As students agonize over the stress of midterms, Dartmouth alumni and other nearby residents will head back to school next Monday as Alumni College, Dartmouth's adult education summer program, holds its first day of class.
From Aug. 1 through 7, scores of Upper Valley residents and visiting students will read mysteries, write fiction and immerse themselves in foreign languages with Dartmouth professors and local authors.
The highlight of this summer's program is geography professor George Demko's class, "Place and Plot with Major American Mystery Writers," which will include a visit from nationally-recognized mystery author and Hanover resident Janet Evanovich, as well as appearances by mystery writers Arch Mayer and Philip Craig.
The Office of Alumni Affairs seeks to reach out to alumni and the local community through the educational opportunities of Alumni College annually. Though the majority of the program's pupils are in retirement or approaching retirement age, younger alumni who graduated as recently as the mid-90s also participate, according to Roberta Moore, director of alumni continuing education and travel.
English Professor Barbara Dimmick, who taught in the program last summer, said she appreciates the varied ages of her students in Alumni College. Dimmick said she finds that the generational differences among participants impart a valuable perspective when studying literature. For her, the highlight of the 2004 class was a memoir written by a student who had traveled Nicaragua in 1940. According to Dimmick, the piece gave her a "glimpse at a personal slice of history and culture" only possible in an alumni class.
While Dimmick acknowledged that "some [participants in the class] just write for entertainment," she has also had several students from ages 30 to 50 who enrolled to explore the possibility of making writing a career. One of her students, a successful public relations executive, came to the 2004 session aspiring to write a novel and has since found a publisher to sponsor his work.
Stet Whitcher '40 enrolled in Alumni College during its third year and has since attended annually.
"I didn't get enough out of Dartmouth while I was there," Whitcher said, stating his reason for returning to Hanover every summer.
Attending his 39th Alumni College this summer, Whitcher will be studying mystery writers with Professor Demko.
"You are never too old to learn," Whitcher said.
Whitcher is not only a recurring student but an important benefactor of Alumni College, endowing the Rudy Horky Fund in honor of a former classmate.
In addition to Alumni College, the continuing education and travel division of Alumni Relations sponsors regional Dartmouth Club seminars and trips led by Dartmouth professors. History professor David Lagomarsino has taught on four alumni trips and said he enjoyed them all.
"Alumni might have more trouble racing up the stone steps of the castle than students ... [who are] 40 to 60 years younger, but they bring a wealth of life experience and perspective," Lagomarsino said. "I always learn a lot from them."
