Junior Year Timeline

My junior year at The Ohio State University was full of growth and discovery. I arrived to campus more confident in myself and ready to tackle harder classes that covered more complex concepts. I also had leadership roles on campus, which helped me learn more about leadership. There was so much to do and I did struggle so much throughout the year, with handling my responsibilities and trying to do self care. Looking back at the year, I am very impressed at what I accomplished. It is difficult to remember all that happened, but this list shows the breadth and depth of what I do as a student!

Autumn 2018

  • Spoke on my research experiences to about 30 first-year OSU students who are also Young Scholars in a Research Methods class (within a Summer Bridge Experience program) and answered questions about college, in early August
    • Presented information on Summer Research Opportunities Programs (SROPs) and briefly shared my own experience with them about University of Iowa SROP
    • Presented my own research poster from the summer and provided students with advice on poster construction and layout
    • Shared what interview coding was
  • Served on student panel for the Young Scholars Program’s IMPACT Day for second-year scholars
    • Spoke about my experiences during the summer, with particular attention to Summer Research Opportunities Program and how it helps first-generation college students and students from historically underrepresented backgrounds
  • Served as Public Health Student Ambassador for College of Public Health’s BSPH New Major Orientation
    • Assembled Safe Point kits for Equitas Health while mingling with newly accepted students into the Bachelor of Science in Public Health major
  • Selected as student representative from Young Scholars Program to present speech at Office of Diversity and Inclusion New Student Convocation
    • Presented 7-minute speech detailing my experiences with the specific ODI program I am a part of, how YSP and ODI as a whole have helped me throughout my life, and some of my accomplishments in college thus far.
    • There were about 500 students expected to come; since this was not mandatory, not everyone made it but there were at least 100-200 who did attend. I helped get these first-years excited about college.
  • Received additional support from my Student Success Specialist
    • Attended mandatory meetings and open office hours to discuss my goals for junior year and receive advice about various issues related to college and life in general.
    • My specialist is another resource for me at OSU, which is assuring for me emotionally and academically
    • I suggest to others to not hesitate to reach out to people for support!
  • Attended a Dinner for 12 Buckeyes event, hosted by the Student Alumni Council
    • Met with alumni from the Asian/Pacific Islander (API) Alumni Society of OSU
    • Networked with fellow students and alumni
  • Accepted as Student Assistant/Research Assistant for The Ohio State University’s Opioid StoryMap research project! This project is through the partnership of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, and a 2016 OSU President’s Prize winner.
    • With this research, students interview first responders (EMTs, police officers) in Columbus and surrounding areas and then people who have struggled with opioid use disorder in order to create narratives about use in our communities. We hope to reduce stigma against opioid use and addiction. We hope to gain a variety of perspectives and then make an online interactive story map that will help the public understand more about the epidemic and those who are impacted.
    • For autumn 2018, I did trainings to familiarize ourselves with the opioid epidemic in Central Ohio and how to effectively interview people using a trauma-informed model.
    • We awaited IRB approval this semester and we were still productive because we did cognitive interviews with our peers instead; we worked on developing good interview questions to later ask of the first responders and people in recovery.
  • Resumed volunteering with Equitas Health – Ohio HIV/STI Hotline
    • Reduced hours from 8 hours last semester to 4 hours for fall
    • Assembled risk reduction kits, with condoms (or dental dams) and business cards
    • Learned new skills of copying and printing sheets for our Free Condom Project
    • Learned how to use USPS database to print off labels of mailing addresses for our clients of the Free Condom Project
    • Created social media graphics that receive over 100, 300, and close to 500 individuals engaging with the posts
      • Examples: National Taco Day, International Day of the Elderly, National Mole Day, National Nut Day
      • I should create a portfolio of all of the posts I’ve made for the hotline
  • Volunteered with Equitas Health – Safe Point program
    • Conducted neighborhood clean up of Franklinton community, which involved finding and removing syringe parts on the streets. We looked around bushes, trash cans, and in parking lots.

      It turns out that my friends had also signed up to volunteer for the morning! The neighborhood was quiet and we saw plenty of cats roaming around. There was much litter as well, and we focused on grabbing syringes.

    •  Prepared risk reduction materials for clients who utilize Safe Point – I quickly assemble bags with syringes and sharps containers for people
    • I earned 30 hours of service here as part of a service learning course I took through the Women’s Studies department, Feminist Perspectives on Addiction
    • Although I was behind-the-scenes for the most part, besides one time where I shadowed an interviewer, I was able to learn more about substance use. This was very eye-opening for me.
  • Served first semester as Co-President of Global Health Initiative at The Ohio State University
    • Organized general body meetings, which entailed emailing potential speakers and coordinating with them to present to the organization.

      Marketing matters when attracting and retaining members for a student organization!

    • Oversaw our various committees: local volunteering, international volunteering, educational outreach, event planning, and marketing. Communicated with each group about concerns and progress.
    • Regularly maintained emails and responded to them promptly.
    • Maintained email listserv of over 6,000 people and monitored student subscriptions and removals.
    • Coordinated Simply Rolled fundraiser event.
    • Presented a couple of general body meetings: I lead one on Equitas Health and one about self-care, which was supported with research articles that talked about mindfulness, mental health, racial disparities, and affirmation-speaking.
    • Volunteered with Clean-Up Columbus on numerous occasions with fellow executive board members to raise money for GHI while simultaneously giving back to Columbus and beautifying it. We picked up recycling and trash along sidewalks on streets that were close to campus.
    •  Prepared executive board meeting agenda and kept minutes. Presented updates to the team.
    • I designed this informational flyer for GHI!

  • Presented poster on my Second-Year Transformational Program (STEP) Signature Project, which I completed in Summer 2018, at the STEP Expo on November 1st, 2018
    • Spent $10 on 36″ by 48″ poster
    • I frequently have an issue of putting too much text onto a poster. I just always have so much information and insights to share!

    • Poster link: Melinda Dang – STEP Poster PDF
  • Participated in Buckeye Pen Pals, from the Student Alumni Council
    • Matched with a mentor who graduated from OSU with her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology
    • Regularly communicate with mentor about career plans, academic goals, and other aspects of college life
  • Served on student panel at regional NAFSA international education conference on November 5th, 2018
    • Spoke about experiences with my education abroad program in May and challenges I faced, from financial to social to cultural, etc.
    • Was one of four student panelists; all of us were Young Scholars
    • Our panel was called “Access and Affordability: Lessons from Young Scholars

      This was my first time participating in a panel at a conference! It was a large room and we had no microphones. It was especially a struggle for me with my softer voice.

