Terra Nostra Fall 2012 by Georgia College & State University

Terra Nostra* FALL 2012

*Latin for “Our World”

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

Building Asian Studies at Georgia College: Japan, Korea, India, China and Beyond For more than a dozen years from the early 1990s Georgia College filled its first Japanese language classes with students interested in manga (Japanese comics typically printed in black and white) and anime (Japanese cartoons and computer animation). Now that the university no longer teaches Japanese, students with similar interests still go abroad for enriching and life-changing semester or year-long exchange experiences at GC’s partner universities. "Georgia College has exchange agreements with J. F. Oberlin University, Ritsumeikan University and Kanasai Gaidai University.

INDEX Building Asian Studies at Georgia College ............................................1 The Flights of Jan Wiener ...............1 Can Bad Guys Have Good Kung Fu? ...............................3 Experience Japan ............................3 Music and the Holocaust.................4

Visitors from Xihua University in Chengdu, China: front row left to right: Dr. Jiachuan Zhang, director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, XU; Dr. Xiucheng Dong, dean of the School of Electrical and Information Engineering, XU; Dr. Jinge Wang, dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, XU; Dr. Jian Ping He, vice president for Academic Affairs, XU; Dr. Matthew Liao-Troth, interim provost, GC; Dr. Sandy Gangstead, dean of the College of Health Sciences, GC; Ken Procter, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences; and Dr. Jane Hinson, dean of the College of Education; back row left to right: Dr. Dwight Call, assistant vice president for international education, GC; Dr. Jiaqin Yang, professor management, GC; and Dr. Dale Young, interim dean, College of Business, GC

In the current academic year, two GC students have been studying in Japan, Gray Maxwell at Ritsumeikan and Janicecia Nobles at Kansai Gaidai, and two Ritsumeikan students have been at Georgia College, Ai Fujikawa and Oishi Katsuaki. In September Dr. Melanie DeVore, professor of biological and environmental sciences, attended a conference in Tokyo and visited J. F. Oberlin University to learn about its excellent science programs. GC partnerships with two Korean universities were established more recently – Pukyong National University in Busan in 2006 and Korea National University of

Transportation in Chungju earlier this year. Eunji Ahn, an exchange student from Pukyong is studying at Georgia College this fall, and two faculty members from Korea National University of Transportation (KNUT) are doing research in Milledgeville this academic year, Dr. Yoonae Ahn, as a mentee of Lecturer Caroline Collier in computer science, and Dr. Hyojeong Lee, as a mentee of Dr. Kirk Armstrong in Kinesiology. The university anticipates the outcomes of the India initiative of the past several years with collaboration possible in criminal justice, business and education. Dr. Dwight Call, assistant vice president for international, who was selected and participated in the Fulbright-Nehru India International Education Project Administrators Seminar, has been in correspondence with administrators at Lady Shri Ram College in the University of Delhi system regarding a partnership that will be mutually beneficial. For the second year in a row, LSR College for Women has been rated the best Arts College in India and has exchange relationships with Bryn Mawr and Smith College, among others.

See STUDIES, p.2 International Week .......................4-5

The Flights of Jan Wiener

Study Abroad ..................................6 New World Mathematics Abroad .......................6

Artistic boundaries were challenged and pushed in The Flights of Jan Wiener (Lety Jana Wienera), a fantasy/reality movement/theatre-based performance in celebration of a Czech hero. Written by Department of Theatre Chair Dr. Karen Berman and her husband Paul Accettura, the play was a collaboration between Washington Women in Theatre and Georgia College and centers on the life of the Czech Holocaust survivor and hero Jan Wiener (1920-2010). This past summer, nine theatre majors presented the new play in the Eastern European Theatre Festival in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, and throughout Prague to school children and adults.

