Below is a list of upcoming lifelong learning opportunities for alumni, students and friends of Southwestern University. Please contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at alumni@southwestern.edu or by calling 800-960-6363 with any questions.

Southwestern and Chorus Austin
Directed by Southwestern University professor of music, Kenny Sheppard, and accompanied by David Utterback, instructor of music at The Sarofim School of Fine Arts, Chorus Austin is the musical home for many Southwestern alumni, faculty and staff. Chorus Austin is comprised of three groups - Austin Civic Chorus, Austin Vocal Arts Ensemble (AVAE) and Chorus Austin Consort - which perform several times year, presenting vocal music from a variety of genres and eras. At rehearsals, you'll regularly find Nettie Ruth Brucks Bratton ’48, professor emeritus Bob Horick, Eve Porter Fariss ’60, associate professor of music Bruce Cain, Katie Gleason Lewis ’01, and many more members of the Southwestern community. Check out these 2008 season highlights:

Friday, June 6, 2008 at 8:30 p.m. in the Lois Perkins Chapel, AVAE will perform choral music by Felix Mendelssohn, edited by professor of music J. Michael Cooper, for a Choral Evensong officiated by Bishop Joe Wilson ’59. This performance is free and open to the public. It is part of the Georgetown Festival of the Arts, under the artistic direction of Ellsworth Peterson ’55, professor emeritus of music.

Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4 p.m. at the Klett Center for the Performing Arts at Georgetown High School, Austin Civic Chorus will combine with the San Gabriel Chorale and the Mendelssohn Festival Orchestra for an encore performance of Mendelssohn's "St. Paul," edited by J. Michael Cooper. Virginia Hyde Dupuy ’71 and Bruce Cain, associate professor of music, will be among the soloists for this performance, which is the finale of the Georgetown Festival of the Arts. For tickets and more information, visit http://www.gtownfestival.org/georgetown.html.

Dallas Road Scholars Event: "Salt Cod and Cool Whip: Adventures in American Gastronomica."
Join The Houston Association of Southwestern University Alumni Thursday, June 12, 2008 from 7-9 p.m. at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts (11830 Webb Chapel Road at LBJ Freeway, Suite 1200, Dallas, Texas 75234) for a Road Scholars presentation by Elisabeth Piedmont-Marton, association professor of English, director of the Debby Ellis Writing Center, chair of the Humanities Division and Paideia_® Professor.

Topic Description: Food is an old subject. But the academic study of the way people produce, procure, prepare and eat food as a path to understanding culture is relatively new. Drawing from the diverse scholarly perspectives that form this new field of inquiry, this presentation will introduce alumni to new ways of thinking about history, literature and practices of everyday life as they relate to food and eating. Among the questions we’ll pursue are, what was the impact of West African slaves in the development of American food, what was the “home economics movement” and how did it shape gender roles, why is American food still considered inferior as a world cuisine, and how are food and politics intertwined?

Please RSVP by Tuesday, June 10, to Brad and Megan Bush Knapp, both ’04, at 214-252-1695 or sudallasalums@gmail.com. This event is hosted by Steve Cotton ’77 and Joe Sissom ’53.

Chautauqua Institution 2008 Summer Program and Group Rates
If you are looking for an enriching, relaxing experience for you and your family this summer, the Chautauqua Institution is offering a special, all-inclusive group rate for Southwestern University alumni. The Chautauqua Institution is a not-for-profit organization that offers programs and facilities for spiritual renewal, intellectual stimulation and art appreciation. Among its amenities are accommodations at the Athenaeum Hotel, performance venues, golf, tennis, and educational and recreational facilities. Southwestern University learned about the educational offerings of Chautauqua Institution through the Institutions new director of education Sherra Haygood Babcock ’70. If you attend this summer, please share your experience with the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations as we are exploring the possibility of designating a Southwestern week at Chautauqua for Summer 2009. For more information about the Chautauqua Institution and details about the 2008 program, visit http://www.ciweb.org/.

Click here to read about lifelong learning opportunities that took place this academic year.