“Pale Blue Dot”: History of Our Environment

College of Arts and Sciences

April 22nd, 2021, Virtual Meeting

On the afternoon of April 22nd I attended “Pale Blue Dot”: History of Our Environment presentation organized by the College of Arts and Sciences at Ohio State to commemorate Earth Day. The presentation included a panel of Kip Curtis, Jennifer Eaglin, and Bart Elmore moderated by Nicholas Breyfogle, all professors and researchers within the Department of History. The questions asked by Professor Breyfogle were largely centered around the history of Earth Day itself, how environmental movements form, and how to continue fighting for environmental justice beyond Earth Day in 2021.

Initially, the focus of the conversation lied among domestic dynamics and environmental policy. Professor Elmore recapped legislative progress made in the United States in the ’70s and ’80s to address harmful chemicals, clean air, and other environmental problems that were being discovered and addressed as the science needed to detect them was just being developed. After  domestic-focused conversation, Professor Eaglin jumped in to lend her expertise in an international context. Parallel to the developments made in the ’70s in the US, she brought up the planned transformation from fossil fuels to ethanol gas that took place in Brazil after the oil shocks. I had learned about the sociopolitical history of Brazil in the 1970s, but I had never heard about this planned transformation to ethanol, something that has deepened my understanding of environmental history within an international context.  In less than ten years, 40% of all fuel for cars in Brazil was ethanol, a fact mentioned to demonstrate how massive the scale was that the transformation took place on.

The rapid transformation engaged all other speakers to speak on the challenge of teaching environmental history and science, topics that often lend themselves to fatalistic thinking when looking at unsustainable rates of fossil fuel consumption, and consumption in general. At this point, Professor Elmore introduced “scavenger capitalism” to describe the influence of fossil fuels on all products of consumption in our daily lives. However, the mood wasn’t down for long, as each presenter soon affirmed the importance of justice in all realms of society as the foundation for any movement for environmental justice. Whether it be the environmentalists rappelling down the Hetch Hetchy, those like Greta Thunburg, or the immeasurable networks of activists fighting for racial justice, the presenters stressed that the only way to secure environmental justice is to organize into political action, both at the community and federal levels. In all of these cases, cross-generational activism is the home for hope for not only the environmentalists on the panel, but for those fighting for justice across the Earth. To end the conversation, Professor Elmore addressed an affirmation to all of the attendees by saying, “you’re a pebble. You might not feel like you’re doing anything, but you are”.

 

 

United Black World Month: Fear of a Black Planet

OSU Multicultural Center

February 18th, 2021, Virtual Meeting

On Thursday, February 18th I attended the event, Fear of a Black Planet, an event put on by the Multicultural Center (MCC) as part of their United Black World Month (UBWM) series. The event included a guest DJ, DJ O’Sharp, and analysis from Dr. Tony Anderson, Hip Hop theorist, educator, and community leader. In-between DJ sets from DJ O’Sharp, the panel of presenters answered questions from the audience about the state of hip hop today, and often addressed its development from the days of the ’90s, hence the utilization of “Fear of a Black Planet,” Public Enemy’s 1990 release. One of the most interesting insights I learned from the presentation was that Dr. Anderson brought up a Chuck D quote, “Hip Hop is the Black CNN.” Especially in the ’90s, the mainstream forms of media and news often neglected to report on the depth behind issues facing Black people, and this quote helped to remind me the importance of Hip Hop in filling that hole.

As hip-hop and rap have become global phenomenons, record labels are actively attempting to market their artists to more than one nation’s markets, subjecting intra-label politics to international relations in a unique fashion. Artists such as Rosalía and Bad Bunny dominate streaming charts due to their ability to draw audiences from both English and Spanish speaking audiences. They have increasingly appeared on artists who have primarily spoken one-language, such as Travis Scott or Drake, to generate hits made for multi-lingual market success.

After learning about the specific importance of Hip Hop as a tool and a genre for Black artists, this event has helped me realize the importance of a diverse range of media outlets in constructing a more accurate narrative of what’s going on in my community, state, nation, and the world at large. I’m a public affairs and economics major, and if I only stuck to cable television, I would have a woefully inadequate and unhelpful interpretation of political views. For me to truly understand the preferences of people in the communities I interact with, I need to diversify my information sources by listening to a wide variety of musical genres, such as hip hop, read books, magazines, poetry, and essays that come from sources outside of those championed in hyper-stratified newsrooms, and actually seek out conversation and appreciate the nuances between each individual I interact with. By attending this event, I have a better idea on how to start doing just that.

