Reflections Yr 2

Reflection #1:

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the screening of “Honeyland”, a documentary following a woman named Hatidze Muratova in the mountains of Macedonia. Last year, I attended a few other movies through the Office of International Affairs. Normally, I would never be introduced to these smaller budget and culturally diverse films. My typical experience with film has been big names such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, James Bond, Harry Potter, and other huge films. These films often put on a great show, but none of them leave me reflecting and questioning the movie after it has ended. Muratova is a beekeeper in a town where only her mother and herself are the only permanent residents. In just the opening scenes, the audience learns about the unique relationship Hatidze Muratova has with her bees. She is seen singing to them and offers the bees a piece offering in a way when she collects the honeycombs. Her piece offering is leaving half of the honeycomb for the bees, almost as a form of saying thanks for providing her with the delicious honey. Trouble sets in when as family arrives in a caravan from out of town. Hussein and his family are no trouble as first, and Muratova enjoys the company of the children. She begins teaching the family her technique at producing honey, which leads to Hussein starting his own honey farm. Bad practices lead the Hussein’s bee killing off Muratova’s bee’s, thus resulting in no more honey being produced. Muratova’s livelihood and only way of making money has been destroyed. In addition to losing all of her bee’s, Muratova’s elderly and bedridden mother that she had been taken care of passes away as the winter month’s set in.

I attended this event September 28, 2019 at the Gateway Film Center. The film relates to the topic of International Affairs by showing a unique life that Hatidze Muratova lives in Macedonia. As International Affairs students, it important to be culturally educated on the different ways people interact and go about their everyday lives. After watching the movie, I gained academically an insight into a different culture other than my own. Personally, I found the story of Hatidze Muratova to be one that shows the impacts a simple act of an outside family can have on a livelihood. Muratova, despite losing almost everything, still seemed to have a glimmer of hope at the end of the movie. Her attitude is an important way to look at life, that there is still light at the end of the tunnel. Like with any good movie, the director wants the viewer to leave asking questions and thinking about what was just presented. I would like to know the whereabouts of Hatidze Muratova today, and how the filming process took place. Overall, I really enjoyed watching “Honeyland” due to its down to Earth storytelling and ability to leave me thinking about each aspect of the movie.

Reflection #2:

I attended a service event on Sunday, September 29, 2019 that was called the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in downtown Columbus, Ohio near the Columbus Clippers Stadium and Nationwide Arena. A lot of people from my fraternity volunteered to help with make the walk run as smoothly as possible. My role to help during the 5K walk was to help with directing the mass of people walking the streets and handing out water bottles to people. There were thousands of people, all wearing purple, walking these streets. I was amazed at the number of people, as I felt like mass of people continued for 25 minutes or so past my station. The event impacted me as I was not only volunteering to help those walking a 5K, but the purpose as to why the people were walking touched me. Many people walking had special signs, shirts, and other identifying markers. These special items represented people close to those walking who are affected or who passed as a result of Alzheimer’s. I personally, have been affected by the disease. My grandfather had Alzheimer’s for around ten years. The disease is what eventually led to his passing in 2017. Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease, one that starts off with smaller occurrences, but exponentially gets worse through the years.  While I have never been involved with Alzheimer’s awareness and fundraising, the event opened my eyes to the amount of people impacted by this disease and the people who are actually doing something about it. The event does not directly connect with the topic of International Affairs, but I would be interested to understand how Alzheimer’s is treated and viewed in other cultures and societies. Also, I would like to do research on the different ethnicities that are the disease is more prominent, and the possible genetic or cultural connections to the increased chance. In addition, I gained a better understanding of the organizations, such as the one that puts on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s walks on throughout the country in nearly every city. These organizations have a goal to bringing greater awareness to the disease and raising money to fund research and the hope to find a cure to the disease. The topic of Alzheimer’s has not really been present in any of my classes, except a pharmacy class on the topic of ethics and drug enhancement. It discussed the futuristic possibility of modifying human genes to remove certain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, and cancer. The class went deep into the ethics of modifying human beings and playing “God”. I feel the event also impacted me most personally, not so much academically or professionally. After attending the Walk to End Alzheimer’s walk a few weeks ago, I want to become more involved with the event for next year by volunteering again and raising money to support a greater cause.

