diversity

Los Angeles Experience 2.0

I returned to Los Angeles, the City of Angels, for a week during winter break, and my final year of undergraduate. It felt like a homecoming because I went to L.A. for part of the winter break of my first year at OSU! It was with the same student organization. From that first trip, I took my first ever plane ride with MUNDO (Multicultural Understanding through Nontraditional Discovery Opportunities) and found my experience so memorable. This time around, I was ecstatic to coordinate this ten-day experience for 26 students and staff. Members of the action team met up weekly during autumn semester to plan the trip and associated MUNDO meetings. We had difficulty choosing participants because many applicants appealed to us; some had strong essays while others had a significant number of attendance points. We prioritized students who were on-campus (so they would primarily be first- and second-year students) and in certain organizations for minority students.

Our experience description was:

“MUNDO invites interested participants to go beyond their preconceptions of life in the land of Hollywood, to get a deeper understanding of the cultural diversity, history, and significance of this vibrant Southern California community. As part of this experience, MUNDO will explore the connections between reflection and learning, how identity and culture affect leadership styles, and the importance of creating inclusive environments to promote social change.”

Right after Thanksgiving break, we held our Pre-Travel Meeting to introduce participants to their trip and prepare them for flying across the country. We had a number of first-time flyers! Since I was on the trip in 2016, some parts were familiar to me, but I was attentive throughout everything because even though we visited some of the same sites as before, aspects were new. I gained new pieces of information along the way.

I designed this cover page for the pre-travel meeting PowerPoint.

DAY ONE (Dec 14)
MUNDO ordered a charter bus to pick up students at three different Columbus campus locations early in the morning, before dawn. After two flights, we reached LAX and made our way to our hostel, which offers affordable stays! Guests also have free breakfast, WiFi, towels and fun events that build community and cross-cultural understanding.

Students had the afternoon free to explore the area and get accustomed to the warmer winter weather of 60-something degrees. People split off into smaller groups. Some meandered around the beach and pier and then browsed shops in the mall. My group went to eat lunch first and popped into a few stores to get a sense of the prices and products. This is the time to shop for gifts for loved ones. I made a mental note (and took photos) of items I would get later on in the week. Skincare is at the top of my list.

In the evening, half of the MUNDO group gathered to get groceries at the store Vons! I did not purchase produce because I was concerned about storage and stealing at the hostel communal kitchen. I purchased fresh and prepared foods outside instead of making my own and having to worry about storage. Also, fruits and vegetables were pricey. I bought myself drinks to quench my sweet tooth. Cravings compelled me to buy candy as well.

The rides at Pacific Park are around $10.

I ended the night by visiting Santa Monica Pier. It was just like how I remembered it from 2016. I tried a Mexican street snack called corn in a cup – fresh, warm corn with dollops of mayo, drizzled lemon juice, crumbled up cheese, and sprinkled chili powder. It was delicious!! I love supporting people of color, including those who own small food stands.

After many hours of traveling, I knew to get adequate sleep, which I had not achieved for most of the prior week.

DAY TWO
After sending out three breakfast reminders to the group, I ate cereal and milk before I boarded the bus with the group for our L.A. Insider Tour. Our tour guide showed us around the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which is about five miles long, and the TCL Chinese Theatre, which opened in 1927! The theatre was designed by a European American man and had many Chinese-looking elements, but aspects of the design to me was insulting and caricature-like. There were dragons, jade green colors, and a font that would not be used in actual Chinese culture. The man who designed this theater and other theaters such as a Mayan-themed one wanted to be more worldly and diverse, but this was not truly representative or inclusive. This was something I had not thought about before, and how people can create a structure or piece to imitate a culture without consulting people from that culture. This is important to do because it conveys respect and appreciation for said culture.

I was content finding the stars for Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and Keanu Reeves. Each year, there are about 300 nominations for a star on the Walk of Fame; 24 are actually produced because there are three requirements. The celebrity who gets a star must have been famous for at least five years, must schedule a ceremony, and must have $40,000 to pay for their star.

After looking at people’s stars and hand and foot prints, we drove up to Griffith Park and Observatory to see the Hollywood sign and the views of the Los Angeles Basin.

MUNDO poses in front of the Hollywood sign! No hiking required.

On the bus ride to Beverly Hills, we learned about facts related to buildings and celebrities, including comedians and actresses and actors. This community has extravagant homes. Sidewalks are clean. Potholes are nonexistent. Beverly Hills is an affluent neighborhood. The bus went past Sunset Sound and Hollywood High School. There is so much history and roots of people beginning their careers on Sunset Blvd. Meanwhile, we strolled along the neatly paved sidewalks of Rodeo Drive to gaze at the luxury clothing and bag brands in the storefronts and sportscars parked outside.

The group took a break for lunch at Grand Central Market, which was crowded and lacking an enormous amount of seating, but had an abundance of cultural cuisines. Options included Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Chilean, ice cream, whiskey, breakfast foods, fried chicken, and more. Lines were hectic and people were hovering around us to snag the table we spent 10 minutes to find. I enjoyed exploring the holiday artisan pop-up shop in the basement of the market. Some of us decided to visit The Last Bookstore in our free time as well.

One reality that we were confronted with while traveling around Los Angeles and Santa Monica was the prevalent homelessness issue. Individuals were sleeping on bus stop benches, steps of buildings, and in tents set up around highways and alleys. These people struggling with finding a place to stay were also on the Metro. Some were singing or cursing out loud. It is troubling that larger societal issues such as housing unaffordability and our unjust criminal justice system can lead to people struggling to pay rent and sustain themselves. Society should instill more compassion and understanding for these individuals who have names and lives and stories of their own. I wonder about what they have gone through. Walking by homeless people, most of us do not want to glance at them. We do not want to spare some change, because a common thought is that they will use it to feed their substance disorders. However, I have come to believe that whatever they decide to do with their money is up to them, and that they will act in their best interests. Since I am in a more privileged position, I should be kind and freely give a little bit of what I have to others. Even if I cannot give any money or share some food with people, I can acknowledge their presence and tell them, “Have a nice day.” The problem of wealth persists in the United States, and we must address how there’s billionaires and millionaires hoarding wealth when simultaneously, many people are out on the streets or couch-surfing or crashing at friends’ places. A tourist booklet I found at the hostel instructed readers to not give homeless folks money but to donate to a foundation. However, organizations’ outreach may not catch every single individual, so I still feel morally obligated to give something to someone I see. It can make a difference in their day.

DAY THREE

Our tour occurred right when the museum opened. From our visit to MOT, we are better equipped to have conversations and impact change against prejudice and towards greater tolerance of individuals of different identities.

In the morning, our group visited the Museum of Tolerance, a “multimedia museum” that “examines racism and prejudice around the world with a strong focus on the history of the Holocaust.” I have visited this museum in 2016, but this visit variated from last time. Before we were greeted by our first tour guide, the group had some time to roam around the lobby, which displayed a photo exhibit. There was a project that involved giving cameras to Palestinian and Israeli women to photograph one another and shed light on a community’s humanity and lived experiences. Some photos were headshots of individuals gazing into the camera’s eyes. One photo was of a child and a candle during a holiday celebration. I was very intrigued by this project and appreciated that these photos tell stories and help others see the lives of others who are different from them, but actually have some similarities.

