Effects of COVID-19

This past spring semester was certainly a challenge for everyone, not just students at OSU. The effects of COVID-19 reach far and vastly, and everyone has experienced those effects differently. For me, it was a difficult adjustment to move back home and continue doing schoolwork remotely while helping take care of my niece and nephew who live in the home as well. Finding a balance between home, schoolwork, and alone time proved to be a challenge but as time passed, figuring out ways and getting used to juggling it all became more routine and easier. Additionally, due to restrictions in place to keep us safe, my summer internship in Cleveland was unfortunately cancelled.

But aside from academics, COVID-19 has affected my community: being worried about immuno-compromised family members, taking responsibility for my health and doing anything I can to keep myself and other safe and healthy, and getting used to a “new normal” in workplaces and stores. At home that meant explaining to the kids why we can’t go to the park or to the library, why we need to wash our hands often and wear a mask in busy places, and why it’s so important to keep ourselves and others safe. With all of these changes there arose challenges, but keeping in mind the importance of community betterment and caring for others, transitioning into this “new normal” has been made easier through the support of friends and family.

G.O.A.L.S. reflection: Second Year coming to a close

 

 

With my second year at OSU now done and only a year left to go, I have reflected on my time in the Honors & Scholars Program and my experience in the ACES community in how the G.O.A.L.S. have impacted me during that time.

 

G- Global Awareness. Prior to all the changes due to restrictions regarding COVID-19, I was enrolled in a summer study abroad program. I, along with a group of other students, was planning to travel to England for three weeks to learn about hardships that immigrants and refugees face, and the importance of the strength of communities in getting through difficult situations. Although this trip and experience was not able to happen in the end, my preparations for the trip preliminarily opened my eyes about what I’d hoped to learn from that trip.

 

O- Original Inquiry. This school year I was able to participate in a research program with one of my professors, three graduate students, and two other undergraduate students. Through this experience I learned about planning research and experiments, working with peers and faculty in an extracurricular academic environment, and gaining experience in doing research within my department.

 

A- Academic Enrichment. During this school year, I took core courses for my major which challenged me and resulted in a deeper understanding of linguistics through my learning process. Despite these challenging classes, I strove to meet my own personal academic goals and am proud of my growth throughout the school year. In classes such as Phonetics, I learned about a more scientific side of linguistics work with reading and measuring spectrograms, become more familiar with software such as Praat and improved my understanding of foundational topics I’ve covered in previous classes. In classes such as Syntax, I was challenged in a different way; much of this class focused on theory and abstract concepts of syntax. Some areas of this course were difficult for me but I learned so much through the process of working hard to understand.

 

L- Leadership Development. This year during ACES I had to opportunity to be part of the ACES Mentorship Program, where I was matched with a new first-year student in order to help them adjust to life on campus, be a resource to them, and be their friend. I think this aspect of ACES is so unique and important, especially for a student just starting college. During my first year I enjoyed getting to know my mentor, exploring Columbus with her, and having someone to go to if I needed anything. My positive experience in the program led me to be a mentor during my second year, and even with changes and challenges during the second semester, being a mentor was a joy.

 

S- Service Engagement. Although last year I was involved in service engagement outside of ACES, this year I wanted to explore more and find a new way to serve the Columbus community. During my first year I was involved in some cleanup and housing projects through a church group on campus, tutored a graduate student in English pronunciation, and worked in the ACES food pantry on campus. All of these were great experiences and I continued to do them during my second year, in addition to joining OSU PenPals. With this organization I had the opportunity to write back and forth with an elementary student in Columbus, promoting community and literacy in doing so. Finding a new way to be engaged in the community on campus and in Columbus absolutely enriched my experience as a second-year student in ACES, and I encourage everyone to find a fun, passionate way to become involved in their community.

