Yusuf Kalyango Jr.
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Whirlwind tour: Cleveland, Amish Country and Pittsburgh

7/30/2012

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SUSI scholars exit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

By Lindsay Boyle

During the second week of the program, the SUSI scholars visited cultural and media locations in Cleveland and Sugarcreek, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pa.

The SUSI summer institute — in which scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at OU to study journalism and media — is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

Cleveland, Ohio

The first stop of the adventure in Cleveland began on Sunday, July 15, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where the scholars were led by what SUSI academic director Mary Rogus called “great docents.” The scholars were all smiles as they left the building, although some had said they enjoyed it so much that they did not want to leave.
Scholar Rachael van der Kooye, from Suriname, said that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was her favorite part of the entire tour. She said she enjoyed learning that many modern songs and music styles are actually derived from rock and roll.

“I liked it because I could, for the first time, read the history of rock and roll. I could see all of those famous singers and I could read their stories,” she said. “The time was not enough to read all of their wonderful stories.”

Afterward, the SUSI scholars enjoyed dinner at the Barley House in Cleveland’s historic Warehouse District. Some scholars tried some U.S. foods, such as wings, for the first time.
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SUSI scholars Trang Nguyen, Hugo Zarate and Dr. Huei Lan Wang sit a the WOIO broadcasting desk, while scholars Taimoor Noori and Dr. Aysha Abughazzi look on.
Monday began with a tour of the WOIO/WUAB-TV station. The tour was followed by a meeting with news personnel, including News Director Dan Salamone, to discuss news approach.
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SUSI scholar Dr. Huei Lan Wang poses with a copy of the Call and Post newspaper.
The topics of the discussion ranged from access issues, to gift policy (no gifts can be accepted by journalists at WOIO), to the effect of ratings on news coverage.

Dr. Alexsandr Kazakov, the scholar from Russia, said that the tour of WOIO/WUAB-TV was a “good opportunity to get to know something new.”

“It was very exciting to see a TV station working live,” he said.After the SUSI scholars took a break for lunch, they visited the office of the historically African American Call and Post newspaper, where they met with managers, reporters, editors and more.

There, the conversation focused on multicultural media. The SUSI scholars asked Call and Post staff members about things such as their coverage of the 2008 presidential election, and what kind of investigative reporting they do.

In response to the latter, Call and Post staff members explained that they try to do investigative reporting that will be helpful to the community. For example, they were heavily involved in investigating the disappearances of 11 Cleveland women, whom, it turned out, had all been killed by Anthony Sowell. He has since been sentenced to the death penalty.
The SUSI scholars spent most of Monday evening using free time to explore Cleveland, and then traveled to Sugarcreek, Ohio — the next leg of their journey.

Amish Country — Sugarcreek and Berlin, Ohio

Tuesday morning, the SUSI scholars spoke with three Amish about their religion, community and lifestyle. The scholars then met with editors and the publisher of The Budget newspaper, which reports about happenings in national and international Amish communities, often by using community journalism.
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SUSI scholars discuss news coverage with The Budget Editor-in-Chief, Keith Rathbun.
After shopping, eating and exploring in Sugarcreek, the SUSI scholars headed to another Amish town — Berlin, Ohio.

In Berlin, they visited the Amish-Mennonite Heritage Center, which boasts an almost 270-foot-tall mural-in-the-round that depicts Amish history and culture since 1525, when the Amish way of life was just beginning.

The day ended with a dinner provided by the Rotary Club of Sugarcreek. Rotary International is a service organization that has local chapters in cities throughout the world. Rogus described the dinner as being full of “great conversations and delicious fried chicken.”
Kazakov described Amish Country as a “very unusual place,” and said that it was “the strongest impression of the United States” he has had thus far.

“Amish people live in such a different way,” he said. “In fact, after visiting Sugarcreek, I understood how diverse America is.”