  • Attended luncheon with Mrs. Brenda Drake (wife of President Michael Drake of The Ohio State University) along with three other female students at OSU who are scholarship recipients themselves. The room was full of women professionals and we were able to talk over a meal.
  • On November 30th, 2018, I was informed of my offer of admission into the College of Public Health’s combined degree program for my BS/MPH in five years!
  • Planned and participated in MUNDO’s Puerto Rico 2018 Winter Break Experience: Se Levanta
    • Met with Action Team for an hour/hour and a half weekly beginning in August to plan experience.
    • Created informational flyer to advertise and promote experience, and also created flyer for the Pre-Travel Meeting for those accepted for the experience.
    • This is a very eye-catching flyer and includes the details of the trip as well as how it connects to MUNDO’s pillars of service, learning, and leadership.

    • Researched areas of interest related to cultural immersion, immigration experiences and history, and environmental sustainability.
    • Reached out to potential sites for volunteering in Puerto Rico, but it was difficult to find sites that accommodated our group size and were accessible to us.
    •  Emailed alumni of OSU who were in Puerto Rico and was able to secure six of them for a dinner with the students.
    • Throughout the experience, I kept constant communication on GroupMe to remind participants of the day-to-day activities and what to keep in mind while exploring.
  • Planned MUNDO’s Spring Break 2019 Experience in Washington, D.C. area
    • Met biweekly with action team for Autumn 2018 semester
    • Focus was on laying out itinerary and later on, recruitment of participants
    • I created a flyer to advertise the trip.
  • Achieved a 4.0 GPA and Dean’s List for the semester!
  • Wrote an analytical paper that will be provided as an example of exemplary writing for a course called Gender and Pop Culture (WGSST 2230)! I was surprised when my instructor reached out to me to ask if it was alright for them to show this paper for future classes.

Spring 2019

  •  Accepted as a participant for the Public Health Perspectives: Japan experience with the College of Public Health!
    • Our group has about 17 or 18 students and this was a competitive process. After applying, there were short interviews with the program director.
    • In spring, we have two orientation sessions to get ourselves ready for the program.
    • Also in spring, we have individual and group assignments to complete before the program. Then while abroad, we still have work to do!
  • Organized and executed MUNDO’s Spring Break 2019 Experience in Washington, D.C. area “Roots of Revolution, Social Change, & Activism in America
    • I have a separate blog post for this experience!

      OH-IO at the Capitol!

  • Served on Office of Diversity and Inclusion Research Panel in February to discuss how I got involved with research.
  •  Hired as one of two semester student assistants at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity.
    •  Receptionist duties: greeting people
    •  Make copies, scans, and retrieve printed documents
    •  Stock Kirwan’s reports around office and in conference room
    •  Set up, check in, and tear down of Weekly Forums that occur in spring and fall
    •  Help with special projects, such as inputting data from business cards
    •  It has been great getting to know the researchers and staff at Kirwan and understand all that Kirwan has to offer, as well as the many partnerships we have in the community.
  • Awarded Alan Vander Molen study abroad scholarship, for students who are studying certain topics related to health and wellness, sustainability, and other areas.
  • Awarded an Honors & Scholars Enrichment Grant! Only 10-15% of proposals are accepted and I was awarded the full amount I asked for.
  • Awarded an ODI Education Abroad scholarship to help with study abroad.
  • Recognized as MUNDO’s Most Outstanding Member for spring 2019! I had the most points for attending MUNDO events.
    • We celebrate the very last general body meeting of MUNDO with a Mexican tradition called cascarones.

      We had a large group partake in this colorful tradition this year. Good luck and go Bucks!

  • Continued as Global Health Initiative’s Co-President for the semester.
    • Helped transition executive board members to become Co-Presidents.
    • Monitored executive board member applications and provided updates and acceptances on a rolling basis.
  • Awarded a Summer 2019 College of Public Health Global Health Travel Award for my study abroad program.
    • I will write a summary of my experience and its connection to global health.
  • Awarded Asian American Studies Best Undergraduate Research Paper or Critical Essay.
    • I submitted a paper that I wrote for my Gender in Pop Culture class, which I learned a lot from!
    • My paper analyzed a music video’s representation of women, and furthermore, Asian American women. The song I chose was Chris Brown’s “Fine China.” This assignment was fun and fulfilling, and it was also eye-opening.
  • Awarded summer funding from College Now Greater Cleveland; I asked this external donor for funds to help with meals and transportation during my program and I was excited to hear that they will support me!
  • Awarded fellowship for first year of graduate school, which will cover tuition, expenses, and provide me with a stipend!
  • Accepted into the Summer HIV/AIDS Research Program (SHARP) as a 2019 cohort member!
    • I am delighted to be a scholar in this extremely competitive summer internship program that involves research, mentorship, community outreach, workshops and seminars, and more! This is a great step in my public health career and will help me narrow down what I want to do in my future. Furthermore, I will get to live and work in a different environment and meet dozens of individuals. I look forward to these relationships and I am super excited about this opportunity. Look out for several blog posts about SHARP.
  • Earned Dean’s List honor for spring 2019 semester!
  • Shared my story on mental health and breaking the stigma for podcast called Hidden in Plain Sight, co-founded by two students at OSU; more information on the podcast is here: https://neurosciencemajor.osu.edu/hidden-in-plain-site.
  • Shared my story about mental health stigma as an APIDA with an editor from The Lantern, a student-run newspaper! I was excited to be a part of the campus conversation on mental health within the APIDA community and my unique experiences with my identities. I hope to continue advocating for mental health resources for everyone and that everyone can access these resources; not only that, but these resources and providers need to be culturally sensitive and intersectional in their approach, so that they look at the whole person and see what is all going on in their lives. There’s so much to mental health I want to talk about and explore further myself, in my personal life as well as my professional career.

Once again, the 2018-2019 school year has had a myriad of ups and downs but I learned about myself in the process. I cannot believe the year is over, but I am glad because I have been incredibly tired. I did not imagine myself getting involved and taking part in these amazing opportunities at Ohio State and outside of this campus, this state, or even this country.

Tomorrow, if things go as planned, I will head to Tokyo, Japan to start my adventures in another country! Then next month, I begin more adventures in a new city, all the way across America, in San Francisco. I’m so thankful for these opportunities.

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.

The University of Iowa – Summer Research Opportunities Program – Part II

July 2018

When July came around, I was halfway completed with the Summer Research Opportunities Program at The University of Iowa; four weeks down, with four more to go! This second month, I finished as much research as I could do, and then the last week was spent wrapping up the program: presenting posters at the annual undergraduate summer research symposium and recognizing all the Scholars for our hard work and contributions. This half of the summer felt like it went by much quicker than the first half.

