Terra Nostra 2013-2014

Terra Nostra* 2013-2014

*Latin for “Our World”

Published each semester by the International Education Center of Georgia College. Available online at gcsu.edu/international

Georgia College Designated as a

“Top Producing” Fulbright Institution for the 2013-14 Year Georgia College was designated as one of this year's Fulbright Program's "Top Producing" institutions, as highlighted by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The "Top Producing" schools are those institutions in each Carnegie Classification that had the highest number of students and scholars who received Fulbright grants during the academic year.

For the 2013-14 year Dr. Joe Mocnik, director of the Russell Library, and Dr. Carol Christy, pro-

fessor of education, were selected as Fulbright scholars to teach and do research abroad. Mocnik spent fall semester at the University of Rijeka in Croatia, and Christy spent the spring semester at the University of Alberta in Canada. More than 10 faculty members have been named Fulbright Scholars in the last several years serving many places including Germany, India, Cyprus and China.

The Fulbright Program was established in 1956 under legislation introduced by the Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State sponsors the Fulbright Program, which awards approximately 8,000 grants annually. The Fulbright Program aims at increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

Dr. Mocknik shares reflections on his Fulbright experience: “To serve as a Fulbright Scholar in Croatia during the fall semester 2013 has been a terrific professional opportunity. I taught Joe Mocnik showcas- a graduate history course at the University es Georgia College’s of Rijeka, conducted interdisciplinary “green towel” while research at local and regional archives, at the University of and built networks for future collaboration Rijeka in Croatia. and potential student and faculty exchanges with Georgia College. It was a privilege to organize a panel and videoconference on Nov. 22, 2013, called “The Kennedy Legacy: Fifty Years After”, which discussed the legacy of John F. Kennedy in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his assassination. A memorable cultural experience was when on the Thanksgiving Day my two teenage sons, Noel and Ben, had been invited to share the story of this important American holiday with two middle-school classes (7th and 8th grades). The experience has been enriching as it provided a first-hand experience for the entire family to serve as ambassadors of American culture. We’ll miss the flavors of Croatia and amazing hospitality at the University of Rijeka. Please let me know how I can help you, if you plan to apply for a Fulbright grant.”

Joe Mocnik’s students whom he taught while at the University of Rijeka.

INDEX

International Education Welcomes Jarris Lanham

1...................................Fulbright 1 ...........................Jarris Lanham 2......................Susanne Ramage 2 ......................Muslim Journeys 4 ......GC’s First Medical Mission 5 ................................GILC 2014 6...............From Pilsner to Havel 7....From One South to Another 7 ....U.S. Government Shutdown 8 ...........Service Learning in Italy 9........International Connections 10 .....................Around Campus

Jarris Lanham (right) with Modern Foreign Languages colleagues Larbi Oukada (top left), Aurora Castillo-Scott (bottom left) and Marlene McMichael (bottom right) at the ACTFL conference.

The International Education Center welcomes Jarris Lanham as part of the Study Abroad advising team. Although new to study abroad, Jarris is not new to Georgia College; she started at Georgia College in 2007 as the scholarship coordinator in the Office of Financial Aid and was in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures from the fall of 2011 until October of 2013. Since coming to GC in 2007, Jarris has been involved with international education and events on campus, assisted with several international conferences, and joined community activities with an international focus, such as the Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys series also featured in this issue of Terra Nostra.

Georgia College sends hundreds of students abroad each year. Together with GC Study Abroad veteran Liz Havey, Jarris advises GC students on the many study abroad options available. On her first day as a study abroad advisor, Jarris said, “I had no idea that Georgia College

students can choose from over 75 countries and every continent except Antarctica! Study Abroad options have really expanded since I studied in Germany as an undergraduate student.”

Jarris holds a B.A. in English and an M.S. in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language. In addition to her summer study abroad experience in Germany, Jarris spent almost every summer and spring break as an undergraduate student participating in volunteer service abroad with student groups and faith-based organizations. “The most life-changing short-term program was a spring break in Jamaica. We went there to assist with hurricane relief efforts, and our team was assigned to work with children and teenagers. Talk about an alternative spring break! I was shocked at what few material possessions they had, even before the hurricane ravaged their villages; but I was more astonished by their tenacity, courage, optimism, and faith in the midst of so much loss.

