This week in class we shared the first half of our Oral History projects. I had such a great time listening to everyone’s presentations – all of the EPs had such beautiful words and pictures to share. I think it is very interesting how despite being of very different backgrounds, many of the EPs had similar lessons for their MP. I was so heartwarmed by the stories of the EPs finding love, often in unexpected ways and places. It was also very emotional to hear how much this project impacted everyone. In addition to progressing through the Oral History presentations, we are continuing to prepare for the upcoming Love, Connect, Care Event! This past weekend, as well as in class this week, Mariyah and I discussed our ideas and planning logistics with Dr. Lewis and the TAs. I’m very happy with the progress we’ve made and how our ideas have evolved over the last couple weeks. We had a lot of fun bouncing ideas off of each other and with the arts and craft activity group. We are so excited to have the opportunity to memorialize the event, and we hope the elders have a memorable experience and love the finished product! This coming week will also be our first in-person class (also my first in-person day of school in 2022!) and I am so excited for it! I think it will be very nice to meet everyone face to face after spending the last few weeks getting to know each other on Zoom.
Amid the trepidation of the latest COVID-19 surge and return to online learning, it has been delightful to engage with the other members of the cohort, our TAs, Dr. Lewis, and our guest speakers. I particularly enjoy discussing the week’s readings in our small group breakout rooms. I love to hear everyone’s discussion questions– it is always interesting to find out what parts of the text stand out to different people. My favorite reading so far is “Happiness Is a Choice You Make”. I love how author John Leland integrates his own lived experience with anecdotes of his six elders. In the last three weeks I have expanded and refined my understanding of the life course perspective, and some of the factors that impact the aging experience. Particularly impactful was the presentation by Elisa Barnett and Jason Cuneo from the LGBT+ Community Center at North Park Senior Apartments. Elisa and Jason shared so much insightful information about the services the center provides, as well as some touching stories of the experiences LGBT+ seniors face. During the presentation I realized that many of the practices I associate with allyship and inclusivity are oriented to create safe spaces for specifically younger members of the LGBTQ+ community. Elisa and Jason provided examples that helped me to understand how small gestures (wearing pride pins, listing your pronouns, etc.) are especially significant to seniors in the community given their intersectional identities and arguably more complex experiences. Being able to engage with these concepts “face-to-face” has made the start of the course feel so inviting and effortless. I’m very excited for the upcoming weeks!
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Tiffany Nakajima Tiffany Nakajima is a Public Health major with a concentration in Epidemiology and with a minor in Archives
March 2022
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