Wesley U is at it again, creating a fall and winter curriculum that will educate, enlighten and lead us into many profound discussions. Wesley U Manager Paula Olson and the Wesley U Resident Committee plan both popular and unusual subjects each quarter. Paula recently returned with 19 residents from the Wesley U Tour. This year’s excursion was a multi-day cultural cruise on the Mississippi River with American Cruise Lines. Wesley U also launched its first series of summer book discussions across all the campuses with great success. There’s so much to talk about with Wesley U.
Focus on the Mississippi
“Our visit to Mark Twain’s hometown, Hannibal, Missouri, was definitely a highlight of our tour for me,” Paula says. “There are so many places that relate to his work, like the home of Tom Blankenship, the inspiration for the Huck Finn character in his classic work.”
As she has before each Wesley U Tour, Paula created a summer curriculum that would both supplement the fall trip and appeal to residents who were not traveling to the Midwest. Wesley Lea Hill resident Marlene Anderson is among many community members who declared Dr. David Lee Joyner “wonderful!” The lecturer and performer presented “The Mississippi River in Song and Story,” a single-class event offered on each of the Wesley campuses.
“We were curious about the class because one of our daughters had moved to Nashville, and we visited her twice a year,” Marlene says. “Each year we would expand our territory outside of Nashville. We grew quite interested in the Mississippi Delta culture after we visited New Orleans. We also really liked the music, of course, and thought the class would be fun. Well, we loved it. Dr. Joyner was great on the piano, singing and telling stories. We really loved all of it.”
Rounding out the focus
Other guest lecturers included Professor John Shepard and his “The Upper Mississippi Through Time and Across Landscapes” presentation. This Zoom class explored the ecological and human impact of the Mississippi River as it courses through the Upper Midwest. Dean Klinkenberg, “The Mississippi Traveler,” described self-taught engineer James B. Eads and his profound lifelong relationship with the river.
“I try to choose topics that anyone might find interesting,” Paula says. “I was fascinated by Dr. Sarah Baires’ presentation, “Cahokia: America’s First City and Its Enduring Mysteries.”
Located near present-day St. Louis, Cahokia was home to tens of thousands of Indigenous people before European contact. It was the largest urban center north of Mexico.
“The archaeology alone is fascinating; how this city remained prominent, planned neighborhoods and used wood products throughout their culture is so different from what we knew,” Paula says. “Several residents recommended the river cruise. It turns out numerous members of our communities had once lived in the Midwest.”
Adding book discussions
Paula also launched new book discussions at each of the campuses, a one-time event that has taken on a life of its own. She chose James, the provocative novel by author Percival Everett. It reimagines Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, who is enslaved by Finn’s guardian, Miss Watson. James received the 2024 National Book Award and 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, among many other accolades.
“I was very impressed, as I always am, with the intellectual thought in our community when discussing James,” says Wesley at Tehaleh resident Marian Hagener, a retired school psychologist. “We have two retired literature professors in our book group who encourage great conversations. I just find there are so many interesting people at Wesley.”
Paula says the book discussions were intended to be a one-time activity. Given the universal positive feedback, they may be launchpads to future conversations.
“I attended all of the James book discussions, and they were, to a session, filled with rich conversation,” she says.
The first three Wesley U Tours were motor coach trips. This year’s Wesley U Tour participants appreciated unpacking only once on board “American Serenade,” the 180-passenger riverboat they called home for the tour. Paula, who organizes the trips “from soup to nuts,” says the 2027 Wesley U Tour will likely be a motor coach tour again to increase access for more participants. She’ll once again craft a curriculum to complement the adventure.
“We take a lighter approach to the summer Wesley U classes,” she says. “I’m able to coordinate the speakers, films and events over an abbreviated July-August schedule.”
Peeking at fall
The 2026 fall quarter once again offers an enlightened calendar. Retired Justice Mary Yu will present “Behind the Bench: Understanding How Your State Supreme Court Works.” Seattle University professor Ted Fortier will examine “Indigenous Religions and Spirituality in the Pacific Northwest.” Two experts will discuss “Death with Dignity” and topics that include assisted suicide, hospice and palliative care.
Whether cruising the Mighty Mississippi, discussing the nuances in a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel or considering end-of-life issues, Wesley U continues to bring intellectual pursuits to the Wesley community.