See LANHAM, p. 3

gcsu.edu/international

GEORGIA COLLEGE Steve Dorman President

International Education Welcomes Susie Ramage

Liz Havey Senior Study Abroad Adviser Jarris Lanham Study Abroad Adviser

Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys

Jason Wynn International Admissions Counselor

An Introduction to the Series

Susie Ramage Administrative Assistant

Last spring, the Ina Dillard Russell Library was selected to participate in a five-part scholar-led reading and discussion program, focused on exposing public audiences to the people, places, history, faith and cultures in the U.S. and around the world. This program, Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys (LTAI), was made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA), and the Russell Library was one of only 125 libraries and state humanities councils across the country selected to participate in the project.

The discussion series began in the fall with an introductory kick-off event to draw interest from the campus and local community. A dedicated group of participants attended five lectures and book discussions throughout this academic year focused on the Points of View theme, created by National Public Radio’s awardwinning Deborah Amos. These books – comprised of

Kelli Brown Provost Tom Ormond Associate Provost

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CENTER STAFF: Libby Davis Interim Director and International Student Adviser

Kelly Van Roy Intern Alissa Marchat and Addie Ponder Student Workers

Location: The Bone House Phone: 478-445-4789 Fax: 478-445-2623 Campus Box 49

JENNY HARRIS, User Engagement Librarian/Assessment Coordinator, Ina Dillard Russell Library

Georgia College, Georgia's designated Public Liberal Arts University, combines the educational experience expected at esteemed private liberal arts colleges with the affordability of public higher education.

Its four colleges - arts and sciences, business, education and health sciences provide 6,600 undergraduate and graduate students with an exceptional learning environment that extends beyond the classroom, with hands-on involvement in faculty research, community service, residential learning communities, study abroad and myriad internships.

Participants discuss the first book, In the Country of Men.

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From her high school which enjoyed a flourishing exchange program to her time spent with international doctors at Oconee Regional, she has worked with and befriended people from all different cultures and backgrounds. Susie is thrilled to be working as a part of the International Center because, as she says, “I’ve always enjoyed learning about different cultures.”

Though Susie hasn’t been with the International Center long, she has already had time to be impressed by all the bright international students she has met. She is astounded by their language skills and their independence while living in a new country and culture, and she can’t wait to meet the rest of GC’s international students. She is also eager to learn about all of the destinations where GC students study abroad and looks forward to assisting students as they visit the International Center.

At the end of March the International Education Center said a fond farewell to administrative assistant Mary Anderson, as she retired from Georgia College after 10 years of service. The International Center then welcomed Susanne Ramage to the team as our new administrative assistant. Susie, as she likes to be called, graduated from Georgia College with her degree in community health in 1995 and has been working in administration at Oconee Regional Medical Center since 1994.

She is a mother of two children, both grown and married.

Susie grew up in Warner Robins, near an air force base, which she describes as a very open, diverse town.

novels and memoirs - included In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi, House of Stone by Anthony Shadid, Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie, and Dreams of Trespass by Fatima Mernissi. This collection offered a diverse sampling of Islamic culture and provided a multi-dimensional view of life in countries such as Libya, Pakistan, and Morocco during times of conflict and confusion.

Dr. Mary Magoulick, Dr. Claudia Yaghoobi (both English faculty) and Dr. Sunita Manian (Interdisciplinary Studies faculty) served as the local scholars for the program and provided supplemental material for each reading to expand the audience’s understanding of Muslim communities.

Georgia College, Georgia Military College, the Rotary Club of Milledgeville and the Mary Vinson Memorial Library provided local support for the grant.

Muslim Journeys Invites the Local Community to Read the World DR. MARY MAGOULICK, Professor of English

Dr. Mary Magoulick and Dr. Claudia Yaghoobi pose at the introductory event.

During the academic year 2013-14, Russell Library launched the Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys program. This Bridging Cultures reading/discussion initiative encouraged local residents to examine their opinions and broaden their worldviews concerning Muslim cultures by reading works of literature by writers from various parts of the Islamic world. We met eight times throughout the year to discuss five books from the Points of View series (chosen by national scholar Deborah Amos) and to hear related lectures from program scholars. About 40 participants read and reflected anew upon our global interconnections as humans.

