#ivanallen

Meet Jackie Howell, IAC Student Ambassador and International Affairs and Modern Languages major! 

Why she loves GT Liberal Arts: 

The Ivan Allen Cup is a competition that includes Ivan Allen students, faculty, IAC organization members, and friends. 

The Cup will have three social events where students can form teams, compete, and get to know each other. All the events are free and are hosted by the Ivan Allen Student Advisory Board! You don't have to be an Ivan Allen student to come, so spread the word! Feel free to form teams as a combination of several majors, schools, organizations, or just friends.

The first event in the 2020 Ivan Allen Cup is karaoke at Under the Couch on Wednesday, February 5th, from 7-9PM. This event will have FREE PIZZA and faculty judges! It is a drop-in at any time event.

The second event is bowling at Tech Rec in the Student Center on February 11th, from 7-9PM. There will be FREE PIZZA and bowling! Drop by whenever you are free.

The third and final event is trivia at the Georgia Tech Barnes and Noble Starbucks on Wednesday, February 19th, at 7PM. The cup winner will be announced at the end of trivia, the winning team being presented with a trophy. The teams will also be competing for Barnes & Noble gift cards!

Salutari from Romania! Last week, as a part of my travels on the European Union and Transatlantic Affairs study abroad program, I had the privilege of visiting Bucharest, Romania and the surrounding countryside. Dr. Eliza Markley, a professor in the Sam Nunn School, is a Romanian citizen and was in the Romanian Army for eighteen years following the anti-communist Romanian Revolution in 1989- the only Soviet bloc revolution to turn violent. Because of her expertise and connections, we are able to have many unique experiences like briefings at the Ministry of Defense and seminars at the Romanian Academy Sociological Research department. 

Before starting our work, we were treated to a traditional Romanian dinner at a restaurant that was favored by Romania’s communist dictator, Nicolae Ceaucescu. The restaurant featured traditional Romanian architecture, music, and even folk dance performances! 

*Beautiful molding, stained glass, and other details in the historic restaurant. 

*Romania’s donut, the papanasi: donut, sour cream, and berry confit.

That night, we visited Piata Unirii (Union Place), one of the central urban planning projects of the communist regime in the 1980’s. On the Piata, dilapidated bloc apartments were littered with neon signs advertising brands like Coca-Cola and Bayer. I found this acute contrast between isolationist communism and modern capitalism quite interesting. 

We also were lucky enough to stumble upon a massive water and music show in the Piata, to the tune of Michael Jackson and Game of Thrones! 

*Beautiful fountain show at Piata Unirii- a must see.

The next day, we visited the Palatul Parliamentuli (People’s Palace), commissioned by Ceausescu after he was inspired by a state visit to Pyongyang, North Korea. This building was meant to be government center, cultural icon, nuclear bunker, and dictatorial residence all in one. As such, it is a massive building, second in overall interior volume only to the Pentagon in the US. On our one hour tour over multiple floors, we only saw 5% of the interior! 

*State reception room in the Palatul. 

*View down the grand boulevard, towards Piata Unirii.

Later in the day, we visited the Romanian Museum of Modern Art. The Romanian government gave the museum an entire unused wing of the Palatul to occupy. We saw exhibitions from Romanian and international artists, with themes ranging from sexual femininity to the Revolution to graffiti. 

*Installation in the museum- any interpretations??

*Sunset view from the museum, with the new National Church rising in the background. 

The next day was a free day. Myself and other EU study abroad students took the day to travel to central Romania. We visited two castles in the mountainous province of Transylvania. The first castle, Castelul Bran, was quite quaint and inspired the Dracula novels. The second, called Peleś Castle, was the official royal palace since before WWI. Unfortunately, pictures inside of the castle were not allowed but there were multiple different themes from room to room: French, Moroccan, Italian, Bavarian, etc. It was truly a beautiful castle! 

*Exterior of the castle, with the Romanian flag blowing in the wind.

Overall, my trip to Romania allowed me to contextualize its diverse and often tumultuous history, enjoy delicious Romanian cuisine, and explore the historical scenic countryside outside of Bucharest. This leg of the trip was valuable because it formed such a sharp social, political, and historical contrast between the mostly Western European countries on our itinerary this summer. 

Hi everyone! My name is Hana Omar and I am a second year double major in Economics and International Affairs and Business Administration. Additionally, I am the Philanthropy and Interfaith Chair of the GT Muslim Students Association, a brand ambassador for TEDx Georgia Tech, and an Ivan Allen Ambassador. I will be giving you a glimpse of my finals week at Georgia Tech as well as a reflection of the first semester of my Sophomore year! 

On Monday, I had my Information Technology final exam, which satisfied the technical requirement for my EIA degree. Afterwards, I went back to my apartment to grab some lunch and take a short break. After watching some MasterChef, I headed to the student center to study in the finals study rooms reserved by the Muslim Students Association. Studying with friends helps me stay motivated, and the Student Center always provides plenty of healthy snacks for students! After a few hours of reviewing debits and credits, my friends and I attended the Student Center Finals Breakfast in the evening. This is one of my favorite events of the semester..what can get better than free food, friends, and pet therapy? 

