By: Lauren Kane;
Mosaic International News Editor–
Media Credit: Katharine Hanavan, ’13.
On November 6th, the newly founded Global Studies department hosted its first social event for Global Studies majors in the ballroom of the Young Building’s Pell Center for International Relations. The title of the event was “Adventures in Another Land” and its focus was to offer insight into several study abroad programs.
The night started with introductions by Dr. Deborah Curtis and Katharine Rabbitt of the Office for International Programs. Over the course of an hour and fifteen minutes, four student speakers presented PowerPoints about their study abroad experiences.
The first speaker was Meghan Gallagher, a senior with a double major in math and education. Gallagher spent a semester abroad in Ghana, Africa.
“If you asked me what I’d be doing with my time here at Salve, I would not have said Africa.” said Gallagher.
Gallagher’s presentation discussed the culture shock of having to learn to bargain at a local market, and the experience of learning the music and dance of the Ghana culture. Gallagher was afforded the opportunity to teach a math class to local students, an experience which inspired Gallagher to consider teaching abroad as a career.
The next presenter was Grant Olsen, a senior International Studies major whose presentation focused on his semester in India. Olsen chose to go to India because of its reputation as an unconventional study abroad destination for college students. One of the major focus points of Olsen’s presentation was the volunteer work that he was able to do while in India. He worked with several organizations while abroad, including TOMS. TOMS is an organization popular in America. For every pair of TOMS brand shoes that they sell, they donate a pair of shoes to a child in need.
“It’s nice to see a business living up to its mission…(they) stand up to their word,” said Olsen about the TOMS mission statement.
Michael Stankus, a senior, studied for a year in Chile, and was able to stay with two different homestay families during the two semesters he was abroad.
“They were the best people I could imagine…within a week, I felt so at home!” said Stankus.
Stankus was also able to use his two-month break between the first and second semester to backpack to Macchu Picchu. He kept a blog documenting his travels, which can be found at anaqueoustransmission.wordpress.com.
The final speaker was Leeanne Soprano, a senior Spanish major, who went to Seville, Spain for her junior year. For Soprano, language immersion was essential to her time abroad.
“I learned that language is not just something you say, it’s a lifestyle.” said Soprano.
Soprano spoke about how she made Seville feel like home, and how her time abroad helped her become a world citizen.
The final order of business for the event was to announce the recipients of several study abroad scholarships, and Dr. Chad Raymond stood up to say some closing words. The Global Studies major is a re-definition of the International Studies (INS) major. Those students who already had declared as INS majors will remain in that department, but new students will enter as Global Studies majors. The Global Studies will replace the INS Department. The Global Studies Department now plans on running a social event such as “Adventures in Another Land” annually.
