Blackfriary Study Abroad Reflection

This May I had the chance to use my STEP funds towards a study abroad program entitled “The History and Archaeology of Medieval Ireland: Trim and the Blackfriary.” Here is a reflection detailing my experience and the impact it had on my studies as a whole. Enjoy!

Hi! My name is Dolen Helwagen and I used my STEP funds to travel to Ireland and participate in the “The History and Archaeology of Medieval Ireland: Trim and the Blackfriary” program. This program took me to the Blackfriary archaeology field school in Trim, Ireland where I had the chance to work on excavating a Medieval Dominican Friary, as well as travel around to the rest of Ireland. In addition to excavating and traveling, I had the chance to learn about the history of Trim and Ireland itself, while learning the ins and outs of archaeological study. Growing up I had always been interested in archaeology, so this program allowed me to experience first-hand what archaeologists truly do. I am studying math and history, which don’t necessarily link directly to archaeology, but I found both very useful within my time at the Blackfriary.

Going into this program I truly didn’t know what to expect. Zero archaeological experience and little international travel were my reality and this program helped me expand my horizons in ways which truly surprised myself. A big change I saw in myself was my confidence of organization. Throughout this trip I was given the chance to organize weekend trips and activities for my fellow students and I am extremely proud with the success at which these events happened. I have always had a knack for logistics, so planning trips and organizing large groups came much easier to me than I had first thought. I organized a weekend trip to Galway for 15 of my classmates, including me, and it turned out to be one of the best weekends I had in Ireland. Furthermore, with the help of my housemates, I had the opportunity to make paper plate awards (ie: superlatives) and create a way to build community within our group. I am very proud of how well these events turned out and now know my strength of organization can be beneficial in many different ways.

Before I came to Ireland, I really didn’t know what I was myself getting into. I was extremely nervous for the actual digging and the first day we started, I knew I had made the right decision. We had the chance to work under some amazing supervisors at the field school and every single one of them helped us from the moment we got de-sodding to the last bucket of soil we removed 4 weeks later. I was continually pushed to step out of my comfort zone both emotionally, and physically, which ultimately made this experience so rewarding. Nothing builds relationships and friendships like shoveling, digging, troweling, and wheelbarrowing in the pouring rain.

Every single person I interacted with throughout this program (our OSU advisors Dr. Alison Beach and Melissa Clark, my fellow classmates, the field school supervisors, our site interns) had a profound impact on my experience. That being said, one of the main influences in my transformation was my cutting supervisor, Laura Corrway. Laura was in charge of the cutting I was digging in, cutting 16, and there she helped us every step of the way. Our entire cutting looked to Laura to guide us in the right direction and, without her, I think we would’ve majorly struggled within the cutting. Laura always knew when we were struggling, or succeeding, and worked to help us really understand what was happening within the soil. I look up to Laura in the way that she helped us learn by example, not by giving us all of the answers. Excavation is hard work and she really helped me understand the process and impact our group had on understanding the Blackfriary and its intricacies.

Another large part of my transformation was the academic project we were tasked with by Professor Beach. The project-based learning she introduced to us created a whole other side to this program and allowed us to attack questions from many different angles, and to learn a vast amount about Medieval Christianity, Ireland, and the Blackfriary. My amazing group of classmates attacked the question from the fields of which we are studying which allowed me to bring in the math side of my background. Throughout the excavation process I found I had a passion for surveying and using a tool known as the Total Station, which takes measurement and coordinates using mathematical and physical processes. This part of the excavation really resonated with me and being able to use this towards my final project was a great opportunity.

This program has truly affected me and my outlook on future careers as it has shown me archaeology is much more related to both history and math as I had once thought. Although I still want to pursue a PhD and become a professor, I think this field experience will be very valuable down the road, as I believe you learn more in true hands-on experiences. This experience has opened doors that I never really thought about, such as archaeological surveying and artefact curating, that I now have many paths set ahead of me. I would also like to mention that the great friendships I made throughout the course of this program are second to none and I learned as much from them as I did from the amazing supervisors and academics.

 

Cutting 16, aka the best cutting.

Our amazing group of students and interns.

