This semester I was inducted into the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH).  NRHH is an honorary on campus that specializes in service and recognition.  The main purpose is to help recognize outstanding leader within residence halls, whether that be Hall Directors, Assistant Hall Directors, Residence Managers, Residence Advisors, or residents themselves.  One of the primary ways of doing this is writing “Of The Months” (OTM’s) which are awarded monthly at the local, regional, and national level.  Another means of recognizing residents is through All Star day, which is an event held once a semester for residents who represent the values of Ohio State and NRHH.  I personally have been awarded all star twice by
my Hall Director who told me about NRHH and encouraged me to apply.  I ended up applying because I  strongly believe in the values that NRHH is trying to bring to campus life.  It is extremely important to recognize the staff that works so hard to make living on campus easier and more enjoyable for all.  In addition, I will be an RA (Resident Advisor) for the International Affairs Scholars floor and therefore I will have even more connection to the resident hall community.  After being a member of NRHH for several months, I decided to run for the executive board.  I ended up getting elected Director of Operations and have already begun to work with the new e-board towards making the 2017-2018 academic year a great year for NRHH.

The International Affairs Scholars went on a trip to Toronto in October of 2016.  During the trip we visited the Aga Khan Museum and learned about Middle Eastern culture and art.  After this we visited the Ismaili Center right across the street.  Here we learned about Islam as a religion and how Islamic artwork has religious undertones.   This was an enlightening experiences about a culture that I have not experienced before this trip.  We then visited the Royal Ontario Museum and learned about the aboriginal people of Canada and how they still have a strong and thriving culture in the 21st century.  There was also an abundance of fossils from extinct species and historical pieces from Canada’s history.  The group also toured Casa Loma, the castle built by businessman Sir Henry Pellett.  Pellat is credited with extending electricity throughout Canada, as well as many other industrial expenditures.  He also created the Toronto Electric Light Co. which attempted to harness the power of Niagara Falls to provide energy to the city of Toronto.  On our way back we passed by his power plant in Niagara Falls.  We then visited the CN tower, which at one point was the largest building in the world.  The view from the tower overlooked the entire city of Toronto.  In addition to this, we also had a lot of free time.  One activity a few of us did was go swing dancing at a local community center.  This overall experience helped me to become more knowledgable and well rounded as an individual and opened my eyes to the different experiences available during college.

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]