Pandemic Memory Project: Student Reflections on the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020

The Pandemic Memory Project, is the work of students in Making of Today: Contemporary World History from Fall term, 2023. It is a poignant and insightful e-book collection that documents both American and international student experiences of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Through a series of reflective essays, students candidly share their memories and reflections on the profound impact of the pandemic as it affected various aspects of their lives. Spanning the periods before, during, and after the pandemic, these essays offer a rich tapestry of personal narratives that explore the complexities of learning, friendships, and personal identity amid unprecedented challenges. From the sudden shift to online learning to the isolation of social distancing, from racial tensions to political elections, students describe how the pandemic reshaped their academic and social worlds. The essays also express the hopes and aspirations of students for post-pandemic university life. As they navigate through loss, political uncertainty and upheaval, students express their desires for a return to normalcy, a rekindling of connections, and a renewed sense of community on campus. The Pandemic Memory Project documents the resilience and adaptability of students. We hope it will serve as a basis for a larger collective archive of shared experiences that will resonate with readers within and beyond the Dominican community. Join us on this journey as we explore the profound impact of the pandemic through the eyes of the students who lived it.https://scholar.dominican.edu/history-politics-student-perspectives/1000/thumbnail.jp

UNstuck in Six Decades, a lyrical memoir with ArtPoems

How does a kid from the low-income housing projects end up a retired (resigned) Army combat commander? My memoir is presented as decades of my life beginning in December 1960 and into my 6th decade. I am a Daughter (born and living binary), Sister, Granddaughter, Niece, Cousin, Aunt, Wife (traditional), Mother, Partner (non-traditional), Friend, military dove (anomaly), artist, poet, and a perpetual student. Navigating these relationships, identities, and obligations while in a near-constant state of hypervigilance, was both exhausting and exhilarating. In striving to be the best vision of myself, and with a high adventure drive, my life took many turns. Quite often, I found choice overload (a first-world problem) to be more depleting than the actual effort required for accomplishment. I tested many strategies to combat high anxiety, bouts of depression, and psychological exhaustion which were all hard-wired in a torturous childhood. Truly, my Son, my innate resilience, a few life-long mentors, very insightful and trusting Behavioral Health Pharmacist and counselors at the Veterans Health Hospital campus in Sacramento, California, saved me! Until (if) you and I meet in the real, this is me being held — in your hands. You might even recognize yourself in these pages

Effects of Comprehensive Sex Education on Unplanned Pregnancy Rates and STI Occurrences among Chinese American Adolescents

Sexually transmitted diseases/infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies is a continuing health concern among adolescents. They are more likely to engage in risky behaviors that increase the likelihood for STIs and unplanned pregnancies which emphasizes the need for comprehensive sex education (CSE). This research proposal strives to determine if CSE is an effective tool in reducing cases of STIs and unplanned pregnancies, specifically in Chinese American adolescents. The literature review identified CSE successfully decreasing STIs and unplanned pregnancies in youths. However, limited research correlates the relationship between CSE and Chinese American adolescents. In addition, few studies take cultural influences into account when analyzing this demograph’s sexual practices and behaviors, thus showing a lack of diversity in sex education. To assess the effectiveness of CSE, a convenience sample of 100 adolescents will participate in completing an initial 20 question survey, followed by an sex education course, and then a post-test of the same 20 question survey. Results should show improvement in test scores after the intervention. Data will be analyzed through p-value to indicate statistical significance. In addition, descriptive statistics such as mean, mode, and median will be utilized to compare pre-intervention and post-intervention test scores. Keywords: comprehensive sex education, STIs, unplanned pregnancies, Chinese American adolescents, Asian American adolescents, sexual behaviors and attitude

OT Consultation to Support Participation and Inclusion at a Science Museum

This poster is a culmination of a capstone project that centered around providing OT consultation to support participation and inclusion at the California Academy of Sciences. Specifically, we partnered with two departments- the Planetarium department and Volunteer Services Department.https://scholar.dominican.edu/occupational-therapy-student-research-posters/1007/thumbnail.jp