 

Sophomore Year in Review

Wow. Two years almost gone. Sitting here with about six weeks left in my sophomore year, there is much to discuss. From a new job, to 2 promotions, to study abroad, to signing my first lease, a lot has happened throughout this school year and I have seen myself grow in ways I never knew possible. As I go throughout this year in review, I am going to answer some questions relating to the G.O.A.L.S. set out by the H&S department here at Ohio State. Without further ado, here is my sophomore year in review:

Global Awareness 

My quest for global awareness amplified tenfold throughout this school year. Coming into the academic year I knew I wanted to spend Summer 2019 somewhere other than my home of Pataskala, Ohio and that is where I found my true goal: study abroad. Participating in STEP, I knew I could get funds to help with the payment for a study abroad program, so I began my search. As soon as I discovered the WWII Study Tour program, I knew it was something I HAD to do. So I applied. I am not going to lie, I thought I had it. My grades have been pretty good and I felt my mixture of math and history would stand out within the application pool… but it didn’t. I didn’t make it into that particular program, and I was crushed. I had no backup plan and truly didn’t know what I was going to do with my summer, or for my STEP project. This is when I found the The History and Archaeology of Medieval Ireland: Trim and the Blackfriary. It has always been a dream of mine to visit Ireland and this program seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore disciplines of history that I know nothing about: Medieval Ireland and archaeology. I immediately switched my application over and anxiously awaited my decision letter. I got in! As of now I will be spending the month of May working at the excavation site of the Blackfriary in Trim, Ireland and staying with a host family, as well as fellow buckeyes. I couldn’t be more excited for this program and I even plan to reapply for the WWII program next summer. Global awareness is extremely important to me as I believe our perspectives can change with the ways we see the world and I can’t wait to experience new things and new cultures within Ireland. In addition to study abroad, I am continuing my minor in Spanish and plan to have all of those courses done by the end of my junior year.

Original Inquiry

This year I had the opportunity to join a group known as Reading Classics, through the Department of Math. As a member of this organization, you attend weekly lectures regarding classic aspects of math and their histories. Furthermore, you can volunteer to give a lecture yourself. At first, I was very apprehensive about joining, let alone lecturing, because many of the participants are upperclassmen and/or honors students. (It also didn’t help that only three of us, including me, are female, but we are working on it!) After attending for a few weeks, and watching lectures that went ten miles over my head, I decided to give it a try and do my own talk. I researched many possible topics and ended up giving a talk surrounding the Golden Ratio. In comparison to many of the other talks that had been given, it probably wasn’t the most advanced or mind-blowing, but I was, and still am, proud for putting myself out there and presenting in front of my peers. Following the success of last semester, I decided to give another talk this semester on Archimedes and the Arbelos. This talk was much more in depth and I could definitely see how I had improved and grown from the first one. Reading Classics really does stretch my mind and curiosity every week and I hope to continue attending and giving talks. Although I am not involved in any research projects at the moment, I plan to find some I can be apart of for next year.

Academic Enrichment

Where to begin. This year has presented many challenges regarding to my major and classes, but I believe I have finally found the right path. Coming in to fall semester I thought I was ready to step it up a notch, to take 4181H, arguably one of the hardest math classes offered here at OSU. Let’s just say I wasn’t. It was an uphill battle the entire semester one that I was eventually able to win, but after setback after setback. I put hours upon hours into that class and still didn’t see the marks I wanted, but knew I couldn’t give up. I survived 4181H and subsequently put my academic future on the chopping block, so to speak. I knew I couldn’t keep up with the ambitious schedule I had planned out freshman year, so I decided things needed to change and that I needed to find what was going to make me happy, while still being engaging and beneficial. I believe the honors contract I have written up plays perfectly into my strengths and allows me to engage all parts of my interests, while setting me up for my future. My end goal of getting a PhD is still very much alive and I belief the diverse GEs that I have planned out will help me narrow my interests within both math and history. I have done my best to emphasize rigorous courses both in my major plans and my GEs and I hope I can continue on the path that I have planned out. I am particularly excited for my German 3254H class concerning the Holocaust in film, as I believe it will be extremely thought-provoking while also being academically challenging.

