COVID-19 from a Global Perspective

On Wednesday April 22nd, I had the exciting opportunity to hear about the experiences of students across the globe as we all deal collectively with the COVID-19 pandemic. In lieu of a final meeting for International Affairs scholars this semester, the LC put together a Zoom call that included French students, a German student, Chinese students and several IA scholars.

It became evident rather quickly that though all nations are fighting the same enemy, their efforts are not all equally effective, aggressive, or backed by public support. All countries that were represented are living under a stay-at-home order, or something similar. What especially struck me was how differently citizens of the United States were coping with the social isolation and temporary economic shut down in comparison with French and German citizens.

In the United States, the growing disapproval of how the virus is being handled by the federal and state governments is evident in protests occurring throughout the Midwest specifically. Many Americans are experiencing hardships that come with having to apply for unemployment, pay rent and bills, and the general uncertainty that comes with a pandemic and its consequences.
In contrast, it seems that French citizens are far more fearful of the economy being reopened prematurely.

Campus Portal to Antarctica: Tour of the Byrd Polar Research Center

On January 30th, I took a trip to the Byrd Polar research Center on West campus with a few fellow IA scholars.

Arriving at the facility, I had no idea what to expect. As a recently declared Geography minor, my perspective on what it means to be a geographer or a climate scientist was broad, and singularly based on what my Weather and Climate TA had shared with me (a graduate student who does Climate research with Byrd Polar). Either way, I knew that this visit would be fascinating and inspiring.

The tour was led by Education and Outreach Program Coordinator Karina Peggau, and included the ice core freezer facilities, Polar Rock Repository, and the research lab. Karina explained the vast range of research that’s conducted by Ohio State faculty members on the southernmost continent on the globe. Ice Core Paleontology, Remote Sensing and Environmental Geochemistry are three of twelve research groups that call Byrd Polar their “home base”. I was struck by the sophistication of facilities and research that were tucked away in a building on west campus that I’d never been aware of before. This tour, in fact, marked a turning point in my academic career at OSU in that it encouraged me to truly explore the wealth of opportunities that are afforded to me as an undergraduate student. Touring this facility caused me to realize that I would be doing a disservice to myself if I failed to exhaustively explore every one of my academic interests that comes to light before my graduation date.

The Cold Storage building (site where polar ice cores are stored) has the capacity to store 3000 meters of frozen ice cores, and is kept at a truly freezing -30 to -40 degrees C. Walking through this storage unit was an experience in itself, and this 30 second experience was made more intense with the awareness that these incredibly valuable ice cores would be lost (and there for, unusable) if the generator were to fail, and the temperature were to increase above freezing point. One thing that this tour provided was a revigoration of my  passion for conservation efforts and climate change mitigation. This had always been a priority of mine, but this visit and learning more about how vital ice is to both our ecosystem and our knowledge of the world helped to “reboot” this value in me. The amount of valuable knowledge, resources and livelihood that will evaporate as our planet continues to warm past a sustainable level is appalling. The knowledge that these ice cores may soon represent a somewhat scarce resource made this visit all the more valuable (and a little poignant).
Another unexpected and welcome part of the Byrd Polar Research Center tour was the simple fact that the tour was lead exclusively by women, and the climate scientist we had the privilege of meeting also identified as a woman. Though the tour wouldn’t have been altered if it had been led by a person who identifies as a man, the significance of women playing a significant role in this research institute was evident. In October of 2019, Byrd Polar held a Symposium celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first All-Women Research team in Antarctica. 50 short years ago, women were not typically invited to participate in hands on polar research, indicating that women who now participate are truly pioneers in they field and gender.

Historically, I’ve been quick to brush off interests (both academic and recreational) that I’ve deemed too far out f my reach or comfort zone. Whether I’ve decided that I’m not smart enough or equipped to be a scholar in the hard sciences (like Chemistry, Biology, etc.), or I’ve lacked the motivation at the time to give myself a chance, this mindset isn’t productive. Though this event likely wasn’t created to spur any type of deep, emotional realization, I’m grateful that I got the chance to explore a prestigious facility, and that this visit has encouraged me to self-reflect.