Second Semester Interview

My mentee’s name is Audrey Susz, and she is from Hudson, a small town between Akron and Cleveland. This is her first year at OSU, and she is majoring in Psychology and is studying to eventually become therapist, which is her dream job. Although she originally wanted to be involved in Special Education, she changed her mind after taking an AP Psychology class in high school and felt passionate about the material and wanted to study Psychology and find a career to fit her and her passions. Audrey is currently involved in Crisis Counseling, a volunteer program on campus in which students can text a certain number and be connected to a trained volunteer who can talk with them and support them in any time of struggle. Participating in this program has further solidified Audrey’s passion to study Psychology and is providing her with experience relevant to her field of study.

The second semester of the 2019-2020 school year was certainly a difficult time for many students. With leaving campus, switching to remote learning, and facing the unknown about what lies ahead, OSU Buckeyes stood together and supported one another through such a different and challenging time. For Audrey, this second semester went extremely well despite these challenges. Despite obviously missing friends and life on campus, she adjusted well to online classes, meeting her personal academic goals and continuing remote learning throughout the summer. “Taking online classes has let me put a pause on my life and really improve my mental health!”, she says. Staying connected and focuses was key for her, with taking time to stay connected to her sorority, fellow ACES members, and peers through Zoom and groupchats.  While being in ACES this school year, she discovered that living in an ACES community in Smith-Steeb was a big help in feeling connected and that this aspect of ACES is a huge positive for first-year students. Throughout this journey of the second semester, Audrey learned to trust that everything will work out even in tough situations, to surround oneself with support, and to not be afraid to ask for help.

Explore Columbus: North Market

My mentee and I went to North Market for our Explore Columbus experience. I chose this for us because it is what I did with my mentor last year and it was my first time going off campus and using the COTA system. Like me, Audrey is not from Columbus and I thought that doing something a little bit off campus but not too far would be a good way to have experience using the COTA and do something fun. Last year I felt intimidated by going off campus but doing the Explore Columbus with my mentor really helped me feel like I could navigate around Columbus too, and I wanted to give Audrey that same experience. I know personally that getting familiar with using COTA is definitely challenging, so on the bus ride to North Market I gave Audrey a brief rundown of how the system works, which routes are which, and general tips for riding the buses. I also talked to her about how convenient it is to have this kind of access to the COTA and it is really helpful to get around Columbus especially if you don’t have a car. Furthermore, I told her about the Greyhound bus station that is downtown and how useful it is for going farther distances, like traveling to Cincinnati or Cleveland for the weekend. In addition to all this, I assured her that even if she were to get lost, using a GPS or some kind of map app would help her get back on track, and Google Maps in particular is very detailed in which bus stop is which, when the next bus will come, and even has a bus tracking feature.
So we took a COTA to Short North and went to North Market, at first just walking through the building and taking everything in so we could decide on what to get and eat. As we walked around, I pointed out some of my favorite places and told Audrey about things I bought from North Market as Christmas gifts last year for some family members. We also talked about different ice cream places in or near Columbus and how they each compare (it’s hard to choose between Jeni’s and Graeter’s!). After walking through the building, we decided on getting pierogis and tiramisu. We shared four deliciously buttery pierogis and sat on the second floor, overlooking everything down below. The best part of our trip was getting tiramisu, at least for me, since it is one of my favorite desserts. I think the most confusing thing during our trip was just deciding what to eat and where to sit because it was really busy while we were there.
I would always recommend North Market to a friend, or even a stranger! I love the atmosphere, the busyness, and the huge variety of food and desserts available all within just one building. North Market is a place that almost feels like a home away from home for me. Going there for the first time last year with my mentor was like a breath of fresh air for me: I was able to get off campus for a little bit, experience something new, and it helped me feel more confident in my ability to get around Columbus and create a smaller-feeling spot even in such a big city like Columbus. Audrey is not from Columbus and going off campus was understandably intimidating for her. I understand and empathize with that wholeheartedly, so for all these reasons and even more, I wanted to take Audrey here and try to translate my experience into something she could use as well. I believe that it is important to find ways to make Columbus feel smaller, and getting out and going off campus is definitely one way to do that. For me, that was going to North Market last year, which was both an adventure and a stepping stone in my independence while living in a big city.
For anyone looking to do something fun and explore Columbus, I highly encourage them to go to North Market and take a COTA there. Doing so will help them understand the COTA system better, eat some great food, and hopefully give them a confidence boost that they can get around a big city like Columbus. But before taking that endeavor, it is definitely very important to check the business hours and leave plenty of time to do everything planned. Especially on the weekends and when different events are going on, the business hours could be affected. So to be on the safe side, check the hours before going to ensure the experience can actually happen!