Los Valientes....................................7 A Fashion Extravanganze ................7 Green Towel Around the World ....8 Alumnus Honored by Japan-America Society of Georgia............................................8 Alumni News ...................................9 Alumnus Settles in Italy .................10 Two Students in Japan..................11 Pledge Form..................................11 Georgia College theatre students together with Mrs. Zuzana Wiener (widow of Jan Wiener), front row left to right: Kayla Crane, Mrs. Zuzana Wiener, Dr. Karen Berman, Troy Hencely; second row left to right: Allison Peasely, Zack Bradford, Amy Carpenter, Justin Harrison; standing left to right: Jordan Hale, Leah Keelan, Tyler Voyles, Czech Host Dr. Standa Bohadlo, professor of musicology, University of Hradec Králové

See FLIGHT, p.2

gcsu.edu/international

GEORGIA COLLEGE Dr. Steve Dorman President Tom Ormond Associate Provost

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CENTER STAFF: Dwight Call Assistant Vice President for International Education Libby Davis Associate Director and International Student Adviser Scott Terry Study Abroad Adviser Liz Havey Study Abroad Adviser Jason Wynn International Admissions Counselor

STUDIES, from p.1 Recognizing the need to develop similar relationships with the world’s fastest-growing world economy, 10 of the dozen Chinese faculty teaching at Georgia College met on Aug. 15 in the International Education Center to discuss ways to use their guanxi (networks of influence) to increase Chinese student recruitment from both the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, as well as to develop partnerships for exchange of faculty and students. With that in mind, Dr. Jiaqin Yang, professor of management, contacted colleagues at Xihua University in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province in Southwest China. The academic programs offered at Xihua University are a good match for Georgia College. Four visitors came to Milledgeville, including Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Jian Ping He and Head of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange Dr. Jiachuan Zhang, where they met with GC administrators and discussed the possibilities for collaboration. Currently, discussion of the possibilities continues by email and a small delegation from Georgia College may visit Chengdu in the spring. In addition, Dr. Tsu-Ming Chiang, professor of psychology, corresponded with psychology colleagues at Taipei Municipal University of Education (TMUE), which offers many of the same programs as Georgia College in the arts, humanities, social sciences, education and computer science. Dr. Chiang will visit TMUE to discuss exchange possibilities in early December. From the perspective of the International Education Center, this

FLIGHT, from p.1

Mary Anderson Secretary Lucine Colignon and Sarah Prochaska Interns Sarah Crile and Jhadelys Reyes Student Workers

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

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.

College theatre students on the final night of the opera season in Prague after seeing Don Giovanni, standing with the female lead of the opera backstage where Mozart premiered Don Giovanni. Second from right in front, Dr. Karen Berman, chair of the Department of Theatre

The first play written about this Holocaust survivor, who escaped from imprisonment, joined the British Royal Air Force to fight the Nazis, and survived to fight Communism, celebrates the life of this great Jewish hero who died at age 90 just two years ago, after many years of teaching history in the U.S. Born to a Jewish family, Wiener fought on the side of the British in World War II after escaping to England from the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia and imprisonment in Italy. Having survived to see the end of the war and the liberation of the concentration camps, Wiener was imprisoned as an “enemy of the state” in Communist Czechoslovakia before emigrating to the U.S. in the 1960s, where he became a university history professor. Wiener returned to teach in his homeland after the Velvet Revolution and the fall of Communism in 1989. Throughout his life, he remained an active influence on the political evolution of Czechoslovakia to the present-day Czech Republic. The passionate and dynamic style of the troupe and use of movement as the translating element of its communication of the story made the play understandable to a nonEnglish speaking audience. Though Wiener’s unique and compelling story has inspired films, books, and articles, this project dramatizes the life and reflections of this Holocaust survivor as a stage play. Using live theatre as a vehicle for direct and intimate communication to audiences, the piece explores overtly political issues as well as