The Barriers to Adult Play in Graduate Students

The purpose of this study is to expand the knowledge of barriers to play for graduate students. The research question asked, what are the barriers to play experienced by graduate students? Play is a complex term that is unique to the individual. Although subjective, existing literature gives suggestions as to what play can mean or feel like to the individual participating. Brown (2009), notes that the definition of play should be experienced rather than defined as it is distinctive to each individual. Van Vleet and Feeney (2015) describe play as being the purpose of amusement, fun or to have energetic, spontaneous and highly interactive qualities. The methodology used to answer the research question was a qualitative descriptive approach. This methodology generated a focused summary and understanding of the experiences that shaped participants\u27 views (Stanley & Nayer, 2014). This study was open to any full time graduate students of all genders, ages, and ethnicities. The researchers recruited 9 participants from Dominican University of California Occupational Therapy Program. The sampling method we used was purposive sampling as participants were chosen to have characteristics that met our inclusion criteria. Data was collected through an initial survey, focus groups, self-reported play reflection, and one on one semi-structured interviews. Two major themes were found, the first being Experienced Play with sub themes of play is a spectrum, play context, spontaneity, and feeling of play. The second major theme is Barriers to Play with the sub themes of money, time, responsibilities, energy/mental capacity, societal norms/expectations. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on adult play, addresses a gap in literature from the research surrounding play for graduate students, and emphasizes the significance of play in the context of higher education and the broader spectrum of adult life.https://scholar.dominican.edu/occupational-therapy-student-research-posters/1006/thumbnail.jp

Garden-Based Nutrition Education May Lead to Increased Dietary Knowledge in Low Income Hispanic School Children

Background: Childhood obesity is a pressing public health concern in the United States, with rates continuing to increase in recent years. This problem disproportionately affects Latino children as well as those from low socioeconomic status. It is well established that nutrition knowledge deficiencies and resulting poor dietary habits are some of the most common contributing factors to childhood obesity. Garden-based nutrition education programs have been introduced to remedy this knowledge deficit; however, a gap remains regarding whether this model can be viable for low-income, culturally diverse populations. Aim: This literature review investigates the importance of diet in reducing childhood obesity while exploring the effects of gardening-based nutrition education on dietary choice improvements. This literature review presents gardening-based nutrition education models as an effective and sustainable method of obesity reduction by establishing a connection between improved dietary knowledge and dietary choices, thus leading to a lower incidence of obesity. Method: A quasi-experimental design with a convenience sample of 200 subjects split into an interventional and a control group. The interventional group will receive an 11-week-long nutrition education program to accompany the children\u27s regular school hours. Participants will be between the ages of 7 and 10, consistent with the ages of third to fifth grade elementary school children. Both groups will take a pre- and post-test using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) Survey, where results will be further plotted along a radar plot to examine each scoring component of the HEI. Result: The expectation is that the interventional group will see improvements to the HEI scores in each category compared to the control group, except for a decrease in the added sugars category

1963 Students Featured in Alemany Library Language Lab

Section of 1963 Alumnae News publication showing students in the Language Lab featured in the Archbishop Alemany Library.https://scholar.dominican.edu/evolution-of-the-archbishop-alemany-library/1030/thumbnail.jp

1971 Group Study Area in Archbishop Alemany Library

Students studying in group study area in Archbishop Alemany Library.https://scholar.dominican.edu/evolution-of-the-archbishop-alemany-library/1024/thumbnail.jp

Addressing the Occupational Needs of College Students

The Dominican Occupational Therapy (OT) Coaching project was led by a team of five master\u27s level OT students in collaboration with the Integrative Coaching (IC) team at Dominican University of California. Aligned with the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework 4th edition (2020), the project supported various aspects of student wellness, such as academics, healthy lifestyles, stress management, sleep hygiene, and time management. In the fall of 2022, the team conducted a comprehensive literature review and needs assessment of Dominican\u27s Student Success Center (SSC), actively engaged in SSC and IC meetings, and delivered an educational presentation on OT to SSC staff. The OT Coaching program officially launched in spring 2023, including implementation of a live scheduling website, OT Coaching intake forms, and an IC to OT student referral system. Building on groundwork from the previous capstone group, this team continued to explore the occupational needs of college students at Dominican. Leveraging the expertise of graduate-level OT students, OT Coaching offered personalized support services to improve students’ overall well-being and participation in meaningful occupations. Acknowledging the importance of client feedback and partnership, Google Forms were incorporated to gather input on program services at the end of each semester. This approach allowed further refinement and tailoring of support services based on the evolving needs of the student community. This team also emphasized sustainability by actively facilitating the transfer of this program to the next capstone group. This collaborative initiative significantly contributed to fostering a supportive campus environment and promoting enduring student success.https://scholar.dominican.edu/occupational-therapy-student-research-posters/1012/thumbnail.jp