Humanities Second Year Project Summary Sheet

Studying Race, Revolution, Culture, and Art in Cuba

Miriam Nordine, nordine.3@osu.edu

Major: English Literature

Minors: Studio Art, Education

Description

For my project, I plan on studying about race, revolution, culture, and art in Cuba for 10 days. Before the trip, I will take classes about these subjects. Through experiencing a different country’s culture and art the first time, I hope to develop a deeper understanding of the world and my own art.

A large part of this study abroad program includes taking classes for two weeks before our class to learn about how colonialism has affected Cuba and how revolution has shaped both its culture and art. Because the class will only fill three hours of my day, I plan to practice photography for these two weeks in Columbus to not only prepare for the trip, but also to begin to appreciate the capacity for art that exists in the city where I live. This experience will help me develop my identity as an artist by bringing my academics and art into integration. I think this process will help me to pursue art in my daily life and to integrate it further into my studies of education, English, and Art.

Process

I chose the category of Education Abroad because I think this unique opportunity will provide me with the most intellectual growth and development. My objective is to learn what it means to explore a culture other than my own. This will be my first experience abroad, and I am positive that it will be an enlightening experience for me. I chose the Cuba program because it deeply intrigued me, but also is centered around topics that I know little about. I knew that I wanted to go to a country where there was a different language spoken, so I could experience what it’s like to struggle to communicate. I think this exposure will give me empathy and allow me to connect with the vast amount of people who live in a country where the main language is not their own. I am nervous, but excited to exercise my Spanish skills, but I am also excited to learn about the African roots in Cuba. I have a great interest in Cuba and the revolution that has taken place there, yet I am ignorant in many ways when it comes to diversity and politics outside of the United States. My objective is to remove my ignorance in my journey in Cuba. I plan to achieve this objective through practicing the art of photography and writing about how both my own art and the art I experience makes me feel.

This project will allow me to experience interacting with people abroad, while also getting to experience and study the way that art has been used to resist against social injustice. As a person who strives to express herself through art, I am excited to experience the art of people who made art for a revolutionary cause. Because this study abroad program is so focused on learning about what racial identity means outside of an American context, I am positive that my world view will be changed and shaped to include a larger understanding of other perspectives. It is so important to me that art be involved in this experience because it will help to solidify the new ideas and concepts that I am going to learn about.

I think the exposure to these different perspectives will allow me to bring more to the table as I continue to pursue Studio Art as a minor. Getting to see art forms of Afro-Cubans and getting to study it in its context will help develop my view of art, how to interpret art, and understanding its effect on both viewers and political systems. I am very affected by my visual surroundings, and I plan to take photos, when appropriate, of certain landscapes and scenes that strongly affect me. I plan to make an album of these photos so that I can continually reflect on my experience abroad and remember how I was affected by the people I will meet, the content I will study, the classmates I bond with, and the sights that I’m going to see. Because art is often a source of inspiration to write for me, practicing photography will help me to express new thoughts and emotions about what I’m learning and feeling. I believe practicing photography in my free time in a foreign country will help me reflect on my art practices and what it means to me to be an artist and a storyteller.

Results

This project will ultimately help me develop a more global view, but it will also benefit me greatly when it comes to pursuing my professional goals. While my classes and trip to Cuba will take place in May of this year, I am volunteering to teach English to Hungarian speakers in Hungary and Slovakia from June 17^th to August 8^th of this year. After going to Cuba, this will be my second time traveling abroad. Despite the fact that my trip to Cuba will be a transformative experience on its own, I believe it will also be an excellent preparation for my travels to Hungary and Slovakia. I am sure that adjusting to a new culture in such a short amount of time will be a struggle in Cuba, but this learning experience will help guide me in understanding how to process culture shock, being sensitive to the beliefs and lifestyles of others, being surrounded by a foreign language, and learning how to interact with people who are different from me. I believe I will begin to learn these things during my time in Cuba, and this will help make me a more culturally aware person when I travel again later in the summer. Traveling abroad and making art abroad is so important to me because I use art as a tool to empathize and understand. I think it is important for my learning to not only study art in Cuba, but to practice making art in Cuba to promote a deeper understanding.

