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On November 16th, CCOSU and IA made tie-blankets to donate to the CRIS families!

It was super nice of Zara to reach out to us so we could partner and do this together. It was lovely to see students coming together to tie a gift for the CRIS families. These blankets actually went to the newly resettled families from Afghanistan; Jeremy said that after having almost everything taken away from them, a gift like this was really meaningful and showed that we care.

I definitely hope this is something we can do in the future. Money donations are super helpful, but donating something useful and homemade is really special, I believe. One of the most important parts of the mentorship program is that the mentees have someone around who they know wants them to succeed. I think the blankets symbolize something similar: that the families are welcomed and that we care and want to help them. Thank you IA!

In the future, I think it would be easier to get more blankets with less tying, such as ones that you just tie the frayed ends on the outside. Less work with more output! Either way, CCOSU is really grateful.

Hello! On October 22nd, I attended (and hosted…hehe) the CCOSU fall festival!

CCOSU stands for CRIS Community Connectors at Ohio State, and the club was organizing the festival to raise money for CRIS’s mentorship program through a bake sale, pennant sale, pumpkin painting, and games! Some of the activities were also free just to get people to come and learn about the club and program. I was really happy to see that Madison made it a social events for IA students to come out, because even if we can’t all mentor or join the club, I think coming together to help the New American community in Columbus helps us be internationally minded in our own communities. It also supports the idea of the “global citizen,” and helping New American youth navigate a new country and still be themselves. I hope we can keep doing things together in the future.

I definitely think having a bake sale was the way to go, as food really speaks to college students! Having games also allowed us to draw more people’s attention! We had cornhole, super smash, balloon animals (thanks Rosa), and chalk. In the end, we made about 200$ profit! For our first fundraiser as a brand new club, we were very happy. Thanks for the support, IA!

Hello! I went to the social event to watch Parasite on September 23rd.

It was a super cool movie! It’s been really interesting to read the global response to Korean film like Parasite, Train to Busan, and Squid Game. I think it’s super refreshing to watch international movies and see how common problems (like poverty, financial inequality, and manipulation) translate, as well as enjoy a suspense/thriller like Parasite. Though there are some cultural differences in how the characters interact with one another, such as formalities that aren’t as common in the US, their stories aren’t really that different; we all enjoy drama, humor, and suspense. Perhaps I’ve just been watching Korean dramas for too long, but I think people’s “lowkey shock” that these movies and shows are so appealing to Americans is questionable, especially considering a large chunk of the world watches international movies regularly, even if dubbed in their own language.

I recently saw an interview with the main actor in Squid Game, Lee Jung-Jae, who got asked a question about whether he couldn’t leave the house anymore without being recognized. The interview went viral because Lee Jung-Jae was already a very famous movie star in Korea, even in most Americans didn’t know about him. I think that especially in America (but really everywhere in the West), we are so self-centered that our awards, our opinion, and our ideas are the most significant. This also applies to Train of Busan, which is getting an English remake called The Last Train to New York. Why can’t we just accept a dubbed version of the original story told from the original perspective, with the original historic significance of Busan, instead of having to remake it to apply more to Americans? I hope to see more international media becoming popular worldwide. Then maybe we can get off of our pedestal a little.

Hello! I attended the virtual event, “Comics and the Humanization of the Middle Eastern Experience,” which was part of the Global Comics Lecture Series.

This was by FAR my favorite event I’ve attended! It ended up being all about the representation of Middle Eastern people in media and especially comics, and focused on the representation of Middle Eastern LGBTQA people!!!!!! I’ve never been in a space that discussed being Middle Eastern and LGBT+, so it was really special for me. Also, I’ve always been interested in increased representation for Middle Eastern people, as I feel we are often ignored completely or simply stereotyped. I love that there was an event like this.

The speaker started by talking about the history of LBGT people in the Middle East, which was super interesting and eye-opening. Apparently, being homosexual or transgender used to be quite common and normal in the Middle East. I found this extremely surprising, as I thought LGBT topics were always taboo. However, there was even a third gender that had a role in society. I want to learn more about this, as I think it disputes many arguments that being LGBT is a “new craze” and unnatural. Furthermore, LGBT+ topics are international issues; knowing the history of being LGBT around the world is important to understanding current perspectives and finding possible solutions to discrimination.

