Blog Post #1 - Macy Bayer - Global Issues

            As a journalism and marketing major, I find myself keeping up with the latest business news, current events, pop culture trends, and sports events. However, when it comes to being up to date on the latest global issues, that is where my knowledge falls short. I would like to blame it on being a busy student who lives in the little bubble of Texas Christian University and only worries about her schoolwork. I could also say my lack of knowledge is a side effect of my skewed social media algorithm that does not usually populate the latest political updates. Instead, it tends to lean toward the more “feel good” stories.

           As Dr. Whitworth discussed during his lectures this past week, our surroundings, upbringing, and environment heavily influence how we perceive the world and live our daily lives. Growing up in the small, predominantly Catholic town of Muenster, Texas, with approximately 1,300 residents and only 30 students in my high school graduating class, I can admit that I was often sheltered from talk about current events and politics. At the dinner table, discussions that were not about the recent sports game, what my siblings and I were learning in school, or how delicious the meal we were eating at the moment were out of the ordinary.

            Once I went off to college and took my first Honors Cultural Vision course, “Exploring Cultural Contact Zones: The Era of Environmental Crisis,” my global perspective was turned on its head. We learned how our current climate crisis had come to the point it stands at now and completed a semester-long analysis on a company’s sustainability initiatives, in which I conducted research on Levi’s plan for a sustainable future. We also discussed how globalization accelerates the climate crisis by driving mass consumerism and long-distance transport. As multinational supply chains offload production to regions with cheap labor, such as Levi’s despite their sustainability marketing materials, this results in massive greenhouse gas emissions. Although globalization has its benefits by promoting economic growth and cultural exchange, the phenomenon’s downsides arguably outweigh its benefits.

            Just like in high school, when I returned home after my second week of college and begun to talk about what I was learning at the dinner table, it did not turn out so well once I started to discuss my newfound knowledge of our current climate crisis. Yet, it did not stop me from continuing to widen my global perspective while in school.

            During my first year, I took Introduction to Political Science (a topic my high school never offered other than World History), the environmental crisis course, and a class focused the past and current implications of the War on Terror. This past fall semester, I soaked in each lecture and in-class conversation during Dr. Dorraj’s International Politics course. I poured into these courses with great energy and enthusiasm, which greatly widened my knowledge that had previously been limited to the homogenous beliefs and values of my hometown. Although I have been able to build a better foundational knowledge of global issues and international politics, I still feel as though my lack of knowledge prevents me from speaking up in class with confidence. I have noticed this more than ever during this trip, where even casual conversations outside of class revolve around politics. My peers know their facts and are able to converse with others on the topic with confidence. Meanwhile, I listen in trying to learn something new from their conversation.

            As a student journalist, I am fully aware that we live in a 24-hour news cycle where everyone who has access to the internet can receive daily, and often live, updates on current events. There are in-depth articles, research studies, and interviews on the web that can help aid in filling my knowledge gap. Yet, with all of this information readily available at my fingertips, I often only take the time to read and absorb the headlines.

            I am not proud of this, and I admit it. However, I can say that I have taken steps to mitigate my lack of knowledge of global issues by expanding my news-based podcast intake and by signing up for a wider variety of newsletters that break information down into comprehensible stories. I am an avid listener of the Morning Brew Daily podcast, which combines recent headlines, humor, and business news. I love listening to this podcast because it breaks down stories in an interesting way that makes them easy to retain and understand in a wider context. Although I want to go into traditional broadcast news, I am not as much of a consumer of newscasts unless I am at home and have access to cable television. I mainly receive my news on current events through Instagram, including content from AP News, BBC, and The New York Times.

            Through my coursework and by doing my best to absorb more news, I have seen how the United States has played a major role in countries throughout Central Europe. One concept that I first became aware of during my spring break study abroad experience in Berlin during my first year, and that was later reinforced in Dr. Dorraj’s class, was how the legacy of the Cold War is still imminent throughout Berlin. We stayed in Alexanderplatz, which was the main urban and cultural hub of East Berlin and the German Democratic Republic. The architecture, artwork, and overall feel of that part of Berlin are dramatically different from the West, which was partially occupied by the United States, with its bustling modern metropolis vibe. This was just one example that I was able to witness firsthand of how the United States has played a role in Central Europe and how that involvement is still being felt today.

            One step in continuing to come out of my shell and becoming a more informed individual was deciding to take this course, which has proved to be a very good decision. Day by day, I am learning more than I could have imagined by being introduced to concepts I had never thought about or had little previous knowledge of beforehand. While I have loved every experience, from lectures by Dr. Dorraj and Dr. Whitworth to the guest lecturer from the University of Freiburg and the presentation on the European Union Parliament led by Michael Scanlon, some of my favorite moments have stemmed from our Green City Walking Tour with Miriam.

            Circling back to my study abroad in Berlin for context, this experience challenged me to view the city of Berlin as a textbook by observing even the smallest details that uncover a much larger story. Take the often overlooked “stumbling stones,” otherwise known as Stolpersteine, for example. These brass plaques can be found embedded in sidewalks across Germany, including in Freiburg, and serve as memorials to individuals who were persecuted, deported, and murdered by the Nazi regime by marking their former homes. Yet, despite being such moving and meaningful commemorations, they are almost always missed.

            This experience also exposed me to current events within Germany from the perspective of a local, the fallout from the Cold War and the implications that remain today, and German culture as a whole. I loved Berlin and found both the city and its history incredibly interesting. It was the first time I had visited Germany, which had been on my bucket list for as long as I could remember. With this being said, Berlin is far different from Freiburg. I am looking forward to discussing my differing observations of the two cities, along with other countries I have visited, in my next blog post where I will go more in depth on how my travels have expanded my worldview. Stay tuned for my next blog post, and einen schönen tag!