Meadowood gives retired residents taste of campus life

They work out, they go to the opera and they eat their meals in an on-campus dining hall. Some of them even attend classes occasionally. These aren't students, but the residents of Meadowood retirement community, just across from the stadium at 2455 Tamarack Trail.\nWhile Meadowood celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, some students aren't aware it's there. Freshman Heidi Boruff said she knows how easy it is to pass through the community without knowing about it.\n"I used to drive by their sign all the time on the way to work and not notice it," Boruff said. "I've lived in Bloomington all my life, and I never knew about Meadowood until I saw an ad they had for a dietary aid." \nBoruff, a dietetics major, interviewed for the dietary aid position and was offered a job in food service at the Meadowood campus dining hall. She said getting to know Meadowood residents is one of the highlights of her job. \n"They're all wonderful people," Boruff said. "You get the occasional grumpies, but the rest are fun to work around. It's real easy to get to know them."\nMeadowood was founded by Herman B Wells, who began to think in the late 1960s that IU faculty should have a special place to retire. Meadowood resident Martha Lea Armstrong said her husband was beside Wells for much of the project. \n"Dr. Wells had been retired for a long time when he decided there should be a retirement community nearby for retiring alumni and faculty members," Armstrong said. "Back then it was strictly for IU faculty, then later it was for Big Ten alumni, and now anyone can come in. I cannot say enough about how wonderful this place is -- operas, academics, sports, children near Meadowood -- they really see to it that everyone is happy."\nAlthough Armstrong went to Western Kentucky University, she's had a close relationship to IU since her early college days because her high school sweetheart and future husband, the late Bill Armstrong, was a Sigma Nu at IU when Wells was president of the University. Bill Armstrong developed a close friendship with Wells, who later asked him to become president of the IU Foundation. Bill Armstrong Stadium, the home of IU soccer, was eventually named after him. \n"Dr. Wells knew lots of Sigma Nus because he was always going down to the house, and they were all so very fond of him," Armstrong said. "But Bill was special. He and my husband became very dear friends."\nArmstrong said her husband once made an agreement with Wells to cancel classes Monday off the IU football team beat Purdue. The team won, and Wells gave everyone Monday off. Armstrong said Bill knew he had Wells on his side. \nArmstrong said although her husband had helped Wells create Meadowood from the beginning, she herself had only moved there three months ago. \nA die-hard IU fan, the door of Armstrong's Meadowood apartment is covered with red and white. A sign above the apartment number reads "Go Hoosiers," and red and white pompom streamers hang down. Armstrong says she never misses a sporting event if she can help it, adding she always goes to Little 500.\n"My husband loved the Little 500," Armstrong said. "He had a little speaking part in 'Breaking Away.' It wasn't much, but I still get a little check quarterly from Twentieth Century Fox." \nShe said her continued involvement with IU is one of her favorite aspects of life at Meadowood. \nOn the other end of the spectrum is Professor Emeritus of Business Administration John Long and his wife, Hazel. The Longs said that while they liked living so close to the University, they were taking a break from IU events.\n"We heard so many nice things about Meadowood, about how nice it was being so close to IU," Long said. "But I guess we've attended all the major events IU has to offer, and it's time to settle down." \nLong came to IU as an instructor -- a class lower than an associate instructor -- in 1947, teaching business and focusing on insurance. He taught at IU for 40 years, with the exception of one semester at DePaul, and eventually became a full professor. \nDespite taking a break from the IU scene, people such as the Longs, who decide not to be involved with the University, by no means have a dull social life, said Leasing Coordinator Kimber McElhinney. \n"We have transportation to anything at IU, but of course there's always something to do here as well," McElhinney said. "Continuing studies, movies, happy hour, doctor days -- there's just always something going on"