is a perfect time for Georgia College to establish an Asian studies program, starting with an Asian studies minor. A group of interested faculty and administrators, led by Dr. Sunita Manian, Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Liberal Studies met with Dr. Peimin Ni, professor of philosophy at Grand Valley State University, when he was on campus to lecture on Sept. 24, and talked with him about how GVSU began its Asian studies program. The initial discussion confirmed that GC already offers many courses with a focus on Asia. Dr. Call indicated that – in addition to the direct partnerships the university has and is developing in Asia – Georgia College has additional relationships with many other universities in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam through the university’s membership in the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) and partnerships with the School for International Training (SIT) and International Studies Abroad (ISA). Although Georgia College does not currently offer any Asian languages on campus, through the university’s partnerships, Georgia College students have access while abroad to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and other languages that can fulfill language requirements at Georgia College. Interested faculty and administrators met again on Nov. 5 to explore further the development of an Asian studies minor and Dr. Manian will be submitting a proposal to the Curriculum and Instruction Committee in January. In this world of more than seven billion people, where four billion live in Asia, our students definitely need to learn more about it’s importance. themes more universal and central to society itself. In the words of Rich Janzen of the Center for Community Based Research, “Social action is fuelled as much by passion and emotion as it is by intellect. Sharing research through creative means such as drama allows the findings to sink in on deeper levels.” The play provided an understanding of Jan Wiener’s contribution as a Czech hero, United States citizen, and professor at American University. He brought Czech culture to the U.S., and this play and its performance, in turn, brought it back to the Czech Republic. To the immense surprise and pleasure of the GC students, they had the opportunity to meet Jan Wiener’s widow, who is 20 years his junior, vibrant and still carrying on his legacy. The students had lunch with her at a restaurant dedicated to Jan’s life with a beautiful picture of him on the wall. Student actor Amy Carpenter recalls that “After our curtain calls Jan Wiener’s widow came up with tears in her eyes and hugged and congratulated us.” Zuzana Wiener continued to share the evening with the actors after the play as everyone climbed a tower to look over the night lights of Prague. She told stories of her work as a dance teacher and film instructor and of Czech President Vaclav Havel’s attendance at her husband’s memorial. She urged our students to “follow your heart and you will always be happy.” GC theatre students journeyed to Terezin, where they saw the place that Jan Wiener’s mother met her death. Carpenter said, “The Holocaust was such a terrible and senseless tragedy. I’m glad that we went to Terezin because now I feel like I better understand the gravity of this part of history and know why we must continue to share the stories.” The students listened to lectures about the history of the Czech Republic during World War II and under Communism from the Provost of the University of Hradec Králové. There, they performed at the international theatre festival and received three curtain calls. “Each venue where we have performed has been amazing and beautiful in its own way and I am grateful to have been a part of it,” said GC actor Kayla Crane. Zach Bradford, who played Jan Wiener, said, “Every time I left the hotel, I felt like I was in a movie, traveling the world and seeing things I’d never otherwise get to see.” “Goodbyes were said, we took the plane home, and the most beautiful adventure had its curtain call,” remembers actress Allison Peasely. But the last curtain call did not occur until the GC community had an opportunity to see the play on campus on Thursday evening, Aug. 23, 2012 in the Campus Black Box Theatre.

Can Bad Guys Have Good Kung Fu? Dr. Peimin Ni, Professor of Philosophy at Grand Valley State University, who spoke on the topic “Can Bad Guys Have Good Kung Fu?

On Sept. 24 the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Department of Philosophy and Liberal Studies invited Dr. Peimin Ni, professor of philosophy at Grand Valley State University, to speak in the Arts and Sciences Auditorium on the topic “Can Bad Guys Have Good Kung Fu? – An explication of Confucian Kung Fu Ethics.” Dr. Ni is founder and former president (1997-1999) of the Association of Chinese Philosophers in America (ACPA), former president (2009-2011) of the Society of Asian and Comparative Philosophy (SACP), and currently serves as the editor-in-chief of the ACPA book series on “chinese and comparative philosophy.” An accomplished artist of Chinese calligraphy, he continues to personify the

Confucian teaching of kung fu in his scholarly work, artistic production and virtuous way of living. According to Dr. Ni, Confucian ethics aims at the transformation of the person, or acquiring the kung fu of living a good life. According to him, “While the term kung fu originally meant much more than martial arts, the latter has become the powerful modern image of kung fu. Through this image, one can easily conceive of bad guys having good kung fu. But really?” Starting from this question, Dr. Ni’s presentation explored the complicated relationship between the goodness of kung fu and moral goodness, and arrived at a threefold answer – yes, no, and neither. In the process of articulating these answers, he made many thought-provoking observations about Confucianism and about morality.

