Treat the Hungry

Tonight was a successful Halloween! I participated in Treat the Hungry and collected a ton of canned goods and non-perishable items for the Mid-Ohio food bank. A big group of us car-pooled to a nice neighborhood in Hilliard, and were generously greeted by many residents more than willing to contribute. In only about an hour and a half, my group alone collected several backpack loads. Treat the Hungry was a blast and it felt really good to be trick-or-treating for a good cause. I am definitely participating next year, and I recommend it to all Humanities Scholars!

Waiting for Superman

I attended the Doc and Talk for Waiting for Superman last Wednesday, the 26th. I had been wanting to see this documentary for a very long time now, but had always put it off....until now. This movie explores the public school system, and followed the lives of five families as they try to get their children into a better school. It really exposed how public schools have become a "system" and the reasons why they are failing. There were many things I didn't know, like the "Dance of the Lemons." This is when a school, instead of firing their worst teachers, transfer them to other schools, and in turn, other schools transfer their bad teachers to them; resulting in a "dance" of sorts.
This movie really struck a chord in me. I plan on teaching with my degree, and instead of being discouraged, this movie actually inspires me to keep pursuing it. It definitely pulled on my heartstrings (I admit, I teared up a few times). I feel this movie is really informative, and it was really good choice to watch it.

First Year Retreat

So, back on Saturday, I went to the First Year Retreat out at Recreation Unlimited with my fellow first year Humanities scholars. I have to admit, I wasn't to eager to get going. Maybe it was the fact that I had woken up about 30 minutes before I was supposed to be at Haverfield House and that I hadn't had breakfast. Anyway, we had started out with some get to know you activities, and eventually we separated into groups to do some low ropes courses. I think the culmination of m time at Recreation Unlimited was doing a trust fall with my group. This is a pretty big thing for me, since I'm generally terrified of heights. So, add the fact that I'm falling into the arms of people that I barely know, and it's not a good combination. In the end though, my group had caught me. Overall, I believe this was a great experience to go to with my friends in the Humanities Scholars.

Wexner Center and Market

Today I attended the market by the Wexner center and took a little tour of the gallery inside afterwards. The market was nice, with a few tents that had goodies such as pumpkin bread, penut butter brownies, and chocolate croissants (I may have bought all three...) and various other things like flowers and vegetables. It was a delicious event to attend but I didn't end up staying long because I wanted to check out the gallery inside the Wexner Center. I was pleasantly surprised by the exhibit, which had recent work from a few artists. Normally when I go to art museums or galleries I end up looking around for 15 minutes trying to seem sophisticated and eventually leave because I'm so bored. This time, however, I actually was disappointed when I checked the time after 45 minutes and saw that I had to leave for work. All of the artwork was captivating, especially the pieces by Alexis Rockman. His work ties together the beauty of the natural world and the inhabited world we live in. My favorite painting was titled "Manifest Destiny," described in a museum brochure as "a fulcrum in Rockman's career, a summation of past work and a signal of things to come." It depicts New York City many years into the future, after global warming and human negligence have taken their toll. The city is mostly underwater, and is filled with animals and plants that appear to be thriving in the human-free world. The other paintings were equally intriguing. I hope that someday I will be able to see his work again, and would recommend that everyone visit the gallery before Rockman's exhibit leaves!

Study Abroad Expo (very late, I know)

Last Thursday I attended the study abroad expo in the Thompson Library. I've always considered study abroad and so I thought it would be an interesting event to attend. I was right! Apparently, you don't need to be a junior or senior to study abroad (which I guess I've always known, but going overseas as a sophomore or even a freshman seemed impossible before). I found several programs that are intended for any undergraduate, regardless of their year. Many of them don't even have prerequisites, like taking a million years of a foreign language. I was most interested in the summer programs they had to offer. Two in particular seemed like they could be possibilities for this coming summer- one takes place in New Zealand and Australia, doing fieldwork in the rainforests and learning about conservation and forest management techniques. The second on is on the Turks and Caicos Islands, which are close to Cuba in the Carribean. For one month I would participate in marine biology intensive research, which would include lots of scuba diving and snorkling! The only trouble is that both of them cost around $6000, not including airfare. I think I'll start saving my money because these would be too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Lunch with Warren St. John