Reflection #3:

I attended a professional event on Thursday, January 16th, 2020 that was called A Day in the Life of a Harvard Law Student. The event took place in Hagerty Hall 180 at 5:30 pm. The law student featured was Sam Harris via video call who was an Ohio State and International Affairs alumni from 2019. She was also my resident advisor for my first year at Ohio State in Smith-Steeb Hall. Before the event, she was already a friend and a great resource. At the time of the event, Sam had finished her first semester as a 1L and was starting her second semester. I had great interest to attend the event with Sam Harris for several reasons. First, I wanted to catch up with Sam Harris to learn about her transition to higher education and to life outside of Ohio State. Second, I wanted to learn more about law school including the application process, the types of classes, and the overall attitude towards going law school. I was initially glad to learn that Sam is doing extremely well at Harvard and her dog is healthy and has grown exponentially since I last saw him at the end of my freshman school year. Sam talked about life outside the class at Harvard, including the many engagements she has with top law firms across the world that visit weekly. She also spoke on the close nit community that people at Harvard Law School, especially those in the same level as you like 1L, share. The group of students take all that same classes and have similar schedules. Additionally, she spoke about the rigor of the classes and the intense expectations of the students. Law school requires lots and lots reading, and professors might require you to speak in front of the entire class and know the exact answers. Therefore, there is an incentive to study the material extremely well. Sam spoke about the variety of classes she is taking the vary in topics from different types of law to history. One thing that surprised me is Sam said that a lot of classes spend time studying previous decisions made all levels of court to understand the law and method to determining the cases in court. The topic of the event with Sam Harris relates to the topic of International Affairs due to Sam’s involvement with International Affairs Scholars program all four years of undergraduate and the inherent nature of law with international affairs. Law is influenced and the cases and laws that arise have the potential to impact a large amount of people of different viewpoints and ethnicities/gender/etc. I feel I gained personally through getting to speak and learn more about Sam Harris and academically as I consider possible future options to attend law school. The event does relate to other topics I have learned since I am in the pre-law program at Ohio State so I receive access to events and other resources provided by the law department. Overall, I enjoyed speaking with Sam Harris and I would be interested in hearing from her either next year or the following year to learn about how her views and experience has changed throughout law school.

Reflection #4:

I attended a service event on Saturday, January 25th, 2020 with my fraternity at Habitat for Humanity. The event took place northwest of Ohio State’s campus and lasted all day. While my previous experience with Habitat for Humanity, had been more on the building the frames of a house or the destruction of a house, the event was a different pace which involved putting the final touches on the house which included painting the walls, doors, and cleaning up the floors and other surfaces. The house would soon be ready for a family to live in the house, so I enjoyed seeing a near final product that I typically have never seen. The event impacted me in several ways. First off, it was a great service opportunity knowing that the house I am building will be used to provide affordable housing for a family. I personally have never had to worry about where I will spend the night and if it will be warm. Therefore, I find Habitat for Humanity to be an organization that allows for giving back to the community while getting one’s hands dirty at the same time. Trust me when I say you will be sore after working a day with Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, the event was great for bonding with friends. The day would go by much slower if there were not people with me to joke around and have positive morale. Habitat for Humanity is an organization that relates to the topic of International Affairs as it addresses an issue present amongst many people in our country. In many cities across the country, there is a lack of affordable housing and decent places for people to live. While I might be helping build a house for Habitat for Humanity, the house will soon become a home for a family that desperately needs it. A home is much more than a roof over one’s head. It is place where one can grow a family, feel safe, and become more financially and mentally stable. Affordable housing allows for strong and stable communities to develop and grow, thus improving the quality of life for all. The event mostly impacted me personally as I am able to reflect on my purpose with Habitat for Humanity and the importance of my day of work in the grand scheme. I know that both of my parents employers partner with Habitat for Humanity where employees are able to give back to the community by helping with the organizations operations. I would like to see more involvement with possibly a group on campus that works with Habitat for Humanity or provides awareness for affordable housing in Columbus. A good start is through International Affairs Scholars where many people will be interested and motivated to address the affordable housing issue. Overall, I personally enjoyed by day with Habitat for Humanity as I find service and giving back to the community extremely important to develop a better understanding of life in the world and the struggles and good work taking place.

