Before visiting Bayside Community Center, I had pictured the place to be similar to the Gary and Mary West Center in downtown. I was surprised to walk in and see that instead of being a center with different rooms, sections, and floors, the site was more like a recreation center, similar to my elementary and middle school multi-purpose rooms. I thoroughly enjoyed doing Zumba for the first time, especially with the elders. They had such great rhythm and really knew how to dance! Although I am not very good at dancing or following step by step moves, I quickly realized that it did not matter if you were a great dancer or not. Just being able to move to the music and have fun with it was a blast! Additionally, being able to see and take part in the potluck the seniors held was another great aspect of the visit. It was interesting to see how everyone brought their homemade dishes and was so willing to share food with one another, including us. One of the ladies I had a chance to speak with was actually from Minneapolis, Minnesota and joined one of her friends in visiting the center that day. She was extremely kind and told me about her career as a Nurse Practitioner as well as how she believed that Public Health is a field we are truly in need of and will come to benefit the future of society. Another lady I spoke with had moved to San Diego in the 1960s from St. Louis, Missouri and raised her family here. It was such a cool coincidence that she has multiple relatives, including her son, who attended UCSD and so she had a lot to talk about with us regarding our college experience and the six college system.
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Monique SimArchives
June 2018
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