Reflection

            Upon completion of this project, I will have gained first-hand knowledge about a culture outside of my own. As a Humanities Scholar, I have heard countless stories about being abroad and interacting with people from other cultures. It has inspired me to take initiative and embark on my own journey to Cuba. It has enhanced my experience as a Humanities Scholar because it is going to teach me about how the humanities are viewed and studied in a different context than in the United States. I am excited to expand my view of both the world and the humanities. This experience will contribute to my future goals because I believe this experience will not only make me more marketable for jobs, but I will also have developed more empathy and social skills that will be applicable wherever I go in life. After my trip, I plan to reflect upon my experiences through writing and art. I believe this reflection will result in the development of my identity and my understanding of a different country.

Pictures/Visuals

Miriam Nordine

STEP PROPOSAL

1. Personal Statement

Throughout my STEP experience, our cohort leader gave many opportunities to question the motives behind our actions and think critically about how our experiences have shaped us. Going into this program, I didn’t realize that I still had room to learn about myself, but I have come to adopt the belief that it is an ongoing process. Taking a step outside of myself is teaching me that analyzation comes easier when prompted. I plan to keep these skills of analysis with me after STEP as well.

When I am faced with the question of who I am, it is easy to get overwhelmed. There are so many facets that I could delve into, but the first one that comes to mind is a learner. Throughout my time at Ohio State, I have been a sponge who is eager to soak up anything I can get my hands on. This year I joined a Jewish a Capella group, and it has taught me a great deal about the religion, its practice, and its holy language. Many people do not understand why I would be a part of this group if I am not Jewish, but I think this helps explain who I am. I like to gain experiences through meeting new people and going to new places. Being a part of this group has given me the chance to feel what it’s like to be welcomed by a group of people who is different from me. This experience has given me a small taste of empathy for people who are often immersed into groups that are wholly different from themselves.

As I think about my intense desire to learn, I am brought to my yearning to empathize. When I was younger, I often felt misunderstood, and this greatly frustrated me. As I get older, I have learned that the key to making this frustration go away is to work to understand yourself and others better. Understanding will appear as a by-product. My desire for empathy has turned into a higher aptitude for kindness and thoughtfulness. While I consider myself to be empathetic, I know there is always room for improvement and growth, and I want to develop this growth because I believe these qualities are integral to the spiritual and emotional well-being of humanity.

One of my favorite ways to gain empathy is listening to or reading stories. My love of stories brings me to my love of the English language and literature. Books are special to me because I found my love of reading only recently. Every time I open a book, I am reminded that trying new things can be rewarding. Literature combines my love of learning, empathizing, and gaining new experiences. Not only did I find passion for reading by trying something new, but every book I pick up possesses a new experience. People often ask what kind of books I like to read, and this question puzzles me. I am an open-minded person, and this aspect of myself allows me to enjoy many different kinds of books. If I had to put it into words, I would say that I enjoy books that explore humanity and the thought-processes of the mind. From these kinds of books, I excavate the most inspiration.

While books allow me to learn and gain inspiration, I also believe they are a form of art. In the past couple of years, I have immersed myself into the world of art, and I have found the great release of expression through this process. Some of my art gives me joy in the end-product, and some of my art gives me pleasure in the process of making it, and these facts give me the longing to explore art around the world and to hear the stories of other artists. Lately, I have been practicing art through paint and photography, but I plan on exploring more art practices in the future.

I consider all of these things to be a part of who I am, but I consider my life to be an artistic journey, and on this journey, I want to strive to be a deeply expressive person. I often let anxiety get in the way of sharing myself with others, but I want to change this. Because I have gained so much from others who have shared themselves, I desire to work to learn how to share myself in different ways.

Right now, I am a story-reader, but I want to be a story-teller. I want to share my experiences and thoughts so that others can learn and gain empathy from my stories. As someone who has dealt with anxiety and depression, I think telling my story will make a contribution by helping to destigmatize mental illness. In my experience, reading the experiences of others who have similar struggles is some of the greatest therapy I have partaken in, and I hope to provide this therapy for others.

To be more concise, I desire to be a more empathetic person and an expressive person. I also want to take on the role of teacher so that I can engage in both gaining and divulging information. I think that the only way to be an effective teacher is to remember that learning is an eternal process. I plan to help myself remember this by consistently embarking on new journeys and experiences.

I believe that in developing deeper empathy and expression, I will be shaping myself to be a person who works to better the lives of others, and this is what I crave to do in life. I used to say that I wanted to lessen the suffering of others, but I have found an error in this wording. Suffering cannot be removed, but it can be soothed through art, expression, stories, and learning. I want to give these gifts to others.