The speaker then talked about how a large reason that being LGBT became taboo was colonization!!!! I was honestly really happy about this, because I thought they were going to blame Islam, but actually they talked about how British rule and ideas of “civilization” led to new laws and practices against homosexuality and transgenderism. Before, there were LGBT people even during the time of Islam. Now, Islam is used to oppose homosexuality, but there was a time when that wasn’t the case. I think this shows how governments and society can abuse faith to justify oppression, when the religions themselves are full of love. That’s just my opinion, though. Understanding the effects of colonization is also really important when studying international affairs, as the effects still have global significance today, even in terms of social issues.

Finally the speaker showed examples of their artwork, which was fascinating, as well as discussed how they represent their message through art. They also discussed other Middle Eastern comic artists as well as important organizations to donate to. I’m not really an artist, but this was really cool!

In the end, I appreciated that this presentation discussed the representation of Middle Eastern people, and specifically LGBT Middle Eastern people,  as these are topics I’ve never heard discussed before.

Hello! On March 25th, I attended the Reflection on the IA Global Health and Pre-med Panel. I found this really informative and helpful, and the fact that there are global health interest groups in Med School is really exciting for me. My hope is to work in health equity and work in developing countries where basic healthcare isn’t as accessible, so I found this panel really great!

One thing that did make me a little nervous is that one girl said that she wanted to travel but heard that it would not be very practical if she wanted a family; I definitely have to consider this though and it’s good to think about it now and consider my future goals. Also, the girls talked about all the activities they were in in college, and I feel a little behind, but I’m doing my best and I just want to take it as motivation to get more involved (and especially do things I’m really passionate about – they stressed that a lot). They talked about the different type of research, and this is definitely something I want to think about doing next.

Another thing I appreciated about this panel is that the girls all had a very diverse range of activities they participated in college! Learning about the girl who majored in romance languages was particularly interesting! This definitely reinforced the idea that there’s no “right answer” to getting into medical school, but that I should try to discover what I’m passionate about and just get involved. Furthermore, their discussions about medical school, though it definitely seemed difficult, made me excited for it! I just want to work hard now so I can get in!

On 3/25/2021 I attended the zoom for the South Asian Studies Initiative Research Brown Bag Series: “After Decriminalization: Anti-Discrimination & Belonging” with Suparna Bhaskaran (WGSS). Ms. Bhaskaran gave a presentation and then opened the floor for discussion.

This was interesting! I registered late so I didn’t get an email until like 15 minutes in so I missed some of the presentation, but it was still eye opening. The presentation discussed Indian policy after the decriminalization of homosexual behavior. I felt it was important to attend this event as I think that sometimes the discussion about homosexuality in America doesn’t include the perspective and experiences of people of color. Even though this has to do with India, it still affects a HUGE population of people and thus has rippling effects on the rest of the world. Furthermore, cultural differences that affect LGBT policy in India affects Indian-Americans here, as well as can provide insight into our own cultural perspective.

Some of the policies and laws they talked about went over my head, but the presentation was still worthwhile! I found it particularly interesting how much nationalism and conspiracies were brought up, as these are significant issues in the US right now. Ms. Bhaskaran also discussed how conservatives in India have taken a stance that homosexuality is a “War on India”, which is really similar to American ideas that homosexuality conflicts with American ideals and the sanctity of marriage.

Also I found this presentation quite eye opening because I think America has this idea that India is super conservative and strict, but they do have a large population of LGBT+ people (including trans people, whom we like never talk about!). I think it’s really important that we hear global perspectives on these issues, as it can help us come together internationally to help advocate for the rights of everyone. Furthermore, since our country is so diverse, it’s really important that we open the floor to people of color, as their experiences even with homo and transphobia will be different, and increasing their representation is important so more people can feel comfortable being themselves.

On Friday February 12th, a bunch of IA people got together to celebrate Lunar New Year! This was a social event.

My best friend’s family celebrates Lunar New Year since they have adopted children from China, and I’ve attended their celebrations twice, but it is still a holiday I know so little about! I dressed up in red and gold, because apparently that is the custom, but I was wondering if it was even appropriate for me to do so if I’m not Chinese! This really made me consider how I can appreciate a holiday respectfully and appropriately that is not a part of my own culture. I grew up with a bunch of cultures, so it felt a little strange to be the ignorant outsider.

