G.O.A.L.S. From a Sophomore Perspective

As I near the end of my second year at Ohio State, I have found myself reflecting on my experiences thus far. The difference between my first and second year experience has been so vast that I am excited to see what new experiences the next two years will bring. As I reflect on the last two years, the G.O.A.L.S. set by the OSU Honors Program come to mind. For example, I still have so far to go in order to achieve the goal of Global Awareness. Originally, I had planned on doing a study abroad program in order to broaden my Global Awareness. Unfortunately, however, study abroad neither fits my budget or academic plan, so instead I will have to find other ways to achieve this goal. A great way to do this is to continue taking classes that widen my global perspective. Courses in the Spanish, Anthropology, and perhaps even German departments would be a great way to do so. Another great way to broaden my global perspective would be to attend more events held by MCGC and NPHC chapters on campus.

Another major area of G.O.A.L.S.  is Original Inquiry, and this goal has definitely been a bit more present in my life while at Ohio State. This year I have worked with Off the Lake Productions as a general member of the Peer Theatre Program to put on OTL’s first ever series of One Act Plays, and I am currently working with our service partners, All THAT Columbus, to help the students put together a one act of their own. Since this year was the first time OTL has done the One Acts, it was a trial and error process in which all directors, crew members, and cast members needed to work together to make the event a success. It was so much fun to be a part of this new experience for OTL, and I hope to be a director for one of the one act plays next year. Alternatively, our production with the students of All THAT is still in progress, and I am learning so much throughout the process. It is extremely eye opening to see what the creative process of theatre can do for students that have never been exposed to that type of art or performance before, and I can’t wait to see how the production turns out.

In terms of Academic Enrichment, that goal has most definitely been achieved; the majority of my time is spent in class, doing homework, or thinking about my academics. I have also experienced an extreme change in world view and perspective as a result of some of the courses I have taken. (Check out another upcoming post for more specifics on that!) As I think back to my senior year of high school, I remember choosing to major in English because it was just something I felt I was good at. Without any clear idea of what direction I wanted to pursue career-wise, I figured English was broad enough to offer a lot of open doors once I do make that decision. Moving toward the end of my second year, I see now that English Literature is most definitely where I belong academically. I absolutely adore my major classes, and I am excited to see what else the English department has to offer. Spanish has been a bit of a different story. I used to be so in love with the Spanish language, and unfortunately I have lost a lot of it in the midst of retaking introduction-level courses, minor prerequisites, and the first two minor classes. In looking toward the future, I am excited to reach the 4000 level courses because I think the topics of those classes will be much more appealing to both my interests and my academic experience.

On another note, the Honors Contract is also tied to the goal of Academic Enrichment as it details all courses that I will take in my time at OSU. Personally, I do not feel as though the Honors Contract demonstrates a commitment to the goal of Academic Enrichment. While I could make up a reason as to why it does, I feel as though it is much more beneficial to both myself and the university to give my honest opinion. The Honors Contract provides a great outline for making sure that I am staying on track academically and to making sure that the classes I have taken, I am taking, and I plan to take are all in line for earning my degree. I have always been a planner and an organizer, and I find it extremely important to do activities like the Honors Contract to stay on the right path and schedule. However, I do not believe that students should be held to a binding contract of classes because, in most cases, this schedule will have to change. What if a class in my contract is never offered between now and my graduation date? What if the class is only offered once, and it fills up before I schedule? What if a class in my contract no longer exists? The contract is a great way to plan ahead, but I do not think it has anything to do with Academic Enrichment. To me, it is a formality of the Honors Program that allows the program to ensure students are taking honors quality classes, but I do not think it needs to be as binding and formal as it has been made to be.

Moving along to something completely different, another goal of the Honors Program is Leadership Development. I have achieved this goal thus far by working as the Assistant New Member Educator for my sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, and I plan to expand on this leadership opportunity by applying to be Vice President of New Member Education next year. That does, of course, depend on my course load and potential work schedule for next year. Serving as Assistant New Mem. Ed. has helped me to develop as a leader by working with a group of all girls, which I have not done before, and by learning how to be a leader within a team. There are three of us on the New Mem. Ed. team, and working with two other girls has been extremely helpful in my development as a leader by teaching me when to take control of a situation and when to let it be handled by someone else. In looking toward the future, I also plan to apply for a director position for OTL’s One Act Plays next year, and being the creative director of a production would definitely help to develop myself as a leader.

Alpha Chi Omega and OTL are also the primary source of my service activities on campus. As I mentioned earlier, OTL’s service partner this year is All THAT, and we are working to put on a production with them. All THAT will receive all of the money we make off of our three OTL productions for this academic year, and we also go and spend time with the students hands-on once per week. Every Wednesday myself and a group of OTLers go to All THAT and work with the students in a variety of ways. Right now our focus is on their upcoming one act performance. Alpha Chi has also been a great way to do service both through philanthropic and hands-on activities. Our partner, CHOICES, is a domestic violence shelter in Columbus, and I love being able to see who our fundraising and service work is benefiting. I visited CHOICES in the fall, and it was one of the most eye-opening experiences I have ever had. My on-going commitments with Alpha Chi and OTL are so special to me because they provide a means to service my community with people that love being around.

Overall, I am happy with where I am with the G.O.A.L.S., and, though I know that I have room to grow in each area of the G.O.A.L.S., I am proud of what I have achieved thus far. I can’t wait to see what the next two years will bring!

First of Many

In my Spanish 1102 class we had an assignment in which we were asked to create a short, fictional composition relating to some of the topics we had been discussing in class. Throughout high school I had written many short responses in Spanish, but I have never written something like this. I wanted to share my composition on here as a landmark for the first of my Spanish compositions at Ohio State; since I am pursuing a Spanish minor, I am sure that there will be many more of these to come. Four years from now I can look back and see where I started, and I think that will be a very sweet moment for my future self.

