SW_Healthy.Living_ZC_011217

6 | January 12, 2017 | 22ND CENTURY MEDIA HEALTHY LIVING
22ndCenturyMedia.com
cyclist
Smith Crossing
MEET THE Resident Pictured
who’s blazing new trails
What could be better than getting to ride every day?
Exploring wooded trails far away from traffic, then
capping off your ride at the pub with friends who
are as active as you are. This is a place where snow is
shoveled, the honey-do list is a thing of the past, and
good neighbors quickly become great friends.
That’s the beauty of a Life Plan Community.
Everything you need today – and everything you
might need tomorrow – is taken care of.
Experience the ease of
maintenance-free living and
blaze your own trails.
Schedule your visit today
(708) 505-2925
Step into a World of Possibilities.
10501 Emilie Lane · Orland Park, IL 60467
(708) 505-2925 · SmithCrossing.org
Smith Crossing residents derive
enrichment from Renaissance
Corner Academy program
Residents of Smith
Crossing in Orland Park
possess a thirst for knowledge
and a sense of value.
These traits land them
in classroom seats at St.
Xavier University’s nearby
campus on Fridays in
fall and spring for courses
conducted by Renaissance
Corner Academy, a lifeenrichment
program for
older adults. For a $50
fee, they can sign up for
as many of 31 classes as
they like, exploring a variety
of topics including
the arts, politics, psychology,
economics, history,
poetry and more. The only
restriction is that members
attend only classes they’ve
signed up for.
Smith Crossing residents
also enjoy the convenience
of a shuttle that takes them
to the nearby university
campus. Even better, they
can attend “How the Irish
Saved Civilization” in a
classroom at Smith Crossing.
Renaissance Corner
Academy members who
do not live at Smith Crossing
also can attend.
“The class at Smith
Crossing is special because
participants can
always grab lunch at the
Smith Crossing Bistro —
we don’t have anything
like that at St. Xavier,”
said Marion Sherlock, a
Renaissance Corner Academy
board member and
former president.
Renaissance Corner
Academy began offering
classes under the name
Renaissance Academy at
the Orland Park St. Xavier
campus in 2005, growing
from 50 enrollees then to
302 in the term that ended
the first week in November.
Semesters conclude
with a luncheon at Silver
Lakes Country Club,
which is covered by the
$50 class fee.
Smith Crossing residents
have been so taken
with Renaissance Corner
Academy courses, several
have even stepped up to
serve as course facilitators.
“We call those who instruct
‘facilitators,’ not
‘teachers,’” Sherlock said.
“That’s because they don’t
necessarily teach. It’s
more that they facilitate
open discussions on a variety
of topics.”
Jane Andringa and her
husband, John, have attended
Renaissance Corner
Academy courses for
the last four years — even
before their move to Smith
Crossing from Palos Park
in 2014.
“I always sign up for the
poetry appreciation course
facilitated by Bill Hermanson,”
Jane Andringa
said. “He selects poetry,
we have copies and work
through the poems. It’s a
wonderful class.”
Last year, Andringa, a
retired special education
teacher who earned a doctorate
in curriculum development
from Loyola University,
began serving as a
co-facilitator for a course
titled, “Understanding the
Mysteries of Human Behavior.”
The class content
was presented in eight installments
using a DVD
series developed by a
Duke University professor.
In the spring of 2017,
when Renaissance Corner
Academy classes start
again, Andringa expects to
lead another eight installments
in the human behavior
series.
Smith Crossing resident
Charlie Ranlett also has
taken and taught Renaissance
Corner Academy
courses. This past term,
the retired human resources
executive and local history
buff taught a course
called “New and Different
Chicago Personalities.”
“You never know how
people are going to respond
to the courses,”
Ranlett said. “I profiled
several Chicago notables,
but I got the most reaction
when we spotlighted
Al Capone. I think he provoked
the most discussion.
It seemed like just about
everyone knew someone,
who knew someone who
knew him.”
Smith Crossing resident
Margaret Yates volunteers
in Smith Crossing’s onsite
library for assisted
living residents. A retired
St. Xavier University professor,
she enjoys Renaissance
Corner Academy
classes, though she has not
facilitated a course.
“I signed up for a course
on Sherlock Holmes and
one on the history of jazz,”
she said. “I loved them.
They kept my mind busy
and active. They’re just
wonderful.”
Submitted by Smith Crossing,
10501 Emilie Lane in Orland
Park. For more information,
visit www.smithcrossing.org
or call (708) 326-2300, and
more information about Renaissance
Corner Academy
classes available next spring
at St. Xavier University in
Orland Park, call (708) 633-
4631.