Nevertheless, I tried a bunch of sweets that Rosa and Piper bought (they were very sweet and fruity!) and the Japanese curry they made that tastes so much like Indian curry. I had a lot of fun, and I think it’s wonderful to be able to learn more about cultures and holidays that are different from mine. It really makes me wonder how we as a society can exchange cultural ideas, rituals, and customs, though the only way I can really think of is by meeting people and inviting them to share in your culture, and expressing interest in theirs! In the end, I think this is really important for international affairs. Cultural rituals like holidays express cultural values (which is something we’ve been learning in Sociology!). I still don’t know much about Lunar New Year, especially about the ancient beliefs surrounding it (which I will have to research more), but it’s apparent that some of the values are home and family. These are important values in so many other cultures’ rituals as well, like American Thanksgiving, Ramadan, Christmas, etc. By making these connections, these rituals and cultures don’t seem so foreign, which I think breeds understanding and empathy.

On Feb 11, 2020 I watched the Restoring Faith in American Democracy discussion! This was an academic event.

To begin, this discussion was absolutely phenomenal, and I really want to attend more in the future. I assumed that it would be focusing on the events of January 6th, and though this was a main point, the panelists broadened my view of the problem our country is facing in terms of faith in our Democracy. One of the panelists argued that this is not just a recent phenomenon, but that perhaps distrust is stemming from our government’s inability to address problems well in the past 50 years. That panelists also started discussing completely changing our democracy! This was all very surprising to me; I’ve only been alive for 18 years, and though I of course know of recent polarization, corruption, and violence in our politics, I haven’t considered that perhaps these problems have been going on long before 2016. Also, though I’ve always speculated different ways we maybe should change our democracy (like having proportional electoral college votes, rather than a winner-takes-all system), I’ve never imagined that America would ever change our two party system, or adopt something more parliamentary. This really broadened my hopes for the future, as I really agree that our democracy should change, but I’ve never dared believed that it would. I realize that I’ve been living with an assumption that this is how America has always been and always will be, but in reality, our country is only around 250 years old! Governments change! And, as the panelists said, change often comes in busts. While I was worried that January 6th would lead to a crumble of our democracy and perhaps the rise of anarchy, maybe our government and national structure could change for the better. I still have doubts, but I think this should be considered.

Something I really liked that one of the panelists said, is that we should build new “pillars” for our democracy; ones that are made with everyone represented. I think our country idolizes our Constitution too much. While it is of course important for us to have a unifying document of law (especially since recently in Sociology we’ve been discussing how the authority in our country is Legal-Rational, and thus based on law, so we need something to keep those laws consistent), I think our country’s refusal to consider changes is holding us back. The founding fathers knew that the constitution would likely change as our society and country develops, yet it is so hard for us to make any sort of modifications. Yes we have amendments, but I think it is a problem that our country is built on a document that was meant to encompass the rights of only rich, white men. We shouldn’t scrap all the ideas in the Constitution, but I completely agree that we need new foundations for our Democracy, and I think it should be easier to modify those foundations as our Democracy continues to develop.

Nevertheless, I’ve gotten a bit off topic. Another thing that the panelists discussed that opened up my perspective a little is that perhaps we should look into the past for solutions. She did say that history doesn’t repeat itself, but rather forms parallels, and though I would have to disagree with this (though perhaps I should listen considering she is a history professor), I thought this was a cool idea. Our country has set a lot of precedents, but we are not the first country to face huge divisions; this isn’t even the first time our country has faced huge divisions! However, there is always the question of whether past solutions would only doom us again in the future. Either way, I loved how this discussion talked so much about greater change that needs to happen, and that the problems our country is experiencing are not just recent.

I remember earlier last year my parents and I were discussing me acquiring Polish citizenship. They mentioned it would also be a good idea in case our country fell into corruption or dictatorship or something. I laughed this off, as my beliefs were always that although America has its problems, our Democracy could never fall – our people wouldn’t let that happen. I then remembered that my parents both watched that happen in their own countries, Syria and Poland, growing up. That conversation, and now this panel, made me realize that I have this unfillable belief in American Democracy that may be unrealistic, and that it may be holding me back from imagining and fighting for large-scale change that may be necessary.

