On October 25th, IA’s Academic Chair, Samantha Zimmerman, hosted a Current Events Catch-Up Night. It consisted first of a Kahoot game quizzing the students on current history events facts. After the game finished, Samantha continued on to a slide presentation that described what actually happened during these events and the importance of the actions. Some topics include the beheadings in France, protests in Bangkok and Nigeria, rescued Loa Water frogs’ offspring, socially distanced Sesame Street, and the home sales jump in America.

Though this session was informative, it was also a lot of fun. Which is really refreshing, especially for me. These past few months have been non-stop events after evets, and most of the things that are occurring are rather negative. As important as these occurrences are, and as important as it is for us to keep fighting, it gets tiresome/stressful after a point. I think this session showcased how it is important to take a break to recuperate and consider one’s own mental health every once in a while. The stronger we are, the stronger we can fight to make the world a better place. The session showcased not only this fact, but also that event amidst the most disheartening news, we can find stories that brighten up our day and showcase that hope still exists.

On October 9th, ABLE (Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc.) hosted its first conference in a series that revolves around the lived experiences of immigrants in the United Stated, while mobilizing for change. This first episode featured Daniela Pierre-Bravo, a New York City-based TV producer for MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” Along with this, she is also an accomplished writer, and an ambassador for Mika Brzezinski’s NBC’s “Know Your Value” movement. Which is a platform that works to empower women to recognize their personal and professional value by developing and inspiring their individual growth.

The panel opened up with Daniela speaking of her experiences as an undocumented immigrant in the United States. She especially emphasized how tough college was for her as she and her family had to pay out of pocket without any help from the government. Not only that, but she was not provided to the same resources and mentors other kids have access to when applying for colleges and jobs. Still, she was able to prevail and succeed through hard work and dedication. Even when she had to take breaks between semesters, as she had to pay without any aid, or got rejected from job opportunities, she did not desist. Her fighting spirit got her to where she is, and is an inspiration to many immigrants.

Still, taking this into account, the session acknowledged the disparity that exists within our country, especially in the field of education. Other students would have had more help in their college application process, or in their search for a job. Especially in this day and age, we can observe how colleges work to provide their students with mentors who can help them achieve these goals. However, this is not to say we should be satisfied with the results we have obtained. Rather, we have to work event harder to mobilize for a change so that every student in America will have an equal chance of succeeding in their personal and professional life, with no barriers to hold them back. This message is one we should carry with us, not just in the political/social climate we are in now, but for the rest of our lives.

On October 12th, IA hosted a professional development program led by Samantha Stelnicki. During this session, Samantha conveyed her experiences as an undergraduate student preparing to apply for a PhD program. She also informed the audience of how a PhD program differed from undergraduate studies in that it is more fast paced and detailed. Without proper time management skills, and dedication, it would be hard to succeed. Especially as the program demands understanding of the subject material, as opposed to blind memorization. However, as scary and challenging the experience of applying to the programs sounded, there also seemed to be a sense of excitement. This excitement of course lay in the fact that the subject being studied would obviously be something a student has passion for.

As a first-year coming into college, I was not interested in pursuing higher studies after undergrad. I am the kind of person who enjoys getting to the subject material and working with it hands on, rather than in theory. However, as first-year went on, I was able to discover more about myself. What my interests, passions, morals, and etc. were. One of these interests that really stuck out to me was my passion for dance. I am a practioner of Kuchipudi, and Indian Classical Dance form that originated from Andhra Pradesh in Southern India. Growing up, I was dispassionate towards the art form, however, growing up, I began to fall more in love with the intricacies and beauty of the art. This interest I had for the form led me to declare a dance minor during my second semester. Still, I was not as content as I imagined I would be since I was not learning information that pertained to the dance form I was in love with.

Then, during my Concert Dance Class, my professor stated that instead of following the syllabus, we could conduct an independent research project if we wanted to. This drew me in almost immediately as I wanted to discover more about my own dance form. As I started the project, I had a singular idea in mind. Overtime, the more I researched, the more my idea changed and morphed into something better than I had ever imagined. Which reminds me of how Samantha said that coming into your first year of PhD, you might have an idea in mind, that can change and grow. Overall, thinking about that experience and what Samantha conveyed during her presentation, I am not as opposed to pursuing higher studies as I was initially. I think that if the field one goes into is one they are passionate about, then academic can be fun, and not a burden.

On Thursday September 17th, there was a virtual showing of the French-Chadian film, Grigris. The movie is based on a 25-year-old man named Grigris, who has a bum leg. Despite this, he has dreams of becoming a professional dancer, and makes money by showcasing his talent at a local club every weekend. However, his step-father soon falls ill and in order to pay for his procedure, Grigris is forced to find a job smuggling oil. Overall, the film was enjoyable. It worked to showcase the plight of Grigris in that though his talent earned him praise during the night, that same respect was taken back during the day as his disability made him an outcast, and not fit for work. Still, he finds unlikely love with a local, mix-raced prostitute by the name of Mimi. These two characters displayed that even in disadvantaged societies, people are able to create disparities. This is then contrasted with the more ideal community towards the end of the story which takes in these two outcasts, and protects them not matter the cost.

One of the aspects I found most interesting about this story was trying to place myself in another culture’s social context. When I started watching the film, it was through the eyes of a westerner. However, I understood pretty quickly that the way I viewed the world is not how this film captured it. Rather, for me to understand the significance of various events, I had to be able to think about why this culture might perceive those same events in a different light. I was able to relate this to my dance education class as we had a discussion about how even art cannot be considered a universal language, as true appreciation can only be found when having an understanding of the social/cultural context the piece hailed from. Overall, as interesting as I found the film, I would like to come back to it after some research about Chad and their culture so I can better analyze the story line.

