2/22
CLASS OF 1990
Marquee Class Event: Virtual Scavenger Hunt | April 3
Online Event | Japanese American Incarceration: My Mother’s Experience with Toby Loftus ‘90 | February 23
Then and Now | The P.O.
Spotlight on Everyday Heroes | Dr. Joan Gelin ‘90
From the Video Archives | Julia Mickenberg ‘90 Interviews Marcia Chatelain ‘03 AM ‘07 Ph.D, author of Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America
Peer to Peer Life Hacks: Choosing Health Care Insurance Wisely | Julia Hyun-Lee ‘90
In Memoriam: Lois Swain Robinson ‘90
The Art of Cecilia Wong Kaiser ‘90
BAM ICYMI: Arn Chorn Pond ‘90
Class of 1990 Event: Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Save the Date! April 3!
Scavenger hunt! Save an hour or two the afternoon/evening of Sunday, April 3, to get together with a team of classmates for a virtual scavenger hunt! Work with some friends old and new to gather some clues and compete for a prize.
Please stay tuned for more details to come in a separate email and on our Facebook page around the beginning of March. This will be the first of a regular series of events (some in person and some virtual) that the Class of 1990 team will organize! See you there!
While you are getting into engagement mode, check out other events regional clubs and the University are hosting here.
And hey why not update your contact info in Alumni and Friends while you're there so you can receive all the latest and greatest? As much as we enjoy basketball season, we don’t like bounce backs.
Japanese American Incarceration in CA & OR:The 80th Anniversary of EO 9066 My Mother’s Experience with Toby Loftus ‘90
February 23, 2022 | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. PST on Zoom
February 19th marks the 80th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 which led to the forced removal and incarceration, without charge or trial, of 120,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast. Toby Asai Loftus, '90 shares the story of his mother's family, forced from their home in Hood River, OR, into temporary and long-term concentration camps in CA and WY. His talk will include family photos, historical context, and video clips of his mother from talks she has given. He will focus on the experience of Japanese Americans in California and Oregon, the pre- and post-war racism and persecution they endured, and the lessons this dark chapter of history offers us today. Toby’s 89-year-old mother, Mitzi Asai Loftus, will join in for questions and answers.
Toby’s mother, Mitsuko (Mitzi) Asai, was a fourth grader in Hood River when she and her family were forced to leave their home and sent to guarded “relocation centers,” first in Tule Lake, CA and later in Heart Mountain, WY. The Asais, like more than 120,000 other Japanese people, were rounded up and incarcerated in the barbed wire-enclosed camps during World War II without charge, due process, or conviction for any crime. Their only “crime” was being of Japanese heritage.
Then & Now: The P.O.
By Stacy Bereck Chernosky ‘90
What was your PO box number? Mine was 3013, which is easy for me to remember since it is sitting across the room from me right now courtesy of the Brown Bookstore and its entrepreneurial plan in 2013 to turn the discontinued PO boxes into decorative banks for nostalgic alums.
During our tenure at Brown, the Brown post office was a hub of campus activity where you could buy a scarf from a vendor, sign a petition, and learn about all the upcoming campus events at the same time as you checked your mailbox. Forget to check your mail during the day? No problem. You could swing by the post office on the way back from Funk Night. Until the post office decided to remove the clutter after the post office renovation in 1989, the outsides of our mailboxes—with their brightly colored invitations to parties and messages from friends—were just as important as the inside. It was not unusual for undergrads to stop by the post office multiple times a day.
Today the Brown post office, now located on Brown Street in Page-Robinson Hall, looks more like a cross between a hotel lobby and a standard US post office. Students still get assigned post office boxes, but there are no physical boxes. Instead, students get email notices whenever they receive mail in their virtual boxes, or they can swing by one of the electronic kiosks to swipe their ID and check if they have gotten anything. Late night visits to get mail are over—business hours are 8:30-5 during the week or until 2 pm on Saturday. Today’s Brown post office is a far cry from the social hub it was in our time on campus. Students can go weeks or months between visits.
Spotlight: Dr. Joan Gelin ‘90
1) VW or Ratty?
Ratty. Lived in the quad for the first two years, so this was the main place to eat for half my time at Brown.
2) What was your favorite course at Brown?