When thinking about how STEP can help me in my journey of developing who I am, I feel an excitement rise within me. As a person who strives to be open-minded, it is important to keep learning about those who are different than me. Because of this, I have an intense desire to travel outside of the country. This is something I have never done before, and I feel limited in my understanding of humanity because of this. I often speak with others about their experiences abroad or their place of birth, and these conversations greatly fuel my desire.

I believe going abroad will help me gain empathy and will also help me to learn about the stories of others outside of the U.S. Despite never having been abroad, I know that art is international, and I long to see how expression plays out in another part of the world. I think this will help me to find my own mode of expression to share with others.

This summer I would like to explore the expression that photography can give. Taking photos has become a new passion of mine, and I have felt led to incorporate it into my STEP program. It is very important for me to engage in art during my project and my time abroad and photography feels like the perfect way to do so.

Another endeavor I have always believed to combine the different aspects of who I am is going to teach abroad through a program such as the Peace Corps. This aspiration can be affirmed or contested when I am provided the opportunity to travel abroad. Either way, I know that gaining this experience will help me develop empathy and expression and will teach me about different aspects of humanity. In my search for foreign stories, I am excited to develop who I am through learning and through my art practices, so that I can fit myself to be someone who can work to better lives. Ultimately, I plan to use my STEP experience to become a person who is better suited to be a learner, a teacher, a sharer of stories, and a person who has the skills to serve the needs of others.

2. Project Summary

For my project, I plan on studying about race, revolution, culture, and art in Cuba for 10 days. Before the trip, I will take classes about these subjects. Through experiencing a different country’s culture and art the first time, I hope to develop a deeper understanding of the world and my own art.

3. Description of My Project

I chose the category of Education Abroad because I think this unique opportunity will provide me with the most intellectual growth and development. My objective is to learn what it means to explore a culture other than my own. This will be my first experience abroad, and I am positive that it will be an enlightening experience for me. I chose the Cuba program because it deeply intrigued, but also is centered around topics that I know little about. I knew that I wanted to go to a country where there was a different language spoken, so I could experience what it’s like to struggle to communicate. I think this exposure will give me empathy and allow me to connect with the vast amount of people who live in a country where the main language is not their own. I am nervous, but excited to exercise my Spanish skills, but I am also excited to learn about the African roots in Cuba. I have a great interest in Cuba and the revolution that has taken place there, yet I am ignorant in many ways when it comes to diversity and politics outside of the United States. My objective is to remove my ignorance in my journey in Cuba. I plan to achieve this objective through practicing the art of photography and writing about how both my own art and the art I experience makes me feel.

This project will allow me to experience interacting with people abroad, while also getting to experience and study the way that art has been used to resist against social injustice. As a person who strives to express herself through art, I am excited to experience the art of people who made art for a revolutionary cause. Because this study abroad program is so focused on learning about what racial identity means outside of an American context, I am positive that my world view will be changed and shaped to include a larger understanding of other perspectives. It is so important to me that art be involved in this experience because it will help to solidify the new ideas and concepts that I am going to learn about.

I think the exposure to these different perspectives will allow me to bring more to the table as I continue to pursue Studio Art as a minor. Getting to see art forms of Afro-Cubans and getting to study it in its context will help develop my view of art, how to interpret art, and understanding its effect on both viewers and political systems. I am very affected by my visual surroundings, and I plan to take photos, when appropriate, of certain landscapes and scenes that strongly affect me. I plan to make an album of these photos so that I can continually reflect on my experience abroad and remember how I was affected by the people I will meet, the content I will study, the classmates I bond with, and the sights that I’m going to see. Because art is often a source of inspiration to write for me, practicing photography will help me to express new thoughts and emotions about what I’m learning and feeling. I believe practicing photography in my free time in a foreign country will help me reflect on my art practices and what it means to me to be an artist and a storyteller.

