MUNDO

Spring Break 2020 – Savannah, Georgia

I went on my last undergraduate trip with the amazing student organization MUNDO. We took a road trip down to the South for spring break 2020. Our group of 15 people (12 students and three staff mentors) went to Savannah, Georgia for a few days. For the second half of the week, we explored Atlanta. The purpose of this entire experience was to expand our awareness about the history of colonial cities and their role in the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the continuous struggles for equity in the United States. We became armed with greater knowledge and greater confidence in ourselves to create social change, which can start by holding space and conversations. Our group examined social justice issues and engaged in critical thought and discussions throughout the week. It was truly fascinating and as some of us say in colloquial terms, “mind-blowing.”

Saturday, March 7th – The Road Trip


Everyone arrived at the three campus pick-up locations on time. The group was able to depart for Georgia before 8:00 AM. The drive down South was peaceful. I worked on an assignment the whole time and was pleasantly surprised and thankful that the bus WiFi was very cooperative. It allowed me to listen to music too! We made a stop for lunch in Virginia and I tried Bojangles for the first time. I did not try their famous chicken and biscuits, but I ate a grilled chicken sandwich with deliciously seasoned fries. We continued and arrived in Savannah, Georgia around dinner-time. Several of us got food at an Asian take-out restaurant called Tokyo Café. I was excited to support a small business that is not only locally-owned, but also run by people of color. The area we were in had a plethora of hotels and restaurants, both chain and local. It was interesting to see Spanish moss trees everywhere. That night, I flipped through several brochures in the hotel to help me determine what I wanted to do in my free time.

Sunday, March 8th – Settling into Savannah

People ate breakfast in the hotel before we met up outside in the hotel parking lot around 9:35 AM. Breakfast options included make-your-own waffles, sausage patties, fried eggs, sliced cheese, and boiled eggs. Fresh fruits (apples, oranges, bananas) along with a few cereal options and oatmeal were also available. We addressed the indigenous peoples of the land we were currently visiting: the Muskogee (Creek), Guale, and Yamasee tribes. One of the staff mentors said to the group, “These tribes continue to thrive on this land today, but we acknowledge the genocide experienced by their ancestors in the past and the emotional labor necessary to continue the legacy.”

We boarded the bus and made our way towards the Historic District of Savannah. Lining the sidewalks on each side were trees of Spanish moss that draped down towards us. The air felt fresh and less polluted while the atmosphere felt more relaxed and carefree. When we reached Chippewa Square, we were given about 20 minutes to roam the streets before our Savannah Walking Tour would begin to give us an orientation to the area. Some of us stopped into a bookstore to peruse the books. Not many shops were open at 10 AM. Our tour guide was an older man with a well-rehearsed script and the willingness to answer any questions. We learned about how Savannah was founded and other neat facts. This laid down a foundation for us about how Savannah came to be about and events that took place there that shape life today. I learned that Georgia was named after King George. I also learned that churches and bars are usually in close proximity to each other. This tour was about two hours long and we went through a handful of the 22 squares in Savannah.

A peer shared her thought out loud about how these stories of the individuals (often military-involved men) who get honored by monuments can be glorified, and a staff mentor felt so proud from hearing this analysis. Why are certain individuals displayed and remembered in a city’s history? What traits do they have in common? I appreciated hearing my peers think about anything and everything.

We did not really have time for a sit-down lunch. Some people brought snacks with them. This is an important tip for MUNDO experiences: pack a snack. The guided tour of the First African Baptist Church was incredibly impactful. It was constituted in December 1777 and is the oldest continuous Black church in North America. As visitors sat in the pews, a young man in his 20s was our guide and he did not explain everything explicitly to us but allowed us to make the connections for ourselves.

Students and two staff mentors (far right) proudly pose in front of the church. Our hour-long tour transported to us through history and transformed our thinking.

Our guide told us the story of George Leile, an African American man who was enslaved and later freed, and who baptized fellow enslaved individuals. Reverend Leile established Baptist churches in Jamaica and people in his Congregation established FABC in Savannah. Words that came to my mind from the tour information: intentionality, purpose, foresight, and vision. It dawned on me how resilient and resourceful enslaved and free African Americans were and their intentionality behind the church design and objects: stained-glass windows, pews, floor, etc. They were more intelligent than they were made out to be by their slave-holders and the public. 

For more of the history, please see this site: https://firstafricanbc.com/history.php

Additional information that made an impression on me was that the church had a barrel roof; the walls and ceiling met in rounded corners to allow sound to travel so that someone’s voice can be heard anywhere in the room without a microphone. In the basement, a small part of the floor had holes, to let the Georgia pine wood breathe due to moisture, and to allow people resting underneath breathe as well. The FABC housed people fleeing to freedom as part of the Underground Railroad. The people associated with this church also resisted white supremacy and colonist forces in that the cross symbol used was an Ethiopian cross, not European. Subtle, but significant.

It was also interesting that the church’s 17 pastors have all been black men, and a number of them were mixed race and light-skinned. An important conversation matter is how lighter skin complexion can come with greater privileges and acceptance; colonialism and colorism are part of the equation.

We often hear the expression that knowledge and/or consciousness is power, and this rang true for me because of this tour. Enslaved peoples were seen as threatening to the status quo if they knew how to read and write. They were not allowed to read or write or even possess writing instruments or learning materials. The guide drew correlations to world history, when during the Holocaust, books were burned. A culture is at risk of dying if materials such as books and artifacts are erased. Still, people learn how to resist and persist. African Americans picked up English throughout the years.

The tour guide ended his time with us by imparting the phrase and African-American proverb, “Each one, teach one.”  The message here is to not sit and stew with newfound knowledge, but share it with others. Sometimes ignorance or lack of knowledge about a topic does not mean that someone is unintelligent or uninterested. Rather, it can be because no one is willing to tell somebody else. Taking the time to teach somebody something new can pique their interest and spark that desire to learn more.

After the tour, the group met up outside to reflect on our experience. Some of us shared that we did not expect to learn so much from a tour of a church. It actually opened our eyes to a lot regarding enslavement and the legacy of enslaved African American ancestors. We had two hours of free time in the area, and a group of us ate pizza right by the church. We were at the edge of the Savannah City Market, which is a great tourist spot. I enjoyed sampling pralines.

MUNDO opens space for everyone to see and hear each other.

Back at the hotel, I took a quiz for my online courses. Then I went with two friends to walk around the area. We stopped by Walgreens, ate mini glazed donuts at Krispy Kreme, walked past Yamaha, explored Publix, almost went into Staples but found it closed, stopped into Amigo’s Latin Grocery (actually a small family-owned restaurant, not a grocery store), and went straight into Carey Hilliard’s for dinner.

I will carry a backpack with me to hold more items and prevent my one shoulder from being overburdened and sore. Additionally, I will keep my journal on hand to jot down the information provided and insights developed from the tours!

Monday, March 9th – Tours Galore

In the morning, MUNDO had some free time for us to explore. I ate leftover fried rice for breakfast. Then several peers and I took ride-shares (Lyft, Uber) to the Savannah Botanical Gardens. We spent close to an hour looking at trees. One of us had wandered off into the hiking trails so the rest of us went off to find her. This excursion aided my mental well-being since it was a peaceful environment that felt secluded from technology.

Half of us decided to immerse ourselves in nature. Not many flora was in bloom but it was still nice to see and be around the grounds.

In the afternoon, the entire group went on a Juliette Gordon Low birthplace tour. Juliette Gordon Low founded Girl Scouts in 1912 to encourage girls to discover, lead, and be their best selves. Being in Girl Scouts would also promote girls’ confidence, character, and courage. We learned about Gordon Low’s upbringing and her family. Basically in every room, there was a painting and/or sculpture of a family member; some were created by Gordon Low herself, or by her relatives. She married a multimillionaire, and the privilege and resources that come along with that did play a role in her later success.

We interacted with the table in the library room of the house.

Find out more at: http://www.juliettegordonlowbirthplace.org/en/about/about-girl-scouts-of-the-usa.html

Free time was scheduled for the rest of the afternoon. Many of us went to Tybee Beach, about 20 minutes away. We took Lyfts and Ubers to get there, and we spent a few hours frolicking on the sand and dipping our feet into the water. One student read a book and another took the time to look for shells. Later, the beach group ate dinner in the area before ride-sharing to the Ghost Tour location.

As evening set in, MUNDO did a Ghost Tour, which was thrilling yet terrifying. We rode on a trolley with a narrator/storyteller who shared some stories/legends. We stopped at the Andrew Low house and then Perkin’s and Son’s Ship Chandlery. The latter stop was truly something different.

We traveled via trolley and made two major stops. The seating was comfortable. The gnats in the air were not.


Tuesday, March 10th – Power of People

In the morning, the group did a small discussion before exploring the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum. I learned that Savannah’s Civil Rights Movement differed from other movements in Southern cities. According to the museum, “…the movement in Savannah was fueled with home grown passion. It was fully organized and implemented by local African American citizens, the victims of the laws which gave people of color second class status. Outstanding leadership in the local adult and youth branches of the NAACP, the courage and eagerness of Savannah’s youth and the wisdom of local elders combined to make the quest for equal rights in Savannah, truly, a movement from within.”

From the museum’s welcome documentary and displays, I learned more about Savannah’s store boycotts that endured for 16 months! The substantial economic effects included a six percent decrease in retail sales and ultimately resulted in white business owners to start integrating their workforces. Slogans used during the 1960s included, “Don’t Shop Jim-Crow! We Will Not Shop Jim-Crow! We Must Not Shop Jim-Crow!” I learned more about the role of the Savannah branch of the NAACP. It also became clearer to me that sit-ins escalated into extreme discomfort, emotionally and physically. People would yell at the brave individuals who sat down and asserted that they deserved to be served and treated with equality. I also found a list of sit-in rules to follow. The last rule stated, “Remember love and nonviolence,” and I cannot imagine how hard it must have been to practice back in that era, which does not feel so far behind us.

Sit-in participants follow these rules while at lunch counters.

MUNDO had a few hours of break for lunch and free time. Four peers and I had a conversation over Wendy’s and then walked over to a cat café, where we made reservations. After that relaxing time, we joined the rest of the group for the museums.

For about 10 minutes, in two subgroups, we reflected over a few questions/prompts before proceeding into The Telfair Museums and Jepson Center, which contain a vast collection of artwork. There was artwork made by enslaved individuals. One of them was David Drake “Dave the Potter” (American, c. 1801-1870s). We looked at his alkaline glazed stoneware, just one of the thousands of vessels he made as a potter. “He signed hundreds of them and inscribed dozens with poems and verses.” The description also read that he was a “rare literate man,” which did raise some thoughts by members of our group. We also looked at impressionist paintings and sculptures.

We then had a special tour of the Owens-Thomas House estate. The tour guide did an excellent job at explaining the history of the house, which had a separate building designated the “slave quarters.” We saw what it was like, and how about a dozen people had no other choice but to live in such a cramped space. We learned about haint blue, which was painted around the quarters to resemble the sea that ghosts cannot cross, in Gullah culture. The Gullah are African Americans who live in the Lowcountry region of the U.S. states of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. They have their own language as well.

These are some of the names of enslaved peoples that were recovered, and the empty planks are for those whose names could not be recovered. George Owens enslaved almost 400 people on his plantation, according to the plaque text.

This plaque informed of the power behind words and suggests that people choose wording carefully because of the meaning(s) and context.

The text says:
Words have power.
They express meanings, ideas, and relationships. They impact how we relate to the past and to one another.
As we share this history, we strive to use words that are empathetic to those whose history has been marginalized. For example, we use phrases like enslaved woman, rather than slave. The noun slave implies she was, at her core, a slave. The adjective enslaved reveals that though in bondage, bondage was not her core existence.
Furthermore, she was enslaved by the actions of another. Therefore, we use terms like enslaver, rather than master, to indicate one’s effort to exert power over another. You may hear other phrases, like slave labor camp or escapee, rather than plantation or runaway. These reinforce the idea of people’s humanity rather than the conditions forced upon them.

To end the evening on a more comforting note, the group headed to the famous Leopold’s Ice Cream. This place has seen patrons for over 100 years, and is one of the best ice cream parlors in the city.

Please see the next blog post to read about what happens next for the MUNDO spring break experience group, in Atlanta, Georgia!

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!

Roots of Revolution, Change, & Activism in America (Spring Break 2019)

On the road again!

Once again, I planned and participated in one of MUNDO’s alternative break experiences! This was yet another ‘education vacation’ and an opportunity for me to see a part of America for the first time in my life. It allowed me to deepen my knowledge about this nation’s history. This spring break 2019, we visited Colonial Williamsburg, VA, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland to explore the theme of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Furthermore, we aimed to explore “Who tells your story?” because there are histories that are commonly known about whereas there are others that are unknown or hidden. Some individuals’ or groups’ histories and stories do not get told fully or even at all. For this spring break, we had a host of different experiences that enhanced our knowledge and challenged us to critically think and inquire. A few of them were visits to the Jamestown Settlement, National Holocaust Museum, and Great Blacks in Wax Museum, and a dinner with Pulitzer-Prize winning author, Wesley Lowery.

Fun Fact: MUNDO first went to D.C. in the spring of 2001. Ever since, the organization has gone back regularly (but not every school year). Each time is a different experience!

I used Canva to create an informational flyer.

The spring break action team held biweekly planning meetings in autumn semester and weekly meetings for spring semester. To be brief about our experiences coordinating the trip, we encountered many roadblocks and hurdles that helped our team strengthen and bond over obstacles. We were able to execute this experience successfully, with 20 participants (16 students and 4 OSU staff members/mentors). MUNDO partnered with the Morrill Scholars Program Learning Community so we had new faces and new perspectives. Our trip was predominantly underclassmen (first- and second-years!)

Here’s the day-to-day run-down:

Monday March 4th
The action team held a 30 minute Pre-Travel Meeting for the participants to attend, unless they had other circumstances that prevented them from coming. We added people to the GroupMe and shared a Google Drive folder with the itinerary, room assignments, and restaurants in D.C. and Williamsburg. In our presentation, we made sure to discuss what people should pack (such as packing layers of clothing to wear), and for specific days, people should wear nicer clothing – ‘snappy casual.’

Friday March 8th
I packed one large suitcase and stuffed my backpack full of items. I was most excited for Washington, D.C. and warmer weather.

