The Renaissance Recorder Learn, Connect, Share

California State University, Sacramento

January 2021 Lifelong Learning for over 30 years Issue 201

On June 6, 2020, the Renaissance

Society Board of Directors passed the

following resolution in support of Sac

State President Robert S. Nelsen’s

efforts to eliminate racism and bias

on campus:

“The Renaissance Society, a member

of the Sacramento State campus, em-

braces diversity, equity, and inclusion in all facets:

ethnicity, gender, and political persuasion. We do this

as we learn, connect, and share with each other and

our community. We are committed to eradicating the

disease of racism and bias in our community, and we

will promote the kindness and compassion necessary

to build inclusiveness and trust in our community.”

On February 8, 2021, our Spring 2021 semester be-

gins. The Program and Membership, Diversity and

Community Engagement (MDCE) Committees are

working together to diversify our curriculum and our

community outreach for new members. Our Spring

2021 Catalog reflects eight programs as well as five

additional Forum Speaker Series lectures (not shown)

that focus on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion:

“American Diversity: Exploring Our Racial/

Ethnic Mosaic,” Darryl Omar Freeman

“Book Group: Discovering Your Neighbors

Through the Written Word: Diversity Un-

covered,” Rober ta Gleason

“The Native American Experience: Racism,

Prejudice, and Culture,” Greg Beale

“Policing in the U.S.,” William Vizzard

“Racial Healing; Conversations on Race,” Dr.

Stacie Walton & Gretchen Young

“Racism, Economic Giants Who Are Robber

Barons, Poverty, and More from 1865-

1890,” Richard Pitchard

“Rebellion: The American Civil War,” Doug

Bonetti

“Slavery: America’s Original Sin and Its After-

math,” Allan Keown

There’s still time to invite your friends, family, and

acquaintances to join the Renaissance Society no mat-

ter where they live in California, nationally or interna-

tionally. Forward the website link to our beautiful

Flipbook catalog program offerings. Share the website

recordings of the Summer Speaker Series and Fall Fo-

rum presentations. You might even think about giving

the gift of membership to someone you care about to

celebrate the New Year. At $60 for a midyear mem-

bership, where else can you find such value for as

many programs as you want to register. Your friends

will thank you for your generosity!

Key dates to save, share with friends and post to

your calendar:

Midyear membership registration por tal opens

Tuesday, January 5, 2021.

Seminar registration por tal opens Monday,

January 11, 2021.

Virtual Orientation & Rendezvous 10:00 to

11:30 a.m., Friday, January 15, 2021.

Seminars begin Monday, February 8, 2021.

I look forward to seeing you and your friends on the

Spring 2021 virtual campus!

Please be safe and well in mind, body, and spirit!

Happy New Year!

Ken

Ken Cross, President

The Renaissance Society of Sacramento

kencross@kencrossconsulting.com

January 2021 Page 2

MEMBER PROFILE By Judy Lewis

Try to Keep Up with Christie Braziel

The first 13 years of life for Christie Braziel were spent in Redwood City,

the result of the marine radio business in the Bay Area started by her father.

When he tired of the daily commute to South San Francisco, her parents de-

cided to seek out a family business opportunity in a recreational area. After

searching for a motel business to purchase from Bakersfield to Redding, they

landed in South Lake Tahoe and purchased an apartment building one block

from the lake. Her father worked at Harvey’s Casino while her mother was a

nurse.

Because she had excelled in sports, Christie headed for Chico State College,

planning a career as a physical education teacher. When she realized how

much science was required, she turned to English, public speaking, and thea-

ter. Between her junior and senior years, Christie married and moved to join

her husband in Sacramento, where she completed a theater degree at CSUS.

She had no plans to seek a theater career and found a position with a recreational sailing company, where she

managed the sailing school and club. After becoming a certified sailing instructor, she focused on teaching

women to sail.

From there Christie moved to providing customer services for CableData, a cable TV billing service.

A horrible motorcycle accident in the Desolation Wilderness area required a six-month recovery. Christie

reports an orthopedic surgeon for the Olympic ski team at the South Lake Tahoe hospital put her back to-

gether and she was able to recover at her parents’ home. She returned to CableData for two more years, then

returned to the sailing company. Along the way, Christie describes “dabbling in TV production.” Her duties

involved operating cameras, providing make-up services, and acting as floor manager for Channels 6, 31 and

40.

