Students learn benefits of global studies
Amanda Papke
Students brought their curiosity to the Bovee University Rotunda Tuesday night and went home with some answered questions about studying abroad.
More than two-dozen countries were represented at the annual Study Abroad Fair, hosted by the Office of International Education.
Comstock Park senior Emily Homrich and Bellmont senior Sarah Roberts gave accounts of their summer trips to the United Kingdom, where they studied at the University of Cambridge.
They said they enjoyed their time spent at Cambridge so much that they continued traveling for two weeks after the program had ended.
“We went to Ireland, Scotland and Paris for a couple days,” Roberts said. “There are trains connecting every major city, so it’s so easy to get around.”
Homrich said she enjoyed going on weekend excursions to places like the Globe Theatre in London and William Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-Upon-Avon.
“Because I was a student there and not just a tourist, I was able to truly experience the people and culture, making it a brilliant trip,” Homrich said.
Homrich took part in the Shakespeare program at Cambridge, while Roberts was in the science program.
“There’s so much history from both a science and a Shakespeare perspective,” Roberts said. “The U.S. just doesn’t have the history that England does.”
She said she was joined by 63 students from 21 different countries in the science program.
“For once in my life I felt outnumbered as an American,” Roberts said.
Grand Rapids sophomore Matt Helak came to the fair to look into an education abroad.
“I want to go to Australia — go snorkeling, see the coral reef, explore, have fun and get away from USA,” he said.
Teacher education Assistant Professor Abalo Adewui represented four student teaching abroad programs at the fair — Ghana, Australia, England and the Dominican Republic.
“I want to let students see there are many possibilities in the education department in teaching,” he said. “We had two before and now there are four.”
Allegan senior Andy Kent said he spent two months this summer in Mexico at Tec de Monterrey, where he was immersed in a completely new culture.
He said he enjoyed being a member of the track team there and making weekend trips to a number of cities.
“Usually every Friday we visited a different city,” he said.
Battle Creek senior Gayla Liles also studied and stayed with a host family in Mexico for a summer.
“There is so much culture and so many traditions,” she said. “They’re really all about family. It’s a different way of life.”
Clarkston junior Ryan Wheaton said he studied at the University of Quebec in Canada and lived with a host family.
“I suggest staying with a host family,” he said. “Living with a host family, we were really forced to speak French and they’d help us with homework, too.”
Wheaton said knowledge of the French language is not needed to go because basic courses are offered.
“By the end of the first week, I could think and speak in French, and that was really exciting to me,” he said.
St. Johns senior Amber Schneider said she has studied abroad in Germany twice in her time at CMU, most recently as part of the German Federation program. Students also can go on the Bielefeld tandem program, she said.
“It’s a great opportunity to improve your German skills while traveling to several German cities and experience the German way of life,” she said.
Fenton senior Erica Peterson said she studied abroad in Italy last spring and played soccer.
“It was absolutely amazing,” she said. “The program was in a small community so store owners know you by name.”
Peterson said she didn’t speak Italian when she went, but can now carry on a conversation.
Study Abroad Adviser Meredith Gall said the fair was successful.
“I’m very pleased with the turnout,” she said. “There are some very interested students with lots of questions.”
The Office of International Education offers programs in more than 30 countries at more than 100 sites. Applications for students who wish to study abroad in spring 2004 are due Sept. 30.