Come for the Sushi, Stay for the Semester: Experience Japan! - Dr. Melanie DeVore, professor of biological and environmental sciences, Georgia Power Endowed Professor of Environmental Science I found an old friend at the Mary Vinson Memorial Library book sale this September. While rummaging through the piles of books heaped on tables, I found a copy of the text used in my high school world history class. Just as I remembered, the history of East Asia was covered in just two of the 350 pages of the tome. That excludes content regarding the Opium Wars, World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, all taught from a U.S. perspective. After being in Japan the previous week, the brief, broad-brushed coverage of the Eastern world struck a strong nerve with me. One reason I was in Japan was to present in two symposia held during the International Organization of Palaeobotany Congress at Chuo University in Tokyo. More than 500 folks who study fossil plants and pollen attended the meeting and participated in field trips before and after the eight days of oral and poster presentations. I was fortunate enough to spend five days exploring fossil sites along the Noto Peninsula overlooking the Japan Sea, visiting dinosaur and fossil plant sites near Katsuyama, and hiking through the beech forests blanketing Mt. Hakusan. All of this was possible due to the graciousness of our hosts Atsushi Yabe (National Museum of Nature and Science) and Kazuo Terada (Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum). There are multiple reasons why attending meetings and presenting research at an international conference is beneficial for Georgia College. However, the second reason I traveled to Japan is related to one of the most significant parts of our university’s mission. Before leaving Japan, I returned to Tokyo and visited one of our exchange partners, J.F. Oberlin University. Central to that University’s vision is to “nurture internationallyminded people.” J.F. Oberlin is a leader in infusing international education into its liberal arts mission and has an extensive web of partnerships covering the globe. For Georgia College students, The Reconnaissance Japan Program offers an unparalleled opportunity to spend a semester or year at J.F. Oberlin.

Dr. Melanie DeVore, professor of biological and environmental sciences (third from left, standing), and colleagues from the International Organization of Palaeobotany Congress in Japan

The Reconnaissance Japan Program is an academic program for exchange students from overseas partner institutions offering Japanese language skills and training courses from the introductory to advanced levels. Besides language classes, students can select from 25 different courses taught in English spanning the spectrum of arts and humanities and including business. During my visit, I had an opportunity to discuss options for students in the STEM fields to participate in exchanges. Why should Georgia College students study Japanese language and culture? Today’s students see the world through a broader window than my old world history textbook. Many high school and college students in the U.S. attend anime festivals, read manga, and want to learn Japanese to be able to play video games. Before you dismiss that as frivolous, keep in mind that those cultural products represent a high level of creativity. That same creative vibe places the Japanese among the leaders in such fields as industrial robotics, optical media, and semiconductor manufacturing. Japan is also

among the world leaders in patent filings (420,000+ annually). Currently Japan has the third largest economy in the world and has still not been overtaken by its closest competitor, India. Needless to say, Japan is a study abroad site of choice for students in international business. Visiting J.F. Oberlin provided me with a window to see the benefits for Georgia College students to study Japanese language and culture. And, by participating in our exchange program with J.F. Oberlin, our own students just might find that studying Japanese is not only an asset in the job market, but will also be the defining experience spurring their personal and intellectual growth. Note by editor: Georgia College has three exchange partner universities in Japan: J. F. Oberlin University in the Tokyo area, Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto and Kansai Gaidai University in the Osaka area, and GC students have had excellent semester or academic year experiences at all three universities.

Music and the Holocaust: When Alfred Schneider, 86, spoke on campus about the Holocaust and its effect on music, he admitted that the title of his lecture brought together two diametrically opposed ideas. Schneider survived the war in a ghetto in Romania that was later occupied by the German army, and spoke in August to a group of about 50 people in the Department of Theatre’s Black Box Theatre. He became interested in the music that came out of the Alfred Schneider who spoke on music and the Holocaust after Holocaust. In the back left to right: Dr. Steven retiring as a nuclear Jones, director of the Center for Engaged Learning; Dr. Wendy Mullen, interim chair, physics professor at music department; and Dr. Karen Berman, Georgia Tech and chair, theatre department MIT. Schneider gave a lecture that included a PowerPoint presentation with selections of music that ranged from pieces such as a violin concerto by Jewish composer Felix Mendelssohn, that were banned by the Nazis before the war began, to the works of Jewish composers who were killed in concentration camps. Much of his presentation focused on the music created at the Theresienstadt concentration camp (also known as Terezin), located in what is now the Czech Republic. Department of Theatre Chair Dr. Karen Berman and her husband Paul Accetura recently co-wrote the play “The Flights of Jan Wiener,” about Wiener who was a World War II aviator who escaped from Czechoslovakia. Wiener’s mother died at Terezin.