Our tour guide was of Polish descent and led the group to a Point-of-View Diner. We watched a video of a news segment covering a car accident. Involved were a teen behind the wheel, his girlfriend as a passenger, and a 10-year-old girl and her father in the other car in the collision. The girl ended up dying from injuries sustained; the teenage boy driving in the other car died as well. We soon learned that the boy, Charlie, was drunk and had gotten alcohol using a fake ID that his girlfriend helped him get. The convenience store that sold him the liquor was known to let youth purchase alcohol despite being underage. Charlie’s mom was interviewed and she had no idea that her son was struggling with alcohol addiction and even arriving to school intoxicated. We all voted on the level of responsibility that each person had (Charlie, Charlie’s girlfriend, Charlie’s mother, and the liquor store owner).

The results showed that 36% of us voted Charlie as having the greatest responsibility for the accident that caused his own life as well as that of a young girl, and the injuries of others. On interactive devices in front of each of us, we then asked individuals questions about the accident to find out more information. Then we voted again, and to my surprise, the group voted less responsibility for Charlie and more towards his mother and the liquor store owner. This finding contrasts with my own perspective; even though a parent does have influence on their child’s life, they cannot know all about what’s impacting that child and that child’s decisions. A parent can provide support for them but the individual themselves should be responsible for their actions. It is sad that this case was a real story.

Speaking about the Holocaust now, I heard familiar facts, but I appreciated reinforcing the information in my head. I found it interesting that the six major camps were all located in Poland. I did not know that before. A knot forms in my throat every time I go through the events that lead up to the mass genocide of Jews, Roma (gypsies), mentally ill people, and physically disabled people. In recent years, anti-Semitism has been on the rise, in my opinion. There have been numerous incidences of anti-Semitism in America; I hear about this on the news. I am concerned that future generations will not learn about the Holocaust. Importance and relevance of this issue weighs on every individual. Teaching tolerance should be a priority for school curricula. I would like my own career to encompass education and other experiences that will help further acceptance of diversity, inclusion of various identities into spaces so that everyone can feel welcome, and equity.

Although I have not extensively watched the show “Friends,” the introductory song is quite catchy.

After the heavy topics of the morning, MUNDO had lunch in the Warner Brothers Studios café. Our time touring Warner Bros Studios was fun for everyone. The group was split in half and transported around via golf carts. We visited stages and sets of shows such as All American and Lucifer. We saw a building solely dedicated to props for TV shows and films; one giant globe was used for Doctor Strange. My favorite part was the DC building, where I saw costumes from Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Crazy Rich Asians, A Star is Born (2018), and the Harry Potter series! The experience allowed us to see behind-the-scenes of Hollywood.

On the bus ride back to Santa Monica from Burbank, we posed these reflection questions:
1) Can you recall a time when you experienced or witnessed discriminatory behavior?
2) What are some actionable steps that you can take against hate?

DAY FOUR

Homeboy Industries was our first stop of the day. When MUNDO arrived in the morning, Father Greg Boyle had a microphone in hand and was addressing the whole room: people waiting in chairs in the lobby, people gathered around in the hallways, and people looking down from the staircase leading upstairs. The facility was full and silent as Father Greg remarked on the holiday season and celebrating another year of Homeboy Industries and the growth of individuals in the program.

This man started this organization in 1988 as a way for formerly incarcerated individuals who have histories of gang activity to better themselves and live out their goals of having healthy families and achieving an education. Homeboy Industries offers classes, tattoo removal, employment, case management, and support for legal, social, and mental health matters. Other people took the mic and said other parts of the announcement. One young woman shared how being part of the program changed her life and gave her healthy outlets to release negative feelings and improve herself. The sense of community and support in the room was so palpable.

A woman explained more about Homeboy Industries to our group. She was nearing the end of the 18-month re-entry program and disclosed to us that she had stood outside the doors and hesitated to walk in on multiple occasions. She did not feel ready. But she is glad that she had taken the leap. When she walked in, she was greeted with warm welcomes and “How are you?,” all of which surprised her because she had not been treated that way before. That was the start of a journey for her. We are grateful that she shared her story as a trainee with us.

There is nothing quite like Homeboy Industries. Several students took informative brochures and reports to learn more about the program and its outcomes. I observed that different aspects of our group tour and visit appealed to the participants; one art major was drawn to trainees’ personal artworks.

https://homeboyindustries.org/

Chinese American Museum

Even though I have visited this museum once before, I eagerly soaked in the information along the gallery walls. I read almost everything in sight. This is a small building and sadly, one entire section was closed. Being able to view the art exhibit that I remembered from last time would have enhanced our experience and given students a broader understanding of art and culture. This museum is certainly worth stopping in because it paints a story of Chinese immigration, struggle and strength in the 1800s all the way to the 2000s. One wall is consumed by a life-size timeline. Several students took the time to read this thoroughly. The museum displayed artifacts such as a restaurant apron, Chinese herbs in a model herbalist/pharmacist shop, and then upstairs, Chinese-American political campaign posters and toys and firecrackers commonly played with during the Chinese New Year. Museums such as CAMLA are pivotal for cultural awareness, humility, and sensitivity and for our understanding of U.S. history, because history shapes the contemporary. My hope is that people appreciate the efforts of educating and celebrating Chinese heritage and the roles people of Chinese ancestry have taken in making the U.S. what it is today.

http://camla.org/

This museum tailors to the experiences of Chinese Americans in Los Angeles and Southern California.

Some participants expressed to us that they had not learned about the 1882 Exclusion Act. That crucial part of history is missing from many textbooks.

A few MUNDO members discuss what they would bring in a single suitcase to begin a new life in a foreign land.

After the group gathered together, we walked over for free time and exploration in Chinatown. As we made our way to the Central Plaza, a magnificent dragon gate stood out to mark the hub of activity in this ethnic enclave. People split up into smaller groups to browse the gift shops and try foods. We were responsible to take public transit back to the hostel. Chinatown sprawls across numerous city blocks and a person can spend at least a full day there. Chinatown offers restaurants, including the staple of dim sum (brunch composed of small dishes) and a new burger shop that attracts crowds, pharmacy stores, and shops selling trinkets or clothing. Along the sidewalks, vendors sell produce, freshly pressed sugarcane juice, and more. I found it fun to share some knowledge with my friend group on dim sum, sugarcane juice, and the tropical fruit rambutan, which we sampled from a friendly vendor. This past semester, social media pages I have been following have brought to my attention that L.A.’s Chinatown has faced increased gentrification and poverty among the aging population. This is troubling in terms of the longevity of this resilient community that has established roots around the time Los Angeles was founded.

http://chinatownla.com/wp1/

Reflection questions related to this day involved participants considering their preconceptions of people involved in gang life as well as what they learned about Chinese Americans, Chinatown, and Chinese culture. Additionally, we encouraged people to compare and contrast the diversity in L.A. versus the diversity in Columbus. I can say that Columbus does not appear to have Asian ethnic enclaves, but I have heard from friends that some affluent Asian American groups are in certain suburbs whereas working class Asian Americans are in other suburbs or are closer to the inner-city.

