This week the alumni association will be sending out a survey regarding that very question. For most of us in our late 20s, 30s, and even 40s retirement seems something of a far off distant land. Of course, that may be true for some of you that were getting ready to retire before the down turn of the economy.
Regardless of where you are in your career I am sure that at some point all of us have at least daydreamed about where and how we would like to retire. Maybe retirement would be moving to Florida or somewhere south. Or maybe it is the thought of being able to golf everyday and not have to check email, cell phones or be tied to a desk for 8 hours a day. But, did it ever cross your mind to retire at your former college or university?
Research has shown that retiring or even living near a college campus can help keep you mind sharp and help delay the on set of Alzheimer’s and dementia. In addition, college a campus can give the opportunity to continue some part time work whether volunteering or being an adjunct professor. And with all the cultural experience a college or university has to offer on the campus it does not sound like a half bad idea.
But do the amenities out weigh the city in which some college and universities reside, which would include Muncie?
For years Muncie has been on the front lines of the struggle between blue collar and white collar. I am not here to say that one is better than the other because both have there good points and bad. With that said there has been an underlying resentment between Muncie residents and Ball State.
As a journalism major I have seen this resentment first hand trying to do different stories in the community and being stonewalled by residents. Part of me does not fault them as there are students at the school that do not respect the Muncie residents however, there are some of us that do.
It is my opinion that the growth of the university into areas such as retirement communities and other expansions like it heavily depends on the relationship between the Muncie community and Ball State. As a future retiree I would want the entire package, the college atmosphere in a community that supports the university as well a university that supports the community.
As far as the mending and cultivating of the relationship between the two I think that the university should take a more proactive stance.
