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Hello WISE Members!
Our fall schedule is now well underway, having just completed nineteen great classes in A Session, and many more just getting underway in B Session. Of those sixteen courses, nine are full, the highest percentage I can recall. On the one hand, it is an indication of the great interest and enthusiasm of WISE members for our course offerings. On the other hand, I know that many were disappointed in not getting into a course they desired. Fortunately, many of these very popular courses will be repeated in either C or D Session, and those on wait-lists will be given 1st priority in enrolling. Meanwhile, Barbara Groves and her Curriculum Committee are putting the final touches on our Winter/Spring schedule, and the new catalog will be out soon.
25th Anniversary Events: On October 15th, we had the first of five special events planned in celebration of our 25th year of WISE. Over 140 members and guests attended a Kick-off Brunch at Wachusett Country Club, where we had great food, entertainment, and a few surprises. It was a great chance for many of us to mingle and socialize with our fellow members and friends. For those who did not attend, there are still many more events coming up.
On November 2nd, at 4:00 pm in Performance Hall of the Tsotsis Family Academic Facility at Assumption College (the new building), Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and one of the founding members of the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, Stephen Kurkjian, will give a talk describing the art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum that occurred on March 18, 1990. Steve will be talking about his research, including his probing into Boston’s crime underground, which is detailed in his book: Master Thieves, The Boston Gangsters Who Pulled Off the World’s Greatest Art Heist. He will stay after his talk for a book signing. The talk is free to all, and you are encouraged to come and bring guests for what promises to be a great event!
Next Spring on April 4th, world-renown lecturer Maria Sirois will give a talk on The Art and Science of Happiness. In May, we will have a special gala, and in June, a WISE Open House.
WISE On-the-Air: One of our major efforts over the past couple of years is to get the name of WISE out there to the greater Worcester Community and make more people in the region aware of the great program we have to offer to Seniors eager to learn. Pat Hurton and her Outreach Committee have been making great strides in that endeavor. In recent months, we’ve also reached out to the community through appearances on local radio and television stations. Most recently, on October 19th, Ann “Cookie” Nelson and I appeared on the Jordan Levy program on WTAG. During the broadcast, Cookie and I talked about the history of WISE, the many courses, programs, and events we have to offer, and the special things we’re doing for our 25th Anniversary year. Unfortunately, we were told we’d be on the air at 4 pm, but they put us on at 3:30, so some of you who tuned in to hear us may have already missed our segment. Nevertheless, the main purpose of the broadcast was to reach out to others in the community who may not have heard about WISE, and in that sense, I think we were successful. Thanks again to Cookie for making the arrangements!
Meeting with the President: Each year, members of the WISE Executive Committee and the Director meet with the President of Assumption College, and on October 23rd, Susan Perschbacher, Marsha Addis, Karl Hakkarainen and I met with President Francisco Cesareo for about forty minutes. We discussed many topics including the support we receive from the college, our contributions to the College in recognition of that support, our desire to increase our visibility on campus and to interact increasingly with Assumption students, our work and coordination with other Lifelong Learning Institutions (LLIs), our desire for additional classroom space, and a gift we’d like to make to the college in acknowledgement of our 25th year. Overall, Assumption College and President Cesareo remain strong supporters of WISE, and our association with the college continues to be of great benefit to both organizations.
I will close this blog with two views of “curiosity,” one from cartoonist Scott Adams, the other from the great Canadian writer, Alice Munro:
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The Constant Happiness is Curiosity.
Alice Munro
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Until next time,
Joe Corn, WISE President
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Mission Statement
The Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE) at Assumption College is a member-directed organization providing lifelong learning opportunities for older adults.
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