This last blog post has truly been difficult for me to write because it comes with the realization that not only has my time at UCSD has come to an end, but also the end of the LCS program. I can definitely say that the Life Course Scholars program has been the most educational experience I have ever had at UCSD. It provided interactive, creative projects that facilitated so much discussion and improvements to assist in the promotion of healthy aging. I can say each and every project was so informative and empowering to do not only for myself but others i.e. my grandmother’s joy with her OHP, the excited EPs in the HAP video project, and the attendees of the Senior Prom. While I am thankful for the small class size- for it allowed me to closely interact with some incredible individuals- this class has been so eye-opening that I also wished so many more had the opportunity to partake in it. While my family and friends can not take the class, I have definitely brought my experiences and knowledge I have learned in LCS outside of the classroom via discussions at home. I have tried to spread awareness of healthy aging tactics by sharing the books we have read, debunking ageist myths from the posters I have seen in class, and talking about how effective and/or ineffective built environments are based on the insight of the NAPs. Additionally, since the start of this class I have noticed I simply tend to utilize the word “seniors” less and “older adults” more. Looking back, I am truly crushed that the class was unable to meet up again in Spring Quarter and meet some more incredible EPs and visit more sites. However, I look forward to future potential LCS reunions that may come. I know the lessons learned from this program have made- and will continue to make- a significant impact in my personal, professional, and social development! Thank you so much Professor Lewis and Professor Bussell for this amazing opportunity and these past two quarters!
Over the course of this quarter, fellow LCSers and I have been working on our Healthy Aging Project called, “Project ‘So Tell Me..’”. This project came about through the inspiration found on channels like Cut and/or Jubilee that ask a number of people to answer on the same topic i.e. their biggest pet peeve, their first kiss, etc. However, I wanted to curate a project that focused on the perspective of older adults. Thus, came about the video inspiration of asking some extraordinary older adults in our lives the question of, “What advice would you give to the younger generation?” This project was very interactive and incredibly fun to make from start to finish- from interviewing my lovely grandmother, to seeing the other LCSers interviews, and to editing. Watching the video I hope each and every older adult can see how beautiful and insightful they are. Also, by incorporating multiple languages and those of different backgrounds I hope this allows for a more multicultural audience. There was so much generational wisdom that was provided from each and every older adult, and I can not thank them enough for their participation. I hope to see this video and/or project continue either at its core (facilitating a conversation with an older adult in your life) or as it is in future LCS classes. This project was definitely limited due to COVID-19, for the goal was to ask many more seniors for their advice in the site visits that we were planning to go to. Therefore, I hope to see this project continue on later. This HAP has hopefully reached its aims of allowing the interviewees to be heard, creating a multicultural international piece, and offering a range of advice. I know by the end of the interview my grandmother could not beaming- I could not tell from the flattery of being asked to be interviewed or simply from having spent some quality time with one another.
Although I have lived nearby West Anaheim- about 15 min away- I never really knew much about this neighboring district. To provide a brief overview of Anaheim/West Anaheim it is widely diverse in culture and age groups. This neighborhood is particularly attractive to locals and tourists alike due to being the popular location host of Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention Center. And, outside of these famous features the neighborhood is overall quite age-friendly. Based on my report, I can say that the WHO domains with the greatest strengths include: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, social participation, and community support and health services. However, some of West Anaheim’s weaknesses are housing as well as communication and information. West Anaheim has a vast amount of green spaces provided with well-kept parks, a variety of resources for volunteering and employment available, and great transportation systems. However, the weaknesses previously mentioned are considered so because these domains were quite difficult to locate information on and/or had limited availability of these aspects. For example, there are a limited number of housing units dedicated to low-income seniors. This project was very eye-opening, and definitely has me, personally, looking out at other neighborhoods to see if it's suitable for those of all ages. I am fortunate enough and am glad to know that my grandparents live nearby in a neighborhood, West Anaheim, that allows them an ample amount of resources, services, green spaces, and inclusion. The WHO checklist is so comprehensive, and I think these domains are items others should definitely learn and note to see if their neighborhood is age-friendly or not. This, also, leads to another reason why this NAP project is so impactful because by identifying gaps in these checklists it can lead to possible policy implications to be addressed and acknowledged.