DAY FIVE
MUNDO scheduled our first free day for the halfway point of the experience. Six of us went to Disneyland! Visiting this amusement park fulfilled one of my childhood dreams! The group went to both of the parks over in Ahaheim, California: California Adventure Park and Disneyland Park.

Pixar Pier includes a ferris wheel (with cars that stand still and sliding cars), roller coasters, and a Toys-Story-themed game gallery. I highly recommend the gallery; no wonder there was a long line!

Some tips for Disneyland visitors: Bring water, sunscreen, and portable chargers! Wear comfortable shoes. Go to the back of the park to be most time-efficient. You will likely wait a while in some lines but some attractions are Single Rider, so you get through these lines quicker. An important tool to employ is the Disneyland app, which lets you view wait times, locations for bathrooms, dining and more, and see event times. The app also includes a handy map feature with a compass as well.

Our group managed to leave the hostel at 6 AM and make it to Disney before 9 AM. We did so much walking (my tracked trek was over 8 miles)! We took an hour-long Uber ride back to the hostel and arrived at 10 PM. Much thanks to “Mr. MUNDO” for guiding us throughout the two parks!

DAY SIX
The MUNDO group took public transportation to Olvera Street, the oldest area of Los Angeles. In this historic district, with museums, a gazebo, and colorful marketplace stalls, we learned about Mexican culture. We gave students about an hour or so to look around the Avila Adobe to gain a sense of what life was like in the 1800s. People enjoyed food here (I had two tacos, rice, and beans) before we met up to explore Latinx-American identity and more specifically, Chicano identity and activism.

https://www.olvera-street.com/copy-of-siqueiros-mural

This gazebo displays a nativity scene. Park benches around the plaza provide places for people to sit.

The gazebo held a nativity scene.

Touring La Plaza de Cultura y Artes was a new experience for me. I took photos of the exhibit descriptions so I could remember all of the information presented in front of me. I learned more about areas I was previously foggy or unfamiliar with: Mexico’s independence in 1821 from Spain after 40 years, the californio laborers of mixed-race descent, and the mission system as part of Spain’s colonization. Another important theme I came across was the Chicano movement, and how people formed coalitions to fight for labor laws and rights, for equitable education, and more.

I was fascinated with artist Linda Vallejo’s collection, Brown Belongings. This art collection shows visual depictions of scholarly data on Latinx people in the U.S. in the form of dots and geometric shapes on graph paper. I have not seen anything like this before. These pieces allowed me to learn statistics about Latinx population, families, political alignments, representation, and more.

Statistics that stood out to me from The Brown Dot Project were:
– 30% of the U.S. population will be Latino in 2050 (2017 data)
– 35% of Los Angeles homeless population is Latino (2019 data)
– 63% of U.S. labor trafficking is Latino (2017 data)

Another exhibit, Make ‘Em All Mexican, was creative and fresh to me. Vallejo explains that many “…depictions of childhood, religion, education, and marriage rarely reflect the realities of Latinx experiences. Instead, they portray whiteness as the norm.” She took figurines and photos and made the characters brown all over, in different shades. Some, like Mickey Mouse or Big Boy, now had chocolate brown skin. George and Martha Washington had deep, rich skin tones. Disney princesses were also painted over with brown color. Mona Lisa and even a portrait of Jennifer Lawrence from the Oscars were included in this overhaul. It really hits home that representation in media can be lacking for people of color (Latinx, Black, Asian, Arab). This dearth poses significant risk especially for youth who grow up with not many positive images of people who look like them and little possibilities for their futures. White-washing occurs a lot in Hollywood and beyond; moving forward, we all should advocate for more people of color to be in roles that they are meant to be in, and not have a white actor play them in a movie or show. Moreover, more space, resources, and opportunities should be allocated for people of color so that their stories can come to fruition. As a feminist scholar, I am very passionate about this subject. Representation is a term I will hammer into conversation over and over again because of how it truly does matter, no matter the discipline or field in life. What made this experience better was that the artist herself was at the museum walking visitors through her thought process as she created these pieces. A few students had the chance to talk with her.

http://www.lapca.org/

After an enlightening museum experience, MUNDO took a short walk to the Japanese American National Museum, the first of its kind that I have been to. The exhibition, “Common Ground: The Heart of Community,” captures 130 years of Japanese American history with a focus on the Issei (first-generation) and their families becoming incarcerated and interned by the U.S. government. This part of history is grazed, if even covered at all, in history textbooks. If only more people were aware that underlying the whole internment was a misconstrued report. What is upsetting and infuriating is that fueled mostly by racism and xenophobia, Japanese Americans were all labeled as enemies of the state after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

The next exhibit was “Under a Mushroom Cloud: Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Atomic Bomb.” This reflected a lot of what I saw at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum back in Japan. Often times, people hear that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed during WWII but we do not see photos of what the impacts are of the radiation blasts at the scenes of the explosions. In high school, I had only learned about the bombing but did not know how many people had died immediately, how many had suffered in the short term, or even how many people were indirectly influenced. People lost many family members and it was difficult to identify victims. I will not go into details about the suffering, but I hope that the exhibit helps people see that weapons of mass destruction are not the answer for peace.

http://www.janm.org/

After taking my time to explore the museum, with my group of friends, we browsed the shops of Little Tokyo, got ice cream, and took public transit back to Santa Monica. The travel time took an hour, I would say. The reflection questions related to this day regarded how to appreciate a culture without appropriating or commercializing it.

DAY SEVEN
MUNDO volunteered at the LA Regional Food Bank for a few hours and we finished earlier than expected! Our group was at the service site with another group and other random individuals to put food items into boxes; specifically, we made senior food kits that would be delivered to elderly folks at their homes. My group was responsible for putting juice gallons into the box. The process was intense but fun. With my group, I established a system for being the most efficient. One person would rip open boxes of juices to lay the containers out for the other two people to grab and place into the kits that would come down the line. Together, we prepared 1,512 senior kits!

At times, the packages went by too quickly and during a few instances, I could take a breath and relax.

The MUNDO group then had free time until dinner. Instead of an alumni dinner, (because we had difficulty recruiting alumni since it was so close to the holidays), we held a reflection pizza party. In the beginning, there was a woman who the program coordinator met in the hostel who stopped in to share her experiences and advice. She was a college counselor and also worked with youth experiencing homelessness.

Reflections are critical parts of any experience, school-sanctioned or otherwise. Sometimes questions make us think about topics and process in a way that we would not have done if someone had not prodded or prompted us.

Then a staff mentor for MUNDO asked questions that were to be discussed in smaller groups and answered out loud to the larger group. We discussed what we learned, what social issues resonated with us the most, what we observed, and what individuals can do to avoid “voluntourism” (defined along the lines of volunteering outside of your local area, as a tourist, in a way that is exploitative).

