Author: Sue Huang

The Ohio Union Hosts the Ohio Wildlife Diversity Conference!

 

Greetings Buckeyes! Today, the Ohio Union is hosting the 32nd annual Ohio Wildlife Diversity Conference. Sponsored by the Ohio Division of Wildlife (ODW), this conference has long been a “must attend” for Columbus Audubon members. This year’s conference theme is “Exploring the Challenges Ohio’s Aerial Wildlife Face in the World Today,” or, as the ODW conference website says, “Top Guns in Flight: Wildlife in the Danger Zone.” I believe that as more and more encounters occur between humans and wildlife in Ohio, it is essential that Ohio residents know how to successfully handle these challenges while moving forward.

The first Ohio Wildlife Diversity Conference was held at The Ohio State University in 1985 with 40 people in attendance. The conference has grown since then with more than 950 people attending last year’s daylong event. College students can meet with representatives from a wide range of conservation and natural resource organizations and gain meaningful insights on wildlife preservation. This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Orley R. “Chip” Taylor. He is the founder and director of Monarch Watch and a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas.

Dr. Chip Taylor has published various papers on species assemblages, reproductive biology, population dynamics and plant demographics and pollination. In 1992 he founded Monarch Watch, an outreach program focused on education, research and conservation relative to monarch butterflies. Since then, Monarch Watch has recruited a tremendous number of volunteers to tag monarchs during the fall migration. This program has produced numerous new insights into the dynamics of the monarch migration. In 2005, Monarch Watch released the fact that habitats for monarchs are declining at a rate of 6,000 acres a day in the United States. Since then the organization established the Monarch Waystation program to inspire the public, schools and others to maintain and create better habitats for monarch butterflies. Monarch Watch has been actively educating the public about the decline in resources for monarchs, pollinators and all wildlife that share the same habitats and calling for the public’s attention and assists.

Students can also contribute to wildlife conservation in Ohio State by supporting this annual conference. If you are interested in wildlife research and conservation, are concerned about wildlife’s living environments or want to learn more about the sustainable habitats for the wildlife in Ohio, be sure to check their website for more details.

International Women’s Day

Happy Tuesday, fellow Buckeyes! As you may know, today is International Women’s Day, a universal holiday commemorating women’s history of taking action for equality and celebrating female accomplishments. It started in 1908, when almost 15,000 female sweat shop workers marched through New York City, demanding shorter hours, better wages and voting rights. In 1910, an international socialist conference declared this day International Women’s Day and it has been celebrated by women throughout the world ever since.

To celebrate this day, please check out these awesome opportunities around the campus:

  1. Women’s History Month at Ohio State-
    The Student Life Multicultural Center, along with partners across campus, will present the annual university-wide celebration of Women’s History Month. Women’s History Month highlights contributions of women to historical events and contemporary society. During this month, the center will present a variety of panels, lectures and community activities regarding female empowerment and development as well as their achievements. A detailed event schedule is online, so everyone can celebrate the progress of women all month long!
  2. Where Women Go-
    Where Women Go provides female students a broad array of offices and centers where they can seek help regarding academic concerns, health issues, fellowship and connection needs, and sexual civility and empowerment resources. Please click here for a more detailed resource list.
  3. The Buckeye Bargains Thrift Shop-
    In 1966, with the help of the president’s wife Marjorie Fawcett, University Women’s Club started Buckeye Bargains, a donation-based thrift shop that serves the university and the community and donates substantially to the UWC scholarship fund. I have been to the thrift shop several times and am truly amazed by the organization and the amount of donations at this cozy place. One of the volunteers told me that almost everything here is donated, including the workers’ labor. To her, Buckeye Bargains has become not only a service opportunity, but it is also great fun to contribute her time to a meaningful cause while building friendships and connections. 
    The Buckeye Bargains Thrift Shop has all different kinds of kitchen items, glasses, small appliances, clothing, blankets and other household goods. If you are interested in decorating your apartment or residence hall with some goodies, please check this store out as a sign of support for International Women’s Day! More information about the store location and operation hours is now online.
    University Women’s Club is a nonprofit female membership organization at The Ohio State University that aims to promote fellowship, to connect and empower women and to stimulate women’s intellectual and moral development.

It’s Leap Day!