First Semester Interview: Meet My Mentee!

QUESTIONS
How did you choose the major you chose?
How do you plan to get involved on campus?
Why did you choose ACES?
What is your dream job?
What is one of the most important things you’ve learned so far?

My mentee’s name is Audrey Susz, and she is from Hudson, a small town between Akron and Cleveland. This is her first year at OSU, and she is majoring in Psychology and is studying to eventually become therapist, which is her dream job. Although she originally wanted to be involved in Special Education, she changed her mind after taking an AP Psychology class in high school and felt passionate about the material and wanted to study Psychology and find a career to fit her and her passions. Audrey is currently involved in Crisis Counseling, a volunteer program on campus in which students can text a certain number and be connected to a trained volunteer who can talk with them and support them in any time of struggle. Participating in this program has further solidified Audrey’s passion to study Psychology and is providing her with experience relevant to her field of study.
In addition to being an ACES scholar, Audrey is also a Morrill scholar and finds that between these two programs there are lots of opportunities for her to be involved on campus through service, volunteering, and leadership roles. She is on the Community Service Team for Morrill scholars, where she helps plan and carry out service opportunities with a focus on diversity and directly helping others. Despite being in two scholars groups both with emphasis on community service, she finds that there is enough diversity between the two and a wide array of opportunities and experiences in each program to make them stand apart from each other. Audrey originally wanted to be involved in Special Education, which is why she chose ACES. Even though she changed her plans and is now studying Psychology, she still loves education and wanted to be involved in a group like ACES.
In beginning her first year at OSU, Audrey has been learning how to live in such a large city like Columbus and adjust to that kind of culture shock in way. With so many different people in such a big city, it really is a shock to adjust to, particularly if coming from a smaller town. I can especially relate to this because I am from a small town in Indiana and experience the same thing my first year coming to OSU. But even in a big city like Columbus and on a campus like OSU, it is easy to make such a large place feel smaller and more like home by becoming involved and participating in programs or organizations that foster a sense of camaderie, and Audrey has certainly and quickly found ways to do just that.
In getting to know Audrey through this interview, I felt that we can relate to one another very well, which can help us as the school year continues and we continue to learn about each other. I think one reason we get along so well is because we have a couple things in common: we both have hearing loss and use hearing aids and we are both in long-distance relationships. At the Speed Dating event we quickly bonded over our experiences in living with hearing impairment, and we are both glad to have gotten each other because we are able to really understand each other in that regard. Secondly, relationships can be complicated, especially so in long-distance; I hope that we can be of support and encouragement to one another and empathize with our circumstances. Even in the short time I’ve gotten to know Audrey, I think we could be great friends, which with only improve this mentorship experience for the both of us.

G.O.A.L.S.

To me, GOALS means being part of something bigger than oneself and striving to become a more well-rounded individual. Global Awareness makes me think of studying abroad, and that is an opportunity I hope to have during college. It is important to connect with others around the world and learn to be accepting of other cultures, practices, and governments.

Original Inquiry signifies engaging in research processes that help me to better understand the world and my role in it. It means being a thinker, and trying to learn more about things one is passionate about. For me, this would be having the opportunity to write a paper on and present about various linguistics aspects of Vietnamese; this is something I’ve been able to do in my first semester and it has been so rewarding to learn about a language I previously knew nothing about, as well as share that information with others.

Academic Enrichment means challenging myself as a student by taking rigorous classes and becoming involved in clubs. I am in the OSU Scholars program, as well as a Honors student and currently in an honors linguistics class. Both of these programs allow me to to become a more well-rounded individual in and out of the classroom.

