On November 15, 2019, IA, PSL, and other scholars groups piled into buses and took a lovely trip to the Columbus Zoo. I really liked that in order to get in, we were required to bring five canned goods to donate. However, I did not like the chilly Columbus “fall” weather.

As enjoyable as this experience with my friends and fellow International Affairs scholars was, I was thoroughly disappointed with the Columbus zoo’s lack of education on the animals. Not to mention the small, bland enclosures that were not suitable for many of the animals they hold captive. Growing up, I always loved zoos, but as I got older I realized they do more harm than good. It is heartbreaking to see elephants and rhinos cramped into grey, concrete buildings with no features but piles of hay. Seeing the polar bear lying on the grass, looking hopeless and unsatisfied, infuriated me. Zoos are for human’s entertainment, and as a consequence we are taking these wild animals away from their natural habitats and forcing them to live in captivity, just for business and amusement.

While visiting the penguin exhibit, another guest of the zoo decided to turn on their flashlight and tease the penguins with it. They shined it on the water and the penguins followed, thinking it was the scales of fish. One of the major problems with this situation was that there was no one, no zoo member or expert or environmentalist, there to stop this person from harassing the penguins. Instead, I had to hold my tongue. In addition, there were barely any signs with information educating people on the animals, their likes and dislikes, and what to avoid when visiting their enclosures.

However, there was an part of the zoo that, in my opinion, was very important. Next to the tiger exhibit, there were life sized cut outs of the different types of tigers, with the word “extinct” printed on most of them. As upsetting as it was to see this, it put into perspective the loss the Earth has endured since the beginning of habitat destruction and poaching. Hopefully, this feature does its job, and makes guests think twice as they walk through the zoo.

All in all, as much fun I had being with my friends and seeing all the beautiful lights, this trip made me realize how much more I despise zoos and their motives. The zoo problem is a global issue, and the education on it is important to finding solutions.

On Monday, November 4th, I headed over to the Wexner Center for the Arts, thinking I was just going to watch a short documentary about a girl living in Afghanistan. What I experienced was much more meaningful, eye opening, and infuriating. I left that room feeling more passionate about world events than I ever have before.

A Thousands Girls Like Me, directed by Sahra Mani, focused on the lives of a family in trouble. Khatera was young when the rapes started. She endured four pregnancies, two of the children which she cares for. One of the moments that haunts me from the film, was when she said, “She is my daughter, and my sister.” For years Khatera was raped by her father, with her devastated mother lying right next to her. It was heartbreaking to listen to her talk about how it destroyed her life, and how no one around her believed her. She tried to get help, but no one would listen. That is why she turned to the media, and finally got the support she needed. Her father eventually ended up in jail, and after a long, intense trial, he was found guilty on all charges.

This documentary was absolutely heartbreaking and brought me to tears. I feel guilty for taking advantage of the amazing life that was given to me, not everyone has the same privileges I do living in the Unites States. Not only was I upset as I left the movie, but I was also filled with rage. The film depicted the many DANGERS of speaking out and saying you were raped in Afghanistan. That is a painful sentence to read. Khatera was thought to be a liar by most, and the devil by many others. To me, she is an inspiration to all women, and those who’s lives have been devastated by sexual assault. It is enraging that no one around her even blinked an eye when she got the courage to tell her story.

This film relates to women’s rights concerns not just in Afghanistan, but also can be applied to any country who doesn’t give victims the voice they need. Obviously, we still have problems with basic human rights around the world. Watching this documentary sparked a fire in me, and drives me to push for change more than ever.