Saturday March 9th
I slept about six hours before taking a Lyft to campus. MUNDO has three pick-up locations on campus: Archer House, Drake Performance Center, and the Ohio Union. We have an OSU charter bus throughout spring break, and I stocked four of its cubbies with snacks bought from Kroger. We had quite a stash of food for our participants, including Krispy Kreme donuts, apple sauce, Poptarts, apples, mini oranges, juice boxes, granola bars, chips, and fruit snacks. We also distributed MUNDO drawstring bags to each participant; each bag contained the itinerary and resource guide (with maps and lists of places to eat), a brown paper bag to store food, and Wesley Lowery’s book, They Can’t Kill Us All! Participants were encouraged to read the book on the bus ride since there were hours to spend.

Around 12:30 PM, we were in Lexington, VA and had an hour long rest to eat lunch. A large portion of us went to this restaurant called Cook Out, which has burgers, fries, and shakes, among other items. On the bus ride, I did online homework and was happy to be finished. I also spent time looking at classes for Autumn 2019 semester.

We reached Williamsburg, VA around 4 PM and checked in. We had free time until 6:00 PM when we met up for a group dinner. Dinner consisted of pizza and salad and we talked some more about the itinerary. That evening, I tried some ice cream from Bubba’s Ice Cream Shack just minutes away on foot from our hotel. The ice cream there was a tad expensive, but thankfully we used a buy-one-get-one-free coupon which made it more worthwhile. I had a great sleep at the hotel we were in; the bed was very comfortable.

Sunday March 10th
After an early breakfast at the hotel, we departed for a three-hour guided tour of Colonial Williamsburg. Our guide was named Mr. Drewry. I liked that he was honest and encouraged us to ask questions and challenge him. He was born and raised in the area and said he would spend the rest of his life here. This site is incredibly large that no single person can get through all of it in a day!
Here is the website for this living museum: https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/

We were ready for a day of exploration and education!


The group made our way to a silversmith, a jail, some homes, a carpenter’s area, and the Capitol Building. It was an information-packed time. My favorite part was visiting the silversmith. For some reason, I remembered the most from that session. It was interesting to see that people’s coins in the 18th century were literally cut in half to make a half-dollar. Coins could also be cut into fourths and eighths. Silver was also converted into jewelry and household items (spoons, coffee pots, bowls, etc.). A peer asked if people could get sick from using silver spoons for eating and the presenter replied that silver has antimicrobial properties.

I did find that the jails were very unhygienic at that time in history; this was not surprising to me though. Jail cells had poor ventilaton and usually had one window. Inmates would use a blanket to cover the window in the winter to block snow (and sunlight). They would relieve themselves in a corner, but the stench would be strong in the summers and winters.

This was where “the colony’s representatives struggled with the British governor over the meaning of American liberty.”

This tour provided me with greater insights into African Virginians in the early 1700s. Africans made up 52% of the population in Williamsburg. We heard stories of enslaved peoples and their experiences in this area. A salient point I remember is that when an enslaved person was new to the quarters of an estate, the other enslaved people already there would welcome the person in. They shared clothing and tools in crowded conditions. Their meals were simple and made out of one pot. Mr. Drewry, our tour guide, talked about some of his heroes and heroines from the colonial era. Some stories he told were saddening, but there were some that included triumphs and perseverance.


We took a break for lunch and explored the area on our own afterwards. I took the chance to quickly stop by the College of William and Mary to see what its campus looked like. A small group and I looked at a statue and one building. Since we were hungry for lunch, we left to get food. As we walked to a tavern, we saw a cow on a leash, bulls in a field, and plenty of people walking their dogs in Williamsburg. This was a pet-friendly environment. We found out that Chowning’s Tavern was closed, so we went to Trellis Bar & Grill. After lunch, we browsed in shops. My friend and I strolled through bookstores, a candy shop, and an outdoor festival. I appreciated this free time to explore; I purchased dessert from a festival vendor to support local and small businesses.

This public research university is the second oldest institution for higher education in America. The oldest is Harvard.


I ended the afternoon in Colonial Williamsburg with meandering through the Art Museums. I enjoyed viewing the installations at the Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds, the first of its kind in British North America. It housed 24 patients and a live-in attendant in a remote area of Williamsburg. At the time, there was a belief that medical intervention in a hospital setting would cure insanity. Since its opening in 1773, mental illness treatment, and our knowledge of it, has transformed during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Seeing this exhibit appealed to me because I study public health and have interests in medical anthropology and history. Approaches to mental illness had a new outlook beginning in the mid-19th century, when caretakers used more optimism and kindness, which was referred to as moral management. Anyone could fall ill to mental illness. The hospital changed rooms to improve patient comfort (and health outcomes). Each patient still had their own room (called apartments) with wooden bed and furniture. The rooms looked more domestic and suitable for humans. The windows and walls were also different in order to give the sense of a welcoming environment. It was unsettling to see how patients were held in previous centuries, but comforting that eventually, medical practices and views changed.

In the early years, hospital cells felt like prison cells. Patients spent most of their times inside and were provided with a straw-filled bed, chamber pot, and blanket. There were no structured activities.


In another area of the museum, I gazed upon examples of American and British antiques and decorative art dating back to the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. There were also colonial and contemporary folk art pieces in the galleries.
In the late afternoon, we returned to the hotel for rest. Just a handful of us ate dinner before the evening activity.

In the evening, we embarked on the African American Music Experience, back at the same location, but inside one of its buildings. I did not know what to expect, but this was certainly a nontraditional discovery opportunity! (The NDO part of MUNDO stands for Nontraditional Discovery Opportunity). We stood the entire day and it was very interactive. In the hour or hour and a half we had, we began with singing Funga Alafia, which is a cheerful rhythm about welcoming and blessing. “Greetings I bring to you, ashe, ashe.” That was fun. Then we followed and sang along to other words in different African dialects. Another song I remember was in English and it was called “One Day.” Enslaved folks sung while they worked to keep their morale up and to preserve and pass along cultural traditions. Song and music can help people communicate and express their myriad of feelings, from despair and mourning to hope and encouragement. Additionally, singing along with others can uplift one’s own spirit and help form closer relationships over a shared struggle. We did several different dances and songs. Each of us also had to do our own unique dance which could not be similar to anyone else’s. It was also amazing to see MUNDO participants step up and help make rhythms using instruments like African drums. By the end of the night, we had some lighthearted fun while also learning about the realities of enslavement and how African people survived centuries of slavery and its aftermath and thrived.

The staff had wonderful voices and helped us sing, dance, and play instruments along with them.

Monday March 11th
We ate breakfast and stored our bags in the charter bus. We had a guided tour of the Jamestown Settlement, America’s first permanent English colony. It is a living history museum with indoor and outdoor displays, as well as replicas of ships and recreations of the original James fort from 1607 and a Powhatan Indian village. Our guide, a retiree and a veteran of two wars named Ali, started us inside the museum to walk us through history of colonization and settlement. We actually know and use Algonquian language without realizing it: the words skunk, raccoon, Potomac, and tomahawk are Algonquian. In addition, many words in everyday English come from Native American languages.

The group witnessed a musketeer firing a rifle. Some of us also tried on musketeer armor and helmets!

To briefly explain Jamestown and its history, from what I took in from our guide, Europeans came over to this land we now call America for economic, religious, and political reasons. Some came to settle to escape persecution, but there were some with insidious intentions who wanted to exploit the rich resources of the land and other negative actions. Some Europeans were colonizers. Building this settlement and building this nation required human, natural, and capital resources. In 1618, the first documented Africans arrived in Virginia for indentured servitude. By the middle of the century, slavery was incorporated. These facts and findings about Jamestown was more eye-opening for me because it added to my knowledge of colonialism, specifically in the context of Virginia.

I enjoyed learning about Powhatan life. Women did farming, harvesting, cooking, and childrearing. Men hunted and fished. Farming accounted for at least half of people’s food supply, but people, including many elementary school visitors, think that hunting is the main source of food for Indians. Something else I learned was Pocahontas’s story and role in saving America. Pocahontas is a nickname given to her by her father because she was his “playful child.” She was an important figure who helped bring peace between the Powhatans and English while she was alive. It is intriguing that she is a popular Native American figure and there are many books, poems, and films about her, including the Disney film. Stories about her can differ and we do not know the entirety of her short life, but I learned much more about her from my visit to Jamestown (and later on, D.C.’s National Museum of the American Indian).

Overall, I really liked the Jamestown tour and how much history and information we were provided. It did not feel like we were being lectured at. Our guide emphasized a few points: 1) each culture is great and valid; no culture is better than the other. 2) We should thank our teachers/educators sincerely because without teachers, society would not function. Teaching is an often underappreciated profession, but teaching helps pass on knowledge to younger generations.

An actor shared with us facts about Powhatan lifestyles in the 17th century.
“The re-created Powhatan Indian village is based on archaeological findings at a site once inhabited by Paspahegh Indians, the Powhatan tribal group closest to Jamestown, and descriptions recorded by English colonists.”
From historyisfun.org

For more information on Jamestown, this summary should suffice:
https://www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-settlement/history-jamestown/

We went on to our next city, Washington, D.C.! Some students take a class trip to D.C. during middle school or high school; this is a phenomenon for Ohio students for some reason. I was supposed to go in eighth grade but it did not end up happening. Perhaps it was because of funding issues, as I attended a public school in a low-income inner-city. I always wondered when I would get to see the nation’s capital, and finally as a 21-year-old, I was able to!

After arriving and checking in, we had the rest of the time to explore. My friends and I walked to the Washington Monument, where we ran into public health Buckeyes, and then we headed to Chinatown. The D.C. Chinatown area is smaller than the ones in NYC and L.A. of course. It also is different in terms of atmosphere and feel compared to my hometown Cleveland’s AsiaTown. For this spot in D.C., many establishments had signs in English letters and Chinese characters. I enjoyed looking at the architecture of buildings and the traditional entrance gate. A group and I had dinner here in a family-owned restaurant called New Big Wong. We got bubble tea afterwards at a Vietnamese-owned cafe that sells banh mi sandwiches and Taiwan-invented bubble tea. It was a good evening.

“Full stomachs and happy hearts” is how I like to describe our dinner.


In the future, I want to delve into the history of this Chinatown because from what I have briefly researched online and noticed in person from walking on the streets, there is some gentrification going on. Apparently, many people of Chinese descent have been driven out of this historic area. Gentrification is not a new occurrence for communities of color, and as someone who is passionate about sociology and social justice, I want to examine this issue and its effects.
For more information on Chinatown:
https://www.tripsavvy.com/chinatown-washington-dc-neighborhood-guide-1039373

Tuesday March 12th
The D.C. hotel does not provide breakfast, so we are responsible for finding food ourselves. I tried to eat leftovers of my beef chow fun, a Cantonese Chinese dish, but I wish I had eaten more filling and nutritious food as well. In the morning, our group walked together to the Smithsonian Castle, home to the Smithsonian Visitor Center. This is a good stop to get oriented to the Smithsonian museum complex. It is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. I learned about the history of the museum and how an Englishman named James Smithson founded the Institute to promote and diffuse knowledge and learning around in America.

Smithsonian Castle. Source: smithsonianmag.com

A few friends and I had a small window of time to wander the halls of the Freer Art Gallery. We only had 20-25 minutes to look around, and part of the time, we spent in the gift shop. I did not get to go back to this art gallery later in the week for its exhibits and gift shop. However, I saw Asian art pieces when I was there. In particular, I saw Buddhist and Hindu ancient art and shrines. It would be nice to visit D.C. again to get to the museums and art galleries I did not get to the first time I was in the city.

Information on the Institute: https://www.si.edu/Museums/smithsonian-institution-building

Our MUNDO group visited the National Holocaust Museum. This was self-guided, so we went at our own pace. I have been to a holocaust museum in Cleveland and Los Angeles, and now this one in D.C., where I learned even more about the genocide. I had a card with the name and photo of a young girl; as I progressed through the museum, I learned what happened to her and her family. She did not make it out of the Holocaust alive, and perished in a camp.

I took photos of many of the walls that had text descriptions on them. A few facts I want to share are:

– By 1939, there were less havens available for Jewish refugees. Latin American countries took in around 39,600 Jewish people, and 15,000 people found safety in Shanghai. In October 1941, emigrating out of Nazi Germany was forbidden. It was upsetting that America did not let in as many refugees as they could have, in part because of anti-immigration sentiment.
– Some Jewish children who were sick and hospitalized were killed by starvation, lethal injections, or overdoses of medicine. About 30 institutions carried this heinous practices out, intentionally harming instead of helping. These “special children’s wards” were also places where any youth with disabilities, mental or physical, were killed. German physicians carried out Operation T4 to eradicate the Jewish people and preserve genetic impurity. Learning of this was atrocious to me; it was especially horrific hearing how children were treated.

Here are hundreds of photos of people in a Jewish community in Eishishok, in what is now Lithuania. These are from 1890 to 1941.

In the museum there is also an exhibit about the systemic killings occurring in Syria since 2011. This is the greatest humanitarian crisis since World War II. Half of Syria’s population, 11 million, have fled. While I have heard about this crisis in the news, I have not done much thorough investigation of my own. It feels removed from me for some reason, and I know that I should do something like educate myself and/or donate. I should share this information so that we do not turn a blind eye to this issue of human rights as well.

Here is the website for the museum: https://www.ushmm.org/

After the National Holocaust Museum, I went straight to another museum, which also dealt with heavy history: The National Museum of African American History. I spent a few hours here, and was not able to read every detail. I learned a lot here as well. The museum began in the basement, where we were introduced to Africa in the 1400s. Slavery was not yet based on perceptions of race and it was a temporary status. People traded gold, salt, and spices. Later on, the concept of whiteness developed, along with other races to categorize people and ascribe characteristics to them. Race was also a factor in determining freedom, like in the case of John Punch. He and two European servants tried to run away but were caught and trialed. The white indentured servants had added-on time for their service, but Punch was sentenced to a life of enslavement. This was unbelievable.

This exterior design resembles a golden basket to me.

In addition to the exhibits on slavery, I found this learning center fascinating. There were interactive stations and I engaged with one of them, where I learned how people find artifacts in the deep Atlantic Ocean to help us uncover some more of the story of the slave trade. On other museum floors, I saw African American music and art, and how those influenced our world to this day. African Americans have made so many contributions to society and are an integral part of our history. This was not the first African American history museum I have been to; the first one was in Detroit, but this one was the largest! You can spend a whole day here if you want to devote intense interest to the museum.