Dr. Murad Abdullah, the scholar from Yemen, also enjoyed Amish Country, describing it as “distinguished” and “worthwhile.”

“You can find skyscrapers and high buildings in every city in the world,” he said. “But the Amish Country is remarkably distinguished because you can’t find such people or such culture in any other parts of the world, except in this area.”

He further explained that people in his country do not hear about places such as Amish Country from the media. Though the United States is always portrayed as diverse, he explained that that diversity is only shown to exist among modernity, not in rustic areas.

Pittsburgh, Pa.
The SUSI scholars spent Wednesday morning traveling to Pittsburgh. Shortly after their arrival, they shopped for several hours at the Ross Park Mall.

“I see SUSI scholars with big shopping bags,” Rogus said via Twitter. Jokingly, she added, “The trip to Pittsburgh’s Ross Park Mall may mean we’ll need another van to get home.”

In the evening, they partook in shopping, entertainment and dining in Station Square. Some of the SUSI scholars even rode a trolley up the Incline Railway to obtain a scenic view of Pittsburgh from the top of Lookout Mountain.
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SUSI scholars Divine Bisong and Guoping He pose with OU professor Aimee Edmondson in front of the Pittsburgh skyline.
On the final day of the cultural tour, the SUSI scholars visited the Andy Warhol Museum to learn about the effect its namesake had on U.S. pop culture.

During the tour of the museum, the scholars heard from a Warhol — Andy’s nephew.

Kazakov said that he enjoyed the museum “to some extent.”

“I can’t say that I love this kind of pop culture, but even so, it was very interesting in terms of the influence Andy Warhol had on American life,” he said.

Scholar van der Kooye did not like Warhol’s art. However, she still wrote an article on her blog about him because she wanted to learn more about his importance.

“I didn’t know him and I’d never heard of him, but there was a bridge named after him, and there was a whole museum — three levels of Andy Warhol,” she said. “I asked myself, ‘Why was the man so famous?’”

The very last stop of the trip occurred in Pittsburgh’s historic Strip District, where scholars ate and bought ethnic foods, such as tabouleh and hummus, and viewed old architecture.
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SUSI SCHOLARS VISIT LITTLE CITIES OF BLACK DIAMONDS

7/17/2012

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Scholars pose next to the Hocking Valley Coal Miner statue in Shawnee, Ohio.



By Lindsay Boyle

The 2012 SUSI scholars visited several of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds and learned about the history of the southeast Ohio region on July 15.

The SUSI summer institute — in which scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to study journalism and media — is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

The scholars experienced a tour provided by the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council. It included attractions in the towns of Nelsonville, Haydenville, New Straitsville and Shawnee.

Scholar Dr. Wilberforce Dzisah said he was glad to be able to see a rural side of the U.S., because people are not typically interested in anything outside of the “glittering city life.”

“I’m really thrilled by what I’ve seen today,” he said. “It’s amazing, the rural side of the most powerful nation on earth.”
The tour began in Nelsonville’s public square, where the scholars heard a brief history of coal mining in southeastern Ohio. Nelsonville was founded in 1869, making it the oldest of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds.

The scholars were then driven through Haydenville, where they saw a round house on the National Register of Historic Places, the Haydenville United Methodist Church, which was built from five different materials, and other attractions.
Just outside of New Straitsville, the scholars observed a historic African American cemetery called Payne Cemetery. Payne Cemetery is a resting place for several African Americans from the South who had helped to create the now defunct community of Payne’s Crossing just before the Civil War.

At the cemetery, the tour guide briefly explained the sides of the Civil War, as well as concepts such as the Underground Railroad.

In New Straitsville, the scholars saw the New Straitsville United Methodist Church, Robinson’s Caveand the New Straitsville History Museum.

