During this semester I attended the Latin dance club salsa night with two of my friends. I had learned how to salsa at workshops throughout high school and when I saw that they were putting on this event I was excited to put my skills to use. When l got there I was paired with multiple partners who showed me multiple different steps of salsa, some that I knew and some that I didn’t. Additionally, they taught me other forms of Latin dance such as the Bachata. I had a great time learning new steps and showing my friends how to dance to each song.
One of the best parts of the night was that they had a live band performing each song. I thought that it was wonderful and that the live music brought a more authentic and cultural feeling to the night. While the band played, many of the people who attended got up to dance. I really enjoyed seeing people of all skill levels get on the dance floor and show what they knew. I had the amazing opportunity to dance with a few of the men in the club. Everyone was so kind showing me new steps and moves and I really enjoyed getting to know each person while dancing with them.
Overall, attending this event really increased my passion for salsa and I felt really inspired to join the club or one similar to continue dancing. I loved seeing people from every community/culture come together and learn how to dance and I really appreciated the club members for their patience in teaching each person.
Being involved in OU Cousin’s has been a wonderful four years. I was a shy freshman when I first started, and then I joined the Cousin’s Advisory Board my junior year officially.
This year, the year flew by. I can’t believe I graduate next Friday, the 15th. OU Cousin’s has been my rock whenever I needed it. From weekly meetings that we did in the beginning of the semester to bi-weekly meetings once we had a chance to breathe.
From events I helped promote such as matching party to events even I was surprised by (like the BBQ). I can’t recall a single event that I missed on campus other than Zumba. Game nights, karaoke, matching parties, and even the picnic that we hosted to end off the semester.
One of my greatest achievements (other than growing outside of my shell to become a bit more extroverted. Which, according to MBTI I went from 100% introverted to 96% introverted. Improvements!). I helped gather sponsors for our biggest events of the year, which is OU Cousin’sFriendsgiving and OU Cousin’s BBQ. The food is always our biggest expense, so being able to get that off of our plate was a huge relief, and I am glad I taught others how to do the same.
Attending the events as a member of Cousin’s Advisory Board allowed me to see connections being fostered in real time, and it allowed me to mingle with those who might’ve felt left out. It’s a nice perspective, as I was one of those who felt like that and was greeted by old CAB members.
I cannot trade the experience for the world, and I am going to miss being in OU Cousin’s and creating events for all the new international and domestic students.
As the world has gotten more interconnected, people are travelling more than ever. It is much more common now for an average person to have left their country or continent at least once in their life. This can increase awareness of other cultures and expand a person’s worldview. However, travel, specifically tourism, has many downsides that affect major tourist destinations. Many popular travel destinations are being overrun by tourists in their peak seasons, causing overcrowding and damage to the local environment and culture. This problem has created tension in these locations as many locals call for a decrease in tourism.
One of the main issues with overtourism is that it can damage the local environment. Pollution is caused by littering as well as the carbon emissions from both air and car travel. Tourism in natural environments can displace wildlife, kill plant life, and cause erosion. It can even damage historical sites by eroding them slowly over time. There are always tourists without the proper respect for a place and its value, so vandalism is a concern as well.
Another major issue is social: gentrification and destruction of the local culture. Tourism feeds on the simplification of a place and its people. The complex history of a place is condensed into something easily commodified, often misrepresenting a culture or showing only one aspect of it. Tourism can also displace locals by increasing property rates and pushing them out of heavily visited areas. Short-term rentals can bring in more money for a developer than long-term rentals, so many properties are being converted to Airbnbs or other similar rental properties focused on tourists. Beyond the housing issues, tourism often causes a general raise in prices, like at restaurants or bars near destinations. Huge crowds of people make it difficult for locals to live their day-to-day lives without interruption. It is much harder to get to work when you either have to fight through large crowds or go a longer route around a busy area to avoid the tourists. The noise and disturbance are nuisances to the people just trying to live their normal lives.
A great example of the overtourism problem is Venice. The city experiences huge crowds every year, to the point that tourists outnumber residents. This has led to the city feeling more like a commodity than a living place. Every aspect of it feels curated because tourists are the main demographic targeted by the businesses, attractions, and even the infrastructure. It is also not made to deal with the number of people that are in the city on a given day. The streets in Venice are narrow and winding, and it can be difficult to navigate through them. This creates a large amount of congestion.
