Cartoon Library Tour

Guess I am more than a little late to post this, but I had a lot of fun going on the tour of the cartoon library. It was interesting seeing a lot of the comics and strips they had in stock, and how many are just being stored in a warehouse away from the general public. The story of one guy donating millions of comics strips to the University that he spent his life collecting was pretty amazing too. I'm glad I was able to go, I just wish there was a bigger turnout. I did windup dragging a friend who lives off campus to see it the following week though. 

Hey all,

I have never blogged in my life, but here is my try at this!

There were two events that I really enjoyed so far myself.

The first, the meet we had in the beginning of the year to get to know each other and incorporate teamwork and active participiation into our lives. I thought it was great to go out as one group, get to know people, and have fun breaking our minds over puzzles as a unit. More of this!

The second was the film event. It was a really well done presentation which left some great impressions and memories. Ben, awesome video! Still got that one in the back of my head, will for a while anyways)). Our personal project could have used some more touch up, but it was hard to tell before having something to compare to. I am sure we would all do great on a second run if we tried again.

So far, that has been it for me. Will try to get more next semester.


-Dzmitry Tsitsishyn

Humanities In Film

On Wednesday, November 28, the freshmen of the Humanities Scholars took the opportunity to share their hard work and innovation by participating in the film festival. Our theme of America: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness allowed us to showcase our creative talents by offering various different views on this topic. We had people do silent films on capitalism, creative oldies films, we had superheroes making the world safe for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and many other film ideas. I loved this event because it was fun to see everyone's efforts come to a conclusion and be able to share our views together. We were able to interact with upperclassmen and get their views on the videos as well. Everyone did a great job in putting together and overall amazing festival that was extremely entertaining and humorous. This was by far my favorite humanities event thus far.

Mentor Week

For our mentor week, the roommates and I went to Schmidts Sausage Haus in German Village. It's a very historic restaurant in a very historically rich area, not to mention beautiful. Granted, the line was long and the place was crowded, but we entertained ourselves by doing some shopping nearby. Despite the crowds, the ridiculously difficult time we had getting there, and the inordinate amount of obnoxious nebraska fans (yes, it was on gameday), I had a lot of fun, and thoroughly enjoyed the food.

My 5 Event Blogs

One of the first weekends here at school we went on a trip to a retreat ground. We broke off into separate groups and participated in a variety of team-building activities. The activities were pretty fun, and one or two of them were some-what challenging. The retreat really helped me meet a bunch of new people from our scholars group and definitely helped me get more comfortable with the group. It was a good time.

At the beginning of October I went down to the front area of Haverfield to eat some food with the rest of the building. I talked with some friends and enjoyed the great cookout food, all while enjoying the nice day. Hanging out with others from Haverfield helped me meet some new friends and it was a great opportunity to take a break from school.

During the first week of November, a couple of friends and I took a trip down to the Columbus International Festival at the Veteran's Memorial. We went because it counted for credit in English class as well, but it was definitely worth it. It was really cool to see so much culture and diversity in one place. Luckily we went there hungry as there was all different types of food there. The trip down to the festival was a Sunday well spent for sure.

A couple of Wednesdays ago I tagged along with some friends to attend the Humanities Film Festival to watch all of our video projects. It was awesome to see all of our projects up on the screen and see the work and creativity we all put into them. You could tell everyone worked hard and did a great job filming and incorporating life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

A few nights ago I took a much-needed break form my finals study sessions to grab a cup of hot cocoa in the Hav lobby at Cookies & Cocoa. Everyone was just hanging out and talking while I was there and it was a great break from the stress and strain of studying for finals. Its always great to see all the Humanities Scholars kids. Thank you so much Ben and Jenna, the cookies and cocoa was a great idea!

One (very late, very long) post for four events

I have four events that I need to blog about, going as far back as late Setember. I am writing about them now, because I am a horrible person who can't submit things on time. So, instead of filling up this blog with like four post's worth of events that are mostly from September/October (sorry...!), I'm just going to mention them all here...