For the next 10 years, she served as communication and marketing manager for the California Library As-

sociation. She kept her involvement in theater by performing and directing community and church theater,

especially enjoying children’s theater with highlighted roles as a goose and a Dalmatian singing about meat-

balls.

Knowing that she needed a stronger retirement plan, Christie set her sights on her dream job—a communi-

cations specialists’ position with Vision Services Plan (VSP), where she created a corporate video depart-

ment. Unexpectedly, she was laid off by VSP six years ago.

At the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex, she is a mentor for women new to golf or returning to the game. She

was recently certified for Sacramento County’s Emergency Response Team (CERT) and is on stand-by to

assist first responders in case of a natural disaster.

Four years ago, Christie joined the Renaissance Society. Besides enjoying the many eclectic learning op-

portunities, she teaches a class about walking a labyrinth as a source of meditation. For an early forum this

fall semester, she was on a panel of four presenters who spoke about “Coming Out of the Closet—Being

Your Authentic Self.” As a member of the Zoom tech support team, she

has moderated the question-and-answer portion of various programs,

earning her the nickname, the “Vanna White of the Renaissance Socie-

ty”. She is currently a Member-at-Large on the Board of Directors.

January 2021 Page 3

Meaningful Engagement in

Renaissance The Rewards of Joining the Board of Directors

By Deborah Seiler

Are you a person who likes to know how things really

work? Do you enjoy meeting new people and sharing

your skills and experiences?

In this era of distancing, you now have a perfect op-

portunity to connect with Renaissance members in a

new way: by joining the Board of Directors as a

Member-At-Large (MAL). You can show your appre-

ciation for all the wonderful programming our Pro-

gram, Forum, and Social committees bring you—

aided by our expert Technical teams—by helping to

plan and implement activities. Plus, you get to vote

on Board matters!

Sounds good you say, but what is a Member At

Large? Here are some fun facts:

Term: Two years, beginning July 1, 2021 through

June 30, 2023.

Duties: Chair a committee, share your individual

talents, attend Board meetings, go with the flow.

Compensation: Personal fulfillment, the chance to

meet smart, kind people, bragging rights.

Number of Positions to Fill: Three.

The Process: 1) contact Nominating Committee

Chair, Susan George at tamed4ite@yahoo.com or call

(916) 927-8786. 2) Submit an application. 3) Partici-

pate in an interview with the Nominating Committee.

4) If selected, your name will be submitted to the

membership for election next May. 5) Serve with dis-

tinction.

“I was a Renaissance member for several years but

knew almost nothing about the organization until I

became a MAL. I’ve learned so much and now enjoy

chairing the Communications and Marketing Commit-

tee. It’s very fulfilling and I’ve met so many outstand-

ing people!”- Deborah Seiler, Member at Large

“As an active member of The Renaissance Society,

benefitting from the abundance of learning opportuni-

ties available, I also value the importance of giving

back. Our current leadership team is a stellar group

of caring, motivated and professional members and I

want to ensure we keep going for years to come. Being

a Member-At-Large has been a great way to partici-

pate in our sustainability and keep abreast of the

many fabulous ways our group partners with the Sac

State students and staff and the learning community.”-

Christie Braziel, Member at Large

“The Renaissance Society has been a wonderful expe-

rience for me: introducing me to new friends and rein-

troducing friends from my past. Last spring, I started

the process to join the Board as a MAL. I’ve worked

in a couple of committees and learned about many dif-

ferent topics and the institution itself. I now enjoy co-

chairing the Shared Interest Group subcommittee of

the Program Committee. Keeps me quite busy and I

meet so many outstanding people!”- Chuck Wiseley,

Member at Large

SAVE THE DATE

Orientation and Rendezvous

A Panel Presentation

Orientation/Rendezvous/Volunteer Opportunities

will host a Zoom Spring Semester event on Friday

January 15, 2021 from 10:00 to 11:30. This will be

a three part event with each section lasting for a

half hour.

Watch for notices on how to connect with Zoom

when the time gets nearer. Even if you have been a

Renaissance member and have attended this event in

the past, please, just hop on the virtual bandwagon

and see why these panelists are so enthusiastic.

January 2021 Page 4

Hello Ken, Norv & the Renaissance Society

Gerontology Committee,

I wanted to extend a debt of gratitude to the Re-

naissance Society for their support of Gerontology

students attending professional conferences.

