On April 22nd, 2020, I attended a Zoom video chat to listen to varying perspectives on COVID-19. In this video chat, I was able to listen to other OSU students living in France, Germany, and China. I greatly enjoyed this opportunity. The Coronavirus pandemic is not solely impacting the United States. Nations across the globe are experiencing similar scenarios. Each country has chosen its own tactics to implement in hopes of slowing the spread of the virus. Many of these countries are also in quarantine.

Most of the students I was able to listen to agreed that college work has not been heavily impacted by the outbreak. I agree with these statements. Remote learning has been different but is still very manageable. High schooler and middle schoolers are experiencing a bit of a varying experience. Thankfully, a good amount of college work is already online and pre assigned. Unfortunately, high school and middle school teachers are have to greatly change their strategies to properly educate their students.

A student from Germany expressed that different part of the country are implementing different extremes of solutions. This concept is the same in the United States. The Federal Government gave each state the chance to make their own decisions regarding quarantine, closures, etc. Other countries are doing the same. This issue is being dealt with on smaller scales such as by city or by state as opposed to a larger, national scale.

I believe that it is important for us as a country to understand what works and what does not work. The United States is able to look at strategies used by other nations around the globe to decide what works best for our needs. I really enjoyed getting a personal account of the situations in other countries from other OSU students.

(Virtual. April 22nd, 2020.)

On November 15, 2019, several scholars programs, including the IA Scholars Program, travelled by bus to the Columbus Zoo. The zoo was decorated in Christmas lights for a festive showcase for all to see. As we all walked the paths around the zoo, we found many beautiful holiday lights and a few animals too!

The zoo is divided by continent. Each section represents a different continent and showcases the animals from that region. The lights were also set up based on the regions of the world. For example, the Asia section of the zoo was filled with beautiful yellow, red, and orange lights and housed a red panda and several elephants. As we strolled around the zoo, we learned more about the animals that live in different parts of the planet. The zoo also includes an aquarium where anything from sting ray to fish to manatees swim.

The zoo is home to animals from around the world, each working together to create one enjoyable place to visit. Each section of the zoo displays a different culture and a different environment. It is important to protect what makes every continent unique from a cultural and historical standpoint. It is also important to protect the animals that make every region special.

I enjoyed getting to see the beautiful holiday lights that lit up the zoo as I met other International Affairs Scholars and learned more about animals that live around the world.

(Social. November 15th, 2019.)