Thinking about my art practice reminds me of two of my Professional Development Co-Curriculars, which not only helped me decide on my STEP Project but also helped me finally settle on what to pursue as a major and minors. Last semester, I read The Handmaid’s Tale, and attended a Book Club Discussion. As a lover of stories, I was so excited at the chance to read Margaret Atwood’s book. As we discussed feminist issues in this wonderful piece of literature, I could feel my love of English studies beginning to grow. I also attended the OUAB event of Justin Hurwitz discussing his composition of music and how he practices his art. These two events helped me come to the decision that I must pursue English and Art. I have been struggling to decide on a major for a while now, but through STEP and through my PDCs, I was able find peace in a decision. After switching my major a few times, I felt confused every time I thought about switching again. I could not decide whether I wanted to major in Education or English, but through the self-discovery that was involved in my STEP cohort, I came to the realization that while I had a passion for education, I truly wanted to study English and hone my reading and analyzation skills. Because of my deep love for art, I am also pursuing a Studio Art minor, and I plan to develop my art skills through studying art and making art on my trip in Cuba. Because I believe strongly in everyone’s right to an equal education, I will also be minoring in Education. While I am finally feeling confident in my studies, I plan to write about my experiences in Cuba, and also to practice my art through photography to experience my passions in a brand-new context. When I pursue English and Art abroad, I believe my understanding of these subjects will be able to mature and grow.

With any free time I have, I plan to take photos and reflect on both art and my experiences. I think this practice will help me develop my photography skills in preparation for taking a photography class next year for my art minor. While I love taking photos, I’ve never gotten the chance to focus on it, so I plan to use my time abroad to give this aspect of my interests the time it deserves to grow and develop while also promoting reflection on the new things I have learned about Cuba and its history.

A large part of this study abroad program includes taking classes for two weeks before our class to learn about how colonialism has affected Cuba and how revolution has shaped both its culture and art. Because the class will only fill three hours of my day, I plan to practice photography for these two weeks in Columbus to not only prepare for the trip, but also to begin to appreciate the capacity for art that exists in the city where I live. This experience will help me develop my identity as an artist by bringing my academics and art into integration. I think this process will help me to pursue art in my daily life and to integrate it further into my studies of education, English, and Art.

This project will ultimately help me develop a more global view, but it will also benefit me greatly when it comes to pursuing my professional goals. While my classes and trip to Cuba will take place in May of this year, I am volunteering to teach English to Hungarian speakers in Hungary and Slovakia from June 17^th to August 8^th of this year. After going to Cuba, this will be my second time traveling abroad. Despite the fact that my trip to Cuba will be a transformative experience on its own, I believe it will also be an excellent preparation for my travels to Hungary and Slovakia. I am sure that adjusting to a new culture in such a short amount of time will be a struggle in Cuba, but this learning experience will help guide me in understanding how to process culture shock, being sensitive to the beliefs and lifestyles of others, being surrounded by a foreign language, and learning how to interact with people who are different from me. I believe I will begin to learn these things during my time in Cuba, and this will help make me a more culturally aware person when I travel again later in the summer. Traveling abroad and making art abroad is so important to me because I use art as a tool to empathize and understand. I think it is important for my learning to not only study art in Cuba, but to practice making art in Cuba to promote a deeper understanding.

Having already experienced exploring the art of a country while pursuing my own artistic journey, I will have a more developed understanding of how to interact with my students and host family in Hungary. I think I will enjoy having the ability of adjusting to a new culture with an open-mind that is ready to learn, process, and absorb. I also plan to practice my photography skills in Hungary and Slovakia by taking a camera with me when I go on excursions with my host family and fellow teachers. I also plan to use the photos that I take to promote reflection. I think it will be interesting to analyze my photos from Cuba with those that I take in Hungary to think about the differences between my learning experiences abroad. I also plan to use pictures to teach English to my students because I think this is an effective to teach vocab and verbs in some cases. I plan to use photos that I take and pictures that I draw to practice incorporating art into my education and English practices. This act will help me to take this integration of my interests with me to my 3^rd year at Ohio State, which will help me learn more effectively, without the worry of how my studies will come together. While my STEP Project is centered around Cuba, I think both of my experiences abroad will help me in my journey of developing as a learner and an empathetic artist.

It may sound like my project was well thought out and planned, but I could never have come to these conclusions on what to pursue and choose as my project without the immense help of the students in my STEP cohort. During our meetings, my peers were very encouraging of my art and writing, and they also encouraged me to pursue my desire to go abroad. I also have many friends who are 3^rd years who have gone through STEP, so they were a great help in showing me the different options and opportunities I had. I also was fortunate to have a great cohort leader, Rick Livingston, who always promoted an environment that encouraged analysis and self-reflection. He was communicative in explaining what STEP is and what it was meant to do. With a cohort leader who was extremely supportive of all of our endeavors and encouraged questions and deeper analysis, I learned a great deal about myself and what I wanted to get out of STEP.

