CONTACT: Julie Martinez

512-593-2590

TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE HOSTS

SOUTH TEXAS ELDERHOSTELS

KINGSVILLE (Oct. 21, 1998) -- Beginning in November, Texas A&M University-Kingsville's continuing education department will host five week-long elderhostels designed for people 55 and older who enjoy learning.

Senior citizens who elderhostel generally don't live in the area where they attend classes. "We don't get people from around Kingsville. They come from around the state and country to elderhostel here," said Leonor De Los Santos, continuing education director. "Kingsville area residents in turn go to elderhostels in other parts of the country."

Four of the scheduled elderhostels revolve around a topic that is becoming more popular in South Texas -- birding. Kiskadees, Kestrals, Caracaras and other Wintering Birds of South Texas is the topic of the first three sessions, Nov. 15-20, Jan. 24-29 and Feb. 8-12.

From April 11-16, seniors will learn about Birds of the Coastal Bend from Baffin Bay to

Corpus Christi and Padre Island, Geology and Desert Ecology of the Rio Grande Valley and Wildflower Kaleidoscope: Indigenous Blossoming Plants of South Texas.

In another program, Feb. 21-26, seniors will study King Ranch: A Ranching Tradition Since 1853, Wonders of the Ancients: Pre-Columbian Cultures and Conversational Spanish.

The topics for the March 7-12 elderhostel is John Phillip Sousa: His Music and the Times, Jazz and the American Tradition: From Folk Blues through Bebop and Music History:

Travel through Time to Experience the Tunes.

The topics for the April 18-24 program are Tex-Mex Culture: Melting Pot or Tossed Salad and You Can Learn to Speak Spanish! Hablando Espanol es Possible Para Usted!

The final session, April 25-30, features The Science in Science Fiction, InterGallactic Politics and Science Fiction as Literature.

Seniors who attend the elderhostels stay at a local hotel, but they spend most of their time on the Texas A&M-Kingsville campus. "They attend their classes here, many taught by our

faculty," De Los Santos said. " They also eat all their meals except breakfast on campus."

"We keep them busy while they are here. They have breakfast before 7 a.m. so they can start classes at 8 a.m.," she said. " They take classes all day and we often have an evening program for them. They also go on field trips."

"People who elderhostel, do so because they are interested in learning new things," De Los Santos said. "They enjoy learning so they don't mind working hard."

For more information on elderhostels call continuing education at 512-593-2868.

-TAMUK-