Robinson’s Cave is a small cave in the woods of New Straitsville where upset miners met secretly in the late 1800s. The history of Robinson’s Cave was explained through a living history method, in which Ron Luce impersonated Christopher Evans — the New Straitsville resident who led the meetings in the cave — and spoke about the happenings in the cave from Evans’ point of view.
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SUSI scholars learn about the history of Robinson’s Cave.
The scholars learned that the meetings ultimately led to the Hocking Valley Coal Strike, as well as the formation of both local and national mine worker unions.

At the New Straitsville History Museum, the scholars first saw an outdoor mural depicting the history of the area. Inside, they observed many things that commemorated union organizing, mine fires, oil drilling and more, including old mining tools and blueprints of plans to stop the mine fires.

The final stop of the tour was in Shawnee. 
There, the scholars had lunch at a multi-purpose building called Tecumseh Common and then heard an overview of Sunday Creek Associates from two of its founding associates, John Winnenberg and Sandy Landis.

The SCA acts primarily as a community organizer for the southeast Ohio region. One of its goals is to aid community development projects in the area, which is one of the poorest regions in Ohio. The tours of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds, organized by the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council, are one such project.

Winnenberg helped found the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council in the early 1990s with the goal of preserving local history and coal town structures. He, along with Rob Dishon, helped lead the scholars’ tour.

The scholars also had some free time to observe the Tecumseh Theater, the Hocking Valley Coal Miner statue and local shops.

The Tecumseh Theater, which is the tallest building in Perry County, was opened by a fraternal organization in 1907. Though it closed in the 1950s, there is currently a movement to renovate and reopen it.
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SUSI 2012: THE FIRST THREE DAYS

7/10/2012

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Ohio University President Roderick McDavis and his wife greet professor Guoping He, the SUSI scholar from China.
By Lindsay Boyle 

The 2012 SUSI scholars arrived safely in Athens, Ohio on July 5 and 6, and the program is now underway. 

The SUSI summer institute — in which scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to study journalism and media — is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs. 

Beginning on July 5 at noon until about 2 a.m. the following day, the scholars arrived at the Port Columbus International Airport, where SUSI program director Dr. Yusuf Kalyango and program assistant Sally Ann Cruikshank greeted them. 

“It was a very, very long flight, and with three transits I was so exhausted. The moment I arrived (at the Columbus airport) and I saw Dr. Yusuf and Sally Ann there, it was like their faces made a message like feeling home,” Pakistani scholar Aazadi Burfat said. She added that the warm welcome they gave was “so good to have, and so memorable, and I will keep it with myself for all of my life.” 
Transportation to Athens was provided by a rotation of program assistants Camilo Perez, Jim DeBrosse and Ashley Furrow. Five trips were made, typically with three to five scholars riding in each van. 

Once they arrived in Athens, the scholars were taken to University Courtyard, an apartment complex where they would reside throughout their time in Athens. 

At the complex, the scholars met a combination of program assistant Lindsay Boyle, and either academic director Mary Rogus or assistant academic director Aimee Edmondson.
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Scholars Dr. Alexsandr Kazakov and Dr. Suren Deheryan greet Dr. Yusuf Kalyango.
Those SUSI staff members provided brief apartment tours for each of the scholars and worked to answer any questions that arose. 

“When I arrived at Columbus, I was really happy to see Sally Ann waiting and waving my name. That made me feel at home,” Jordanian scholar Dr. Aysha Abughazzi said. “I was also happy to see that, although we arrived late, we had Lindsay waiting for us and showing us our apartments and rooms. It kind of made me feel relaxed.” 

Scholar Dr. Ibaa Awad, from Sudan, said that she also was, and continues to be happy with the SUSI staff. “The people are generous, so generous with us, and a number of people ask about how we’re doing in the apartments and they look after us,” she said.
Though most of the scholars had commutes that were 15 hours or longer, many of them also appeared relaxed and in good spirits upon their arrivals. 

Dr. Huei Lan Wang, a scholar from Taiwan, said that she was able to overcome the tiredness and maintain a good mood because of the reception from the SUSI staff members. “I think that even though the body’s tired, you could feel this real warmth from the SUSI program, and the people from the SUSI program,” she said. 

