The ISU Annuitants Association (ISUAA) December program and luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Wednesday, December 5, in room 118 of the Alumni Center, 1101 N. Main St. The program, “It’s not about the Ghosts! Charles Dickens and the ‘Invention’ of Christmas!” will be presented by Marcia Young.
The holiday meal will feature a choice of thinly sliced rib eye in a merlot wine sauce, or a vegetarian grilled balsamic seasonal vegetable stack. Salad, vegetables, rolls and butter, dessert or a fruit cup, and coffee or iced tea will also be available. The cost for the meal is $20. Reservation forms are due by November 26 and may be accessed via the newsletter link on the front page of the ISUAA website, Annuitants.IllinoisState.edu.
Young served as co-director of the University museums at Illinois State University and later served for 24 years as site superintendent of the David Davis Mansion state historic site in Bloomington. She currently teaches museum studies at Illinois Wesleyan University, where she is an adjunct assistant professor of history.
Young describes her presentation by offering that the English novelist Charles Dickens was the rock star of his day. Legions of fans awaited the publication of his books and stood in long lines to get tickets for his public appearances. One hundred seventy-five years after it was published, his most beloved novel, A Christmas Carol, is still very much a part of American popular culture.
ISUAA is the local chapter of the State Universities Annuitants Association (SUAA) and serves employees of Illinois State University who participate in SURS, and retirees who receive a SURS pension, their spouses, and survivors. Current employees and retirees are encouraged to become members to support efforts of SUAA in protecting their benefits. ISUAA is not and never has been an organization just for retirees. Membership forms may be accessed through the following link: annuitants.illinoisstate.edu/membership/.
