ae a a ee a pee April 1986, page 2 Reflections 1 1 = aonowndunOv0o in this issue: Alumnews Beautiful campus Dixon Award Executions Geography Giving and receiving Grad’s get jobs Honorary Degrees |.D. CArds Microscopes NUSAT Low oil prices Reflections Sunbathing | ON Weber State College Comment, Summer comes, summer goes by Dr. Gary D. Willden, Chair of the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance e summer of ‘86 is coming!! Summers have an inexorable way of doing that — of coming. However, the most salient feature of summers often seems. to be the way they GO — too quickly. It’s almost axiomatic that summers pass “...ere we're aware,” leaving us pondering the passing in their wake. How often do we mourn the missed opportunities of another summer passed, only to repeat the dirge again following Fall? For many people Summer (that short, magical season in northerly climes) is regarded as THE time for play. That is, albeit, a stance with which one may take personal exception. For some people, one of the greatest benefits of living in northern Utah is the changing of the seasons. There is a richness of opportunity in the rhythms of the year which seems lost on some of our fellows. How can the beauties of Autumn, Winter and Spring be ignored or overlooked in favor of their sister season by so many? But, that is a traves‘ty better left for another day’s deliberations. SUMMER — ah, there’s the rub. For many, the summer season apparently gets away so, cleanly that we get in nary a single fun punch before it’s past. Such blatant wastefulness with valuable summers simply must cease! We frequently hear the complaint that once again summer is gone and we didn’t do even a fraction of the enjoyable things we’d hoped to do. For our own health (mental and physical), and well being we really must try Farder to make wonderful memories while we may. For “‘...Deep in December, it’s nice to remember...” those warm and wholesome times we enjoyed = ———— — that (last) summer. Recreation. Fun. Play. These words, or others of similar ilk, carry with them connotations which are for most of us: warm and wonderful, but often too, guilt-ridden. We really do intend to “spend more time with (the kids, spouse, friends) doing some fun and memorable things in the summer,” BUT...like life in the ballad, it keeps “...slip-slidin’ away.” Of course the reasons (excuses) are legion, even valid, but the end result is often the same: the summer's gone, the fun was missed. Perhaps at this April juncture it’s not too late to ensure that this summer is different. The failing so often seems to be. with our “busy schedules.” Realistically, many of us, like nature, “abhor a vacuum,” and allow “obligations” to creep, in and fill the potentially available spaces in our schedules before we commit those time slots to family memory making. Therefore, what we might do now is get out the calender and block out some times for Family Fun. Scheduling some simple activities may ensure that they too, like the more major ones (trips, vacations, etc.), actually happen. A widespread misconception is that family recreation must cost big $$$. However, it’s also an oft-observed fact that many of the most memorable fun times in our lives were free, or relatively inexpensive activities shared with people we care about. The walk in the park, the half-hour at the neighborhood school playground, feeding the ducks at the pond, playing Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit at the dining room table, a drive up the canyon to skip rocks on the reservoir, a visit to the library, museum, or planetarium, or a day at the zoo or aviary. All these and many more are among the oft-neglected, but perhaps most significant choices for shared parent and child good times. For consideration about recreation: — some Fundamental photo by Dave Brimley Dr. Gary D. Willden — or Lupo t. Clown, Doctor of Phunology — is an expert when it comes to playing games and having fun. He teaches outdoor recreation classes at the college such as hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, bicycling, jogging, cross country skiing, downhill skiing and winter camping with an occaisional bowling or swimming class on the side. “I think the other departments on campus teach the student how to make a living, we in the HPERD department teach the student how to make the living worthwhile,” he said. Learn a magic trick Play marbles Build a sandcastle Kazoo band Make & fly kites Hula hoops Learn to juggle Tube down a river Try mime! New games activities Learn ventriloquism Backyard waterslide Crafts/weaving/etc. Learn 10 basic Yo-Yo tricks Children’s Museum of Utah. and on, and on, and on! assumptions: There are a wealth of resources to help with such under- | takings. The libraries, craft shops, hobby stores, toy stores, recreation professionals, continuing education classes, your own half-forgotten childhood and youth experiences, scout 3. The Simple (childlike) should not be scorned. and youth group leaders, and many more possibilities are 4. The eclecticist selects from among many alternatives. 5. The result is an amalgam — a whole greater than the available to assist you. Go on a “nature creep,” hike a trail, have a scavenger sum of its parts. Based on these assumptions, here are offered several sum-' hunt, start a collection (of anything!), get out and about — DO! Don’t hesitate because you're “not an expert” at such mers worth of additional, inexpensive fun: things. Remember Rachel Carson's dictum; “It’s not half as important to know as to feel!” Balloon sculpture Origami A favorite mentor and grand master of playfulness, Alma Bubble blowing (paper folding) Heaton, defines recreation as “All the crazy things people do Cat’s Cradle Paper airplane contests to keep from going crazy.” In an era characterized by (string manipulation) Puppetry megatrends and overchoice it may be important to make Clown Acts Puzzles time for a little more craziness, a little more fun. Let’s emRoller skating (slapstick skits) phasize this summer adding some vital hours for play, for Foil people making Rope jumping 1. Play is good. 2. Variety gives spice (interest, fun, excitement). Frisbee games . (Ultimate, Golf...) Hand shadow making Silly song singing Stilts Try a unicycle! family recreation, and thereby be more like the man who said, “I did not want, when I came to die, to discover that I had not lived.” Life is short. Let’s live it, love it, play with it!.