1) The first event I actually attended at Ohio State was Comedy Central's The Daily Show Live: Indecision Tour 2012 on September 22nd. Emily and I arrived at the union almost two hours early to wait in line and get good seats, and luckily we weren't disappointed by the seats or by the show. Though Jon Stewart did not come to OSU three people who worked on his show, Al Madrigal, Adam Lowitt, and John Hodgman, did.
Their standup routines were all hilarious; highlights for me were Lowitt describing what has to be the most awkward handshake in existence ("Somehow my thumb got separated from the rest of my hand, so she just went to shake my thumb... we were both so disgusted with me..."), Hodgman talking about how bad he is at sport ("It's called bases ball. Because there's more than one base."), and basically Madrigal's entire routine ("Te gusta chachis negro?" "Daddy doesn't have a 'gina! Daddy's a man!" "He imported clip art!") . By the end of the show, my cheeks hurt because I had been smiling and laughing so much.
After the show, there was a Q&A session. Some questions were very awkward and there were some problems with heckling, but Al Madrigal handled it like a boss. Emily and I even got a picture with him. Yeah. You should be jealous.

2) On October 2nd, I went to the research expo at the Union. The research expo was pretty similar to that of the study abroad expo, except instead of having a lot of booths set up for different types of travel programs, the booths were made up of the different research groups here on campus. I was especially interested in the mouse behavior research, but the entire time I was at the expo, nobody was at that booth to explain the research to me. I talked to a couple of different people, and one of them even told me to apply to volunteer with her come January. The main things that I took away from the expo were that there are many different types of scientific research there are on campus, but in order to get involved (if I decide to do so), I will have to reach out.

3) On November 15th, I went to the resume workshop, which was extremely helpful. I don't really have a lot to say about it, but thanks to the presenter's advice, I was able to cut my resume down significantly so that only the most important information was on it. My resume looks better overall, now, and it has a lot more relevant information.

4) The last event in this monstrous side post is the humanities film festival! I had a lot of fun watching the final product of my group's movie (Shoutout to Starlight Studios!), and watching everyone else's videos as well. We all did really good jobs!

Cookies and Cocoa

Yesterday, December 9th that is, the humanities leaders provided the group with cookies and cocoa. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the end of our first semester. It also gave us a reason to take a study break :) It was really great to see everyone again before we all go on break and return next year. Not to mention the cookies were delicious.

A Good Year for Cinema

If you are at all interested in movies, film, cinema, or any other synonyms of the sort you may think of, you've come to the right blog post.  And you should be interested in them, because you are in the Humanities Scholars.  So there.  I've compiled a brief list of must-sees for myself, and decided to share it with you, because what good would my list be if it wasn't shared?  So, without further ado, I present to you, THE LIST:

Life of Pi - Released November 21, 2012
This tale of Piscine "Pi" Patel and his adventures on a lifeboat with a tiger has become a classic in its own right.  I recommend reading the book first, because it is resplendent in its detail, deep in its meaning, and simply an interesting read.  I have not seen the film yet, but I am told it is as wonderful as its novel.  It is a witty and profound meditation on life and spirituality, and I expect it to sweep me off my feet.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Released December 14, 2012
Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who is not usually inclined to seek adventure, finds himself on an epic trek across Middle Earth with a band of dwarves to defeat a malevolent dragon.  I also recommend reading the book first, as I have just finished it myself, and it is as charming and wonderful as I imagined it would be.  Just as the Lord of the Rings films it is the prequel to, it will be released in three movies, and in the same grand proportions.  This tale proves that being a hero doesn't mean being big and tough, but small and wise.

Les Miserables - Released December 25, 2012
Even if you aren't a musical-lover, you should see this movie.  If you like, read Victor Hugo's novel first, although it is quite long.  It transcends its genre, and is one of the most well-loved musicals of all time.  Also, this movie isn't made like other musicals that have been translated onto the big screen; the actors sing live, and the full orchestra is added in later, so the emotion is real and in the moment, not canned and pre-recorded.  It is the story of many people spanning many years, beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in France. It is a story of love, hate, hope, destitution, freedom, and the fight to be better. 

Warm Bodies - Released February 1, 2013
As trusty old IMDb puts it, this flick is about "a zombie [who] becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims, [and] their romance sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world."  While most likely not as profound as some of the other movies on this list, it is sure to be both funny, quirky, and thought-provoking.  Apparently, it is also based on a recently published novel that is widely loved.  Also, ZOMBIES.  Need I say more?

The Great Gatsby - Released May 10, 2013
The decadence and excess of the Jazz age is captured within Jay Gatsby, contrasted with detached, cynical neighbor Nick Carraway.  If you've read the book in high school and liked it, you will definitely appreciate this film.  If you read it and didn't like it, see the movie anyway - you may come to like it.  I mean, really, it's got Leonardo DiCaprio, people...