I liked a quote on the wall: “The great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it with us, are unconsciously controlled by it… History is literally present in all that we do.” – James Baldwin
This quote will stick with me, since I hold history to be so important and necessary in understanding the world around me. From the museum’s food court, I enjoyed delicious, soul-soothing mac and cheese and corn bread. I recommend these two items! After that, I returned to the hotel for a quick rest.

MUNDO attended a Shear Madness performance at the Kennedy Center. I was in charge of booking seats for this murder comedy show. We had to keep contacting the center to update them on how many seats to reserve. I liked the show as it was interactive and funny, and I liked how they used retro colors and styles. It was similar to the movie Clue. During the intermission, we were able to talk to the performers to try to figure out who committed the crime. The performance was a nice way to end the night.

Wednesday March 13th
We completed service in the morning at A Wider Circle, in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Our group spent about three hours with this organization, and I really enjoyed volunteering here to help with organizing the different sections. Some people worked on making furniture and glass look polished and like new. Other people sorted out donations and even unloaded furniture from a truck. Those in the workforce development room worked on tidying up the areas and sorting belts, clothing, and shoes in preparation for a major event. Later, some of us examined puzzle boxes from the children’s section and counted the number of puzzle pieces in each box to make sure nothing was missing. This was all a fun experience for me. I learned about this great community-based organization that wants to continue growing and offering all that it can to support anyone in need.
They help people make houses or apartments into homes, help secure jobs and look good for the workforce, and help families make the most of what they have.

Expand your mind and expand your efforts at http://awidercircle.org/ 

The next group activity was our tour of the Capitol! 

Our tour guide was engaging and charismatic. She was open to all of our questions. She, like many people in D.C. in her words, is not from the area.

MUNDO had to do an OH-IO in front of the Capitol building!

While the architecture of the Capitol was gorgeous and impeccable, there was one room with many paintings and sculptures that made us think deeper into the art. No enslaved peoples were in any of the art in the room. There were a few Native Americans and these depictions were often racist as they painted these indigenous Americans as non-human/sub-human. There was a large painting of Pocahontas being baptized and becoming “white” or “acceptable.” Her true story rarely gets told, and I wonder why this is the case. Congress has the ability to change out these paintings and commission new ones that can tell the story of America better, and bring justice to the lives of Native Americans and African/African Americans as well as other people of color who built this stolen nation.

Our tour ended at 4:30 PM and we were free until 6:15 PM, when we had to be back at the hotel. I rushed to the U.S. Botanic Garden, an attraction on my bucket list. When I finally made my way into the building, I had about 10 minutes to zoom through its galleries and set my eyes on the lush vegetation and landscapes. A peer took photos of me before we were asked to leave. I’d love to return in the summer when everything is in bloom.

In the evening, MUNDO had a group dinner with Ohio State alumni at Harriet’s, a family-style restaurant inside of our hotel.

Thursday March 14th
This was a free day for MUNDO participants. I spent time with friends eating breakfast at a café called Abe’s Café (there are two locations). We stayed there for a while to work on homework and applications. I finished a study abroad scholarship application and had a friend look it over. We then went to Smithsonian museums of our choice! First up was the Library of Congress. Three of us went to get our library cards! The rooms of the library were marvelous. If I lived in D.C., I would check out some books and study in that library. What a great resource for people who want to learn and research any topic of choice.

My friend Kayla snapped this shot of me on this sunny day of exploration.

Then one friend and I explored the National Museum of the American Indian. Prior to this, I had never been to a museum dedicated towards Native American history and heritage. I was very thankful that this museum existed to educate people and celebrate the many diverse cultures and traditions of different Native groups.

Did you know? About 60% of the world’s diet today is derived from Native American foods, such as potatoes, chilies, tomatoes, and chocolate! Native Americans also grew a variety of food together, which is called biodiversity and lead to healthier crops. European colonists, on the other hand, used monocultures, which is not the most beneficial for agriculture.

This museum offers information and artifacts about American Indians in the Western Hemisphere of the world.
https://americanindian.si.edu/about

My friend and I witnessed a Native American man perform a song he wrote; he is a scholar and artist. This performance was a nontraditional discovery opportunity, and he opened the floor to questions from the audience: three from children and three from adults. We explored the museum and learned of different communities and their ways of life. I learned how different groups perceived their universes. We looked at the:
Pueblo of Santa Clara (New Mexico)
Anishinaabe (Canada)
Lakota (South Dakota)
Quechua (Peru)
Hupa (California)
Q’eq’chi’ Maya (Guatemala)
Mapuche (Chile)
Yup’ik (Alaska)

It is our duty to pass these teachings on to succeeding generations 
For that is the way to keep our traditions alive

Emil Her Many Horses, NMAI, 2003

These exhibits, including the introductory video NMAI suggests you watch on the top floor, was eye-opening for me and helped me gain a greater appreciation for Native Americans and their legacies. I would not have gotten all of this information and insight elsewhere. I strongly believe that all school curricula should have comprehensive sections on Native Americans and their experiences. I remember learning about them in second grade and fifth grade. As an adult, I have a more nuanced understanding of the complex histories. I still want to learn more and one way I can do this is to find books and works from indigenous scholars themselves.

I had an Indian taco from the food court. It had buffalo chili, which tasted like normal chili to me. I paired the meal with a refreshing agua fresca.

Afterwards, I checked out the NMAI gift shop and debated on what to get from there. Leaving empty-handed except for educational pamphlets, we embarked for the National Portrait Gallery. According to the gallery curators, it is a place for our nation’s stories to be told. The arts are a window to our history. The first major sculpture my friends and I saw was the dying Tecumseh, a key player in the Indian resistance to America’s expansion into the Midwest. We saw portraits and sculptures of important figures who played a role in shaping America. I was more interested in figures who are alive today, although everyone is important. I especially liked the most up-to-date exhibit. In particular, Michelle Obama’s and Barack Obama’s portraits were absolutely outstanding. This art gallery had pieces related to responses to the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and other events. It is a very interesting gallery aimed to provoke emotion and thought.

The artist displayed on the TV screens what he associated with each state.

The last part of the day was spent having dinner and conversation with Mr. Wesley Lowery, a journalist at The Washington Post. We ate at Ollie’s Trolley, around the block from the hotel. It was a fantastic opportunity to hear from him and his upbringing in Ohio and his experiences as a journalist fighting for justice. According to his biography,  he was a lead on the Post’s “Fatal Force” project that won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2016 as well as the author of They Can’t Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America’s Racial Justice Movement. In 2017, he became a CNN political contributor.

Mr. Lowery went to Ohio University with a MUNDO staff mentor, who helped us connect with Lowery and coordinate this meeting. For about an hour and a half, we had his presence. He explained to us how he had always known he would pursue journalism. It was an enlightening conversation. We asked him questions during dinner as well as afterward. I still struggle with coming up with questions to ask guests. It is something I need to work on. I also read a little bit of his book, but not all of it. It is on my to-do list.

For the rest of the night, a few peers and I looked around in the H&M store down the street from us. We tried on clothes and had fun. That was it for the night. I knew I should turn in at a reasonable time to get sufficient sleep, and for the most part, I have slept fine in Hotel Harrington.

Ollie’s burgers are good. The fries are seasoned with 27 spices, they boast! Sadly I could not try one of their shakes; the machine broke right before it got to me.

Friday March 15th
We had a free morning to do our final exploration of D.C.. I got to visit Palmer Alley, which had beautiful pink lanterns to celebrate cherry blossom season. This is a great spot for photographs! Also, this spot is pretty close to Chinatown. I wanted to see more art installations and murals around, but I did not want to go alone to these spots, and there was a limited amount of time.

In the summer, the lanterns get switched out for beach balls.

At 2:15 PM, we met up for an afternoon walking tour. MUNDO walked all the way to the Tidal Basin, and around it, we met with our guide. We started at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and then made our way to the Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and Vietnam War Memorial. This was an interesting tour with tons of tidbits of facts. Many people were touring the area and looking at the memorials.

 

On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, we took a nice photo. 10 students and one MUNDO advisor are in the photo!

We had the evening free to ourselves after the tour. I met up with a friend from the summer research program I did in summer 2018! I am fortunate that she lives and goes to school in the DC area, and her spring break had just started as mine was coming to a close. We went to Ricebar for dinner, where we caught up over our meal, and then walked to The Wharf at the suggestion of my friends. At the Wharf, there’s a substantial amount of seafood sold, which is not surprising. Then there are restaurants and bars all around. I want to return here as well. If we had walked all the way down its boardwalk, we would have seen the giant swings that my friends got to go on. My friend and I went to get red velvet cupcakes and we ended the night. It is hard to find cheap desserts in DC. The cupcakes were $3 or so, which is not too bad because they were quite tasty and rich.

(For the week in DC, I gave myself an allowance of $200 to spend on food and souvenirs. A month later at the time of this posting, I still have not checked exactly how much I spent. I know I saved a significant amount of money by using an app where certain dishes from restaurants were $1 and I had credit on the app so I was getting free meals once a day! The app is called Ritual.)

Saturday March 16th
We had an early breakfast before checking out and storing our bags on the bus. At 8:00 AM, we departed for Baltimore, Maryland for a tour of the Great Blacks in Wax Museum. I believe this was my first time going to a wax museum. (There were a lot of ‘firsts’ for me on this trip). This museum was certainly unique and unforgettable, as it presented Black individuals in life-size dimensions, and they were quite realistic. There was so much to this museum. We began with the slave trade and I learned more pieces to the story. My knowledge of the world is constantly expanding. It was such an experience to see the figures accompanied with text to explain the context.

I saw so many important figures, some of whom I learned about in elementary school during African American History Month. My school’s library teacher taught me the most about civil rights and social justice. She taught me lessons that I take with me to this very day. Educators like her have inspired me in ways that I cannot express verbally. All over the museum were African Americans as pioneers in fields where nobody looked like them, as warriors and fighters in the midst of tumultuous times, as dissenters and activists to get their rights. There were many people I was unaware about, and this filled I recommend this museum too. My favorite part was seeing the wax figure of Barack Obama and the poems that people wrote about him.

Here is more about the museum: http://www.greatblacksinwax.org/index.html 

We had lunch in the Baltimore Inner Harbor before continuing on the long journey back to Columbus, Ohio.
The inner harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and landmark for the city of Baltimore. My small group of friends ate at Shake Shack. We were originally going to eat at Cheesecake Factory but our party of seven would have had to wait 45 minutes before sitting down. After eating, we perused Barnes & Noble. I also want to return to this harbor to try out the dragon boats available for tourists! I’ve rowed a boat before in Finland, but I want to try a boat here in America. We had a short time in the Harbor. I wanted to finish this blog on the bus ride, but slept for several hours. Surprisingly, by 7 PM, MUNDO reached The Ohio State University’s campus! I was happy we had gotten back before it was dark outside. Even more so, I was relieved that this experience was successful.

Source: Baltimore.org

REFLECTION
This experience was the most stressful to plan to this date. The frustrating aspects of planning were the government shutdown making us wonder about how we would adjust our agenda, participant recruitment, participants canceling, and museum and tour bookings. Since our group’s number of participants changed constantly, it was difficult to give museums and service sites an exact count. Being an action team member has sharpened my skills in patience, public speaking, problem solving, communicating, planning, budgeting, and email etiquette. I also helped facilitate Monday MUNDO meetings that connect and contribute to the themes of our experience. Furthermore, I was the administrator for the group’s GroupMe, where we communicate with each other. I put in reminders for where the group had to be and what they had to do for each activity. Additionally, I am pleased that we had a smaller-sized group because it was easier for us to fit into spaces and navigate museums. We got to know each other better as well. We discussed heavy and controversial topics and found common ground. My peers are very admirable and interesting.

I look forward to planning and participating in more MUNDO experiences. For the 2019-2020 school year, MUNDO is going to New York City for fall break, Los Angeles for winter break, and Charleston, South Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and Savannah, Georgia for spring break. I would like to be a part of the Action Team for both winter and spring breaks to continue to create meaningful experiences and further explore the country.

Tune in next year when I serve, learn, and lead even more with my beloved student organization, MUNDO!

Se Levanta: The MUNDO Puerto Rico Experience

I had the pleasure and honor of being a part of the action team that planned the MUNDO Puerto Rico experience that took place from December 14th-20th, 2018. In August 2018, the people on our action team began holding weekly meetings in order to set the itinerary for our group, budget our activities, recruit and reach out to potential participants, plan the pre-travel meeting, and more. The hours we put in to helped make the experience a success.

MUNDO loves learning and exploring our world. We loved Puerto Rico.

It was an exciting and enlightening experience planning and participating in this alternative break trip. This was an opportunity to learn in-depth about the history of Puerto Rico, the island of enchantment. I learned more about the multicultural background and how people live today, firsthand. Beforehand, I had such a superficial, limited knowledge of Puerto Rico and its people. Actually, I had done some research when I applied to participate in the experience for the winter break 2017. Unfortunately, Hurricane Maria happened, and severely damaged buildings, infrastructure, and in general caused extreme distress to the island. Thankfully, the island is recovering and is showing how resilient it is. We are thankful that we have the chance to go visit Puerto Rico in 2018, and learn about a variety of topics, and stimulate the economy.

We shared this flyer that I made around social media to attract people to apply.

Twenty four (24) Ohio State students and four Ohio State staff mentors came along, so there was a total of 28 people in our group. Each of us provided unique perspectives and contributed to an engaging time while there. To become involved in this experience, people must apply and write an essay or two, and ideally participate in MUNDO already to receive preference/priority for the trip. We then look over the applications and we have had to make cuts or create waitlists for people. We also let participants know of the payments and their deadlines.

In late November, we had our Pre-Travel Meeting, which is mandatory and lets us all recognize the faces we’d see daily later on in December. We did an exercise that entailed us writing “What we know about Puerto Rico,” “What we want to know more about,” and “What did we learn from the presentation?/What barriers or challenges do we see ahead?”

I created this flyer to remind participants to attend our pre-travel meeting.

Friday, December 14th, 2018
After finals finished at Ohio State, early in the morning of Friday, December 14th, 2018, we had a bus pick up students from north campus, west campus, and south campus. We headed for the airport, and stopped in Chicago briefly before landing in Puerto Rico around 4:30 PM. Our group was picked up by a bus, and it took us about half an hour to get to our hotel.