In this week’s LCS class, students each shared their unique infographics in all different styles and topics that all sum up to one focus: debunking ageist myths! For starters, the importance of the topic is best stated by the World Health Organization (WHO), “Ageism is everywhere, yet it is the most socially “normalized” of any prejudice, and is not widely countered – like racism or sexism. These attitudes lead to the marginalization of older people within our communities and have negative impacts on their health and well-being”. Personally, for my topic I discussed and seeked to debunk the ageist stereotype of intimacy being diminished as we age. To debunk this, I made an infographic that showed varying statistics that show how older adults can and do regularly keep up intimacy later in life. For example, nearly half of those ages 75 to 85 sexually active persons are reported to still have sex at least 2 to 3 times a month. I think this is an especially important topic to discuss because it’s often just not because it is seen as taboo and/or uncomfortable. However, this stigma can lead to negative social repercussions such as older women potentially feeling less unattractive. This assignment was truly fun to be able to create a truly deserved talk about a subject to be brought into light in a fun, creative manner. This is definitely seen in all the other LCS’s work with all their different infographics debunking both ageist myths and/or mending the generational gap between the aging population.
This past Wednesday, the LCS cohort has been able to catch up with both old and new EPs for an oral history extension on a crisis that has affected them. During our recap of all the amazing stories from each EP, there were some prevalent themes and generational wisdom in each story. A key lesson that stood out to me was that it’s important to persevere and as Professor Lewis stated to “soldier on.” This especially rang true from the personal crisis that my grandmother shared with me. The crisis that she shared with me was in regards to the largest move of her life in May 1993 when she moved from Quang Ngai, Vietnam to New York. This move meant leaving behind family, friends, and everything she’s ever known. All of her momentos and belongings were reduced into a single luggage because that was all that was allowed. Not only was this the first time that she moved, but it was also her first time on a plane moving across the globe. Despite all this, my grandmother felt nothing but excitement for her new start as well as better opportunities for her children. While bittersweet at what she had lost leaving Vietnam behind, she was hopeful for what her future would hold. Now after about 27 years in America, she is facing a totally different crisis that affects us all which is the coronavirus. While my grandma is scared for her family and friends’ wellbeing, she has two words of wisdom for us which is, “cố gắng.” “Cố gắng” while directly translated from Google is “trying”, but it’s true connotation meaning to always continue to persevere. To simply keep going.
It has already been 3 weeks into spring quarter with its transition to online Zoom lectures and meetings. Honestly, it has been a rough transition from normal lecture halls to now learning remotely due to things like technological difficulties on all ends, finding motivation to do work while in the comfort of your home, and etc. However, as time passes it has become more of a routine logging into Zoom. It is especially nice to hear and see familiar faces every Wednesday morning for our LCS check-ins and book club! I am excited to dive into Leland’s book this quarter due to its interesting story-tellling of the older adult experts. The book itself and the book club discussions have already allowed me to think about varying topics such as how and why wisdom comes with age, how love can still be found no matter the age, and to ponder over many types of perspectives to take on now and later on in life. Additionally, now more than ever considering this pandemic I feel like the current events have been useful in highlighting the older adults experiences during these challenging times, and calls into light the importance of greater representation for this population. This is especially demonstrated in Sophia’s current event today when discussing about the 86 year old women who unfortunately died due to neglect and social distancing stigmas in regards to COVID-19. Lastly, another major effect of this pandemic is on our HAPs, the “So Tell Me…” project where we are unable to utilize past sites to reach out to other seniors. However, my group has adapted to expanding our interviews to our EPs and other older adults around us. I am excited to see the changes and how as a class we will adapt during these times to continue our endeavor in learning the aging perspective.
The first quarter of the Life Course Scholars has come to an end, and quite a rocky end at that due to all the commotion of what will become of the course due to COVID-19. It is a bit disheartening that many of the site visits and even many healthy aging projects must be modified due to these circumstances. However, I understand how these measures are necessary to ensure safety among the public and particularly, the older adults.
Overall, the Life Course Scholars program has been such an enriching, engaging, and educational environment that has opened my eyes to many topics that I would have never thought about before. This course allows its students to dive into a community that is often neglected and outcasted because of their age. When in reality, these older adults are just as energetic if not more now than ever as the class saw at the Zumba outing! This course has taught me a variety of topics on aging like current stigmas, affordable housing, and how to better communicate with older adults. And, every site visit has made me not only appreciate the class more, but also open my eyes to a population I was not used to familiarizing myself with. As far as improvements go, I honestly have none at the moment. All the projects, books, and site visits allow a well-rounded environment for students to explore what it takes for healthy aging, yet allows students to see what the reality of the current aging population is living like. This class has positively affected more than I could have ever imagined. It is quite a humbling experience to really appreciate what I have now. Especially, when we go out to sites like the Gary and Mary West Center and see how the older adults just simply appreciate each other’s company. [redacted]. Also, the class is important for students, for its easy to imagine your life 4-5 years in advance, but no one really wonders where they will be 60+ years from now which should equally be as important. I am excited to see what spring quarter has to offer, and how we will work around these times to continue such an amazing class. Thank you so much Professor Lewis and Professor Rabinowitz Bussel! Last Saturday, on February 22nd, the Life Course Scholars returned to the Gary and Mary West Center to host the 5th annual Senior Prom. It was an incredible time, and I am truly sad that we were not able to have more allocated time for the event because we had so much planned. Right from the get go, the class worked hard to prepare the cafeteria and/or multipurpose room into a wonderful fairytale-esque setting. Some decorations that aided in setting this theme was by the making of a balloon arch, green vines, fairy lights, and white fairy lanterns. The class was able to gain a lot of support from local shops and restaurants that allowed for many different food options for the older adults. Also, the older adults enjoyed the salsa demonstration provided by the wonderful teachers from the UCSD Salsa Dance club. It was such an amazing time, and the three hours flew by. It was such an honor being able to provide a little extra fun event like a prom to the seniors, and it was apparent how appreciative they were for this event.