On Tuesday October 11th I went to the lunch for Warren St. John. We got to have lunch from Panera along with hearing Mr. St. John talk about his experience before, during, and after writing the book Outcasts United. He told us about how he found Clarkston and Luma. He was actually eating dinner with a friend while he was in Georgia and this friend told him about the refugees in Georgia. With one question after another, Warren St. John got into the life of the refugees. He also gave us some information about how and where some of the Fugee players are now. He told us that a lot of Clarkston's citizens and refugees are very thankful to the feedback they have gotten from the book and the New York Times article about the refugees and the soccer situation down south. He also said that Luma was first skeptical of letting him into her fugees' lives as she wanted to protect them from criticism and the public who would read the book. One point Mr. St. John made that I found very interesting was the fact that we dont realize that we are different until someone else points it out. I loved how writing the book has connected Mr. St. John with all the Fugee families and he still stays in touch with a lot of them. The lunch was very interesting and made me like the book a lot more than i did before i went to the lunch.

Flag Football

Last Sunday was the first flag football game of the season. The team, comprised of roughly 8 boys and 5 girls set out to practice 2.5 hours before the actual game started. We believed this gave us a fair advantage to get a feel for the field and the competition. Practice went great, with the boys coming up with plays to run and the girls honing their skills, or lack there of in my case.

We were set to play the Engineering Scholars and we didn’t know how to feel about it. Once game time came around, the opposing team looked pretty intimidating. We were down three people due to a math review too so we were clearly the Underdogs, but we took it in good stride. The opening play was in our favor and we almost scored a touchdown, but then it went down hill from there. The Engineers took the game very seriously and knew all the rules, which we didn’t. They scored relentlessly, but we never gave up hope and eventually scored a touchdown ourselves.

Many lessons were learned on that sunny Sunday. First, always be prepared for the unexpected, such as a change in rules or missing players. Always keep your head up and good energy will follow. Always bring reinforcements and lastly, lose with grace and style. Although we didn’t win, we all had a great time and we look forward to having more people join the team and even more fans on the sidelines this Sunday.

Cocoa, Cookies, & Children's Stories

So, at this event (which was mostly comprised of English majors) we had cookies and hot chocolate (admittedly odd for such hot weather) and then Ruth Freidman (part of the English department) read some of her favorite short stories, including There's a Bird on Your Head (which was very funny), one chapter of Paddington Bear, I Will Never not Ever Eat a Tomato (or something along those lines), and Scardy Squirrel. We also talked a little bit about what the first few weeks have been like.

I really enjoyed this event. I love children's stories and I don't get down to reading them, let alone new ones, very often. It was also a really relaxed environment, as well as a great way to get connected with the English department and its happenings. I might have eaten too many cookies, but I figured I would allow myself that luxury tonight.

Warren St. John (again, apologizes for not commenting, but it's still doesn't like my account)

So, St. John reviewed some of the anecdotes in his book, including the first game he saw (as well as some additional information on how he was led to the game) and when he first went to visit one of the refugee families. He also talked about the themes and messages in his book, mainly being that, to accommodate change, we need to step outside our comfort zone and try to meet people who aren't like us. This will also help us better our own experiences.

I'll be honest, while St. John is covering some very important topics and themes that do need to be addressed in current day society (and I really support him for putting himself out there and writing this book to start that conversation), but I can't call him the most enthralling speaker. He's a good writer, so maybe he's just more of a written person than a speaker. Either way, this is a very important topic.

BBC Author Visit -- Warren St. John.