On the ride there, I looked out the windows to observe what this new environment was; I saw gas for 67 cents for a liter, which is 1/4 of a gallon, if I am correct ($2.68 for a gallon). I also saw McDonald’s, Domino’s, and KFC. There were some abandoned buildings, some of which had graffiti sprawled on them. There was a rent-a-car facility which also apparently had buy one get one free margaritas. These observations were interesting.

We stayed in Old San Juan, which is such a beautiful area, with colorful buildings and friendly drivers who let us pedestrians cross the street. There’s also lively music around different plazas, and street carts selling fresh fruit, fried snacks, or frappes, smoothies, and other delicious and refreshing drinks.

Eleven of us went to dinner together at a restaurant called Mojito’s, which was a few minutes walk behind our hotel. This experience is substance-free, even for those who are of legal age to drink. We must abide by Ohio State University policy and take this precaution. At Mojito’s, many of us had grilled chicken breast with rice and beans and salad. Some had pulled pork or beef. A few of us had plantains, and the one of us had mofongo (they had had it before). My meal consisted of grilled chicken breast with creole sauce (which is similar to a tomato sauce) and rice and beans with some salad.

Mojitos had friendly service that accommodated us easily.

After a filling meal, we walked around the area a bit to see how to navigate the streets. I learned that there are not really street lights in Old San Juan, yet drivers still act peacefully and get around without much honking going on. They also let pedestrians cross when there are no marked crosswalks (there are some marked crosswalks, but most of the time, you just look left and right and see if there’s a car, you can motion with your hand a Thank You to let the driver let you pass first). I appreciated that. A group of us stopped at an area where there was a live band and people dancing in an alley-like area. I felt some rain pelt down on us, and two other friends and I headed to the hotel. On the way back, we tried pina coladas from a smoothie and frappe stand.

Puerto Rico is also in the middle of their holiday season, which I think that I heard began in late November/early December and will last until January 6th or so. Decorations like trees, wreaths, and holiday lighting were ubiquitous. One restaurant we went to had multiple Christmas trees, of various sizes in its building. Even though you usually associate the holiday of Christmas with snow and cold temperatures, over here, it was a warm, balmy 80 degrees. Wearing lightweight, breathable clothing is a must, as is wearing sturdy shoes for getting around everywhere. The slag and brick streets of Old San Juan are not very accessible for people who use wheelchairs or have trouble climbing hills and inclines. I heard that people are trying to ameliorate this and make it more friendly for people of different abilities and needs.

Saturday, December 15th, 2018 
I got up around 7:45 AM, or well, 8 AM, since I was still in bed as one of my roommates was getting ready in the bathroom. Three women share a suite, while two men share a room. Each advisor/staff gets their own room. Breakfast at the hotel opens at 6:30 AM, which is around the time the sun rises. I got changed into a dress and got down to the breakfast room around 8:30 AM, and the whole group had to be in the lobby at 8:45 AM to depart from the hotel for our food tour, brought to us by Spoon Food Tours. We headed out at 9 after we checked in with each other and Julius Mayo, a founder of MUNDO, taught us some Spanish phrases to know. “Buen provecho” means “have a good meal/enjoy your meal,” and is the Spanish equivalent of the French phrase “Bon appetit.”

Our group split into two smaller groups for the food tours, which also allowed us to learn of the history of Old San Juan, and anything else we wanted to know. Our specific tour took about three hours to complete; we had about five different stops for food of some kind, and this all ended up being a meal for me. I should have skipped my breakfast that day because I could not finish some of the samples provided to me. Our tour guide majored in food and culinary science for her undergraduate career in the United States, and has been back in Puerto Rico to do some food tours for people, and who knows what next. She was incredibly helpful and prepared to discuss histories and answer our questions. I learned some new and neat facts on the tour, including these:

  • The streets and buildings of Old San Juan are designed in a way so that one side of the street is always in shade, and the other side gets some sun.
  • Wheat is an Old World ingredient.
  • The plaza was dedicated to 500 years since Puerto Rico was ‘discovered by Columbus.’ The plaza had a pillar dedicated to the ingredient sofrito, which is commonly used throughout Puerto Rican cuisine. This pillar is made of black granite and replicas of bowls and pots that date back to the Tainos, the indigenous peoples of Puerto Rico. These bowls and pots were used to make stews a long time ago.
  • Casa Blanca is an attraction and museum to visit. The name literally translates to ‘white house’ and was where Ponce de Leon’s family stayed. Ponce de Leon was the first governor of the island, and he also founded Florida.

The first place my specific group of 14 people went to was Don Ruiz, a roastery, museum, and café all in one. The coffee is locally grown and comes from Yauco. They have some food, pastries, coffee of all kinds, and smoothies. We had mallorcas, which are sweet bread rolls dusted lightly in powdered sugar. Inside of ours was some ham and cheese. It was such a great bite-size treat, and paired with hot chocolate, was delicious. One person in our group had coffee, and she poured some brown sugar into it to sweeten it up. FUN FACT: The darker the sugar, the purer it is. Sugar has natural ingredients but when made white, its nutrients get stripped away.

We were in the Ballaja barracks, or Cuartel de Ballaja.

Don Ruiz is housed in a large building that has dance classes, museums, and galleries on the lower level, and offices on the upper level. (We saw cute children in ballerina outfits dancing around the vicinity). This building was used as a military facility; 1,000 soldiers and their families once lived here. Then this place was headquarters for the infantry. During WWII, it was transformed into a hospital. Now, it commemorates history and the arts.

According to our tour guide, Danny, the Corsicans brought coffee over to Puerto Rico after 1736. The Corsicans did not want to compete with the settled-in Spaniards for territory or get in conflict with them in any way, so they settled down in the mountains in the southwest.

Although Don Ruiz is not selling bags of their coffee anymore due to Hurricane Maria’s impacts on the coffee industry (and many other industries), you can still check them out: http://www.donruizstore.com/

At our other stops, we tried French toast with citrus and pineapple slices, pulled pork with rice and beans and some fruity drinks, and a traditional dish called mofongo, which includes plantains. We stopped at a farmer’s market, where vendors sold fresh produce, handmade soaps, some souvenirs, drinks, and more. I was surprised to see mung beans and bok choy, but the world is becoming more globalized, and foods from different places get traded and shared around. Danny recommended reading “Eating Puerto Rico: A History of Food, Culture, and Identity”

The final stop on our culinary tour was Señor Paleta. This is a tiny popsicle shop, with no room to sit in. You order what you want, turn around, and leave. The heat made the popsicles melt so quickly. I could not even finish mine, and was deterred from buying popsicles in Puerto Rico again. The small shop had many customers flowing in and out of the area, for some quick relief.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro also known as Fuerte San Felipe del Morro or Castillo del Morro, is a 16th-century citadel located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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The group had about an hour and a half of free time before we met up to tour El Morro. At 3:30 PM, a park ranger named Anthony guided a tour of El Morro; this tour lasted from 45 minutes to an hour. The tour group consisted of about 20-25 people. Over half of us were MUNDO experience participants, accompanied by a pair of women who were OSU alumni from decades ago, and also a few families with small children.

We went to different levels of the fortress. Our first stop was the chapel, where soldiers would come to sit on the pews and pray. Above the chapel entrance were symbols of a shield, a pillar/column, and a bull skull. This symbolism referred to protection and sacrifice. People etched these symbols also because many of the soldiers were illiterate, and could not read or write letters.

O-H-I-O in El Morro

Building El Morro began in 1540, and construction would take 248 years to complete. This fortress was to protect Puerto Rico from invaders, as Puerto Rico was considered to be a treasure. The massive green space on the fortress’s exterior is the battlefield where people fought. A major invasion where invaders were close to succeeding happened in 1625, when the Dutch wanted to try to take over.

I learned a lot about the fortress and why Puerto Rico was such a treasure; it was in a prime position in the Caribbean. The east trade winds would help incoming ships maneuver to the island. Plus, Puerto Rico was the gateway to the Americas, and to wealth and resources.

At the end of the tour, our guide Anthony asked us to think about what our treasure was, and what we will do to protect and preserve it, whether it be culture, language, family history, or whatever else. This was so powerful to me. He left such a good impression.

Sunday, December 16th, 2018 
I woke up around 8:15 AM, and got breakfast: an omelet and two thin slices of watermelon. Then two friends and I set out to explore Old San Juan and check out an artisan market.

I really liked the art museum the entire group visited in the afternoon: Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. This museum is devoted to the visual arts of Puerto Rico and has a permanent collection depicting art from the 17th century to the present. It also has local and international exhibits. We spent a few hours exploring the exhibits and the outdoor garden. The outdoor garden was my favorite part. I also enjoyed hearing some live performers practice their music on the museum’s ground floor.

The murals in the outdoor gardens captivated me most.

The evening was free for everyone to explore some more. A group of eight of us went to Pirilo Pizza Rustica for pizza and other food. After an hour wait to be seated, we climbed up some steep stairs to the second floor. I ordered a Hawaiian pizza, and two slices made me full. I saved the other two slices for a meal the next day.

Monday, December 17th, 2018
This was another busy day, one where we were outside for the majority of the day. Sunscreen and water were absolutely essential. Our group went on an all-day expedition: El Yunque Rainforest & Bioluminescent Bay Combo Tour. El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System!

At 10 AM, 24 students and one MUNDO advisor boarded one van, and the other three advisors went into another van, to go to the same destinations. The driver was our guide and he told us stories throughout this experience. He was steering with his left hand and holding his microphone with his right hand, which may seem precarious but he maintained good driving. He said that 90% of what Puerto Rico consumes is imported. Additionally, he explained that Old San Juan is separated from the larger island and connected by bridges as a strategy to provide a safe haven for Spanish ships.

Here are more facts and history that people should know:

  • 1898 marked the year of the Spanish-American War. The United States won over Spain and took over control of Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam. Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory. It was the last colony of the New World.
  • The Tainos, the indigenous peoples of what is now Puerto Rico, were decimated by colonizers (not ‘conquerers’ or ‘civilizers’) and diseases that their immune systems could not defend against. Tainos were enslaved and forced to find gold in the rivers, where the mineral was plentiful. Now, the rivers do not have gold in them besides specks of glitter among the rocks in the riverbeds. The culture of the Tainos is alive today in Puerto Rican culture, though. Not all is lost.
  • Plantains come from Africa. Different foods come from different parts of the world, and make their way into Puerto Rican cuisine.
  • The indigenous population called their land Boriquen, and they were Boricua.


We visited the Yokahu Observation Tower, where we could see far away and above the tree tops.
We also stopped at La Coca Falls, Angelito Trail, and for a late lunch/early dinner, we ate at one of the 60 restaurants at Los Kioskos de Luquillo.

At 5 PM, we arrived at Laguna Grande Bioluminescent Bay, which is one of the bays that people can visit to see the bioluminescent creatures and their blue/white glow. As the sun was setting, we were given a demonstration/overview of how to kayak correctly and safely. We would proceed single-file-kayak through the mangrove forests to the bay, and then back to shore. This entire process would take about two hours. I really enjoyed kayaking, but I was nervous about doing so in the dark. My partner Briana and I hit the trees just a few times. Other pairs also ran into the trees. Once everyone emerged in the lagoon, our eyes slowly adjusted to the deep blue night sky and the twinkling stars that dotted it. I had never seen that many stars before. The company took out a large black tarp to cover people with, and once under the tarp, I swirled my hand in the water. While kayaking back to our start location, it felt faster and I saw some bats fly overhead.

I wore the wrong outfit for kayaking. My sides and entire bottom half were soaked, as were my shoes. Sandals would have been more appropriate.

Around 9 PM, we arrived, soggy and exhausted, at our hotel. I quickly went to sleep after such a tiring but terrific day.

Tuesday, December 18th, 2018
We had our service project in the morning from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM at Banco de Alimentos, a food bank! MUNDO frequently volunteers at food banks for our service sites on our breaks. Long pants, t-shirts, and closed-toe shoes were required to participate. I had much fun while volunteering, even though I was tired. At first, I helped sort food to see if they were expired or not. If not, I put them onto the appropriate shelves. Later, the whole group participated in labeling cheese and putting them back into boxes. During the 10-15 minute break, I sat on some wooden boards, propped my left arm up on my knee, and closed my eyes. We went through hundreds of boxes of cheese. We made a lot of progress and helped the food bank tremendously.

We had the rest of the day free until 6 PM, when we’d have to meet up again as a giant group to walk over to our alumni dinner at Princesa Gastrobar. We were able to have dinner with six alumni. We were split among four tables, and this allowed for more intimate conversations. Two of the alumni who came out were actually high school best friends, who remained close to this day! When we left dinner, I could hear the sounds of the coquis, which are frogs. I never once saw this frog while on the island, but I definitely heard them throughout my experience. A small group of us went to Poet’s Passage to hear live spoken word

Our group enjoyed meeting with OSU alumni!

Wednesday, December 19th, 2018
We had our ‘free day’ today, which meant the group had nothing planned and each participant could go wherever they liked (within reason) and do the activities they wanted to (that were appropriate). I walked around to the Museum of the Americas, which I highly recommend! With a student discount, my price for admission was just $4.00. I spent an hour or two here, exploring the different exhibits. Some were dedicated to art, while others discussed African heritage, different cultures of the Americas, and colonization in Puerto Rico. Later, I visited Casa Blanca. This is a sprawling estate that I also recommend people see. I made it back to the hotel to try to nap, but decided to grab a light meal with friends before our afternoon activity.

In the late afternoon/evening, I embarked on a sunset boat tour with five other students. We were at sea for two hours, and saw along the coasts of Old San Juan.

From the boat, we could see the colorful cluster of buildings.

This sunset tour was another favorite aspect of my experience. It provided truly remarkable views and allowed me to relax.

I packed an OSU tank top and OSU shirt for my trip. As an OSU student, pack a few school merchandise for anywhere you go. We always ran into Buckeyes and Buckeye fans.

Thursday, December 20th, 2018
We had to leave Puerto Rico for Columbus today. In the morning, we took a group photo at the “I <3 PR” sign close to our hotel. Then around 1 PM, we made it to the airport to check our bags, which took an hour or so of waiting. Then we waited even longer for security. There were so many people at the San Juan Airport. I had never waited so long to go through security before. We had some delays and dilemmas, and stayed in the airport longer than we expected to. Nevertheless, we were happy to finally move along and get back to Columbus.