Along with myself, Claudia Yaghoobi (professor of English at GC) and Sunita Manian (professor of interdisciplinary studies at GC) led discussions on Monday evenings at both the Mary Vinson Public Library and the Georgia College library. Our discussions of the literature revolved around cross-cultural understanding on multiple levels, examining characters, their cultures, as well as our own assumptions and reflections as readers (and thus our culture). Most people in our society have scant means of experiencing or reflecting deeply on foreign cultures. But literature can bring other worlds to life uniquely, opening ways for us to connect to characters, feel

their conditions, concerns, sorrows, and joys, and thereby potentially to realize the universality of the human condition (as well as the particular experience of living in a predominantly Muslim culture).

During our meetings, we local program scholars tried to offer brief overviews of particular cultural contexts for each reading. We also had a couple of longer, additional meetings for extra lectures. For instance, I gave a lecture about the history of Islam and a later one on Islamic Art, Yaghoobi gave a lecture on Iranian women and the history of the veil in the Muslim world, and Manian gave introductions on Pakistani and Libyan politics and history.

Library Director Joe Mocnik initiated the whole series by applying for the grant and our library coordinators Jenny Harris and Lindsey Jones (with support from Logan Herren) organized the logistics of each session and made sure we had delicious food to fuel our evening discussions (including some Middle Eastern specialties).

We are thinking of continuing with another book discussion group next academic year (2014-15), so if you are interested, please contact Magoulick or Yaghoobi or the Russell Library for more info.

LANHAM, from p.1 Coming from my very comfy life in the United States, it was a humbling and moving experience. It completely transformed the way I see people. People matter most - not things, ideologies, politics, nationality or our other differences.”

While pursuing her masters, she taught English as a Second Language for a semester in Belarus. After graduate school, she lived in Japan for four years; she spent three years with the well-known JET Program and an additional year as a private language instructor. “While living and teaching in Japan, I took every opportunity to travel. It was my time to explore and enjoy the world! I spent a summer in India, another summer in Norway, England, Scotland, and Whales, and another summer traveling by train from Beijing to St. Petersburg via Mongolia, Irkutsk and Moscow. Every day was an opportunity to be challenged and changed.”

Jarris has also spent time in other countries in Europe and Asia. When asked where she would like to go next, she answered, “Wherever Life

takes me! But, if I must choose one place, I would really like to visit Spain, Brazil, or Morocco because I have enjoyed learning about these cultures from friends who work here at Georgia College.”

Jarris would like to encourage students to do whatever it takes to participate in a study abroad program. “We can find a program for most any student, regardless of major, personal preferences, or professional goals. Liz Havey and I will assist students from start to finish from dreaming about a destination, to program and course selection, to travel preparation, to departure, to return. We can help students find scholarships and other means of financial support. We work on the nitty-gritty logistics so students can enjoy the journey! Many students have heard the famous quote, ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ We help students take the first step so they can discover a little piece of this great, big, beautiful world and be transformed, and if not transformed, at least enchanted!”

Persian treats at one of the meetings.

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GC’s First Medical Mission: Honduras DR. SALLIE COKE, Assistant Professor, MSN/FNP Coordinator fter a year of planning and raising nearly $5000 dollars for scholarships and medical supplies, in November of 2013 ten Registered Nurses who are graduate students in the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Program had the unique opportunity to spend two weeks providing care for the people of the Agalta Valley in Olancho Honduras. Drs. Sallie Coke and Debby MacMillan from the School of Nursing combined forces with Honduras Outreach Inc. to provide this opportunity for the students.

The Middle Georgia area really embraced the mission. The team received donations from physicians, local pharmacies, churches, and the local chapter of the Georgia Nurses Association (Old Capital Chapter). The largest single donation came from the Theta Tau Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International. The chapter sponsored two students and donated money for pharmaceutical supplies.

After landing in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, it took the team over six hours to drive to San Esteban and Rancho El Paraiso, which is northeast of the capital in the Providence of Olancho.

The team visited seven remote clinics and villages while in the Agalta Valley. The hardest to reach clinic was in the village of El Pedrero which could only be accessed by 4-wheel drive vehicles. Since the team brought all of its own supplies, they were able to set up portable clinics in the outlining areas often in neighborhood schools (one room classroom) or covered sheds. The people of the different villages walked or came on horseback to where the clinics were located and were eager to see the healthcare team.

