From the President's Desk

The end of summer is upon us and EPIC is swinging into action. Here’s a summary for September, with details available in the Events calender on our website. On September 7 we kick off our successful weekly yoga series led by Professor. Emerita Ginny Papaioannou. We’ve switched to Thursday mornings (with a few exceptions). Thanks to Lalla Grimes for organizing all the details that keep the yoga program running smoothly. September 12 is our annual membership meeting. Please RSVP and come vote for officers, give us your input, and share a brunch buffet. On September 26 we are going to face these grim times, with its catastrophic events of Biblical proportions, by hosting a luncheon to honor Columbia’s new retirees. Professor Emeritus (Philosophy) Bernard Berofsky will assume his Sebastian persona and dazzle us with his famed magic show.

Just in case you haven’t found enough things to be aggravated about recently, here’s something that really roils me. I boil over when some pundit comments on a controversial presidential action by saying something like, “Well, he’s 71-year old man …” or “He’s over 70, with fixed views.” What does age have to do with Trump’s actions, which seem to me to have been pretty consistent over the years? Politics aside, please let’s not exacerbate ‘agism’ along with all the other prejudices that are bubbling up through the cracks in our social veneer. Recently The Economist ran an excellent special report on aging that deserves your careful read. Many adjustments to social systems and perceptions are drastically needed as the world demography transforms and mindless, baseless stereotypes about aging must be confronted if positive change is to occur. You can read the report, Getting to Grips with Longevity," here. (You’ll need your Columbia UNI and password to read the report.)

I hope that you take the opportunity to enjoy yourself in the excellent company of fellow emeriti at our upcoming events. If you have ideas for future events, do let us know .

 

Have a good day and an excellent Labor Day holiday weekend.

Jeanne Mager Stellman, President, EPIC

Professor Emerita & Special Lecturer

Mailman School of Public Health