Name: Hanna E. Reynolds
Major/Minor: Global Studies and Political Science with a minor in Czech
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Year at UNL: Freshman
Favorite book and why:
I’m not sure that I have one favorite book. More recently I’ve read My Ántonia by Willa Cather and The Beautiful and Damned by Fitzgerald. Both were from somewhat similar eras in history but told vastly different stories. Cather’s showing the uniqueness of growing up in poverty in homestead-era Nebraska and the difficulties that came with it (and with leaving it) and Fitzgerald’s showing the struggles of living upper class in NYC on a dwindling income during prohibition. I liked reading those books back-to-back because of the contrast in their lifestyles, but I also found it interesting to see how differently relationships, platonically and romantically, mattered to the main characters. The reason I’m so interested in Global Studies is because, to me, it connects on the most personal levels with humanity and reading books that showcase that make me remember why I do what I do.
Favorite movie and why:
My favorite movie of all time is Crazy, Stupid, Love. It’s been my favorite movie since I was about eleven (which in retrospect I probably shouldn’t have had that as a favorite movie at eleven). At first I enjoyed it because of the humor and the linked plots that all come together in the end (in a Love Actually kind of way), but I think that now I enjoy it because I know it so well. I can watch the movie from start to finish in my head.
Why Global Studies?
I answered this a little earlier, but to expand on it more I chose Global Studies because I love learning about people. I had the privilege of growing up just outside of downtown Kansas City, so from the nature of that my classrooms were diverse in ethnicity, religion, sexuality, socio-economic status, and so on. Most of my classmates were first or second generation Americans and many spoke over three languages. I feel very fortunate to have grown up in such a culturally rich city. On the other hand of this, I was able to see how government policies directly affected my friends and peers or how religions clash and come together in different ways.
My favorite class that I’ve taken so far is probably Freedom of Expression and the First Amendment taught by Dr. John Bender. We explored and debated court cases, articles, and book chapters over everything from the First Amendment in relation to cybersecurity to sedition in WWI (I’m just going to throw out there that the play “Sedition” by David Wiltse is a quick read and incredible). It was taught seminar style and as a class we took a trip to Washington D.C. the same weekend of the Women’s March and March for Life. It was such an incredible experience. I can’t praise Dr. Bender highly enough.
My advice to new and future Global Studies students is that being newer to the field can be a bit overwhelming because you can go down so many routes with it. So I recommend starting out exploring your options but figuring out what interests you most and focusing on it sooner rather than later. I tend to be a “yes man” which has opened up great opportunities, but I think finding a balance between exploring all of your options and delving into what your passion is a better way to go (and something I am definitely still working on).
Study Abroad:
I have family in Mexico and Puerto Rico so I’ve been to the non-tourist parts of those places and it’s beautiful. It’s been about a decade since I went to Mexico, so I don’t remember a lot but I do remember that it was not at all what I expected. My grandma (from Missouri) is a very cautious person and certainly sheltered from international experiences so when she found out I was going to Mexico she was on edge (that’s what the news will do to you), but when I got there is wasn’t really THAT different. Families still eat breakfast together and kids play on trampolines and abuelo still had his chicken coop and money for a candy bar and Coca Cola.
Puerto Rico I visited for the first time over winter break this past year and I’ll return again in June. The island is just about four hours long and it has rainforests and dry forests, the Atlantic and the Caribbean, as well as mountains. It’s truly remarkable. The food I ate there is quite different from what I’m used to. If you ever find yourself in Puerto Rico, I would strongly recommend Mofongo. Another fascinating thing I discovered while there is the diversity of the island in terms of who it attracts. The mountains in El Yunque attract a different, more international and outdoorsy crowd, while Rincón felt a lot more like a First Friday and had a lot of “hip” Americans living there, but there was still the town of Barranquitas which felt culturally secluded from the rest of the places we visited in Puerto Rico. Nebraska may not be for everyone, but I believe there’s somewhere in Puerto Rico for everyone.
For now I’m looking forward to studying abroad next year in the Czech Republic which will be my first time going outside of the Americas. I’m excited to explore the historical scene of Europe and to work on my Czech language skills.
What are you post-graduation plans?
I’ve considered working for an international NGO (probably something that works with the people on the move global challenge or one that focuses on sustainable living in communities). I’ve also considered pursuing journalism in which I would focus on the current political climate cross-culturally. Both of the previously mentioned careers are paths I’m interested in but not necessarily sure that I want to pursue, but I do have two concrete plans that I know of so far and those are to attend graduate school and become a professor (eventually). I don’t want to go directly from grad school to teaching, so for now I’m just working on finding something to do between the two so that I’ve actually applied my education to the world and can be a better educator because of it.