by Molly Roe
College of Journalism and Mass Communications Professor Sriyani Tidball leads the Global Experiences Learning Community at Nebraska. The community is made up of 10 freshmen, eight of which take part in the global engagement special topics course led by Tidball.
The students, who are from different majors at Nebraska, live in the same dorm their freshman year and have similar interests in global and international issues. Tidball said the majority of the students come from rural communities in Nebraska and are truly interested in learning about world events.
The main purpose of this Learning Community, Tidball said, is to bring together a community of people interested in global and international issues. Students in the global engagement class receive opportunities to attend various speaking and cultural events that are intended to shape them into culturally competent global citizens.
Jordan Black, associate director of learning experiences and residence life for Learning Communities and academics, said the goal of the learning communities is to further develop perspectives of students in the community so they have a greater sense of the world.
"The Global Experiences Learning Community was designed for both domestic and international students to be able to engage in topics that impact the world," he said. "This could range from sharing different ethnic cuisines to learning about modern dance to seeing how civil unrest has different impacts depending on where in the world someone is."
For example, the group attended the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues lecture by Nadia Murad, a Yazidi woman and co-recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. Murad’s talk, titled “From the Front Lines: Human Rights, Sex Trafficking, and the Survival of the Yazidi People,” focused on telling the story of the Yazidi people who face issues including sex trafficking, genocide and ethnic cleansing in their homeland. The group also attended a reception to meet Murad and ask her questions.
The students also read her book, “The Last Girl,” watched the documentary about her, “On Her Shoulders,” at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center and Tidball said they are now very interested in seeing how they can help the Yazidi community in Lincoln.
The students also attended a lecture by 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian peace activist, trained social worker and women’s rights advocate. Gbowee visited the class at the CoJMC this fall to talk to the class about equality, peace and security.
Students in the Learning Community are encouraged to write reflection papers on the talks, have meaningful discussions, get involved and spark important conversations related to the issues.
“It’s important because deep learning is happening, rather than just on the surface,” Tidball said. “These students are really thinking about people like the Yazidis and what ISIS did to them, as well as how they are coping and recovering.”
Students in the course also went with Tidball and Dean Amy Struthers to the local Thai restaurant Blue Orchid to immerse themselves in the culture and speak with the restaurant’s owner, Malinee Kiatathikom, to learn about her family’s journey from Thailand to America. The group has attended various other multicultural events such as a Chinese music and dance festival at Kimball Recital Hall, art exhibits at the Sheldon Art Museum and international films at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center.
Aria Budden, an international business major in the Learning Community, said she is thankful for the opportunity to interact with others who have impacted the world.
“This includes not only the people I have surrounded myself with but also the people who I have been connected to through things such as the E.N. Thompson presentations,” Budden said. “Along with these amazing relationships, it's helped open my eyes to the impact I personally can have on the world.”
In addition to global and international issues, Tidball said she also focuses on teaching the students about local American cultural issues such as missing and murdered indigenous women and other Native American issues.
Tidball said the ultimate goal of this Learning Community and course is to shape students into active citizens and listeners who are aware of their role in the community.
“I want them (students) to become global citizens and to be interested in all aspects of other cultures,” she said. “I want them to learn about cultures, art and food, but also the global issues such as violence and injustices.”
