"What I Did This Spring"

Loganne Bond

Major: Dance

"I traveled to Athens, Ohio, for our region’s American College Dance Festival. Each school has the opportunity to bring two dances to present in the adjudicated concert. My solo was one of Ohio State’s chosen dances. There were about 50 pieces at the festival and the adjudicators selected 14 to be performed in the end-of-festival gala. Mine was one of them! The concerts were composed of faculty, guest artist, and student work, so the field was deep. It was really exciting to be selected. The festival also offered dance classes. I took Graham, jazz, musical theatre, Afro-Modern fusion, and more. Teachers from throughout the region, many from the participating universities, taught the classes. It’s great to see what’s out there. The festival was rich with information and inspiration."

Molly Bergen

Major: Sociology

"I went to Bolivia with the International Affairs Scholars Program. In the lowlands of Santa Cruz we toured the Jesuit Missions of San Javier and Concepción. We then flew to Cochabamba, where we saw “Cristo de la Concordia” and took a bus trip to the town of Punata to experience market day. There were hundreds of vendors, selling all types of fruits, vegetables, and spices. We then flew to La Paz and found ourselves about 12,000 feet above sea level, in the Andes Mountains. In La Paz we attended a lecture by Dr. Luis Tapia, saw traditional folk dances, and shopped in a witches market. We also took a boat ride across Lake Titicaca to stay on La Isla Del Sol, where I slept in a tent on the side of a mountain. It was amazing to experience another culture and speak a different language for 11 days!"

Ena Brnjic

Major: Psychology

"Instead of lying on the beach in Cancun or snowboarding in Colorado, I studied abroad in Athens, Greece. After taking the honors version of the culture of contemporary Greece course during winter quarter, we left for the gorgeous sunny, warm Mediterranean weather in Greece! We had a packed itinerary that included visits to the ruins at Mycenae and Delphi, the new Acropolis museum (which was just yards from our hotel), the Acropolis itself, and also the National Archaeological Museum. This trip was very fulfilling in studying the culture of Greece, and helped expose me to another culture and the mannerisms of its people, which is always pertinent to the psychological field."

Anthony DiMarino

Major: Medical Dietetics

"I traveled down to Memphis, Tennessee, in order to serve those who are less fortunate than me. While there, my group performed many charitable works including home repair, clearing out the forgotten Zion Cemetery, and working with nuns from the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa’s Order. Each night and morning we came together as a group to pray and discuss our experiences. In our free time, we toured sites in Memphis such as Beale Street and the famed Mississippi. Overall, I had an amazing experience and would do it again in a heartbeat."

Danielle Downie

Major: Human Development and Family Science/Middle Childhood Education

"My family traveled to Chile to visit my sister Marie, an incoming Ohio State freshman, who is spending a year there as a Rotary exchange student. Our family spent time in Colina at the home of her Chilean family, traveled to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar to see the beautiful port towns, spent a day in the Andes Mountains in Maipo, and spent the remainder of the time in Santiago. Some of the highlights of the trip were trying authentic Chilean foods, experiencing the markets in Santiago, watching the Chilean dances of different regions, watching my sister dance with the Chileans, and eating lunch while gazing out at the majestic Andes Mountains. It was a wonderful experience to see how the Chilean culture differs from ours and to see how living in Chile for many months has impacted my sister and allowed her to become fluent in Spanish."

Avinash Gupta

Major: Business Admistration

"I had a wonderful opportunity to visit Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with the Ohio State Cricket Club to play for the American College Spring Break Championship. We had a team of 16 people who drove close to 22 hours to get to our destination. Folks had postponed, preplanned, and taken two exams a day to make themselves free for the Florida trip. We didn’t win--we didn’t even make it to the semis either--but this tournament was fruitful for us in terms of team building. We are definitely eager to go back and become champions."

Jackson Helms

Major: Evolution and Ecology

"I had the pleasure of participating in the EEOB (Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology) Tropical Field Ecology course in Costa Rica with 14 other amazing OSU students. We went on multiple hikes nearly every day, all the while experiencing and learning about the overwhelming natural diversity. We explored three major ecosystem types--cloud forest, tropical dry forest, and tropical rainforest--and even visited primary successional areas around an active volcano! As part of the course we designed and carried out our own field research projects and presented the results to our peers. We acquired valuable field experience, as well as learned firsthand about biodiversity and conservation issues in the beautiful country of Costa Rica."

Habiba Kamagate

Major: Human Nutrition

"I went home … to a home I had never visited. I traveled to Ghana with a university delegation led by Senior Vice President for Outreach & Engagement Joyce Beatty. We met government officials, visited three universities, toured a slave castle, ate amazing cuisine, and walked through a rain forest. I also reunited with my father, who I had not seen in 12 years, and several other relatives I had never met. My whole family is from Ghana, and this trip turned into a huge family reunion. My journey to Ghana was one of the best memories of my undergraduate experience. I am so glad I could share it with Ohio State. O-H-I-O!"

Lindsey Kathmann

Major: Materials Science Engineering

"I went on the Mount Leadership Society spring break trip to Washington, DC. I shadowed my local Congressman, Steve Driehaus, who gave me an opportunity to experience a congressional committee meeting first-hand, meet with constituents, and get an overall feeling of what it is like to work in the House of Representatives. My favorite part of the trip was climbing to the top of the Capitol to get a bird’s eye view of the city. Other aspects of the trip included a night tour of the national monuments, a tour of the Pentagon, dinner with Mount alums, watching the Supreme Court in action, dining at the home of General Nance, a stop at Gettysburg and much more! Not only was the trip fun, but it was educational, too. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience!"

