May ePortfolio #2

For one of my ePortfolio entries in this last set, I chose to do the International Perspectives on the Coronavirus Pandemic. I was not able to attend the live Zoom meeting, but I watched the recording after the fact. I chose to watch this because I am extremely interested in how people in other countries are going through this. I feel like I have been very fortunate through all of this as Pennsylvania’s Governor, Governor Wolf has been very effective and has done a great job in flattening the curve and enforcing stay at home orders where and when they were necessary throughout the state. Also, through all of this, our whole family, including myself, has been able to keep working, and for that I am very grateful. I know that there are people that I am close to including friends and family members that are starting to struggle through this and that’s difficult to see them go through this. The only way that I can see how this connects to any of my classes this year is that I have been paying attention to the economic status of the country and I have taken many business classes throughout my first year and I have seen connections through that. After hearing the experiences of my peers and the members from the Zoom meeting, I feel like I should consider myself very fortunate and wish that I could do more to help those that are in need.

May ePortfolio #1

For one of my events for this last round of ePortfolio entries, I watched the film The Farewell. I was not able to attend the live virtual viewing but watched it after I had completed all of my exams for the semester. This worked out really well because I had been wanting to see it for a long time, and this was a good way to actually get around to viewing it. I am very glad I did as I enjoyed this film very much. Apart from it being very well done, I think it was a great way to get informed about certain aspects of Chinese culture that I had not known before. Being told from the true past experiences of the director, Lulu Wang, I feel like I learned a great deal about Chinese culture regarding death, family, and even their views on emigrating to America. This connected to my education this semester because I took Intro to Film. I was able to connect and compare this to different films I’ve seen this year. With the unit we spent viewing international films, it was very interesting to have been able to see how films from different cultures relate to each other. I am very glad that I have gotten to broaden my horizons when it comes to experiencing different cultures through film.

Spring 20 Campus Event Reflection

On December 8th I attended the Department of English and Department of Theatre’s College Life Performance put on to support the Ohio State School for the Blind. I went because one of my close friends from high school was performing so me along with many of my friends including some IA students. I wasn’t exactly anticipating for this to relate to International Affairs, but I actually got a lot out of it. The show consisted of two acts, the first being stories which is where a lot of the relation to International Affairs. Many of the stories were told by international students providing their perspective and insight into both their homes but also what it’s like attending school in a different country. There was one that stuck out to me, and it was two students talking about the origin of their names and how naming customs in other countries differ greatly from here. It was a lot of little insights and revelations like that that made this experience very fulfilling. It didn’t directly relate to my studies, but it was just a great experience to learn more about other people in general and just learn more about other cultures. I went to just support my friend, but I ended up getting so much more out of it. Hopefully this will inspire me to attend more events like this in the future.

Spring 20 Social Event Reflection

On December 4th last year, I along with my roommate and many of our friends on the floor went to the late-night breakfast held in the Smith-Steeb kitchen. It was a great way to unwind after the last community meeting of the semester and just in general at the end of the semester. We were able to just hang out and relax with everyone that we have met and worked with throughout the semester and even meet some new people in the other scholars’ programs. While the food was good, the best part about this was just the social aspect and reflecting and having fun at the end of the semester before we had to get ready for finals. I didn’t really get that much out of this academically and I guess you could say that it relates to my studies just by being with people that share the same interests as me. Being with students in other scholars’ program was beneficial not only because it broadened my views of what happens on campus, but it also reaffirmed that International Affairs scholars was the correct choice for me. I always look forward to and enjoy going to these social events because it’s always good to take a break from the stress that comes with the first semester of college.

AU 19 Social Event Reflection

In late October, myself along with a group of IA kids went to see Parasite for the Global Engagement International Film Series; however, the dates were wrong, so they weren’t showing the film. A week later, I went to see the movie with my dad who was in town for the weekend. Apart from being an incredible film, it opened my eyes to many things in relation to international affairs. I love movies, but I have never really taken to time to watch many international ones. Seeing this has made me realize that I need to broaden my horizons and experience other countries cinematic work. Parasite also offered an in depth look at the class system in Korea and the standards for how members of each class are supposed to act. It focuses on two families, one extremely wealthy and one on the opposite end of that spectrum. The viewer is able to see the different living conditions and way they interact socially with each other. I could go on and on about how great of a movie this was, but it was just as great to be transported into this different culture for two hours and experience it. This relates to my academics because I have taken film analysis courses in the past and I am taking one next semester for a general education credit. The best thing to come out of this experience was a change in my habits of not watching foreign films when they can sometimes offer the most.

