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OLLI’s Passage to IndiaIn Clark Lambert’s beautiful photo taken during a trip to India, dawn illuminates a cluster of women meeting on the banks of the Ganges River. The colorful clothing and remarkable architectural flourishes create an exotic study in contemplation, but the feeling of easy camaraderie is universal. India itself is a recurring theme in this term’s catalog. Instructor Manjula Kemp will offer a course in current Indian literature, a series on everyday life in India, and a third course called “Exploring Tastes of India,” a vegetarian cooking class. Another theme in the current catalog is the lifelong learner or independent scholar. As a lifelong learner yourself, you will appreciate Roberta O’Connor’s class on “Joseph Campbell: The Maverick Scholar.” When as a young scholar Campbell returned to Columbia University in 1929 to complete his doctorate after studying abroad, he announced to the faculty that his time in Europe had broadened his interests and that he wanted to study Sanskrit and Modern Art in addition to Medieval Literature. When his advisors did not support this, he decided not to go forward with his plans to earn a doctorate and never returned to a conventional graduate program. In forging his own path in life, this famous writer and mythologist truly lived the life of a “maverick scholar.” In his own way, Michelangelo was also a maverick whose educational life bucked the trend of an artist’s apprenticeship in Renaissance Florence. Despite considerable obstacles, he never stopped learning. In a special interest group meeting in Palm Harbor, you’ll be able to follow the life and times of the genius from Florence and learn about the varied artistic treasures resulting from his many years of creativity. I received a letter recently from an OLLI member who wrote about his thirst for knowledge not always being quenched in a familiar classroom: “To a degree, I have a reputation for choosing ‘courses’ on subjects I know little or nothing about…visiting a new port in my travels through life – rather than the confirming comfort of knowledge already visited.” Like this lifelong “maverick” scholar, we can all seek out new pathways and ports of call in our quest for lifelong learning. Along the way, as members of OLLI we can enjoy the companionship of others who share our interests, producing an “easy camaraderie” like that displayed by the women who gather at the Ganges. - Tom Santee, Director, OLLI at Eckerd College |