WEEK FIVE
July 1st – That weekend, there was the Jazz Festival downtown, and fireworks were shooting off at night. Plenty of people flooded the streets of downtown Iowa City to enjoy the sizzling, fuzzy heat and hear some music. Some crowds were huddled all over the lawns on campus with their blankets on the grass. I did not go outside at night to watch the fireworks, but I could hear them from the dorm. A few Scholars did go to see the fireworks, even venturing into the neighborhood of Coralville to view the fireworks displays.

Photo credit: http://www.accalendar17.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/iowa-city-jazz-festival-iowa-city-downtown-district-iowa-city-calendar-of-events-logk.jpg

July 2nd
At the “Grad School Admissions” panel, six graduate students shared their experiences and advice for us. These students were pursuing MFAs and Ph.Ds. in history, higher education & student affairs, and counseling psychology. They spoke on their transition from undergraduate to graduate school; some went straight through with their schooling whereas others had some time off for employment first. Some of these students were people of color, and I really appreciated seeing and hearing from POCs, because these were people like me who went on to graduate school.

Some tidbits of wisdom they mentioned during the panel included befriending your fellow graduate students because it is unfeasible and foolish to not do so, and to email professors and people for letters of recommendation immediately, even though it was summer and school had not started yet. One student said that one recommender should know you well personally, one recommender should vouch for your professional experiences, and one should be a “hard-hitter,” which is someone who is highly respected and esteemed in their field. There should also be a person available at the ready to write a back-up recommendation, in case one of the main three recommenders happens to not submit a letter on time, or at all. The panel was very informational. I made a note to myself to contact my recommenders right when school started in August; I wanted to meet with them in person to talk about our summers and then ask them if they would be willing to write me letters.

July 3rd
We had a GRE study session in the evening.

July 4th
SROP had a Holiday Picnic planned for us, but this was canceled, and we all just had the day off. It was eerily quiet downtown on the actual holiday, with barely any cars passing through the streets. A group of us played a few hours of Dungeons & Dragons and then walked downtown to see what was going on. About a dozen of us spent some time in a frozen yogurt shop, and we played a game called Headbands. Those who were over age 21 went to a bar to play billiards. It was a relaxing day.

Our D&D group within SROP used this Starter Set to play our campaign.

July 5th
Our Research Seminar revolved around “Conferences & Publications,” presented to us by a speaker who was very engaging and captivated everyone’s attention as he spoke about types of papers, journals, and authorship. This Chemistry professor was very passionate and stated that this was not a lecture but a discussion; he wanted us to speak during class. Despite it being the end of the day, he did not show any physical signs of fatigue.

I learned that there are three types of research papers:
1) a letter (for general audiences, and the most brief type of paper at two to three pages, including figures and references)
2) a full-length article
3) a review of many articles (this is more rare)
The speaker said that it is common for professors to publish two to ten times a year, depending on their discipline. He also vouched for the value of attending conferences, networking, and attending society meetings. He mentioned that growing a thick skin would be beneficial because “academia is critical of ideas.” What surprised me was that this professor read academic articles every day, including weekends and holidays to keep up with the literature! In addition, journals have impact factors, which are numerical factors for the prestige of the journals. Higher impact factors are better. He also talked about for-profit journals being predatory, as they charge researchers to publish, without thoroughly reviewing the submitted work. Open-access journals on the other hand provide public access to articles; for example, the NIH mandates that NIH-funded research be posted on PubMed, a year after its publication date, so that the public can read this year-old article.

July 6th
For our Speaker Series, a professor in the Sociology department whose research is primarily on social stratification and public policy! She discussed her research on implicit bias training in some schools in the Iowa City Community School District; her hope is that educators will recognize their own biases (every human being has bias, whether they know it or not) and ensure that their biases do not lead to disproportionate educational outcomes for different races of students.
Students and teachers filled out surveys as part of the professor’s research. Students were asked if they had mentors at school, and if they felt safe and supported, among other questions.
One result revealed that 19% of Black students enrolled in the school districts for 2016-2017, but 63% were suspended. This is an outrageous statistic, and indicates a disparity in disciplining students. Another finding was that white students had the highest rates of race-matched mentors, meaning they were the students who often had a mentor of the same race. Furthermore, LGBTQ-identifying students disclosed that they did not feel supported or understood by their teachers. Even 25% of all students surveyed reported that teachers do not recognize their hard work.

There are multiple areas to address in these schools, and diverse stakeholders must be involved when making decisions. Besides training teachers and staff (the implicit bias training in schools is contracted to last three years), a handful of schools are trying a restorative justice approach to discipline instead of suspending students. Also pertinent is recruiting and retaining diverse staff and students. Yet another suggestion raised by the researchers was to arrange school calendars so that testing would not occur on/near any religious holidays, not just Christian holidays like Christmas or Easter.

Source: https://www.lwhs.org/page/news-detail?pk=1140689

I support implicit bias training for school educators and staff; having grown up in the inner-city and attending public schools for my entire life, and often being the only Asian-American student in class, I witnessed bias and microaggressions from teachers who had little experience interacting with Asian/Asian-American people. For example, I have had teachers insist on knowing where my parents were born, and teachers who commented how my name did not suit me because it was “too American” for me. This lecture spoke to me, and I hope that teachers nationwide can be more educated and aware of their own biases and lack of knowledge and cultural sensitivity.

WEEK SIX
July 9th
Sunny gave a professional development presentation on “Professionalism on Social Media.” What we post on the Internet has a permanent presence, even if we delete our photos or statuses. We must be vigilant of what we say or share, because you never know who could screenshot something and send it off to other people. Sunny asked us what social media networks we use, from Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and LinkedIn, to some others. Most of us use a few social media networks! I use a wide array of social networks, and am very connected to the Internet. When I post, I keep in mind that I do have past teachers and older adults as friends or followers of my accounts, so I ask myself if things are appropriate for me to share.

Photo credit: https://ontargetinteractive.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/social-.jpg

July 10th
Another GRE Study Session consisted of practicing vocabulary words and doing practice problems from our Kaplan books.