Scholar Hugo Zarate, representing The Bahamas, said that he felt safe when he arrived in Ohio, and continues to feel that way.
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Program assistant Lindsay Boyle gives the scholars a tour of their apartments.
“When you come to a place that you don’t know, sometimes you don’t know what to do, but I’ve had a good experience here in the apartments with my new colleagues and friends,” he said. 

This is Cameroon scholar Divine Bisong's first time visiting the United States for an academic program of SUSI’s nature, and he said that he has had a great experience thus far. “I think getting to Ohio, I discovered some kind of a legendary hospitality of the people right from the airport,” Bisong said. “All in all, the accommodation is pretty commendable. Up till now, I think I’m in the right place and I feel very grateful for that.” 

El Salvadoran scholar Silvia Callejas said that she also enjoys both the apartments and the members of the SUSI staff. “All of you have done a really good job to make us feel comfortable and we don’t miss our countries and even our homes,” she said. 
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The scholars enjoy a breakfast provided by the SUSI staff.
After the scholars had a chance to catch some sleep, they began July 6 with a breakfast provided by the SUSI staff that featured dishes cooked by both Rogus and Edmondson. 

The remainder of that day was spent on logistics such as signing leases and obtaining OU identification cards. In addition, the scholars were given a brief tour of the OU campus, and taken into town to go shopping. 

Saturday, July 7 brought about the scholars’ first academic session, as well as their first official orientation. It was led by both Kalyango and assistant administrative director Jean Marie Cackowski-Campbell. 
During the session, the scholars learned about the technology they would be using during the SUSI program, such as Blackboard, Twitter, and the Institute for International Journalism’s blog. The orientation covered things such as rules, regulations, logistics and what to do in case of an emergency. 

Scholar Alexandre Twizeyumukiza, from Rwanda, said that he liked the session and orientation. “I have so much appreciated how we’ve been oriented, how we’ve been received here at Ohio University. The people who have received us are very kind,” he said. “In short, when I am here, I feel as I’m home.” 

Scholar Karlyga Myssayeva, from Kazakhstan, found the orientation to be useful. “I would like to say thank you for the SUSI program, especially director Yusuf and all the staff, because this orientation week was very helpful for us, and I think it was necessary for us because we found all the answers for our questions,” she said. 
On Saturday night, a welcome dinner organized by SUSI staff members served as the official kick-off of the SUSI program. Several Scripps faculty members, as well as other special guests joined the SUSI scholars for the dinner. 

OU President Dr. Roderick McDavis provided what multiple SUSI staff members described as a thorough and heartfelt keynote speech, which covered the prominence of internationalism at OU and the importance of it worldwide.
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Scholars listen as Dr. Yusuf Kalyango leads an orientation session.
Throughout the night, those in attendance also heard from Kalyango, Rogus, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Director Dr. Bob Stewart, Scripps College of Communication Interim Dean Dr. Scott Titsworth, and adjunct professor Dr. Brook Beshah. 

“(The dinner) was even better than I expected because I enjoyed the communication, I enjoyed the meal, I enjoyed the atmosphere, I enjoyed the speeches,” said Dr. Alexsandr Kazakov, a scholar from Russia. “It was great.” 

At one point, Abughazzi addressed the attendees with a vote of thanks — a short speech that thanks individuals and often calls for the audience to thank them as well — to recognize those who made both the dinner and the SUSI program possible. 

Scholar Bogdana Nosova, from Ukraine, said that she enjoyed every minute of the welcome dinner. “It was an excellent possibility to meet so many colleagues at one time, in one place and to discuss with them,” she explained. “I sincerely appreciate and am grateful to all the people who made that perfect evening possible.” 
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    As an international media scholar, author, and professor of journalism, Yusuf Kalyango is always working on or affiliated with something new. On this page, you’ll find information about his latest research, projects, and personal endeavors.

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