In tourist destinations across the world, residents are protesting against tourism. Large rallies calling for limits to tourism have occurred across Europe in the past few years, and many countries and cities are implementing new rules aimed at reducing visitors. There are fines for things like wearing swimwear outside of the beach, drinking in public, smoking at the beach, taking selfies in certain locations, and many more. Some places have begun charging tourism fees. In Venice, there is a fee to visit as a day trip. In Barcelona, hotel rooms and rentals have an extra fee for non-residents.
There are debates over whether the goal of lowering tourism will damage economies or make travel more inaccessible for less wealthy people. However, I think that sustainable travel should be a bigger focus, and the needs of the residents of a place should trump the wants of visitors.
One international topic that interested me this semester was the Strait of Hormuz and its importance to the global economy. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and it is one of the most important shipping routes in the world for oil and natural gas. Many countries rely on this route to transport energy resources, which makes it extremely important for international trade and global markets. Before learning more about it, I did not realize how much one location could impact economies and industries around the world.
I found this topic interesting because any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz can affect gas prices, trade, and supply chains globally. Since many countries depend on oil shipments passing through this route, the region receives a lot of international attention. As someone majoring in international business and supply chain management, it helped me understand how connected the world economy really is. Overall, the Strait of Hormuz is an important international topic because it plays a major role in global trade, transportation, and economic stability.
One international topic that interested me this semester was the 2026 FIFA World Cup being hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. I think this event is exciting because the World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and brings together people from many different countries and cultures. Soccer has a unique ability to connect people even when they speak different languages or come from completely different backgrounds. Since the tournament will be hosted partly in the United States, I think it will give many people the opportunity to experience international culture through fans, traditions, celebrations, and the atmosphere surrounding the games.
I also think the World Cup will have a positive impact on communities because it encourages tourism, cultural exchange, and global unity through sports. Even people who are not huge soccer fans often come together to support their countries and celebrate the event. Social media has also made the World Cup feel even more international because people around the world can interact and share experiences instantly. Overall, I think the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a positive international event that highlights how sports can bring people together globally.
ASA Comedy Night, which took place on April 16, 2026, was one of the most enjoyable organization events I participated in this semester through the Arab Student Association. As part of ASA, it was rewarding to be involved in an event that brought students from many different backgrounds together in such a positive environment. The organization invited a Syrian comedian to perform, and the event was filled with laughter, interaction, and great energy throughout the night. The comedian did a great job connecting with the audience and creating an entertaining atmosphere that students really enjoyed.
Being part of ASA has allowed me to become more involved on campus while helping create a welcoming environment for students. Events like Comedy Night are important because they help students feel connected and included while also sharing Arab culture and entertainment with the broader campus community. It was nice seeing students relax, socialize, and enjoy themselves together during a stressful part of the semester. Overall, ASA Comedy Night was a successful event that strengthened the sense of community within ASA and created a memorable experience for everyone who attended.
SASA Norman Nachle, which took place on March 7, 2026, was easily one of the most exciting events I participated in this semester. I was part of the sophomore dance class, so I got the chance to learn desi style dancing and perform in front of a large audience. At first I was nervous because this was something completely outside of my comfort zone, but after practices and spending time with the team, it became one of the most fun experiences of the semester. The event itself was full of energy, music, and performances that showcased different parts of South Asian culture.
One thing I appreciated most was the teamwork behind the event. Everyone put in a lot of time practicing and supporting each other leading up to the performance. It was also interesting seeing how dance can bring people together even if they come from different backgrounds. The crowd was very engaged throughout the night, and the positive energy made the experience even more memorable. Norman Nachle helped me become more confident while also giving me a better appreciation for South Asian culture and traditions.
One of the most memorable cultural events I attended this semester was Mock Mehndi hosted by the Pakistani Student Association (PSA) on May 2, 2026. I had also attended the event last year, so I was excited to come back and experience it again. Even though I already had some familiarity with the celebration, this year still felt unique and entertaining because of the performances, music, and energy throughout the night. The event recreated many parts of a traditional Pakistani Mehndi ceremony, including cultural dances, wedding rituals, traditional clothing, and music that made the experience feel authentic and immersive.
One thing that stood out to me was how welcoming and interactive the event felt. Students from many different backgrounds attended, and everyone seemed genuinely interested in learning more about Pakistani culture and traditions. I enjoyed seeing how important family, celebration, and community are within the culture. The performances and atmosphere made the event feel lively from beginning to end. Events like Mock Mehndi help bring students together while creating appreciation for different cultures on campus. Overall, it was one of my favorite cultural events this semester and something I was happy to attend again.