Friday, December 21st, 2018
At around 3 am, we made it to the Columbus airport, a few hours later than expected. One participant stayed behind in Puerto Rico to be with her family in Ponce. It was a great experience, and on the weekend, all participants would get the chance to fill out a survey to share their thoughts on the experience and offer suggestions for future trips to Puerto Rico.

REFLECTION

I felt fortunate to visit Puerto Rico and see all that it had to offer. I learned more about the history of its colonization and the different influences from Spaniards, Africans, and Tainos that shaped the identity and cultures of Puerto Rico. Throughout the trip, I also made some public health observations:

  • The Walgreens under our hotel has a sign on their checkout counter that says that they check everyone for their ID when they buy alcohol, regardless of age!
    • This was interesting to me! I didn’t see anywhere else that did this, so I want to look further into this.
  • Sidewalks in Old San Juan are overwhelmingly not accessible for people with wheelchairs or other abilities. The up-hill trek can also be difficult for people. Some sidewalks and some streets cannot be visited altogether.
  • I saw advertisements on buildings for San Juan Health Center and Molina Healthcare. I made notes of what healthcare resources were available. At a bookstore, I also was tempted to buy a book on public health in Puerto Rico, but decided not to, so I could spend more on more filling meals.
  • We could easily find food trucks and food stands offering fried snacks, pizza, and popcorn. Even our food tour guide Danny said that people’s diets consisted of fried foods, starches and carbs, with little vegetables. This was reflected at many restaurants that I went to. Some restaurants did not offer a lot of vegetables; if there were, it was usually light-colored lettuce with some shavings of carrots and some pieces of tomatoes. People could still be at risk for malnutrition and lack some nutrients that they would get from vegetables.

Overall, I am very pleased with my experience, and proud of myself for playing a part in it coming to fruition. My experiences here have encouraged me to think about what I treasure and value: my cultures, my family heritages and histories, and the languages that my family members speak. Another thought that arose from my contemplation was that I hope people do not visit a place just because of its allure, its “exoticness,” or its tropical climate or warmer temperatures. People should also take the time to learn about the stories of the individuals who live in that place. How did that place get to where it is today? Were things always like this? It is important to make keen observations and to interact with the locals.

This appears to be a red hibiscus flower. There’s beauty everywhere, especially around Puerto Rico, which is also called the island of enchantment,

I want to thank my student organization, MUNDO, and the peers and staff for making this experience enlightening and enriching for me. We had plenty of conversations about our own lives and our perspectives. It was also inspiring to witness how Puerto Rico was recovering and thriving once more. I have a deeper and broader understanding of Puerto Rican history, culture, and society, especially around Old San Juan.  This trip also inspired me to think about being proud of your heritage and always remembering your roots.

Civil Rights, Citizenship & Southern Legacies – Spring Break 2018

Sometimes people completely relax and let loose for their spring breaks. For mine, I took an “education vacation,” as one of my friends Debbie calls it.

Seven months’ worth of planning led to MUNDO’s spring break 2018 experience! This was my first time partaking in extensively planning a trip. Our action team had a great deal of autonomy over the itinerary and creating an agenda that answered our big questions of the year and addressed major themes and issues. Julius and our other staff mentors guided us! For most of us, this was our first time being on an Action Team too, except for Danny, our current President. We had a few mandatory events to attend before people could go on this trip.

A promotional poster for the experience, made by me

 

A reminder flyer for people to apply

In total, 22 students participated in the experience, four of whom were part of the ACTION Team (Melinda, Celine, Danny, Nick) and along came three staff mentors (Julius, Ana, and Alex), for a total of 25 people in our group. One person on the ACTION team could not attend the experience.

MUNDO explored three of the most dynamic cities in the Southern region of the United States in order to take a powerful look at just how far the United States has come in terms of race relations, Civil Rights, and social justice in this part of the country.

We encouraged students to think about the following questions:
● Do boycotts work? (Are they freedom of speech?)
● What do we do when people refuse to admit that they are wrong?
● What is freedom?
● What is automatic citizenship?

Julius also provided an Insider’s Guide packet about the experience and what to expect. He wrote that in the South, conversations may be more in-depth than just “How are you?” Activities begin and end at flexible times, as things appear to be less structured in the South. People don’t have urgent needs to be somewhere. He also wrote that there may be an emphasis on saying hello, good morning, and good evening to people who we pass by on the street.

Saturday, March 10th, 2018 – “Orientation”

“There is no such force in the world as the force of a person determined to rise. The human soul cannot be permanently chained.” – W.E.B. DuBois

I stayed up the entire day and night until the spring break experience participants boarded the Cardinal bus at 3:15 AM. Coincidentally, Buck-i-Serv was at the same stop as us and we waited together. A few of our participants actually initially boarded the wrong bus (the Buck-i-Serv bus!).  By 4 AM, we were all on the road! Around 11 AM, we stopped in Jackson, TN for food. I already noticed a difference in the types of trees that dotted the lengths of the highways.

1:30 PM – MUNDO arrived at our hotel in Memphis and we unpacked. We all took a short respite. People were sleeping three to a room, which was comfortable; one person had to sleep on the pull-out bed from the couch.

3 PM – 4:30 PM – Walking and Bus Tour with Sweet Magnolia Tours
We first boarded the bus and our tour guide, Dick, provided us some facts and background on Memphis. We went to Big River Crossing, where we viewed the river and saw the intersection of Tennessee and Alabama!
A pastel blue truck, a tad smaller than the size of an ice cream truck, was parked in the lot where our bus was. I was extremely compelled to purchase a Mempop, a popsicle full of flavor; mine was mint lemonade, which was tasty. In hindsight, I would have chosen pineapple coconut or another flavor. Mempops are local, hand crafted, all natural pops (www.mempops.com).

4:30 PM – We strolled into the Peabody Hotel and made our way to the second level. A popular tourist attraction are the Peabody Ducks; five North American mallards arrive and leave the hotel fountain, a grand procession complete with red carpet, official introduction, and visiting paparazzi. This event is open to the public and occurs at 11 AM and 5 PM each day. Due to the amount of people, I could barely see what happened, but it was still pleasant to be in a nice hotel.

Photo credit: blizzardinternet.com

My friend group walked around, looking at art murals displayed along the streets, until we reached “99 cent Soul Food Express,” which is a great restaurant!

The photo could not capture the entirety of the mural. I was pointing to the Black Lives Matter written on the mural.

Not everything at the establishment is 99 cents, but most of the sides are, and the rest of the food is all incredibly affordable. I was very impressed with the restaurant. Here, you will find chicken, mac and cheese, greens, corn bread, peach cobbler, and other foods. (99centsoulfoodexpress.com/)

We then walked to Beale Street, a lively street bursting with color (especially blues, purples, and greens) and music. People were all over the street, which was closed down for foot traffic. We simply walked around, listening to bands playing.

I had never heard of the “I am a man” movement before this experience.

I have never seen anything like Beale Street before! What a sight.

While we were doing this signature tradition, part of the MUNDO group saw this and shouted “O-H” at us! We reunited.

Beale Street runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, which is about 1.8 miles, and this street is a significant place in Memphis history and blues history. Festivals and outdoor concerts occur from time to time (Wikipedia).

Reflection Questions:
1. What do you know about Memphis? What was one thing you learned today?
I know nothing about Memphis except for it being in Tennessee! I have limited knowledge of the South, and have never been to this state. While I was aware that there were strong roots to music, I could not recall specifics prior the trip. I also learned that there was a strong cotton growing industry here in Memphis! Mules would be used for labor to pull barges.

2. What are you expecting the South to be like compared to the Midwest?
Coming to the South, I expect people I encounter to be more racist than the Midwest. Based on what I have learned about in school and heard online, the Southern states have poorer education than other states. People are more likely to live in poverty in the lower states. Because of the various conditions of the South, especially its history, I have felt a tinge of nervousness thinking about how I would be treated by the Southerners.

3. What is something you are eager to learn about or see on this trip?
I am eager to experience new cultures and taste authentic Southern food! Having never traveled to the South, there is much to see and do.

Sunday, March 11th, 2018 – Getting Started
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

7 AM – I woke up and went downstairs to get breakfast, which was buffet style. After eating scrambled eggs, sausage, and a biscuit, and drinking milk, I prepared myself hot cocoa to stay awake.

8:30 AM – The group walked over to the Lorraine Motel, which is now the National Civil Rights Museum (450 Mulberry St, Memphis, TN 38103). This is a powerful place to visit, and I learned so much from the museum, which details history of civil rights from the 17th century to present day.

Because of people like Dr. King, we are here today.

Being in Memphis is also particularly special because this year, 2018, marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. It was so surreal to be standing in front of the motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. A young man, perhaps college-age like us, talked to us about how the museum came to be. He asked us what a sculpture in the lobby meant, and we realized that the bronze artwork depicted African people scrambling over each other, and they were placed in a shape to resemble the United States of America. None of the people had made it to the top. This was symbolic and means that African people, to this day, are experiencing struggles and have not ‘reached the mountaintop.’ We had a self-guided tour of the museum, which began with slavery, and then transported us through time. We learned about topics such as inequality in jobs, education, service, and more. There were exhibits on the Freedom Riders, Rosa Parks, and more.
For more information: http://www.memphistravel.com/mlk50-where-do-we-go-here

A crucial component of the Civil Rights Movement was sit-ins at diners. People of color were not served at diners that were intended to be for white-only patrons. People of color were ignored. There is much more to this piece of history, so I encourage you to read more on sit-ins!

Overall, the experience was unbelievable because of how much my knowledge of American history and the Civil Rights Movement expanded. Every year during elementary/middle school, my media arts/library teacher would spend several lessons on Dr. King and play the same films, such as Our Friend, Martin. I am now understanding more of the importance behind that. I learned more from the museum about the narrative of the Civil Rights Movement, including details of people I did not know were involved with the movement!

12:30 PM – After the informational and insightful museum, which has two parts to it, two friends and I went to Central BBQ, just two minutes from the museum! I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of the restaurant. I wanted to see what Memphis BBQ was all about; my meal consisted of sweet tea, a pulled pork sandwich, and mac and cheese. My friends bought similar meals, but one had potato salad while the other had baked beans, and we shared the sides with one another. This meal was so filling, that I did not eat until eight hours later.

Photo credit: barbecuefiend.blogspot.com

2 PM – We took a self-guided tour of the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum (191 Beale St, Memphis, TN 38103). This tour, which is conducted by slipping on headphones that the museum provided, and pressing in the number listed for each specific exhibit, complemented my knowledge of blues and rock music from a class called “Roots of Rock & Soul” that I took at Cleveland State University during eleventh grade. I enjoyed seeing how rock was formed, and other contributions to music made by African-Americans. Out of the numerous artifacts, my favorite was a jukebox that had swirling, changing colors.

Photo credit: guidego.com

7 PM – For dinner, a group of 14 of us went to Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken! They have multiple locations around the United States, but are most concentrated in the Southern states. After walking for perhaps 20 minutes and then waiting in line for 40 minutes, we were seated! It was worth the wait. The restaurant is quirky and cozy, with chicken-related paraphernalia around the room, on the walls, tucked into corners by the ceiling, and by the cash register. Our server was so friendly and funny; she will be going to med school later this year! She wondered how we all knew each other. It was a great way to wrap up our time in Memphis. The food was good, and the chicken slightly spicy, which can be fixed by drinking water. I would have opted for more sweet tea, but that is loaded with sugar.

Cheap eats at Gus’s! We thank them for accommodating our group of 14.

Reflection Question:
How does music tell stories and shape the world around us?
Music tells stories of hardship and gives people an outlet when they do not have other options to confront their problems. Songs can be like narratives of people’s lives. Music is a part of art and unites people; it can inspire people as well. To me, music is universal; even if a song is in a language I do not understand, I can still appreciate it. To some people, including myself, music is important to our lives and speaks volumes.

Monday, March 12th, 2018 – Journey to the Crescent City

“In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” – Thurgood Marshall

8:30 AM – Breakfast

9 AM – My two friends and I depart to see art murals around the area. We see some murals as well as walk down South Main Street for two miles. Many shops either did not open until 11 AM or were not open Mondays at all, so it was very quiet. To get back to the hotel, we took a trolley! It normally costs $1 per person per one-way trip, but the driver was kind and let us ride the trolley for free.

One of the m’s in Memphis is for Music.

10:30 AM – We went back to the hotel and I researched courses to enroll in for Autumn 2018. I scrambled to pack.

11:45 AM – MUNDO members boarded the bus to prepare for the journey to New Orleans! We discussed with our bus buddies what we thought about Memphis compared to our expectations. Other questions our program coordinator Julius asked were, “Does civil disobedience work?” and “What do you think Memphis will be like compared to New Orleans?” While on the bus, I read over a hundred pages of a book for my Violence class.

7 PM – We arrived in New Orleans (NOLA!) and settled into our rooms. The hotel was in a great location to restaurants and stores. We were a 20-30 min walk from the French Quarter, but this was not bad at all. I was so pleased of our proximity as well as the general layout of the city. With the food we were eating, it was a tradeoff to have our hotel distanced away from all the action.

8 PM – Deciding where to go for dinner, I searched for “cheap eats, New Orleans” in the Google search engine. Others went to Flamingo a-Go-Go, while I suggested Barcadia, a restaurant and bar that also has arcade machines and board games, including a giant human-sized Connect Four. I tried jambalaya and fried oreos for the first time here. (barcadianeworleans.com/)

Jambalaya, influenced by Spanish and the French, often includes sausage and rice.

10 PM – Four friends and I watched Princess and the Frog, a wonderful, whimsical Disney movie that provided us some New Orleans scenery. The movie also helped encourage us to be even more excited than we already were for our adventures. It served as a precursor for certain topics we would cover over the next few days: voodoo, jazz music, a swamp tour, and beignets, among others.

Image from fanpop.com

Reflection Questions:
1. What do you know about the cultural diversity of New Orleans?
2. What makes New Orleans unique?

Tuesday, March 13th, 2018 – Orientation for New Orleans

“It is impossible to struggle for civil rights, equal rights for blacks, without including whites. Because equal rights, fair play, justice, are all like the air – we all have it, or none of us has it. That is the truth of it.” – Maya Angelou

7 AM – Breakfast

8:15 AM – We met in the lobby to depart as a group to walk to Jackson Square, dedicated to President Andrew Jackson. There is plenty of green space to sprawl on and nap. People were taking photos by the pretty flowers and bushes, in front of the fountain, and in front of the massive St. Louis Cathedral.