 

CLS Info Session

I recently attended a CLS information session. This event fulfilled my academic requirement for the semester, and opened my eyes to one of the many prestigious fellowship opportunities available to me as an Ohio State H&S student. This presentation was given by Corey Efron, Fellowship advisor at the Kuhn Honors and Scholars House.

CLS stands for Critical Language Scholarship. The CLS is a program run by the federal government, its purpose being to provide students who are studying/desire to study a critical language with an opportunity to learn and speak in a hands-on environment. The CLS program is designed to allow students to study a full year’s worth of language in a region where this language is spoken prominently, though the program lasts only eight to ten weeks. It’s classified as a study abroad program, but it is extremely strenuous and students study under a tight schedule. Critical languages include, but aren’t limited to: Swahili, Korean, Azerbaijani, Hindi, Indonesian and Urdu.

After having been told about this program by my scholars advisor, I completed my own research, but still had a few questions going into this information session. My questions, and their answers, are provided below.

How does the United States federal government choose what languages are “critical”?

The United States chooses critical languages based off of their percieved value in international relations, trading/economics, and security. The overall goal of the program is to expand the number of Americans that are speak a critical language fluently, as these languages come from regions that are of special interest for America economically or security-wise. In essence, not many Americans can speak these languages, and the federal government would like to increase these numbers in order to make communication far easier.

Is there any formal classroom learning? 

Students are in a formal classroom setting for a minimum of 20 hours a week. Students also have one-on-one meetings with a native speaker, and are expected to speak the critical language at all times (whenever possible)

How selective is the program? 

About 550 students per year are selected for the CLS.

What criteria/qualities are application reviewers interested in?

Corey stressed that a good candidate should have an impressive academic record, but a perfect 4.0 is not the most important aspect of an application. Investment in the learning of that specific language, as well as well-explained reasoning and future plans for learning or implementing the language is key. Clear intentions to use the language rather than let it go to waste must be shown in order for the CLS to consider investing in you.

 

 

 

“Be Kind Whenever Possible. It is Always Possible”

On Sunday, October 27th, I set off to work with CRIS (Community Refugee and Immigrant Service) to paint a mural in a Westerville elementary school. This project was a service event, and I worked alongside other IA first and second years to paint walls and cut out leaves for the design,  directed by Jeremy Hollon and his interns.

The beautiful design spanned across 3 walls outside of the elementary school’s library. Two purple trees stood on either side of the library entrance, with an open hand with a quote from the Dalai Lama inside, reading “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible” on an adjacent wall.

 

Image result for westerville elementary school mural

The IA students who put this design together envisioned the elementary students writing encouraging messages to leave on the trees. Other students who were struggling or in need of some kind words could remove a leaf to take for themselves as a reminder, and write their own message if they felt compelled to.

 

The message behind this mural design relates to IA in that it encourages community across cultural barriers, makes connection between individuals a priority, and fosters positivity in an age demographic that can often experience social challenges (bullying, unrest at home, learning how to navigate friendships/relationships). Elementary school encompasses pivotal and transformative years of a child’s life, as they learn to interact peacefully and supportively with others. If positive communication is not fostered at this age, it may be more difficult to instill this as a skill down the road.

The significance of community and peer support is also something that, if learned at a young age, is a value that can create a more peaceful, productive and welcoming environment for both the individual and the group as a whole. If a child has been taught that their peers are there to offer support in times of emotional distress, they will be more likely to reach out for that support and won’t be as hindered by stigma. This mural gives kids an opportunity to be indiscriminately kind to each other, and it serves as a tangible display of this school’s encouraging student body. If a child can see that support is readily available, my hope is that they would feel more relaxed and open.

This concept applies directly to international affairs. First, when communicating with people of different cultures, kindness is an excellent default. On a deeper level, representation of various cultural, religious and ethnic symbols (especially in American schools) is incredibly important. Integration of a quote from the Dalai Lama, revered figure in the Buddhist religion, represents the validity and existence of views which likely don’t match the views held by a majority of the student body. This quote may encourage kids who are unfamiliar to ask questions and expand their worldview beyond that of rural/suburban Ohio. Kids whose families do practice Buddhism or are from a region where the Buddhism is more prominent may feel more welcomed, included, and at home.

