My first-year project was to learn to play the Irish folk song “Oh Danny Boy” on the harmonica.

One of the primary challenges I faced was the sole fact that playing the harmonica was harder than I expected it to be. Being able to precisely locate the specific holes on the harmonica (each about half a centimeter wide) proved to be very difficult. Another skill that was quite difficult was being able to remember which hole you are on relative to other positions on the harmonica. It is not too difficult to move over one position, but having to move multiple positions (e.g. moving from the 4 hole to the 6 hole) can be challenging.

In addition to just learning how to play a song on the harmonica, there were a few challenges that presented themselves in actually self-managing this project. One consideration to keep in mind was that I started this project while living on campus at Ohio State and attending in-person classes and ended when I was living at home attending online classes. This transition due to the coronavirus outbreak did not necessarily inhibit my ability to perform the task, but more so my time management skills and overall motivation. Being stuck in my house because of quarantining procedures distracted me from completing this project and sort of halted the progress I had already made. Aside from this setback, the rest of the project went generally well. I was able to make progress on my playing abilities by having practice sessions and slowly work my way up to being able to play the whole song. After I started practicing, I decided it would be easier to focus on the two sections of the song individually and piece them together. After working and perfecting each section I was able to put them together and get the finished product. Overall, managing this project was not very difficult; it was mostly the extenuating circumstances that inhibited the progression of the project.

Looking back, there are a few things I would have done differently. Primarily, I would have tried to make a plan as to how I was going to actually learn the song before just jumping in and trying to play it. I eventually made a plan to break down the song into smaller portions in order to make the learning process easier, but I wish I would have thought to do this before starting the learning process. Also, I wish I would have stayed more motivated during the mid-semester transition to online classes. If I would not have let this project slip on my list of priorities, perhaps I would not have lost a bit of my progress on playing the song. Obviously, the coronavirus outbreak is a very special circumstance that was unprecedented and very unexpected, so I cannot look back and wished I had been more prepared for something like that to happen. However, if some sort of unexpected challenge were to present itself in the future, I hope I will be more prepared to adapt to the circumstances and maintain my current rate of progress.

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For my Spring Project, I will be learning to play the traditional Irish folk song “Oh Danny Boy” on the harmonica. I have always been interested in learning how to play the harmonica and decided to choose this for my STEM EE Scholars Spring Project. Additionally, this is a song that I very much enjoy and would love to learn how to play. Furthermore, learning how to play the harmonica is a skill I would love to carry with me as I go on in life.

On Wednesday, November 13th, I attended the Ohio State Multicultural Center event, “Who am I? Who are you? Who are we?”, hosted by the STEM Exploration and Engagement Scholars. Going into the event, I was not sure what to expect. All I knew was that it was going to be on the topic of identity and its importance in our lives. Aware of this, I thought it may be sort of awkward having to attend this sort of event, presumably because, as someone who does not think about these topics very often, discussing identity can be somewhat difficult.

At first, the atmosphere in the room was slightly awkward and it seemed like people were holding back from participating. However, as the event continued on, I felt more and more comfortable talking about some of the topics in the presentation. I was originally slightly hesitant to participate and discuss some of the topics. However, the presenter talked about the information in a very assuring and insightful way, and I eventually felt more confident in recognizing my identity and some of the privileges that I enjoy. I also began to realize that the terms that were being used were terms that I had heard before and the way the presenter talked about the information made it less awkward and more relatable. Topics such as the definition of identity, the difference between prejudice, discrimination, and oppression, and different examples of prejudice. I would say that I learned the most about what is defined as privilege and some various examples of privilege in today’s world.

Diversity and Inclusion are extremely important at a university like Ohio State. Educating the student body about the values of diversity and inclusion is extremely important. It is often a topic that people either do not typically think about or choose to avoid talking about, but bringing more awareness to prejudice, discrimination, and oppression is important and relevant. However, the goal in doing this should not be to try to change other peoples’ beliefs; the goal should be to equip people with the knowledge to form an educated decision and form their own beliefs based on the information that is provided. I cannot say that my beliefs were entirely changed by attending this event, but I did learn some valuable information about the concept of identity and privilege.