Reflection #5:

The event I attended was the Virtual Film Series which featured the screening of “Green Days by the River”. While the event occurred on April 24, 2020, I was able through Ohio State’s Kanopy service watch the movie. The event was also my first International Affiars and e-portfolio that was completely online, no involvement in person to discuss or physically see the movie in a theatre. The movie was first released to the public in 2017 and is based off a popular book by Michael Anthony that shares a similar title. The film was directed under Michael Mooleedhar who is originally from Trinidad and Tobago. The basic storyline of the film includes a coming of age story of a fifteen-year-old boy and takes place in the coastal village of Mayaro, which is located in Trinidad and Tobago. The director, due to his close connection to his home country, is able to better tell the story of the people and life of Trinidad and Tobango. Shell, the main character, experiences different trials as he attempts to understand the world around him. I enjoyed the relationship between Shell, the fifteen-year-old main character, and an Indian girl named Rosalie. There is internal conflict present with Shell’s interest in Joan as well. Additionally, Shell’s father is terminally ill so there presents additional internal conflict within Shell’s life. A big acticity for Shell is working with Gidharee, owner an exotic plantation, who works with large dogs that are used to attract Joan. Gidharee sets a trap for Shell that would take away his manhood, giving the moving its coming of age theme. I am always a big fan of the movies provided by Ohio State through the Office of International Affairs and other departments because the films are often less mainstream and are lower budget. Despite not having the budget or production levels of the films found at traditional movie theatres, the films often leave me thinking about and being exposed to different perspectives and cultures. Additionally, the films also show the beauty and harshness of the environment in which people live. Similarly, the topic of International Affairs is heavily emphasized in “Green Days by the River”. It provides a glimpse of life in a small country in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tapingo. I personally had never heard of this country before watching the film. The diversity in the way of life that is present in this region of the world allows for a betting understanding of how people live. The event impacted me academically through an understanding of life in Trinidad and Tapingo in the 1950s and personally by learning more of the harsh realities and personal struggles and how to overcome these struggles.

Reflection #6:

While a typical e-porfolio reflection features a single event that I have attended, I felt that a class I took this semester would be fitting as it fits many of the values of International Affairs and has transformed my understanding of the world and the variety of people that live in it. The class is under the Department of Engineering Education and is taught by Dr. Lisa Abrams who is the Associate Chair for the department. The class was only one credit hour and was called “Inclusive Leadership Practice for Emerging Professionals”. Inclusive Leadership was explored through understandings of one’s strengths, and possible weakness through tests such as the Clifton Strengths Assessment. Other areas we explored were identities. Identities that you might have, and the identities others may hold. Unconscious bias was my favorite topic of the class and I developed a research presentation on the topic to better inform my peers. The topic is rooted primarily based on stereotyping of race, culture, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, and more. The effect, which not intended consciously, can have damaging impacts to the confidence, success, and ability of an individual. Examples of unconscious bias can be with assuming character traits based on a body image, such as thinking a male nurse is the doctor and that a female working in a hospital is nurse. Despite being unconscious, there are many ways one can be conscious of their biases so as to not let them interfere or lead to the degrading of an individual. The topic of unconscious bias was only one part of many that was discussed in the class. I found the class to impact me on several levels to become a more inclusive leader. An inclusive leader is one who is able to inspire and provide the tools for the group to succeed. Additionally, it is important to understanding the different viewpoints, identities, and values one might have to better support. The topic relates to International Affairs as it is important in our world to develop understandings on how the different perspectives and viewpoints. With some of the programs in Columbus that International Affairs Scholars are a part of such as CRIS. The course itself has allowed me to gain academically, professionally, and personally. In school and in my career as an engineer, I will always be working in teams where people will have varied experience, both on the topic and personally. Teams also should promote individual and group success, which is only able to have with excellent communication and inclusivity. Overall, I found engineering class on inclusive leadership to be one of the most impactful things I have completed at Ohio State. The values and lessons learned and discussed in the class will be applicable to all areas of life that will hopefully be a step to improving the success of people in society.

Reflections

Reflection #1:

On August 25, 2018, I fulfilled my service activity requirement at the Community Commitment event. Community Commitment is an event put on by the Ohio State University to promote community service with organizations across the city. Over 1,000 fellow Buckeye’s joined in serving the people of Columbus on Saturday, a tradition since 1997. I had the chance to attend a Goodwill store near John Glenn International Airport across town.