July 11th
The evening session If I Knew Then What I Know Now was a speed meeting with past SROP students who were in graduate school. The scholars were sitting at six tables, and we sat down the entire duration, while a graduate student circled around to each table every 10 minutes, and each of them had a specific topic to discuss with us.
One student, Maya, did SROP at University of Iowa some years ago, where she studied African-American mothers and stress. She talked about “building your cabinet” of people, or basically a support system.
Charles was pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education, and commented on “wearing multiple hats” and juggling various responsibilities. He aims to be a faculty member and administrator for student affairs. When he finished reading for the day, he would then focus on self-care and play basketball as his reward.
Nicole is in the process of achieving her MFA in Painting and Drawing, a three-year program. She talked about “department politics” and power structures.
Danielle was in her Ph.D. program for civil engineering, and was researching flood predictions. She commented on being a “Teaching Assistant (TA) versus Research Assistant (RA) versus Graduate Assistant (GA)”. TAs are popular for science disciplines while GAs are commonly found in the social sciences and liberal arts. She is an RA, and wants to do consulting after her program. She is also involved in graduate student government, so grad students can still be involved outside of the classroom! Danielle mentioned that she is the only woman in her classes, which is still a reality in STEM, but is slowly dissolving.
Lastly a student who I think was named Deron (De’Ron?) discussed “time management” in his MFA for printmaking program. He suggested we try to complete assignments one to two weeks before the given deadline, to allocate more time since procrastination is real. He was attracted to UIowa’s program because of the funding and stipends; also, the school’s printmaking program is third in the nation.
I was impressed by the diversity of graduate students and how they all came from various fields and states; a few went straight from undergraduate to graduate school, and it was interesting to hear all their perspectives.

July 12th
This Research Seminar was on Poster Construction Do’s and Don’ts. Scholars were given a guide for designing our research posters, which we would present at a conference just less than two weeks away. We also received several handouts showing different posters; we went through almost all of them and critiqued each poster. All posters should be concise, with minimal wording and carefully curated diagrams or photos.

Elements of a poster should include, but are not limited to:
Abstract – Why was this research necessary? What happened? What were the results? What are the implications for this research? This should be a short paragraph or two and should be easily understandable by anyone who reads this abstract.
– Introduction – What is the issue being addressed? What is the gap in the literature?
– Hypothesis – What do I predict will be the outcome(s) from the research?
– Methods – What methods did we use for the research? Was it qualitative or quantitative? This should be very specific and delineate how this research was conducted.
– Results – What were the results? Diagrams would be helpful here in visually representing the results.
– Conclusion – This section is a summary of what the results suggest and what future directions can be taken.

This is a sample research poster from my very own university! White space is necessary for a poster. There should be a balance between white space and the amount of text and images on a poster. It should overall look neat and have an organized structure.

There should be some models/diagrams/photos on the poster so that it is not entirely composed of text. People need to see visuals! Visuals can help draw people in and also aid people’s understanding of complex concepts. Some other elements could include Discussion and Literature Review. References are also another popular section. For my poster, I add in an Acknowledgements section, because I always want to give thanks to people who have helped me with my research. Furthermore, I have to thank Professor Welburn and Sean for allowing me to help them with their project and giving me guidance.

When presenting a poster, there are also some guidelines. Students should practice presenting the data in front of peers, before they present at a conference. Do their peers understand the information and can logically follow the points made on the poster? Students should prepare a two-minute version and five-minute version of their poster speech. They also should not simply read off the poster, but briefly explain the research and then give specifics if people ask. Another piece of advice was to be enthusiastic and lively about the research and the work accomplished. If people come up to you and see that you are energetic and excited, they would feel like you really care about the topic.

This lecture’s presenter also showed us sample letters of recommendation that he wrote for students he has worked with. He even handed out a copy of a student’s personal statement for a Ph.D. program. It was very insightful to read these papers and get the perspectives of a recommender.

July 13th
A Biochemistry professor spoke to us on the molecular mechanisms of epigenetics. She introduced herself and her educational background. She spent four years in undergrad, four years for her PhD, six years doing postdoctoral work, and five years ago, she established her own lab. Then she gave us a mini lecture on her work. She explained how she studies how epigenetic factors influence gene expression and how the environment (stress, nutrition, exercise, etc. impact a person’s epigenome).

Source: https://harvardmagazine.com/2017/05/is-epigenetics-inherited Learning about epigenetics reminded me of public health, and how environmental exposures and other facets of people’s lives impact their health, even the health of generations of offspring.

Although I took introductory biology and chemistry courses, I never had instruction on epigenetics, so this material was new to me. A fact I learned from the lecture was that there is evidence that genes from a famine in Denmark are affecting people today. The professor said that epigenetic marks are reversible and have substantial therapeutic potential. Her lab works to understand more about chromatin biology and human disease, and help develop therapeutics, which are used for people suffering from disease, pain, or injuries. The professor noted that when seeking funding for research projects, the funders need to be motivated and excited about your topic or your research. I will keep this advice in mind, not just for when I am applying for funding for my research, but for scholarships; I have to make readers excited for me and want to help me achieve my goals.

WEEKEND
Scholars who had missed a session for various reasons were required to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity again. This was no issue for me; I appreciated the opportunity to get to help out at the warehouse area. We helped restock furniture, move furniture around, assemble some furniture and appliances (lamps and lighting fixtures in particular), measure door frames, sort recyclables, and unload a few truckloads of even more furniture. It was my first time going inside a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and seeing the array of items that people donated and would be eventually reused. We even built a bunk bed. Furniture sold here is marked at affordable prices. For furnishing my own homes/apartments in the future, I now can add a Habitat for Humanity ReStore to the list of places to visit.

This is just one small area of the large warehouse of the Habitat for Humanity – Iowa Valley.

WEEK SEVEN
July 16th
Natalie conducted our session on self-assessments; it was called “Know Thyself.” This was important because we have to know who we are to write our personal statements and to express ourselves in interviews. She started with asking us if we can define ourselves in one sentence. Statements from scholars like “I am 21 years old,” “I am studying [insert subject/field],” were shot down. Natalie inquired, “What if education and everything else was taken away from you? Who are you then?” What were we besides students?
You can exist without your achievements.” This statement spoke volumes to me. I am more than my almost-perfect (3.966) GPA, my leadership activities, and my honors and awards. We must not define ourselves by a test score or other numbers or accolades. I define myself by values like “trustworthy,” “caring,” “kind,” and “inquisitive.”

Natalie gave us each a worksheet and a paper with a long list of values, from A-Z order. Using values from the list, we first listed five values that are the MOST important to us, then five values that were important to us, and finally five values that were the least important to us. Furthermore, Natalie wanted us to jot down why these values were important to us and how do we use these values or employ them in action.

