I’ve lived in Westminster for almost four months now, and I absolutely love it. I For this blog, I wanted to share some of my every day experiences. I enjoy attending events and participating in activities as my school and work schedule allows. There are some pictures below that help tell the story!

If I come home for lunch during my work day, sometimes I’m lucky enough to catch the sing-along group in the Thurber Tower lobby. They are really talented and always put a smile on my face!

Westminster Thurber Tower is a polling location, and it was fantastic to just stay home and vote!

I attended one of the three weekly shuffleboard get togethers this morning. It was so much fun to watch, and I hope to try it out next time!

Last week, I held two meetings to discuss the acoustics in The Crossings. About a dozen residents attended sharing their input and experiences in the restaurant. We talked about some of the physical challenges, possible solutions and key things to consider when looking for solutions to the acoustical issue. I heard from multiple residents about how important it is to hear each other in the restaurant. Residents use The Crossings as a gathering and communication space to spend time with others and socialize. They had multiple ideas about how to absorb sound, such as tapestries hung on the walls, ceiling tiles or even rearranging the room. A prevalent hearing issue in the restaurant are for people who wear hearing aids. Hearing aids pick up background noise rather than their table mate’s voice. One of the residents stated, “acoustics for this room was probably way down on someone’s list.” A good portion of the discussion revolved around architectural issues within the building not reflecting the needs of the residents. But through information sharing during these meetings another resident mentioned, “I think we can improve it.”

It was so helpful to hear how residents experience the restaurant to help direct me on what to research for possible solutions. My next step is to talk to some experts! Stay tuned!

So, as you all might be wondering, and as some of the residents are asking…what am I doing with my time at Westminster? The answer to that question will look a little different for every student that comes through this program. Natalie is a social worker and her focuses while at Westminster will look a little different than mine. This is one of the cool parts of this program, that different students with different backgrounds will be able to experience this program from a multitude of different perspectives— hopefully keeping it interesting for residents! Since, I am a city planning student, I’m always interested in how we interact with physical spaces, and how they help or maybe sometimes hinder our quality of life. My first project that I’m working on is The Crossings. The Crossings is the restaurant on the first floor of Thurber Tower. The acoustics are poor and it is extremely difficult to hear while dining, especially when it is busy. I’ve been tasked with improving this space! I’m holding a couple meetings with residents to hear their opinions and ideas about what exactly is the problem and where hearing is the hardest. I’m also speaking with a couple students and professors who know more about this than I do, to consult their expertise. I’m excited to co-investigate with residents how this space can be improved so residents, visitors, and families can better hear each other while dining.

The Crossings Meetings will be held at:

Saturday, October 19 from 9:30-10:30am

Friday, October 25 from 9:30-10:30am

Hello OWLT residents!

I am writing to you all from the beautiful state of Arizona, enjoying the sunshine after a rigorous year. Over the last few weeks, much has happened in my life – including graduating from THE Ohio State University, Magna Cum Laude with a major in Social Work and minor in Dance, School of Social Work Honor’s Dinner, Evening of Recognition by the college of social work, finishing up of classes, viewing of the WOSU segment on OLWT Student-in-Residence program, going away party, and turning in my thesis (!!!) I am pretty sure even more happened during this last month, but I am having difficulty remembering because it has been so packed!

All of these events hold very close to my heart. It is hard to believe how quickly and joyously this year came and went. I could not have done it without the support of so many, especially all of you. Below are some pictures from events in the last month.

The OSU stadium on graduation day!

My last time at Thurber Tower.

Cards given to me at the going away party!

My good friend Ava and I at graduation!

An award I was given at the Evening of Recognition – titled Excellence in Field Education Award

Having dinner with (some) of my family for graduation!

Drew and I at graduation! He graduated with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. 

Before the going away party started!

I do also want to speak a little bit about my experience this past year. As someone in their 20s living in a place such as this, you learn many things. Such as, the importance of communication, friendships, and community. I entered this place not knowing what to expect and I left with wonderful memories of a place that is vibrant, loving, and knowledgeable. I learned more this year about myself and others than many do in an entire lifetime. When life gives you experiences and opportunities you take them. You all have had different walks of life and that has taught me that the world has much to offer and I have seen so little. You all have also taught me the beauty in simplicity, finding joy in the small things life has to offer. I have been incredibly fortunate to have shared this last year with all of you. It is with a heavy, but joyous heart that I leave. I will continue to think of you and Westminster-Thurber, as it was one of the very best experiences I have ever had.