Don’t recall a specific one. However I remember my view of the surrounding world opening up when taking psychology classes.
3) Were you interested in becoming a physician when you were at Brown?
I knew prior to and throughout my college years I would be heading to medical school. So I wanted to avoid the typical pre-med path of full time science classes, since the rest of my life will be immersed in medicine. I chose psychology as my major, and participated in the applied music program with piano as my instrument. Spent time getting together with BIPOC groups (Filipino Alliance at Brown, Biracial group, Black pre-med society plus social parties), Brown Piano Society, Chamber Music Society, Ballroom Dance Club. And almost every Thursday night (unless I had a Friday exam) I was dancing at Funk Nite. It was great to not be the “typical pre-med” student.
4) What was your musician life like at Brown? Are you still playing music?
Freshman year I was a member of the orchestra, and performed with the group at Carnegie Hall. Sophomore thru senior years I concentrated on piano performance. Each time a departmental concert emerged I would sign up. Also I accompanied musicians for various events. At one point I had participated in 7 concerts in a semester. Music was always a balance for my science studies. When I reached a wall with studying, I would switch over to piano practice. When I needed a break away from piano practice, I would return to reading science material again.
After Brown I was asked by several friends to play a piano piece in their weddings. This meant a great deal to me especially since I was working in medicine, and playing piano was a bridge to my creative side. I play occasionally now.
5) What has it been like working as an ER doc during a pandemic?
Working during this pandemic has been the most difficult thing to do in my life. The volume of patients coming in with COVID symptoms has been overwhelming at times. The sheer number of cases to manage at one time can be dizzying. It is difficult to take any breaks during the shift due to the amount of work to be handled. This intensity lasts the whole time at work, and is repeated each time one goes back to the emergency department. In previous years this pace would be usual for winter months during influenza season, but then it would end after several months. This work intensity has now continued for almost 2 years, and many of my colleagues feel our strength to handle the workload is not sustainable. PTSD, anxiety and depressed feelings are common shared experiences. I am physically and mentally exhausted by work, so days off are spent resting and chatting with friends. This support circle has given me strength during the pandemic. If I have a bit more energy I try to cook, bake, crochet, play piano, and attend swing dance weekly practices to exercise when they are happening.
6. Any takeaways as a Person of Color from your time at Brown to working in medicine today?
It has been an enriching but stressful journey as a biracial woman in our society. High school years were tough trying to “fit in” with either the Asian society or the Black students association, but always being different from others. The first time I met another biracial person was at Brown. It was wonderful to find other people balancing two ethnic backgrounds. The shared experience gave me comfort. Support from various professors, deans and students helped me accomplish my goals while in University.
Going to medical school was a rough transition for me. Those years were filled with racist things said to me (“you are the quota student from Brown,” “You won't pass your exam so can I take your study materials”). But through it all I held onto my experience from Brown; the self-worth I gained there, support of other alumni of color, and my college friends who signify the “diversity university.” Residency was not as bad regarding racist things said to me, since I was working in a program where the residents were from diverse backgrounds. However, their stereotype of a white male doctor in the emergency department was pervasive: I had to work harder to establish myself, prove to patients that I am the educated doctor (not the housekeeper or nurse), use my learned communication skills from Brown (Third World Center, Resident Counselor program, University forums / events), and gain patients’ trust to take care of them.
I work in an inner-city environment, and there is a wonderfully diverse population here, of patients and staff. My experience while in University is on my mind frequently when in the trenches, and I use aspects of it daily. Definitely thankful about my experience at Brown and how it has prepared me for life outside of academics.
7. Anything else?
There were so many issues plaguing me while in college; my parents’ divorce and repeated court hearings, pressure of pre-med studies, etc. And as I hit my 53rd birthday I am taking stock of my life experiences. I thank the many friends who give support. I also apologize for the times I took out my stress on those around me.
In Memoriam | Lois Swain-Robinson ‘90
With heavy heart we share the passing of Lois Swain-Robinson on January 28, 2022. (Seen here with her Unitmates in 2015, Far Left)
Jonathan Steinberg had these memories to share:
I lived next door to Lois (we called her Lo) our first year at Brown, in New Pembroke #4. When we had move-in day back all those years ago, she was the first classmate I met on campus. Though our backgrounds were so different, I remember our first conversation which was great. Our doors were frequently open, and many afternoons and evenings we would catch up with each other. My first year, and much of the three years that followed, is connected with knowing her.