DAY EIGHT
Our second scheduled free day allowed people to further explore the Los Angeles basin. I went with a good friend back to Little Tokyo. We spent the whole day there, walking around the many blocks and stopping into a dollar store. At a street stand, I bought the red-bean-filled pastry taiyaki to try. I appreciated getting to spend hours in that community and see what was offered there. There were plenty of restaurants, gift shops, clothing stores, home good stores, and bookstores. Little Tokyo has attractions for locals and tourists, with authenticity and novelty. We rounded out the excursion by eating ramen. Mine was a black oil ramen, which looks different but tastes rich and garlicy.

DAY NINE
The group left the hostel for Columbus. We all brought down our sheets, pillow cases, and blankets to the front desk. I told people in the group to head downstairs at 10:45 AM and check out by 11 AM. We then stayed in the lobby/lounge room until 11:45 AM, when our bus picked us up. We got to our airport gate a few hours early but that worked out well for us since we were able to secure seats while waiting; people who arrived later had to sit on the floor. The group took two flights to make it back to Columbus, Ohio for some real winter weather, back near freezing temperatures.

DAY TEN
After an overnight flight, the group members dispersed. I waited until every participant retrieved their luggage and coordinated a ride back to campus (or home). I was thankful that I myself was able to hop into a car to get a ride to my apartment. It saved me from paying around $30 for a ride-share service.

I now tie this experience to the G.O.A.L.S. (found at https://honors-scholars.osu.edu/documents/goals.pdf)
(Once in Honors & Scholars, always in Honors & Scholars!)

Global Awareness – I gained greater global awareness about Chinese American history and Japanese American history. Additionally, my knowledge expanded greatly regarding Latinx American history, especially Mexican American, as they shaped the landscape of the L.A. area.

Original Inquiry – Along with the planning team, I developed questions to engage participants and get them to think with open-minded perspectives. Throughout the trip, I initiated conversations with different peers.

Academic Enrichment – I found that this experience supported what I was learning about in my Asian American Studies courses and even online in different Asian American-related groups and pages. There are so many individuals and stories that go unrecognized in the mainstream media and in the educational curricula, so I hope to change this and bring this information into people’s academics. I mentioned my AAS minor to the group and encouraged people to enroll in the minor at the very least, take a course.

Leadership Development – Planning this experience requires meeting up weekly with my committee and then doing work outside of that hour or two hours. I sent emails and text messages, added to our PowerPoint, and facilitated some general body meetings. I am so happy and proud of our work.

Service Engagement – We made a dent in the hunger and food insecurity issue in the L.A. basin. Thousands of older adults will receive food from the food bank. Service can always be fit into a trip. Food banks are MUNDO’s usual go-to for service.

This will likely not be my last winter break experience with MUNDO; for Winter Break 2020, we are going to Miami and I am interested in leading it!

MUNDO – Autumn 2017

I learned about MUNDO before coming on campus my freshman year. While perusing the student organizations directory, I stumbled upon this organization committed to Service, Learning, and Leadership. I attended a few meetings and my interest for diversity and cross-cultural learning only grew from being a member of MUNDO. In the spring of freshman year, I applied and was selected as an executive board member.

As a first-time executive board member, this caused me to be apprehensive when the 2017-2018 school year rolled around. Being on e-board is not as easy as it sounds. Prior to the academic year, during the summer, extensive planning occurred, such as creating posters for the year’s events. Our program coordinator Julius sent us a list of tasks to be completed, with deadlines attached to them. It was up to the e-board to divvy up the responsibilities. We also finalized what our Mondays with MUNDO meetings would entail, from making the budget to managing the resources like requesting rooms to creating programs that people would be drawn to and lead them to join our organization. This is what my first year as an executive board member for MUNDO looked like. (Our e-board is called ODNUM for some reason, which is just our name backwards.)

Twitter: @MUNDOOSU1
Facebook: MUNDO at The Ohio State University
We are always accepting members, no dues ever

The Ohio State University – Involvement Fair – August 20th, 2017 

Four executive board members for MUNDO!

I was stationed at the MUNDO table from 6 to 7 pm. I spoke to several people, even OSU employees who wanted to learn more about the organization. Employees are allowed to attend meetings, but cannot accompany us on any MUNDO trips. Some students rushed to the booth and eagerly signed their names and emails on our list to receive our updates. I was glad that there were hundreds of people who seemed interested in the organization, but I realize that after a few meetings, attendance does decline as students decide if they want to stay in MUNDO or not. It is about finding the right fit and experimenting with student orgs. Our table and poster were decorated beautifully. We had fortune cookies to distribute and we had three different messages. One that I recall was “Community service and global travel are in your future”, and all messages contained a link to MUNDO’s website! Furthermore, we had tiny button pins with different country flags on them! We passed out papers about our London & Rome trip as well as our calendar of events for the fall. At the end of the day, the e-board members emailed students reminding them of the event the next day.

One of our Spring Break 2018 ACTION Team Leaders, Nick!

Welcome Week Event – August 21st, 2017

The Welcome Week flyer I created for the event

This event was at Curl Viewpoint from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, and our first meeting of the year! We had music and an ice cream sundae bar catered by the university. We also had plenty of drinks like ice water, orange juice, apple juice, and lemonade. We had a few people come half an hour early, which I appreciated. On the tables were MUNDO calendars detailing our meetings/events, and fortune cookies. In total we had about 30 to 40 attendants. The executive board members introduced themselves to the crowd. We scattered among the tables so we each took a table to sit at and mingle with the students. After an overview of the organization, we played Cultural Pursuit. Each table was a team (of up to 8 people) and filled out a BINGO sheet together. The sheet had questions to answer and the team(s) with the most correct answers would earn prizes. Two teams tied for the most number of accurate answers. We had 25 questions and those teams had 24 points, which was impressive! They received MUNDO drawstring bags.

Community Commitment 2017 – August 26th, 2017
MUNDO had a large group volunteer with OSU’s annual Community Commitment event! This is how OSU pays it forward to the surrounding areas. MUNDO was transported to a community garden.

MUNDO had a strength in numbers when we volunteered cleaning up a garden!

Let’s Get Things Started! – August 28th, 2017
For this meeting, held in the Great Hall Meeting Room #1 in the Union, we brought in two representatives from Student Leadership Advocates to facilitate a session: Elysse and Ashley! They used Tinker Toys for our activity, and the students were divided into four groups. One facilitator, Ashley, created a structure outside of the room, and she instructed the room to recreate this piece exactly. The game was called Sabotage, and apparently some people in each group were supposed to sabotage the team. If we suspected someone of being that person, we would have to call them out and then the rest of the group would agree to out that individual. Only one person per group could get up and go look outside at a time, and there was no talking permitted at all! It was a difficult task, and I have poor spatial awareness. The fastest team finished in about 8 minutes, while it took my team the longest time of 12 minutes, close to 13. This activity allowed us to learn about how we need to trust in one another. In the end, it was revealed that nobody was given the role of Sabotage!