According to FNP student Taylor Abernathy, RN, “The fact is that we were just as foreign to them as they were to us. Yet, they welcomed us with complete trust in their hearts. If you spoke no Spanish at all, you could still see the joy and gratefulness in their demeanor.”

The graduate students were worried, when they first arrived, that they would not

A

Taylor Abernathy, RN with a young child with Down syndrome in the village of Pacura, Honduras.

FNP students in a covered shed that was used as a clinic area in the village of El Coronado which was about one hour from the ranch.

Kristin Corbin with a patient “Saca la lengua” (stick out your tongue).

be able to handle some of the illnesses and problems they were going to be facing. By the end of the trip, most were speaking medical Spanish without difficulty and treating illnesses like dengue fever, malaria, and leishmaniasis with ease. According to FNP student Kristin Corbin, “All of the villagers were appreciative of the big and the small things we could do for them. Many of them were happy just to get Tylenol and multivitamins.”

Nurse practitioner student Melissa Myers found that the mission “challenged her as a provider” and forced her to “trust my own skills, clinical judgment, and knowledge to provide care in unknown settings and in less than ideal situations.”

“Stark living conditions and lack of access to health care and medications” for student Sharon McClung, RN, “was a cultural awakening” for her as she came “face to face with real people living in circumstances we can only imagine.” While she had read about the poverty of Honduras, “this put faces and a story to the reality of life there.”

One of the most poignant moments for student Dana Moore was at the last clinic the team set up in the village of Las Manzanas, “there was a small child that had a dead beetle in his ear that had been there for a year. It took a couple of hours irrigating the ear and coaxing the child to cooperate, but, in the end the beetle was removed. I asked the young child if we could still be friends. He said ‘yes’ and laid his head on my shoulder and hugged me. He said he could now hear.”

By the end of the medical mission trip, the team was able to help nearly a thousand patients in the Agalta Valley. Reflecting back on the experience, Sandy Haupt, RN, stated that for her “this trip exceeded expectations on all levels” that it was “also great to get to know my classmates and instructors on a deeper level… and allowed me to experience health care in such a unique way.”

The School of Nursing plans to continue this experience for its graduate students and has already started plans for fall 2014.

Stark living conditions and lack of access to health care and medications was a cultural awakening Dana Moore with young child.

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Conference participants helping with the service project at the Worley Center.

Georgia International Leadership Conference 2014 KELSEY GLASS, mass communication major who studied abroad in Spain With so many international students around the state of Georgia, what better way to connect than through the annual Georgia International Leadership Conference? GILC 2014 took place at Rock Eagle Center between Feb. 28 and March 2.

GILC is a weekend-long conference where both international and study abroad students from colleges around Georgia have the perfect opportunity to share their stories and ideas, create a networking system and develop leadership skills. GILC is suited for those who have an expressed interest in learning about different cultures. This year, over 200 students from 25 Georgia universities and colleges came together and shared an amazing bonding experience.

The weekend began with a service project Friday afternoon at the Worley Center, an outdoor educational nonprofit facility in Eatonton, Ga. affiliated with Lockerly Arboretum. Everyone was split into groups to clean up different parts of the trails. Activities included cutting branches, moving sand and clearing the way of the trails so they were more accessible.

After the service project, the group headed to Rock Eagle Center, where dinner was served

and students headed to hear the keynote speaker, Tony Barajas Aguilar. A Georgia College alumnus, Tony had attended the GILC conference in previous years. He is now an intern at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Ga., and he had a lot to share about being a leader while a student and later on in whatever career we may find ourselves in after graduation. We were challenged to make a difference wherever we are. After social activities and ice breakers, students were provided a dance party, smores and games before the sessions that would follow the next day.

On Saturday, leadership sessions took place on various topics. Students had many options to choose from. Sessions included topics such as human trafficking, miscommunication across cultures, women leadership is Uzbekistan, public health in Africa, global leadership, and many more. Sessions were facilitated by students from various schools who proposed ideas before the conference. Several GC students prepared presentations as well.

With an hour of free time before dinner, students participated in activities of their choice.

Some walked to the lake, visited the Rock Eagle

monument, or talked with new friends; there was even a soccer game that took place on the center’s main lawn!

