Wonderlust

Journeys of the Mind

Sarah Cairoli  |   Sunday Feb. 2nd, 2014

Bozeman seems to attract a certain kind of resident—the kind who seeks adventure and leaps at life’s opportunities. While Bozeman is not the most diverse town on the map, its population fluctuates as Montana State University’s calendar changes. MSU attracts students from all over the world and professors and experts on every subject. College students stream in by the thousands every fall, skis on their backs and eager anticipation in their hearts. They come to learn, to play, and to discover all that life has to offer. They keep our town young. (Bozeman’s median age is 27 years old, compared with a state average of 44 years old, according to City-Data.) However, there is a good proportion ofthe city’s population that is no longer college-aged, but still full of that eager anticipation to discover all of life’s possibilities. Something about living within view of the gorgeous peaks that surround Bozeman inspires a lifelong sense of adventure.

MSU’s Extended University has made an effort to create programs that cater to lifelong learners by creating the Wonderlust program, in cooperation with the MSU Alumni Foundation, the Museum of the Rockies, the Country Bookshelf, and the Bozeman Public Library. Wonderlust offers classes, Side Trips, forums, and book clubs to anyone who wants to be a student without committing to a full time course load. In January, the Country Bookshelf hosted a reception so that interested community members could learn about various course offerings while meeting the teachers and each other. The crowd sipped wine while mingling to piano music played by renowned local musician, Eric Funk. He will be teaching a course on Baroque Music beginning in March.

Wonderlust Courses
Wonderlust courses are available to anyone who is inspired to keep learning. Some require a little background reading, but none of them are graded. This spring, the organization offers six different classes. Funk’s music class will meet weekly for eight weeks to listen to Bach, Handel, and other composers from the Baroque Era. Lectures and lively discussions will follow listening sessions. Professor Jian-yi Liu is offering a series of lectures on Chinese culture and Professor Bridget Kevane is teaching a course on Latinos in the U.S. and specifically in Montana. Both courses promise a better understanding of neighbors from other cultures.

In February, Dr. Gerry Wheeler will offer students the opportunity to learn more about physics, and has designed his lectures to appeal to an audience with minimal mathematical expertise. Attendees will have the chance to discuss the relationship between space, time, and matter. MSU history teacher, Dale Martin, is offering a course on World War I, in which he will discuss not only the history of the conflict, but its influence on present day attitudes. Psychology Professor Chris O’Connor will explore the ways in which gender, personal history, and society influence our altruistic and aggressive tendencies in her course Helping and Hurting: The Psychology of Altruism and Aggression, which begins in April.

Wonderlust courses meet at Pilgrim Congregational Church, Hope Lutheran Church, and Aspen Pointe. Anyone is welcome to reserve a seat in class, but Wonderlust members will receive a discount on tuition (which is not much to begin with: courses range from $85 to $135 for non-members or $50 to $100 for members). Wonderlust membership costs $35 per year and gives individuals access to several additional programs at no cost.

Wonderlust Side Trips
Wonderlust members can take advantage of the program’s Side Trips, one-time courses open only to members that cover a wide variety of topics. Participants can learn more about the Anzick archaeological site located on the Shields River, where human remains were found that are estimated to be 11,500 years old. Or, they can learn how bad decisions made by a drunken Army Major led to the massacre of a peaceful band of Native Americans along the Marias River in 1870.

Matthew Savery, conductor of the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Choir, will explain the art of conducting an orchestra and Professor Hunter Lloyd will combine comedy and computer science in his discussion of How to Train a Robot. There will also be discussions about bringing Shakespeare to Montana’s public school students and the way in which science and rational thought have affected, and continue to affect, our world view. Wonderlust’s Side Trips are designed to be informative and thought-provoking, providing participants with the opportunity to discuss contemporary issues with their contemporaries. In addition to courses and Side Trips, Wonderlust offers several other programs open to members and the public.

Wonderlust’s Other Offerings
On the second Friday of the month, Wonderlust holds Friday Forums at the Bozeman Public Library. Speakers lecture on various controversial topics that affect the area, and guests are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch and a desire to discuss the issue. January’s forum involved the discussion of the Story Mill area and attracted 150 interested residents, according to the president of Wonderlust’s board of directors, Eva Patten. Friday Forums are open to the general public.

Wonderlust also facilitates two local book clubs. One focuses on international mysteries and is led by Country Bookshelf owner, Ariana Paliobagis. The other focuses more generally on English literature; participants will discuss work by Shakespeare, Conrad, and Woolf, among others. This group will be led by MSU associate professor and librarian, Jan Zauha. Both book clubs are free to Wonderlust members.

Stephen Guggenheim, a member of the Bozeman Symphony and Intermountain Opera Orchestra, will lead an Opera Club beginning in February. Classes will be held preceding local opera performances and live telecasts shown at the Regal Theaters in the Gallatin Valley Mall. In February, Wonderlust will host a wine and cheese tasting during which Neil Cornish will discuss the art and science behind the beverage while Eric Funk entertains the crowd with jazz. Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk will use his unique perspective to reflect on the Park and the issues that surround it on May 1.

The list of Wonderlust events seems endless, and I have only covered the offerings for this spring. Most of the organization’s events require pre-registration. Anyone interested in more information, schedules, and registration or membership information should visit Wonderlust’s website at: eu.montana.edu/wonderlust/, or call MSU’s Extended University at (406) 994-6683.

For More Information:
Please call406 994-6683 or e-mail your name, address, phone number to ContinuingEd @montana.edu

Sarah Cairoli is a local writer, tutor, and mother who has been enjoying all Bozeman has to offer for the past decade. She can be reached at scairoli30@hotmail.com

About the Author(s)

Sarah Cairoli

Sarah Cairoli is a local writer, tutor, and mother who has been enjoying all Bozeman has to offer for the past decade. She can be reached at scairoli30@hotmail.com(scairoli30 (at) hotmail [d0t] com,)

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