Before heading off to my service at Goodwill, the International Affairs Scholars met together at the dorms before heading off together. At this point of the school year, I had yet to meet many of my fellow scholars. I knew that today could be the day I could bond over service with other International Affairs Scholars. After the opening ceremony, my group was loaded on a bus to head over to Goodwill. Once arriving at Goodwill, my group was greeted by an energetic woman. Not only was this woman full of energy, I learned about how passionate she is about her job and what her role in Goodwill and the community was. She assigned us different tasks and the group got to work.

My first tasked involved putting price labels on goods. At this moment, the group had the chance to talk amongst each other while having a slight competition. There were two tables attaching price labels, and the people at each table were trying the fastest and most efficient. I enjoyed this time to laugh and bond. Another bonding event I had with my peers was during the break when a few of my International Affairs had a dance off. During the second part of the day, I had the chance to talk to another woman while attaching labels to shirts and pants. While this woman had a completely different background from me, she shared her experiences and life ranging from her children to being hungry for lunch. By talking to her, I learned about her different perspectives from her life growing up and life where she lives.

In the past, I have served at homeless shelters and Goodwill before. However, each time is different. During my experience this time at Goodwill, I learned about the work that goes on behind the scenes from the donation process to putting the product in the showroom. Also, I learned that Goodwill has both paid employees and volunteers working. Also, I learned the value of giving back to the community to places such as Goodwill that help provide people with resources when going through rough periods of time. At this event, I gained knowledge on the inner workings of a business, especially one that is a non-profit organization. The event does not completely relate with the topic of International Affairs but does incorporate a place that can be a place to obtain decent clothes for cheap money for those who cannot afford new clothes. Also, the mission of Goodwill to support those in job training, employment, and other areas to raise up the community benefits all. I hope to return to more community service, especially one where I can directly interact with the people that are struggling in hopes of better understanding their struggles.

Reflection #2:

On October 24, 2018, I attended an academic event at the Gateway Film Center. The movie I watched was named I Am Not A Witch, directed by Rungano Nyoni. Before watching the movie, I had mixed feelings as the trailers did not have much spoken English. Rungano Nyoni actually travelled to Ghana and Zambia, and even spent time in a witch camp to develop a more realistic and accurate story. However, Nyoni was able to impress me greatly, and it shows as I am Not A Witchhas received high ratings and several awards for its ability to represent the local culture in Zambia within a witches’ camp.

The movie impacted me by teaching me how certain cultures, like the one in Zambia, treat woman. For the area of Zambia that the movie focuses on, a woman may be convicted as a witch if the weird, mysterious, or unlucky activities occur. As seen in the beginning of the movie, one of the local town men makes up a story about the main character, a girl who later will be called Shula by the other witches. The movie provides the perspective of how grateful I am to live in the place I do, but also is a call to action to tell the stories of the underrepresented and mistreated throughout the world. The movie shows the witches, especially Shula, being used for other’s gain, monetarily and politically.

This event relates to the topic of International Affairs since Rungagno Nyoni is sharing with the world the lives and stories of some living in Africa. These events and actions typically might not be brought up normally in the news or talked about a lot. As scholars, we should learn to understand how the people of the world live, and how we can use this knowledge to create allow people to live better, more fulfilling lives.

I feel the movie educated me more than anything but influenced and given me a broader sense of the world. The story not only shines a light on the political corruption of many African countries and tribal communities, where Shula and the witches are forced to work, and threatened if they should leave. Mr. Banda, the police officer, even goes to the point of bringing Shula on live television to sell eggs, suggesting they are better because they are from a witch. Also, tourism, especially from Westerners, is highlighted in this movie. People come to the witch camps and enjoy taking photos, seeing the witches more as animals. Also, the movie gives me a desire to learn more about the many cultures of Africa, and how the people live their lives.

Overall, I really enjoyed I Am Not A Witch, directed by Rungano Nyoni. The graphic visuals of the white ribbon, how people attacked the witches, and the death of Shula, allowed for the message of hardship for some of those living in Zambia. Also, the effect that Shula had on the witches, inspired and allowed them to see a life not oppressed, but free from the control of the government. I would recommend others to watch, who wish to learn more about a way of life not typically brought up among modern Westerners.

