Eager learners flock to Mini University

It's not grandparents' week that has hundreds of silver-haired students making their way through Ballantine Hall and the Indiana Memorial Union for classes. It's Mini U, the annual summer learning University, running smoothly in its 35th anniversary year. \nA record 468 participants taking up to three courses a day from top IU professors have been busy at night too with a picnic, reception and trip to a play.\nJoan Hall, director of membership for IU Alumni Association, has been coming to Mini U for about 10 years and thinks it's a great program.\n"We have a really fun group," Hall said. "They're mostly retirement age, but an energetic group."\nParticipants have overwhelmingly positive things to say about the program that keeps them coming back year after year. After her sixth time attending Mini, Louray Cain was so enamored with IU and Mini that she decided to move here. Now, in year 19, she still finds the program fresh.\n"There's a bunch of new classes this year," Cain said. "Usually we have more core classes, but there's more new ones this year."\nThis year's variety of classes have given participants a number of favorite moments, with a couple days left to form even more. Karen Davis liked the intellectual stimulation of the stem cell research class and many were enamored with Director of the Choral Ensemble James Mumford's class showing everyone that they could sing.\nLerae Bush said Mumford suggested that next year they put together a choir made up of Mini U participants. She was excited at the prospect, saying that after Mumford showed everyone they could sing, there was a lot of talent in the room.\n"(Participants) here are eager to have some input," Bush said. "It was fantastic, super-outstanding that he would be the one to suggest it."\nMusic classes have been especially popular, with music professor Glenn Gass' night class coaxing participants into singing along with the music. Gass got big laughs when he showed a video of Elvis singing to a hound dog and had throngs of attendees coming up to tell him how much they loved the class afterwards. He said it was a poignant moment for him, considering this is his last lecture at IU for a year as he prepares to go on sabbatical as he is travelling to Hawaii.\n"It was outstanding," said Ann Saar. "I could have sat here another 10 hours. What impressed me most was that he didn't have to look at notes. It came from his heart."\nThe lecture by former CIA operative Gene Coylewas a favorite topic of participants, as well. George and Phyllis Shackelford drove from Texas to be here and George said it's a great place to find interests you can have the rest of your life. Phyllis said she was interested in the Coyle talking about how much more difficult it has become to define an enemy with terrorism and that the professor told great stories.\n"He was in Bosnia with no gun," Shackelford said. "He went to the embassy for a gun, and they said they were all out."\nEd Peckin said he was excited to get his book signed by Coyle and that the weekend meant more than just learning to him. He said it's important that people focus on the idea of an endless learning curve and that he comes to stay mentally healthy and enjoy the social context. In his 14th Mini U, he said the social interaction was just as important to him. \n"There's always something new," Peckin said. "So much time left, my high point may still be coming."\nMargot and David Kling came from Louisville, Ky. for their 10th Mini and said the well-prepared professors gave them something to remember, for a while at least.\n"We just love it," Margot said. "You always learn something. My problem is, at 80 years old, you forget it"