Learn ­- Experience - Grow

Alumni go back to school at Alumni Summer College

By Terri Carroll ‘88

Dozens of Falcon alumni started a new summer tradition at BGSU’s inaugural Alumni Summer College on June 29 – July 1, 2016. Designed to offer special programming for alumni and friends of BGSU, Alumni Summer College provided a series of educational (and fun) classes, lively discussions and excursions.  Returning alumni ranged from Barbara Palmer, a 1954 graduate, to Teresa Lopez, a 2007 graduate.

Participants enjoyed three days of classes, taught by BGSU’s award-winning faculty, including:

• Truth, Justice, & the American Way: Superman and the evolution of the Superhero Genre
  
• Technology “Sandbox”
• Reading the Romance Novel
• Female Vocalists of the Big Band Era
• Material Culture: Studying the Meaningful Object as Living Symbol and Narrative
• U.S. Elections in Comparative Perspective
• Brainstorming the Novel
• The Value of Higher Education

There were also campus tours and updates as well as trips to local attraction such as the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center and the National Museum of the Great Lakes. Alumni were able to relive their college days as they stayed in the residence halls, strolled through campus and visited remembered downtown destinations.

 “Alumni Summer College is a premiere example of BGSU’s commitment to using innovation to drive lifelong learning,” J. Robert Sebo ’58, ’13 (Hon.) said. “There are so many resources and opportunities at the University that are available to alumni long after they graduate.”

“I am so pleased that alumni embraced this opportunity to revisit their BGSU days and become students again,” said Mary Ellen Mazey, Ph.D., president of Bowling Green State University. “Our inaugural participants had a wonderful experience interacting with faculty, meeting one another, and exploring campus and the region. I look forward to meeting more lifelong learners at next year’s Alumni Summer College.”

In addition to the classroom opportunities, Teresa Lopez ’07 had another reason to travel to Alumni Summer College from Washington, D.C., with her guest Gregory Daniels. “I wanted my boyfriend to see and experience the place where I spent the best four years of my life. It is wonderful to be back in class and to see all the changes to campus.”

While many alumni commented on the new buildings and opportunities, they also were happy to see the BGSU feeling of warmth, welcome and helpfulness was still thriving. 

Lisa Pavel ’88 said she found a willingness to help alive and well on campus. When she checked into Centennial Hall on Monday night, she spent 90 minutes talking with the students staffing the desk. She had a lot of questions, she said.  Her daughter is set to attend BGSU in August 2017.

Thank you to bgindependentmedia.org for their contribution to this story.