On Wednesday, February 24, I attended a service event packed full of different opportunities relating to education. Representatives from Peace Corps, Americorps, Urban Teachers, City Year, and Teach for America discussed the goals and purposes of their organizations. I have always had a passion for teaching and learning, and thought about being an educator for many years. When I decided on occupational therapy, I realized it combined both teaching and helping others, which was the common mission of all of these programs mentioned.

Some of the organizations offered opportunities in other countries, and all noted that the most help is needed in countries such as in Africa and Latin America. It is heartbreaking hearing about all of the education inequality around the globe regarding social and economic factors. Knowing children are not receiving the education and growing opportunities they deserve inspires me to want to help and volunteer with these groups. The Peace Corps was particularly interesting to me. I like how there are multiple sections of volunteering ranging from agriculture to education to health.

Although I do not want to become teacher after graduating, I know I will look back and remember this presentation to remind me of that passion I’ve always had for helping others. I am truly considering joining one of these incredible programs to travel and help those in need around the world.

On Wednesday, February 10, I attended a short discussion hosted by Zaria on the College Mentors for Kids program OSU offers. I love how the main focuses are on higher education, diversity, and community service, all of which I am passionate about. It sounded incredibly heartwarming to be a part of, and I will definitely consider applying for next year.

On Monday, February 8, I attended Current Event Night hosted by Samantha Z., and I realized how unbelievably behind I am in world events. Almost every major event Sam discussed, I hadn’t heard anything about. This meeting really got me thinking about what the media has been focusing on lately, and why. Being in a global pandemic, it is obviously very important to report on updates about the disease and the vaccine, but when every news station and every app solely reports on COVID, it get’s old, and is also a constant reminder of all of those who have lost their lives to the disease. Because of this, I have been avoiding the news all together recently, but I now realize that my knowledge of world events has dramatically decreased. So, this meeting was refreshing, and I feel much more caught up.

One of the events I found most interesting was the Perth bushfires. I remember the devastating wildfires that ripped through Australia last year, but little did I know they are still battling fires there. Samantha also brought up the Myanmar coup in Southeast Asia, which was an event I had actually heard something about previous to this meeting. Reading about the protesters using the three-finger Hunger Games salute sent chills up my spine.

I feel like I am in the same boat as many US citizens when I say that I did not know of a majority of the events discussed at the current event night. It is a shame how much I don’t know about other parts of the world. I could be looking in the wrong places, but I do not see much media coverage on anything happening outside the United States. Like I mentioned, it is usually primarily COVID related news. Looks like I need to broaden my news sources, and start doing more research of my own.

On Wednesday, October 21 at 4:30 pm, I attending an online Zoom meeting titled “Disability, Sexuality, and Human Rights.” I was immediately introduced to multiple educated female researchers and scholars who wanted to share their research and input on human rights around the globe, specifically the rights of those with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community. My first impression of this discussion was extremely positive: the panelists were all female. I feel inspired when I see a group of all female panelists. They introduced themselves by saying their name, race, and ethnicity, and describing their appearance and background, which was informative and interesting to me.

The panelists explained their research studies on various topics related to human rights. Some related to laws regarding people with disabilities, and how these laws are discriminatory. A few mentioned India specifically, and how the country has pushed to ignore the rights and care of those with disabilities. I was especially intrigued in Eunjung Kim’s powerpoint on human rights in South Korea. Her call to action at the end of her presentation resonated with me. The common theme I noticed throughout the discussion was that these problems are mainly systematic. So to even begin to fix these issues, we need to focus first on and prioritize that aspect, and hopefully change within the system will allow for individuals open their eyes as well.

This discussion was really insightful. I have always known discrimination based on sexuality and disability exists, but not to the extent to which the panelists described. They all gave me a new perspective on specific instances related to this, but also inspired me to do my own research and to advocate more for human rights around the world.

On Thursday, September 24, 2020, I attended an online zoom meeting hosted by the Department of History which described our modern day climate change crisis. I have always been passionate about advocating for action to slow down the climate change process, so this meeting only solidified my goals and views on the topic. I already knew a lot about climate change going into this meeting after writing multiple different essays on it throughout high school and college thus far, but this conversation gave me even more information and insight on the reality, and urgency, of finding a way to stop climate change before it is too late.

The event was titled “Climate Change: Insights from History.” A general definition of climate history is studying patterns of climate over time to better understand our climate today. Looking back to the start of the Industrial Revolution when new machinery and technologies were being invented and implemented, it is clear that this was the spark that allowed toxic gases to be released into the atmosphere. Still, it wasn’t until the 1900s when humans began to really pump CO2 and methane into the sky, jump starting the process we now know as climate change. Factories, pesticides and cars all have to do with the increasing levels of CO2 in our atmosphere. This CO2 and other toxic gases destroy the ozone layer, allowing dangerous sunlight to hit Earth, causing wildfires, melting icebergs, rising oceans, and intense worldwide storms. This problem is only increasingly getting worse, and we as humans need to do something about it or else the disastrous effects will be permanent. The politicization of climate change is creating a huge divide, and stopping any action from occurring. Even though there are massive amounts of facts and evidence to prove the existence of this change, some people still do not believe climate change is real, or just do not see the urgency of the matter, which is an obstacle for those who seek to help the Earth before the consequences are irreversible.