Reminder: Migration and Mobility: Insights from History

IA Academic Event

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021

I attended the virtual webinar: Migration and Mobility: Insights from History discussion panel hosted by faculty from the School of Arts & Sciences at Ohio State. Throughout the webinar, panelists focused on the interplay between historical trends, events, and ideas and how they have come to form contemporary discourse surrounding migration. Additionally, insight from these trends was extrapolated to posit potential policy solutions for not only the United States, but the world, which is constantly in motion. The first question of the presentation asked the panelists what drives people to migrate, and if reasons for migration have stayed consistent over time. One of the panelists, Dr. Theodora Dragostinova, began the discussion by citing a definition of a migrant as anyone who has moved away from their permanent place of residence for more than 3 months for any specific reason. What interested me was that she reasoned for this definition by saying that an open-ended definition is important because migration should be considered normal. Initially, I was concerned that with such a broad definition, it is impossible to critically discuss the specific difficulties faced by immigrant groups from all over the world dealing with specific threats of xenophobia, racism, war, etc. However, I think adopting that definition as a “framework” for entering into the discussion is contextually important for reminding all who partake in discussions on immigration that migrants aren’t some “oddity” that should be viewed of as an “other.” Dr. Dragostinova furthered this line of thinking towards the end of the program by suggesting that redefining migrants in public discourse as “movers” could help embrace the universality of the human condition, and ensure that all immigration debates respect the humanity of movers everywhere.

Within the same emphasis of grounding the terms of debate on immigration in the humanity of those involved, Professor Maysan Haydar added that it is important to refer to the means by which migrants enter a new country as either documented or undocumented, instead of legal or illegal immigrants. She emphasized this distinction because it is dangerous to infer that a human being is “illegal,” thus dehumanizing them. Personally, I agree wholeheartedly with these points, as I believe it is of paramount importance to ground the terms of debate in immigration by acknowledging the humanity of immigrants and addressing their needs with this assumption. The conversation enriched my previous beliefs on the subject, and allowed me to understand the importance of historical trends in determining contemporary discourse on not only immigration, but many salient topics today. Furthermore, it reaffirmed the importance of understanding international trends in order to accurately identify and address the domestic manifestations of these trends properly.

Educating Towards an Anti-Racist World: Global Competence & Systematic Racism

Columbus Council on World Affairs

November 17th, Zoom Webinar

I attended Educating Towards an Anti-Racist World zoom webinar hosted by the Columbus Council on World Affairs. The president of the organization, Patrick Terrien, moderated a discussion including a handful of experts on global competency, higher education, and anti-racist strategies in education. The cross-section of global competency and anti-racism became abundantly clear as panelists drew connections between the perspective-shifting focus found in global competency training and the necessity for understanding and appreciation of perspectives needed in practicing anti-racism. Darla Deardorff, the Executive Director of the Association of International Education Administrators, explained the cross-section with a simple, but effective analogy. To some up the overlap between global competency and anti-racism, she posed that “we’re all born with sunglasses. As much as we try to understand how other people see the world, it will be tinted by the shade of our sunglasses.” I find this analogy helpful in illuminating the effect that our implicit biases have in how we view the world, and if this effect is understood more thoroughly at a personal level, more individuals will have the mindset to understand and practice anti-racism.

In order to further motivate those who aren’t aware of the “shades of their sunglasses” that they wear, Dr. Harvey Charles, Professor of International Education at University at Albany, SUNY, posited that there is another dimension of racism that is ignored often by white people in the United States, the fact that racism is also inimical to the condition of white people. To explain this, he drew upon the example of professional sports in the United States during the early 20th century. Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and many other professional sports leagues, at the behest of athlete-activists and grassroots efforts, integrated their sports to achieve the best game possible, with the most talent, and the highest attention levels. The effect of sport integration was the creation of leagues that were better off than before, an idea that he applied to modern societies at large. As a white male of European descent, this statement has empowered me to emphasize this fact to white family members and friends who either haven’t thought critically about global competency and anti-racism, or don’t see the importance in it.