My most important values are, in no particular order:
Adventure
My life craves excitement and discovery. I want to travel the world and to different nook and crannies in America. I love adventure and learning about the world around me. So far, I have done some traveling, and that has kept me eager for more adventures.
Happiness
I strive to be happy, and this has been a great area of struggle for me, with so many challenges I have encountered in life. Happiness is a universal feeling, but oftentimes I do not find myself in a happy state. To try to achieve this value, I spend time with loved ones, and they contribute positively to my mood. I also can make myself content when I am not with other people; blogging is a source of pride and happiness for me. Helping other people generally makes me happy.
Friendships
What is life without friends? I have made many new friends in college and they have enriched my life. They have supported me and helped me get through school, and I have just had fun with them as we explored Columbus and hung around school. I make sure to see my friends at least once a week, and I often have a class with at least one of them!
Family
My family have always been a part of my life, and they are there for me when I need them. My family has helped get me to where I am today. I make time to see my family a few times a semester. I return home for one to two weeks for winter break. Sometimes I am busy traveling to new places and forgo visiting Cleveland. Still, I call my mother once a week, mostly on the weekends, so I can hear her comforting voice.
Knowledge
Education is one of my lifelines, one of my necessities just like blood. I call myself a lifelong lover of learning; I will always be reading books and online articles to better myself and increase my knowledge of various topics. Many subjects catch my interest. I have a major and two minors because I want to be more well-rounded and educated. While traveling, I try to visit a few museums so I can deepen my understanding of art, history, and different cultures.

For my one-liner, which I did not share out loud with the class but silently wanted to, I wrote down,
I am someone who found her strength from her struggles.”

Photo Source: https://graceoutreachcenter.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/what-defines-you.jpg                                                                                       What defines you? Can you describe yourself succinctly in one sentence?

July 17th
We had our usual GRE Study Session, which we all attend after we eat dinner at Burge Hall.

July 18th
This day, I had a draft of my research poster ready and talked through the layout and content with my mentor, Professor Welburn. I sent her a PDF of my poster and she printed it; I would pick it up later in the office of the Sociology department.

For our session, we had Research Roundtable presentations. We printed out copies of our research abstracts to share with the Scholars at our table, and one faculty mentor/member from University of Iowa was present at each of the four tables around the room to hear us present our abstract and our research projects, and provide us with feedback. This was preparation for the conference next week, and it was also one of the most stressful sessions for me, since I do not like presenting in front of others. Nevertheless, I appreciated getting the chance to hear what my peers were doing and how some of them are really strong presenters and seem to not show any anxiety in front of audiences. Each table would select the scholar from that table who presented the most well, and to eventually stand in front of the entire room to present once more, and be judged. The four scholars presented and the four faculty members decided who was the best presenter. The scholar with the best oral presentation of their research that night was a fellow Buckeye, who I did not meet or know until we both began SROP together in the summer.

July 19th
Our scheduled session was cancelled, so Scholars had this day to work more on research.

July 20th
Our last Speaker Series session was presented by a professor in Astronomy and Physics. That night, we had a SROP Talent Show, where scholars had a space to show off their talents and skills. One scholar did a dance and later that night, a SROP-themed parody of an R&B song. Another scholar played his own musical piece on his flute; throughout SROP, when we walked down the hallways of our dorm floor, we would hear his whimsical flute-playing. Another scholar sang a cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie,” and one scholar presented a slideshow of her artwork and she even completed a painting during SROP, and passed this around to the audience. I also volunteered for the talent show; when I submitted my name that I was participating, I only had in mind that I would perform a poem. After I elected to be a part of the show, I hurriedly began to brainstorm my poem. It was finished in two days, and then the few days before the show, I was revising the poem, only allowing two SROP scholars to read it and provide me with feedback. The talent show overall was very fun, and just like how multifaceted and unique each of us scholars are, our talents are different as well.

The Arts Building West building holds the Art Library. It is a tranquil place to study. The small pond sometimes will have ducks splashing around in it.

A link to my poem is found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lOQTGLslC5KJqb4pMxXsraARf24LRaubsaPxletvm3w/edit?usp=sharing

WEEKEND
On July 21st, Scholars took a GRE Post-test, from 10 am to 2 pm, to compare our scores from the beginning of summer. I was relieved to earn higher scores for both the quantitative and verbal sections. However, the test we took was the same as the diagnostic test, except I did have some unfamiliar sets of questions because I knew how to answer a few previous sets. I scored in the 80th or so percentiles for this test, an improvement from last time when I scored in the 44th and 70th-something percentiles. When taking practice tests, I did not write essays, but in hindsight, perhaps I should have spent the time to do so. We printed off our results for the SROP staff’s records.

WEEK EIGHT
July 23rd –
Graduate assistant Sunny presented a session on self-care and support. For this interactive session, Sunny strongly encouraged us to discuss with him about our perceptions of self-care and what questions we had about the topic. We defined what self-care means for us. One scholar said for her, it meant “treating yourself.” Others said that for their self-care, they needed “music,” “solitude,” “stopping and thinking,” and “hanging with friends.” We then did self-assessments, which I believe were related to stress.

During the session, I took some notes related to self-care:
Start a compliments file.” Sunny practices this activity, and I actually did this back in middle school when I would screenshot compliments that people gave me online. If someone posts something especially sweet and meaningful to me online, I still screenshot it and keep it on my phone in my Photos album.
Mini-meditation.” I do not currently practice meditation, but it can be something simple and not even time-intensive. It could be something I do right before bed, or when I wake up.
Unplug for an hour.” My world revolves around using technology and staying connected to my networks through my phone or laptop. I am almost always looking at a screen, if I am not sleeping or doing my personal hygiene routines. I even scroll on my phone as I eat though, so my everyday life activities seem to be consumed by my use of technology. However, by playing games with my friends, I am engrossed in the games and end up not using my phone. Unplugging can be a challenge, especially when I love social media and want to see/know what other people are up to. Unplugging is important and I hope to remember to engage in activities that do not involve me using technology.
Notice your breathing.” By noticing my breathing, and focusing on only that, I can calm myself down.
Walk around outside.” This is important and should be done daily. I am sure I can commit to this action and get my daily dose of fresh air.

Near the end of the session, we created our own Distress Tolerance Boxes, which are boxes containing items for self-care and stress-relief. Sunny brought some mini boxes that resembled rectangular take-out containers. He also had some rocks engraved with words like “Friendship” and “Love” and some Chinese finger trap toys. There was also some candy to stash in the boxes. We could decorate our boxes with construction paper and markers. While I liked the concept of the box, I knew I would not be able to bring a box with me in my luggage or in my backpack. I then came up with the idea to make the box into a care package to give to individuals suffering from homelessness; there were some we encountered in Iowa City, and I felt like presenting them with a small box containing goodies and toiletries would be very helpful for them and make their days.

