Activities of All Kinds
Who plans the activities...
Ask any resident whether there is enough to do around Academy Village and the
answer will be "Too much". No one person has planned what people
would be doing here: it just happened, out of Henry Koffler's original idea
and out of each resident's own desires. We do have an Activities Committee
whose chairperson keeps track (or tries to keep track) of everything that is
going on. And we have a weekly newsletter whose editor publishes the list
of these activities, usually for the next two weeks. But both of these
are after the fact; they coordinate the activities, they do not create
them. There is no master plan: the huge variety in the list of activities
is the result of an organic evolution whose main engine has been every initiative
taken by every resident trying to achieve his/her own dream in coming here.
As a newly arrived resident, a clinical psychologist, said recently:
"This is truly a self-organizing community".
What do people want...
People come here with various ideas about what they want to do. Some want
to continue the work they were doing before, sometimes getting paid for it,
but usually not. Others have started a brand new career after coming to
the Village. Yet others volunteer most of their time to organizing community
life in the Village, making it into the rich and satisfying experience that
it is for us all. Finally there are those whose bodies, through the vagaries
of life, have become unable to keep up with most of the activities; and then
there are the spouses or the companions who invest their effort in making sure
that the infirm are comfortable.
Two kinds of activities, more or less...
Very roughly, one can divide the activities into two categories: those whose
intent is primarily educational, and the others. The first kind are usually
sponsored by the Arizona Senior Academy and they are advertised for the general
public outside the Village. The others are usually attended only by Village
residents and their friends. But the dividing line between the two types
is blurry and it is often accidental whether an activity falls into one or the
other category.
The educational part...
The activities sponsored by the ASA have already been described in the previous
section, The Arizona Senior Academy. They
include conferences, courses, lectures, concerts, all of which need to be planned
a long time in advance. Surveys and polls must be conducted among the
residents, committees must meet, lecturers must be found. In the case
of the courses the lead time is of the order of two years. See the appendix
of the ASA section for a listing of courses spanning
a period of nearly two years. Then there are the ASA events that do not
require so much advance notice. These usually consist of lectures/presentations
by one or several residents, or by friends, and they are also open to the public.
In the Fall of 2003 for instance, we had, among many others, one lecture on
Rainbows, Halos, and Sundogs; one on US-Latino politics; one on the results
of recent geological-archeological research on the site of ancient Troy.
And coming in the Spring of 2004, a 3-hour presentation by an expert on the
construction, destruction, and redesigning of the World Trade Center.
The community service part...
A very special aspect of the ASA is its role in sponsoring the involvement of
Village residents with the local community. The many residents who have
participated have found it both interesting and rewarding. A shining example
is the ongoing work with the Vail School District, described as follows by Nan
Magee, a resident:
“I am the Academy Village volunteer coordinator for the Vail schools.
Vail, AZ, is located about 5 miles south of our Village. It has a school system
of about 5730 students, K-12, in ten schools. As coordinator I enlist residents
to fill many roles. We send judges to the Vail Science Showcase, judges to classroom
debates, “Bookshare” partners for an English class, we provide in-service
training for teachers, math workshops for both parents and students, etc. We
supply volunteers for any requested teacher project. We work closely with the
Vail schools to help better student education. At The Academy Village you can
become involved. The blueprint is in place.”
The just-do-what-you-want part...
Most activities fall into this “others” category. It is hard
to list them all because there are so many. And they change! But
I shall try, though I am sure to forget some. I have also included at
the bottom of this page one issue (2 pages) of the weekly newsletter, Village
News, which is quite comprehensive.
- General get-togethers — which go under various names,
like "Brown Bag Lunch", "Discussion", "Happy Hour",
or just "Get-Together". Some of these are forums where the
governance and the future of The Academy Village are discussed.
- Committee meetings — There are dozens of committees.
- Community dinners — Usually every other week.
Some are catered and some are potluck.
- Physical exercise — There are 8 physical education
classes each week and 6 yoga classes, with 2 instructors. There is also
a Fitness Center, open 24 hours, equipped with treadmills, stationary bikes,
and weight training equipment. The tennis court is popular. So
are the heated swimming pool and the hot tub. And many people like to
walk or jog around the Village loop (1.6 or 2.0 miles, depending on how you
go) in the cool morning or evening hours.
- Movies — chosen by the residents, every Monday night.
- Language classes — At the moment, Spanish and French.
- Organized outings — for sightseeing, or shopping,
or touring with a guide, to places like Tubac, Bisbee, Mission San Xavier,
Kitt Peak, the Asarco copper mine, Museums, bookstores, shopping malls.
Transportation by the Village van or by car pooling.
- Holiday events — Christmas Eve, Valentine's Day,
Fourth of July, Jewish New Year, etc. ... Sometimes very elaborate, depending
on who is inspired.
- Talks or presentations by residents — The talks reflect
the varied interests and experiences of the residents. Sometimes they
present travelogues, or they may share other insights, like the recent talk
about the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico.
- Art classes — Extremely popular.
- Organized hiking — The number of possible hikes is
essentially infinite. All levels are offered, from an easy walk of a
couple of miles in flat desert to a challenging climb that takes all day.
It is the tradition, every November, to climb Mount Wrightson, the highest
of all the peaks surrounding Tucson, 9453 feet. Not easy for 70-plus
year olds, and few can do it.
- Physical Sciences Discussion Group — Meets once a
month. Attended by residents who are scientists or engineers, and anyone
else who wishes to come.
- Book Club — Once a month. February 2004: "Mystic
River" by Dennis Lehane. March 2004: "Consilience" by
Edward O. Wilson.
- Poetry Club — Once a month.
- Photography Club
- Various Arts and Crafts Clubs
- Macadamians — The club of MacIntosh users.
Meets for advice from the more experienced practicioners.
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| Valentine Party Wall |
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| Academy Villagers on Mt Wrightson
Rincon Mountains in the distance |
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| Mosaics : homework for an art class
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