Events

The Towson University Retiree Association (TURA) offers many events throughout the year for the enjoyment, engagement and continued edification of members. 

dan rodricks speaking
Dan Rodricks speaking at a TURA Fall Forum event.

Event Information 

TURA events are wide ranging and include such things as: timely talks on current affairs, social get-togethers, informative talks by invited speakers and by members on their areas of expertise, virtual and live tours of both on-campus and off-campus facilities, conversations with university administrators and project directors, film discussions, non-fiction book group discussions, bicycle rides and many other types of events.

Events are open to all members and typically are held all year long. Upcoming events are posted below. Event announcements and details are also sent to members via email. Frequently, members are invited to bring guests.

Both TURA members and non-members interested in attending additional events on campus are encouraged to explore Calendars & Events,  Department of Music’s Events Calendar,  College of Liberal Arts Events and TU Today.

TURA has a special relationship with the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning at Towson. Osher offers discounted membership and tuition fees for TURA members giving discounted access to classes, lectures, trips and special events.

Members are encouraged to make suggestions for events or to create interest groups. Have an idea for an event?  Email the TURA President to share your suggestion.

Upcoming Events

Join us for a lively discussion of the book – The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon. (Pub. 2025, 464 pp.)  This definitive historical narrative reconstructs the tragic 1975 sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald through over 100 interviews with victims' families and crewmates, earning critical acclaim for its compassionate and detailed examination of Great Lakes maritime history. One of the Smithsonian's "10 Best History Books of 2025."

Zoom link

For more information contact .

Please join us via Zoom for discussion of the film Past Lives directed by Celine Song (South Korea/USA, 2023).  The story presents two twelve-year-old South Koreans, a girl and a boy, whose very close connection is broken when the girl’s family moves to Canada.  These two characters, Na-Young (later Nora) and Hae Sung, get in touch briefly at age 24.  Then Hae Sung visits Nora in New York when the characters are 36.  By this point Nora is married to an American, and working as an English-language playwright, yet she still feels a strong connection to Hae Sung, her Seoul-mate (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

Past Lives is perhaps best understood as a between cultures film.  It is to some extent autobiographical.  Celine Song did emigrate to Canada at age 12, did move to New York to pursue playwriting, and did marry an American.  But she clearly did not forget her Korean roots.  Song explained in an interview that the film is actually based on a three-way conversation between herself, her husband, and a visiting Korean friend where she realized “that I wasn't just translating between their languages and cultures but also translating between these two parts of myself as well."  So, the film is Korean + American, in culture, in locations, and in production companies (one South Korean, two American).

This film was nominated for two Academy Awards, for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

Past Lives can be streamed for free on TU Kanopy, available via the Cook Library website.  It is available on HBO with subscription.  It can be rented for streaming from Amazon and other outlets.

Zoom link for the meeting. 

Contact if you have any questions.

Join us for a lively discussion of the book – Mailman:  My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home by Stephen Starring Grant. (Pub. 2025, 304 pp.)  “A love letter to the Blue Ridge Mountains, a participant observer’s ethnography of a rural post office, an indictment of government austerity, and a witness statement attesting to the remarkable and at times ruthless efficiency of one of our oldest federal bureaucracies.  Not least, Mailman is a lament for the decline of service as an American ideal ... [Grant] proves to be a compelling and empathetic guide, observing his country and its citizens, not just himself, with open and unjaded eyes.”—The Atlantic

Zoom link

For more information contact .

Additional Events Being Planned

  • Thirsty Thursdays
  • Discussion on topics of interest to members
  • Bicycle rides
  • Film group discussions
  • Non-fiction book group discussions

Recent Past Events

  • April 16 from 4 to 6 PM: TURA Thirsty Thursday Happy Hour at Michael's Café, 2119 York Rd, Timonium, MD.
  • April 15 from 3 to 4:30 PM: TURA Film Club – Virtual discussion of the film Stand By Me.
  • April 9 from 2 to 3:30 PM:  TURA Non‐fiction Book Group Virtual Discussion – of the book The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel.
  • February 28, starting at 2 PM: Towson versus Cambell University Basketball Game.
  • October 30 from 2 to 4 PM: TURA Fall Forum in the South Campus Pavilion.

TURA Flicker Event Photos

Groups

As the listing below shows, there are several active special interest groups.

TURA Non-Fiction Reading Group

This group meets regularly each month. If you are interested in participating please contact the group facilitator, .

TURA Film Group

The film group has been meeting regularly. If you are interested in joining, please contact .

TURA Bicycling Group

The bicycling group plans short rides depending on the weather. If you want to get involved, contact .

There are plenty of opportunities to take the lead and initiate a new group. Local theater, hikes, crafts, genealogy, etc., await a member with an interest to take the lead. TURA will support your efforts and get the word out to members.