I believe my Project is feasible when it comes to time and resources because my trip to Cuba will only take up the month of May, and I do not go to Hungary until the middle of June. All of my expenses I have calculated to be around $2000, which is helpful so that I won’t have to worry about procuring extra money to carry out my project.

During May 8^th through May 18^th I will be living in Columbus and attending my classes on the weekdays. These classes are directly associated with my trip to Cuba, and we will be learning a great deal about the history and context of Cuba. On May 19^th, I will depart from Ohio with my study abroad class, and then we will be in Cuba until May 31^st. During this time in Cuba, I will have a decent amount of free time to practice photography and explore the art of Cuba. On May 31^st, we will depart Cuba and come back to the United States. On June 1^st, we will have one final class to wrap up our experience. During my time in Ohio after my trip, I plan to continue photography, but I also plan to reflect upon and analyze the photos I took and how they relate to what I learned about race, culture, and revolution. By the end of my project and summer, I will be more developed as a learner and empathizer, who is able to incorporate art into multiple aspects of my life.

4. Budget
5. Cuba Study Abroad Trip Program fee: $1000.00

This fee will cover living expenses in Cuba including international flights but excluding Ohio State Tuition.

200. Rent for non-lease living arrangements: $200.00

I will be taking classes on the Columbus campus from May 8^th through May 18^th, and I will also be taking classes the day after we come back from Cuba, so I will be living in Columbus for a few weeks before we depart and a couple of days after we get back. I will be living at a friend’s house, and this money will be going to them as rent for a non-lease living arrangement.

113. Food and groceries during the weeks I am in Columbus: $113.00

I will need money for groceries during the weeks before I depart, and I believe this amount will be sufficient.

50. Gas going to and from home and Columbus: $50.00

Because I live a few hours from the Columbus area, I will need gas money to travel from my home to Columbus whenever I need to go home and pack for my trip and help my family out with household tasks. I will also use this gas money to drive home from Columbus after my trip and classes.

397. Camera for photography practice: $397.00

I have been working on my Studio Art practices in my painting class and through photography this semester, but my instructors have encouraged me to expand my photography practices by getting myself a camera. I would like to use STEP money to get myself a reasonably-priced, beginner’s camera to help me hone my photography skills and practice my art abroad. I believe having access to my own camera will help me to prepare for enrolling in a Photography art class next year.

90. Hiking Boots: $90.00

When I have free time in Cuba and in Columbus before my trip, I plan to explore nature and go on hikes to use nature as inspiration for my art and photography. As of right now, I do not have proper shoes to hike, so hiking boots will allow me to expand the diversity of objects in which I can study in my art practices. These boots will also be of use for nature excursions when I go abroad.

1. Passport- $150

To travel abroad, a passport is required.

Budget Total: $2000.00

In addition to STEP funds, I will be receiving a Pell grant to help pay for the tuition for the summer class I will be enrolled in for my Study Abroad trip to Cuba. All other expenses including all food and expenses in Cuba, other travel costs, and additional expenses will be covered by my own money that I earn from my part-time job as an Office Assistant in my dorm this semester. I plan to save as much money as I can until I begin my project, so that I will have sufficient funds to complete it.

As the semester is coming to an end, I can’t help but feel like it started last week. The time has flown by, and it is hard for me to believe that the semester is coming to a close. One fear I had at the beginning of the year was that I would not be able to handle the college coursework. Now that I only have a couple of exams left, I can confidently say that this fear is gone. I feel secure in the fact that I can definitely handle these next four years. Many of my professors have helped aid the transition to college, and while I put in a ton of work this semester, I can still say that I feel equipped for future courses.

When I finally finished my senior year of high school, I was completely exhausted. Going to school all day with no breaks for 12 years took its toll on me, and I was hoping that college would be better for me with a more flexible schedule. This hope was filled, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Even though I spend a lot of time doing homework, I love to be able to do it during the day in between classes, rather than at night after a long day. Being able to take breaks in my day makes classes a lot easier. I feel that I get so much more out of lectures when I have time to rest in between.

As the beginning of the semester, I felt pretty confident about majoring in Social Work, and now that I have had new experiences in various classes, I feel slightly less sure of what I want to do, but I’m realizing that’s okay. While I am still planning on majoring in Social Work, I am going to try to keep my options open and to stay flexible and open-minded. Going to the Art Institute of Chicago encouraged me to pursue a minor in Studio Art. Being surrounded by so many masterpieces excited me so much, and I realized I wanted to make art a bigger part of my life.