Personally, I think there is just enough focus on diversity and inclusion here at Ohio State. There are several organizations on campus centered focused around minorities, programs and events that seek to educate the student body about these topics, and even an entire multicultural center that focuses on bringing awareness to these subjects. As a member of most of the majority groups, I have not felt much of a need to take advantage of these opportunities. However, I know that these resources are very important to other students here at Ohio State. Despite feeling slightly unsure about attending this event, I do feel that going to this presentation was a very beneficial and insightful experience.

This past week, a few friends and I went to visit the Ohio State John W. Wilce Student Health Center. Up until I went, I had not had a serious need to go; I had not yet been sick nor had a medical need that required me to go there. However, by being required to visit the Student Health Center for class, I figured it would at least be a good opportunity to know where it is and what types of services it can provide.

When I went to the Student Health Center, I did not particularity schedule an appointment, as I did not have a real need to make one at that time. More so, I went to explore and see what they had to offer. Inside the Student Health Center, there was an information kiosk to ask questions or to guide you to where you needed to go, a small store that sold basic medical supplies and necessities, a seating area for students to wait, and a tablet station where someone could make a walk in appointment if necessary.

Personally, I did not expect the Student Health Center to be as extensive and massive as it actually was. Before visiting it, I thought the Student Health Center was just a place for students to go if they were not feeling well or got hurt in some way. However, in reality, the services they provide are much more broad than just this. The services available do depend on whether or not students have the health insurance offered through Ohio State. However, whether someone has the insurance or not, several useful health resources are available for all students at the Student Health Center.

Based on the current size and reach of the Student Health Center, I feel that there is not much of a need to continue to grow the student health services that are available on campus. At its current size, the Student Health Center can help students with almost any basic medical need that arises in normal life. Any medical need more urgent or severe than this is presumably something that would need to be handled by a hospital or something of the sort, and this extent of medical help is not necessary for a basic campus student health center.

As a very large, public university, Ohio State has many useful student support services that are widely available and accessible. For this reason, personally, I do not feel that Ohio State is missing any sort of support service. However, this is just based on my needs, and the needs for every student is different. For this reason, there may be a support service that is not currently offered at the university that could help more students.

After visiting the Student Health Center, I feel a lot better knowing where to go and what to do if a medical need arises. It may seem like a simple task to make an appointment, see a doctor, and get medical attention, but as someone living on their own for the first time, the Ohio State Student Health Center helps to make this a little more manageable.

On Monday,  October 7th, a few friends and I attended a seminar at the Ohio State Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Building about semiconductors in nanocrystals and conical intersections.  The presenter was Benjamin Levine, a professor and researcher from Michigan State University.

A group of us went to the CBEC Building to attend this seminar. From what I could tell, it seemed like we were some of the only undergraduate students in the seminar. I felt a bit out of place, but we simply came to listen to the presentation and get a feel for this sort of seminar. I personally did not get a chance to talk to anyone after, as I had a class I needed to attend immediately following. However, if I did have the chance to talk to the presenter, I may have asked about how he conducts his research or if he has any advice for someone looking to do research in the future.

Being honest, I did not understand much of the content that was presented within the presentation. The concepts explained by the presenter were very technical and sophisticated chemistry concepts, and my limited knowledge within this area made it difficult to grasp the ideas he was trying to get across. However, as a first year undergraduate student, I did not expect to understand everything he was going to say. The value behind this experience came through seeing how the research was conducted and how the presenter shared his findings. In terms of research in my area, I can say that the presentation is what I expected academic research to be like. Obviously, academic research has a very narrow scope within a particular content area; and although I am not focusing on chemical and material engineering, this is what I imagined engineering-based research would look like.

For anyone that is looking to do any sort of research at any point in their life, getting involved in the academic community as an undergraduate student is a great way to gain experience and understanding of how research is conducted and how it is presented to the public. I may be interested in doing academic research in a STEM related field at some point in my life, so getting to be at a presentation of genuine research was very interesting. Additionally, it can be just another way to further one’s knowledge about a certain concept or idea, even if the concept is not in their area of study.  

