By Bessie King
Imagine retirement: waking up in a four bedroom home, going to the kitchen to get coffee, opening the front door to pick up the paper and suddenly seeing someone who was in your freshman English class 20 years ago passing by your house saying “Hello neighbor!”
This image may seem surreal, but to some spirited alumni from the University of Georgia, the idea is becoming a reality.
Recently, Cnn.com reported that the Georgia Club, a community of alumni from the University of Georgia, plans to build a complex located a few miles away from the school where alumni could reside.
According to CNN’s report, the complex, which will contain about 800 homes to be completed by 2011, will include luxuries such as a clubhouse and golf course, monthly lectures, fitness facilities, visits to their alma mater’s games and events and meeting hall buildings modeled after university halls, and other programs to keep residents entertained. The homes start at around $200,000, and the project has been accepted very well by alumni members.
The Georgia Club is not the only organization with these plans, though. Other communities already exist or are being built for colleges including Georgia Tech, Penn State and Kansas State.
Bill Fowler, NU graduate of the class of 1967 and president of the Alumni Association, said the idea of having entire communities made up of alumni from the same university is creative, but not really designed for the Huskies.
“I don’t think the idea would work well for large urban universities like Northeastern,” Fowler said. “Besides, when someone thinks about retirement they want to go to a warm place that is as well economic, and Boston is neither warm, nor inexpensive, so it would be hard to get alums to live in the city.”
Fowler said the addition of a stadium would draw alumni back better than a community would.
“The school already has a great library, it is building great dorms and has great education opportunities,” Fowler said. “So to tie it all up and be ‘complete,’ a stadium that could be used for other athletic activities would be excellent, then you’ll definitely see alums coming back every season.”
The Senior Assistant Director of the Office of Alumni Relations Laura King said other options could make alumni feel more welcome back on campus.
“An alumni house on campus as well as designated parking would make alumni feel more welcome,” King said. “Hopefully we will obtain a location to open the alumni house, but before building an entire complex without any funding the alums and school are more focused on making the library and resources better as well as other areas.”
Funding issues for building a complex are important. So far in order to build an alumni community, Georgia Tech is asking for $60,000 in donations from 100 alumni members.
“I don’t think it would be something I’d consider, not because there is a lack of school spirit but because Northeastern students are social yet independent,” said Mike Amato, a senior sociology and linguistics major. “We are very involved in activities, but probably do not want to come back to the whole ‘college life.’ After being in the busy working world, one would like relaxation. It’s very far from now so I really can’t say yes or no, but I believe there are other issues the school and alumni members can focus on”
Some students see an alumni community as a good idea that might work for Northeastern grads in the future.
“I think the whole project is creative and good, maybe it would work for older alumni because it is a good idea to live in a place where you know people and a lot of services and entertainment are offered,” said Kimberly Krulikowsky, a freshman linguistics major. “But for me, retirement seems very, very far away and I can’t really be sure now.”