Tinker Toys, a vintage game, allows you to build whatever using rods and different shaped pieces.

A Meal and Some MUNDO – The Columbus Greek Festival – September 4th, 2017
At noon, about 23 MUNDO members met at the Brutus statue in the Ohio Union to take the COTA together to the annual Greek Festival! MUNDO covered the $5 admission fee for each of us. Once we were there, we were free to explore the grounds on our own. We first went inside the Cathedral to listen to a talk and spoken tour of the room. I spent time with people I already knew, so in the future, I should hang out with people I do not know. I tried Greek coffee (I still prefer my Starbucks), as well as Greek foods such as spanakopita, tiropita, and a platter of desserts.
I watched dance performances from younger children and from teenagers. I also listened to women singing.
This experience allowed me to learn more about Greek culture, from the dancing to the food and religion.

We utilized public transportation to go to this community event.

Greek Festival Flyer

ODNUM Meeting #1 – September 5th, 2017

The executive board members and Julius and Ryan met to discuss updates and trip planning. We talked about trip budgets and agendas.

General Body Meeting – United We Stand – September 11th, 2017
A representative from CRIS (Columbus Refugee & Immigration Services) spoke to us about what CRIS does!
We collected a few boxes worth of household item donations for refugees in Central Ohio. We had over 30 people come to this event and learned about how refugees are being settled in the area and what services are available to them to aid them in adjusting to America. Please see www.crisohio.org/ for more! Thank you to Tyler Reeve, Community Engagement Coordinator, for presenting for us!

We had boxes of donations for CRIS.

Education Abroad Expo – September 14th, 2017
MUNDO was at the College of Education and Human Ecology table to share with students about our Multicultural Histories and Legacies of London and Rome experience 2018. This counts as a STEP project and as part of the Leadership Minor at OSU! There were also 100 other education abroad options at the expo.

What Do You Stand For? / Guess the Straight RA – September 19th, 2017
A controversial event with Baker Hall West, this meeting allowed us to celebrate OSU Ally Week by exploring and discussing ways to challenge the stereotypes or biases that affect the LGBTQ communities on campus, and beyond.
The Hall Director for Baker West coordinated the event along with MUNDO.

A flyer that a Baker West student created

STAR HOUSE Service Night – September 25, 2017

This service night benefitted the organization Star House, a crucial resource for youth experiencing homelessness in Columbus. It was my first time going to this place. We took Lyfts and Ubers to get there, which wasn’t too far from campus. We spent about two hours organizing donated clothing in the warehouse section of Star House. We refolded clothes and made sure that the clothes were in the appropriate boxes, labeled and separated by size and gender. A nice volunteer explained to us more about Star House and even showed us around the facility. There was a new kitchen, a living room area with a TV, and a computer room.

MUNDO regularly returns to Star House to complete service.

Please visit www.starhousecolumbus.org to read more about what they do and see how you can help! They accept donations and you can also volunteer, work, or intern with them.

Strange Foods – October 2, 2017
I enjoyed this workshop! It is MUNDO’s spin-off of the show Bizarre Foods. So did the other members! We had a good attendance this day, about 20 people. Julius had a Powerpoint and a table filled with unfamiliar snacks. We began with biscuits – not like the fluffy, buttered ones from Kentucky Fried Chicken – but British biscuits that resembled cookies. They were slightly sweet and like thin discs. American biscuits and British biscuits contrast greatly. Julius asked “Is a biscuit a biscuit?” and “Is a cookie a cookie?” to get the group thinking about how these definitions vary depending on the culture. In waves, we passed out items including Yucca chips, plantain chips, seaweed (one was prawn flavored and the other was wasabi flavored), pork rind chips, green tea Kit Kat, and ginger Kit Kats. We discussed how we felt about each foods’ texture and taste. We ended with kimchi, with both vegan and meat versions passed around. Ways to comment on a food are “This is interesting… I like the color of it… What do you like about this food?… How often is this eaten?…”
The lesson learned here was to try foods, even a tiny bite of them! I ended up semi-liking or tolerating the Kit Kats, but I would not actively go out and buy them. I really liked the yucca and plantain chips the best.

Foods that may be strange to us can actually be normal in other countries.

Involved Living Organization Panel – October 4, 2017
I volunteered to serve on a panel for the First Year Collegian learning community at Siebert Hall. The Hall Director Kyle invited the six Involved Learning Organizations (ILOs) to come talk to freshmen about our respective organizations. Some of the other ILOs are Off the Lake (a student-run theater production organization) and National Residence Hall Honorary. As the only MUNDO executive at the informal panel, I made sure to be armed with promotional flyers, both for MUNDO in general and for our London & Rome trip. This session only lasted an hour, with some structured question from Kyle and then time for us to interact with individuals. I discussed how I found out about MUNDO, what we do in the organization and what my specific role is, and how MUNDO has helped me become a better leader. I made a few connections from the panel but I do not think that any of them attended future meetings.

I prepared an index card with notes for what I wanted to say during the panel. I wrote about how students can learn about and be part of social change at local, national, and global level while exploring this school year’s theme concepts of freedom and citizenship. Our organization meets on Mondays 6:30 to 8:00 pm and we do educational road trips, study abroad, workshops, multicultural nights, service nights, and even host Strange Foods sessions in different residence halls. We go to Detroit, Circleville Pumpkin Show, Greek Festival, see Broadway shows, Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, New Orleans, and many more cities/events.

Urban vs. Rural – October 9, 2017

When comparing and contrasting the city versus the country, we opened our minds to new perspectives.

This event was discussion-based and allowed members to contrast the city and the country. We wrote down what came to our minds when we thought of urban and rural, and walked around the room to different blank posters and placed sticky notes on the sheets. I learned about how urban and rural environments have much more in common than we realize. When people think of rural, words that come to mind are corn, quiet, community, space, farm, underdeveloped, white, poor, and Amish. Actually, 2 to 3% of people in rural areas are farmers. Corn is among the top three crops grown in Ohio. The speaker who came to talk to us spoke to us about Amish gangs, which another ODNUM member chimed in on, saying that she saw a documentary about these gangs who try to create a sense of community and belonging while staying out of poverty. Furthermore, guns are so accessible today in both rural and urban areas. In rural places, you can obtain guns from flea markets, gun shows, and even Craigslist! Everyone in rural country has a gun, for hunting or other purposes.

On the other hand, urban life is viewed as full of traffic, a busy, fast-paced city life, diverse, and with more opportunities. Our speaker reported that 24% of homeless people are in the city; the majority are in rural places, finding refuge in abandoned buildings, barns, and sheds, and cars. More members thought that urban areas have a problem with heroin overdoses, but it happens in rural areas too. Crowdedness and segregation is not just an urban issue. We also discussed gentrification. For example, Columbus Upper Arlington neighborhood still is segregated because no people of color are allowed to own homes, a member brought up. Other Columbus neighborhoods are segregated usually by race/class, and there are countless similarities in other cities across the nation.