Reflection #3:

The event I attended was Non-IA and was put on by the Alexander Hamilton Society chapter at Ohio State. The night featured a debate on the topic of the Yemeni Civil War. However, the debate went further and discussed the history of the conflict in the region, the Saudi-Iran proxy conflict, and the actions and responses of Americans to events currently going on in the Arabian Peninsula. One of the people in the debate worked under the Bush Administration in the 2000’s focusing on middle eastern conflict. He currently is a professor and speaks at several events, including other put on by the Alexander Hamilton Society at different universities. The other debater for the night was a PhD student at Ohio State in Political Science. I found both speakers to be very intelligent and each provided their own argument, which each other seemed to disagree on. The disagreement amongst them led me to be more interested in the debate and made the debate slightly more heated. While both speakers provided good arguments, I feel the debater who served under the Bush administration provided the most compelling arguments. I believe his greater experience and knowledge on the topic helped support more of his claims. The other debater seemed to make some claims that sounded appealing in a theoretical sense but would not work if actually implemented.

The event impacted me by teaching me more about the trouble currently going on in the Middle East and the Civil War in Yemen. I was unaware of how big of an issue the Yemen Civil War is and how connected the United States and several Middle Eastern countries are connected to this issue. A majority of the people in Yemen are below the poverty line and do not have access to food, water, or an assistance. Therefore, people are dying and revolting to change the current living situation. Iraq is supplying Yemen with missiles that are cheap to fire, and they are firing them at Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is thus firing back with missiles made by the United States, which cost a lot more money. The United States tasked them with keeping peace in the Middle East, so the United States has not been as involved. However, Saudi Arabia has not been doing all it can to keep that agreement.

The topic of International Affairs relates to this topic as several countries are involved, and a humanitarian crisis is currently going on. There are people with different political, religious, and ethnical differences which creates trouble when creating peace. A week after attending the debate, the International Affairs class had group presentations. One of the groups presented on the topic of the Yemen Civil War crisis. I could connect what I learned from the debate to more physical data presented in the presentation to develop a greater idea of the civil war.   Overall, I would like to learn more about the Yemeni Civil War and the politics and other issues of the Middle East.

Reflection #4:

I attended the Coffee and Diversi(tea) event sponsored by Smith-Steeb Resident Advisors. The event was a Non-IA event and was on January 31, 2019 in the Glass Classroom of Smith-Steeb. Before going to the event, I was unsure about what the title meant. Would we be drinking tea and coffee while talking about diversity? During the event, the resident advisors first went over a PowerPoint discussing the different aspects of how coffee and tea is produced around the world. The tea and coffee we would be tasting would be free-trade, from some of the top exporters of those commodities. The countries featured were Kenya, Vietnam, and three other countries from Africa and Asia. The presentation spoke about how colonialism from European countries affected the economies of some of the countries in Africa and Asia in modern day.

When I drink tea or coffee, I typically do not think about where the products came from. Not only do I think about where the products came from, but how were they harvested. Who were they harvested by? By attending this event, I became aware of where the majority of tea and coffee is produced and grown in the world. Also, the event spoke on free-trade and what it means. A majority of the food and other products made in foreign countries might not be ethically made. The employees and farmers are not paid a fare wage, and it ensures that some people are not practically slaves. By buying products that are labeled free-trade, the label ensures that the people behind the label and packaging are receiving a fair wage and that ethical practices are being made in the production process.

After going through the PowerPoint educating the people of the room the diversity of our world in just tea and coffee production, a Kahoot game was played amongst others in the room. While the Kahoot was going on, the organizers went around serving the different types of coffees and teas. I was not much of a fan of the coffee, as I typically do not drink coffee, due to its bitter taste. I found the Vietnamese coffee the most bitter out of all the coffees. After testing the coffees, different types of tea were served. One of the most interesting teas was not made with a tea bag, but through leaves that were rolled up into small balls. However, I found the Kenyan tea to be the best out of all of them. It was so good I took some home with me!

The event connected to some of the coursework I had learned from high-school the free-trade club spoke in front of one of my classes. The club at school advocated and sold products to students that were free-trade. This topic about diversity through goods relates to International Affairs because the goods produced in Kenya or Vietnam, are used by people around the world. Therefore, other countries have an influence on the economies of these countries.