That night, students participated and/or attended an international fashion and talent show, where they showcased clothing and talents that represented their culture. Talents included a step dance routine, vocal performances, and traditional cultural dances.

Before leaving on Sunday, students were gathered to participate in an “Inspiration to Action” session, where they discussed how this conference would make a difference and change their lives forever. The students were split up into groups, where they drew out what they learned from the experience on large sheets of paper. After many pictures, hugs and exchanges of numbers, students headed back home with their advisors.

GILC was a valuable experience for the students, as it allowed an opportunity to gain perspective and a chance to learn from others. GILC will take place again in 2015, where returning students and new students will be selected to participate in this amazing conference.

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from

Pilsner to Havel

JASON WYNN, International Admissions Counselor

alk into any restaurant or bar in Milledgeville and you’re sure to find an ice-cold Pilsner to accompany your dinner. Step into any university library in Georgia and you’re sure to see works by Havel, a well-known essayist, poet, and playwright. But what do a beer and a writer have in common? They both come from the Czech Republic, just as did five talented student musicians who arrived at Georgia College this fall semester.

Pavla Rathernova, Iva Podoláková, Adela Sarmanova, Tereza Sedlackova, and Lucie Cerna showcased Czech Culture Night in Georgia College’s Black Box Theater in October. This event was co-sponsored with the Department of Theatre in conjunction with The Mutual Inspirations Festival, an annual initiative spearheaded by the Embassy of the Czech Republic to explore the culture and individuals who have inspired both Czech and American cultures. Dr. Stanislav Bohadlo, the students’ music adviser at the University of Hradec Králové, flew into Atlanta, where he met up with his daughter, Dr. Kate ina Bohadlová, to speak about Czech Culture and to introduce some astounding talent. Of course, few cultural events are complete without food highlighting the culture, so attendees were treated to mini-schnitzel with pan gravy, cabbage patties, and radish cheese spread on dark rye crostini—common Czech delicacies.

Only item missing from the tables of hors d'oeuvres was the Czech Pilsner.

The five young musicians put on a stunning show of vocal and percussion abilities rarely seen in middle Georgia. Pavla played Smetana on piano; Tereza sang soprano versions of Novák and Dvo ák; Lucie performed Saidlová and Schneeweis and Dvo ák in the same vocal range; and Iva and Adela swept the piano with stunning works by all of the composers mentioned. These musically passionate young students received a standing ovation for their work, and surprised onlookers, some of whom had only interacted with them briefly beforehand, because they were so professionally trained and poised. Such a performance by young students made a handful of non-musicians in the audience reexamine their own talents.

There wasn’t an immediate rush to find a Pilsner after the performance.

Instead, after the music stopped, the musicians’ adviser from the University of Hradec Králové spoke about the students and about his university’s relationship with Georgia College, which began in 2000 when Dr. Dwight Call, former assistant vice president for international education, led a University System of Georgia faculty development seminar to the Czech Republic that focused on Music, the Arts and Physical Education, and later worked with Dr. Bohadlo in bringing to Georgia the Roma music group ilágos. There have been various exchanges in both directions for the past dozen years.

The exchange students from the Czech Republic then introduced a new film that was being showcased around the world—Citizen Vaclav Havel Goes on Vacation—which highlights the life of the Czech playwright, essayist, poet and politician, who for years dissented against Czechoslovakia’s communist regime, was in prison many times for his dissent, had constant government surveillance and questioning by the secret police, and eventually became Czechoslovakia’s ninth president, and later president of the democratic Czech Republic.

The evening fully highlighted the cross-section between the arts, culture and politics, and it gave community members the opportunity to see how Georgia College’s connections around the world can work to encourage cross-cultural understanding and appreciation both at Georgia College and abroad. Georgia College students are encouraged to study at the University of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic, and Hradec Králové’s students are welcome to study here— through exchange—but the Pilsner will have to wait until they’re 21 (at least in the U.S.).

W Drs. Katerina Bahadlova, Karen Burman (Chair, Theatre) and Stanislav Bohadlo at the Czech Culture Night in GC’s Black Box Theatre.

Lucie Cerna and Tereza Sedlackova perform at Czech Culture Night.

Tereza Sedlackova, Jason Wynn and Adela Sarmanova at the reception at the Czech Culture Night.