What’s next for me? I am starting my Master’s in Social Work in June and will graduate next May!

Warmly,
Natalie

Hello OLWT residents!

Happy Easter! Spring has finally arrived! I hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather and has had an opportunity to go outside. I am thrilled to be able to go back on the rooftop again. Graduation is only a couple weeks away! Hard to believe it’s finally happening. The month of April has been one of the busiest months of my life. I presented my thesis two different times, rushed to finish a multitude of assignments, hosted my last Porch Stories, and have been preparing for my sister’s Bridal shower.

My last Porch Stories was absolutely wonderful. Hosted in the library, residents and I talked about wonderful places we have been, small things that make our days better, and different adventures we would love to go on. Thank you to every resident who has attended Porch Stories over the last six months. It has truly been a blessing to learn more intimately about your lives and the experiences you had and continue to have. I feel so lucky to have partaken in something like this!

I also presented on my thesis work. The study is titled “Stress Reduction through Dance in Older Adults”.  I recruited participants from Clintonville and Olde Town East and facilitated six different dance classes in which I monitored their mood and stress levels. Although I had a low level of participants, I was able to determine that the dance classes decreased stress levels and increased mood levels. Further, a sense of community and friendships developed because of the dance classes. Pictured below is a poster I had to create for my thesis.

I will be writing one more blog post for the year! I’d love to see all of you at the going away gathering happening on May 6th at 1:00 pm!

Hello fellow residents!

Hard to believe it is almost April, it feels like I just moved in! I’m greatly looking forward to the beautiful weather and opportunity to spend more time outside. Nature is such a gift to us and brings about the chance to experience life more peacefully. Spring also brings about the notion of new life – flowers blooming, trees growing, and a renewed pleasure of what life offers us. For me, this idea of understanding and being thankful for opportunities life has given me has become ever clear, as my time here at OLWT is rapidly coming to a close.

One of these opportunities I have been given was to attend the LeadingAge Conference, held in Washington D.C. I attended the conference with a fellow friend and advocate of older adults. We were welcomed into a community of people that are passionate about older adults and truly care for their needs and wants! We spent the day on Capital Hill, talking with five different staffers of various Ohio Representatives and Senators. It was truly powerful to be surrounded by others who care about the needs of older adults, particularly those older adults who are homeless. I feel honored to have taken part in this experience, particularly because I love older adults (and all of you) so much.

I also want to speak about an awesome experience with WOSU! Two weeks ago, WOSU came to interview not only me, but also Leslie Belfance, Tina Butler, Marge Galloway, and Emily Long (the next student-in-residence here at OLWT) about the idea of intergenerational living and how that has been integrated by this student-in-residence program. Although completely nerve wracking, it was so cool to have the opportunity to talk about how greatly my life has been impacted by living here! They are doing a three part episode that will focus on unique living situations here in Columbus and will air sometime near the end of April. More details to come on that!

This is our next student-in-residence, Emily Long!

Finally, I want to relay my tentative plans for the next two months that I will be here. As the semester is coming to a close, assignments, tests, and the due date for my thesis is quickly approaching, so I apologize if I am not as readily available. There are only FIVE Porch Stories left before it is done for the year. If you haven’t attended, please do! I would love to meet and talk with you about your life. Because of traveling for two weeks at the end of May, I am planning to move out near the beginning of May unfortunately. It will be most likely be the week of May 13th-16th. May 17th-31st I am taking some time to travel with friends and family. Lastly, I want to relay the information that I may be writing a short collection of unique experiences I have had by living here. I am planning to work on that over the summer and having it available in the library for you all. A little gift to the community that has given me so much.

Hello residents!

I hope that all of you are staying warm and healthy! It’s that time of the year when sickness is rather prevalent. I have been trying to keep active and maintaining positivity while the sun fails to shine! One way I have been doing this is reflecting on more places around OLWT that I love. These include both the Bistro and General Store!

The Bistro is a wonderful place that is full of friendly staff and delicious food! I have met multiple residents there to have coffee and chat about our lives. The seats are plush and hanging out with the cat, Harpo, is definitely a plus. When I was in the Bistro this week for Porch Stories, the cat snuggled up to me for quite some time. It was wonderful! That’s just one of the many reasons I love this facility, because animals are so heavily incorporated into each of our lives.