Courtney Keys

Major: Landscape Architecture (grad student)

"I traveled to Shanghai with architecture and landscape architecture students. Shanghai is an incredibly progressive city experiencing explosive growth in both population and development, and the trip served as a site visit and cultural study of the city. For 10 days, our studio explored Chinese gardens, traditional lilong housing, museums, and the Silk, Cricket and Antique Markets. We also worked with students from Tongji University, who graciously shared their knowledge of Chinese culture and Shanghai history. This quarter our studio will synthesize our collective cultural experiences to address large-scale urban redevelopment and future use of one of the city’s most valuable resources: the Suzhou River."

Trevis Kurz

Major: Design

"I recently developed a novel smoke alarm that allows a user to change the battery, silence alarms, and maintain the system from the safety of the ground. I was awarded first place in the International Housewares Association Student Design Competition and displayed my product at the 2010 International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago March 14-16. Approximately 60,000 professionals were in attendance, and over 2,000 exhibitors from 35 countries presented their innovative products. I was interviewed for the Discovery Channel show Pitchmen and received recognition throughout Columbus and my hometown of Poland, Ohio."

Rachel Long

Major: Anthropology

"I boarded a plane with 11 other OSU students to Belize City, Belize, as part of the Buck-I-Serv program. Working in conjunction with the non-profit organization One World Running, our team distributed 1,100 pairs of shoes to those in need. After two days of fitting Belizians for new shoes and sponsoring an early morning 5K “Belize Fun Run,” we had the opportunity to experience the culture of Belize. Adventures included a 12-mile canoe trip down the Sibun River and exploring Mayan ruins, but the most impressionable part of my week abroad was performing some of the most meaningful service I’ve ever done, changing my outlook on life forever."

Richard Martz

Major: Architecture

"I participated in a ten-day, architecture-focused study abroad program based mainly in Istanbul, Turkey, with excursions to sites in the Turkish countryside. The architecture in Turkey was predominantly educational for its historical presence, and it gave us something concrete and more engaging that we could apply our previous coursework to. The locals were incredibly kind people, always willing to help out, bridge the communication barrier, and always with a smile. Until this trip I had never traveled abroad, but after doing so I believe I'll be more open and more considerate of my work and its meaning to an international audience."

Son Ngo

Major: Mechanical Engineering

"I traveled to Honduras with an engineering team to help an orphanage called Montaña de Luz. The team consisted of 12 engineering students and three advisors. Our goal was to find a cheap, effective, and sustainable solution to cool the buildings at the orphanage. After having done extensive research prior to departure, we found out that the best solution was to paint the roofs with solar reflective paint. We chose one building for the experiment and the results were phenomenal. Due to the results, the orphanage decided to paint the rest of the roofs with reflective paint."

Alexa Odom

Majors: Journalism and Spanish

"I traveled with 12 other Mount Leadership Society scholars to Huntington, West Virginia, to participate in Habitat for humanity. Upon arrival at Huntington, we immediately began work. The house we worked on only had its foundation set when we arrived, but by the time we finished our week, we had put up all the walls, finished the porch, and began setting up the roof. We worked with several regular volunteers from Huntington, who have chosen to spend their time working on homes for their fellow community members. It was an incredible experience that both humbled me and opened my eyes to a city that is just across the Ohio River. Home of the great Marshall University, the residents gave us a tour of their town and university they have much pride in. The hospitality was impeccable. This trip required much hard work, but I will always be grateful that I had an opportunity to impact someone else’s life in such a permanent way."

Alicia Powers

Major: Biology/Pre-Optometry

"This is the second time The Rotaract Club of OSU has gone down to Lima, Peru, during spring break. We spent the entire year raising funds for biosand water filters for underprivileged families and for a playground for a special needs school. In Lima, the Ohio State club teamed up with the local Lima chapter of Rotaract and we transformed the school's back area into a playground. We painted a mural, installed a playground, and planted grass. The children loved it and a lot of them had never had a real playground before. Also during the week, the club went to Puno to visit Lake Titicaca and the Uros people who live on floating reed islands. A similar trip to Lima is in the works for next spring break to rebuild the school's kitchen."

Adrian Radtke

Major: Construction Management

"Over the break, I traveled to Lebanon, Pennsylvania, with twenty other students from Ohio State Newark and Central Ohio Technical College to build housing for less privileged families. I chose to participate in the Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge because I wanted to help others and experience new things. We tore out floors, removed debris, and painted walls, among other things. Events leading up to the trip and the trip itself presented the opportunity for me to appreciate what I have and make a difference in the lives of others who are less fortunate. I returned from the trip with a feeling that I had done something productive and became a more well-rounded person."

Holly Wagner

Major: Nursing (graduate student)

"I spent my spring break as part of the College of Nursing’s service-learning outreach program in Choluteca, Honduras. To be one of the 36 volunteers on this year’s team was a great joy and a great challenge. We set up temporary health clinics in schools and other public buildings. We faced language barriers and limited resources for treatment. All together we treated more than 1,000 patients, including some of Honduras’ poorest citizens. The annual effort is part of something greater – Ohio State has links to healthcare clinics in Choluteca, so the work that we did over spring break can carry on throughout the year."