Through your generosity 12 students were able to

attend a virtual international conference: The Ger-

ontological Society of America's (GSA) Annual

Scientific Meeting. Since we were able to register

students at a cheaper cost if they became a member

of GSA, we appreciate your flexibility in allowing

the funds to be used for student memberships to

GSA. This has the added benefit of being a re-

source for students throughout the upcoming year.

There are trainings, research, special interest

groups, blogs, podcasts and listservs that they now

receive to be further immersed in the field of ger-

ontology and the field of aging. In a way, it is the

"gift that keeps on giving." It was awesome hear-

ing student experiences in interacting with people

from around the world who are active in aging re-

search and practice. For many, it gave a wonderful

context for their work and helped them identify

learning communities beyond Sac State.

I am looking forward to opportunities that will

arise in the spring to best utilize the remaining

funds you have offered our students. As always,

we appreciate the Renaissance Society very much.

I have attached a document where some of the stu-

dents have sent along their thanks. Wishing you all

a healthy & peaceful Thanksgiving.—Donna

Donna Jensen PhD, LCSW

Chair & Associate Professor

Gerontology Department

Sacramento State University

donna.jensen@csus.edu

(Editor’s note: see Gerontology Thank Yous begin-

ning next column)

Thank You from Gerontology Students

Dear Members of the Renaissance Society,

I would like to tell you how grateful I am for your de-

cision to offer your generous financial support to reim-

burse the Gerontology students for their attendance of

the GSA/AGHE Conference. As a first-generation col-

lege student, at the age of 48, your gift was the catalyst

to introduce me to a group of scholars that I endeavor to

work for or with upon graduation. My scope of career

focus has been broadened as a direct result of participat-

ing in key presentations during the conference. Without

your support, I would not have been able to consider in-

vesting in the conferences at this time. My career aspi-

rations are to work as a Hospice RN, and possibly a Ger-

ontology advocate in the future. Thank you again for

your benevolent foresight and generous contribution.

Wendy Pangilinan, wendypangilinan@csus.edu

******

Thank you so much for the funding to attend the GSA

conference. I have been researching how Sacramento

State can become an Age Friendly University (AFU) and

there were so many great presentations on how to possi-

bly achieve this. It is a little daunting of a project but

being able to watch the presentations that explained how

other universities accomplished this gave me confidence

and reassurance that this is a possibility for Sac State as

well. Again, thank you so much for thinking about us.

We appreciate it!! - Morgan Kincaid

****** Dear Members of the Renaissance Society,

I would like to thank you for supporting my attendance

to the Gerontology Society of America’s conference.

Due to Covid-19 my finances have been on a tight budg-

et, and I am extremely grateful that with your help I was

able to attend. I have learned so much and have used this

information as a reset button on why I chose Gerontolo-

gy as my major. Thank you again for all that you do to

support us students. Sincerely, Leanne Calata

(continued on page 5)

January 2021 Page 5

(Gerontology from Page 4, continued)

Dearest Members of the Renaissance Society,

I am grateful for the opportunity you provided me to attend Gerontological Society Annual meeting. There

were many great learning opportunities for me at this conference and I was amazed by the amount of research

taking place regarding chronic health improvements, implementation of community integration models and

overall research advancements in aging. As a student attending this event, I am even more excited about the

places I can go and the research I have backing me in areas of senior care advocacy and health promotion.

I want to thank you not only for this opportunity but also for allowing yourselves to be vulnerable enough to

invest in us as students, thereby providing us real connections and deeper insight into our chosen field of work.

The experiences you have given me are invaluable and because of you we are also encouraged to pay it for-

ward. Sincerely, Brandy Jones

******

Thank you, Renaissance Society for funding my attendance to the GSA 2020! It was inspiring to see so

many doctoral candidates, specifically so many young women, passionately present their research. I have been

feeling overwhelmed with online classes but seeing how much work there is to be done for the aging commu-

nity made me feel reinvigorated and ready for finals. My favorite symposia were on the science behind ageism

and racism in long term care facilities, thanks again!! - Olivia Rodriguez

******

Good Morning Doctor Jensen,

I would like to thank you and The Renaissance Society for giving me the opportunity to attend the GSA

2020 Annual Scientific Meeting online. I would not have attended the meeting if it would not have been for

the kind, gracious and generous thought of the Renaissance Society to sponsor the fees for the meeting. I

would no way have thought of paying the fees out of my pocket. This GSA meeting was beneficial for me as I

am pursuing my bachelor's degree in Gerontology.