This evening I went to the Mershon Auditorium to listen to the author Warren St. John discuss the book Outcasts United that all of us read for the Buckeye Book Community. Mr. St. John was very engaging and spoke about how it was pure chance that he even heard of the Fugees in the first place. He went on to talk about how he became very intrigued by the subject of refugee resettlement, especially in the town of Clarkston, Georgia which had been a typical small southern town but had since expanded into a small world of many cultures. He met many generous and heartwarming families and listened to the many things they told him. These comments ranged from their cultures and past experiences to stories of mistreatment by police officers. Overall, the visit was very interesting and showed us the author's feelings on Outcasts United.

Italian Festival

My journey to the Italian Festival started with a cramped COTA bus, not the best impression. But as we ventured down cobbled stone streets (something I was unaware Columbus held), and the wafting aroma of pizza mixed with the humming of many voices, I knew my evening would be lovely. Whether the attendees were Italian or German, young or old, the Festival held a conglomeration of people. We were there to appreciate Italy - it's food, art, and overall culture. Off to the far side of the Festival was a children's play area with a bouncy house and rides. It seemed to symbolize what I had left behind before college, my childhood. But it also represented what each of us carries in our heart, the knowledge that even as we grow older we can always maintain the representation of youth. One of the most beautiful parts of the night, was standing towards the entrance of the church elevated above the ground. The warm night air, hundreds of roaming people, and with my friends close by, I knew that I was already in love with Columbus. The liveliness, friendly atmosphere, and fascinating events brought home an idea about the evening: loveliness. Everyday living with the Humanities Scholars of Haverfield teaches me new and wonderful lessons, and I know that through the struggles of my freshmen year, my "Hums of the Hav" will be there to support me. What a lovely thought to end such a lovely evening.

Columbus Fall Flea

The Fall Flea was so much fun today. I'm from Columbus so I already know and love the Short North, but I've never been to an actual event there like this or Gallery Hop. I loved looking at all the quirky, vintage booths. It was a great chance to see what more that area has to offer. Afterwards we explored the Short North a little more. It was definitely fun to see all the things there are to do only 5 minutes from campus.

haverfield cookout

The cookout was a lot of fun because I got to eat yummy free food and talk to people from the Humanities program. It was nice to have a chance to meet more people from Haverfield that I wouldn't normally see around the dorm. Also, talking to others in the program, you can hear what major and career path they're doing which is very interesting. I'm looking forward to more social events in the future!

House Divided

I will begin with what I didn't like about the play because I find it easier to criticize than praise, and also because I absolutely loved this play and so I'd rather end on a good note than a bad one. First, some of my favorite scenes were the modern day ones, but I didn't understand them. I'm not even sure where they were set. And they were so packed with numbers and banking lingo and housing and mortgage lingo that I had only a vague idea of what was happening. Second, it is so difficult to make a play that is a mesh of current day foreclosure and The Grapes of Wrath. So, not all the transitions were smooth. They have to go from techno music to country music, which is very hard. Third, in general, there was just too much. There was constant music, constant talking, lights flashing constantly and it's overwhelming. I remember there was one really, really powerful scene and I desperately wanted there to be about five seconds of dead silence after it where nothing was moving and no sound was playing. The scene was so powerful and I wanted a second for that to sink in. But then they just kept going without any pause.

Now, I can't list everything I liked about the play, because there were so many things, but I'll give a few. I will start with the two most powerful scenes. The times when both The Grapes of Wrath and current day scenes were going on at the same time were always fantastic, but the best was when the man in current day was having his house foreclosed. As he talked on the phone with someone, people were in his house, throwing all his stuff out on the curb. At the same time, the characters from Grapes were moving out. The second scene had no dialogue from the characters (which is always beautiful), but we were listening to an announcement on the TV about the stock market crash (again, the problem of not fully understanding the situation) and the two main characters from current day were watching and just despairing. They never said anything, but they showed it through their motions. One of them ended up at the very edge of the stage, crouched down with his hands on his head. It was gorgeous. Other things: they did really well with the multimedia. It's really hard to do that because it often looks fake (and it definitely wasn't perfect), but they pulled it off. The set was also amazing. Having the lower and upper level of the house, which was in pieces and had screens so you can see characters while they’re in the house. This creates such a strong effect because you can have characters in so many different places.