Even in our years post Brown, I had the fortune of crossing paths with Lois by chance. For example, we were on the same subway car in NYC back in 1994. Instead of going to wherever we were heading we got off and had a proper catch-up, like we did back in Providence. That afternoon may be one of the most memorable alumni-era moments I have ever had. Knowing her and spending time with her was so… Brown.
At our 25th reunion in 2015, though it had been many many years since we last spent time together, we saw each other across Andrew Commons at our Saturday night class event. Within a minute we were catching up and sharing smiles. I can only hope she enjoyed that reconnection as much as I did. And my favorite memento from our 25th is a photo of nine of us from Unit 34, with Lois and the rest of our motley bunch. It is one of the rare printed pictures I have in my office, and I probably look at it every day I am there.
She truly was sweet, and my great memories of Brown start with her.
I will miss her. In fact, I already am.
From the Video Archives | Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America
Last Fall, Julia Mickenberg ‘90 repped Brown’s American Civilization department with Marcia Chatelain AM ‘03, Ph.D ‘09 to discuss this Pulitzer Prize winning book. Watch the conversation here.
The Art of Cecilia Wong Kaiser ‘90
Cecilia reports: “Thirty-one years after graduating with a degree in Visual Art (and Creative Writing), I have returned to painting! To see my work and learn what I’ve been up to since leaving College Hill, please visit my website. I am also (at my daughter’s urging) on Instagram”
Peer-to-Peer Life Hacks
Health Insurance Options – Tips for Choosing Wisely!
By Julia Hyun-Lee ‘90
We are entering that phase of life where we consume more health care and/or are assisting our parents access various levels of care. Here are some of my top tips from years of managing medical groups and consulting for physician practices:
Know the difference between copays, deductibles, coinsurance, and your out-of-pocket maximum since all of these are trade-offs for higher or lower monthly premiums.
A copay is a set amount you pay for certain services, most typically a doctor’s office visit. High copays may also apply to urgent care or emergency room visits.
A deductible is a set amount that you must pay before health insurance will begin paying. If the provider is in-network, you get the benefit of the contracted pricing between your provider and the health insurance company, but the “covered amount” is still your responsibility until the deductible is satisfied.
Coinsurance is a set percentage that you pay for services throughout the policy period. For example, if there is 10% coinsurance, you pay that amount for each applicable service and your health plan pays the remaining 90%.
An out-of-pocket maximum takes all of the above patient responsibility amounts and sets a cap so if you have a policy year with unexpected or catastrophic utilization there is some protection in place.
Health plans have different combinations of patient responsibility amounts, so read your plan summaries carefully!
If you and your family are healthy and rarely go to the doctor other than routine check-ups and screenings, a high deductible plan with lower premiums may be a good option for you, especially if coupled with a Health Saving Account that allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars for qualifying health care expenses.
If you are helping your parents manage their health care, it is good to know some Medicare basics.
Medicare has Part A coverage for hospital services and Part B coverage for physician/professional services. There is an annual deductible each year ($233 for 2022) and on-going coinsurance of 20% even after the deductible has been satisfied.
Most patients who use “traditional” Medicare purchase supplemental insurance to pick up the 20% coinsurance amounts and even the annual deductible. There is a wide range of options, including a popular plan offered through AARP.
Medicare beneficiaries can also choose to sign up with a Medicare Advantage plan, which is managed by commercial insurers, instead of using “traditional” Medicare. They are essentially moving their coverage (hopefully in exchange for lower pricing or additional benefits) to Aetna, Cigna, United HealthCare, or any number of other carriers. However, the patient is typically subject to in-network, prior authorization, and other restrictions, so make sure there is no negative impact on existing care or access to existing providers.
Julia Hyun-Lee is currently Practice Administrator for Lee Vision Associates, LLC and Principal Consultant for NorthStar Vision Partners, LLC.
Share your expertise with your Class! Have a topic for Life Hacks? Let us know!
ICYMI: Arn Chorn Pond ‘90 in January BAM
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Fast forward with us and keep in touch here. Our Co-Secretary, Julia Hyun-Lee, will get back to you in an Ever True way.
