Intro to Ayurveda: Self-Healing in the Time of Covid-19

Synopsis: Originating from the Indian subcontinent, Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of understanding how our bodies and minds interact with nature and society. In this talk, Jenny boils Ayurveda down to easy-to-digest essentials and shares simple techniques to remain balanced in times of stress and uncertainty, as well as build empathy for the way others respond. Attendees will walk away with at least one new quarantine cooking recipe and one activity to entertain members of your household ages 7 and up.

Speaker: Jenny Wagner, MA Social Anthropology, SOAS University of London. BA International Affairs, University of Colorado. Jenny has spent 750+ days in the field as a Dragons instructor in India, Senegal, Guinea, Myanmar, and Bolivia. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) and life coach with boundless enthusiasm for sharing the principles of Ayurveda.

Resume Building 101: Planning for Your Future Career

Synopsis: In times of stagnation it can feel productive, empowering, and uplifting to feel like we're working towards something. Whether you're thinking about college/university, grad school, jobs, internships, or fellowships, a strong resume and cover letter writing skills can help get you where you want to be. Ellery will walk you through the best practices to show that you're qualified, stand out, and translate nuanced experiences to paper.

Speaker: Ellery Rosin, B.S. Culture, Health, and the Environment; University of Michigan. Ellery Rosin currently holds the role of Dragons Staffing Director, in which she works to find and support the incredible instructors who make Dragons programs what they are. She is deeply committed to continually making field work more sustainable, equitable, and fulfilling for the remarkable individuals who make up the Dragons community. She has led and managed international experiential education and outdoor adventure programs in five countries and spent two years in Ethiopia as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Urbanization in China and the Biggest City You’ve Never Heard Of

Synopsis: Drawing on life experience and a passion for Chongqing’s local history and economic transformation, Jody will introduce students to this city of 12 million and discuss migration and urbanization in China today.

Speaker: B.A. East Asian Studies, Oberlin College

M.A. Anthropology (Ph.D. ABD), Stanford University

Jody joined Dragons in 2013, as China Program Director, and recently took on a new role as College Program Director. Jody’s perspective on the world, and start in educational travel, began in China, where he lived for a total of 11 years, working, studying, conducting interviews with people engaged in street work as a doctoral student in Anthropology, traveling, and forming many lifelong friendships. Jody worked in China as a teacher, a financial reporter, the host of the Chinese television program, Chongqing Today, a guide on the Yangtze River, a musician, an advertising designer, a writer and editor, and as Resident Director for China and Silk Road focused university programs based in Beijing and Xi’an, including the US Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship programs.

When he’s not wrapped up being the happy/exhausted parent of a young toddler, Jody enjoys songwriting, exploring almost anyplace on foot, making a mess with oil pastels, almost all kinds of music, cooking without recipes, managing his podcast addiction, and growing things.

Foreign Friends, Foreign Devils

Synopsis: What is it like to live in China long-term as a "foreigner"? How do Chinese ideas of nationality, ethnicity, and hospitality shape the ways that Chinese people interact with people from other places and think about other parts of the world? How is being a foreigner in China different from being a foreigner in the US? Drawing from personal experiences during 11 years of life in China and frequent travel to China since the mid-90s, Jody will share ideas and anecdotes and engage students in thinking about how being perceived as a foreigner can change and shape the way they might perceive themselves and others, in China and in the US.

Speaker: B.A. East Asian Studies, Oberlin College

M.A. Anthropology (Ph.D. ABD), Stanford University

Jody joined Dragons in 2013, as China Program Director, and recently took on a new role as College Program Director. Jody’s perspective on the world, and start in educational travel, began in China, where he lived for a total of 11 years, working, studying, conducting interviews with people engaged in street work as a doctoral student in Anthropology, traveling, and forming many lifelong friendships. Jody worked in China as a teacher, a financial reporter, the host of the Chinese television program, Chongqing Today, a guide on the Yangtze River, a musician, an advertising designer, a writer and editor, and as Resident Director for China and Silk Road focused university programs based in Beijing and Xi’an, including the US Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship programs.

When he’s not wrapped up being the happy/exhausted parent of a young toddler, Jody enjoys songwriting, exploring almost anyplace on foot, making a mess with oil pastels, almost all kinds of music, cooking without recipes, managing his podcast addiction, and growing things.

A Coup or Not a Coup? The Fall of Evo Morales and Political Transformation in Bolivia in times of Pandemic

Synopsis: The Plurinational State of Bolivia was already in crisis when the global pandemic took hold, after contested elections in October of 2019 incited national protests and the sudden ousting of longtime indigenous president and incumbent Evo Morales. A highly controversial debate about whether or not Morales was victim to a right-wing coup has been overshadowed by draconian quarantine measures and increasing restrictions on civil liberties being implemented by the interim government of Jeanine Añez, no friend to Bolivia's indigenous majority. As a new round of national elections in Bolivia continue to be delayed indefinitely in the face of the public health emergency, serious questions remain unanswered about Evo's hurried departure, what constitutes a coup d'etat, and the politics of pandemic under a de facto government in South America's diverse and often misunderstood Andean nation. This session will provide an outline and assessment of recent events in Bolivia from Julianne's personal experience living through the political crisis and pandemic.

Speaker: Julianne Chandler, M.A. Poverty and Development, The Institute of Development Studies. B.A. Anthropology and Latin American Studies, New York University. Julianne is the Latin America Program Director with Dragons and lives in Tiquipaya, Bolivia with her husband and two daughters.