The Farewell is a Chinese-English bilingual movie that tells the story of a family, whose matriarch has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Upon hearing this news, her family flies back home to China to see her, under the guise of a wedding. However, the whole time they are with her, they do not reveal the diagnosis to her, choosing to keep it secret, which does not sit well with Billi (the granddaughter). This film concentrates on the relationship and dynamics that exist between the Eastern and Western worlds. For Billi, who is from America, it seems immoral to keep the news of the disease from her grandmother as it is something that concerns her life. Billi’s family on the other hand is not as willing to share the news, and choose to keep the secret as a way to allow Nai Nai to remain happy for the remainder of her life. When a discussion is brought up by Billi with her uncle on why this may be, he states that the East is different from the West as it places an importance on the group rather than the individual. He feels that the stress placed on individuality in the West creates a system of burden release when news is delivered to a person and they deal with it on their own. He believes the East on the other hand chooses to take on the burden as a group rather than allow for the individual to suffer.

As an IA scholar, I enjoyed this movie as it included the concept of globalization, which really changed the dynamics of relationships between people of the world. It was easy to see the interest people had when concerning life elsewhere from what they are used to. For example, the hotel worker was interested in America and how different it was from China, seeming to believe it was more luxurious than his home. Billi on the other hand, was more fond of China as some of her best memories were from there. This relationship that people have with their homes/identities/etc. was relatable to me as an Indian American woman. I especially took interest in the concept of whether the family should reveal her diagnosis or not. With my background, I believe it is important for the individual to know the happenings of their life. However, I see the point that Billi’s uncle was trying to make concerning the group burden of the East, as it is a different culture where there is a strong emphasis placed on the importance of the group and those values. As such, I think the film makes a strong point that we cannot be biased with our views. This was especially evident to me in the last scene where it said Nai Nai survived for another six years after her diagnosis, when it was estimated she would have a few months at most. So maybe, keeping that secret let her live her life without worry, and in a way, kept her healthier…? We may never know the exact reason, but it is important to respect the traditions and cultures of those around us, rather than pushing our opinions.

On April 22nd, IA hosted the event International Perspectives on the Coronavirus Pandemic. For this event, IA LC members reached out to their various friends across the globe to hold a discussion about the impact of the pandemic on their personal and professional lives, as well as inquiring about the States’ actions. It was an interesting idea that was well executed in that I was able to get a better understanding of how those across the world are faring when placed in similar situations. Some countries have seemed to take the same approach as the U.S. where they shut down businesses and the like in an effort to keep their people safe as soon as word got out about the pandemic cases. Other countries had taken the news of the pandemic in a much more lighter sense and put off taking action till the situation got worse. There were so many different ways the States reacted to the pandemic, and it was interesting to hear about those actions taken and the effect they have had on citizens. What stood out to me much more than anything though, is the impact on the personal and professional lives of citizens. For some of the students, nothing really changed much as going online still allowed for them to be able to continue their work and studies no problem. However, there are others who were just stepping out into their professional fields through internships and the like, whose work was almost immediately put to a stop due to the emergence of the pandemic. In my personal experience, nothing much has changed for me and I am lucky to have had professors who have adjusted their syllabus in an effort to make this change easier on students. I am lucky enough to have an atmosphere where I have all the tools necessary to succeed in school, which is a privilege that some people might not have. Though it is hard for me to stay motivated at times, I realize that I am lucky to be able to have the resources that I do in order to succeed, as opposed to various other individuals who are going through a tough time without those resources, or having lost the professional experiences that were to prepare them for the future. However, through this session, I have come to realize that we have a family spanning all across the globe, and by working together and supporting each other, we can hopefully all make it out of this pandemic together.

On February 1, an event called Buckeye Mela was hosted at the Wexner Center for the Arts. Buckeye Mela is essentially a Bollywood/Bhangra dance competition that I attended with my dance team and friends. It was a lot of fun being able to see the performances, and to especially observe the differences in the two varied dance forms. It is wonderful attending this event as an IA member, because one is really able to perceive the diversity that exists in the world. I mean this because though both dance forms originate from India, they are both different in style, costumes, music, and much more. This portrayed to me that one cannot stereotype a region to a single, particular view, but rather understand that there are many aspects of these regions that work to make them whole. Personally, it was exciting to observe the competition since I am on a classical dance team myself, for which I am captain, and we want to go competitive next year. So it is nice being able to observe and understand the competitive/choreographic techniques that they used, which can aid my team in succeeding next year. As such, I believe Buckeye Mela is an event that should be attended more often as it can help people understand the diversity that exists in our world, as well as enjoy spending time with friends and fellow students.

On January 23, IA hosted a lantern making social in the Smith side basement, which I attended with my friends. When we arrived, the hosts of the event showed us how to craft the lanterns, and it was really a lot of fun being able to relax and craft for a while. However, as an IA student, I was disappointed that the event missed out on an opportunity to inform us about the actual history/heritage that is tied to the celebration. Personally, I was curious about how the tradition originated, what special foods are made, what artistic performances are conducted, and etc. Though it was fun to make the lanterns, I was disheartened that I was not able to learn more about the Lunar New Year tradition as I had initially intended. As IA scholars, our goal is to be able to expand our knowledge of world cultures in order to gain a holistic view of our world. For this to happen, I believe that it is essential we work to broaden our own knowledge of cultural heritages so we can spread this knowledge to those around us. The event was a lot of fun, but I sincerely wish that for next year, there is an emphasis placed on developing the knowledge of IA students so that they can be more understanding of the world around them.