During the next two weeks, alumni and others with close ties to the College will be returning to very familiar surroundings &emdash; the classroom.
As part of this year's Alumni College, about 160 people are in Hanover this week to study cosmology and creation myths and another group of about 95 will come up next week to study literary works, such as "The Heart of Darkness," by Joseph Conrad and "The Tempest," by William Shakespeare.
The 31-year-old Alumni College program allows alumni and parents and relatives of Dartmouth students to spend a week in Hanover studying a specific topic taught by several professors.
The participants in the program come for a variety of reasons.
David Wrisley '67, whose daughter Katherine is a '95, said he came to this week's program because he received the flyer and was interested in the topic.
Wrisley added that he and his wife enjoy spending time in Hanover.
"We love to come back to Hanover," he said. "It's just another way to do it."
Another participant, Richard Burg '56, said he comes because he enjoys the "studying, stimulation, companionship and memories" that the program offers. But, "not the food at Thayer," he added.
Burg said the Alumni College provides a great chance to meet interesting people who work in a variety of different fields.
One of the more interesting people attending this year's program may be Marjorie Halter, who is the great-great granddaughter of Dartmouth founder Eleazar Wheelock.
Halter's father was a member of the Class of 1915.
She said she started coming to the Alumni College four years ago, when it offered a program focused on the environment.
Another participant, Stet Whitcher '40, is attending the program for the 28th time in its 31-year history.
"I'm one of those people who come up here no matter what the program is," Whitcher said.
He said the people he meets every year are "extraordinary, a great group of people" and "the Dartmouth faculty we have for the Alumni College are really fantastic people."
Whitcher said the Alumni College is like "a great vacation."
"It's a vacation where you are stimulated," he said. "The brain is working."
According to Whitcher, he started coming to the Alumni Colleges even before he retired from his banking job about 10 years ago.
The Alumni College provided "a good chance to get away," he said. "Hanover is so nice and I enjoy coming."
"All in all, [the program covers] things I find extremely stimulating," he said, "It's the main reason one comes back."
Whitcher said through the program he learns about a variety of different topics that he knew little about from his previous studies and occupation.
"Education doesn't stop when you get your degree," he said.
