Laurier Association for Lifelong Learning (LALL)

Wondering As We Wander: A Geographical Journey Through Our Physical World

Professor: Jerry Salloum

     Waterloo is very fortunate to have two highly acclaimed universities, University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. 

     Laurier has a wonderful programme aimed specifically at having adults, especially seniors, continue on a learning path for their entire lives, and they present a whole range of courses covering many disciplines and interests.

    Thus it was that I signed up for the above course this year. It comprised a series of six lectures, each running from 09:30 through 11:20. The fee is a very modest $70.00, well within the reach of most people. The course was completely sold out.

     Our lecturer was Jerry Salloum, a person well versed in earth sciences and a wonderful, engaging fellow who presented the material in a fabulous way so that everyone became immediately engrossed in the course.

Jerry Salloum

     I looked forward to every session with eager anticipation and the fact that all the seats were filled indicates that everyone else did too. I was there simply to learn - no exams, no labs, no pressure. The quest for knowledge was the only prerequisite.

     Here is the programme which Jerry presented:

Lecture 1: Introduction to Learning: Wondering, Transfer and Defamiliarization.

Lecture 2: Wondering about the biggest entity of all - The Cosmos.

Lecture 3: Investigating our closest natural satelite - the moon.

Lecture 4: Journeys to a high altitude world - Mount Everest.

Lecture 5: Secrets uncovered in the ocean floor - sea floor spreading.

Lecture 6: Probing treasures in the earth's largest ice cube - Antarctica.

     We were on the edge of our seats for each session. I learned so much and had my eyes opened to theories, facts and concepts that I had never before considered. 

     Ironically, today, the final session, had the smallest participation of any class, principally due to the fact that we had an overnight winter storm with substantial snowfall, and the temperature when I left home was minus eleven degrees Celcius.

     Here are a few pictures of other members of the class.

     Break time was often spent talking to Jerry.

     Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves, Jerry wears his course on his head!

     And a couple of other participants.

     I will be checking out the next round of courses carefully, but if Jerry's name is attached to any of them, that might just be reason enough to sign up.