I don't want to make this too long, but the play was really emotionally attached to the foreclosure movement, and even if you don't agree with that, it was so well put together that it was amazing to watch anyway.

The Italian Festival (because I can't post comments)

Last night, I went to the Italian Festival. It was definitely an experience. There was so many people and so much food! There were plenty of food vendors, each with lines of people reaching far out into the midway, waiting to buy their goods. However, there were not many art dealers there, which I found to be disappointing. Overall, the experience was worth it, even if only in the aspect of getting off campus for a little while and getting a little taste of Columbus.

House Divided (Because you can't comment on the other one...)

I thought that the House/Divided performance was very interesting. I had never seen a play that relied to heavily on multimedia before, so that struck a chord with me. Having read The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck before, I thought that the juxtaposition of the Joad's situation and the mortgage crisis was an apt one. The actors engaged me, as did the set design, but when the intercalary chapters were read, I started to lose interest. I felt like more could have been done to make those sections--the ones where the generalities of the conditions of the Dust Bowl era were described-- more engaging.

I've seen a lot of plays in my life and so I'd have to say that overall it was an alright performance. I did learn a little about the mortgage crisis and the process of one losing their home, but to me I didn't think it was that easy to follow coming in with very little background knowledge as the to nuances of the crisis and its causes.

The Italian Festival

The Italian Festival was held in the Short North last night. We took a packed COTA bus down to Hubbard Street and walked to the festival, which was crowded by the time we got there. Most of the booths were full of food ranging from loaves of bread to “superbolis” to wine and beer. We ended up having strombolis for dinner and cannolis for dessert, both being expensive, but equally tasty. One of my favorite booths though was one belonging to an artist who did oil paintings. The paintings were so vivid and real looking. It was cool to see and talk with the man behind the paintings as well. Other things worth mentioning was the bronze knight statue that was standing by the Church. It was actually not a statue, but a real man, dressed in a knight outfit with his skin dyed copper! Overall, the festival was a great event to attend. The Italian culture was brought to life: kind people, great food, and fun times.

House/Divided

Last night was the first performance of House/Divided. The performance was amazing. The actors performed as so many diferent characters through out the length of the performance and maintaned the integrety of each seperate character. The highlight of the play was the criticism on the current economic situation and how it got to be this way. Another very interesting part of the performance was the discussion afterward. Especially the one very rude person, who Derek stood up to, and stormed out.

Haverfield Cookout

Today was the Haverfield Cookout. It is my understanding that this was the first time that this event has been scheduled and performed. So in consideration of this I believe the event to be an overwhelming success consedering the untested nature of the event. Getting together with people in the same dorm as you and getting to meet people who you do not see on a day to day basis was on of the very best aspects of this event. Thanks to all those who helped to make this event a reality.

English Conversation Partners

Last Thursday, I went to the English Conversation Partner Orientation. There I met my partner, Mengqiu, whose American name is Wendy and is a graduate student studying Logistics. She is from Suzhou, China, a city just north of Shanghai. I was so happy to be partnered with her, mainly due to her kind personality and excitement for meeting me.

We talked for over an hour about both Chinese and American cultures. She wrote her name in Chinese and explained to me all the different symbols. I explained the naming process most Americans use and the fact that my parents picked my name out for me, which she found very interesting. When we exchanged phone numbers, Wendy explained to me why she has so many 6’s in her phone number. In China, 6 and 8 are two very lucky numbers so when she picked out her phone number here, she included as many 6’s as possible. Wendy looked flabbergasted when I told her what 666 represented in America! When we departed for the night, she gave me Chinese bookmarks, which were full of Chinese characters representing several Chinese proverbs.

We hugged goodbye, both of us equally excited for our next meeting! Look for Wendy on Hav 3 sometime. I have a feeling she will be visiting a few times because we are already on our way to becoming great friends.