John O’Dell
In Motion Staff Writer
Daytona State College and the WISE, or Wisdom In Senior Education, Foundation offers courses annually in an effort to promote and share academic resources with its senior community and provide learning opportunities in an enjoyable format.
Joyce Wagner/In Motion
“Education does not stop,” said Ryan, adding that locally, the program has close to 250 participants, with around 100 in attendance each week at various offerings.
In mid-September, the topic was “SunRail,” the new rail system connecting Volusia and Orange counties that made its debut over the summer. SunRail Public Information Specialist, Thad Joseph, offered an informative hour, taking time throughout the seminar to answer questions as they arose.
As observers discovered during the event, SunRail is the “new future”, with all the innovations that promise to take the region into tomorrow. According to Joseph, rail travel has to, and will be, our future. Statistics show that traveling by rail is much safer than by automobile, despite the recent coverage of accidents and pedestrian deaths associated with the new line linking DeBary to Orlando.
With the new diesel and electric hybrid engines, fuel economy is paramount. SunRail is able to move more people in and around the Central Florida area quicker and more efficiently than rail was able to do before. With the help of Volusia County’s Votran bus system, traveling westward is becoming less hectic, according to Joseph.
WISE is more than a group of older adults getting together for an afternoon of socializing. Supporters say it is the senior community coming together to exercise the one muscle that never ceases to amaze— the brain. Studies show, time and again, that education keeps people youthful and energetic. As educator and philosopher John Dewey once observed, “Education is not preparation of life; education is life itself.”
Daytona State’s WISE program has weekly information seminars throughout the semester at the Madorsky Theater located in the Hosseini Center, Building 1200. Forums take place from 2-3:30p.m. Admission is free for WISE members, with a nominal fee charged for the general public.
Upcoming programs include: Oct. 7, “Florida on a Tankful,” featuring the News 13 reporter Scott Fais, who hosts the show of the same name; Oct. 14, Dr. Emily Faulconer, assistant professor of chemistry at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, with “Emerging Technology: Fracking and the Keystone Pipeline”; DSC Board of Trustee member, Stanley Escudero an Ambassador, who formerly served in Iran and Tajikistan, will talk about “My Life As an American Diplomat”; and Dr. Ted Von Hippel will speak about “Exploring Space, Extraterrestrial Life and Asteroid Collisions” on Oct. 29.
Anyone 50 and older can become a WISE member for a fee of $15 for individuals or $25 per couple, per semester. Information on admissions fees for nonmembers and other details can be obtained at 386-506-4425 or at Daytona State’s web site www.DaytonaState.edu/foundation.com.