The Bistro has also been one of the places I have conducted Porch Stories since January! It has been an incredible opportunity to interact with a different mix of residents and learn about their lives as well. The dean of the College of Social Work, Tom Gregoire, even got to attend one of these Porch Stories which was an absolute treat. The pictures below represent some of the different sessions of Porch Stories. If you would like to attend Porch Stories, there is still time! Five sessions remain until my time here comes to an end, unfortunately. The dates of these include 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, and 4/23! Sign up today in the Thurber Tower lobby!

My favorite items to eat are the breakfast sandwich or the turkey sandwich. However, I enjoy any meal, as long as I am enjoying it with wonderful people. For example, eating with my supervisors from Age-Friendly Columbus and Franklin County the other day!

Another place I love to spend my time at is the General Store. What a wonderful place it is! Everything is so reasonably priced and is perfect if you need a soda or a unique gift to give to friends and family. My favorite thing to look at is the earrings selection. Let me tell you, earrings made in the past are much more unique than they are now. That’s why I have bought myself a couple of pairs from there! Thank you to all the residents who contribute to running the store and to Jan Mathys who manages it! It’s such gift to our community to have something like this. If you have not visited this store, do so soon!

Next blog post, I will be reflecting on some unique experiences I’ve had here at OLWT as well as my plans up until I move out!

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone is staying warm during this brutal winter. Ohio State had a snow day two weeks ago because of the frigid temperatures! History was truly being made because OSU has only closed 14 times since 1978.

Now that’s it February, Valentines Day is just around the corner! Although a somewhat cheesy holiday, in my opinion, it’s still an awesome opportunity to reflect on the persons and opportunities you love and are thankful for. Therefore, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on 10 things I love about OLWT, in celebration of this holiday.

Here are my top things I love about OLWT:

1. Your friendliness, kindness, and acceptance as I pursued this unique opportunity. I have been blessed to be surrounded by residents who have welcomed me so warmly into this environment.
2. Your knowledge and wisdom! I have learned so much about all areas of life based on stories and thoughts shared with me, information I have internalized and processed. It has especially changed my perception drastically of what it means to age and how to do it well.
3. The staff. The staff here has been a rock for me, especially in administering Porch Stories and aiding in the millions of things I’m doing!
4. My apartment and the view. To live in an apartment on my own and have incredible views of the city is truly thrilling. It’s incredibly comforting and exciting to see the city lights.
5. The food. The Crossings and the Bistro has provided some of the most delicious food I’ve ever had! I will definitely miss it when I move out.
6. Leslie Belfance. I would not have had the opportunity to live in such a place if it wasn’t for her. She has been such a support during this process and has encouraged me endlessly.
7. Floor dinners. Floor dinners have been one of my events to attend with all of you. I can meet a various amount of people while sharing a meal together. I’ve made some great relationships from attending these.
8. Porch stories. Porch Stories of course has to be on this list. Porch Stories has been an amazing experience because I learn of the completely different lives that you have lived. My most favorite memories of living here will be facilitating this activity.
9. The culture. The culture of this facility is one that is diverse and knowledgeable. Many of you have challenged me to think more deeply on certain subjects (which has humbled me greatly). I have grown extensively from attending current events and learning to navigate the media and information.
10. The fireside lounge and rooftop garden. These are some of my favorite places to read, do my homework, or simply relax and listen to music. These environments are incredibly comforting and warm and provide the necessary stress-relief that all of us need.

What are some things all of you love about OLWT? I’d love to hear them! Have a wonderful Valentine’s day!

Hello residents of OLWT!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I am so thrilled to be back here at my home and take on another semester of spending time with each one of you. This semester, I am making an effort to spend time in all parts of OLWT. I will be holding Porch Stories not only in Thurber Tower, but also in the Bistro! I would love to have all residents at these events.

Porch Stories meets Wednesday mornings at 10am in the Thurber Tower Art Studio beginning on January 23.  Porch Stories will meet in the Bistro instead on 2/13, 3/6 and 4/10.  We will not be meeting on March 13 or 20.  Our last session of the year is on April 24.

Like many of us, the month of December was crazy – filled with finals, working, family time, and lots and lots of food. I also got to bring my dog here, a wonderful and exciting experience because she got to meet you lovely residents!

I’m almost thankful for the month of January (although it’s rather dismal), because of the snow! The city almost feels more peaceful, covered in a blanket of wintry snow. I can relax with a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate and watch a movie. That’s indeed why winter is my favorite season. I also have a beautiful view of the city and snow from my balcony!

I’d love to hear about your favorite winter activities! Let me know in the comments below. Have a safe weekend and stay warm!