Events

The 缅北禁地 University Retired Faculty Association (TURFA) offers many events throughout the year for the enjoyment, engagement and continued edification of members. 

dan rodricks speaking
Dan Rodricks speaking at a TURFA Fall Forum event.

Event Information 

TURFA events are wide ranging and include such things as: timely talks on current affairs, social get-togethers, informative talks by invited speakers and by members on their areas of expertise, virtual and live tours of both on-campus and off-campus facilities, conversations with university administrators and project directors, film discussions, non-fiction book group discussions, bicycle rides and many other types of events.

Events are open to all members and typically are held all year long. Upcoming events are posted below. Event announcements and details are also sent to members via email. Frequently, members are invited to bring guests.

Both TURFA members and non-members interested in attending additional events on campus are encouraged to explore Calendars & Events,  Department of Music鈥檚 Events Calendar,  College of Liberal Arts Events and .

TURFA has a special relationship with the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning at 缅北禁地. Osher offers discounted membership and tuition fees for TURFA members giving discounted access to classes, lectures, trips and special events.

Members are encouraged to make suggestions for events or to create interest groups. Have an idea for an event?  Email the TURFA President to share your suggestion.

Upcoming Events

Come join fellow TURFA members and their significant others for libation and conversation.

Racer's Caf茅 had 20 beer brands on Tap!!   Lots of parking spaces are directly across the street.

Contact Tom Maronick at maronick@verizon.net if you have questions.

The subject is a cross-cultural encounter in the Australian outback.  A teenage English girl and her much younger brother are lost and in trouble before they meet an Aboriginal teenage boy going walkabout鈥攁 tribal ritual that involves spending several months in the wild.  The boy guides and protects them as they wander through the outback.

The film feels like a myth or fable rather than a realistic story.  It shows three characters, removed from their normal social settings, in a seemingly timeless natural world.  The characters鈥� names in the credits suggest a simple, almost abstract context: 鈥渨hite girl (Jenny Agutter); white boy (Luc Roeg); black boy (David Gulpilil).鈥�   Jenny Agutter, many years after the release of the film, called it a Garden of Eden story.  Perhaps, but it鈥檚 definitely a 1970s version of the story, with such themes as back to nature, sexuality and race.

The outback itself could be considered a fourth major character.  The varied landscapes -desert, wetland, forest -and abundant animal life are gorgeously photographed by Nicholas Roeg, a cinematographer as well as a director.  The outback is beautiful, strange, sometimes scary.  By contrast, the shots of Australian city life seem artificial and conformist.

Nicholas Roeg was a cinematographer on several major films of the 1960s, including Dr. Zhivago (1965).  He became a director with Performance (1970, co-directed by Donald Cammell) and Walkabout, and directed a number of other films including The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976).  Both Jenny Agutter and David Gulpilil had long careers as movie actors.  David Gulpilil was the first Aboriginal movie star.  Luc Roeg, son of the director, became a cinematographer like his dad.

Walkabout is available for free streaming on TU Kanopy, but not on Baltimore County or Pratt Kanopy.  It is free with subscription on Max, Hulu, and the Criterion Channel.  It can be rented for a few dollars from Amazon and other platforms.Zoom

Link:

Meeting ID 984 5682 7042

Contact Peter Lev at if you have any questions.

Invitations will be sent by the Human Resources Department around the first week of May to the towson.edu email addresses of retired faculty and staff.  Because of limited space, responses from the retired faculty and staff to attend the luncheon will be honored on a first-come basis.

Please check your towson.edu email routinely during the next few weeks to be on the lookout for the invitation. If your 缅北禁地 email address is not active, consider reactivating it. The Office of Technical Support (OTS) at 410 704-5151 can assist you.

Directions:  Use the south entrance closest to Stevenson Lane. Drive up the hill until you see Auburn House on your right. If you are unfamiliar with the area, consult the campus map at this link:
/maps/?id=PA

Additional Events Being Planned

  • Thirsty Thursdays
  • Discussion on topics of interest to members
  • Bicycle rides
  • Film group discussions
  • Non-fiction book group discussions

Recent Past Events

  • May 8, 2025, from 2 鈥� 3:30 PM: Non鈥恌iction Book Group Virtual Discussion 鈥� 鈥淭he Worlds I See:  Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI鈥� by Dr. Fei-Fei Li, AI innovator, called "The Godmother of AI."
  • April 23, 2025, from 3 鈥� 4:30 PM: TURFA Film Club 鈥� Virtual discussion of the film 鈥淩ustin鈥� (USA, 2023), directed by George C. Wolfe.
  • April 17, 2025, from 4 鈥� 6 PM: TURFA Thirsty Thursday Happy Hour at Racer's Cafe, Harford Road and Taylor Avenue.
  • March 26, 7 p.m.: An Abundance of Resources, Ours to Explore!  A ZOOM Presentation for TURFA Members.
  • March 14, 2025, 3 p.m.: Special TURFA Tour of the New Health Science Building.
  • November 2, 2024, from 12 noon 鈥� 4 PM: Computer Workshop for Medicare Part D Prescription Plans at the Liberal Arts Building in Room 2329 on the 缅北禁地 University Campus.
  • October 10, 2024, from 2 鈥� 4 PM: TURFA Fall Forum: Making the Transition to Medicare Part D Prescription Plans for Maryland State Retirees, at the 缅北禁地 University South Pavilion.

Groups

As the listing below shows, there are several active special interest groups.

TURFA Non-Fiction Reading Group

This group meets regularly each month. If you are interested in participating please contact the group facilitator, Jo-Ann Pilardi at .

TURFA Film Group

The film group has been meeting regularly. If you are interested in joining, please contact Peter Lev at .

TURFA Bicycling Group

The bicycling group plans short rides depending on the weather. If you want to get involved, contact Jim Paulsen at .

There are plenty of opportunities to take the lead and initiate a new group. Local theater, hikes, crafts, genealogy, etc., await a member with an interest to take the lead. TURFA will support your efforts and get the word out to members.

 

to request a copy of the links mentioned in the presentation.

Watch the Presentation