I was happy to hear member input. I learned where some members were from. One was from a rural place with many overdose incidents and one was from Milwaukee. Both urban and rural neighborhoods have drug use, poverty, guns, food deserts, and in general, a lack of resources in some way or another. I believe that actually spending more time in areas that we are unfamiliar with will help us increase our knowledge of those places and dispel preconceived notions regarding that area.

The 111th Circleville Pumpkin Show – October 21, 2017

This festival has everything pumpkin-related that you could imagine!

On this Saturday, we took a charter bus of 50 people to Circleville, Ohio! The students were excited to have free transportation to and from this tiny city of 13,000.  We attended their 111th Pumpkin Show. They are well known for having contests for biggest pumpkins (by pound), tastiest pumpkin pie, and best painted pumpkins (by age category). In addition to artwork from children, there are pumpkins carved in various shapes and designs, like a Medusa pumpkin. Tons of carnival-style booths offered a variety of fare: pumpkin tacos, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin bubble tea, pumpkin pizza, and more. Boutiques selling clothing, home wares, and crafts also were present. There were carnival games and rides as well as a hog-calling contest which was interesting to see and hear. People stood on a stage in front of hundreds of spectators to call out and squeal “Here pig, here pig” in the hopes of winning. I enjoyed this festival!

The site www.pumpkinshow.com is where you can find more about their spectacular annual show!
Next year, they will have their show October 17-20, 2018.

Justice for All? – October 23nd, 2017

Discussing the book Just Mercy was a requirement for incoming freshmen. According to the Buckeye Book Community, here is a synopsis of the book:

“From one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time comes an unforgettable true story about the redeeming potential of mercy.

Just Mercy tells the story of Bryan Stevenson, a young lawyer who founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system.

One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machinations and legal brinkmanship – and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.”

The book covers topics like criminology, decision-making, mass incarceration, and justice. The author Bryan Stevenson also came to campus to discuss the book and sign copies of it for readers.

“Controversy” – October 30th, 2017

We need to be comfortable with talking about uncomfortable situations.

This event was a requirement for the NY experience. Our program coordinator Julius started by playing the Michael Jackson Thriller video, which actually sparked controversy itself at the time of release because it raised concern that it had ties to the occult. We then read lyrics of Prince’s song “Controversy” and interpreted what the meanings behind the words could be. Julius’ PowerPoint walked us through some other polemical topics and how to address them when interacting with peers or older adults.

“Life as a Student Veteran” – November 6th, 2017

We thank our veterans for serving our country.

We brought in actual student veterans to talk about how they see service and leadership. According to www.veterans.osu.edu, there are “1,800 current veterans, dependents, and Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve members attending as under-graduate and graduate students.” I myself do not have much knowledge or personally know more than a couple student veterans. I am hesitant to bring up their past service since it will most likely be hurtful to recall memories of war. I did not attend this session but I wish that I did so that I could have heard the perspectives of fellow students.

MUNDO Takes on Mo-Town: Detroit (Classic Edition) – November 10th, 2017
MUNDO explored the Motor City from a multicultural insider’s view and in terms of African American History.  We were able to see from some Michigan natives’ perspectives at Wayne State University. Stanley, on the far left in the gray hat, was originally from Flint, Michigan, and said there had always been problems in the city even before the water crisis. One student was studying urban studies and currently works for the city; he knew all these facts and figures about the area, even down to the square miles!

A panel of Wayne State University students and staff spoke about what they love about Detroit and what they’ve witnessed in the city and on campus.

The WSU students are studying public affairs, criminal justice, and urban studies. All of these are important fields that contribute directly to the community! Hunter (the girl in green) wants to be a police officer!

I enjoyed every part of the day – I was pleasantly surprised that a handful of other Young Scholars from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion joined MUNDO for this special trip. The Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History is a wonderful resource that we spent three hours exploring, with the group being split up into two.

My tour guide was animated and she captured me in with how she described Africa and the experiences the people had to go through. This museum does a fantastic job of portraying these event from history; the walls are painted with vivid scenery and there’s sounds to make it more realistic. At a few points in the tour, my throat felt like it had a knot in it; I was hurt and felt pain as we heard about this sad history.

We ended by looking at art galleries. Additionally, I went to the basement to see student-made art and how African-Americans shaped our world with their inventions and other contributions in science and technology. Their accomplishments are often not praised enough, if at all. America has a long history with exploiting them, like in the case of Henrietta Lacks; her stem cells were used for research and it’s an injustice to her and her family. I actually read about her in a book called The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and there’s countless other examples of exploitation like the Tuskegee Syphilis Studies.

The art galleries provoked my mind and made me analyze what the pieces were trying to evoke. A quote on the wall that I liked was “There is always fire in the most beautiful beginnings.” I also augmented my knowledge of riots and rebellions, and after the trip, I can now say that I can distinguish these two terms. Instead of saying Detroit riots, it may be more appropriate to call them the Detroit Rebellion of ’67, because a rebellion is acting against injustices and oppression, against imposed limitations that people refuse to accept. It is resistance.

This experience will aid me in planning the Spring Break civil rights trip to Memphis, New Orleans, and Birmingham. There is so much to history that I have not heard about; many details are hidden or just glossed over, and I desire to know more. Some quotes that I noted from the museum that I hope to carry with me throughout my life include: “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way” and “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” Both of these were said by Martin Luther King, Jr.

World Kindness Day – November 13th, 2017

This special day, we joined forces to prepare meals. Student athletes, alumni, and organizations came together to make over 200,000 meals in just two hours. Half of the meals were donated to local pantries while the other half was donated to people affected by Hurricane Maria. The entire week, the OSU community engaged in acts of kindness. For example, at the Union on Wednesday the 15th, free Jeni’s ice cream was passed out, as well as some gift cards! KIND Snacks also collaborated with OSU to provide free granola bars to students.

Global Celebrations – November 20th, 2017

Holiday celebrations involve more than just Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

MUNDO explored how different cultures around the globe celebrated fall/winter! Christmas is such a well-known holiday but there are countless others that should be acknowledged. Tyler and Emma, two ODNUM members from the New York ACTION Team, presented to us. (Emma is also treasurer and Tyler is the non-traditional discovery opportunities coordinator.) To begin the presentation, there is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which occurs in September for two days. Chinese/Lunar New Year is another huge holiday. This one spans about two weeks and often other countries partake in festivities like Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Lunar New Year will be February 16th, 2018 and it will be the Year of the Dog. We also learned about secular new year celebrations from different European countries. Then we ended by reflecting on common themes and practices we saw among the different celebrations. We had tasty snacks to sample like Chinese dumplings. We did not have time to create crafts for children.

Boricua (NY Pre-Travel Meeting) – November 27th, 2017

Our pre-travel meetings help our participants get an idea of what to expect on the trip.