Reflection #5:

On Monday, March 7th, 2019, I attended the Current Events Conversation in the Smith-Steeb Glass classroom, hosted by Sam. The event involved discussing and learning about international news. This event will fulfill my academic event requirement for the semester. Early on in the first semester, I attended the first Current Events Conversation and really enjoyed listening to the thoughts of Sam and other peers but have not been able to make it to her monthly event due the busy life in school. Being busy in college is also a factor in why I do not keep up with world news as much as I should be. In high school, I would watch the evening news to catch up on local and world news. The same cannot be said for college.

With the large amounts of homework and cocurricular activities going on, I only find out about information through periodic alerts on my phone from local and national news sources. The Current Events Conversation personally impacted me by going more in depth on certain news stories, such as the India-Pakistan conflict, the meeting between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, the current issue with Brexit in the United Kingdom, and the recent Nigerian election. Before attending the event, I had just heard on the news of the Indian pilots shot down by Pakistan and that there was a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un, but Sam thoughtfully provided more details to tell a balanced story.

I learned that the India-Pakistan conflict has been going on throughout the past sixty years, over undisputed territory. There is a good possibly that the current tensions could escalate to military action due to the India pilots being shot down, and the suicide bombing of Indian soldiers, to India launching missiles towards Pakistan. Nigeria recently went through an election, but the turn-out to the polls was very low with around 30% of the population voting. The expected winner before the elections did not win by a considerable margin. The event discussed that there was an issue with polling that the voting day had to be pushed back a week to prevent certain issues, especially with corruption. Despite the low turnout, one positive I took from discussing this news story was the continued progress in Nigeria to move towards a democratic society where an agenda of removing corruption is currently taking place. Countries like Nigeria that are recently making the change to a democratic way of life will need time to develop into a model like the United States. The topics discussed relate to the topic of International Affairs due to the global impact the conflict between India and Pakistan, the United Stated and North Korea, and the Brexit deal with the United Kingdom have on the rest of the world. One aspect I learned that will benefit myself personally is the need to complete greater research on a topic to develop a better understanding. Often what media portrays is the skimmed version, but by completing more research, one can fully develop the global and local impact certain issues can have on the world.

Reflection #6:

On April 6, 2019, I volunteered at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank Kroger Community Pantry from 7:30 am to 11:30 am. The event will count as a service event for my International Affairs requirement. This was my first time serving at a foodbank, so I really took in this experience to learn as much as I could. The foodbank is located in Grove City, which is located outside of Columbus, Ohio. The purpose of a foodbank is to provide a way for people who might not be able to afford to put food on the table, to have a place that provides decently fresh food. My job at the foodbank was to help people get their bread items and be the last person people see as they leave the foodbank. The event personally impacted me because I was introduced to people I typically would not see on a daily basis. Many of the families and people I spoke to and came in contact with were immigrants. Some did not know any or very little English, so communication became a challenge. Trying to connect and give information to people that do not know English is a struggle, but I know the challenge must be greater for them. Many left their home countries to come to Columbus, and they have to go through the struggle of communicating with all aspects of life every day. Despite this, everyone I came that I came in contact with was very nice. Some people even threw a laugh and smiled through my joking around with food. It can also be hard to be social and laugh because some people might feel embarrassed for having to be in their situation and at the foodbank. I feel I gain personally the most from this event by just having things being put into perspective. In high school, I served at a homeless shelter often but have not as been involved as much in college. It is important to give back to the community and interact with all types of people to develop a greater understanding of the world. This event relates to International Affairs because many of the people at this event were immigrants who have settled in Columbus, Ohio. As International Affairs Scholars, it is not only important to look at cultures and issues going on around the world, but also those that are happening in our own backyard. There are cultural and language differences and barriers that the immigrants at the foodbank go through. It can be hard for those who have not grown up in Columbus or even the United States to make the transition to daily life. Especially for those that I met that did speak English well, there is a possible struggle to get a job or even go about the tasks that many would consider simple each day. Overall, I intend to go back to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank in Grove City as I had a great experience and felt very satisfied helping those in need in the community. Also, I plan to look at more opportunities to connect International Affairs and giving back to the community in the future.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is a brief biographical statement that might include your intended major, your academic interests, your goals, as well as the things that make you unique.  Definitely include a picture! Also, remember that you can always update this post at any point. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]