9 AM – 11:30 AM – We engaged in a walking tour of this section of New Orleans and received a gracious introduction to the Crescent City. Our guide is a native of NOLA and was extremely knowledgeable. She wants to go back to school to get a degree in Social Work. She told us about the general layout of the city and how to get around. For example, Street names are pronounced like how they look. I learned so much of the history and how NOLA’s administration has switched hands so many times.

11:30 AM – 1 PM – The French Market is a historic market area with over three centuries of history, and is six blocks long. This market includes restaurants, stores, snacks, and souvenirs a-plenty. This is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. I tried a New Orleans-style burger, called a N’awlins Burger, at one of the stands. I also explored the flea market/artisan section nearby. I was amazed at all the items offered: Caribbean-style maxi dresses, golden trinkets, typical New Orleans tourist clothing and hats, purses, bracelets, and more.

2:45 PM – We took a swamp tour with Cajun Encounters, in Slidell, LA. I suggest dressing warmly in layers for the tour; as the boat speeded on the waters, the wind made it really chilly. I kept on my winter coat, and shielded myself from the incoming water drops that sprayed on me. Since I sat at one end of the boat, opposite from the captain, I got most of the water on me. Still, the swamp tour was one of my favorite parts of the entire spring break trip. The captain was humorous and amicable; he provided facts about alligators and told jokes.

We got up-close shots of alligators!

9 PM – MUNDO had a group late night snack at Café Du Monde!

Bourbon Street is in the French Quarter, and a street full of restaurants and bars – 13 blocks’ worth. It is primarily for those over age 21.  I still walked this street with my friends to see what it was like. People danced in the street and onlookers from above on the balconies or galleries would throw bead necklaces to people on the ground if their dancing was good. Music permeates the air.

We stopped at an outdoor market that sold mostly art.

Wednesday, March 14th, 2018 – “Ghosts, Vampires, Voodoo, Oh My!”

“Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.” – Coretta Scott King

9 AM – On Wednesday, the halfway point of our experience, the group served at the Sculpture Gardens (1 Collins Diboll Cir, New Orleans, LA). Many assisted with weeding around the pond.

We aimed to be as mindful as we could to avoid falling into the pond.

 

Ana played music to keep up morale and make the time fly by. People sung along to some songs.

12:45 – After lunch in the French Quarter, we gathered to go on a Voodoo Tour, offered by Free Tours on Foot. Our guide, Michelle, was great and we learned a lot from her. She practices voodoo. She first took us to Armstrong Park to inform us of the history of the area. I enjoyed most her stories about a voodoo priestess, Madame Laveau! The tour helped dispel common myths regarding voodoo.

Armstrong Park’s history involves enslaved people gathering on the grounds for rituals and relaxation. They could catch up with people here. One tree here is nicknamed Grandfather tree, for it has been around for 300 years.

7 PM – We had free time until the Ghosts Tour. We met at St. Louis Cathedral’s front steps, and our guide Elizabeth shared several stories as we visited locations around the French Quarter.


Thursday, March 15th, 2018 – “Plantation and Presbytere”

“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

This day could have been summarized by the 3 P’s: Plantation, Presbytere, and Praline Connection.

8:45 AM – We met in the lobby to leave for the plantation. In the morning, MUNDO visited Whitney Plantation, the only plantation museum in the state of Louisiana that emphasizes slavery (other plantations focused on the architecture of buildings or other aspects of slavery, instead of the people that suffered from this atrocity). The Whitney was originally known as the Habitation Haydel, after the Haydel family of German immigrants who owned the plantation and the slaves. It was only in 2014, a few years ago, that this place opened, and since then, the public has explored its 262 years of history and suffering. Some original buildings were restored, like a church and slave quarters. The master’s mansion was massive and we were able to walk around inside that as well; the furniture inside was preserved. I learned a great amount of information from this trip, and this site will remain in my memory for a long time. Our tour guide was extremely passionate and vocal about the truths of slavery. Slavery should be a part of American history that is never forgotten.

* The term “enslaved peoples” is more humane than “slaves.” These were people too, yet were not treated as such.

2 PM – During lunch, I bought a crepe from a crepe cart in the French Market. It was delicious!

My crepe had Nutella, banana, and strawberries. It was about $10 and it filled me up.

2:45 PM – For the Presbytere museum (751 Chartres St., Jackson Square, NOLA, 70116), we had self-guided tours. Admission to this museum is very cheap! The first floor covers Hurricane Katrina whereas the rest of the museum showcases a vast array of elaborate and exquisite Mardi Gras artifacts. The collections show how Mardi Gras began as a tradition in NOLA, from its ancient origins to the 19th century parades and balls in the city to what the tradition is like today. Millions of visitors come to New Orleans each year just to witness the spectacular festivities.

After the museum, we again had free time. My friends and I remained in the area because we did not want to return to the hotel that was 20-30 minutes away.

6 PM – Dinner was on MUNDO; the 25 of us ate at the Praline Connection (542 Frenchmen St., New Orleans, LA 70116), and we are thankful for the delicious meals.

Malik, Debbie, Lovette, and Rozavine smile for the camera!

Reflection Question:
How do the places we visited today connect to our trip themes of citizenship, legacies of the south, and ‘what is freedom?’

Friday, March 16th, 2018 – “Exploration of the Big Easy”

“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” – Malcolm X

Today was a free day for participants to check out whatever they wanted and go to places that they did not get to yet. After packing up our belongings to store for the day, we embarked on our own. Some went to the library to do work, while my friend Eliza and I first went back to the French Quarter for more boutique-shopping before studying. We stopped in a book store, which was dusty but filled with many books; the third floor/attic had records! It was a humid day, but I wore a thick dress and carried a heavy backpack around, which made me feel hotter than the 70 degree temperature. I did not buy anything at the stores, but I enjoyed exploring and seeing what wares people were selling. If I had the money to splurge, I would buy a $200 dress that was made in Italy, or indulge in luxury soaps.

It was memorable that I visited NOLA as it turns 300 years old this year!

My afternoon was spent in a Starbucks on Canal Street, sipping a Pink Drink and reading a huge chunk of a book for my sociology class on Violence. This Starbucks was similar to Starbucks back in Ohio, so no dramatic difference. In the evening, I worked on applying for MUNDO’s ODNUM, which is our executive board. Café Envie (www.cafeenvie.com) is open late, so it was a perfect spot for getting work done. It was courtesy to purchase something if you stay there, so I got tea. I continued to read a book for my Violence class. For dinner, I came across a Vietnamese restaurant called Nine Roses (ninerosesrestaurant.com/). The menu on the wall outside provided a vast array of options; many dishes were familiar to me, because of my mother’s upbringing in Vietnam. Therefore, I ordered my favorite dish that my mom makes: vermicelli with egg rolls. While Nine Roses’ vermicelli was delicious, I still favor my mother’s version. We returned to the café to finish doing work, and I purchased milk. The barista was very friendly. A mini St. Patrick’s Day parade went by on the street; people tossed necklaces and flowers. It was a new sight for me to see the floats and people on bikes. Some people on the bikes had paper-mache animals At midnight, when the café closed, Eliza and I made the return to the hotel. Some of our peers were sleeping in the common area, and some were on their laptops. We all had good days and sleepily boarded the bus.

There was a mini St. Patrick’s Day parade on Decatur Street, in front of the café I was at. People tossed necklaces from their floats! Other people threw out faux roses.

Saturday, March 17th, 2018 – “Bringing it to Birmingham”

“The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” – Rosa Parks

Leaving a bit after midnight for Birmingham, everyone in MUNDO was weary. We arrived in the Magic City around 6:30 am, with some time for breakfast and a quick nap. I was amazed that some of my peers could sleep on a floor. I could not nap, but still shut my eyes for a brief period.

10 AM – We had a tour of the 16th Street Baptist Church, where four young girls were killed by a bomb placed by a Ku Klux Klan member in 1963. It was chilling to be in that church. We sat through a documentary of the church’s origins and how the church and Birmingham community reacted and persevered in spite of a horrible hate crime. This site was so powerful, and I cannot believe that the church is still operating! People still attend its services and the church stands strong today.

11 AM – We had free time around the Kelly Ingram Park area. The park itself has been a place where numerous historic events happened. Children protested by the thousands, and hundreds of them were arrested. It is unimaginable that youth protested and were so brave enough to be jailed in order to fight for rights. If I were in a similar situation, I am sure that I would not have been the one on the frontlines; I am so introverted that I would only be able to provide support behind-the-scenes. It just amazes me at the bravery of children from the past, and children today. Often, children’s roles in movements are neglected or barely mentioned, but they certainly played a part in the Civil Rights Movement.

These four girls are gone but they are never forgotten. Their names were Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Carol Denise McNair.

I do not know why I became emotional when my friends and I were exploring the park and encountered a grandmother with her three granddaughters. They were looking at sculptures at the park. The oldest granddaughter was around 7 or 8 and could perfectly read the inscription on a sculpture. It is crucial to teach youth about history; the earlier, the better. I may have gotten emotional because I was touched by what the grandmother was doing, and at how bright and brilliant the granddaughters were.

1 PM – We had a self-guided tour of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (https://www.bcri.org/), another phenomenal museum. The facility has a Human Rights gallery, Movement gallery, Confrontation gallery, and Barriers gallery. It provided me with even more information about the Civil Rights Movement and its timeline. Near the end of my time here, I found a station of computers/kiosks where I could watch previous visitors’ clips of them answering questions. The question I chose to answer and record for other people to hear was “Describe a time when you stood up for something.” I disclosed my past history of enduring racism, sexual harassment, and other experiences, and how I have learned to speak up for myself and speak out against injustices. I mentioned how the Internet is a platform for my voice and reaching an audience; I specifically use Facebook. I highly recommend this museum/institute for anyone going to the South.

My friend Kayla and I were lost walking back to our hotel, but we eventually found our way. (We asked Eliza for the address after another peer gave us the wrong address.) Kayla and I had a wonderful conversation the walk back. We processed parts of the spring break trip that resonated with us the most, and how our different identities influenced how we are. One of her majors is Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, while I have that study as one of my minors. Our conversation was aided by concepts we have learned about in WGSS.

Changing. colorful lights line the ceiling of passageways in Memphis.

Through trial and error, we made it to Residence Inn. I rested momentarily before meeting the ACTION Team in the lobby. To me, Birmingham was quiet compared to other cities we have been to. I also was cat-called while I was walking with Kayla, and sexual harassment is pervasive everywhere. I am unsure if it happens more often in the South, because the weather is warmer and because there tends to be less education there.

6 PM – For our ACTION Team Dinner, we walked a short 10 minutes to Jim ‘n’ Nick’s BBQ (https://www.jimnnicks.com/). I did not try any BBQ here, but got a sandwich and fruit instead to try to be healthy. There, we discussed highs and lows of the trip, and what people have told us in terms of what we can improve. One ACTION Team Member brought up that several people had mentioned suggestions to them, and I got the feeling that people could not approach me to discuss issues, for whatever reason. Looking back on this experience, I would have talked more with other participants. I did get to befriend some people, but there were a handful that I did not hold full conversations with. If I was more proactive about meeting people, perhaps that would have increased group unity. Nevertheless, people seemed to enjoy the experience. People commented on how much they learned and how they were able to talk to others about their life experiences, and how the trip has helped them frame their experiences.

We all got slices of pie for dessert to-go. I am so proud of the work we put in to make this experience a reality. Photo credit: Julius Mayo

Sunday, March 18th, 2018 – “Back to Buckeye Country”

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker

We spent the day traveling from the South back up North. My time on the bus was spent reading, except for the times when I engaged in conversations with friends. We chatted for hours about race and ethnicity still, and it was great that even after the experience, we shared ideas and experiences and connected them with broader sociology forces and historical contexts. There was a stop in Elizabethtown, Kentucky for lunch and I tried Culver’s for the first time. We were back at OSU around 6:30-7 pm, and I was saddened to have had the experience end, but it was time to resume academics. However, I did not try any grits while down South, so I need to return sometime to do so.

Attached is a PowerPoint for readers to view!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aRMV2xlRi0Xd87eZXzrTceQYXmThMExxubWBG-j3Kq4/edit#slide=id.p

I hope to continue engaging in experiences like this one, where it was eye-opening and enlightening. I believe I personally developed because I gained greater knowledge about American history and social justice. I found myself slowly becoming more comfortable with having discussions regarding difficult topics like racism. For 2018-2019, it is a goal of mine to plan, and participate in, at least one of MUNDO’s alternative break experiences.

We all have the power in each of us to make change. We can get discouraged, but we must never quit pursuing what we believe is right and just.

New York City 2017

I finally visited the Big Apple for the first time the week after OSU finals ended! MUNDO’s one-week winter break experience was in New York City. This blog post will record my experiences and perspectives.

This experience will challenge each individual with a new way of viewing our vast world through experiencing different cultures and learning about the history and legacies of one of the most dynamic cities in the world.

We will focus on immigration  and its impact on the development of NYC and the Latin communities specifically in the context of NYC. The role of theatre in conveying a message and creating empathy will also be examined through two Broadway shows!

Photo from wallpapercave.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15th, 2017
“Travel Day”

  • On the road by 5:30 am
    • I slept on the long bus ride, as did virtually everyone else. With our suitcases in the cargo area of the bus and lights turned off and curtain blinds pulled down, it was a quiet and peaceful ride.

      Our bus driver Matt has been with us for many MUNDO travel experiences.

  • 11:30 am – Lunch break on the road in Pennsylvania
  • 1:20 pm – Continue on journey
  • 4:00 pm – Arrive in NYC/check into hostel/orientation to the area with dinner on our own
    • We stayed at Hostelling International, which is on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, for the duration of our trip. This hostel is like a hybrid of a hotel and a university dorm.  Staying here is pretty cheap compared to the other housing options in the city. I highly recommend this hostel! They provide breakfast and linens, towels, and pillows, but I suggest bringing your own as well. The building had plenty of spaces for people to lounge; it even had a café, a billiards table, living room space, a theater, a downstairs kitchen for people to cook and store food, a ballroom, and a laundry room. Around the same time we arrived, Buck-I-Serv also reached New York.
      See hinewyork.org/ for more information!
    • Before entering the city, we had to pass through a number of toll booths. Each person tipped the driver Matt $5.
  • 5:30 pm – (optional) visit Times Square at night
    • Since I was about eight, I have watched the ball drop for New Year’s. Times Square is lit up 24/7 and never stops shining with all the TV screens constantly flickering and traffic weaving in and out of narrow spaces on the streets. I could not believe that I was able to stand in Times Square. Julius, MUNDO program coordinator/advisor, took a small group of students to this area.

