For this week's class, we went to Bayside Community Center, to participate in Zumba with the seniors in the community. It was actually my first time doing Zumba, and I was a little nervous. However, my nerves quickly vanished as soon as it started. The instructor was very energetic and had dance moves that were easy to follow. I also liked the songs that we danced to, which included Pitbull - Fireball and Taylor Swift - Shake it Off. I liked how everyone was having fun and smiling. I really appreciated this time because it allowed me to take my mind off of school and other stressful things. We had one water break in between songs. The hour flew by very quickly. After Zumba, we were given the opportunity to eat snacks and talk with the elders. I went with Chloe to talk to three seniors, and I am really glad I decided to do so because I was able to learn more about them and the stories they had to share. I found out that two of the seniors had been nurses for most of their lives. As a future aspiring nurse, I enjoyed learning about their experiences in hospitals. I only wish that we had more time to talk to everyone who is part of Bayside Community because to me an hour felt too short. I was shocked that it ended so quickly. I hope for future field trips there will be more time for interactions and conversations because those are absolutely invaluable.
I really enjoyed the class retreat at the Martin Johnson house on Saturday. The location was absolutely stunning with a beautiful ocean view and sunny weather to go with it. The day first started off with a breakfast of donuts and bagels (you can honestly never go wrong with those). After everyone finished eating breakfast, everyone participated in a community building activity. Everyone had words taped to their back, and had to find their partner whose word correlated with theirs. This provided the opportunity to build connections and get to know each other better.
I also appreciated the lecture given by Professor Lewis and Professor Bussell about aging. I learned a lot more knowledge about the diversity of the aging experience and about aging in general. This was followed by the Life Course game, in which we were all split up in groups of 5. We were given cards that had details on it like what race we were as well as if we were disadvantaged or advantaged. To move in the game, people rolled dice determining how many steps to take forward. As players moved forward, there were cards that either benefited them or negatively affected them. For example, if the situation was a serious car accident, advantaged meant that the player received proper medical care and treatments. Being neutral/disadvantaged meant that the player passed away because medical insurance did not cover everything needed to survive. This game taught me that race and socioeconomic status are huge factors in determining people's health and survival. After the game, Trish Benesh taught a workshop on writing a memoir as well as talk about the book 7memories that she had written. I learned from this workshop how to prepare to write my own memoir for our upcoming extraordinary person project. My favorite part of the day was the mindfulness-oriented coastal walk because I was able to take in the beautiful view, appreciate nature and relax. I also learned what it would be like if I was an elder (for example, as an elder I would have to be mindful of the sidewalk cracks and uneven pavement). We ended the day with a thought exercise of what our lives would be like when we are 80. This made me really think about what I value and prioritize in life. Overall, I really liked the retreat, and I am excited to see what I will learn and take away from this course. |
SALLIE LUWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
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