After attending this seminar event, I cannot really say that I am an expert in semiconductors in nanocrystals or conical intersections. However, I feel that the experience of sitting in on a presentation of academic research from an established university was a beneficial experience. I hope that one day I will be able to conduct research and present it in a similar setting to what I saw this past Monday. Also, as I further my knowledge in my area of study, I may begin attending seminars about concepts that I understand to learn about research taking place in the academic community. 

This week, I visited the Math and Stats Learning Center for tutoring in MATH 1151. I went with one other friend and worked through one of our online homework assignments while getting occasional help from some of the tutors. We wandered around the building and the long, dark hallways for some time before we finally found the room in the basement. We signed into the computer and found table with a few open chairs. Overall, I thought it was a pretty beneficial experience, as there were numerous tutors who are experts in the area and that were available to answer any questions we had. Even if it was a simple question, I was able to flip the card to the side that lets the tutors know you need assistance and get some help. I had never really gotten any sort of tutoring like this in high school, so it is nice to know that something like this exists for some of the notoriously difficult classes. In the future, If I am really struggling with a concept that I just cannot get the hang of, I will probably consider coming back to get help from some of the tutors. Most of the time in high school, I would just try watching a YouTube video or staring at the textbook for hours until I felt I had a good understanding. Especially in harder classes, there were very few people aside from the teacher who could really explain the material and had a solid understanding of the concepts. However, with so many people who have dedicated themselves to these specific content areas, it is incredibly easy to be able to find someone to aid in my understanding. This is just one of the several advantages of attending such a large university. Also, concepts thrown around quickly in a lecture with several hundred students may just go right over peoples’ heads. So, this opportunity to ask any questions that arise is valuable. Additionally, I feel that with such easy access to people who are very knowledgeable in the area, I can have a much more personalized approach and ask questions specific to my gaps in the content, not just general review. Obviously, this is just one of many academic resources on campus. This particular resource helps students who enjoy the one on one approach in order to learn the material. Personally, this would be my preferred method in seeking academic help. Up until now, I have heard numerous mentions of the Math and Stats Learning Center. After seeing what it is really like, I will probably find myself returning either to review for future exams of just to clear up my knowledge gaps so that I do not fall behind. Overall, I think this visit was very beneficial for me. By having to go to the MSLC, I now know where to find a trusted resource that will be a great deal of help and I now know a little more about some of the academic resources available on campus.

The student organization that I decided to attend was the Ohio State Athletic Band. The Athletic Band meets twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 and performs at Ohio State non-football events, such as hockey games, volleyball matches, etc. In high school, a major part of my life involved playing trombone, both inside and outside of school. So when I came to Ohio State, I knew I wanted to find something to do that involved playing my trombone. However, I already knew that marching band was too demanding of a time commitment for me, so I looked up other options online. I found Athletic Band and knew that I wanted to check it out. I showed up by myself on the first day where we got part placements and music and started playing immediately after. Aside from getting to do something I really enjoy, some benefits are getting to attend and experience various and lesser-known sports events while branching out from academics. Right now, there are not any student leaders as the nomination and selection process for Athletic Band council is still taking place. However, I could possibly see myself being a student leader in a few years when I know more about how Athletic Band operates. In terms of a student organization, the Athletic Band is relatively more of a time commitment, so I will definitely need to utilize in-depth time management skills. With two hour and a half practices a week plus a various events I have to attend, it will definitely require some planning. At the first practice, I talked a little to some of the people around me. Since this is a non academic organization, all of other students were in different majors but all enjoyed playing their instruments. So, I have already started making a few new friends outside of classes and my dorm. At a university as large as Ohio State, I did not really have any trouble finding an organization that fit my interests. Like most people, I have a several interests that define who I am. So, with this many student organizations, it probably is not hard for anyone to find a student organization that fits with either their academic interests or pastimes. I do not really have any student organizations in mind, but I would consider starting a new one if there was an interest I wanted to pursue where there was not already a club for it. Personally, I think that the number of student organizations is great for students’ involvement. Obviously, Ohio State is an incredibly diverse school. So, by having so many different options of student organizations available, it provides everyone with a chance to find something that speaks to their passions or interests. College is a lot more than just academics. When we come to college, we are living an entire lifestyle, so finding some way to express ourselves is critical to our overall well being. So far, I think I have found an organization that fits me and my interests and that allows me to express myself in a setting away from the classroom.

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