This semester has been the most academically challenging for me. Additionally, as the chair of an organization, allocating enough time for academics, extracurricular activities, and my personal life was definitely a valuable skill I learned. However, the support I received from my professors, advisors, and friends allowed me to have the most successful semester yet, and gain unforgettable memories along the way! 

I chose Ivan Allen because it allows students to explore the intricate connection between liberal arts and science. In a technological and globalized world, understanding this connection is becoming increasingly imperative. I look forward to seeing what opportunities Ivan Allen offers me next semester! 

We are excited to spotlight Brittani Braswell, Engagement and Communications Coordinator at the school of Economics!

The Story Begins…

Ms. Braswell is from Conyers, Georgia and went to Liberty University in Virginia for her Bachelor’s degree in English. She enjoys writing creative nonfiction, poetry and satire. If she had to choose a program of study at Tech, it would be a Master’s degree in Digital Communications.

As a kid, Ms. Braswell wanted to be one of 3 things: a Chemist, a Power Ranger, or a ballerina; but her career goals changed entering university.

“There was a time when I couldn’t have been more certain I would BE a comedy writer. In undergrad, I was submitting comedy articles to Collegehumor.com, Funny or Die and the Onion instead of studying!”

Then perspectives took an alternate course in her undergraduate studies. Ms. Braswell took a few semesters off, changed majors and transferred to different institutions. Like many students, she was trying to find her way. She was guided by higher administration on her educational and career path. It is because of the encouragement that she received as an undergraduate that she developed a passion for advising and especially supporting students that may feel like there is nobody available to help them.

Fulfilling a Community Need

Ms. Braswell has held advisory roles at Liberty University, Ashworth College, and Georgia Tech. It is at Ashworth that she had one of her most fulfilling experiences with a student. There she was required to advise and tutor students when they expressed need.

“One dual enrollment student really struggled in Algebra, and I would tutor her every single day. One day, I was reviewing her account, preparing for another tutoring session and I realized there was nothing left to tutor. She was done. It was so fulfilling when I called her to tell her that she’d passed Algebra. When I told her, she was so thankful! She said, ‘hold up, can you say it again? I’m with my whole family’. I repeated the announcement, and I could hear the whole lot celebrating in the background. Those are the days that make me feel working in education is an investment in people and I’m most proud of what we get to do”.

Ms. Braswell, as a first generation college student, takes great pride in mentoring her younger siblings and cousins as they begin their own college journeys. She says it can also be a lot of pressure to be the only one that others look up to for advice on higher education.

All About Laughs

As stated before, Ms. Braswell is really into comedy. She spends a great deal of free time at stand up shows, improv shows, or listening to comedy podcasts. I asked her if there were any performances or venues around Atlanta that she would recommend, and she gave me quite the list. The number one place, in her opinion, was The Improv in Buckhead (It’s now closed for renovation). Other options are The Laughing Skull, Worldwide Comedy, and Dad’s Garage.

The Future is Bright

At 26, Ms. Braswell still hopes to be in higher education in the next decade. In the near future she hopes to ultimately pursue a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction. She hopes to preferably settle in Atlanta but she is also considering Denver, CO and Portland, OR.

“Transitioning to adulthood from being a college student was really hard….That’s why I think people choose to go into higher ed professions. You get to cheat the system a little bit and still get to be affiliated with the university. There’s something comforting about clinging to a collegiate identity. I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t a component of why I chose to work in higher ed”

Advice for Students

Ms. Braswell says that the biggest thing she has learned so far is to let go of the specific plans we hold ourselves to and be open/fluid to course correction. “You start off as a freshman, and if you fall short of those things, then you begin to fear people are judging you. It took me more then the standard 4 years to get through college. I was really disappointed in myself. But I believe everything happens for a reason. I had an untraditional trek towards matriculation but I am working in a position I’d never dreamed I’d be.”

She urges students to follow their dreams and look for meaning in their college experiences, regardless of whether they go as planned or not.

She also stresses the importance of student involvement on campus.

“I was in so many clubs, marching band, symphonic band, Young Democrats, Natural High Student Government… I joined also a lot of campus ministries as well. If they had free food and free t-shirts, I was in it! I say get active, there is so much to do. So many people to meet.”

Some More Wisdom?

Meet Nicolette Mehran, Ivan Allen College student and Ambassador!

Nicolette is an International Affairs major and is pursuing a minor in Spanish. She is also involved in the INTA School’s Accelerated BS/MS Program. 

What does she love about liberal arts at Georgia Tech?

Meet Aradhana Chandra, Ivan Allen College Student Ambassador!

Aradhana is an International Affairs major with a minor in Computer Science. This summer, she’s been interning at the Truman Center for National Policy / Truman National Security Project in Washington D.C. As the Communications Intern, I manage the non-profit's social media accounts, write op-eds, conduct fast-paced research projects, have gotten experience in digital marketing, photography, and much more.