The Life-Long Learning lecture series at Fort Lewis College is preparing to begin. The free series is co-sponsored by the Office of the President and the Professional Associates of Fort Lewis College and aims to educate students and the community with free presentations on a variety of topics.
The lecture series was started by Judith Reynolds 17 years ago, and this fall includes topics such as climate change, domestic violence and the Inca Empire.
“I wanted to live in a town that had a lecture series at its college,” said Reynolds, a member of the Professional Associates of Fort Lewis College and a contributor to The Durango Herald. “These programs are offered all over the country. This is not original to us.”
Most lectures are held at 7 p.m. Thursdays in 130 Noble Hall and last one hour, followed by 30 minutes of open discussion. “These talks are enriching, educational and contribute to the culture of our community,” Reynolds said. “We have a really nice local following. Each talk is different and enhances the intellectual life.”
This semester, the roster features a two-part lecture about Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson presented by Steven Edenbo and Bob Gleason, president impersonators, on Sept. 20 and 21 at the Durango Arts Center. “These actor-scholars go around on stage as the person they are re-enacting,” Reynolds said. “They speak to us from their time period and writings. They are very expert and do a lot of research on their character.”
The college will host a symposium on climate change from 1 to 6 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Student Union Ballroom. The lecture features Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder.
“This is a particularly rich roster this semester,” Reynolds said. “The symposium is an experiment. It is on the science of climate change.”