This project helped me to not only exercise my love for painting, but also to put this love to good use. Service I’ve been involved with in the past have mostly revolved around providing basic needs, building wheelchair ramps or porches, and childcare. This project wasn’t as immediately necessary, and its effects will be more subtle; yet just as significant. It allowed me to reflect on how my early life would be different if my community had done more to acknowledge diversity, rather than avoid it as a topic. I wonder how my life, and classmate’s lives,  would’ve been impacted by more exposure to the world and different view points if a mural like this had existed in my elementary school.

American Factory: Fuyao’s Arrival in Dayton, OH

On October 20th, I viewed Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert’s recently aired documentary American Factory as part of my Academic event requirement.
American Factory is a 2019 documentary which sheds lights on the complexity of operating and working for a trans-national, cross-cultural business, and highlights the challenges that arise for a post-industrial Midwest town as it faces an increasingly globalized society.
Moraine, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio, was once home to a prospering General Motors plant, which supplied a majority of employment opportunities for residents of this area. The arrival of Fuyao industries initially signified a revitalization of a traditional industry for the town, and a chance at rebuilding what was once a successful plant. The Moraine residents are portrayed as hardworking and dependable individuals who are grateful for the opportunity to be working once again looking for work. They are quintessentail portrayal of the American Midwestern working class.
It became clear quickly that American and Chinese working culture would be at odds in a variety of ways, from wage disparity to disagreements over worker/employer duties. One Dayton worker named Shawna discussed her change in wage from $28 an hour as a GM worker to about $12 an hour as an employee of Fuyao. Shawna’s testimony is an example of how cultural tensions contributed to both social difficulties and operational difficulties in the case of American Factory. Upon Fuyao’s arrival, the Dayton community had to quickly adjust to an influx of Chinese people that had not constituted a larger part of the local population previously. Time after time, its been evident that when people migrate, they bring their culture with them. On a social, community level, many examples were displayed documenting the connections made between Chinese and American families. Folks celebrated holidays together and were introduced to various different aspects of culture, whether it be Chinese or American. While the film doesn’t fail to acknowledge that these relationships weren’t always smooth, I was particularly struck with how open minded the Dayton workers were, as they were members of a community they could’ve easily viewed as having been “invaded” or “infiltrated”. I think this sense of surprise points to my own assumptions I make frequently about Ohioans (even though I am one myself); particularly older white people from the traditional Midwest. I was incredibly surprised that the sentiment of “immigrants arriving to steal American jobs” was barely present in most of the workers who were featured, and this certainly caused me to reevaluate the types of bias I’ve been harboring.
What was undoubtedly addressed as a significant challenge were the challenges presented by two cultures clashing on a business level. The language barrier was a significant issue amongst Chinese and American CEO/business owners, operation managers, supervisors and workers. An example of this was before the plant had really begun production, when the leader of Fuyoa arrived and was displeased with the arrangements that had been made by the American team. A factor in this was miscommunication (or an apparent misunderstanding on what needed to be communicated about) about placement of a fire alarm in the facility. While the Chinese leader of Fuyao viewed the presence of the fire alarm as an unnecessary eyesore, the American team was aware of federal regulations requiring it. At a tense point in the film between Chinese supervisors and American workers, a worker suggests that “everybody’s upset in their own languages”, insinuating that the integration of ideas from Americans and Chinese workers was incredibly tricky.
Throughout the film, the difficulties that come with attempting to enforce foreign business practices on US soil were illuminated. It became increasingly clear that Chinese and American workers operate with different mindsets, as they’ve been conditioned in different work environments. The issue of efficiency vs. quality control was relevant, and was especially evident as Americans toured the Fuyoa factory in China. The American team witnessed workers who existed in a mentality of “to stand still is to move backwards”, with less days off and on gear hours. It’s not hard to see how easily a genuine disconnect existed between Chinese and American workers, as the qualities of these two types of workers are so ingrained in cultural values. I was also fascinated by the attempt made at preventing formation of a Fuyao worker’s union. Practices which (I don’t believe) could occur in the United States were readily carried out in this scenario, including the firing of pro-union workers. I was also surprised at the involvement of a Labor Relations Institute, paid by Fuyao to lecture to workers and convince them to vote against the union, as I had never been aware of a market for this before.

