This was our first time back in person at the University of Oregon since the start of the pandemic, and it was wonderful seeing both new and returning faces on campus! Throughout the term, we played fun games, explored our identities, shared adoption stories, and watched short films. We met on Thursdays @ 5-6pm, even weeks, in McKenzie 473.
If you missed any of our meetings or are simply curious about the topics we covered in fall 2021, feel free to view and download our slides below.
Week 2: Codenames
For our first meeting, we were unsure of how the university would transition to in-person, so we decided to start by meeting online. We played a fun couple of rounds of Codenames.
Week 4: The Masks We Wear
This week, we were inspired by the upcoming holiday, Halloween! In this meeting, we explored what Halloween can mean to adoptees in terms of mask-wearing and personal identity. We based our meeting on an article, “The Masks We Wear,” by Caitlin Woodstock from Boston Post Adoption Resources. Members created inside-outside masks with paper and markers, writing and drawing how they might see themselves and how the world might see them.
Week 6: Domestic Adoption and National Adoption Day
In recognition of National Adoption Day (Nov. 20, 2021), we learned about the holiday’s history and shared how we each celebrate our own adoption/gotcha days. We also explored the types and nuances of domestic adoption.
Week 8: Short Film and Trivia
For our last meeting of the term, we watched some short films about adoption and answered some trivia questions about what we watched. The videos featured were “The Adopted Life, Episode #2 – Los Angeles, CA” by Angela Tucker (Remember her? She was our keynote at 2021 CONNECTION!) and “The Day We Met – Adoption Short Film” from This is a Spoon Studios. Both films are available to screen on YouTube.
Week 10: No Meeting
Due to upcoming finals and busy schedules, we took Week 10 off. But, we can’t wait to see you all back in the new year!
ASU wishes you all a relaxing and wonderful holiday break!