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Perception of the U.S. Government Shutdown ANAMIKA BHASKER, exchange student from Sodertorns University in Sweden studying mass communication. Anamika wrote this article for her ESLG 1001 Introduction to American Language and Culture class. Anamika will be pursuing the Georgia College in Washington internship in fall 2014 and have the opportunity to observe the interworking of Capitol Hill firsthand.

Moving from Sweden to America with the purpose of studying has been a big challenge for me. With so many political issues happening in the U.S, my stay so far has been an interesting learning experience. These issues include, but are not limited to, the War in Syria, the Snowden documents and the government shutdown, which happened for the first time in 17 years. It totally blew my mind that a super power like the United States has a government shutdown due to a law called the Affordable Care Act that has been passed through the Congress and Senate, and upheld by the Supreme Court. We have never seen anything like this in Sweden.

From One South to Another ANNA LOPEZ RATOUIS, senior mass communication major from France who spent fall semester 2013 at GC’s partner Kansai Gaidai University in Japan “Speech is silver, silence is golden.” I understood the dimension of this saying when I lived in Japan; however, I will have to use words for purpose of this article to describe my amazing study abroad in Japan.

Moving to America was already a challenge, but I think I was looking for a bigger challenge when I decided to study abroad in Japan. I love my home country, France, and my birth place, Spain, but I always dreamed of going to Japan; after spending three years at Georgia College as an international student majoring in mass communication I decided to go on an adventure. I enrolled in the exchange program at Kansai Gaidai University for a semester abroad.

Japan was everything I expected and more, but the culture shock hit me hard on my first few days in Hirakata, a small town in between Osaka and Kyoto in the South of Japan. I knew zero Japanese and a lot of the Japanese people I interacted with, outside of the school, spoke zero English. Japanese culture grew on me and sooner than I thought, I completely fell in love with Japan and the Japanese people.

I had already been an international student before but I had no idea how this semester would change me and my outlook

on life. I learned to adapt to a new culture far from the ones I knew. I strived to learn the language, fit in and become friends with the Japanese students. My teacher taught us this Japanese proverb: “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down” and he would always compare it to the American idiom “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”.

In Japan the common good of the group is more important than the individual. This experience taught me so much, and while America taught me to be unique and noticeable, Japanese culture taught me to humble and quiet.

Japan is not only beautiful because of the magnificent temples and its rich history, but it’s also beautiful because the people preserve their heritage and local customs; they cherish their way of life and are so happy to share it with others.

My best advice for integration not only in Japan but in every country you will go is to, SMILE. Smiling is international. I found that people are way more receptive when you smile and often they will smile back and even start a conversation like the Japanese senior citizens who loved interacting with us foreigners.

16 days of government shutdown The whole world watched when the super power, the U.S., froze their assets and shut down the government for 16 days. As a result, the world was stunned and the U.S. lost credibility in the international community. One of Sweden’s biggest newspapers, Dagens Nyheter, concluded that the U.S. lost a lot of money and reliability around the world for nothing. Arguably, these 16 days damaged the U.S. economy beyond repair.

According to the financial rating company Standard & Poor s, the government shutdown has taken at least 24 billion dollars out of the economy.

One example of the daily tragedies that this act triggered are the American soldiers who died in Afghanistan and whose families did not receive money to pay for the funeral due to the unavailability of government funds.

Not surprisingly, the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that 78 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the way the federal government works. Americans disapprove of Congress as an institution far more than they disapprove of their own representatives.

U.S. versus Sweden The political system in Sweden is very different from the US. Sweden has a parliamentary system whereas the US has a presidential system. Therefore, it is in fact difficult to compare, but a crisis like the deadlock over a law can happen virtually anywhere.

So, the question arises: How should a government cope with it?

Technically, Sweden could never have a government shutdown for the same reasons the Unites States had to endure it. One of the explanations is because of the different functions of the speaker. In Sweden, even though the speaker is from the majority party, in his role as the speaker of the chamber, he is expected to be impartial in relation to the political business in the chamber.

The speaker does not take part in the work of the committees neither does he participate in the debates or votes in the chamber.

He has a substitute for that. Therefore, he is less likely to be biased or influenced. This is a big contrast compared to how the speaker John Boehner and the majority leader in the senate, Harry Reid, work in the United States. The U.S. speaker of the house, John Boehner, wouldn’t let a vote come to the floor that would have prevented a government shutdown. Therefore, the different role of speaker in the Swedish parliament would have prevented the shutdown.