AU 19 Academic Event Reflection

For one of my events this month, I chose to watch the documentary 13th which is about America’s criminal justice system, and the leeway that is given that allows for mistreatment of blacks. I chose to watch this because as someone who is interested in political science and history in general, I figured I would find this very interesting. I was right. I came out of high school with the belief that my teachers covered a lot about the history of racism in the country and its lasting effects today, but I found out there is so much more that goes into, and they could not have possibly gone in depth in everything. Just the various ways that politicians have been able to maintain control over the black community and even profit on their incarceration is mind-blowing to me. Additionally, I was completely unaware of the reach that ALEC had and still has to some extent. Prior to the Trayvon Martin shooting, there were numerous everyday companies such as Google, Coke, and FedEx that were members of a group that promoted bills to profit off of prisoners. Many of these big-name commercial companies have left, but that still amazes me. There were two parts in particular that stuck out to me when it comes to relating this film to international affairs. The first of which is the explanation for there being large black populations in Oakland, Cleveland, Chicago, etc. is that they fled there as refugees from racial violence in the south. Obviously, this relates to refugee situations in many countries throughout the world, but what it really made me realize was the long-lasting effects in the future that this type of dispersion can have. The other main connection was when someone said that we are so worried about sweat shops in other countries, but we do not realize that that type of labor is happening here because of that one clause in the 13th Amendment. We see all of these issues happening throughout the world, but in some cases those very same issues are present here without us knowing about it.

AU 19 Academic Event Reflection

On Sunday, October 20th, I, along with many IA kids went to watch the documentary, American Factory in the Smith side basement. Unfortunately due to technical difficulties we moved up to the eighth floor common area where, after an hour of innovating and more technical difficulties of our own, we worked together to figure out a way for all of us to watch the movie together. The documentary offered a down to earth look at the lives of blue collar workers in Dayton, Ohio. It follows a glass plant purchased by a Chinese company and displays the cultural rifts between America and China. The filmmakers are able to capture the contrast between American and Chinese businesses very well. Obviously this relates to IA because of how it examines different cultures and how they interact. It impacted me in the sense that it opened my eyes to the lives of blue collar American workers, Chinese businesses, and how the operate compared to us. This doesn’t directly correlate to any of my classes, I am thinking about studying business, so this offers a good look into the inter workings of international business, and it gives me an idea of what I could possibly do studying that.

AU 19 Professional Development Reflection

On October 16th, I attended the Science Career Fair with someone else I met from IA. The fair was at the Union and was an all day event featuring many different employers involved in different scientific fields. While most of these employers are based in the United States, some of their work can have far reaching effects throughout the world. Many of the agricultural businesses work in developing more sustainable methods of producing food, and talking with them made me think back to the Community Meeting where we learned about food insecurity and the effects it has on the families that suffer from it. Also, there were many companies that promoted preservation of the environment and development in more environmentally friendly technologies. This can obviously has implications on lesser developed countries that often suffer more from the effects of climate change than other countries. I think the biggest impact that this event had on me was that it opened my eyes to the amount of opportunities in many different fields that are available. Since I am not in any science courses, the closest way this event related to me was through different statistic based stands, and that gave me a good look at what my education can be applied to in the future.

AU19 Professional Development Reflection

One of the main reasons I chose to enroll in IA was based on the fact that I would be able to have many opportunities to work abroad. I felt like I should attend this panel so I could learn more about the different types of internships I could apply for, how to apply, and just the overall experience in general. One of my hesitations when it comes to the possibility of doing an international internship is the fact that I am not fluent in any other language. The four panelists eased that concern as I found out you don’t necessarily have to learn the language to work there, or you could get one like Elena did with the U.S. State Department. That one particularly interested me, because I am currently enrolled in a foreign policy class and I am very interested in that area of study. The same goes for the Canadian Parliament one. If I end up deciding I want to continue studying political science those two internships would definitely be ones that I would consider. It was also good to learn the application process so when the time comes, I not only know what to do, but also where to go if I need help. Going further, I’d like to learn more about the different opportunities out there, because I know I want to find an internship, preferably international.

AU19 Social Event Reflection

The welcome back cookout for IA, ACES, PSL, and HSS scholars was fairly early on in the semester and a great social event for me to not only to meet and get to know some new people, but it also allowed me to learn more about what’s to come in IA the next couple years. I attended the cookout with my roommate along with some other kids I had recently met on our floor. Coming into this school year, I didn’t know anyone in IA so this was a great chance for me to make connections with the people that I will be living and working with for the rest of the school year. Once there, I talked to a couple of second years, and learned about all of the great opportunities I would get when it comes to studying abroad, and just the events that I would be able to attend on and off of campus. Additionally, I met a few members of PSL. PSL was my second choice for a scholar’s program, so I was curious to see what, if anything, I was missing out on. This event intersected with some of my, and I’m assuming most of the other first year students here, as we are all trying to meet people and make friends that share similar interests, and this cookout was a great way to work towards that.