NEWS BITES
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“Seniors and students alike enjoy connecting and learning in this way with each other.” –Rachael Geary, Dialogue Society at USC member
12 | VITALITY
USC is home to the newest chapter of Dialogue Society, a student-led organization focused on promoting meaningful dialogues about healthy, purposeful and mindful living and inspiring personal development. Joining forces with existing chapters at UCLA and UCI, the USC chapter focuses on student outreach to older adults, including those living in senior communities. Since the chapter’s formation in 2021, the organization has held a variety of events relating to physical, mental, and social wellness. Fall 2021 was the first fully active semester, during which the organization held online events as well as Dialogue Society’s first in-person events since the beginning of the pandemic. Successful collaboration with the UCLA chapter resulted in two scamprevention workshops for seniors at Belmont Senior Living in Westwood and EngAGE at Piedmont Senior Apartments in North Hollywood.
“As technology becomes increasingly present in our lives, it is important to be aware of potential cybersecurity risks, so we educated the seniors about safe technology practices and gave them a chance to ask questions and share any past experiences they had with scams,” said USC chapter fundraising chair Sanjana Paye, major in quantitative biology and minor in science, health and aging. Dialogue Society at USC has also held Storytelling Sessions. These workshops ask students and seniors to write short stories and share their stories with each other. The workshops have included prompts such as, “What advice would you tell your 16-yearold self?,” “Recall memories with a childhood friend,” and “Tell a story regarding your favorite song.” “Seniors and students alike enjoy connecting and learning in this way with each other,” said Dialogue Society member
Photos: courtesy of Dialogue Society at USC
USC Chapter of Dialogue Society Focuses on Outreach to Older Adults