Student Blog
Getting Involved

Life Rolls On ⟩
September 17, 2012, by Amber

Diversity Getting Involved What are OS/OT?

This weekend I volunteered for a wonderful organization called Life Rolls On. This foundation is near and dear to the heart of my classmate Marisa, and she regularly recruits students from the occupational therapy program to volunteer their time. According to their website, Life Rolls On is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury and utilizes action sports as a platform to demonstrate the infinite possibilities beyond paralysis. More than 1.2 million people in the United States have sustained spinal cord injury and approximately 6 million Americans live with a form of paralysis. A subsidiary of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the organization was founded by Jesse Billauer, a professional surfer and motivational speaker who established Life Rolls On after he sustained a spinal cord injury while surfing.

The event this weekend was called They Will Surf Again and took place in La Jolla, just north of San Diego. Approximately 50 individuals of all ages (3-63) with spinal cord injuries became surfers for the day. A team of hundreds of volunteers mobilized to organize the surfers, help them into wetsuits, and take them into the water. The surfboards were adapted with short rails and the surfers lay on their stomachs. A team of volunteers took them dozens of feet offshore and pushed them into perfect waves. It was a sunny day and the conditions were beautiful, so many surfers enjoyed very long rides. It was inspirational to see their accomplishment and a joy to see their faces beaming with excitement.

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LA Times Festival of Books at USC ⟩
April 23, 2012, by Floyd

Getting Involved Living in LA

This past weekend was the annual LA Times Festival of Books at USC and it was a lot of fun! It was great to see and meet so many avid readers and distinguished authors at the central of Los Angeles. Every morning, we started off the grand sunny day with the music played by the one and only, USC Trojan Marching Band. This starting was a great lift for the day full of amusement, reading, and delicious food from food trucks.

USC OT had a booth in the center of campus that marketed what OT was and how people can learn more about our program. We also occupied the health tent that focused on health promotion and education on OT. Inside the tent, we welcomed participants to learn more about the different services that OT had to offer. We had for areas of practice: Low vision, weight management, stress management, and sensory integration. People received quick assessments of low vision, weighed themselves and learned what their BMI scores mean, create their own stress-relief balls and heat packs, and play in an obstacle course (Kids only please). Everyone had a lot of fun and we got a lot of great feedback from the participants and staff.

What a wonderful weekend full of good books, great company, and occupational therapy!

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Hiking for OT Month ⟩
April 19, 2012, by Kimberly

Getting Involved Living in LA

This month the Division has hosted and helped promote a variety of events to celebrate OT Month. As students, we have done a couple of our own as well. I put together a hike this past weekend in Runyon Canyon for anyone who wanted to join. Hiking is one of my favorite occupations and so I wanted to share with fellow hikers or non-hikers alike. We all met up Sunday morning for a couple of hours and took in the California sun. Since it had rained a few days earlier, the views were breathtaking. If you’ve never been to Runyon, I would highly recommend it for a leisurely-paced morning hike. There are 3 different trails you can chose from and the park allows dogs to hike the trail as well. Definitely a needed dose of the outdoors amid end-of-semester stress.

Happy OT Month everyone! And Happy Hiking. 😊

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LA Times Book Festival ⟩
April 17, 2012, by Alix

Getting Involved Living in LA

Before I came to LA, I worked as a book editor in New York City. So my past and present lives will collide this weekend when the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books comes to USC. We’ll have a booth there to showcase USC OT faculty books and spread the word about OT, and we’re also hosting a health tent with free stress management, weight management, low-vision, and sensory integration stations (free stuff!). I’m looking forward to exploring the festival and possibly seeing some of my old publishing co-workers, this time from the completely different perspective of an industry outsider.

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April is OT Month! ⟩
April 3, 2012, by Alix

Community Getting Involved

According to the American Occupational Therapy Association: “Each year in April, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and students in practice, education, research, and science host a month long celebration showcasing the importance of Occupational Therapy. It’s the time of year when everyone in the profession goes out of their way to tell the world about what we do.” At USC, we’re doing our part to promote the field for OT Month. Yesterday, we hosted an “OT Month Kickoff” event with entertainment from the dashing and talented ambassadors Chelsea Robinson and Chris Thompson. We also got free lunch (!) and custom-made OT buttons (also designed by the shockingly talented ambassadors). D’Andre (Dee) Holland emceed the event, which was incredible. Thanks, Dee! We hope that everybody remembers to represent occupational therapy this month by taking a few minutes to tell a friend (or a stranger) what you love most about the profession.

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