    • Times Square receives over 50 million visitors each year! We had to show off our Buckeye pride at this spot.

      This is me posing in Times Square!

  • Evening – Free Time
    • The group I was with decided to go to Tom’s Restaurant for dinner. This restaurant was the diner frequented by the characters in the TV series Seinfeld! Afterwards, we visited Columbia University, including a quick stop in their bookstore to see what it was like, and then roaming around their campus for 10-15 minutes. The students there were busy prepping for finals. Their campus is beautiful, especially the libraries from what I could see from outside. They also had holiday lights wrapping around an entire aisle full of trees, similar to how OSU has lights on North Campus.
    • We were all provided Metropasses to take the public transportation system an unlimited amount of times for the entire week. However, the transit system is confusing for first-timers such as myself. A MUNDO tip is to never venture out alone; bring a buddy or two. I always went with a group of at least four people because often during the day, people’s phone batteries die so we had to rely on multiple people to use their phones to navigate. Google Maps was incredibly helpful too. I am also grateful that in the MUNDO drawstring bags everyone was given was a power charger for on-the-go charging!Please see: www.mta.info/nyct when planning your routes!

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16th, 2017
“Washington Heights”

  • Breakfast at hostel
  • Operation Exodus
    • In the Washington Heights neighborhood is Operation Exodus, where we spent the entire morning volunteering with the organization’s annual holiday party.
    • Operation Exodus is a faith-based organization that believes zip code should never dictate the quality of education a child receives.For over 26 years, they have made a tremendous impact on inner-city children through after-school achievement like reading and math help and programs for middle-school and high-school students like mentoring and clubs including digital media, theater arts, and more. Operation Exodus also offers empowering parenting workshops (adult literacy, scholarship/financial education, job training, etc.).We were honored to join them for a morning and volunteer with their annual Holiday Party. We helped set up tables around the room. We played basketball with the boys and constructed gingerbread houses and colored with other children. Bagels and orange juice were provided. Afterwards, children went to different classes; they were separated by gender and by grade in school (e.g. first grade boys). While they learned and hosted a holiday performance somewhere else in the building, MUNDO went to work decorating the space with streamers and lights. Tablecloths were put on each table to make cleanup easier. Dozens of people strolled into the kitchen to drop off home-cooked dishes for the holiday meal. We set up dishes at each table. The feast involved a great slew of items: chicken, chicken nuggets, spaghetti, mac and cheese, cake, and more! Operation Exodus had so much food that they invited us to stay to enjoy it.

      Thank you Operation Exodus for all that you do; please visit http://operationexodus.org/ to see more of their work and impact.

      This organization is a valuable resource for adolescents and parents as well as other members of the community like their passionate volunteers.

  • Central Park
    • We walked through the park to get to the Met. We stopped a few times to take photos! I was surprised to discover from Julius that this park is man-made; city officials realized that health is vital and created this ‘natural’ environment for citizens to enjoy. Another fun fact is that one of the architects of the park also helped design the Oval on OSU’s campus!

      Tip: Do not go to Central Park after dark.
      During the day, it is very lovely.

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue)
    • It felt like an honor to be able to step foot in the Met, which has 5,000 years’ worth of art. This was the largest art museum I have ever visited. I enjoyed looking at the different exhibits.
      The site www.metmuseum.org has what you need if you want to visit this museum!
  • Explore The Met
  • Free time
  • Meet at Studio 54 (354 W. 54th St)
  • 8 pm – View performance of “Latin History for Morons” starring John Leguizamo
    • Our first Broadway show in New York was a hilarious one-man-show. You may find John Leguizamo’s voice oddly familiar; he is the voice actor for Sid the Sloth in the Ice Age movies! I did not know what to expect from the show except to learn a bit more about Latin history. John really got into the characters he was portraying, and the ending was the most touching. He drew my attention from beginning to end.

      John used a blackboard to write and draw diagrams and pictures that helped the audience understand the material. He had wigs and other props too!

    • Here is a synopsis of the show:
      When his son gets a school assignment on heroes, John Leguizamo seizes the chance to teach him all about the great minds of the Latino world. But once he sets out on his irreverent crash course across three continents and 3000 years of history—from conquistadores to cumbia, Montezuma to Menudo, and taking on the characters in all of it—he uncovers provocative truths that shock even him.
    • Visit https://www.broadway.org/shows/details/latin-history-for-morons,616 for more information.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17th, 2017
“Lady Liberty”

  • Breakfast at hostel
  • Take subway to Battery Park, then take the ferry.

    • The ferry was a good experience; there are multiple levels. You can feel the crisp, cool air and see birds perched right by you. The view is also spectacular.

  • Statue of Liberty
    • The statue was a gift to celebrate America’s Centennial by master sculptor Fredric Auguste Bartholdi! Whenever I think of New York, I think of this statue.

      She is a beauty.

      Part of the MUNDO group posed in front of the Manhattan skyline.

  • Ellis Island
    • From the statue, the ferry takes you to Ellis Island, where about 15 million immigrants passed through as they found their new home in America. I liked the museum very much and learned more about immigration, including the process that people faced hundreds of years ago, from entering the baggage room to getting medical examinations.
  • Free time
  • Salsa class
    • MUNDO had a private dance class by a wonderful instructor named Nancy, who wore tall and narrow high heels. The hour-long session was productive; I liked her teaching style. Soon the students went from simple steps to complex moves. Music filled the room and people were evidently having fun swinging around and doing fancy footwork. I did not participate in the dancing; I read a book but later joined for a few minutes. Dancing is something that I have never done in my life and even being in a class was an experience that I was not ready for.  Nevertheless, my peers enjoyed dancing!

      Nearly all of the trip participants also elected to take this salsa class! Even after it ended, people ended up staying a half hour to an hour to continue dancing.

  • Free time

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18th, 2017
“Melting Pot vs. Cultural Pluralism”

  • Breakfast at hostel
  • Depart for Tenement Museum
  • Tour of Tenement Museum
    • Our specific tour focused on hardships of two families who grew up in the tenement in the early 1900s. This museum preserves NYC immigrant stories; some people did not wish to have their family’s histories be discussed by the museum, so the museum honored this. I was disappointed when the tour ended but was thankful to hear about people’s experiences because it opened my eyes to what the conditions were like. The area we were in is called the Garment District because many people’s lives revolved around making clothing. Entire families would work together to sew and embroider clothes to sell to department stores; they did this in their homes as opposed to working in factories.

      Our guide Jakub provided us a great description of life in the early 20th century in the Garment District/Lower East Side.

  • Lunch on own in area
  • Take subway to Lower Manhattan (Essex St. Station, take J or Z downtown to Broad St. Station)
  • Tour of Wall Street, then walking to 9/11 Memorial
    • After walking around Wall Street and the Financial District, we saw the Raging Bull and Fearless Girl. The bull market means that the market is doing well; a bear market is what stockbrokers and financial investors do not want to see because it means stocks are going down.
    • I was interested in Fearless Girl much more.

      A staff mentor and former MUNDO student coordinator during her undergrad years poses with Fearless Girl!

      To me, Fearless Girl means that girls can do things that boys can do too. Females should be given the same opportunities as men, including equal pay.

  • Subway to Chinatown
  • Walking tour of Chinatown and treat in Little Italy
    • We walked around Chinatown, which was a massive neighborhood. My friends and I were only able to visit a few stores and did not see how massive this town truly was.

      This colorful mural caught my eye and I had to pose by it. Bubble tea, one of my favorite drinks, originated in Taiwan and is now popular among Asian and Asian-American people, especially millennials.

    • Julius treated us to cannolis when we finished a quick exploration of these two ethnic enclaves.
  • Depart for Washington Square Park

    • This public park is in the Greenwich Village of New York’s Lower Manhattan area. Not only will you see NYU students but also joggers, people with their pets, couples, and street musicians.

       

  • Dinner with Buckeye alumni meet-up at NYU
    • I was surprised to see Bernie Saverese greet us as we entered a building. Bernie went to school at OSU for his B.A. in Political Science. He also earned his Master’s of Business Administration here. He was the Director for University Orientation and First Year Experience and is now at NYU as the Assistant Vice President for Student Success.
    • According to Bernie, NYU and OSU have some similarities and differences; OSU is one of the largest public universities and NYU is one of the largest private colleges. Two-thirds of Buckeyes are from Ohio while two-thirds of NYU students are from out-of-state, with 1/4 being international students. At NYU, 1 in 4 students are Pell-eligible. An alumna who graduated from OSU in spring 2017 also talked to us; she works at Google! The third representative was a male who attended OSU for graduate school and has worked at NYU for over 2 decades now.

      Bernie often spoke at freshmen orientations! He spoke at mine and used corny jokes such as “What do you call a lazy baby kangaroo? A pouch potato!”

  • I visited a bookstore called The Strand, and then headed over to Bryant Park, where there was a holiday market, with dozens of vendors selling artisan crafts, foods, T-shirts, jewelry, and more. This week, I was able to explore so much of New York, from the common tourist destinations to lesser-known gems.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19th, 2017
“Once on this Island”

  • Breakfast
  • Top of the Rock

    • From left to right: Our Outstanding MUNDO member of fall semester, a Newark Buckeye, and Park-Stradley Assistant Hall Director!

       

      The Top of the Rock tour allowed me to view the vastness of New York.

  • Recreating Rockefeller Photo for MUNDO’s 20th Birthday
    • This day was extremely special for Julius Mayo, our program advisor who co-founded MUNDO in 1997. It was 20 years ago that the MUNDO group visited New York and took a photo at Rockefeller Center.

    • Happy 20th, MUNDO!

      MUNDO has been Buckeye Strong for two decades. We Serve, Learn, and Lead no matter where we are.

       

  • Grand Central Station/Grand Central Terminal
    • Located on 42nd St and Park Ave, Grand Central is one of the busiest train stations in the world, and serves nearly 200,000 NYC commuters every day.
    • MUNDO stopped here for lunch. At this time, there was a Holiday Market where artisans set up pop-up shops to sell goods.
  • United Nations Headquarters

    Photo credit: http://static.thousandwonders.net/Headquarters.of.the.United.Nations.original.6498.jpg

    • We received a guided tour of the United Nations building. As we were proceeding into the security check, delegates were exiting the gates. After making it out of the security check building, I saw a sculpture of a gun with its barrel twisted into a knot. This is the non-violence sculpture, also called Knotted Gun. I stand with non-violence.
    • MUNDO was split into two groups because of our size. The tour was incredibly informational, and I learned about the three pillars of the UN: human rights, development, and peace & security. The UN was created after World War II, in 1945. There are currently 193 member states in the UN, with Palestine and South Sudan not yet joined. I learned about the chambers of the UN, like the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. We were able to go into these different rooms since there were no meetings being held at the time.
    • We also learned about UNICEF’s School-in-a-Box operation for worldwide use within 72 hours of an emergency so that students can still learn wherever they are, whether they have a physical school building to attend or not. We saw this resource in person and I am impressed that we have something like this available. The kit contains exercise books, pencils, number tables, a wooden clock, and more, for up to 40 students to use. The lid of the metal box can be painted using special blackboard paint so that teachers can write in chalk on them. The only suggestion that immediately popped into my head was that the box can be heavy to carry, especially for tinier teachers like women. Perhaps in the future, the boxes could have wheels on them for easier transport!
    • The Tour Guides, or UN Ambassadors, interact with millions of visitors. They actually are debriefed every morning so that they are well-informed about international events prior to their tours. Our tour was about an hour long, so it went by quickly. We saw conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction, including a statue that suffered from one of the major bombs during World War II. It was surreal to see these artifacts.
    • One of my favorite parts of the UN Headquarters was the #DreamBigPrincess Exhibit on the ground floor. As a female myself, this exhibit was pleasant to view, and I saw how girls worldwide are making differences, in STEM fields, by surviving cancer, etc.
      https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/dreambigprincess-exhibit-opens-united-nations-headquarters-new-york/
    • Facts:
      • Although the complex is geographically a part of New York, it is under the sole jurisdiction of the United Nations, not the U.S. government.
      • The complex opened October 9, 1952.
      • After much debate over the location, the Manhattan site was purchased for the United Nations by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. as a donation. The land was $8.5 million (estimated to be approximately $83.4 million adjusted for modern inflation.)
      • The flags out front are the flags of the 193 member nations in alphabetical order.
    • On a wall was the quote: “The world is over-armed and peace is under-funded” – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
      This quote spoke volumes to me because it is true. I feel like countries should not be so concerned with accumulating weapons to defend themselves and spend more time communicating with other nations to address conflicts.
  • Circle in the Square – “Once on this Island” Broadway Musical
    • This was a breathtaking musical and was well-executed with brilliant, talented cast who all have powerful vocals. As we sat and waited for the musical to start, the floor of the ‘stage’ was covered with sand. Actual live chickens and a goat were present. The cast interacted with one another and got into character. This musical will remain in my heart and mind as a reminder to fight for what I want despite the odds.

    • This is the sweeping theatrical power of Once On This Island—the universal tale of Ti Moune, a fearless peasant girl in search of her place in the world, and ready to risk it all for love. Guided by the mighty island gods (played by Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, Alex Newell, Merle Dandridge, and Quentin Earl Darrington), Ti Moune sets out on a remarkable journey to reunite with the man who has captured her heart. The groundbreaking vision of Tony Award-nominated director Michael Arden and acclaimed choreographer Camille A. Brown conjures up “a place where magic is possible and beauty is apparent for all to see!” (The Huffington Post).

    • Some MUNDO members remained after the show; we lingered by a fence to wait for some cast members to come out and talk with us! Only about 30 people were outside, and nearly all of the cast actually came out!

      Hailey Kilgore, who plays Ti Moune, was very gracious and took the time to thank us for coming to see the musical. Her performance was splendid and magical; you can hear the emotion in her voice and see it in her actions. You are a bright shining star!

      Lea Salonga provided her lovely vocals for Princess Jasmine and Princess Mulan in the Disney animations.

      Isaac Powell, who plays Daniel, is a 2017 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He had a great performance!

WEDNESDAY, December 20th, 2017
“Exploration”
(This was a day where students could roam around NY; there was no set agenda. This is what my friends and I did.)