Leadership Development is about learning to be comfortable in different roles within various groups. I don’t entirely consider myself to be a leader, but I think I do tend to take charge in situations that I feel confident in. An example from my own life is working with a graduate student on English pronunciation and articulation. He is not a native English speaker, and natively speaks Spanish; I had been asked by a member of the linguistics department if I would be interested in helping this student and working on various speaking skills. In doing this, I’ve further discovered my passion for working with Spanish-speaking students, and I feel confident in my role as a helper in this sense.

Service Engagement means becoming a part of the community in which I live and finding ways to serve others and enrich their lives. I love working with children and being involved in community events/institutions. In my hometown, I was a library volunteer for 5 years and learned so much about the way libraries are run and helping patrons, as well as gaining experience as a public servant. Since living in Columbus, I’ve been involved in ACES and participated in service events, my favorite one being making blankets and hygiene packs for those in need.

Tricked: examining sex-trafficking in America

ACES Pillars Film Project-2jn7x1k

This semester I worked with a group of peers to watch and analyze a documentary, and then create a presentation to highlight the importance of the documentary and how the film demonstrates each of the ACE’s pillars: Advocacy, Community, Positive Social Change, and Service.

Prior to this project, I had watched this documentary but by watching it with the lens and perspective of an ACES student, I could more clearly see how each of the pillars play a role and I was then able to relay that information to others and spread the message of the film.

The film itself focuses on the lives of a few victims of sex trafficking and follows their journey to recovery. The film also focuses on people closely working against or people directly involved in sex trafficking. Due to the graphic and explicit nature of the film, it may cause uncomfort for some viewers.

G.O.A.L.S.

In order to work towards each of the GOALS, I will strive to be involved in campus life and find my place at OSU. It is important to find my niche while being here, and learning how to serve and enrich my community. For Global Awareness, I can strive to study abroad and travel the world; for Original Inquiry, I can take classes that interest me and dive into subjects that I am passionate about. For Academic Engagement, I can take classes that challenge me as a student, and for Leadership Development I can join clubs and groups that allow me to find my leadership abilities and learn what type of leader I am; for Service Engagement, I will be a member of ACES and be involved in different community service events.

Artifacts

For the majority of my first semester at OSU, I never really explored and got off campus much. I felt confined within campus and, quite honestly, a little intimidated by the thought of straying too far from my comfort zone. What if I got lost or took a wrong bus? What if I can’t find my way back, or end up stranded somewhere I don’t know? Thoughts like those always lurked in the back of my mind, and so I never wandered far from the boundaries I’d grown used to. Friends and family encouraged me to explore Short North and go visit German Village, or just get off campus in some way, but even with that encouragement I felt too scared to do that all by myself.
My mentor, Hadas, and I talked about different options and areas to go visit together, and we decided on North Market. She’d been there many times before and knows the ins and out, and which places are the best to browse. When we got there that morning, I was blown away. I had no idea that one building could be filled with so many different foods, trinkets, art, and everything imaginable. I could I have stayed for hours walking up and down the pathways, weaving through shelves and talking to shopkeepers. North Market was beyond my expectations by far and somehow, even 204 miles away, it felt like home. I couldn’t point to one certain thing about it that made it feel so comforting and familiar, but just the atmosphere and the close-knittedness of the shops and their owners helped make a big city like Columbus feel a little smaller. This trip to North Market was more than just a fun adventure; to me, it was my first breath of independence in Columbus and an important reminder that sometimes all you need to do is take a deep breath and break out of your comfort zone.

About Me

I’m Sarah Meade, and I am currently studying at The Ohio State University (go bucks!), striving to get my degree with a major in linguistics and a minor in Spanish. Throughout my childhood I was always fascinated by language and began studying Spanish in middle school. I continued learning Spanish during all four years of high school and in my senior year, had the opportunity to work with ESL students. This sparked an interest and purpose in me that I’d never known. I loved getting to know those students and learning to use language on a whole new level: using language as a tool to help others while at the same time broadening my worldview, linguistic knowledge, and supporting my students as they learned English. Through this opportunity I learned about my desire to interact with and help people around me, and that I can do so through using language. I am so excited to continue learning about myself and my interests during my time at OSU, and then using those skills to reach out to others.