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September 8, 2020

In early September, I attended an online resource night meant to illuminate the many different services that Ohio State has to offer for students. Within this presentation, we went over several different categories of resources, including anything from tutoring to electronic services or apps that are available for download. One of the facilities we went over that stuck with me was the Younkin Success Center. This center provides many different things geared towards student success such as career counseling, and although it wasn’t mentioned in the presentation, I believe that they are also one of the sites for CCS offices, where students can meet with a counselor. Other resources mentioned were the writing center for help with papers or English assignments and the Dennis learning center for graduate and professional students. I found the discussion on the Dennis learning center to be interesting because it could also be of use for undergraduate students who need assistance in learning to read academic journals or more scholarly articles. Overall, I found that this event was mostly geared towards first-year students, considering that there was a large focus on learning to navigate more elementary services such as Carmen or the Ohio State app. However, it was definitely beneficial for my academic goals because everyone can use a reminder of the most basic services that an institution has to offer, especially during such limited circumstances. 

October 24, 2019

This year, the UN Day celebration recognized the aforementioned international organization, specifically its theme of climate change and tactics for climate change mitigation. The first speaker was an employee of the UN and a recent Ohio State graduate. Similar to our discussion of climate change in the International Affairs Scholars seminar, she stressed the importance of individual action and how making seemingly small changes can create a larger impact on the environment than some might initially believe. This event related to International Affairs even further as it continuously referenced the UN, something we constantly discuss not only in seminar but in many classes related to both the Political Science and International Relations majors. Although I had questions during the event regarding the logistics of climate change, Dr. Mark, state climatologist of Ohio and professor of Ohio State’s geography department continued the discussion by giving the room a lesson on “Climate Change 101”. Straying from the political or social implications, Dr. Mark spoke about the effects on Earth’s features such as melting glaciers and how ice once covered the majority of the surface. Both speakers stressed the importance of individual and institutional action to address climate change while highlighting some aspects of the discussion that might be relevant to a student’s professional goals.

October 25, 2019

As October winded down and fall came to a close, I joined my fellow International Affairs Scholars for a dinner at the North Market, located in the Short North Arts District. The North Market is home to a wide variety of international cuisine, from sushi and bubble tea to Belgian waffles and pasta. Although trying new restaurants may not seem like the most academic or professional venture for a student, food is exceedingly connected to the different cultures that we wish to understand on a deeper level. The presence of a culture’s food in the United States often signifies representation or a feeling of being at home for members of that culture’s community, similar to how Americans often look for familiar cuisine when traveling abroad. One restaurant that my friends and I tried was Hoyo’s Kitchen, an establishment owned by two refugees providing authentic Somali food. According to one of the owners, Abdilahi Hassan, their goal is to make the public more comfortable with African cuisine and to reach a wider audience of customers. As East African culture is not widely represented in the U.S., it is important for businesses such as Hoyo’s Kitchen to have their place among the other successful restaurants of Columbus. 

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