There were so many speakers who gave a lot of valuable input. Some of the key things I learned was from

the Presenter Nora Super on her topic - Three Trends Shaping the Politics of Aging in America. The three

states, California, Texas and Florida are high in the number of older adults, and by 2030 the potential family

caregivers per 80+ older adult will be reduced to 4 :1 as compared to 7.1: 1 in 2010.

This figure actually made me and my husband discuss the grave need of geriatricians and professionals relat-

ed to gerontology. It was an eye-opener for me because this discussion went further on with my brother when

we started discussing the pay scale of the professionals who are currently serving in this field. It may be a pos-

sibility that due to the low pay scale, less awareness of this degree, the young are not attracted in this field.

Another speaker Ms Ruheena Sangrar discussed - Exploring the Impact of Age-Related COVID 19 Messag-

ing on Internalized Ageism in Older Adulthood. It was interesting to learn how the study was conducted with a

population between 68 to 91 years of age. How they perceived the messaging regarding COVID 19, how they

responded to media, repetition of messages, had an important impact on their mindset. There were different

types of fears they experienced. They felt safe when there were low numbers in their community as compared

to other communities.

It was interesting to listen to other discussions as well. The best part about this meeting is that I can listen to

recorded presentations, which will be beneficial for me while writing my papers.

I would like to thank you and the Renaissance Society for giving us the opportunity to learn, which other-

wise would have been missed. Thank you so much for thinking about us and sponsoring a beneficial Meeting

which has helped us in gaining new knowledge.

Have a great weekend and stay safe. Thank you and Best Regards, Mrs Sabina Shaikh

(Continued on Page 6)

January 2021 Page 6

(Gerontology, cont’d)

Dear Renaissance Society,

I am writing to thank you for your generous support and helping fund my membership and conference

registration for The Gerontological Society of America. I was very happy and appreciative to learn that I was

selected as the recipient of your funding to make it possible to be a part of this organization which helps con-

nect fellow scholars and researchers who have an interest in all areas involving the process of aging. Being able

to be a part of this group helps me for research purposes and also, connects me to mentoring so I have the abil-

ity have knowledge and guidance in the gerontology field.

I am a Gerontology major with an emphasis in working with seniors who deal with different mental

health diagnosis. I plan to use my membership to stay updated on current research and continuation of educa-

tion, upon graduating from California State University to pursue a career as a Gerontologist. I am currently a

senior, and plan to graduate this fall of 2020. Thanks to you, I am one step closer to that goal and have been

able to use information in the library section, that is online for members to use. This information has been vital

to my senior project, which focuses on seniors with dementia and their caregivers that are members of the Tri-

ple R agency that I’m interning with. The information I have found in the published peer view articles is being

used in making videos to help inform caregivers, to bring a sense of new normalcy, and keep seniors with de-

mentia stimulated mentally and physically through activities. These videos will be posted on YouTube for Tri-

ple R members who are currently at home during this pandemic and also, anyone else who happened to come

across the free videos.

By awarding me the membership fee payment, you have lightened my financial burden, which allows

me to focus more on the most important aspect of school, learning and trying to find things different or better

ways to help our community. I hope that with the information and mentoring from The Gerontological Society

of America, I can be of some help currently and in the future. Thank you once again for your support.

Sincerely, Melissa Payton Sowe ******

I would just like to say a quick thank you to the Renaissance Society for giving us the opportunity to join the

GSA Conference. I really appreciate the kind gesture; it helped me a lot and I enjoyed the discussions and re-

search I was able to listen in on. I hope all are doing well and take care. -Tamia Lindsay

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Departments representing Sac State and UC Davis will again be represented at our Orientation/Rendezvous/

Volunteer event on Friday, January 15, 2021 from 11:00-11:30. They will descr ibe their pr ograms and

explain how you can volunteer to make a difference in students lives. The contacts for each of these programs

are: GERONTOLOGY - Professor and department head Dr. Donna Jensen, donna.jensen@csus.edu; PHYSI-

CAL THERAPY - Professor Rolando Lazaro, rolando.lazaro@csus.edu; and UC Davis Precision Medi-

cine - Lizbeth Cuevas Gutierrez, lmcuevas@ucdavis.edu.

January 2021 Page 7

Reprints may be made with the permission of the author.

