Senior citizens are keeping current by tackling hot topics
FAIRVIEW LIBRARY Global warming, the war in Iraq and the media’s fascination with Britain’s royal family were all topics tackled by a group of senior citizens at What’s New This Week, a weekly discussion group intended to keep the elderly engaged in current events.
The spunky group is just one of several that meet at branches across the city as part of the city’s effort to make libraries more than just a storage space for books and instead a gathering place where the public can exchange ideas.
“The mission of the library is to inform, educate and entertain and I think this group does all three,” said Catherine Ronan, manager of the Fairview branch who created the What’s New group. “We wanted to create a group that was of interest to older adults who don’t necessarily want to go out at night or have issues with transportation.”
The discussion group is hosted by Jack Nordhaus, who holds masters and doctoral degrees in European history and was a reviewer for the library’s “Tuesdays with Books” program from 1982 to 2002.
The group, which attracts roughly six to nine guests per session, meets each Thursday at the library. Discussion begins promptly at 1 p.m. and ends sometime around 2 p.m.
During a recent session, the group focused primarily on President Bush’s veto of an Iraq spending bill that would have compelled him to withdraw U.S troops from Iraq. Members of the group found it to be an interesting coincidence that Bush issued the veto four years after he triumphantly landed on an aircraft carrier to announce the end of “major combat operations.”
Participants leaned heavily towards the left, however, there are a few Bush supporters who frequently attend to provide another perspective, which is one of the reasons why Anita Henry attends.
“People come from different places and backgrounds, which is good,” she said. “You need to have different views.”
Others attend to blow off a little steam. “Instead of hurling things at the T.V. you can come here and get it off your chest,” said Pamela Simons.
Nordhaus said he scours the Internet, newspapers and magazines like the Economist for stories to discuss. More often than not, the conversations are centered around the Iraq war and other international events. On occasion, they will discuss local news, but usually the focus is on the world outside of Santa Monica.
For instance, participants recently discussed Rupert Murdoch’s $5 billion bid to purchase the Wall Street Journal and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice’s visit to Syria and what that may mean for Middle East peace.
“We all learn together,” Nordhaus said of the group.“I’m typically the youngest person in the room, so it’s interesting for me to get to know who they are and to learn from their experiences. Some are World War II vets, others have lived in many countries around the world. It’s a good group of people.”
Nina Ramos, a self-described news junkie, said she attends because she finds the discussions stimulating and it keeps here engaged.
“While we may be this strange group of people, I’ve learned that we all are pretty similar in what we think is important,” Ramos said.
For Henry, it’s all about discovering new things.
“What I’ve learned the most,” she said,“is how little I actually know.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 4, 2007. Read the original PDF.