International Relations Forming Relationships

By: Jaley Adkins

Just as colonial powers tapped into the gold and diamond mines of the Democratic People’s Republic of the Congo, scholars are mining the wealth of information their teacher, Mr. Ogechi Anyanwu, has to offer. Collectively described by his class as “a pure man and ping pongmaster”, Ogechi encourages his students to think independently by keeping class discussion open and forcing scholars past surface answers by making them dig deeper to explain why they stand behind their beliefs.

Lectures tend to leave students uninterested, but Ogechi had his scholars captivated. The class was eager to voice their opinion, ask questions, and offer answers or solutions to their fellow scholars.

“It’s not about what we learn, it’s about how we treat each other and respect each other’s opinion,” Kaitlyn Brandenburg said.

For someone observing this class, it would not take long to figure out the truth Brandenburg holds. All scholars were actively participating, listening, and commenting on the topics being debated. They maintained a constant intellectual, educated discussion on topics such as the global impact of the Cold War, previous and current immigration policies, and the economic and political significance of multinational corporations. For scholars like Malissa Bouakham, the International Relations focus area has been a time of learning and growth.

“This class lived up to the expectations I had for the focus area and I feel satisfied with what we learn in class,” Bouakham said.

The general consensus for this class is one of satisfaction with their topic and teacher. There is also a sense of pushing to know more and reach past the obvious to achieve a deeper sense of understanding of the topics and classmates’ perspectives. International Relations scholars have established phenomenal relationships with one another through the openmindedness and listening the class discussion demands.