Photo source: https://68.media.tumblr.com/acdc653d145b2cdc879b98933da1d78a/tumblr_nvexc6eF2W1uhd96jo1_500.png                                           A personal care robot from the Disney film Big Hero 6 wants to make sure his owner is taking care of himself. Likewise, he wants others to monitor their wellness, from physical to mental.


July 24th

Instead of GRE tutoring and preparation, all the Scholars were in one room and we learned about some handy and helpful websites to aid us for graduate and/or professional school.
These websites are:
beyondtheprofessoriate.com – career advice for PhDs, by PhDs – this requires money to join

myidp.sciencecareers.org – my Individual Development Plan –  an account must be created to access materials –
The site provides the following:

  • Exercises to help you examine your skills, interests, and values
  • A list of 20 scientific career paths with a prediction of which ones best fit your skills and interests
  • A tool for setting strategic goals for the coming year, with optional reminders to keep you on track
  • Articles and resources to guide you through the process

Imagine PhD – https://www.imaginephd.com/ – FREE career exploration and planning for the humanities and social sciences. An account must be created to access assessments and other resources

versatilephd.com – Helping graduate students and PhDs envision, prepare for, and excel in non-academic careers since 1999
They have a PhD career finder, discussion boards, job listing boards, local meet-ups and more.

Slack – https://slack.com/ – a chat app used by graduate students to collaborate and to chat, and is also utilized by teams/groups of people in workforce and business
This is FREE for small groups of people, for unlimited time. The other two plans cost money, monthly.

The GRE instructors we had for the summer informed us to go to conferences, to look at success stories, and to not let the competitiveness of a program deter us from applying! They also told us about academic Twitter; we could have a separate Twitter account for academic and professional purposes, to network with other people in our fields and disciplines and to share our achievements, aside from our personal and private accounts.

July 25th
We had a SROP Closing Luncheon, where Scholars and their faculty mentors and some graduate students had lunch together and mingled. Ms. Diana gave a speech and thanked everyone for being in the program. At the end of the lunch, I presented my poem!

After this luncheon, the summer undergraduate research conference (SURC) began; it was from 1 to 5 pm, and students were placed into one of two sessions, so they were not presenting for a full four hours, but only two hours. Still, I was extremely anxious and did not want to present. I often have a concern that my research is not good enough, that I did not get enough research done and could have done mucmore, and other worries. I had several people stop by my poster. One sociology student who was at University of Iowa came up to me to discuss my research. I even printed out 20 business cards to hand out to people.

I appreciate the poster having a glossy finish. It should be resistant to water and other damages. It is also text-heavy, which can deter people from approaching the poster. I just like providing ample information for people.

July 26th
This was a free day for many scholars, besides our awards ceremony that evening. Some scholars were busy printing their posters somewhere around campus. With two friends and my SROP roommate, we went to the medical side of University of Iowa’s campus and got food from food trucks. I tried some delicious gyros. Then we went to the mall to purchase a gift for Ms. Sproles: a Bath & Body Works candle, soap, and lotion, all wrapped up in pretty paper. I also went to some stores downtown for the last time. I really liked the White Rabbit boutique and the Blick Arts Materials, which was where I purchased my tube to hold my research poster. I also quickly toured the Natural History museum on campus; I had been meaning on going to the museum for all of summer, but on my very last day, I finally was able to venture in and look at the history of Iowa and the many taxidermied animals in its various exhibits.

At the beginning of summer, I saw a mere outline of this mural. On my last full day in Iowa City, I finally got to see the finished product.

In the evening, we had a Closing Session and Awards Ceremony. Earlier in the week, we all turned in completed sheets of “SROP Superlatives,” where we nominated scholars for various awards such as “Best Motivator,” “Best Trio,” “Most Likely to Achieve World Peace,” “The World Traveler,” and other fun awards. There were about a dozen superlatives in total. The SROP staff also gave out certificates of completion to everyone, and then gave additional awards to the scholars who did exceptionally well in the program. I received “Best Motivator,” and tied with another scholar for “Most Studious.” I also received the highest votes for “People’s Choice Award for Talent Show.” Outside of the visual arts building where the ceremony was held, a bunch of scholars took group photos, and we walked next door to the arts building to view an art showcase, with art from high school students who were also here in Iowa for some time during the summer. At night, a small handful of us went to a rooftop restaurant to see what Iowa City looked like from up above. While I was feeling sad that SROP was ending, I was still trying to make the most of my limited time and enjoy every moment with my friends.

I will miss my peers so much.

July 27th
This was Departure Day, a very bittersweet day, and the last time I would likely see all the Scholars in one place. In the early morning, three scholars from Puerto Rico began their journey home. The remainder of us were able to eat breakfast at Burge and gather in the lobby to check out of Burge Hall, where we waited to be picked up by Ms. Sproles, Natalie, and Sunny to be taken to the airport in Cedar Rapids.

We exchanged many hugs, said goodbyes/see you laters, and shed some tears. While we waited in the airport terminals, some of us played card games, while others listened to music. I was about to board my plane before I turned to see my closest friends from SROP yell out “Bye” and wave at me.

The Cedar Rapids airport is fairly small. The staff are all pleasant from the encounters I have had.

Reflection

My summer was fruitful and full of learning, new experiences, and challenges. I am thankful for the myriad of opportunities to learn about a variety of fields, from biochemistry to physics to public policy, and to speak with some graduate students and faculty members. I also am grateful to have gotten to know some academically competitive, talented, and kind scholars from across America and Puerto Rico. Because of my eight-week experience, I am better prepared for my graduate studies, and have a strong CV and personal statement for my application to my program. I understand much more of what being in graduate school is like, what the process is for finding funding, and what it is like to be in academia. I really enjoyed getting to hear multiple perspectives each day of the program.

Also important, this was my first intensive experience conducting research, and contributing to a faculty member’s work. I engaged in qualitative research coding and analysis, which helped reinforce my desire to pursue qualitative methods. Although my research project was not explicitly public health, it related to public health because it involved studying experiences of a marginalized and vulnerable group: first-generation college students, with living, working, and attending school at The University of Iowa. I was able to read 15 interview transcripts and learned a considerable deal of these students’ backgrounds and some of their challenges, like substandard housing conditions (doors not locking, mold, and general uncleanliness), and 60% of them working two jobs to help make ends meet. These interviews were eye-opening and contributed to my understanding of how the quality and affordability of housing are especially influential in students’ health and wellbeing, and even their academic outcomes.

