This lecture given by Collins was very informative and I found very engaging. I knew racism was  dominant problem in healthcare but I never really knew many details about it. It was presented how structural racism that exists in many places leads to the negligent health care treatment for minorities. This foundational racism needs to be acknowledged in order to provide equal healthcare treatment and provide social equality as well. He talked about how there are many ways that we can go about doing this. It can start in the medical research field and making sure extra special attention is being minded to women, children, youth, people of color, etc. Most of this dismantling will start from the ground up. He mentioned a quote by Fredrick Douglass that read “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”. We have to start addressing and correcting these disparities before the fact, not after it has already happened. These disparities are still extremely present today and are all around us. In as close as Cleveland, Ohio average lifespan is 82 years in primarily white communities and then in some minority communities it’s as low as 70. We need correct the issues we have right here at home. With this said, it is still a heavily prevalent global issue as well. Collins points out that when we look at this unequal treatment there are a few things we have to keep in mind. We have to acknowledge that racism is global, is has a history everywhere, and the specific actions of every place. This lecture was very interesting to learn more about and it is an important topic to be aware of.

On February 21st I attended Taste of OSU as a Campus event. At this event there were many kinds of food tasting, exhibits for different cultures and performances put on by a lot on the on-campus student cultural groups. You were able to go around the room, taste different food, learn about new cultures and student organizations, and further explore the ones that you already had interests in. I thought this was a very fun and creative way to expose people to new ideas and educate yourself about cultures different from your own. It was also really cool to be able to walk through and not only see your friends doing the same, but also sitting behind the tables being the educators. To get to see my friends educating about my culture or their culture was really special and I am glad I was able to be there to witness it and support them in the process. I am a Chinese Minor so it was also really special to be able to hear from and learn about chinese student organizations on campus and see their influence. I think learning about this is something anyone majoring or minoring in a language should explore.

On March 3rd I attended the Women’s History Month Night Market as a Professional Development event. I got to hear from women that have their own businesses in Columbus, are involved with nonprofits supporting women in the columbus area and women involved with women advocacy groups right here on campus. I heard from people that ranged from having their own bakery, working for fair-trade, volunteers for planned parenthood, workers at an HIV testing center and more. I felt lucky not only to support these individual businesses but also to hear the individual stories. Every booth had someone friendly that wanted to share their story, what their priorities are, how they got started, and how you could as well if you wanted to do so. It was so great to see so many successful businesses and so many people that cared and are advocates. To be in a space of strong, supportive, and successful women was truly special and I am very glad I got to experience it. It was great that Ohio State hosted this but other than word of mouth, I did not hear about it anywhere else. I wish bigger organizations would’ve endorsed this event because it was great and the participants deserve a lot of recognition.

On February 2nd I attended a lecture titled “Food Insecurity and Mental Health: An Under Explored Global Health Concern” as an academic event. This lecture was presented by Dr. Barbara Piperata who works for the Department of Anthropology here at Ohio State. She spoke about how she performed research in Nicaragua, mainly focusing on the role of women there (specifically mothers) in their society and in their families. She studied the food insecurity present here and how it affected these mothers. Food insecurity is one of the main problems plaguing Nicaragua currently, but the effect it has on mental health is often not addressed. These mothers spoke about how they felt anxious while serving their children breakfast or packing their lunch because they did not know what they would serve them for dinner that night. They talked about the shame that came with going to the market and purchasing food on credit, when many grocers did not believe they would pay them back. Small things like this that had such an impact on these mother’s mental health are not often thought of. But these mothers deal with this and act incredibly resilient, knowing they need to do what they need to do for the sake of their family.

On January 16th I attended a Professional Development related event, A Day In The Life of A Harvard Student, in Hagerty Hall. I got to hear from Samantha Harris who is a graduate International Affairs Scholars student from Ohio State, now a first year at Harvard Law School. She talked about how she got there, what she did during her time in undergrad here at OSU, what was helpful, what doesn’t matter, and gave insight into her day to day life. She told us about things you are going to do during your undergrad that aren’t going to make you stand out as an applicant, but what is important to do during your time. She spoke about her current academics, but also her life outside of it. She told about the weekly meetings she goes to at bars and places in order to network, which I had no idea about but was very interesting to gain insight into. She talked about no matter how tired you are or how much work you have, you have to attend events such as this as a Harvard student. This is an example of one thing students do during Law School that I would have had no clue about otherwise. It was very interesting to hear from her and she gave me a lot to think about!

On November 20th, I attended the “Academic” event, a meeting with the assistant dean of admissions at Moritz Law College. This event was hosted by the pre-law club I am apart of. I learned about what exactly they are looking for in potential law school students, what helps, what does not matter, and how competitive it is exactly. They get applicants from all over the country and only accept a little over 30 into the Law School every year. It was interesting to hear about the specific programming Ohio State’s Law School offers that’s unique to them. They really emphasized how important it is to them that their students are able to take classes that they are actually interested in. Instead of giving them a set schedule for two year without flexibility, they first give them some set classes then a few options, then in their second year allow them to take many classes of their own choosing. They also have specific programs connecting their students to the Columbus government which is an area I’m very interested in! Learning more about the Moritz Law College has given me a lot to think about when I look ahead at my future and got me excited about what is to come.

On October 19th I volunteered for the Highlights Kids’ Run, which falls under the service category. We spent the day setting up tables, cones, and prizes for the children running the races. The ages ranged from 3-11 and the races varied from a diaper dash to almost a mile run. Although running was a large part of the event, there was a lot more to be seen. Business had stands to shop at. Local government departments such as the police, firefighters, parks and rec, and more had different activities community members could engage in. Nationwide Children’s Hospital sponsored the event and had a stage where children were able to perform. Although playing games with the kids was a lot of fun, there was so much to enjoy at this event. It was great to see anyone and everyone in the local community come together in order to participate in an event kids of all ages would enjoy. It reminded me of my passion for International Affairs because it was truly an environment where everyone was equal, no hate was present, and people were there to support their kids and the community. It reminds me to take an outside perspective when discussing international relations and realize that the main goal at the end of the day should always be the ability to get along and support one another.

On October 15th I attended a Campus event at gateway film center and watched a 2020 Democratic Debate. Watching the debate not only provided me insight into the current issues, but it also gave me a chance to see where our potential presidential candidates’ priorities lie. As a first time voter, it is very important for me to hear from everyone in order to make an informed decision on who I will support. Since I have no prior voting experience, these debates are going to be to be a large basis for my decision. 

I was able to hear all of the candidates discuss one of the most recent international affairs issues, the decision by President Trump to pull troops out of Syria and leave our Kurdish allies. Everyone on the stage condemned President Trump’s decision but it was important to see the differences in how each candidate discussed it given their individual perspectives. Pete Buttigieg previously served in Afghanistan. He noted that part of what gave him the confidence to be able to do so was the knowledge of how reliable the country he was fighting for is. He said that this decision goes against the dependable position America has always held. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren do not typically support fighting in the Middle East, but Warren acknowledged that there was a smarter way to get our troops out of Syria. Being informed of each candidates’ stance on foreign issues such as this is essential to me as a voter. I need to know the opinions of who I support because they will influence that affect not only the country, but the world as well.