This should not be a political view, this is our reality. Humans need to stop arguing and start pushing, together, for a healthier and happier Earth, or else we won’t have a place to stand on to argue about it.

On Friday, February 27, me and a few good friends in International Affairs took on an escape room. Only having been to one before, I wasn’t very prepared for the mind games we were about to endure. We were assigned to the room “Do Not Disturb,” based around a story of people being kidnapped, and us figuring out who, where, and how. We had one hour to find all the clues and crack the code to escape the room.

Being trapped in a tiny space with a couple of confused IA members was definitely a bonding experience. Everyone did their part in finding pieces to the puzzle, and honestly we did get pretty close to escaping. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and failed to the escape the room.

Nonetheless, this trip was so much fun. I am so glad I got to share this memory before having to pack up and move out of OSU…before the COVID-19 outbreak. It for sure reminded me how close I am with many other IA members, and as I am writing this, how much I already miss running into them in the hallways, chatting during meetings, bonding over late night talks, and always being able to see a friendly face around campus.

Although devastated to not be spending time with IA friends for the rest of the semester, I am looking forward to coming back and seeing everyone in the fall.

On Tuesday February 4, I walked to the Chemical & Bi0molecular Engineering & Chemistry Building to watch a film about the biggest river restoration project in United State history. Before watching this documentary, I had no idea about the crisis in California/Oregon over this river, the Klamath. What I learned was really intriguing; there were multiple sides to this story. There were native people fighting for the river, as well as farmers, locals, and even large dam building companies. With so many conflicting perspectives, it was hard to decide what side I supported.

The film focused on the Klamath River that flows from southern Oregon to Northern California, and is nearly three hundred miles in length. Over hundreds of years, the rights to the water have changed. Dams led to pollution and lack of fish is many areas, and those who have been living on the water their whole lives are suffering the consequences. They explained how there were years when thousands of fish washed up dead along the banks. Protests ensued and the government eventually got involved. One of the main themes throughout the movie was “In order to save a river, you must first heal a people.” After people of all backgrounds and opinions about the river got together and discussed their viewpoints, they all realized they wanted the same thing. So there was a happy ending to this story, and all of the parties involved communicated and found a solution to their river dilemma.

This story was really interesting to me. Considering I had never heard of the problems with the Klamath River, it was a shock to hear of all the people affected by it. This one body of water brought hundreds of people from different backgrounds, histories, opinions, ideas and experiences for one purpose, and that’s really incredible to me.

On Thursday, January 16, I took a trip to Hagerty Hall to listen to Samantha Harris, a former IA member, speak about her law school experience. Although there were some technical difficulties, she really put into perspective how her life completely changed from being a student at Ohio State to a student at Harvard.

As of right now, I am not entirely interested in pursuing law. However, it could be something of interest once I narrow down my choices for a major. I am going to follow the undecided path until I really know what I want to do and be. Anyways, I went to this talk because I thought it would be inspiring and cool to listen to an actual Harvard law student, as that program is extremely difficult to get into. My first impression of Sam was positive, as she had her dog with her on FaceTime. One thing I really admired about her was her honesty. Many people will tell you that if you can dream it, you can do it, but life is not that easy sometimes. Sam made this clear, as she admitted law school is not what others made it out to be. It is difficult, and stressful, and boring, and sometimes feels like it is just not worth it. Sam said though, if it’s what you want to do, then you should face the challenge.

Although this did not directly relate to International events, it gave me some perspective on what I would like to do in the future. Sam, being a previous IA scholar herself, said that IA was incredibly helpful with the application process for law school. She mentioned it was crucial to her acceptance into Harvard, and I am happy to be part of such a impressive/important/intelligent group of people.

“American Factory” is set in post-industrial Ohio, where a Chinese billionaire opens a new glass factory. The film follows multiple faces involved, including the man who started it all. It portrays many different viewpoints, and attempts to include all perspectives. The main focus of the movie was on was the divide in opinions, work ethic, background, and stereotypes surrounding the Americans and the Chinese.

After a General Motors facility closed down in 2008 in Dayton, Fuyao Glass America takes over the space and promises thousands of jobs. The twist was the inclusion of hundreds of Chinese workers as well, to increase diversity while aiming to change American’s perceptions. A good idea on the surface, but viewers and employees soon realize that the language and cultural barriers present a problem. Unable to communicate effectively, issues arise and continue to grow as workers are divided. Both the Americans and the Chinese assume stereotypes, and the company crumbles in its first few years. The chairman of Fuyao specifically says, “American workers are not efficient, and output is low.” This is what all the Chinese employees are taught, that Americans are self confident, and also lazy. Which compared to the lifestyle shown in Chinese factories, is easy to assume. Even as a call for a union divides the workforce even more, a theme arises: we’re all one world.

This film and message is related to IA in that despite differences in lifestyle and upbringing we are all connected by the world we live on. Fuyao has had positive profits since 2018, and still employs both American and Chinese workers. Diversity is a crucial aspect to success in many businesses. The cultural gap in the documentary caused problems as nobody was interested in fixing it, however, the viewpoints also allowed for different opinions to be shared and ideas to spread throughout the workforce and the company.

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.