Month: February 2020

Late Night Breakfast

Social Event

December 4th, 2019 in Smith-Steeb Lobby

The night before the first day of finals, I attended the Late Night Breakfast for IA, ACES and PSL. Breakfast food is my favorite, so to say I was excited for this event would be an understatement. It was a really nice way to begin my first finals week, and a great final event for my first semester in IA. While I was there I interacted with members of IA but also students in ACES and PSL. It was interesting to hear about their scholars program experience. 

This was a great event for practicing how to interact with others who may have different experiences than you, which is an important skill in international affairs. Obviously, we had a lot in common being Ohio State students, and for the most part all first-year students. And in the international affairs world, there may be a language barrier and cultural differences. Regardless, this event was a great way to just interact with others and share our experiences. This event was important for me because it helped me reach a personal goal, which is to get out of my shell a bit more and meet new people. So, it was a great casual event to get to do just that. 

Huck House

Service Event

February 8th, 2020 at Huckleberry House

This past Saturday, I went with a group of IA scholars to Huckleberry House. It is a center for kids in crisis; they offer them meals, a place to hang out, counseling, and a place to sleep if needed. When we arrived we were given a tour of the house. It was really interesting and amazing to see all that they offered, and it seemed like a place that anybody could make home, especially kids in need. They had a nice dining room and kitchen with a pantry where they could get food whenever they wanted. As well as a living room, a recreation room, and a quiet room with a piano. 

Our task was to help clean up around the house. We mostly cleaned the first level while the kids were waking up on the second level. While we weren’t there long, I could tell how important this place was for all the children that came there. And the few interactions I saw between the children and workers were all positive and they treated them like family. I think this relates to International Affairs because some of the issues these kids are facing are just like ones being faced by kids all over the world. Seeing the children facing these issues in our own country and city was a reminder that this isn’t the only place where children are facing similar issues. Everytime I volunteer somewhere I always leave feeling very impacted. I believe volunteering always leaves a positive impact because everytime I feel happy that I was able to give back and do something for somebody else. I left Huck House feeling not only this, but also feeling very hopeful; knowing that there were places like this one doing amazing work and helping others.