Letter from the Director

The world is a bit crazy. The humans are having constant disagreements and arguments. There are so many different issues that are causing conflicts and debates these days.

It is happening in the U.S., in Europe, in Spain, everywhere! I am sure that you have some of these topics in mind right now. Problems, struggles, clashes, battles and conflicts…not to mention politics—or maybe yes. And with all of this going on, am I going to study abroad? Am I going to stay for months in a different continent, country, and culture? Will those people be different, strange, or weird? What will they think about me?

And what will I think about them? Do they know about the U.S. and our issues? And, by the way, what do I know about that country, those people, and their political, social, or economic issues?

The answer is yes, study abroad! You have to see and experience it with your own eyes and perspective.

Well, our viewpoint and the experience of thousands of FSU students is that knowing other cultures, other languages, and other types of people helps our brains and our reasoning to be ready to listen and understand other points of view. These experiences will make us see the “big picture” and put the problems and situations into perspective. We will be ready to compare and express opinions based on this variety of new inputs that we will have acquired in our way of thinking and viewing of the world.

And this issue of Nomadic Noles reflects this train of thought. We researched, studied, and experienced the U.S.’s, Europe’s and Spain’s political and social controversial issues. We traveled to places of great interest and that are causing big discord, we debated and dialogued, we heard the opinions of locals, American citizens, Europeans, and people from everywhere. And with all of those ideas, words, and comments, we created and forged our own opinions and explanations. We all “traveled” from the discomfort of the polemics and disputes, to the ease of forming opinions through the journeys, through the guided and taught activities, and during our visits to places of interest.

In the end, no one knows all the answers, and no one can tell you what to think. But we can all give opinions and listen to other voices. And with that, we are creating a common knowledge that sometimes may get close to common sense.

Ignacio Messana

FSU Valencia dean and director