The Life Enrichment series is planned especially for adults age 60 and over.
The series is made possible by funding from Bethel College and the generosity of speakers who share their talent and expertise without compensation. The series is held in conjunction with Bethel’s academic year.
| Cost: | $20 per semester or $2 per week; first-time attendees get a free day |
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| Time: | 9:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m. (lunch following) |
| Location: | Krehbiel Auditorium in the Luyken Fine Arts Center on the Bethel campus, unless otherwise noted |
Coffee break time is usually 10:15–10:35 a.m. (donations needed to help cover cost). Lunch is served in the Schultz Student Center dining hall. Tickets for lunch should be purchased by 10:35 a.m. Cost: $6 for full meal; $4 for soup/salad/dessert.
Current Schedule
| August 29 | |
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| 9:30 a.m. | A Peek Inside Student Life at Bethel Samuel Haynes, vice president for student life and dean of students, Bethel College |
| 10:15 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:35 a.m. | Youth Sports: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks? Jennifer Koontz, M.D., Newton Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine |
| 11:30 a.m. | Chief Lucy of the Kaw Indians Pauline Sharp, granddaughter of Chief Lucy, Wichita |
| September 5 | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Building a Competitive Advantage Brent Edmisten, vice president of operations, SCM and engineering, Excel Industries, Hesston |
| 10:15 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:35 a.m. | Use of Drones in Police Work Craig Dunlavy, assistant police chief, Newton Police Department |
| 11:30 a.m. | The Heavens Declare the Glory of God Robert Henderson, Ph.D., Whitewater |
| September 12 | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Life in Babylon: The Story of a Missionary Kid Joe Manickam, Ph.D., president, Hesston College |
| 10:15 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:35 a.m. | Unmentionables to Overgarments: A Look at Victorian Women’s Fashions Hannah Thompson, director, Harvey County Historical Museum, Newton |
| 11:30 a.m. | Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Danielle and Wayne Goering, Moundridge |
| September 19 Please note: this session will be held in Memorial Hall. |
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| 9:30 a.m. | Stories From My Abolitionist Ancestors Zona Platt Galle, North Newton |
| 10:15 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:35 a.m. | Community Emergencies You Did Not Think Of Skip Cowen, community services coordinator, Harvey County Health Department, Newton |
| 11:30 a.m. | Steel Drums: A Cross-Cultural Experience Brad Shores, athletic band director, Bethel College |
| September 26 | |
| 9:30 a.m. | The Future of Harvesting is Now Greg Terjesen, vice president of sales and marketing, Tribine Equipment, Newton |
| 10:15 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:35 a.m. | The Amazing Honeybee Ken Regier and Ryan Goertzen, beekeepers, Newton and North Newton |
| 11:30 a.m. | Escape to Freedom: One Family’s Journey from Vietnam to the U.S. Kim Huynh, Textron Aviation, and Rob Howes, retired aviation engineer, Wichita |
| October 3 | |
| 9:30 a.m. | 125 Years of Banking on Main Street Ronald Lang, president, Midland National Bank, Newton |
| 10:15 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:35 a.m. | Finding the Right Time to Have the Difficult Conversations Sheryl Wilson, executive director, Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Reconciliation (KIPCOR), North Newton |
| 11:30 a.m. | Sneak Peek into the Fall Fest Musical, Little Women John McCabe-Juhnke, Ph.D., professor of communication arts, Bethel College |
| October 10 | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Sparking Change to Improve Lives: EmberHope and Youthville Pam Bauer Nolan, chair, board of directors, Newton |
| 10:15 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:35 a.m. | The Famous Group of 62 descendants of Russian Mennonite soldiers rescued a century ago, with panel facilitator John Sharp, professor of history, Hesston College |
| 11:30 a.m. | The Famous Group of 62 continues (double session) |
| October 17 | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Collaboration in the Arts Rachel Epp Buller, Ph.D., associate professor of visual art and design, Bethel College |
| 10:15 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:35 a.m. | Community Chaplaincy: Service and Solutions Jason Reynolds, executive director, Community Chaplains Response Team Inc., Newton |
| 11:30 a.m. | The Deacon’s Choice: It was a fabulous offer, but would Uncle Dannie sell his farm? LeRoy Hershberger, storyteller, Hutchinson |
| October 24 | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Vietnam and Laos: Legacies of the American War and Peace Building for the Future Heidi Buller Huber, human resources coordinator, Mennonite Central Committee-Central States, North Newton, and Rachel Ringenberg Miller, pastor, Shalom Mennonite Church, Newton |
| 10:15 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:35 a.m. | Photographing Kansas Nature and Landscapes Scott Bean, Scott Bean Photography, Manhattan |
| 11:30 a.m. | Hazel Zink and the Wrinkle Box Players (accordion music), Hutchinson |
| October 31 | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Our Visit to Cuba was Stepping Back in Time Carol and Donley Duerksen, Hillsboro |
| 10:15 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:35 a.m. | McPherson Valley Wetlands: Past, Present and Future Jason Black, manager, KDWPT fisheries and wildlife biologist supervisor, McPherson |
| 11:30 a.m. | The Automotive Restoration Program Amanda Gutierrez, MBA, vice president for auto restoration, McPherson College |
| November 7 Please note: this schedule only has two sessions. |
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| 9:30 a.m. | A River Runs Through It: 3,900 Miles Down China’s Mighty Yangtze Jim Goering, economist, North Newton |
| 10:30 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:50 a.m. | End-of-Life Choices: Consider the Conversation Roberta Loeffler, M.D., and Karen Lehman, DNP, MSN, ARPN, FNP-C, Newton Medical Center |
| November 14 | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Lindsborg’s Festivals and Events Holly Lofton, director, Lindsborg Convention and Visitors Bureau |
| 10:15 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 10:35 a.m. | Water in Kansas: Past and Present Rex Buchanan, interim director, Kansas Geological Survey, Lawrence, Humanities Kansas speaker |
| 11:30 a.m. | Water in Kansas: Past and Present continues (double session) |