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G.O.A.L.S. From a Freshman Perspective

Throughout my academic career at Ohio State I will develop an educational experience that fulfills all of the G.O.A.L.S. outlined by the Honors college while studying topics that I love and pursuing as many of my interests as possible.
I will develop a sense of Global Awareness in a number of ways. Primarily, I will learn what it means to be a global citizen by studying abroad. I believe that there is no better way to understand a culture than to travel to the place that cultivates that specific way of life. I would like to travel as much as possible, but most importantly I would like to travel with programs specific to my major, English, and my minor, Spanish. Travelling to places in the world where my favorite works of literature originated will strengthen my education just as much as it will to travel to Spain where the Spanish language thrives and serves as the cornerstone of society.
In addition to education abroad, I am planning an academic career in which my general education classes are housed in many different departments such as International Studies and German. I am working to take courses in as many different cultural fields as possible. The American Protest Literature class that I am currently taking has opened my eyes immensely to American culture, so I cannot imagine how beneficial courses with an international focus will be on my educational perspective. The courses I am choosing to take are those that will allow me to have a more diversified education.
I will engage in Original Inquiry by working to develop a program that Ohio State is currently lacking. During my Junior and Senior year of High School I was a part of a Vocal Jazz program. While Ohio State has an instrumental Jazz program and many a capella groups, there is currently no club or academic program for Vocal Jazz. My goal is to find instructors at Ohio State that have an interest in Vocal Jazz and work with them to start a Vocal Jazz group on campus. In the beginning we can work to form a club-type of organization that hosts auditions and then sings Jazz music for fun, but my hope is that eventually, if students show enough interest, this could develop into a larger program. Vocal Jazz is something that I am very passionate about, and I would absolutely love to bring it to Ohio State. I plan to start working on this endeavor either in the spring or fall of 2018.
Aside from this project, I will pursue Original Inquiry in the classroom as much as possible. Throughout my academic career I will identify the topics that I am both curious, and passionate about, and I will seek out research projects that will further my knowledge of these topics. I will also consider an Honors Thesis which will allow me to pursue an original research inquiry on a much larger scale.
I plan to cultivate Academic Enrichment inside of the classroom by focusing on a diverse array of honors courses. The general education requirements for honors students in the College of Arts and Sciences provides a great opportunity for taking a variety of classes at the honors level. Participating in these classes will put me in a smaller classroom setting with students who are interested in creating an enriching academic environment.
Further, I feel as though it is also important to create a relationship between myself and my professors, so I hope to attend as many office hours as possible throughout my college career so that I may enrich my education further by engaging with professors on a closer level.
Finally, while Education Abroad most obviously identifies with the Global Awareness part of G.O.A.L.S., I believe that it is also very important for Academic Enrichment. Traveling to another country and learning in a foreign environment is a wonderful way to enrich an academic experience; therefore, my plans to study abroad will not only help me to expand my horizons as a global citizen, but as a student as well.
Furthermore, I will work towards Leadership Development in a number of ways throughout my time at Ohio State. I am a new member of Off the Lake Productions as a cast member in this year’s musical Hunchback of Notre Dame. Over the course of the next few years I hope to continue my involvement with the organization and apply for a leadership position on the organization’s executive board. There are many ways to develop leadership through Off the Lake whether it be publicity chair, service chair, community chair, or even directing a show. My involvement with this organization will not only allow me to do what I love onstage, but it will also allow me to develop personally as a leader and a community member.
In addition to this, I will develop leadership skills through my Vocal Jazz project. Starting a new organization will take strong leadership and guidance from both myself and others, and I believe I will grow as a leader through this experience. Starting a new group will require strong leadership and independence from everyone involved, so I hope to learn from those around me and sharpen my leadership skills in that way as well.
Finally, I am considering applying to be a Residential Advisor during my Junior year of college. While I do not feel ready for that kind of position currently, I believe that it would be a wonderful experience to have once I have truly grown into understanding the ins and outs of college life. Being an RA would be a great way to connect with other students, lend a hand to students in need, and also develop my skills as a peer leader.
The last of the G.O.A.L.S. is Service Engagement, and I am eager to begin working on this aspect of my academic career. I will achieve Service Engagement through my involvement in Off the Lake Productions because they are a service based organization. With the group I will go out and work on service projects in the Columbus area. I am also a member of Pen Pals OSU, and every other week I write back and forth with an elementary school student in the Columbus area. While this isn’t a huge service project, it feels so rewarding to hear the excitement in her notes and to see how I can give her advice and potentially even make a difference in her life.
In addition to these things, I am interested in Greek Life here on campus because of the wonderful philanthropy and service projects I can be a part of through a sorority. Joining a sorority would give me the opportunity to be a part of a group of women who work to better the lives of others through their various philanthropy projects.
Finally, I am interested in starting an organization on campus that works with the American Lung Association to raise awareness for Asthma and other lung diseases. I have struggled with Asthma all my life, and I have seen the good in what the American Lung Association does. I would love to start a group that advocates for the organization, raises money for research, and even participates in their various lung walks.
Overall, I will achieve each facet of G.O.A.L.S. in a variety of ways. I am excited to develop as a global citizen, pursue original endeavors, enrich my academic experience, grow as a leader, and serve my community on behalf of the Honors Program.

 

Meet Mara

Hello! My name is Mara, and I am an incoming freshman. I do not have too much to say yet, but I am so excited to begin the next part of my life and work not only to find my passion, but to make a difference while doing so. It will be interesting to look back a year from now and see all that I have learned, accomplished, and created while at Ohio State. I have so many ideas and interests I want to explore, and I cannot wait to find myself over the next few years here at OSU.

Welcome to my journey!