While this was all challenging, its important to note that serious efforts on both sides were being made. Both Chinese and American workers were frustrated over issues that were more cultural than were being acknowledged and it seemed as if everyone involved truly wanted this arrangement to be successful. This documentary showed how messy, complex, and beautiful the meeting of cultures can be. This is incredibly relevant to international affairs as studying the intersection of American and foreign cultures is relevant to this campus (a very diverse student population), this city (with a multitude of immigrants and refugees) and this country. American Facotry is unique in that its offered the opportunity to watch the convergence of cultures in a small, somewhat controlled business environment. Fuyao can serve as a microcosm of a larger world in which cultural convergence is becoming more and more of a realty. The results are incredible to watch, and, as a student who studies international affairs, also somewhat predictable
One thing I wonder, is how this scenario would play out if the roles had been reversed. How would the situation be different if an American company were to establish itself in China (in a way that transports American workers overseas to supervise production, and implement American business practices)?

Observing Indigenous People’s Day in Columbus

On Tuesday, October 15th, I attended a Global Engagement Night at Enarson, centered around Indigenous People’s Day (observed on October 14th).

The Global Engagement Night: Indigenous Peoples’ Day was the first event I attended of its kind, and I entered the event thinking I had far more knowledge on the topic than I really had. I had already fully formed my aggressively negative opinion of Christopher Columbus and had a decent knowledge base on some of the northeastern/midwest tribes (e.g. the Ojibwe) through my grandparents, but I quickly realized that there was a lot I didn’t know about the political/social discussions surrounding both Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day (and the individuals who celebrate either).

One factor I’d never been aware of concerning Columbus Day, is the strong connection that many Italian-Americans feel towards the holiday. The presenters noted that many Italian Americans use the day to celebrate their heritage and influence on the United States. This was especially interested as I’d never associated the observance of Columbus Day with the honoring/celebrating of any specific culture, but rather viewed it as a day when a false historical narrative has always been perpetuated. If anything, before this event I’d only been able to view October 14th as a day which symbolizes cultural erasure. Though its still important to acknowledge that in many cases throughout history, the honoring of one (arguably more dominantly represented) culture often means the muting of another culture(s), especially when the dominant culture is more commonly made up of caucasians. This is a difficult topic to come to terms with, but an extremely significant one when it comes to intensifying conversations surrounding diversity.

The event also invited participants to question the portrayal of indigenous people in American media, especially through the lens of the Disney movie Pocahontas, common photographic portraits, news coverage and otherwise. Native women are commonly portrayed as overly sexualized and are often objectified, an unfortunate reality which has real social implications for women living on reservations especially (more than 50% of native women living on a reservation will experience some kind of sexual violence, 10x more than women outside of a reservation). Native men are also poorly represented as either noble/stoic or uncivilized, depending on the desired effect.

This event served as a needed reminder of a minority that is often overlooked and dismissed, though their stake in American land is far more valid than the majority.

Image result for sexualized native womenImage result for pocahontas disney

Left: Karlie Kloss dressed in Native American outfit

Right: Disney’s Pocahontas

 

Additional Links (further reading):

Ending Violence Against Native Women: https://indianlaw.org/issue/ending-violence-against-native-women

Harper’s Bazaar Article covering Victoria’s Secrets’ continued appropriation of native culture: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/a13880726/victorias-secret-cultural-appropriation-native-american/

Ohio State opening the door to the rest of the world: Education Abroad Expo 2019

On September 12th, 2019, my eyes were opened to a magnitude of international opportunities as I attended the 2019 Education Abroad Expo at the Ohio Union. This expo was put on by the Office of International Affairs and was categorized as a Campus event.

My expectations going into this event were drastically different from my experience. In my time studying Swahili in college, I’ve been set on traveling to Uganda as part of Dr. Salome Fout’s Global May trip. Because this is a plan I’ve had for quite a while, I expected to attend the Expo and gain valuable information on other programs, but not information that I’d want to act on in any way. I was surprised by the vast array of programs (both OSU led and external) and areas of the world represented, as well as the fact that almost every major was well represented. A few programs specifically caught my eye (listed below).