The question I ask is, could the U.S. government shutdown have been avoided if the speaker and majority leader were impartial leaders?

Service Learning on Study Abroad in Florence DR. CRAIG PASCOE, Professor of History, who leads a study abroad program to Florence, Italy In the summer of 2012 I led my first summer abroad program to Florence, Italy and the Tuscan countryside. The purpose of my program was to learn about the history and culture of Italy through a unique lens---food.

As much as any cultural expression, food conveys diversity, ethnicity, and national and regional identity. Worldwide, people tend to associate themselves with where they are from—their birth place, where they grew up, or, if they lived numerous places, the good or bad memories of that experience.

Being raised in a ‘place’—within a social and cultural environment—provides an individual with certain preferences, like food, that they carry with them wherever they go. How a community cooks, what they eat, and how it is distributed, is a tool to understand their social interactions. Even if people are not aware of it, food carries the history and memory of their experiences into future generations. Over the past two years my program has been comprised of field trips and hands-on experience. We visited restaurants, markets, agritourismos, farms, cooking schools, specialty food shops, factories and companies involved in food production, and other food-related sites. It was a wonderful way to expose students to the food traditions of a people--eating, learning how things were made and why they used particular ingredients, and even having them prepare full course Italian meals from scratch with the guidance of an Italian chef.

After the first year I realized that an important part of Italian history— its food history—was the poverty and I wanted to make sure that students understood that aspect of the history and culture of Italy. Over the past centuries many Italians struggled to feed their families and still do today. It was this aspect of history—of people dealing with the lack of food—that has contributed to the cuisine of Italy. People learned to adapt and to utilize everything possible. As a way to have my students understand that everyone in Italy is not fortunate to have access to the bounty of the nation’s farms and grocery shelves I developed a service learning component that brings students face-to-face with the reality of poverty in Italy. The Florence University of the Arts (FUA), who my program is associated with, has helped me identify specific service learning projects. Students have worked in an Italian “soup kitchen” sponsored and managed by Caritas, the Catholic charities in Italy, prepping for the meal and feeding as many as 500 people for one meal.

Another project involved serving people at a smaller “soup kitchen” in the heart of Florence just steps away from the tourist sites and numerous restaurants surrounding them. Students also worked with the American Church in Florence handing out food supplies and clothing to the poor. We are in the process of increasing the service learning component for the program to include other projects like neighborhood revitalization and helping with environmental projects like beautification projects.

My Experience with Service Learning in Italy KELSEA LUCE, education student who participated in GC’s faculty-led program to Florence, Italy During my time studying abroad on Dr. Craig Pascoe’s Civilization in the Making: Understanding Italian Culture through its Food program in Florence, I did more than just learn about Italy’s culture through food. Through service learning experiences, I learned that even abroad people still need help and no matter the language barrier people are always so appreciative.

While on the program, we had the opportunity to volunteer at a local soup kitchen. This service learning experience tied in with the study abroad program, studying of Italian history and culture through food, and also gave the group and myself a chance to immerse ourselves into the culture, rather than being a typical tourist. This was our chance to not only see what types of charity are necessary in other parts of the world, but to see the similarities of our two different cultures. In America we have soup kitchens and other charities like the one in Italy. People volunteer to help and regardless of the difference of language the gratitude for both countries is the same.

My group helped to serve people a full course meal. This meal consisted of heavy foods like rice, bread, pasta, etc. The people who were there receiving the food were so thankful and would find ways to thank us, whether it be through a hug or even a happy “grazie!” This experience made me think about how incredibly lucky I am to have what I have, and at the time feel so excited to be helping others who did not have the same opportunities that I have had.

Service learning is so important to take part in when studying abroad, as it will take you from being a studying tourist to being immersed in a culture you would not have seen otherwise. Through service learning you not only see the people who are from the culture, but you also see that help is needed in all parts of the world, no matter how masked poverty can seem.

Andrea Byrnes, Lea Dickinson and Mackenzie Morgan at the main Caristas facility.

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Anamika Bhasker (middle) with her Connections partners, Dick and Arlene Mueller at a Connections picnic.

