Humanities this Week

Today is November 1st and the past week, and the past semester really, I have been hyper-aware of the humanities. I think I am now inspired a little bit more to go out of my way to understand people and become better educated. Especially in today’s age because a lot of the news can be biased about the culture of my people (arabs), latino people, and any other minority really. Fox and NBC are always voicing their partial views about various persons, so I take what I am told about people with a grain of salt until I actually meet them/become more familiar with who they are through other means. I feel almost an obligation to better understand minorities and their stories to sympathize with and help advocate for them more effectively. This is more of a grand-scale thing. But day to day I find myself looking at people’s faces. That sounds weird, but I try to see people and embrace the diversity around me on campus. I have always been a part of a diverse community, but I don’t think I ever enjoyed it. Today, after hearing about Alex’s Cameroonian culture, I can now put a face to a unique culture I know little about, and, hopefully, meet more people from the country (and possibly be able to strike up a conversation with them about the culture) and learn more about it.

 

11/1/2018

Humans of OSU

For this assignment, I was asked to interview a person on the Ohio State University campus. I asked them, essentially, what their life story was. My interviewee is named Sydney Bernthold (‘they’ pronoun) and I asked them what was important in their life, some of her motivations and inspirations, and just simply what they like to do in their spare time. I learned a lot about someone close to me and I think our friendship is a little stronger now! Either way, it was fascinating to probe the mind of someone else to discern what they deem to be their life story–which details they mentioned/omitted.

Attached below is the interview

 

Humans of OSU-2cw4xl4

My First Week at OSU

Dear Portfolio,

My first week at OSU has been an eye-opening one. I have learned already how hard it is to maintain a social presence, stay on top of my studies, and also work my parttime job at Target. Although I feel cut for time most days, I am enjoying the fast paced and rigorous lifestyle I am being subject to. As a commuter student, I have extra hurdles to cross when navigation Columbus and just getting on class on time. One of my biggest fears for the foreseeable future is timing and traffic. I haven’t been late to a class yet, but I know it is going to happen. Some things I want to work on in the next few weeks is better planning my time around work, along with leaving the house earlier to avoid morning traffic! Despite these concerns, my first week has been amazing and I am not yet overwhelmed, over-encumbered, etc. I look forward to my volunteer opportunity at University hospital, along with various opportunities to forge genuine friendships with like-minded peers with the Humanities Scholars Program.

This is not my first year at OSU, but this is my first official semester outside of high school. I don’t have my teachers reminding me about due dates or my parents to make sure I eat all my meals. A personal goal for myself this year is to be healthier. I need to eat meals consistently and go to the gym at least once a week. I also want to walk more because I feel I sit and stay in the same few buildings on campus, for they are the ones I am most comfortable to inhabit.  I also want to find more experience in leadership at clubs and organization on campus. I am missing out on a big part of the social aspect of campus life, being a commuter student, so I need to make up for it in other avenues.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

My name is Ali Alkhalifa and I am an aspiring psychiatrist. As of this post, I am a freshman attending the Ohio State University. I am a biology major, with a minor in spanish (and hopefully a psychology minor if I make my mind up!).  I love video games and watching movies with friends. My favorite show is The Office or 30 Rock, both of which I know too many quotes. I also am obsessed with the late social media platform, Vine. I work at Target parttime as a barista, volunteer at University Hospital, and I cannot wait to find out what else I decide to take on while at OSU.