 

Global May Uganda

The original program I’ve had my eye on; Global May Uganda allows students to explore themes of food security, women’s equality and national development, globalization and health while studying at the School for International Training in Kampala (the capital city of Uganda).

http://go.osu.edu/GlobalMayUganda

Global May Hungary

This program caught my interest due to both my Polish heritage and its historical focus. This trip takes place primarily in Hungary and Poland, some of the most captivating and important features of the trip being excursions to Auschwitz and the Schindler Museum.

http://go.osu.edu/GlobalMayHungary

CYA (College Year in Athens): Study in Greece

This program encourages American students to become better citizens of the world through semester, full academic year or summer study abroad in Greece.

http://cyaathens.org

Semester at Sea

Semester at Sea is an intriguing third-party program that invites students to spend a semester on a cruise ship, while receiving 12-15 credit hours’ worth of education and traveling to 8-10 countries per trip.

http://SemesterAtSea.org/apply

Japan- Public Health Perspectives

The final program I explored is a trip through the Public Health college to study at the University of Tokyo and visit culturally significant sites such as Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Minamata.

http://go.osu.edu/PublicHealthJapan

This event inspired a lot of excitement and anticipation for me, as I walked away with more programs in mind than I had originally expected. I also learned that most programs are far smaller (in terms of how many people attend) than I had previously thought. My previous thought that there must be a concrete Public Health component in a program in order for it to be applicable/beneficial for me is also incorrect. Having attended this event, I’ve realized that almost any trip can be applied to me as a public health major, even if I wouldn’t actually be taking public health courses. By just being immersed and existing as a person in another country’s culture, I would be able to make naturalistic observations of the factors which encourage or discourage good health in other societies.

By attending one of these trips, I hope to not only take courses to further my career, but also widen my academic perspective beyond The Ohio State University. Despite the fact that OSU is home to a wide array of students and cultural identities, learning in an unfamiliar atmosphere would push me out of my comfort zone, and hopefully impact my perspective as a public health professional down the road.

 

Who Decides What We Remember?: Art in the Time of Revolutions

This event was Art in the Time of Revolution: The Mexican and American Revolutions, a Non-IA event held on March 1st, 2019 in Thompson 165, put on by The Ohio State History Department. The event consisted of two speakers, both of whom are experts in their respective fields of 18th Century Atlantic history and Mexican art. For this reflection, I will (mostly) focus on Zara Anishanslin’s talk as it most interested me.

Zara Anishanslin, a professor at the University of Delaware, was the first to speak. Her talk focused on both American and British art and its influence in the time of the War of Independence, and sought to answer the question: Who determines how revolutions are remembered? Zara acknowledged that conventionally, the victors-the ones who “win” history- are awarded the ability to determine in what way and which people are remembered from said revolution. Her presentation began by examining art present in two well-known American Revolution exhibits, namely the collection at Mount Vernon and the MET’s America wing in New York City. By a wide margin, the paintings of white men outnumber art made by people of color and women, though Zara argues that art made by these marginalized group played a larger role in swaying popular opinion than we are aware. Due to unspoken hierarchy pertaining to medium of art (painting is more valued than wax sculpture, for example) gender and race, artists like Prince Dema (not sure on spelling), Patience Wright, and Robert Edge Pine are lost to history, most likely due to Wright’s being a women, Prince’s being actively enslaved, and Pine having died before the end of the Revolution. Each of these artists also created their art “across the pond”, yet all were extremely dedicated to the Patriot cause, 2/3 of them having been born in the colonies.   I was surprised to learn that there is speculation over the true creator of Phillis Wheatley’s famous portrait and that Prince may be the true artist behind the iconic piece.

What most intrigued me about the presentation was Zara’s discussion on women’s’ roles in art at this time. Convention at the time said that “women exist as subjects, not creators” yet the true contributions of women in art is astounding. Apart from Patience Wright’s contributions of wax statues, which she used to carry spy materials from London to Boston, Wright’s daughter Phoebe was also a talented painter whos’ work was overshadowed by her husband John Hoppner’s. Even Robert Edge Pine didn’t complete his work without the help of his 3 daughters. Applying an interesting method, in portrait painting Edge sketched and completed the face of the person he was painting on a piece of canvas, cut it out, and glue it to a new canvas. From there on, Pine’s daughters filled in the background and essentially finished all of his masterpieces. Pine and Wright’s daughters challenged the role of women to sit and be admired rather than create their own art, yet they receive practically no recognition for their talents.