Leadership Development

The RPAC. If you don’t know, the RPAC is the largest gym on our campus and a place I find myself a lot now, as I started working there at the beginning of this year. When I made the decision to get a job, I chose to work at the RPAC because I enjoy exercising and thought the atmosphere would be laid back and friendly. One thing I didn’t know was that I would fall in love with my job and end up getting two promotions within my first two semesters there. Honestly, I thought my RPAC job was going to be temporary. Simply a job so I could have a little extra cash and a little less time on my hands. I hadn’t planned on quitting anytime, but I didn’t think I was going to like it as much as I did/still do. I am currently working as an RPAC Facility Coordinator, in charge of our student staff while on shift. Our department, facilities, is somewhat the backbone of the RPAC as virtually everything that needs done to maintain the facility is sent through us. Cleaning, injuries, setting up meeting spaces, organizing fitness spaces, you name it, and I am sure facilities is apart of the process. As a Coordinator, it is my job to manage all 7 other students on the shift and make sure we are getting the things done that have to get done. Coordinators are also the point-people for any type of emergency within the building, making the position communication-heavy and reliant on organization. Coming in as an assistant in August 2018, I didn’t expect to be recognized once, let alone twice, as an outstanding leader and be promoted to the next level. From assistant to manager to coordinator, I believe it has been my work ethic and leadership skills that have put me in this position of authority. Although this job isn’t directly related to my future career goals, I am learning a lot of skills that I know will be beneficial in my future. Teamwork, communication, organization, respect, are all major parts of my job and I know my experience within the RPAC will stay with me within my future here at OSU and beyond.

Service Engagement 

Baking and cooking have always been a passion of mine and through Recipe for Good I have had the chance to give back while doing the things I love. Recipe for Good, a food service organization, focuses on volunteering and giving back to the community through serving at soup kitchens, volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, making dinners at homeless shelters, among other events. I have had the chance to serve at Faith Mission and cook dinners at Manna Cafe, two shelters that serve people within Central Columbus. I throughly enjoy serving at these shelters and getting to know the other members of Recipe for Good had allowed me to meet more people who share a passion for cooking and baking. I love knowing what we are doing is directly effecting people in my own community and I hope to continue participating in this club and applying to be on the exec board for next year. In addition to Recipe for Good, I had the opportunity to volunteer within the library, through the Spanish Department, to aid high schoolers in research projects and navigating Thompson Library. I hope to participate again in the future as getting to know these students was a joy and sharing my favorite location on campus, Thompson Library, was an added bonus.

In the end I would have to say that sophomore year, as challenging as it has been, has been a successful year full of growth and improvement. Although there are still six weeks left, I cannot wait for the amazing opportunities I have lined up this summer, and for junior year. Here’s to a great 2018-2019 school year and an even better 2019-2020!

 

London Honors Reflection

As I sit here and reflect on the beginning of my first semester as a college student, one big thing stands out: London Honors. The class, the people, and the trip all hold a special place in my heart and I don’t think I would look as fondly on the last four months without them. Throughout the semester the lectures I attended for what I called my “London Class” were interesting; but, nothing really hit home until the actual trip came around. The 9ish days I spent in London right before Christmas became some of the best experience of my life. People I barely knew became lifelong friends and a lot of the lessons we learned in class came up in our travels. While in the US, most of us students thought researching the underground system and practicing getting on and off the Tube was useless; but, when 200 people are crowded at a station, our lessons proved very useful. London Honors gave me reasons to get out of my comfort zone and experience life for what it is: fun and beautiful. This experience solidified my desire to travel abroad, as it was my first international trip, and solidified my choice to want to study abroad further into my academic career at OSU. After my trip to London I began to compile a list of other places I want to study or visit and I would love to go back to London too. Being a history major London was full of awesome information and academically stimulating experiences but the social and cultural aspects were just as important. London Honors has shown me that I am living within a small part of my comfort zone and that if I really want to experience everything life has, I need to take chances and live a little more. I can’t thank this trip enough for all of the good times and good experiences it brought. From our recitations on Monday nights to playing euchre in the hotel lobby for two hours, this whole experience has been something I will never forget. I highly recommend this course to any freshman honors student as it will bring lifelong friends and memories as well as a fun class with interesting content.

Reflection on the G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness: How do you plan to work towards the goal of Global Awareness?

Throughout my time here at OSU I plan to become more globally aware by studying abroad and continuing my foreign language classes. I have never travelled out of the United States and it has always been a dream of mine to have the opportunity to do so. Studying abroad would fulfill my passion of learning and my yearning to travel. I also intend to get a Minor in Spanish, thus mastering the Spanish language and learning more about Spanish speaking cultures. I believe it is very important to be a global citizen and I love all of the opportunities OSU presents to students to become one.

Original Inquiry: What do yo plan to do to work toward the goal of  Original Inquiry?

I am interested in both History and Math so I hope to find a research project where I can fuse the two together. I also want to find research outside of my fields to participate in, for the experience. I have never done more than a simple research paper so I want to find a bigger project to participate in. Original Inquiry is extremely important not only for academic reasons, but for personal ones. You find out a lot about yourself in the way you tackle problems and work with others, which are two factors heavily executed in research.

Academic Enrichment: How will you use your Academic Plan (and eventually, your Honors Contract) to creat a program of study that serves your academic and professional interests and needs?