Hey Buckeyes, Happy Leap Day! We went through a great deal of extreme weather and temperature fluctuations this month, but do you want to hear something nice and warm? According to WBNS-10TV, we are happy to announce that spring is just around the corner. Therefore, you will only be stuck with your winter coat for another three weeks or so, and then please be prepared to sing a song of spring!

If you hadn’t noticed, 2016 has an extra day this month as it celebrates its leap year status with February 29. But what does this really mean? According to my Geography professor Dr. Jay Hobgood, in short, we add February 29 every four years to ensure that the calendar stays consistent with the Earth’s movement around the sun. Without a periodic adjustment, the calendar would be out-of-sync with the seasons by approximately one month every 125 years; therefore, once every four years, all of the extra time is added together to form a new day, which is February 29. This one extra day helps us stay synchronized with the seasons.

In my home country of China, we add a whole leap month to the Chinese lunar calendar every three years. The concept of “leap” is broader and more powerful in Chinese culture because of its agricultural importance. Using the concepts of “leap” and “the 24 solar terms,” farmers know when to start planning for growing crops and when to expect a good harvest year.

Since today is the extra day that we have as a gift in February, I highly encourage you to visit the Ohio Union, either physically or virtually, for some really cool opportunities. Are you interested in discounted tickets to Gateway Film Center? Then check out the great offers through D-Tix. Click here for more information about available tickets and go enjoy a lovely movie with friends. Have a great Monday!

Spring Career and Internship Fairs

As college students, taking classes, hanging out with friends, and getting involved in different organizations are not usually our only focuses. Understanding the importance of internships and volunteer works, we also actively consider summer job opportunities and our post-grad career choices. If you are not familiar with all of the career services resources that Ohio State has to offer, read our tips below and check out the internship and career fairs taking place at the Ohio Union.

Partnering with the Ohio Union, Student Life Career Counseling and Support Services connects students across all majors, graduate programs and degree levels with employers who are seeking to recruit for employment and internships. The internship and career fairs at the Ohio State University often attract more than 200 corporations, nonprofit organizations and government employers. All current Ohio State University students and recent graduates are able to submit their resumes and network with the employers to learn more about their job openings. Attending employers recruit for a wide variety of areas such as communications, business analysis and management, computer information science, graphic design, human resources, logistics, marketing and other related areas. Therefore, no matter what major you are studying, we highly encourage you to take advantage of these fantastic career fairs by attending and exploring your future career opportunities.

The series of spring internship and career fairs is underway and lasts through early April. For a detailed career fair schedule, please check this schedule. Below are 8 tips to help you prepare for career fairs. I have personally found these tips incredibly helpful so I hope they will help you get prepared and ready to attend the next career fair.

  1. Be prepared. Download a list of all companies in attendance and decide which companies you are interested in talking to. Research the business information, core values and current job openings of these companies to tailor your opening introduction.
  2. Have a polished resume. I recommend having at least 2 career coaches from your college’s career services office review your resume prior to attending career fairs. Follow the resume format recommended by your college to make your resume looks professional. Also, print more than enough copies to distribute.
  3. Dress nice and look good. Although business casual is becoming more common in the workplace, first impressions are still crucial when impressing your favorite company. A professional suit will help give you a boost of confidence.
  4. Strategize. If I’m being honest, the noise and crowds of people can be a little overwhelming at first. This is true for most people so try and save your favorite companies until after you have made 2 or 3 introductions and have eased your nerves.
  5. Be patient. You might feel exhausted or anxious waiting to speak with employers (and for girls, wearing heels is an added stressor.) However, waiting time can offer you keen insights. Take your time in the line to read through the employer’s profile and listen to what is happening in front of you.
  6. Perform professional and firm handshakes with the company representatives. Try to practice your handshake with a couple of friends—even though it might seem silly—so you can greet the representatives with a nice, firm handshake. Once you finish the handshake, remember to keep smiling and maintain eye contact throughout your conversation.
  7. Introduce yourself clearly. Career fairs are often very loud, so speak up and introduce yourself briefly. Practice an elevator speech, which is a 30-second introduction to highlight your academic background and experiences. This is a great time to showcase some of your research on the company’s values, mission and performance to impress the recruiters.
  8. Ask for a business card. Send a short thank-you email within the first forty eight hours to representatives from your favorite companies. This might help you to develop some prospective contacts and helpful resources!

We hope that these helpful tips will help you have a fun and successful career fair experience this spring semester. For more career fair information, please check out the Ohio State career fairs website.