Bringing the conversation of anti-racism and global competency into the current moment of racial reckoning and national re-evaluation, Roberta Espinoza, Vice Provost of Global-Local Initiatives and Professor of Sociology at Loyola Marymount University, affirmed that “we need to disrupt things that are currently in place in order to move our society to a better understanding and to undo what has already been created.” All panelists emphasized the importance of the term anti-racist, in achieving this goal of disruption. It acknowledges that current institutions were constructed and re-affirm the norms of white individuals, depriving minority groups of equity necessary to represent their experiences and interests in formal institutions, and places particular importance on the fact that working towards a more equitable future involves action.

Lastly, the panelists shifted their focus from institutional changes and global competency programs to emphasize the primacy of the individual in creating an anti-racist world. All panelists affirmed that it’s only when we accept personal responsibility, for the inequalities and racism that exists in the world, that we can expect to see change in our institutions. This point served as an important call to action for me, because to this point I believe I haven’t done enough to unlearn white supremacy, and I now understand that it’s an imperative to take anti-racist action, to benefit those marginalized in the communities I exist in and the global community at large.

SYEP Experience Project

International Affairs Scholars

Thursday, October 22nd, Zoom Call

I attended the Second-Year Experience Project Brainstorming Panel which included a guided conversation with four members of the International Affairs Scholars who have completed their SYEPs already. Each panelist was asked about the origins of their project, obstacles they faced along the way, how they completed it alongside other involvements and coursework, and more general procedure questions. As many of the panelists conducted their projects throughout the spring of 2020, they provided insight into how their respective internships adapted, or failed to adapt, to the online format brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic. Most likely my Second Year Experience Project will be taking place when the pandemic is still a concern and thus safety measures are in place to reduce the infection rate, so I found this section valuable and learning to look for positions that I could participate in even if they’re moved online. Additionally, I learned a lot during the section of the conversation dedicated to talking about the symposium posters. One of the panelists shared their poster and went over the different aspects of what to include and not include on the poster. Learning about projects that have previously been completed helped me to rationalize the project in my mound and ground it away from more abstract terms. Overall, the content of each SYEP panelist connected back to international affairs because each was an example of how to identify and engage in topics regarding international affairs and concepts at the local, and even campus level. Going forward, I hope to use this knowledge to guide me in engaging in international themes and concepts on- and off-campus in Columbus.

The Current State of Democracy in Russia

Ohio State Center for Historical Research

September 18th, Zoom Webinar

I attended Dr. Gerald Easter’s lecture on the current state of democracy in Russia organized by the Ohio State Center for Historical Research. The event involved Dr. Easter providing contextual evidence to suggest that the current conditions of democracy, or lack thereof, in Russia can be attributed to a larger post-Communist struggle for power and legitimacy among many political actors in the country. Additionally, he provided evidence and anecdotes from his journey navigating the field of Soviet politics and studies as a graduate student right as the Soviet Union was in its final days. A remark he shared about how his thesis advisor in the late 1980s had said that there will always be a need for international studies scholars with a keen understanding of the Soviet Union as it will be around for at least another 100 years stood out as something quite comical. While affirming the importance of Putin’s style of authoritarian rule in the departure from traditional democratic principles, Dr. Easter spent most of his time arguing that the dire economic straits following the fall of the Soviet Union and the fragmentation of political and non-political state actors such as the military had as much if not more to do with the current state of Russian democracy. After hearing Dr. Easter’s argument, I agree that contextualizing the current form of government in Russia with its proper historical impetus is integral in understanding the peculiarly authoritarian sliver of democracy in Russia today. This event helped me to think about comparative politics and contemporary events and actors with a critically historical lens that lends reason into the topic of international relations where there doesn’t often appear to be one.

 

 

Virtual International Film Series: Nameless Gangster

IA Online Event

April 17th, Zoom Videoconference

On Friday, April 17th the Office of International Affairs brought their International Movie Night series online, encouraging all interested to watch Nameless Gangster and participate in a conversation regarding the movie’s themes and perspectives. After reading about the movie, I had expected a traditional gangster movie with family loyalty, betrayal, and brutish assassinations. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie’s depiction of organized crime in Busan during the 1980’s as it was much more than those three points I had associated with every gangster movie. Viewing organized crime outside of the lens of directors such as Martin Scorsece or Francis Ford Coppola and outside of the traditional western organized crime world provided a unique experience that informed me as well as frightened me. Although I am not explicitly pursuing any coursework in international law, informal economies, or illegal activities, the themes of economic disparity, corruption, and a globalizing world all weave into my focus as an Econ and Public Policy student. Additionally, the movie challenged my implicit assumption that Korean organized crime would somehow be based on another set of values. After learning about a wide range of topics from the movie, such as the development of Korean politics, organized crime in other countries than the United States, and family values, my interest in the overall development of the Koreas in modernity has increased greatly and I believe understanding this geographical region more thoroughly will help to make sense of larger trends of globalization, international economics, and more.