Please contact Dolores Eitel at doloressurvived@gmail.com

Clinical Pearls by Dolores Eitel BSN, MA, NYCFNP

Orthorexia Nervosa

An Eating Disorder in the Digital Age

Coined by Steven Bratman, MD in 1997, “righteous

eating,” Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is an unhealthy ob-

session with healthy eating. Individuals with ON

begin with a quest to eat whole foods in their natural

state in order to avoid illnesses and unknown allergies

and maintain optimum health. With ON, healthy eat-

ing transforms into an obsession that affects negative-

ly on physical, social, and mental health. Food choic-

es become a compulsion to restrict foods self-

identified with ethical labels such as “good” (eat)

“bad” (don’t eat). They may eliminate entire food

groups, i.e.: meat, seafood, dairy. Eating what they

perceive irrationally as the right foods becomes para-

mount along with a rigid exercise routine.

The individual develops self made rules, restrictions

and behaviors. Violation of these rules causes fear,

loss of control, anxiety, depression, and isolation. Be-

haviors include not eating anything they have not pur-

chased or prepared themselves, fearing toxic ingredi-

ents, an unclean environment and/or food preparation.

They want their food to be “clean.” They prefer not to

eat in restaurants or other people’s homes which leads

to social isolation.

ON is also characterized as an obsession with taking

unregulated supplements, powders, vitamins, and pro-

biotics, with an irrational belief that they will add nu-

trients to their food. They ingest these in mega doses,

even though their blood tests may not indicate defi-

ciencies. People with ON often use Cleansers and fasts

to rid themselves of toxins. Distorted body image and

weight loss are also manifestations of this disorder.

Persons with ON spend an inordinate amount of time

researching food and their ingredients. They do not

trust government guidelines or follow evidence-based

research of recommended healthcare organizations.

Society’s fixation on health and social media has

had a normalizing effect on Orthorexia. Persons with

ON often go on Instagram and find any number of

clean eating hashtags written by foodie bloggers and

wellness entrepreneurs. Persons with ON have a fixa-

tion on other people’s diets. They exhibit a superior

attitude regarding other’s food choices, condemning

them for their choices if they are not perceived as

eating healthy. ON is a salient disorder. Persons with

ON may be seen as healthy or health conscious while

suffering from malnutrition, anemia, and other major

organ diseases.

The cause of ON is unknown. Persons who are at

high risk are those with obsessive-compulsive tenden-

cies. The treatment is psychotherapy with a team of

nutritionists, eating disorder and addiction specialists.

Although ON is not recognized as an official eating

disorder, it is closely related to and may cross over to

Anorexia, Bulimia, and Avoidance Restrictive Intake

Disorder. It is estimated that over 30 million people

suffer from some type of eating disorder. It is the #2

mental diagnosis in the U.S. The key to recovery is to

self-identify an eating disorder as it interferes with

your normal lifestyle and to seek

appropriate treatment.

Resources: Numerous articles:

www.Orthorexia

Nervosa * The author completed a Continuing

Education Course for Family Practice

Nurse and Physician Practitioners in

August on Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity and Eating Disor-

ders where she first learned of this disorder.

A Brighter Life for Sac State Students

Depends on You For 27 years Renaissance Society Scholarship

Awards have brightened the lives of more than 100

Sac State students. This signature project of the RS is

made possible by YOU Renaissance members whose

generosity has helped these deserving students to at-

tain their educational goals.

This year students need our help more than ever. As

you consider your holiday and end-of-year giving,

please include the Renaissance Scholarship Fund in

your list of gifts and donations. You will make a dif-

ference in a Sac State student’s life and you will feel

good, too!

Make checks payable to University Foundation at

Sac State with “Renaissance Scholarship” in the nota-

tion line. Mail to Renaissance Society, 6000 J Street,

Mail Stop 6074, Sacramento, CA 95819-6074. Do-

nate on-line at https//tinyur l.com/

RSSpecialProgramFund.

California State University, Sacra-

mento

The Renaissance Society

6000 J Street – MS 6074

Sacramento, CA 95819

Renaissance Recorder Editors For Submissions, use these contacts:

Jennifer Cummings, jennifer1945@hotmail.com

Phone: 916.425.9350

Cheryl Huffman, chuffman79@aol.com,

Phone: 530.708.0499

**Deadline for February issue, is January 2,

2021.

Renaissance Society ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE

E-mail: renaissa@csus.edu

Website: www.csus.edu/org/rensoc

(916) 758-5133

Office: Adams Bldg. Room 106