Connections partners Peter Zechner (left) from Austria and Craig Callender (right), assistant professor of English, at the Connections Program’s Bowling Night.

Making International Connections KELLY VAN ROY, International Education Center intern Next to the three R’s of Reason, Respect and Responsibility, Georgia College promotes diversity, a trait best exemplified with the dozens of international students it houses every semester. These students’ stay range from a single semester to all four years of their bachelor’s degree. With homes as far away as Spain, Nigeria, and Japan, the International Education Center has developed many support systems to welcome them to the American and GC lifestyles, one being the Connections Program.

The Connections Program is a volunteer cross-cultural friendship program between international students and locals from the GC campus and Milledgeville community. The ultimate goal of the program is to assist students from abroad in their transition to GC and US culture while fostering lasting friendships across cultural boundaries. The idea promotes an equal exchange between partners so both may share and learn about the other’s country.

Interested parties fill out an application centered on the individual’s interests and hobbies. From there, GC’s International Education Center matches the exchange students and locals together based on these interests to assure some common ties. All newly matched pairs meet for the first time at a planned gathering involving an ice-breaker activity and refreshments.

Afterwards, the partners arrange to meet up on their own to share activities

that they enjoy. The International Center also organized sponsored events, such as bowling night or a picnic at the Oconee River Greenway.

Freshman Adria Freshley, matched with Katia Ancherbak from Russia, says, “I knew we had international students but I didn’t know how to meet them [or] how they perceived America.” Each party stands to learn from the other, so that the relationship is mutually beneficial. “It brought me out of my comfort zone,” says Freshley.

“The Connections Program gave me an opportunity to see how the local people in Milledgeville live,” expressed Anamika Bahsker from Sweden. “Mr. and Mrs. Mueller opened up their home and invited me to have dinner with a real home cooked meal, which is greatly appreciated when you are a student.

They have also taken me to many places around Milledgeville that I would not have been able to see without them. Mr. and Mrs. Mueller have been a great support during my school time.”

The Connections Program is open to anyone in the Milledgeville community, teacher, student, or local, and is highly encouraged for first-semester international students. We invite everyone to apply for the program at the beginning of each semester and establish the bonds of an intercultural friendship.

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International Events Around Campus Russian Visitors Georgia College welcomed 10 visitors from the Center for International Programs “GLOBUS� in Syktyvkar Russia on campus in August. Nine of the visitors were prospective students, led by Ms. Olga Shilova, who previously served as a visiting instructor of Russian at GC. Georgia College has enjoyed a longstanding partnership with the Center for International Programs and has received many outstanding students from their advising center.

Visitors from Syktyvkar, Russia, in front of the International Education Center.

International Dinner The 29th annual International Dinner, held on March 29, was a huge success and once again earned a Bobcat Award for the Best Multicultural Program of the Year. The dinner brought together students, faculty, alumni and community members together to enjoy 30 different international dishes prepared by International Club members and an evening of outstanding performances.

MCs Adhayan Negandhi (India) and Lucine Colignon (France) pose with alum Chike Rapu (Nigeria).

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Prospective Russian students learn about the mass communication program by doing a mock TV broadcast.

The Bulgarian folk dance group Rosa performs traditional Bulgarian dances.

Mark Diab (Syria) and Chikwuemeka Ibebuike (Nigeria) prepare to serve guests in the buffet line.

International Week International Week held in October highlighted the many different cultures represented on campus and promoted the numerous opportunities for our students to travel and work abroad.

International Day MCs Merry Zohn and Yoshiki Hirose.

Maochi Li prepares traditional Chinese calligraphy at the International Day displays.

Visitors enjoy interacting at International Day country displays.

International Club Activities The International Club continues to be one of the most active student organizations on campus. Open to all students, the club facilitates intercultural learning among all students and organizes various activities throughout the year.

International Club members at Japanfest in Atlanta. From left to right, Simone Luder, Pharath Man, Lydia Gyi, and Ansley Landsman.

International Club and Baptist Student Union members enjoy a day at Stone Mountain Park. From left to right, Leah Lee, Mary Mason Beale, Victor Hoyos, Daniel Andonovski.

International Club members at Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta.

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International Education Center Campus Box 49 Milledgeville, GA 31061-0490 Phone 478-445-4789 Fax 478-445-2623

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