John Lear, a professor at the University of Puget Sound, spoke on the life and work of Diego Rivera and his friendship with Bertram Wolfe. He focused on the intersection of politics/political theory and art. His discussion suggested that revolution is not merely a national project, but a trans-national one. What I found most interesting about Rivera was his consistent Marxist revision of both US and Mexican history in his mural works. He identified strongly with the proletarian cause and was a member of the Mexican Communist party, though his loyalty waned over the years.

These two speakers intersected on the significant topic of whether art and politics should be allowed to be linked. This topic opened up many avenues for reflection after the event. While in retrospect, it’s easy for this decision to be made if you are on a certain side of a political faction or revolution, as political art usually serves as a form of propaganda for a certain ideology. This event opened my eyes to the universality of art across cultures. While different movements may become popularized in certain areas (e.g. Cubism in Latin America), many times artists are attempting to convey similar ideas. Rivera and Wolfe’s story is one of international cooperation and vision, which I find to be inspiring whether you agree with their ideologies or not. This type of trans-national mentorship and communication is important to International Affairs in that unification over common goals is often the best way to fix an international problem. The forgotten artists in Zara’s presentation beg the question of whether more women and people of color on an international scale are being swept under the rug, calling into question the falsifibility of history and the lens through which we view it.

Image result for phillis wheatley's portrait

Phillis Wheatley’s Portrait 

“So You Think You Can Do Research”

I took the opportunity to attend IA’s “So You Think You Can Do Research” panel on Monday, January 28th; not only to fulfill my Academic event requirement but also to explore a facet of the college experience I am simultaneously intimidated and intrigued by. The panel featured several IA scholars, all of whom are second years or beyond that are involved as research assistants or conductors of their own research on campus. This event offered me a couple new perspectives (debunking some undergraduate research “myths”) as well as some larger takeaways regarding how I go about being a college student. For the first time at OSU, I was able to place names and faces with undergrad research. This experience made the idea of jumping into research far less daunting as I got to hear from undergrads who approached professors for research positions, performed research in those positions, AND lived to tell the tale! The only sources of information on research I had interacted with up until this panel had been professors and faculty, most of which had been conducting research for decades. To interact with older students who not only credited research as a defining factor of their intellectual growth but also exhibited an immense passion for their projects was incredibly inspirational. Jacob Caponi (fellow public health sociology major) and Sam Stelinski caught my interest in that both of their research projects (Jacob’s in HIV PREP research and Sam’s in economic decision theory) were attempting to answer questions that I had myself.

This panel both debunked a lot of the untruths I’d believed about undergrad research and provided me with new ways to view research’s role in my trek towards being an Epidemiologist and otherwise well-rounded scholarly person. First, I’ve come to realize through the panel that doing research is an excellent way to customize your academic experience at Ohio State. A specific point that resonated well with me was made by my previous TA, Matt, who was speaking on the possibilities of research in the humanities. Matt suggested that as a person studying humanities, immense amounts of reading are required to learn the material, and inevitably these readings will have gaps, holes or inconsistencies within them. These non-sequiturs are the areas in which you can dive into uncharted territory through research. These research questions or topics may be ideas that have never been explored on a college campus before, making your undergrad experience truly unique. I find it amazing that as an Ohio State student, I have the potential to research never-before explored facets of an endless array of topics.

Second, it’s now evident to me that research exists in literally any field that you aspire to study. Research isn’t confined to medical labs, though valuable research does occur here. Kate Greer’s exploration of German dance and cultural context is a prime example of this. Kate’s research isn’t quantitative or easily analyzed using statistical analysis, but it still counts and measures up with those that do their research in immunology and cancer labs. My statistics for sociology class has also played a role in lessening my bias about humanities research (and essentially any non-science research), as I’ve recently been analyzing qualitative information such as political leanings, religious affiliation, and popular opinions. The research I’m learning to analyze may not involve microbiology in any way, shape, or form, but it does have a profound impact in that its allowed countless people to study populations and groups in how they interact.

Lastly, I appreciated the point made by many of the panelists. Many of them stated that your research doesn’t have to tie directly-or even at all-to your intended major. They stressed the importance of truly being interested in what you’re doing, or your research project will feel like a chore or a job.