By Alyssa Guzman
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Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, the theater room in the Becker Communication Studies Building is filled with 70 University of Iowa students, 30 senior citizens, along with a chef, magician, or a few Cirque du Soleil performers — depending on the day.

David Gould introduced Life Design, the one-semester-hour course, to the UI in 2010.

“At the time, the UI was struggling with retention,” he said.

He said he couldn’t imagine how students could just pick up and leave after two or three years as a Hawkeye.

As for the senior citizens who are part of the class this semester, Gould said he likes to experiment every semester.

This semester is the first one that encourages an intergenerational setting.

“I’m very interested in opening the classroom to the community,” Gould said. “We tend to hang around with only people who are our own age, and that’s a huge loss on all sides.”

Gould’s goal is to do whatever he can to ensure students reach their potential, and he said he believes opening the classroom to the community is another way to do that.

“This is a pretty magical place,” Gould said. “You could be an English major today, a history major next week, a psychology major by the end of it, and nobody thinks you’re crazy.”

Gould designed the class to allow students to branch out and find their passions, which is why he brings in guest speakers.

Gould has recruited people from CEOs to pianists to come speak to his students about the road they took to get to where they currently are.

Iowa City chef Chris Grebner spoke about his journey to become a chef.

“I never ever thought I was going to be a chef — that I would spend my days cooking for people,” he said.

Grebner moved to Iowa City to study radio broadcasting after high school.

“I really enjoyed that, but it kind of began to lose its luster for me,” Grebner said.

Soon after, he went to massage therapy school and stayed in practice for a while before starting a nonprofit called Reclaiming Roots, which focused on organizing activities to get people out of their homes and get to know each other.

Reclaiming Roots inspired Grebner to go back to school to study sociology.

It wasn’t until after he met the women who became his wife that he realized how much he loves to cook.

He soon applied to culinary school, uprooted his life, and moved to Portland, Oregon, with his wife.

Grebner said the idea of finding one occupation and sticking with it for the rest of his life used to repulse him, but he really does believe there is a human experience when people sit at the table together, which is something he appreciates.

After Grebner spoke, students got the opportunity to not only try some of his cooking but to also ask him questions about his journey.

Gould said the speakers he brings in all have one thing in common: They have all found that one thing they love to do.

“Students get the opportunity to see someone who is just far enough down the road that they can relate to,” Gould said. “It encourages them to find that for themselves or it gives them the confidence to take the risk.”

Gould said he appreciates the fact that his classroom ranges from people who are ages 18-90. 

Ray and Shirley Hendrickson, two community members and members of the local Senior Center, said they look forward to the class to be around young people.

“I got a lot of wisdom to share,” Ray Hendrickson said. “When I was these young people’s age, it was a whole other world. I’m trying to understand how [young people] think, and why [they] think that way.”

Shirley Hendrickson said the face-to-face contact with people makes the class fun.

“We’re excited about life and excited to be around young people,” she said.