Besides the academic and professional growth, I also experienced personal growth, as I developed relationships with people. My interactions with friends and staff helped me become better aware of different cultures and backgrounds. My worldview has tremendously expanded because of my friends from California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Iowa. Even my fellow Ohio State scholar was someone who I had never interacted with before SROP, and I learned so much about him; he is in a different public health specialization than me, and he is also pre-med, so I was able to learn about the perspectives of a pre-med student and support him as he took his MCAT halfway through SROP. I highly suggest for undergraduates to get involved in research, including immersive and transformative experiences such as a Summer Research Opportunities Program.

Resources
Link to University of Iowa’s Summer Research Opportunities Program: https://www.grad.uiowa.edu/ogi/srop

Please see an upcoming post on “Applying to SROP” for details on the months-long application process and how I prepared for SROP! Hopefully the post will aid in people getting accepted to a program. More resources will be listed in the post.

Public Health Abroad: Finland and Estonia – Part 2

I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Day 7 marked the halfway point of our study abroad program. In the morning, we took a bus to the Estonian Open Air Museum, designed to resemble a real-life rural village in the 18th century! This was one of my favorite parts of the program. This museum included 14 different farms to show aspects of village life. I saw cottages, a teepee, a giant windmill, a church, and more. One path lead to the seashore where my peers collected seaglass and waded their feet in the water. I really enjoyed this opportunity to be immersed in nature.

Cottages were primarily made of wood and hay, both of which are extremely flammable!

The group had a guided walking tour of Old Town; Joosep was a wonderful human encyclopedia as he showed us to spots we had not been to before. He taught us what the colors of the flag of Estonia meant: blue for the sky, black for the dark forests and the dark times Estonians have been through, and white for purity and hope for a brighter future.
2018 marks a special year of celebration for Estonians because this is the 100th anniversary of their independence as their own republic, free from endless rule by different countries.

The symbol represents 100 years AND 20(18). Great design.

I boarded a tram by myself to a nearby cat cafe. I have never been to any cat cafe before, and I wanted to see if cat breeds differed in Estonia. When I went to Nurri Cat Cafe, only five other people were present, with about 10 cats in the room. I did not see any unfamiliar breeds. My time at the cat cafe was very therapeutic for me. Although I did not get to pet the cats much, I enjoyed eating my pesto pasta and watching the cats interact with one another. I even witnessed the cats at dinner time (6 pm) and they each pounced their tiny paws over to their own bowls to feast.

Two cats were perched on top of the table where I was sitting. It takes a while for cats to get accustome to you and be comfortable with you approaching them to pet them.

Day 8 meant traveling to another city. We hopped on board a train from Tallinn to Tartu! Tartu has 99,000 people as of this year. This sleek train got us there in less than two hours; I napped the majority of the time. After setting down our belongings, we had a quick walking tour and lunch.

The Town Hall is a landmark of Tartu. Bells ring from the hall each day. The fountain of kissing students is in the lefthand corner of the photo; the fountain was erected in 1998.

We spent an hour at the KGB Cells Museum, which showcases the basement of a building that was used to house prisoners! Men and women alike were put together in a cell. Cell walls were so thick that no noise could be heard between rooms. Rooms lacked lighting and ventilation, and often had as much as 30 to 40 people within such a confined space and with just four beds!

For the rest of the day, I browsed around souvenir shops in Tartu. We were conveniently located right across from a University of Tartu building, and right by the town square. Tartu sidewalks are very wide and can fit three to four people in a row. After popping into a small bookstore, we went to the Botanical Gardens, which was founded in 1803. It is such a beautiful place and I would have liked to see the greenhouses but we were running out of time. Nevertheless, the grounds were great and the garden included a pond. We saw people taking photos for graduation and weddings here. For dinner, the class ate at Meat Market, which does not solely serve meat.

A classmate took a beautiful portrait photo of me in the gardens.

Gardens are a valuable part of any city. People need green space for not just oxygen but for stress relief.

Day 9 was a free day for everyone. Two friends and a program coordinator/graduate student accompanied me to the Upside Down House that was about 30-45 minutes away on foot. We crossed the river and went into the outskirts of the city of Tartu. The house was built upside down AND on a slant, so it was disorienting and dizzying. The house included a sauna and that was neat!

This house stood out from its surroundings in remote Tartu. There was an abandoned aircraft hangar in proximity, and also a designated walking path among some trees. Buses do run along the street but not frequently.

 

This photo can confuse people at first glance! There are actually some Upside Down Houses around the world, such as Germany and America. (I had no idea they existed in my own country!)

Nearby was the Estonian National Museum, which is a tremendous facility where we spent a few hours looking at artifacts related to Estonian life. We paid 10 euros as a student discount and could access the entire building. We received cards encrypted with a technology that allowed us to swipe the card over a screen connected to an exhibit/piece. The screen would then automatically translate to English. This is so innovative and I hope that museums elsewhere in the world could incorporate this! I enjoyed viewing prehistoric and Metal Age tools. Estonia has been inhabited by people for the last 11,000 years! My favorite exhibit hall was the one featuring Uralic people, a people I had no knowledge about beforehand! They lived between Scandinavia and the Ural Mountains, so were primarily in the forests. They carved symbols into trees and their tales often involve bears and other woodland creatures. The exhibit showcased a people and facets of their lifestyle, but this was just one small sliver of Ugric studies. Also in the museum was an exhibit about 19th century clothing. Women’s clothing was preserved more because not only were they more beautiful and colorful than men’s clothing, but they also reflected diversity among different regions of Estonia. I learned about the usage of headpieces and necklaces. I am glad to have visited this museum! The facility was marvelous.

After our fun free day in Tartu, I worked on a homework assignment that addresses how walkable the city of Tartu is. Now that I have been to the more touristy areas of Tartu and the more remote parts, I was able to come up with a convincing argument for how well-designed the city is so that people can enjoy it whether they walk or use a wheelchair. Sidewalks have ample space and curbs/ramps have good inclines. When you get to the less-inhabited parts of town, some sidewalks are harder to tread on, but it still is pedestrian-friendly. After returning to the hotel, I got dinner and dessert with other friends and then about half of the class played games in one of our rooms.

(Please see my assignment on the walkability audit of Tartu here:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1EG8vBf1EuKn0Uz01klxOo9fXyKOzhBr_r0CJsku_0Hg/edit?usp=sharing)

I was also able to complete another homework assignment comparing cigarette sales in America, Finland, and Estonia. Throughout the program, we were expected to observe how cigarettes were sold (where and for how much money) and what the packaging looked like, including what information or graphics were put on the warning labels.
(Please see my work here:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kR8W4sjJjBN53qEh1lHJvOIS9BMUfnb9Uz_z770khhs/edit?usp=sharing)

For Day 10, the class visited the Ahhaa Science Centre, which reminds me of COSI in Columbus! I love science centers and this one has four floors! The ground floor had a LEGO town of Tartu and exhibits related to water. It included tech spaces, a play area with giant building blocks, music/acoustic space, and tanks with real fish in them. In a dark room were lifelike animatronic aquatic creatures such as dinosaurs with fins and a whale shark. There are some steps leading up to a balcony that had ant farms and an incubator for chicks! This was the highlight of the science center for me. I love baby chickens. The chicks were either a day old or two days old, and some eggs were close to hatching!

