What used to be Northwestern’s annual Day of Learning and Community is no longer annual. The previously scheduled 2013 event has been delayed a year.
For the past five years, Day of Learning has brought NW students and faculty together with the community for a day of seminars centered on a common theme.
“It is not a cancellation,” NW provost Jasper Lesage said.
According to Lesage, it is a postponement due to a “change in faculty governance.” The Day of Learning committee was not able to start preparing until later than usual.
The theme for this year’s Day of Learning would have been “Gospel and Justice” with a focus on community service. Instead, this will be the theme for Day of Learning 2014.
“It’s too bad it had to be postponed,” Lesage said. “The student body seems interested in this topic.”
Past Day of Learning themes include “Minding Place,” “Creation Care,” “Christianity and Pop Culture” and “Faith and Work.”
“(The Day of Learning) came out of wanting to create an environment where people can come together and talk about a subject that is important,” Lesage said.
Many students have expressed disappointment that Day of Learning has been postponed.
“I always looked forward to interacting with people that I don’t normally have classes with,” said senior Abby Korthals.
Other students discussed reasons why they have enjoyed Day of Learning in the past.
“Last year the theme was ‘Different Together,’” said sophomore Hillary Haden. “I liked engaging in discussions and hearing about students whose backgrounds differed from my own.”
Day of Learning has been popular among students for other reasons, as well.
“It is nice to have a little break in a longer stretch of semester and to not get any homework from the Day of Learning,” Haden said.
Junior Mackenzie Larin is one of several students who have questioned whether Day of Learning needs to be postponed for a whole year.
“I think they could have just postponed it to later in the year,” Larin said.
According to Lesage, faculty would like to see a higher participation rate among students for future Days of Learning.
“You don’t want (Day of Learning) to be required because that takes away from the point,” Korthals said.
For more information about Day of Learning, visit home.nwciowa.edu/dlc.
