January 17, 2006
Learning in Retirement meeting is Jan. 18
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The monthly Southern Illinois Learning in Retirement (SILIR) meeting is set for Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, 150 E. Pleasant Hill Road, Carbondale. The meeting is open to the public.
The meeting will be held in conjunction with the anniversary luncheon and also is the Howard Webb Memorial Program. He was instrumental in the establishment of SILIR, and the fourth annual memorial program commemorates his contributions to the organization.
SILIR, first introduced to Southern Illinois in October 1998 by SIUC's Division of Continuing Education, offers all people age 55 and older, within commuting distance of Carbondale, the opportunity to participate in peer-directed learning. The organization is run by its members and develops programs generally taught by its members. Currently there are more than 200 members in SILIR.
Coffee hour is set for 9:30 a.m. and will be followed by the program at 10:30 a.m. Edward O'Day, emeritus associate professor of history at SIUC, will discuss how he unmasked the anonymous author of "Memoirs of an Irishman" and comment on what the text reveals about the social worlds of Ireland and America of the time. The 2006 anniversary luncheon will follow the meeting. The cost for the luncheon is $10. Reservations must be made by Jan.13 by calling 618/536-7751.
SILIR offers many exciting new courses including: Early Christian Church History, Amphibians of Illinois, Growing and Sharing Flowers, Strike up the Band, Current Events, Southern Illinois: Its Culture and Economy, Mesopotamia and the Modern Middle East: At the Core of Cultural Discovery, and Behind the Scenes at the University Museum. There are three day trips on the SILIR spring calendar, including The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, The St. Louis Symphony and a Spring Wildflower Discovery Trip.
Non-members can join for a $25 membership fee and a $10 fee for each class in which they enroll. To receive a registration form by mail, call the Division of Continuing Education at 618/536-7751, or visit the Web site at www.dce.siu.edu.
Serving others is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint the University if following as it approaches its 150th anniversary in 2019.