 

International Perspectives on the Coronavirus Pandemic

IA Online Event

April 22nd, Zoom Videoconference

I attended the International Perspectives on the Coronavirus Pandemic Videoconference organized and hosted by members of the International Affairs Leadership Council. The event consisted of students in countries such as France, Germany, Morocco, and China sharing their experiences since the onset of the virus as well as their opinions on the reaction of their individual revolved around the comparison of these reactions and the underlying reasoning supporting these reactions across state, federal, and international levels. For example, a university student from Germany discussed how each individual state within the federal boundaries possesses enough power to dictate to a large degree the response they take to the virus. In contrast, university students from France shared how their government quickly flipped stances, requiring all parts of the country to adhere to their restrictions and social distancing policies, demonstrating how the degree of centralization in a government can determine it’s reaction to a public health crisis such as the Coronavirus pandemic. After hearing the responses and perspectives of multiple students, I contributed my individual perspective as an out-of-state student from Texas. I shared my disappointment and confusion with the fact that Texas is one of the first states to announce “reopening” activities while simultaneously placing last out of all states in testing. I compared the stance my state government has taken with the responses by states such as Ohio, who have approached the emergency with more conservative estimates focusing on data collection, testing allocation, and infection rate trends. Overall, the conversation helped me to remain engaged in the conversation surrounding international entities and the effectiveness their actions, as well as those that they support, can have.

 

Taste of OSU

IA Campus Event

Friday, February 21st, Office of International Affairs

Capping off a week of dreary weather and difficult assignments was one of the best events I have attended at OSU! Taste of OSU is a night of cultural performances on stage, informational exhibits, and food organized by the Office of International Affairs where cultural clubs and organizations throughout campus all contribute their talents towards a night of community! What I loved, beyond the truly staggering amount of food I tried was the fact that families and individuals from the greater Columbus area also took part in the event. Families were bumbling around the Union intermingling with freshman who have only been in the city for a few months, and I think this provided a space for those at OSU and in the Columbus area to come together as a community and enjoy each other’s company and cooking.  What came from this was a heightened sense of community that can make social engagement and activism in areas such as environmental accountability and municipal political discourse amount to meaningful change, something that is the focus of my educational pursuits. After attending this event, I am encouraged to seek out more opportunities like this that promote the sharing of cultural identities and the expansion of taste palettes!

MLK Day of Service

IA Service Event

Monday, January 20th, ALL THAT Program

Along with a group of IA scholars, I participated in OSU’s campus-wide MLK Day of Service event. Before we went out to serve the Hale Black Cultural Center, the campus baptist church, and various choirs and dance groups honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by recollecting his accomplishments and intentions, as well as asserting that meaningful service transcends the immediate activity and facilitates deeper connections within a larger community, which should be the goal of all students and residents of a large community like OSU and a rapidly growing city like Columbus. After the presentation, our group loaded onto a bus and was shuttled to ALL THAT, an after school program for underserved kids in the Columbus area that provides food, tudors, financial guidance, and supplemental academic instruction for children who might otherwise not receive such resources. When we arrived at ALL THAT, we worked to do a deep clean of the basement area. We cleaned surfaces, swept and mopped floors, and organized diffuse materials and resources as well as arranged materials for student and mentor access. These typical cleaning activities, while seemingly mundane, helped to create a much more presentable work and congregation space for the students and mentors utilizing it. The activities we completed comprise the basis of structural change, which is developing intimate and meaningful connections within a community, and because of this event, I was able to re-evaluate my priorities as a college student. As I am surrounded by so much material in economics or international studies classes that possesses large implications and interprets events of extremely large scale, grounding these macro-level phenomena in community-specific action has helped to reinvigorate my commitment to constructing and maintaining sustainable communities.