a term on the Goshen City Council. The course includes presentations from other elected officials. What is meant by “the game of politics?” What are the variations in political style from local, state, national and international arenas? Participants are invited to bring political cartoons, personal experience and respectful dialogue into the discussion.

Jay and Marilyn Morris will lead “Decoding the Da Vinci Code: C-I-E-M-I-D.” Classes are Oct. 17, 19, 24 and 26; 2-3:30 p.m., at the Goshen Public Library’s Schrock Auditorium. There is a $40 course fee.

The controversial novel by Dan Brown has stirred the interest, and sometimes indignation, of millions of readers worldwide. Jay, a long-time United Methodist minister in Goshen, and Marilyn, with many years experience teaching kindergarten, recently completed a study tour in Paris, London and Edinburgh on “Tracing the Da Vinci Code.” The class will seek to come to a realistic appreciation of the novel as a fictional mystery that does contain some inaccurate historical detail. Local artist Abner Hershberger will provide a guest perspective on Da Vinci as artist and on the paintings that play prominently in the novel. Participants are strongly encouraged to read the novel in advance.

Mary Oyer and Phoebe Brubaker will lead “Studies in Mozart’s ‘Marriage of Figaro.’” Classes are Oct. 25, 27 and 30 and Nov. 1 and 2 (dress rehearsal); 2-3:30 p.m. first day; other sessions as arranged in Goshen College’s Newcomer Center. There is a $50 course fee.

In this 250th year of Mozart’s birth, the Goshen College departments of music and theater will collaborate in a major production of “The Marriage of Figaro.” Mary Oyer is professor emeritus of music at Goshen College. Oyer will lead in musical studies, and Goshen College graduate Phoebe Brubaker in drama and staging. This team study will include attention to the nature of opera, the author/composer, the musical and historical context, the rehearsal process and the lasting appeal of Mozart’s work. The performance is included in the Goshen College Performing Artists Series.

The final course, “Dice and Dine,” led by Amos and Anne Burkholder, featuring international cooking and dining, is filled.

The Lifelong Learning Institute is a member of Elderhostel Institute Network. Co-directors are Wilbur and Fanni Birky. Fanni previously held several positions at Greencroft Goshen, including resident service coordinator and volunteer coordinator.  Wilbur is professor emeritus of English and director emeritus of international education at Goshen College.

Scholarships (excluding supply and travel fees) are available for seniors living in HUD housing or on Medicaid. Registration forms are available at Greencroft Senior Center or Goshen College Welcome Center, 1700 S. Main St., Goshen, IN 46526. To register by phone and pay by credit card, call (574) 535-7566.

Editors: For more information about this release contact either John Bender, Greencroft Retirement Communities Public Relations Director, (574) 537-4017, johnb@greencroft.org; or Jodi H. Beyeler, Goshen College News Bureau Director, (574) 535-7572, jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

Greencroft Retirement Communities serves 1,400 residents and other community seniors in Goshen, Middlebury and South Bend, Ind. Greencroft Retirement Communities is a not-for-profit organization sponsored by MHS Alliance. Visit www.greencroft.org.