Star Trek Into Darkness - Released May 17, 2013
Since all my other movie suggestions have been based on novels, here's one for you that isn't.  Everyone knows about Star Trek, at least a little.  It promises to be an action-packed ride for everyone, even if you've never seen an episode of Star Trek (like me).  Also, it has Benedict Cumberbatch in it, if that isn't enough to make you go see it all on its own.

Click on the title of each film to see it's trailer, and if you don't get excited about even one of these, please consult a doctor or licensed psychiatrist immediately.  Also, if you have a suggestion of your own, leave a comment about it!  Get pumped people!  This year and next is going to be a great year at the movies!

Buckeye Book Community Speaker

On October 2, I attended the Buckeye Book Community Speaker lecture with David Lacks. Lacks is the brother of the famous Henrietta Lacks featured in the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Having read the book during the summer it was extremely satisfying to see a character from the book in person, and it was great getting to hear speak as well. Mr. Lacks discussed the issues surrounding the book such as, race, ethics, and morals.

Gallery Hop

Last Saturday, I went with a big group of people to my first Gallery Hop! It was quite an adventure, to say the least. We caught the #2 bus down to the Short North, which was, well, hopping. Just walking down the street was difficult, due to the large volume of passerby. We wandered down the bustling street, past restaurants, galleries, and street musicians, trying to find a good place to eat. Our group eventually split, and we went our separate ways to find food. My group settled on the Happy Greek, and had to wait a half hour to be seated. That was fine with us, because we got to visit more galleries. The art and wares in all of them were all spectacular. There were beautiful works of art, sometimes worth thousands, and hand-crafted goods for sale. We had our fill, and headed back to the Happy Greek. The atmosphere in the restaurant was quaint and lively, and the decor was very Mediterranean. Not to mention the food was delicious - I tried calamari, which was surprisingly great! All in all, the night was a success; I had good friends, good food, and great art.

The Land of the Rising Sun and Thai Food

This past Wednesday, as my quiz for Japanese was hastily approaching, several of my classmates and I decided to hold a study session with the plans to cram - unfortunately, less studying and more procrastinating in the form of artwork on the chalkboard occurred. But you can't say we weren't cultural - afterwards, we were invited to a Thai dinner party one of the dorms on South campus was throwing. We arrived rather late, but there were still plenty of noodles and rice to go around (and my food expertise is rather limited, but I would have assumed they were serving Chinese, not Thai - especially based on the fortune cookie I cracked open at the end of the meal). I had a great opportunity to meet some new South campus friends and enjoy a great meal, and I'm thrilled to have expanded my horizons beyond North campus.

Mentor Week

 During mentor week my roommates and I went to Woody's with our mentors. It was nice to be able to sit down and enjoy a meal with them. While we were there we discussed our transition to The Ohio State University, and talked about what we were nervous for. They gave us helpful advice and made us feel even more welcome on campus.

Humanities Woods Trip

 One of the first sundays that we were here, all the humanities scholars were required to go to the outdoors outing for bonding experience. While we were there I got to meet more amazing people that were involved humanities, besides just my roommates.  This outing really made me feel as if I were a part of the humanities experience, it was a fun day.

We'll Just Call This Wed. the 28th

Wednesday, November 28, was a very eventful day for my friends and I. First of all, we sat in line for nearly 3 hours to get free Maroon Five tickets, which we did, then we had to rush off to the Humanities Film Festival. The festival was awesome, especially Ben and Jenna's opening video, it was hilarious, and we all have to admit that Ben has got some moves. All of the videos were cool, and clearly showed the effort of the students. At the end of the evening, awards were given away. Groups won for best humanities content, most original, laugh out loud, and best in show.  Not to brag or anything, but my group won best in show, and I could not have been happier/prouder. After the film festival, some of us rushed to the Union for the Winter Wonderland event where they had hot cocoa and other beverages, pastries, entertainment, pictures with an inflatable Frosty the Snowman, build your own stuffed animal, cookie decorating, and many other events for free. However, the thing that my group was most excited about was the horse drawn carriage rides, which took us up and down 12th. Overall, it was a very eventful day, packed with friends and fun. I couldn't have asked for a better Wednesday.

Study abroad expo

In early September I attended the OSU Study Abroad Expo. The event was meant to encourage students to study abroad and to provide them with information on how to do so. As an international studies major, studying abroad is something that I am seriously considering. The event was a great opportunity to learn about all the available study abroad programs through OSU. It also allowed me to see just how different each program is, whether its a full semester program or just a two week program, everyone can make studying abroad work for them.