Author Archives: axm6007

Farewell to the CGS

This is not an easy goodbye and definitely will be bittersweet as I move on after this semester. The last five months have flown by and it seems like just yesterday I was meeting Sarah, Mary, and Emily for the first time. In that short time, though, so many memories have been made, friendships ignited, and lessons learned.

I would like to start with explaining all that I’ve learned through the ups and downs of this semester. Moving forward as a student and in my career, these lessons will forever be valuable, of which I will be forever grateful. Primarily, I learned how vital communication is to a professional work environment, and I don’t think I’ve ever checked my email as much or been as attentive to messages as I have been at the CGS. Many deadlines approached with a limited amount of time in the office, and if communication would have been strained, everything would have crumbled.

Apart from all of the information I learned from sitting in on CGS-sponsored events, I also learned how to professionally conduct myself in a personal and cyber manner. I learned how to formally introduce people through email and learned how to communicate with those that are equal to me such as my fellow intern Katie, but also to those who were way above me in schooling, education, and their career such as with Bassem Youssef, Dr. Jens-Uwe Guettel, or the many professors I crossed paths with.

Another aspect of my internship that has taught me a lot has been teaching at Young Scholars of Central PA Charter School, where I lead three after-school clubs on world cultures, comparative politics, and journalism. While I specifically learned how to manage a large group of kids in a classroom, I learned workplace incentive and punishment through working with these students. I have witnessed the immense power a treat or consequence has on one’s actions and I see myself using this same technique in a position of authority at a job in 

the future. Also, these kids taught me patience, which is crucial to any profession. It was rare to walk into the classroom and the students to already have pencils in hand, ready to go, so it was a learning curve to get them enthusiastic and ready to go every day. While some persisted to fight the system, I believe many of the students became engaged and excited to learn, something that is very rewarding to me.

I want to finish by thanking everyone at the CGS for their help over the semester, making it as low stress and easy as possible. Sarah and Mary helped so much with professional advice and pointers throughout the semester and both assisted me in many ways with my clubs at YSCP. Emily was enthusiastic everyday, helping with events, and making every minute around her joyful. Katie worked tremendously hard and picked up my slack whenever I was busy with clubs or school work. For that I am so thankful and appreciate how Katie was there for me throughout the semester.

I hope to stay in touch with everyone and that this is not a final goodbye. I will be on the look out for future events and cannot wait to see what the CGS has in store for the future.

“Echoes of 20th Century Fascism on Modern Politics and Culture” Synopsis

On October 24, my fellow intern Katie and I got to host our event “Echoes of 20th CenturyFascism on Modern Politics and Culture” after a long and arduous period of planning – it wasn’t easy!

Finding a venue and time was easy, thanks to the help of Sarah, Mary, and Emily, but finding speakers was the difficult part. I had to have sent out emails to at least 30 professors and graduate students before we finalized with Dr. Jens-Uwe Guettel, Doctoral Candidate Kevin Reuning, and graduate student Brad Morabito.

Despite the strenuous task of finding the speakers, I could not have asked for more knowledgable or engaged speakers than the three gentlemen that we had. It was evident that each was an expert in their field not only in their well-organized presentations, but in their responses to questions from the crowd after they presented.

On that note, the crowd honestly surprised me. We had over 20 participants, more than I wouldhave expected, and all of them were entertained, engaged, and interested in the discussion. I had some friends from my political science and history courses, and they all gave me encouraging words about the event since they knew that I had helped plan it. Them being there meant a lot for me because I know how busy their course schedules are, yet they made time to support me and learn about fascism – not necessarily the most fun of topics.

The CGS staff was also very commendable through it all and helped make it a huge success. Katie helped immensely with planning, organizing, and hosting with me, while Sarah, Emily, and Mary helped with the logistics and made it possible to pull of the event seamlessly. Their expertise in event hosting really showed.

All in all, it was a pleasant experience that taught me valuable communication skills, event planning, and communication among speakers, colleagues, and school faculty. Moving forward, due to the lessons learned from emailing professors, I will have to start planning events about two months out, at least!

– Aaron Morris

 

 

Here’s to a new journey

Not only will this upcoming semester and year at the CGS be a new experience for myself, dealing with a federally-funded program, but just a new experience in terms of my first internship. As a sophomore at Penn State I still have a lot of growing and figuring out to do despite already having steadfast goals and desires for my future. Part of that process involves various jobs and internships that I will be apart of over the course of my four years in undergraduate studies.

At first I considered an internship with my local senator or congressman, but after talking with classmates and friends that are interested in the same career field, I realized that the majority were taking that road, so like any millennial would do, I stopped, turned and went down the road less traveled by. I began my search for a rewarding experience that not only caters to my general interests in politics, social studies, geography, and world cultures, but one that challenges me in aspects that don’t just make me a coffee-delivering mule, which very well may have been the most important of my duties as a small fish in the ocean of Washington D.C.

These thoughts brought me to the CGS as I realized I would be working with professionals in an open and growth-oriented environment that would challenge me in ways I couldn’t have anticipated.

I am looking forward to working with the children of the local Young Scholars of Central PA Charter School in State College, PA where I am leading three after school clubs of World Cultures, Comparative Politics, and Journalism for various ages throughout K-8. In collaboration with Helena Khan, the Extended Day Club Coordinator at the school, we’ve been able to incorporate a world-oriented perspective into my clubs to broaden the horizons of knowledge in the children that I’m responsible for.

I also am eagerly anticipating interactions with speakers that the CGS is bringing to Penn State, including Bassem Youssef, a revolutionary comedian from Egypt that challenged the modern government with satire and comedy. I will have to read his book and perhaps have the opportunity to interview the man that was named to the Time Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People of 2013 list.

Furthermore, I will work with my colleagues to host other events and speakers to inform the Penn State community on the world around them, something that I find rewarding, especially in the United States. In our elementary schools, we are taught a very U.S.-centric world history and view that hinders us on the global stage moving forward. So, to be able to inform the same students that are taught world history from only the perspective of the United States about world cultures, politics, and events will be a very rewarding experience.

Along with my fellow intern Katie, I’m sure we will have a successful, rewarding, and fulfilling year at the CGS. Good times, good experiences, and a good journey is underway here at Penn State.