In the end, I wished I had sent in my question about how we can restore other countries’ faith in our democracy. I remember watching the news on January 7th and noticing other countries’ responses to the Capital coup: calling out America’s hypocrisy, questioning our stability, etc. Furthermore, many countries were confused by our horrendous response (or lack thereof) to Covid-19. That said, other countries have been expressing concern in the state of our country even before the Trump administration. How can we restore their faith in us? Can we do that if our own people don’t have faith in our Democracy?

In the end, this was an absolutely fantastic discussion that opened up my perspective in many ways. It made me regret only taking stem classes, as I want to have more discussions like this myself!

Hello! I attended a academic webinar event about Palestine on December 4th.

This event was very educational! My father has told me a lot about Palestine and Israel, but I really had no idea how bad it was. I had heard that there was violence on both sides and that Israel was taking control, especially from Rosa’s IA group project, but I really had no idea how much Israel controlled – in terms of land and laws.

To be honest, I worry about discussing this topic because I’m an Arab girl with a very biased Arab father, and I think that most Arabs (including myself) will always side with Palestine. This was one of the reasons that I wanted to join this webinar, as I wanted information in order to create my own opinion. That said, this was organized by Ohio State’s Students for Justice in Palestine, and the zoom was full of Arabs (which I will admit I loved), so I understand that their view on the subject was very biased.

Nevertheless, their information was very thorough, and I think we should all be worried for the Palestinian people. Not only are they losing their country, citizenship, and lives, they are being blocked from everything using Israel’s “permit system” (including hospitals), their unemployment is skyrocketing, much of Gaza’s water is undrinkable, and etc. I had hope that Palestine and Israel could come to some sort of agreement, but now it is obvious that Palestine is fighting a losing battle and will be completely taken over by Israel. I personally find it interesting that the media is always criticizing the old English and French “colonizers,” yet ignore the conquering of Palestine. But that’s all I have to say about that!

Either way, understanding what is happening in Palestine and Israel is extremely significant for international affairs, because Palestine and Israel are not the only countries involved. For example, Israel is a big ally of America, but many Middle Eastern groups support Palestine. Furthermore, many important religious ideas are at play. This is because Israeli are predominantly Jewish and the Palestinians are predominantly Muslim, but also because of fighting over the Holy City Jerusalem, which is important for the three largest monotheistic religions. In this way, though this is a physical conflict in a relatively small part of the Middle East, many countries and ideals are in conflict as well.

Though this webinar perhaps did not make me less biased, I am happy that it spread awareness of some of the difficulties the Palestinians are facing, and that it wasn’t full of hatred towards the Israeli people. I wish I had asked more about the impact on the Israeli people, since I know they also experienced devastations, but I suppose I will have to research this more myself.

Hello! I attended a zoom service event on December 4th. It was a conference about a few national organizations that work for educational equity. This included the Peace Corps, Teach for America, City Year Columbus, AmeriCorps Mentors for Success, and Urban teachers.

This was a really cool event! I hadn’t heard about most of these organizations, but they do such amazing work. I am going into Health Sciences to hopefully work with health equity and distributing healthcare globally. That said, I am very interested in educational equity. In my family, education is everything, as it is the reason my parents were able to come and succeed in this country. I asked and the speakers told me that there are opportunities in all of these organizations to work even if you are not an education major, which is so exciting for me, as I thought I would not get to work in education. I am seriously considering working in the education sector of the Peace Corps after college, but we’ll see.

So some of these organizations were locally based (like City Year Columbus), others were national and even global organizations. Education inequity is a global problem, and the disparities are different in each country. Though education is an important way to get a high-paying job, the people with the least amount of money have the least amount of access, leaving them in the circle of poverty. Furthermore, the control and restriction of education (as seen in Afghanistan with females) is a powerful way to control people, gain power, and assume dictatorship. Making sure everyone has access to an education is extremely significant.

Furthermore, the Peace Corps also works as almost ambassadors, as they spread information about American culture and learn about others’. Education about the world around us is also so important to decrease fear and hatred born from ignorance.

Though not all of these organizations are international, they all have an international impact by making sure children can grow up to think critically about the world around them, and so that they have the opportunity to change it.