THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 7, 1995 TAG: 9507040146
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Thelma Varner spent 10 days in a Norfolk State University class last month. The stately gray-haired senior citizen attended Recreation 186. Varner and her five classmates spent three hours a day, four days a week in Room 119 at the Old Dominion University-Norfolk State University Virginia Beach Education Center.
They got college credit - for playing bridge.
Even though she's a long time player, the exercise benefited Varner. ``I've been playing contract bridge for, oh, 40 years. But I have learned much more because of this course,'' she said.
The course is the first in South Hampton Roads to offer college credit for bridge. Each student received one credit hour. Beginning bridge was coordinated by Isaac T. Moorehead, an administrator at NSU, and taught by Kay Afdahl.
The first thing she told the students was ``BIFF'' (bridge is for fun).
It certainly looked that way on the final day of the course. The six students, all women of a variety of ages, brought in ham biscuits, chicken bites, baked goodies and lemonade. Afdahl stood at the chalkboard, drawing bridge hands on the board, questioning the students and watching them play.
``They started playing bridge the first day of class,'' said Afdahl, a serious player for 30 years.
``They're playing at the same level as 90 percent of the people who play bridge, novice level.''
Eunice Moore has also played bridge for three decades. She is the publicity chairperson for the Tidewater Bridge Unit, a member of the American Bridge Association. Afdahl's BIFF credo helped Moore learn an important lesson.
``I signed up on the second day of classes,'' she said. ``Bridge wasn't fun when I first started playing, but it is now. I believe in BIFF.''
Afdahl used two books by Audrey Grant, ``The Club Series'' and ``The Diamond Series,'' as texts, but the real learning took place at the bridge table in the corner of the room.
Four played at a time, with the other two sitting in, looking on and getting advice from Afdahl.
Diana Barnett, a retired civil service employee, had no trouble with BIFF. The unofficial class clown, she joked about herself during one hand: ``Is there a category below novice? I'm below novice.''
When Afdahl asked Barnett and her partner, Kathy Maness, about their hands, Barnett responded with, ``Can you have five spades?''
Alta S. Moorehead, novice player and wife of Isaac, paired up with Verna Hyman. Like Barnett, both are new to the game. They asked Afdahl several questions during the one-hour chalkboard session.
Afdahl reminded her students that bridge is a game for all ages: ``You can play bridge from the first time you're old enough to sit in a chair and for as long as you can sit in a chair.''
She said that bridge is a game that develops logic and math skills, but lamented the fact that bridge doesn't attract younger players anymore.
``When I was in college, we played all the time in the student union,'' she said. ``You don't see that now. I recently read that the average age of bridge players is 65. We would like to attract more young people.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY EDWARDS
Kay Afdahl, standing, who teaches a bridge class at Norfolk State
University, coaches students Verna Hyman, left, and Kathy Maness.
by CNB