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!