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.

On Tuesday, October 8, I had the pleasure of attending a Global Engagement Night dedicated to discussing fashion. Not only did we learn about some of the different fashion choices around the world, but the event also lived up to its “engagement” name. We started with a small ice breaker, which led to many off topic discussions. However, we then moved onto a short PowerPoint which quizzed the group on where specific styles are from. Of course, we ended with a Kahoot, which left me feeling very uneducated on past and modern fashion trends, but with more curiosity on the topic nonetheless.

The PowerPoint examined some current styles from various countries worldwide. For example, I learned that while El Salvador and Columbia base their outfits on brighter colors, Saudi Arabia focuses more on the comfort and religious aspect of clothing. Nigerian fashion emphasizes diversity and uniqueness, while Malaysia stresses gender specific clothing. Throughout the night, the presenters asked many thought provoking questions. One of my favorites was along the lines of, “what fashion trend of your past are you most embarrassed of?” Just about every girl in that room knew the answer to that question immediately: the Justice phase. I had my fair share of fashion fails growing up: colorful leggings under jean shorts, a tank top under anything and everything, and not to mention the knee-high super hero socks from eight grade. It was fun to reflect on our past choices, and compare them to ourselves today. The presentation made me ponder about what fashion means to me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this event, it was lively and interactive and interesting. Seeing all the different style choices around the world provoked my curiosity on the topic. I never really considered the different motivations for fashion choices; social media tends to have a large impact on my personal clothing preferences. To me, international affairs is usually associated with politics and current events. As much as I love talking politics, it was refreshing to just explore diversity throughout the world and discuss a subject that everyone in the room was familiar with. I enjoyed listening to others perspectives on clothing trends, and also observing first hand the variety of styles around the room. No matter where you are from, we can all relate to the idea of fashion. It connects us!

Right after attending the Education Abroad Expo on Thursday, September 12, 2019, I headed to the Glass Classroom of Smith-Steeb to listen to a presentation by Jacob Caponi on the horrific events of the Rwandan genocide.

Last year at the University of Akron, I took a class called Contemporary Global Issues in which we discussed this tragedy, so I was somewhat familiar with the topic already. However, I learned a lot from listening to Jacob, and one of the many things that shocked me about this presentation was my realization of the lack of coverage American schools provide on genocides other than the Holocaust. As Jacob said, other countries teach their students that two genocides have occurred in America, that of Native Americans and that of African Americans. In high school, from my experience, emphasis was placed on the Holocaust, and never on United States’ role in these events. This lead me to ponder on why we focus so much attention to the mistakes of other countries, but not of our own.

About the actual topic at hand, Jacob explained that the genocide began as a result of an “Us vs. Them” mentality spurred by the colonial period. The killings started on April 6, 1994, and continued until July 16, 1994. The Hutu majority targeted the Tutsi population, which led to a million deaths and 250,000 women raped in just 100 days. Jacob also placed emphasis on the rehabilitation of the perpetrators and criminals associated to the genocide. He described the process of being introduced back into society after serving their sentences in prison. What was strange, was that he told us how those who are returning from jail would be welcomed back into their communities. He used the phrase “Forgive but never forget.” This gave me chills, as I have used that quote personally to get through troubling times.

Learning about major events around the world is an essential part of being a member of International Affairs. It’s what we are all about. Being exposed to situations that would normally not be mentioned in the classroom is really important to me. It expands my knowledge about the world, and provides me with a new perspective on life in general.

On Thursday, September 12, 2019, I decided to attend an expo dedicated to informing students on the many study abroad opportunities on and off campus. What I did not know, was the extent to which OSU offered these trips and experiences. Walking into this event was nothing short of overwhelming. I was accompanied by my friend Jack, who is also majoring in Business, as we explored the many different tables and booths in the Archie Griffin Ballroom of the Ohio Union.

Growing up, I knew I wanted to travel. Although I haven’t been out of the United States (yet), exploring new places and cultures has always peaked my interest. I wanted to find a study abroad trip that balances aspects from both my major and my curiosities about traveling. However, after arriving at the expo, I didn’t even know where to start. There were tables specifically for students in the Fisher College of Business, where I learned about the different types of global programs. For example, global labs are typically 1-2 weeks while global internships are 8 weeks. I was more focused on the short term ones (for now), so I visited the Global May table, where a peer explained to me her personal experience with visiting Spain for a month. Having taken 3 years of Spanish, I talked to her for a while about the culture and life in Madrid. She inspired me to take a closer look at the program. In my “About Me” section on this portfolio, I mentioned how I want to study abroad, and this opportunity has gotten me one step closer to achieving that goal.

Clearly, this event relates to International Affairs in multiple ways. Not only would a study abroad trip expose me to different perspectives on global politics, issues, and events, but would also prove the importance of learning about others experiences in an unfamiliar environment to me. I have some time to weigh my choices and to get some questions answered, but I can’t wait to see where my decision takes me.