The Chicago Trip as a whole was probably the best part of this semester because it allowed me to meet great people and experience Fun Home, and various museums. Being in Chicago helped remind me of the endless opportunities in the world and how they are waiting to be pursued. I tend to be too practical in my decision making, and this trip challenged me to look further into taking risks and following passions even though it might not always make the most sense.

This semester has been quick, inspiring, stressful, but full of life. I am extremely excited for the rest of my time at Ohio State, and I am proud to say that this is my school. I know I chose the right place to be, and I truly feel I belong here. I am very ready to get to spend some time with family and have a break, but I feel even more ready to tackle the next few years. I need to constantly remind myself of my passions for humanity, art, and life, and I know if I do this, I will end up in a profession that fulfills me. I can’t wait for future friendships, future revelations, and simply, the future, in general.

inspiration-board

1. I want to do a yoga class at the RPAC, but I keep putting it off because I am busy with other things.
2. I want to read more, but I feel too bogged down by what I have to read for school.
3. I want to play guitar more, but I don’t want to bother my roommate with too much noise.
4. I want to drink less coffee, but I tend to drink too much of it at the dining halls.
5. I want to exercise more, but I have yet to get the motivation to go to the gym.

1. I want to do a yoga class at the RPAC, and I keep putting it off because I am busy with other things. I need to find a friend who will go with me to motivate me to take the initiative to attend a class.
2. I want to read more, and I feel too bogged down by what I have to read for school. I need to find an escape read that intrigues me and does not feel like a chore to read.
3. I want to play guitar more, and I don’t want to bother my roommate with too much noise. I should find a private place in Baker East or on campus to practice my guitar.
4. I want to drink less coffee, and I tend to drink too much of it at the dining halls. I need to stop bringing my MyCup to the dining halls so I stop having access to so much coffee.
5. I want to exercise more, and I have yet to get the motivation to go to the gym. I need to set aside time in my schedule designated for going to the gym so I can hold myself accountable.

“I’m an anthropologist and I just got back from the Himalayas. I put together a gratitude journal. Go ahead and have this one!” -Deborah Akers

Excerpt from journal: “One need not have to move to the Himalayas to be grateful for one’s life. Whether we live in Ohio or India, we can learn how to tap our powerhouse of positive emotions through practicing gratitude.”

I have a strange habit of waving at random people and when this lady waved at me first, I knew she would be the subject of this assignment. She told me about how she just got back from the Himalayas, where she taught anthropology at the Institute of Buddhist Dialects. This experience taught her to live life differently by practicing thanksgiving, rather than being overcome by her worries and anxieties. She compiled a gratitude journal to spread what she learned and was generous enough to give me the one she had with her. I enjoy friendly people.

Miriam Nordine

My first week at Ohio State felt like a whirlwind. It started off with a crazy and hectic move-in day, and I felt charged with excitement. I couldn’t believe it was truly time for me to become a college student. It finally felt real. The weekend lasted what felt like an eternity, and it was a strange, but fun, two days. Not having any class yet felt like a joy ride, and my only jobs were to eat and meet people. The involvement fair was enjoyable, and I wanted to sign up for nearly everything I saw. It was so refreshing to see how passionate and excited people were to be pursuing different causes. I felt very welcomed by everyone I encountered, yet I had an overwhelming feeling of the need to belong somewhere. Not having yet established myself at OSU scared and still scares me as I write this paper.

I did not have much time to indulge in my anxious tendencies, because classes began on Tuesday and Convocation was Monday. I was one of the last people to get into the Schottenstein Center, and the immense amount of people almost comforted me. We were all in the same place, all about to embark on this new endeavor, together. I realized that many of these people were feeling the same feelings that I was.

Classes quickly took away the leisure of the past few days, and I felt settled by the fact that I would soon be entering into a routine, which would allow me to feel more grounded and at peace. My first class was small and the professor was calming, as she knew many of us were freshmen. I started to get the feeling that I could handle this whole college thing. On the second day, I attended a class that I would soon be dropping if I got off the waiting list for Spanish, but I quickly decided this would not be possible because the professor simply enchanted me. He was overflowing with passion for life, literature, and beauty, and I immediately knew I needed to continue to be infected by this passion. Overall, the week brought me many unpleasant feelings of not belonging and loneliness, but I can tell I made the right decision to come here, and I am determined to allow OSU to infuse life into my next four years. I cannot wait to form friendships and make this my home.