11/19 – Pandemic Policy

On Thursday, November 19th, I attended a webinar with speaker Juliette Kayyem. She spoke on the current state of affairs regarding Coronavirus, the oncoming second lockdown, as well as vaccine statuses and distribution plans. Kayyem began explaining the current outlook in regards to the pandemic and how the general population has been reacting to it. She continued with the observation that post-election, many civilians aren’t as aware of COVID-19 as they need to be. Simultaneously, many legislators and elected state officials are increasing regulations and ditching the faux partisanship of mask-wearing in order to increase public safety. Kayyem detailed how the country is expected to head into another lockdown, with this one predicted to be much longer and stricter, as the winter months combined with the levels of contagion create a deadly outcome.

On a brighter note, vaccines are well underway and nearly complete, with at least two vaccines undergoing final tests and inspections by the FDA to prepare for mass deployment. Vaccine distribution seems to be the largest challenge the USA is facing, as this is the first vaccine in world history that demands each citizen to receive the injection. Kayyem explained how first responders and healthcare workers are the first demographic likely to receive the vaccine, with estimates of initial inoculations beginning early 2021. Next, we would most likely see at risk communities and older age groups to receive them en masse around spring time, with the general population likely to receive vaccinations sometime next summer.

This topic is extremely prevalent to International Affairs, as the United States serves somewhat as a case study on how not to respond to a pandemic in nearly every aspect. We can be viewed as catastrophic mismanagement of time and resources, as well as a total failure from our leadership to lead us into safety and out of the dangers of a pandemic. Other nations can be seen returning to a normal life, with low cases and deaths, as they were able to effectively and efficiently respond to the crises.

11/17 – Bruising of America

On Tuesday, November 11th, I attended a virtual event hosted by Amy Fairchild who is the dean of the College of Public Health at Ohio State. This event had a feature guest speaker, RaShall Brackney who is the chief of police in Charlottesville VA. Brackney spoke on the current state of police and the role they play in society, as well as addressing its white supremacist roots. She went into detail explaining how instead of abolition of the police as an institution, there needs to be immense resource reallocation as well as systemic reform in attitudes held and operation tactics. Brackney addressed and explained how the institution of police in the USA was created and necessitated out of white supremacist attitudes, and how those attitudes linger on in the actions of policing today. She continued by laying out the argument for the defunding and reallocating resources away from the police, and how other institutions need to be created or play a larger role in society. As of right now, the police essentially serve as the only peace-keeping and public safety institution, which allows them to wield an unsafe amount of power, and forces them to approach individual and unique situations with the same attitude and process. In my opinion, the most impactful thing was how the framing of police-citizen relationships and crime response is the most critical factor in all of policing. For example, when police departments are sent to protests in order to quell any riots is a harmful perspective. This t insinuates that there WILL be violence and the protest WILL devolve into a riot, and that police exist as the only barrier to prevent that from happening. Instead, Brackney argues that police departments need to teach the mindset that they are there to protect those utilizing their first amendment right to gather and express their frustrations and dissatisfactions with the current state of policing and to hold their government accountable.

In all, this meeting relates to International Affairs as it addresses the power dynamic between the public and the police, and the consequences of the system as it exists currently. This same relation can be found widespread around the globe, and recently there have been many anti-police demonstrations across the globe.

Current Events Catch Up – 10/25

For my second IA event for the month, I chose to attend the Current Events Catch Up session. Lead by 2nd-year economics major and IA academic chair Samantha Zimmerman, this session served as a recap of the month’s largest and most notable events in the world of current affairs. We covered several events, but the most interesting ones in my opinion were covering the protests in Thailand and Nigeria. I found their causes to be admirable, and somewhat relatable. I’m not meaning to minimize the struggles being faced in these countries by saying they’re similar to what is happening in the United States, but there are links to them. Namely, the fact that in Nigeria the largest portion of the protesters fighting back against police brutality are young civilians, and the increased support for progressive movements in the United States being backed by younger demographics.

Overall this event was incredibly helpful, not only in helping me stay informed and up to date but also because it gave me insight into how other nations have been dealing with and reacting to civil unrest and other crises. In order to be a successful International Affairs student or one who has followed a career path that necessitates international dealings, remaining informed and up to date serves a critical purpose.

Foreign Policy Presidential Debate – 10/14

The first IA event I attended this month was a formal debate, with the topic in mind being that of President Trump’s foreign policy. Arguing in favor of the Trump administration’s foreign policy was Randall Schweller, and arguing against the Trump administration was Thomas Wright. The entire debate was fought in good faith, and the moderator did an excellent job of making sure no one was talking over one another. My only grievance is that the focus of the debate shifted away from foreign policy, and on to the Trump administration as a whole. I would typically have no issue with a debate focused on Trump and his administration as a whole, but I was disappointed in the lack of focus as I was looking forward to hearing different takes about the current foreign policy in the United States. I would say that roughly half of the debate was on foreign policy, while the other half was composed of social issues and COVID-19 discussion.

I chose to attend this event for a few reasons. The first and most significant reason is that I find this subject matter interesting, especially political debates. I am not well versed in the realm of foreign policy as a whole, so I was hoping that a spirited debate will allow me to gain some insight on a few hotly contested issues, as well as broaden my total understanding of the subject. Another reason I chose this event was that I am considering a career in politics, and in order to become a successful politician, one needs to be able to defend and critique specific policy.

This event relates to International Affairs incredibly well, as all dealings with the foreign policy would have an impact on International Affairs as a whole. I understand that the United States plays a critical role in the global stage, so attending a debate in which two individuals advocate for or against a foreign policy system would allow me to stay informed and think critically on the role we, as a country, play.

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

[Your “About Me” is a brief biographical statement that might include your intended major, your academic interests, your goals, as well as the things that make you unique.  Definitely include a picture! Also, remember that you can always update this post at any point. 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.]