Thursday. June 12. 1980 The Tar Heel 7
features
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Staff photo by Sharon Clarke
Nell Sonnemann in Spencer dorm room
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Staff photo by Sharon Clarke
Elderhostelers in economics class
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Staff photo by Robert Anthony
Participants at wine and cheese party
Elderhos tel provides education, recreation
By Martha Johns en
Consider your own retirement. You've had a
good education a challenging career, and now
you're content to play pinochle and sit rocking
on your front porch. Right?
Wrong, say dozens of elderhostelers, students '
older than 60, who are visiting the UNC campus
throughout June. You may have seen them
listening intently in a classroom, standing in
line at the Pine Room or just strolling around
campus wearing pink buttons and nametags.
"These people don't fit the stereotypes of
people being inactive and uninterested in things
after retirement," Jennifer Newton, resident
coordinator for the elderhostelers, said. The 30
40 member groups stay in Spencer dormitory
during their visits.
Elderhostelers, who come from all over the
United States, are mobile, well-educated citizens
more than 60 years of age, according to an
elderhostel brochure.
Chapel Hill is one of 12 institutions in the
state offering the Elderhostel experience, the
brochure says. Nationwide, the program
includes more than 370 colleges and universities
in all 50 states. Elderhostel began in 1970 with
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Edlerhostelers have come to UNC for the
intellectual stimulation afforded by courses
taught especially for them by UNC professors. In
addition, they can vacation with a group of
diverse people their own age and become
familiar with Chapel Hill's educational and
recreational opportunities.
The classroom experience is the heart of the
program. At least three courses are offered at
each Elderhostel location. At UNC,
elderhostelers can choose this week among
.Chinese History .Through Art, Ecology: Our
Leafy Friends and Inflation, Recession and
Confusion, said Hugh Huff, UNC campus
coordinator for Elderhostel.
Colleges choose courses to give students the
special flavor of their area. For example, UNC
Wilmington offers a course in marine biology
that includes shark-fishing. At UNC-Asheville,
hostelers visit Thomas Wolfe's home as part of a
course studying his writings.
Teachers find that the elderhostelers are a
special group of students. "This is a very thirsty
group," says James Wilde, associate professor of
economics at UNC. "They're much more active,
and less shy than undergraduates."
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We have our opinions, explains one
elderhosteler from Maryland. "And when you
get to be our age, you're not afraid to express
them."
The opinions and experiences of the
Elderhostel group can blend to create a lively
classroom atmosphere. No one yawns. No one
falls asleep. And professors never need to pull
teeth to get a response. After every question, they
are answered by a barrage of raised hands and
outspoken voices.
Teaching elderhostelers gave . a new
perspective to one professor. "I have to learn to
adjust my experience to theirs," says Wilde.
"These people have gone through the
Depression. They can tell me things that I don't
even know. That really turns the tables of
teaching we're all learning."
Outside of class, the elderhostelers stay busy.
They explore the campus, go swimming or
golfing, or just get to know one another. '
"They're very curious and love to sit around and
talk," says Newton. "They talk a lot about their
coursework and many fast friendships are
formed."
Elderhostel members come from a variety of
backgrounds. This week's group includes a
retired social worker, a dean of business affairs,
an army officer, a teacher, a housewife and a
woman from the foreign service who speaks five
languages. One woman, Marshall Lockhart,
from Tennessee, lived in Spencer dorm 50 years
ago when she attended UNC
"People are usually pretty quitet about their
backgounds," says one elderhosteler. "Often you
don't find out about them until the end of the
week and then you wish you had more time to
talk." As a result, many participants keep in
touch long after the week is over.
Elderhostel administrators are enthusiastic
about the program. "We're reaching people who
put a premium on education mostly retired
white-collar professionals, but there's still a
significant number of people involved who
never went to college," says Bob Wagoner,
regional director for Elderhostel in North
Carolina.
Costs are kept to a minimum, 1130 a week for
room, meals and instruction, to make the
program available to more people.
"I want to keep this going so that when I get to
be that age, I'll be able to come back and discuss
ideas and have a 'reality check' so to speak." Huff
said. "It's exciting for me to work with these
people. This group is fun."
Monday night elderhostelers mingled with
professors and UNC President William C
Friday at a wine and cheese party. "It's not the
age, it's the mind level," said one elderhosteler
amid the lively discussions and laughter. "You
see, programs like this one make you realize that
growing old is not so bad after all.''
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