I signed up for a yoga series happening every Tuesday night, and Andrew was shocked. He knows I like yoga, but it was the Tuesday night thing that really got him.
“That’s when the Providence Lectures are!”
“Oh no!” I wailed.
I then canceled my beloved yoga series, so that I could attend the Providence Lecture series in Steinbach with Andrew. Because it’s our thing; we always go to these lectures. We love them!
I’m not entirely sure when it all began. Has it been ten years already? Every February, Andrew and I look forward to attending the Public Lecture Series that Providence University College hosts here in Steinbach.
Why. Why do we like this so much? Well come on. It’s a chance to hear from a variety of professors, on topics that I might not have even imagined. I love the way they expand my mind. I love the chance to sit in a room of other people also listening to a professor talk. I love that we can see the professor share with us, right there. There’s something that can’t be duplicated through books or Skype.
Over the years, there have been some very interesting moments we’ve witnessed at these events, and they make up some of my most favourite memories. Challenging moments, eye-opening moments, always engaging moments.
I haven’t retained really anything that I’ve learned at these lectures, but we have made friends, and have had the opportunity to see some fascinating feedback sessions; by this I mean the Q&A. I find it very interesting when people are offended by something a professor has said, and present an impassioned defence. These are some of my favourite moments. So much better than anonymous remarks made online.
Not only are the lectures themselves so valuable, but so is the chance to be with other people, hearing about an idea and afterward discussing an idea, all at the same time. A remarkable community exercise! In my mind, it’s golden, like a gift.
The first lecture in the Steinbach series is tomorrow evening!
These lectures are completely free and you don’t need to register, either. You can just walk in and sit down and that’s it. This year, the lectures will be at the Jake Epp Library in Steinbach, at 255 Elmdale Street, every Tuesday at 7:00 pm from February 4th until March 17th.
To see a full schedule and a full list of the lecturers and their subjects, visit this link at prov.ca
Maybe we’ll see you there!