FUN FACTS: Jellyfish have existed even before dinosaurs roamed the planet. A group of jellyfish is called a bloom.

FUN FACTS: Whale sharks are the largest fish. They are giant but gentle and eat plankton and small fish. Their skeletons are made of cartilage, not bone. Female whale sharks are actually larger in size than male sharks.

On the second floor of the science museum were glass jars containing human and animal body parts and embryos so visitors could learn about anatomy but also body anomalies. For example, there was a goat skull with four horns. The third floor had interactive activities testing health, from grip strength to memory to balance to processing speed. (I performed poorly on all of these, and despite appearing healthy, I have to make dramatic changes to my lifestyle and actually exercise in order to be fit).

When our group returned to our hotel, we met with another tour guide who took us around the University of Tartu. The different buildings are within walking distance; sometimes it seemed like a hike. She also led us to cathedral ruins. One interesting part of our tour was going into an attic of the main building of the university; this attic served as a lock-up for students who misbehaved and did not conform to student conduct. Students could be sent to this room for cheating or for disrespecting a woman on the street. Punishment could mean just a few days in the lock-up to a month! There was no supervision for the lock-ups, but students were still expected to serve their sentences and actually be in that space.

The attic can become humid and balmy in the summers but leave people trembling in the winters.

After our tour, we had another group dinner in a restaurant that looks like a wine cellar.

On Day 11, we traveled to Parnu, an even smaller city with 40,000 people. It is a summer resort town so it is more heavily populated during that season than others. It is located by the water so people frequent the beach. The water is shallow for an extended distance before it gets deep. Our hotel was a resort & spa in one, and we were able to use the sauna, pools, gym, and spa. I did not take advantage of these amenities but I did go outside to the beach to dip my toes in the water and step in the soft sand.

Our other completely free day was Day 12. I went to the mall by myself, and the trek was not scary as one might perceive. Parnu is tiny and quiet, and I do stick out as a foreigner among the mostly blond(e) Estonians, but I was safe. The walk from the hotel to the mall was about 20 minutes, and it was pleasant. The mall was actually a complex made up of about three tall buildings. One building had a grocery store and a few beauty stores. Another building had most of the clothing stores and restaurants. After making a few purchases, I headed back to the hotel and stopped at a woman’s home business, where she operated a beauty & hair salon. She offered manicures, pedicures, and hair styling. After getting a manicure, I had lunch at an eco-gourmet cafe with some friends.

On Day 13 (May 31), we had a short visit to the University of Tartu-Parnu to learn about their Spa & Wellness management program. The program director and a graduate student explained that the program is offered at a master’s level and it encompasses not just spa design, but also financial accounting, visual communication, and even the history of wellness.

The two-year program offers not only a strong theoretical foundation for students, but also opportunities to put the skills and knowledge into practice!

After the informative presentation, the group packed up and took a charter bus to Tallinn. From there, we boarded the ferry to return to Helsinki. Once we were all checked into our hotel, the program officially ended. Students were free to go back to the United States after the experience, or continue to explore Europe. Some of my peers stayed in Europe and traveled to multiple countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic, and England. My intention was to go straight home, but I had a stop in Iceland on my way to Cleveland. That 50-minute stop transformed into a 48-hour detainment in that country, but thankfully I finally made it home to America! What matters is that I am home safe and sound.

Our group had reserved seats that gave us up-close views of the Gulf of Finland!

I appreciate this opportunity of a lifetime because of the myriad of experiences and memories. I also am more well-informed about Finland and Estonia and am better prepared for future international travel. To my surprise, I was independently exploring and still survived.

I would like to thank the Office of International Affairs for executing this program, for providing me with a few scholarships, and for assisting me when I was temporarily stranded in Iceland for two days. I am glad that OIA has emergency hotline in place for students who find themselves in difficult situations. Thank you to @osuglobal for liking my photos and featuring one of our class photos on the Instagram page!

Thank you so much to Dr. Wallace and Amanda Jovanovich for coordinating the program’s activities and guiding us throughout Finland and Estonia. It was a wonderful class that had structure but still plenty of free time for us to explore. Thanks for showing us a part of the world that many people do not visit.

Thank you to the Office of Diversity & Inclusion for your scholarships and support for my study abroad. Thank you to my family and friends for your never-ending support as I navigated this adventure with equal amounts of trepidation and excitement.

Thank you to Finland and Estonia, for everything you have to offer to the world. Thank you to Iceland for also being a wonderful country. Everyone I met was friendly and willing to help.

If it were not for STEP and for the three other scholarships I received, in addition to some grants and gifts from loved ones, going abroad would not have been a possibility for me. I would not have fathomed the idea. I am forever grateful for this chance to take part in the Public Health Perspectives: Finland and Estonia program. I truly hope that other first-generation college students and first-time travelers such as me will have opportunities to study abroad as well. The Ohio State University’s education abroad office offers ample resources for interested students, so take the leap and venture into the unknown.

Go Bucks!
Xoxo
Melinda


P.S. To see hundreds of photos taken along the journey, my comprehensive PowerPoint will suffice! It may take a while for it to load, and this could mean refreshing your page to view the entirety of it. It runs close to 300 slides!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZadYR7-uztv6jY9-VD06o8QwYZijtWDAhAiN8taGPN0/edit?usp=sharing

P.P.S. Here are some photos of my stop in Iceland:
While I was there by myself for two nights and a day, I was not able to do much to lack of funds. I walked around to the seashore by my hotel and was captivated by the water. I saw some species of birds frolicking around. The Elder duck is common in the area. Although I wanted to step down and get closer to the water, I was wearing flats and also did not want to slip on a wet rock and get injured. I even saw a bright mustard-orange lighthouse that was used before and is now sitting stoically overlooking the horizons.

This was the plane I boarded from Helsinki Vantaa Airport to Reykyavik Keflavik Airport.

 

From my hotel room window, I saw a gorgeous sunset and could see edges of the water that surrounds the island of Iceland. Also, the country gets so much sunlight that the sun does not set until close to midnight.

This location was breathtaking and I am eager to return to Iceland.