Throughout my academic career I want to take as many honors courses as I can and eventually take grad level courses my junior and senior year, if applicable. I think my Academic Plan will come into great use as I juggle my double major and single minor. At OSU I want to take classes that are not only academically challenging but also relevant and interesting to my future goals. My Honors Contract will eventually help me set up my last two years and give me a better picture of my academic career.

Leadership Development: Involvement outside of the classroom is an important consideration as you plan your degree program and prepare for your career. Please identify opportunities with which you are currently involved or ones you would like to explore. 

In my freshman year here at OSU I have found a few organizations where I hope to take bigger leadership roles in the coming years. I hope to become a part of the E-Board of both Recipe for Good, which volunteers at soup kitchens and organizations of the like, and Buckeyes for Baking, who bake and donate the baked goods to shelters in the Columbus area. In addition to these organizations, I am applying to be a Peer Leader for the 2018-2019 school year. I think the Peer Leader position is extremely important on this campus and I hope to be able to help others like my PL has helped me. Lastly, since I want to go into education, I eventually want to explore the options of being at TA or a tutor in either math or history. At the moment I don’t have any TAs but I know the right and wrong ones can make or break a class for a student. I hope to be one that helps a lot of people and gains experience working in the educational field.

Service Engagement: Participation in service to the community helps students to build on their educational experiences and become valuable members of society. Please discuss service opportunities with which you are currently involved or identify opportunities you would like to explore.

I am currently involved in the two organizations mentioned above, Recipe for Good and Buckeyes for Baking, which both revolve around food-oriented service. I am also a member of the Oval Dogs club that talks about animal rights issues and volunteers at local dog shelters and different events around Columbus. I am also looking into being apart of Buckeyethon if through my Club Tennis team or my residence hall. I try to donate blood as much as I can and I want to get more involved with helping with the drives through The Red Cross. Lastly, I am looking into the Buck-I-Serve trips as they seem like a great way to serve, meet people, and travel. I believe service is a very important part of someone’s education and it is always nice to give back to a community, regardless of if you’ve lived there your whole life.

1st Semester Growth

Identify one aspect of your life that has changed over the past few months, and discuss how that change has taken place, and how you want to continue your personal development over the rest of your undergraduate experience. 

Throughout my first semester here at Ohio State I have found many parts of my life have changed, for the better, and for the worse. These first 10 weeks have been quite challenging but I have noticed myself becoming more and more outgoing when it comes to my friends. In high school I had a lot of friends and knew a lot of people but at Ohio State that all changed. I only knew about 10 people and none of them were very close friends. Since the first week of school I have seen myself making more and more friends and trying new experiences. I want to continue to meet more people and hopefully open new doors from these connections. I have always prided myself in my ability to make friends and I think college has given me the opportunity to meet as many people as I can.

As I have seen my social skills flourish, there is a part of me that has taken a slight hit: my academic confidence. My home town was relatively small as I had about 300 people in my graduating class. There I was at the top of my class, almost, and known for being one of the more academically inclined students. Here at OSU I meet students daily who I know are smarter than me and could blow me out of the water. In the beginning I felt this was a bad thing to recognize so I became very discouraged and was beginning to second guess my entire academic career. I now see this as a motivating factor to make me work that much harder to make up for this “gap” between me and other students. If I keep working hard and believing in myself, anything is possible and OSU has shown me that. I hope to continue to work on my confidence and self-doubt throughout the rest of my academic career.

G.O.A.L.S. 1SE Contest

Here is my One Second Everyday video for my first 60 days at Ohio State. This video represents my life, my friends, and my great experience thus far at THE Ohio State University.

 

 

About Me

My name is Dolen Helwagen and I am a first year student at Ohio State in the College of Arts and Sciences. I am from Pataskala, Ohio, about 30 minutes east of campus. I plan on double majoring in Math and History, with a minor in Spanish. Eventually I hope to achieve a PhD in one of those areas and go on to become a college professor. In high school I was heavily involved with Student Council, National Honor Society, Quiz Bowl, and Tennis. I had the chance to participate in the 2017 First Year Experience Leadership Collaborative and I hope to take the lessons I learned and spread them throughout campus. I love to learn new things and school has always been a big part of my life. Outside of the classroom I love to bake/ decorate cakes, play tennis, read, and play with my dog, Brutus. One day I hope to study abroad for a semester (or two) because I have never traveled outside of the United States. Please don’t hesitate to contact me to talk or become friends! I love meeting new people!