During this meeting, we handed out packing lists and a booklet breaking down each day of the winter break trip. Another version of the packet, with updated information, will be provided moving forward as we get closer to the trip date. Ivanna and Jose had a PowerPoint for the day-to-day activities to give us a sense of what we would be doing. Some planned activities include visiting Ellis Island, seeing two Broadway shows, touring El Museo del Barrio, and Chinatown. They will also book a private salsa dance session for MUNDO! The meeting culminated with the New York Action Team creating a GroupMe group chat so that all New York participants have a way to communicate with the group.

Fall Pinning Ceremony – December 5th, 2017
One of my favorite events that MUNDO puts on is the Fall Pinning Ceremony, where we recognize our members who were most involved throughout the semester. Those who have earned enough points (24) will receive their own MUNDO pin and certificate of achievement. Danny, the MUNDO president, and I planned this ceremony. We met a week beforehand to negotiate the tasks; we chose the menu together, and he ordered the food. I designed the certificates and flyer, and made major contributions to the PowerPoint, which had photos from the semester and listed the names of our active members AND our outstanding member of the semester!

I presented for the first time in front of the general body. I began with thanking people for coming and provided an overview of the presentation: a slideshow of photos, then certificates and pins, then the MUNDO pledge, then food, mingling, and games! We had popcorn, chicken tenders and sauces, a vegetable platter, and a dessert bar for our members. We borrowed games like Connect Four from the Union’s Resource Room so that members could unwind before finals officially started. We had 11 active members for the semester, not including ODNUM. Our Outstanding member was Victoria, who had 36 points, which means that she attended 12 of MUNDO’s meetings/events!

MUNDO is grateful to have members who are the future leaders in social change!

December 15th-21st, 2017
The NYC Winter Break experience 2017 (Deluxe Edition) focuses on the Latinx experience in NYC and beyond. We will visit the museum El Museo del Barrio and experience comedy from John Leguizamo.  We will explore global citizenship with a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and the United Nations building.  As a part of the experience,  we will have the chance to analyze the importance of breaking down racial, ethnic and cultural boundaries in order to truly live together as a community.  In celebration of MUNDO’s 21st anniversary,  we will be re-creating our first group photo at Rockefeller Center. The New York City Experience is a substance-free (no tobacco, alcohol, etc.) for all participants regardless of age.

I will post a blog post dedicated to the NYC Experience after the 21st! Please return to my e-portfolio then to read the details!

I made a New York promotional flyer. We had difficulty recruiting members for this trip, which was a surprise to me.

MUNDO is excited to bring more educational and transformative experiences for Spring 2018!

Below are the ODNUM members who were spotlighted during this semester:

Nick always brings fresh ideas to our group and is active in a business fraternity outside of MUNDO!

 

MUNDO has our first ever Service Chair, Celine! She is also an Honors Community Advocate for Lincoln Tower. She is great at working with people and is a valuable part of our team.

Get Globally Engaged: OH-IO Education Abroad Scholarship

Coming into college, I knew I wanted to study abroad at same point during my undergraduate career. However, I did not expect to come across the opportunity to apply for the O-H-I-O Education Abroad scholarship, which was established in 2016. “The OH-IO Education Abroad Scholarship supports underrepresented and diverse student access to Ohio State education abroad programs. The inaugural scholarship competition resulted in 11 first and second year students from the Young Scholars Program being selected to receive a $2,000 scholarship to apply toward an Ohio State education abroad program of their choice.” I decided to apply and weeks later, discovered that I was a recipient!

I thank Ohio State’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion as well as the Office of International Affairs for making this possible for me. I have never been to any other country before so this is truly meaningful and will help enable me to go anywhere I want to! I eventually want to travel to every single continent.
This scholarship will most likely be applied to one of the College of Public Health’s Public Health Perspectives trips! I am aiming to embark on the China trip in May 2018 so I can employ my Mandarin skills and learn about public health in a nation of over 1 billion people!

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Thank you to the photographer, Victor van Buchem, who is Senior Communications Specialist for the Office of International Affairs.

I will keep everyone updated on my travels and am so enthusiastic about my future endeavors!

Links:
Press release – https://oia.osu.edu/news/4639-oh-io-education-abroad-scholarships-awarded.html
https://oia.osu.edu/

Celebrating Diversity with MUNDO

A craft I made for a James Cancer Hospital patient. I initially started with a big red blob of paint and it became the state bird of Ohio, a chubby, chirpy red cardinal. People say that if you come across one, it is good luck!

One of my favorite experiences in college so far has been joining the student organization MUNDO (Multicultural Understanding through Nontraditional Discovery Opportunities). I first heard of this club during the summer when I was researching OSU clubs online and checked out MUNDO’s website. I was drawn in by the field trips abroad to places like Rome and London. As I attended more meetings (I should have gone more frequently), I realized MUNDO is much more than simply going to new countries and sight-seeing. They do workshops that really make you learn and engage with people of different backgrounds. For example, we had presentations about homelessness, Islamophobia, a brainstorming session about how to address global issues, as well as excursions to the Greek Festival or Amish country. MUNDO also does trips to theaters to see shows like Rent. We also volunteered and made crafts for patients or visit Star House during a few Service Nights. Overall, I learn how to be an active participant in the world around me and contribute to my community!

Getty Art Center in L.A.

Venice Beach! This was the first time I saw the ocean and the view was gorgeous. We arrived right when the sun was beginning to set, and watching it recede into the horizon was gorgeous.

