Life Enrichment will take place on Thursday mornings for the 2022-23 school year instead of Wednesdays as it has in the past. The first Spring sessions will be on Thursday, February 2. We are excited to bring Life Enrichment back to the Bethel campus!
The Life Enrichment series is planned especially for adults age 60 and over.
Since 1974, Bethel College has sponsored Life Enrichment, supported by volunteers, registration fees and the generosity of speakers who share their talent and expertise without compensation.
| Cost: | $30 per semester or $3 per week; first-time attendees get a free day |
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| Time: | Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-11:50 a.m. for two-session dates; Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. for three-session dates |
| Location: | All sessions will be in Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center on the Bethel campus |
| Lunch cost: | $6.50 full meal; $4.50 soup/salad/dessert. Please purchase tickets for lunch by 10:30 a.m. with cash, or check payable to “Aladdin Foods.” |
Donations help cover our costs for coffee and cookies. Lunch is served in the Shultz Student Center cafeteria "The Caf".
Schedule
February 2
| 9:30 a.m. | “Faithful Journeys,” A.B Stokes, Bethel College head football coach |
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| 10:35 a.m. | “The Impact of Social Media on Youth and the Classroom,” Brian Skinner, 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year, North Newton |
| 11:30 a.m. | “KanCare Expansion - The Movement Too Urgent to Be Ignored,”April Holman, executive director, Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, Topeka |
February 9
| 9:30 a.m. | “The HMC Way,” Sara Kelly, outreach coordinator, and Re’An Will, outreach assistant, Health Ministries, Newton |
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| 10:35 a.m. | “The Miracle of Chase Kear,” Paul and Paula Kear, Colwich |
| 11:30 a.m. | “On Two Wheels at 15,000 Feet (an MCC Learning Tour in Bolivia),” Joe Smucker, Goessel |
February 16
| 9:30 a.m. | “Let's Hop Over the Gate!,” Jennifer Isaacs, assistant director, Wren House, Valley Center |
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| 10:50 a.m. | “Writing East of Liberal: Broadening My Perspective of the Land,” Raylene Hinz-Penner, North Newton, lecturer emeritus, Department of English, Washburn University |
February 23
| 9:30 a.m. | “Moving a House to make a Home,” Omar Galle, professor emeritus, University of Texas, and Zona Platt Galle, M.S.W., retired, North Newton |
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| 10:35 a.m. | “Aphasia: Loss of Language, NOT of Intellect?,” Harold Regier, North Newton |
| 11:30 a.m. | “A Tale of Western Music through Lyrics and Melody,” Jeff Davidson, Eureka |
March 2
| 9:30 a.m. | “Nutrition: Importance of Eating and Enjoying Real Food in a Convenience Food Culture,” Heather McDonough, Andover |
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| 10:35 a.m. | “Serving People in Need of Shelter,” Jeff Koller, McPherson |
| 11:30 a.m. | “Why Kansas?,” Rev. Dr. Karen L. Robu, Bethel College assistant professor of communication arts/ director of theater |
March 16
| 9:30 a.m. | “Russia, Ukraine, and Our World of Competing Visions: Can Civil Society counter Oligarchic Capitalism?,” Janine Wedel, professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, Washington, D.C. |
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| 10:50 a.m. | “Can We Sing the Darkness to Light?,” Henry S. Waters, D.M.A., director of choral music/associate professor of music, with the Bethel College Chamber Singers, Open Road and Woven |
March 23
| 9:30 a.m. | “Celebrating 75 Years of the Newton Mexican-American Men’s Fast Pitch Softball Tournament,” Paul Vega, Newton, and Raymond Olais, North Newton |
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| 10:35 a.m. | “20,000 Geese and YOU!,” Libby Albers, assistant director, Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, Newton |
| 11:30 a.m. | “Life at Newton Grand Central Senior Center,” with songs by the Golden Notes Choir, Lynne Beth, director, Grand Central Senior Center, Newton |
March 30
| 9:30 a.m. | “Theatre as Restorative Justice,” Lauren Friesen, Ph.D., David M. French Professor Emeritus of Theater at the University of Michigan, North Newton |
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| 10:50 a.m. | “Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills,” Rex Buchanan, Lawrence |
April 6
| 9:30 a.m. | “Starting Crust & Crumb Company Was a Slice of Humble Pie,” Sharon Entz, owner/operator of Crust & Crumb, Newton |
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| 10:35 a.m. | “Art Influenced by Nature – Environmental Exposure,” Glen Ediger, North Newton |
| 11:30 a.m. | “10,900 Miles of Coastline: A Newfoundland Sampler,” Weldon Schloneger, former teacher, retired pastor and avid photographer, North Newton |
April 13
| 9:30 a.m. | “My Walk Through the Holy Land: Where Jesus Lived While on Earth,” Father Andrew Bergkamp, pastor, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Newton |
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| 10:50 a.m. | “Connections Between Mennonites and the Stutthof Concentration Camp,” Mark Jantzen, Ph.D., Bethel College professor of history |
April 20
| 9:30 a.m. | “Celebrating 25 Years of Sand Creek Trail at Bethel College,” Sand Creek Trail Committee members |
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| 10:50 a.m. | “Substantive Subjects, Sports Surprises, and Silly Shenanigans: The History and Traditions of Bethel College,” Dale Schrag, retired Bethel College director of church relations, North Newton |
April 27
| 9:30 a.m. | “Crisis Communication Strategies Emerging from the #ChurchToo Movement,“ Christine Crouse-Dick, Ph.D., Bethel College professor of communication arts |
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| 10:35 a.m. | “Don’t Let Your Buffalo Run Loose: Stories from Harvey County,” Kristine Schmucker, archivist/curator, and Catherine Graves, director, Harvey County Historical Museum and Archives, Newton |
| 11:30 a.m. | “Bethel College Steel Drum Ensemble,” Brad Shores, director |
Life Enrichment Committee:
Gary Rediger, chair
Helen Nachtigal, vice-chair
Gloria Rediger
Byron Ediger
Judy Friesen