  • Breakfast, store bags in hostel storage room
  • Bronx Zoo
    • We spent two hours here, looking at rhinos, sea lions, reptiles, birds, and snow leopards. Peacocks freely roamed the grounds.
  • American Museum of Natural History
    • This is the setting of the “Night at the Museum” movies. I did not get to see the third and fourth floors of the museum, but the floors that I did get to explore were incredibly fascinating! I loved the cultural exhibits and the scientific exhibits related to human population and health. The ecosystems/biomes were wonderful as well. What I especially appreciated was how the dioramas give a lot of perspective and look very realistic; when I look into an exhibit, its like I am looking into a different world. I hope to return here sometime to venture into the areas I was not able to see due to time constraints.
  • Greenwich Village
  • Brooklyn Bridge

    • I loved the skyline of Brooklyn. When my friends and I were in the area, few people were around. It was quiet and we ate dinner at Shake Shack; they have my favorite burgers and fries.

  • Times Square
    • We visited the Disney store and it was gorgeous! The walls lining the escalator are painted to resemble scenes from Tangled, the movie about Rapunzel.
  • Return to hostel for a short respite
  • Make journey back to OSU (our bus left around midnight)
  • We reached OSU around 9 am on Thursday, December 21st!

This trip felt unreal to me at some points – all the lights, the diverse people, the stimulating streets, etc.
I overheard a wide range of languages spoken around me; even with the people walking their dogs, I saw a variety of dogs (at least 20 different breeds). I gave my extra snacks and drinks to homeless people and people that were collecting food or money for the needy. Although NYC is a great city, there is a lot of inequality and I felt hurt with homeless people shivering on the ground as they slept their hunger away. Another thing I encountered was a rude man who cursed at another person in line; this seemed unnecessary to me. Also, I overheard two young boys, perhaps around age 7, speaking gibberish as if they were mocking another language. This bothered me too, and this is probably because of how NY is divided and how people, even in a diverse city, can be ignorant to other cultures.

Additionally, I noticed things in America’s most populous city that I have not seen elsewhere: heaps of trash bags piled together on the sidewalk, which is a public health issue. I took note of sodium signs displayed on menus; they are triangular symbols with a salt shaker in the center, indicating that the food item is high in sodium, and this also relates to public health. This should be in place throughout the country! Restaurants had signs for the Heimlich maneuver for people who are choking. Furthermore, food stands/stalls were everywhere; most of these offered hot dogs, fries, donuts, bagels, and other fare that is usually unhealthy. I did see one bubble tea stand, which was interesting. All, or at least most of these stands, require cash.

In conclusion, New York was a unique experience for me. I gained perspectives about immigration from different ethnic groups through time. I learned about important resources like United Nations and Operation Exodus, which work to improve the world on different levels. I had to think quickly when using the transit system and to plan ahead for my outings (from my Internet research, I found out that the Bronx Zoo had free admission on Wednesday, which happened to be MUNDO’s free day). New York is not a place I expect to live in but it is a city I enjoyed visiting. I plan to return during a spring or summer to see what it is like during the warmer seasons. There is still plenty of food that I did not get to try. I also want to keep learning about New York’s history and the millions of people that make up the Big Apple.

For a more thorough compilation of photos, please see my PowerPoint! It has over 100 slides that can help provide a better picture of the trip.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12QI8XTiyqsoDJTLsAG46pGJGe_EeFf1CEIgdfmJCEFo/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you to the NY Action Team for planning this informational and interesting experience. Not pictured are Emma, Tyler, and Ryan.

This is my last post for 2017. Going into 2018, I hope to learn more about our multicultural world with MUNDO.

Our wonderful NY Action Team had an end-of-the-week lunch with Julius!

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.

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.

Image may contain: 13 people, people smiling, people standing and outdoor

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.

What I Did Over Winter Break (L.A. and a mini internship!)

The first winter break away from home can be weird – you may have plans to vacation with your family or you might have nothing in mind to do.

Ideas for what to do over the three weeks you have off from classes: do an alternative break trip like Buck-I-Serv; volunteer; sleep in more; go travel; read books; pursue a new hobby; learn a new skill like driving; or practice new language skills, etc.

For the first week of winter break, I participated in an alternative break trip with MUNDO, an OSU student org. I went to Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

Santa Monica Pier (5 minute walk from the hostel where we stayed)

To summarize the week-long adventure, I learned about the environment in which immigrants grew up and what they faced as newcomers to America in the 1800s. I witnessed the diversity of L.A. just by looking at people passing by on the street. Many people were dressed in nice clothing and had great sense of fashion. The culture here is more laidback and casual, but I still feel out of place among the people because of the heavy importance they put on wearing good clothes and having makeup on. Many people walked dogs outside, which I do not see a lot of in Ohio! Things are also more expensive in L.A. than in Ohio (tax was 9 or 9.5%)
As for the more grim concepts I came across, I realized homelessness was a more prevalent problem in L.A. I frequently saw homeless people, almost on a daily basis, around the shopping centers.

I stayed at a hostel with other students. (I learned so much from the trip, and it was a very different experience for me and I was constantly encountering things and people I had never seen before. I was the only first-year on the trip and the only one who had never been on a plane before!)

We went to:

-Hollywood Walk of Stars (I saw stars of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Halle Berry, Muhammad Ali, etc.) ,
-Griffith Observatory (panoramic view of the whole city),
-Grand Central Market (food stalls),
-Fashion District (clothes and goods for cheap in an outside marketplace),
-Universal Studios CityWalk,
-Warner Bros. Studios (we got a tour and I saw Harry Potter props and Bat Mobiles, to name a few things),
-Museum of Tolerance (eye-opening three-hour long interactive tour that made me cry multiple times and taught me so much about the Holocaust and hate crimes in modern days),
-Chinese-American Museum (self explanatory. Free admission)
-Chinatown (Learned how there was a historical Chinatown and how it had to be rebuilt, relocated to new place. Also learned discrimination of Chinese since they came to Cali. for gold rush.)
-Olvera Street (one of oldest neighborhoods in L.A.)
-HomeBoy Industries tour (a place that helps people in gangs and who often used to be in jail turn their lives around through classes, job training, GED prep, etc. Heard stories firsthand from people who actually were involved in gangs and drugs and illegal activity)
-L.A. Regional Food Bank to volunteer (we sorted 6,900+ pounds of produce within 3 hours! We learned about the food insecurity and hunger issue in L.A.)

+other places. See more in my PowerPoint.

This link brings you to a 200+ page slideshow on Google Slides documenting more details about my trip across the country.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-VpA2QI_Zkl6Qx8FvsTSPXI5QhycIVZQawiyYYlZL3s/edit?usp=sharing

The trip was a mix of fun and education. I would recommend this trip to others because you will see different cultures and how their established neighborhoods have changed over time. You learn about how diversity can result in conflicts when people get frustrated with economic and social changes.

My second week of winter break, I finally went home to Cleveland, my hometown!
Then I had the chance to submit my grade reports to the scholarship committees I received scholarships from. I also worked on applications for my major, for a sophomore class honorary, for a study abroad scholarship, and more. This gave me the chance to read magazines and watch movies to relax.

It is immensely helpful to make a To Do list of what tasks need to be completed over break, to keep yourself on track!

My third and final week of winter break, I continued to work on applications and resumes. I actively searched for job and internship opportunities for the upcoming summer, and made copies of what each application required. Some internships only seek junior or senior students. As a freshman, I had a hard time finding companies or programs that would accept me based on my rank in school.

I also had an interesting time engaging in a three-day mini internship right before I had to go back to OSU!

Front of Care Alliance Health Center – St. Clair Avenue (downtown Cleveland) branch

I have a mentor for my entire undergraduate career thanks to College Now Greater Cleveland, and she is in the health education field, which relates to my interest in the public health field. As part of a scholarship program I am in, I have to meet with her a few times a year and also regularly talk to her online. She reached out to me via text during my break to see if I wanted to intern with her at her workplace, a nonprofit health center that’s served Cleveland since 1985, mostly the underserved populations, including the homeless and poor and those without health insurance.

My first day at the health center, I got a tour of the facility (one hallway is for dental services, like x-rays, oral surgery, etc.) There’s one section of the building dedicated to primary care (family medicine, child health care, women’s health, chronic disease management, physical therapy, annual physicals) There’s also behavioral health specialists for people struggling with substance abuse, mental health problems, or other issues.

This health center is so great because whatever problem a person comes in with, the professionals can help or at least find and connect the patient with a resource in the neighborhood! Patients often come from low-income backgrounds, and they aren’t forced to pay for treatments if they really are not able to. Care Alliance has a sliding fee scale for payment. For example, if a patient has trouble finding healthy food, Care Alliance actually can provide assistance with that as well, so people can get vouchers for food at farmers markets twice a month.

Also, they have a Mobile Clinic (one van). They send a team of specialists out and about in the city to build relationships with the homeless and persuade them to get treatment. There’s outreach for people who live in shelters, treatment centers, or transitional housing! I had no idea health centers could be so comprehensive and that involved in a person’s life. I also gained knowledge about the existence of this service and became aware of the shelters and housing in Cleveland.

One specialist has been with this team for 20-30 years! I am glad to have the honor of being around employees who care about the health of Cleveland’s citizens and getting them the access to healthcare they are entitled to have.

Care Alliance offers free confidential HIV testing as well as HIV/AIDS medical treatment.

After my tour, I spent three-four hours entering in data into online spreadsheets. The data involved patient/client demographics (zip code, race, ethnicity, gender, and a risk behavior profile, asking if they engaged in sexual behaviors with males, females, or transgender people, or used intravenous drugs and/or shared a needle with someone. It was interesting to get a quick glimpse of what kind of population of patients Care Alliance dealt with. I learned more about people’s sexual behaviors. Patients ranged in age from 16 to 61. I spent the entire day doing this, and in total I entered in 50 or so sheets of data.
Fun fact: In 2016, Care Alliance had 7,600+ patient encounters for free HIV testing!!

The second day of my internship, I focused on two major projects: Sock Kit Making, and Donor Letter Mailing. In the morning, I prepared Ziploc bags with heavy winter gloves and pairs of socks for homeless people. With one pair of gloves, I put two pairs of socks. However, there were more socks than gloves, so some kits had four pairs of socks. I produced 90 bags total, helping out 90 people!

A cart with sock and glove kits, all of which I assembled.

A cart and box filled with sock and glove kits, all of which I assembled. (Apologies for the sideways photo!)

In the afternoon, I assisted an external affairs associate with researching donor addresses to add to their online database. The addresses were put onto labels that would then go onto envelopes. I assisted with placing the printed labels on the envelopes and stuffing inside donor receipts. Care Alliance has an annual Let’s Talk Turkey fundraiser around Thanksgiving time and at this major event/fundraiser, people bid on items during the silent auction portion, and the funds go towards Care Alliance to continue to serve people with medical and dental needs, among other health-related issues. In 2016, they raised $115,000! There were 508 bidders, 94 donors, 44 staff, and 46 sponsors, like Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Botanical Gardens.

The third and final day, I helped an HIV specialist with preparing HIV test sheets that are filled in with patient demographics and test results. I also sat in on a session that a few staff members were conducting to prepare for the GRE test for graduate school. I got to learn more about the staff and their goals. Two of them were biology majors during their undergraduate years; one also minored in Public Health. The staff in Care Alliance all work very hard, and almost all are minorities! This inspires me to keep working hard because I too can be successful like them, and this health center is a friendly welcoming environment that I would feel comfortable in. I enjoyed getting to know the people here.

This mini-internship was an unpaid experience but what I learned about health access in Cleveland and how nonprofit health centers operate and the scope of their services will be invaluable to me and a price cannot be put on knowledge. My mentor, Carly, invited me to come intern with her anytime I was back in Cleveland. For spring break, I will most likely return to help out some more. Other staff members told me they will miss me and will be glad to have me back!

Winter break is ending but I know that spring will be just as eventful, if not more!

 

About Me

 

Photo taken by Jo McCulty, OSU Communications

I am a rising senior from Cleveland, Ohio, majoring in Public Health with a Sociology specialization. I am minoring in Asian American Studies!

My love for scarlet and gray and everything OSU-related began before I was even a teenager. I was inducted into the Office of Diversity and Inclusion – Young Scholars Program during the sixth grade. This program has helped guide me in my journey to college and was extremely influential in getting me to where I am today. YSP provides me with academic, social, and financial support. I continue to give back to the program through being an Ambassador (Autumn 2016 – Autumn 2018) and a Summer Bridge Experience Peer Leader (Summer 2017). One of my passions is helping others achieve higher education, especially first-generation college students and/or minorities! YSP is my second family.

A leadership role I was involved in is Co-President for Global Health Initiative, a student organization that raises awareness about global health issues and the vast field of public health while empowering members with knowledge and skills to advocate for others and make a difference. We have international volunteering, local volunteering, educational outreach with youth, and events (which include lobbying at Capitol Hill each spring, and major campus events such as Research Mix & Mingle and Pre-Professional 101). We connect students to faculty who conduct research (RM&M) and to upperclassmen or graduate students in their majors/careers (Pre-Prof 101) to help them gain more perspectives and develop professionally! During my freshman year, I was general body member and during my second year, I was event planning co-chair.

Another organization I have been involved with since freshman year is MUNDO, which stands for Multicultural Understanding through Nontraditional Discovery Opportunities! We learn about different cultures and perspectives, serve around the community and around the world, and lead our peers in being open-minded to diversity. We cover a wide range of topics related to social justice and human rights. I have participated in their Los Angeles experience for winter break 2016, their New York City experience for winter break 2017, and planned and participated in their Spring Break Experience for 2018. For freshman year, I was an active member, and evolved to being Social Media & Marketing Correspondent and an Action Team Member for sophomore year. For my junior year, I hope to be on action teams for one or both of the academic breaks.

Outside of academics, I enjoy reading, spending time with friends, and listening to music. Writing in my e-portfolio is another hobby that I enjoy greatly! In the future, I plan on attending graduate school (getting a combined 3+2 BSPH/MPH in Health Behavior and Health Promotion). While I am not certain what careers I want to pursue, I want to continue exploring my options to narrow down my ideas. Currently I am highly interested in mental health, minority health, community health work, maternal and child health, and more. I am always open to making new connections so do not hesitate to send me an email! Furthermore, I am willing to offer advice to other students! (dang.157@osu.edu)