The following Wednesday, on February 26nd, the class was able to take a tour at Casa de Mañana- a retirement community located right along La Jolla Shores. The establishment overlooks beautiful scenery that encompasses the beach where adorable seals sun bathe all day long. The retirement community itself was so luxurious with its architectural style, its activities, the in-house activities, the various dining assortments, and amazing staff. Speaking of amazing staff, the class was able to get an inside scoop by a tour lead by the staff. It was also quite warming to see how as we walked around the different parts of the building, and see the staff and the members living there interact with one another. It really showed that they were really passionate about where they work, and only want to provide the best living space for their residents. Then, at the end of the tour, the students were lucky enough to be able to talk with some residents about their life. I was fortunate enough to talk with Ed who as he claims, “a master of all trades.” He shared with us many of his experiences in the army, his kids, and life advice. It was such a great experience talking to him, and would love to be able to speak with more residents when we return back to Casa de Mañana. This past Wednesday, on January 19th, the class of Life Course Scholars were finally back in the classroom after many amazing trips to JFS, the West Center, and other sites! However, we still had a packed schedule of book presentations, current events, debriefed, and oral history presentations. The book we discussed on was, “The Chair Rocks” by Ashton Applewhite, it highlights many key aspects as to the predicament of the anti-aging nature and it’s negative social effects. It was an informative, captivating read, and I appreciate how she sectionalized her topics to isolate and focus on ideas of the aging ideations. Additionally, even though there are strong opinions provided by Applewhite that may not be agreeable to all readers she allows for certain ideas to be acknowledged, so that others have the ability to be aware and decide to challenge or accept her opinions on aging. Next, in current events there were many new presentations that I wasn’t aware about and am shocked to hear about. Especially, the article on lack of care and providers available to the community in Nigeria. This is extremely heartbreaking to hear on both ends- the healthcare team and the people in need there- because on one end the available providers are completely overworked and stretched thin; while, the sick need attention and have no means of receiving it. Lastly, during class we had oral history presentations. Along with some of my classmates and I, we were able to present on our extraordinary person. I had chosen my grandmother for this assignment, and had learned so much about her history and her character overall. It was an incredibly vulnerable experience to me sharing something so intimate such as her losses and dramatic life changes. However, it was also quite empowering to share her story and give her a voice she never thought she had. It was also interesting to hear my fellow classmate EP’s stories. All of which have been through so much and have such amazing stories to share. I think the oral history project not only allows us to share all sorts of memories, but also to create bonds with persons we might take for granted. Or even, to simply learn more about why someone has these certain quirks despite knowing them all your life.
On Wednesday, January 5th, students headed to Bayside Community Center in downtown San Diego. The Life Course Scholars participated in on an hour long intergenerational zumba class. It is safe to say that we all got our groove on, and that the seniors definitely had much more energy than the students. However, due to the upbeat music and amazing instructor, Linda, the zumba class did not even feel like exercise. In fact, I feel like in normal workouts you tend to count the minutes until you are done, but the class went by so fast because of how enjoyable it was. It was so much fun dancing that I could not stop smiling and laughing. Afterwards, I had the fortunate opportunity of speaking with Kathy who is a senior that has been coming to Bayside for years. She actively participates in all the services and exercises that Bayside has to offer. I definitely was not able to catch up with her out on the dance floor. It was amazing to hear how she loves Zumba and staying active because it motivates her to get out of the bed in the morning! Kathy also shared that because she is a spanish speaker she loves the fact that the instructor plays Spanish songs which makes her want to dance more and sing along. This zumba class was so engaging, and so interactive that it created a space for anyone there to just have fun and let loose! This is shown by how the seniors there continue to come every week sometimes every Monday and Wednesday to participate.
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Katie HuynhArchives
June 2020
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