I discussed my L.A. trip with MUNDO  in a previous post (see “What I Did Over Winter Break”). That trip was the first time I went across the country and so far from home. On the trip I did not know anyone, being a new member and a freshman. But I was exposed to new foods and cultures and a different vibe in L.A. This trip sparked my fire for becoming involved with MUNDO on a deeper level, and I want to plan one of their future trips!

~~~

I continued my involvement with MUNDO and exploration of the country in Spring 2017:
The Multicultural Leadership MLK Experience on Saturday, January 14, allowed me to learn more about what comprises leadership through exploration of African-American history and the Civil Rights movement at both the Muhammad Ali Center in Kentucky and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. This trip only costs $8 and was worth every penny! (Lunch included)

I was drawn in by these murals illustrating Ali’s six major pillars to life: confidence, spirituality, respect, conviction, dedication, and giving.

Around 10 am, the group of 25 students (undergraduate and graduate) and staff members took a self-guided tour of the Muhammad Ali Center, a museum about Muhammad Ali, the boxer and activist. I learned that his real name is Cassius Clay Jr. and he participated in his first match at age 18. He did not drink soda, and he trained vigorously. He lived and breathed boxing. He had a signature shuffle, which I saw in videos that were displayed on screens throughout the museum. There were also several art galleries dedicated to Ali, and a number of art pieces intrigued me. Not only did the museum include parts of Ali’s life, but it also incorporated information about inventors who were people of color and/or women and did not receive widespread recognition (if any) for their contributions to society. It opened my eyes even more to how I had not heard about this individuals, and how some people fail to see people-of-color as human or as valuable contributors to society.

At noon, we departed for Cincinnati for the National Underground Railroad Museum/Freedom Center, which was equally captivating and interesting. We had a docent walk us through the museum, exploring slavery and walking through rooms with the walls painted to make it look like we had stepped back in time to the 1800s. The kind, wise docent told us stories with much emotion. We learned about how people fought to end slavery. For example, one brave man was one of the few in his community to have a printing press, which he used to help spread the message against slavery. Opponents dumped his machine into the Ohio River a couple times. When he kept retrieving his machine and remained determined to print about and advocate for this movement, locals in the community shot him to death. Another heartbreaking story was when a woman slave murdered her children (including slashing the throat of her toddler) because she was caught escaping with them and did not want them to ever be slaves and live through that experience.

Each pebble in the column stands for a life lost to slavery. According to my docent at the Freedom Center, if the Middle Passage was spread apart like the Red Sea, bones of the deceased would completely cover the path from Africa to the Americas. That is how many people died along the journey as well as when they arrived by force.

At the Freedom Center, I also learned facts about modern-day racism towards African-Americans. When Obama was president, the amount of hate groups actually increased 830%, according to our docent. That number astonished me because I had no idea that there was so much hate after he became our president. I did not expect that number to be that high. I believe that most of the reason for the sudden skyrocketing in hate group formation is due to the fact that they are judging Obama by his appearance without taking the time to get to know who he truly is. I have encountered hate and disrespect for my skin color and differences. (Mini anecdote: When Obama was inaugurated in 2008, I remember watching on a TV in my elementary school gymnasium. I was in the fourth-grade, and although I did not know about his platform at all at the time, my class did a mock-vote and I still voted for him.)

In summary, this day-trip exposed me to new facts about the sad history Africans had to endure and how we are feeling aftereffects still. Racism exists, even more so in subtle ways built into institutions. They, along with other people of color, feel inferior. What I can do after this experience is to continue to document my travels and spread more awareness about these issues. I can talk to my friends and classmates about how I feel and what I think can be done to prevent similar instances from occurring ever again. Despite that I cannot change history, I have responsibility to affect how the future turns out. What’s a little intimidating is that I am at a ripe age and now is the time for me to take action.

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At our last meeting for the 2016-2017 school year (4/17/17) This is the aftermath of celebrating the Mexican Easter tradition of using cascarones (eggs filled with confetti) and smashing or crumbling the eggs over the heads of friends/family to wish them good luck.

As the spring semester continued, I decided to step up and take on a leadership position in MUNDO! On their executive board, I have the honor of being the Social Media and Marketing Correspondent for the 2017-2018 year. This role entails keeping social media pages for MUNDO (Facebook, Twitter) updated, regularly emailing members so they stay informed, and designing graphics to promote our group and gain new members! I want to thank everyone in MUNDO, from the members to the advisors, for making me a better person inside and out.

Summer Bridge Experience 2016

 

HOME

My new home for the next 4 years: Columbus, or the 614.

Many people do not know about the Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI)’s Young Scholars Program. It is an honor to be a Scholar in this selective program, which I was inducted into during the sixth grade.

Here is a little history of the Young Scholars Program (YSP) for those interested in knowing more about it:

Established in 1988, YSP has served more than 3,000 students from the nine major cities in Ohio: Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Lorain, Toledo, and Youngstown.
YSP helps first generation students thrive and achieve higher education. Scholars receive college preparation, academic coaching, access to resources and tools for success, and help with exploring careers and majors. Also important is the scholarship that Young Scholars receive once admitted to the university so oftentimes students graduate from OSU debt-free!
(Learn more about YSP here: http://odi.osu.edu/ysp/)

I actually had no idea what college was until one wintry day in the sixth grade, a very smiley YSP recruiter named Mr. Lofton came into my middle school English class to present to us about how YSP was a very unique, amazing opportunity. He told us our undergraduate education could potentially be paid in full! My teacher selected about 10 of us sixth-graders to fill out applications to the program, which was about a dozen pages long. It included essays and personal information about ourselves.
I was the only one in the class to receive a call back for an interview, which I did poorly on because I was shy and didn’t/couldn’t speak much. The YSP coordinator for Cleveland did not think that I was worthy of being in the program because of my inability to interact with others, but my English teacher vouched for me passionately and I was accepted into the program. I later proved that I deserved to be there.

Six years later, I am thriving in this program and am attending The Ohio State University fall of 2016!
The summer of 2016, my YSP cohort participated in a Summer Bridge Experience to help with our transition to college.


Packing

My dad’s SUV trunk packed with carts, bedding, and more!

MOVE-IN DAY/ Welcome and Orientation

On July 31, I moved into temporary housing at Lawrence Tower for a three-week Summer Bridge Experience that is mandatory for Young Scholars who are incoming freshmen. We were there for two weeks and then August 14, we were able to move into our permanent dorms.

Before Sunday, the day I would leave Cleveland for a few months, I packed my bags and boxes with tremendous help from my amazing mother. My family and I drove down to Columbus, the roughly 2-hour-ride noisy with pop music playing.

The same day, we were given a warm welcome by YSP staff and Peer Leaders, who helped escort us to our classes the first week of bridge because we were utterly lost. All meals were paid for during this experience! I learned how to use BUCKID and swipes.

Summer Schedule

Week 1 schedule: math, research writing, and more classes/workshops.

 

 

What were we Young Scholars doing during this Summer Bridge Experience?

My schedule for Bridge was busy, but still left room for meals and recreational activities. The classes I took were for personal enrichment and not for credit or for a grade at all. Some were related to career planning and personal development! We were required to take them to better prepare us for our ‘real’ courses at Ohio State. We also walked around campus a lot! (Lawrence Tower was on the edge of campus, near the Schottenstein Center! We were soaked with sweat by the end of the day (sorry for the gross image))

I was in a Research Methods writing class, which I liked a lot! We wrote research papers under the guidance of a great professor named Bob Eckhart (we call him

Uncle Bob) and presented our own individual posters at the culmination of this bridge. I researched Police Brutality on People with Mental Illnesses.

I was also in a Calculus preparation class, but I took college-level calculus previously, and did not plan on taking anymore math in college. However, it was good refresher material and required me to use my brain again.

We could choose an elective course (Psychology, Statistics, Economics, and Physics), and I chose psychology! Our teacher was a Ph.D. candidate who made the class fun.

What I really enjoyed about the entire summer bridge experience was getting the chance to familiarize myself with OSU’s campus before the rest of the students arrived. My transition was so much more smoother than I thought it would be.

Young Scholars Program cohort!

After Bridge, the cohort’s members also were enrolled in a Study Skills course for autumn semester to ensure that we could succeed in our classes, properly take notes, and analyze information. Throughout our first year, we also get success coaching (from a program coordinator) and peer-mentoring (a one-hour meeting with an upperclassman student every week to discuss life!).

I think that all incoming freshmen, especially those from low-income, first-generation, minority backgrounds, can benefit greatly from summer programs! OSU offers several to build relationships with your peers early and lessen the anxiety that you may be feeling!

https://fye.osu.edu/programs/special_eligibility.html
https://fye.osu.edu/programs/index.html
Also for early move-in, students can check out programs like OWL and R-Lead!