Below is a transcript of our conversation with CMU senior Calvin Older
David Nicholas:
I'm David Nicholas and this is Central Focus, a weekly look at research activity and innovative work from Central Michigan University students and faculty. This time, more from my conversation with Calvin Older and International Relations major from CMU, spending his second summer in Tbilisi, Georgia, capturing stories of people who have fled from fighting in their country and others from Ukraine and Russia. His efforts have been recognized with the 2025 Presidents Award for Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement. As we pick up the conversation, he told me about the changing perception toward the refugees. They have not always been warmly welcomed into Georgia, but Calvin says he sees a slow shift toward acceptance as those uprooted people try to find a new home…
Calvin Older:
When I first made this podcast, it was a much more fresh issue where it seemed like these countries, these post-Soviet countries, were still reacting to this influx of people coming in. So, the (the) rage, the emotions were much higher than as people were figuring out. How are we going to react? How are we going to treat these people? What are we going to think of these people? And I remember last year it was still relatively fresh and walking through the capital of Tbilisi, I saw a bunch of graffiti of saying like Russians not welcome. Russians go home. And now it's coming back this year. I mean, the graffiti and release is almost like a live chat of some sorts in in the city. And I've seen those same pieces kind of crossed out, sprayed over. And I mean, I don't know if that's locals or if those are Russian relocates doing this, but I I'd like to think it is locals more kind of changing their mind and accepting that these people are becoming locals themselves. I mean, it's been three years and one of the questions that doctor at your car you had seen me has been asking is when does a refugee? Not become a refugee anymore. When are they just someone living in that country, and I think we're kind of slowly seeing to see kind of change their look of whether these relocates are occupiers, immigrants or refugees or whatever they are. They simply live here now and we're seeing this country, the city accept that.
DN:
What then is next? You are there for the remainder of the summer. Is there a future visit that is planned or would that come about if you were to go on for graduate studies, what's in the immediate future for you?
CO:
Of course, I would love to come back. I've been looking at options. I don't feel like my time here is end every time I learn more about this country, I feel like there's just more for me to learn so much that I don't know about this.
I'd love to come back. I mean, as far as right now, I'm working with Dr. Adhikari. I'm filling out a Fulbright application. I'd love to do a Fulbright ETA here. I'm an English teaching assistant and that would be for another nine months, which would be another great experience. Another way to immerse myself in this country.
Yeah. I've been volunteering at a place called Edu Hub. Which is just helping teach not Russians and Georgians and some Russians English to get more experience and also staying connected to this country. But in short, once I get back, I've been applying for fall internships in the D.C. area to fill out my gap year and then take the ETA for another year and then return to pursue my masters in D.C. But that's the overall four-year plan. Obviously right now it's a little bit difficult to make long term plans looking at the job prospects of international relations and diplomacy, especially in the D.C. area. But we're kind of taking in the strides taking as they come.
DN:
We certainly wish you the best of luck. Congratulations on what you have accomplished so far and all safety to the time the travels and so forth as you navigate between Tbilisi, Georgia, Washington D.C., Mt Pleasant, MI and (and) all the travels in between. Calvin Elder, thank you so much for taking the time with us and we wish you all the best.
CO:
Thank you so much. And I'd also just like to thank Dr. Adhikari, Dr. Brookes, Dr. Jesuit and Dr. Adhikari because without their support and CMU’s support, none of this would have been possible.
