On October 26th, I attended a service event in a Westerville Elementary School where we painted multiple murals with the help of students. For three hours, I assisted the non-profit Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) tape off sections, distribute paint, and clean. We painted three separate walls. On two walls we painted purple trees and created laminated paper leaves with positive messages to attach to them. These messages could then be taken down when a student is having a bad day. On another wall we painted a hand with an uplifting quote on it. I am grateful to have contributed to a positive learning environment that surrounds the students with support. More schools should have murals like this, for color and positivity creates a more welcoming atmosphere that can facilitate comfort and excitement towards school that students can lack when they have had bad experiences. 

This event relates to International Affairs because it is supporting an impactful Columbus non-profit that provides services for refugees and immigrants. The event is perfect for me to attend because I am passionate about art and social justice and painting a mural to support CRIS is a good combination of the two topics. Previously, I have painted other murals with CRIS and it has always been a valuable experience. I am happily exhausted and covered in paint at the end of every project. Another reason the events are always a valuable experience is they impact the way I look at my future career because this is exactly the type of work I want to be doing. After I participate, I look at my career with more hope and ideas for opportunities I can pursue. I also make valuable connections that can help me enter this field in the future. 

On Monday October 7th, 2019 I attended 2 campus events at the Wexner Center in the “On the Front Lines: Performing Afghanistan” series. I attended “Sahar Speaks: Voices of Women from Afghanistan” and “Kuja Meri? Afghan Refugees Across the Globe”. Both of these events gave me new insights into other cultures and lifestyles. The stories they shared were intense, funny, emotional, and informative. I think they did an amazing job and I hope the Wexner Center continues to host events like this. 

In the “Sahar Speaks: Voices of Women from Afghanistan” event they performed 2 plays. The first was about how bombs changed the lives of 2 Afghani sisters. These girls lost their father and were forced to try and make money on the streets. One of the girls was then raped and further traumatized. This play showcased a loss of childhood and hope. This play made me relate to the girls, then it gave me the ability to more deeply empathize with their situations. The second performance was much lighter and gave another side of the Afghani experience. It was about a daughter returning to Afghanistan after living in America and the reverse culture shock she endured. In the end she was able to blend her original culture with her new western values. This includes her mom letting her keep a dog, which I learned is taboo in a Muslim household. I enjoyed the lightheartedness in this performance and its ability to make me think of my relationship with my mom and the difference in culture we hold. 

The second event, “Kuja Meri?: Afghan Refugees Across the World”, was a presentation by a photographer from Holland and his partner who is an accomplished journalist. Together they shared images and stories of their time covering refugees in the Middle East. These images encompassed a variety of topics including: resettlement, travel, adaptation, art exhibits, and struggle. The story and set of images that stood out to me the most were images taken when the photographer disguised himself as a Georgian refugee and paid to get smuggled into Australia. I was concerned with his safety during this journey. When I asked him, he said he took small safety precautions like a GPS monitor with an emergency button, which ended up not working. I wanted to hear more about this but unfortunately time was limited and there were more people with questions. I am interested in learning more about how other people are able to investigate, photograph, and report in dangerous situations. How do they maintain their safety? How do they have enough food and water when those around them do not? Can they keep and develop relationships they made during this work?