The Inspiration for this Post/Fun Cultural Analysis
For my Honors Perspectives class, we got to write an essay analyzing how a scientific concept was developed in a work of literature, and how it spoke to cultural anxieties at the time/emerged from the culture of a place. Stupidly, I decided to do mine on the entire epic manga series, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, By Hayao Miyazaki, which is 500+ pages.It is definitely one of Miyazaki’s lesser known works, most people know only about the Nausicaa movie. I would argue that the manga expands on that world amazingly, both thematically and narratively.
I wrote in my essay about how Miyazaki was influenced by folk Shinto animism in writing the character of Nausicaa, but how many other commentators persist in seeing her as a Christ figure despite this, and so she stands as an interesting blend of cultures depending on how you interpret her. There is just so much to analyze in this manga, so hence I thought doing a short summary/book review would be cool.
A Short Introduction to the Manga (No Spoilers) is as Follows
After the seven days of fire, where the giant god-warrors (thought by many to be emblematic of nuclear weapons) razed human civilization to the ground, a toxic jungle sprung up, many theorize, based on the toxins that leeched into the soil after the use of these weapons. Civilization exists now only at the fringes, with an odd mix of old and new technology, always under threat from the poisonous spores or giant insects that live in the jungle. Our story follows Nausicaa, princess of the valley of the wind, who is a bit of a scientist, and often goes into the toxic jungle to collect spores. Her empathy for all living things leads her not to fear the jungle or its insects, but she is often grieved by the conflicts between humanity and the forest, and we get to trace the development of her character as she grapples with this idealism in the face of war and apocalypse.
Reading this made me want an entire Nausicaa show in the style of the movie, because there’s so much great story in the manga, and it’s really not that well known.
Review/Why You Should Read it
What struck me most about the manga was just the insane amount of worldbuilding in it. Some have tried to paint Miyazaki as more of a “soft worldbuilder” by which they mean that his settings serve more of a thematic purpose than a “realistic” one, but it is not for lack of skill in “hard worldbuilding”. There are no less than three separate political entities in the Nausicaa manga, the Dorok people who are ruled by a holy emperor type figure, the Torumekians who are ruled by an emperor, but whose empire is splintered among the competing members of the royal family, the people of the valley of the wind, who serve as kind of a vassal city-state for the Torumekian Empire in exchange for their independence, and several other smaller entities that come into the plot occasionally. To say nothing of the people living in the toxic jungle that we meet later in the book, or the interesting Dorok theology we get through a Dorok priest character that eventually becomes friends with Nausicaa.
Cool Translation Note
What was also interesting to me about the manga was that, while the words were translated from Japanese, the sound effects were not, given how heavily stylized they were. There was of course a glossary in the back of the book, but I honestly just ended up making my own sound effects based on the context of the panel. It made me think of my world literature class when we were talking about how a lot of translation is an act of trust, you have to trust that the translator was committed to their work in good faith.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Nausicaa Manga is an excellent read if you’re a fan of science fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction, ecological fiction, or just fiction in general because it is a really cool story, and it should be essential reading if you’re a Miyazaki fan. Thanks to my Honors Perspectives professor for the inspiration, and I hope you enjoyed reading my mildly disconnected review of a book series I’ve been into recently.
Attending the OU Cousins BBQ was a memorable experience that brought together students from many different cultures in a fun and welcoming environment. The OU Cousin’s BBQ was hosted on March 31st, 2025. The event was designed to introduce international students to a traditional Western style barbecue while also giving everyone the opportunity to connect and learn from one another. I had not planned this event, so I had no idea what was going on as special surprises were being floated around. From the moment I arrived, the atmosphere felt warm and inviting, with a live band playing. They were greeted and given cowboy hats and bandanas!
One of the highlights of the event was the food. There were classic barbecue dishes that represented an important part of American culture, and many international students were excited to try them. We usually get the same menu every time which includes rolls, brisket, fried chicken, and ice cream. It was interesting to see how food could become a way to start conversations and create friendships. One of the special surprises that shocked us all was there was a cotten candy machine!
The event also included line dancing that encouraged participation and teamwork. Our line dance instructor had us doing it solo for a few before we had to find partners, which was another way that I got to talk to new people! I enjoyed meeting people from different backgrounds and learning about their cultures while also sharing my own experiences during food.
It was a great opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity where President Harroz spoke to the crowd and we took photos at the end!
Global Engagement Fellowship 