INTERNATIONAL WEEK:

International Diversity at Georgia College Georgia College celebrated cultures from around the globe during its 16th annual International Week, Monday, Oct. 22, through Friday, Oct. 26. The weeklong festivities were free and open to the public. “This year, we placed an emphasis on the importance of international education and intercultural exchange,” said Libby Davis, associate director of Georgia College’s International Education Center. “We also celebrated cultural diversity on campus and educated both the campus and community about the many opportunities for everyone to get involved and learn about our world.” Highlights of the week were the Opportunities Abroad Fair on Wednesday and International Day on Thursday. The weather cooperated and both were celebrated on Front Campus. At the Opportunities Abroad Fair, hundreds of students stopped at some of the nearly thirty tables to learn about their options to study, intern, volunteer, work and teach abroad. Sponsored by the International Club, the International Day celebration included a flash mob performing at the Fountain, exhibits, live entertainment and other activ-

ities representing more than 30 countries. Georgia College has organized International Week since 1997. Hosted by the International Education Center and International Club, the campus celebration coincides with United Nations Day, Oct. 24, which celebrates the birthday of the United Nations. “Our international students love to share their backgrounds,” Davis said. “They always put a lot of effort into their exhibits and performances to reflect their countries and cultures. In this increasingly interconnected world, it is imperative we all know about other people, cultures and countries. And we all must learn to live together.” Other important highlights of the week included a Graduate School Fair, International Photo Contest, the Chilean film Machuca, and workshops on developing an international resume, interning abroad, joining the Peace Corps and locating funding for study abroad. The International Education Center appreciates everyone’s participation and especially the programs organized by the Career Center and Financial Aid.

When Dr. Berman decided to stage a performance of the play at the Black Box Theatre in August, officials with the Bremen Jewish Heritage Museum in Atlanta told her about Schneider and how his lecture about music might give some added context to the play. Schneider remarked that Terezin was unusual among Nazi concentration camps, because they used that camp to show International Red Cross workers that Jewish prisoners weren’t suffering. They arranged music performances for the International Red Cross visitors from among the adults and children who were interred in the camp. Tens of thousands of Jews were murdered at Terezin and over 150,000 others (including thousands of children) were held there for months or years, before being sent to their deaths at Treblinka and Auschwitz extermination camps in Poland. Schneider noted that soon there will no longer be survivors or witnesses from the Holocaust to tell the story, which is why he talks about the subject.

Study Abroad Fair: On the right (with back to the camera): Kaitlyn Smith, who studied on the Belize education program in 2012, and second from the right, Dr. Lyndall Muschell, codirector; standing in background: Dr. Kirk Armstrong, director, Belize health sciences study abroad

Study Abroad Fair: Standing on right: Dr. Dwight Call, co-director, Morocco Study Abroad

Study Abroad Fair: Standing on right: Dr. Craig Pascoe, director, civilization in the making study abroad: understanding Italian culture through Its food study abroad; and further back on the right, Mr. Tony Alcarria, director, Italian language and culture study abroad

International Day flashmob at the fountain

International Day display for India, henna tattooing

International Day performance by left to right: Nicole Moyo and Rujeko Chinomona, both from Zimbabwe

International Day display for Russia: left to right standing Ekaterina Zaynullina, Ella Shumilina, Darryl Richardson (Transportation Services Coordinator), Lena White (interested in Russia), and Anton Shkuratov. Ella and Anton are students from Syktyvkar, Russia.

Study Abroad: Everyone a Winner! - Dr. Craig Smith, Chair, Special Education Study abroad experiences impact students in various ways. For most students the impact is immediate, but for others the benefits also come later. For Sara Landers, a recent graduate of the special education program in the College of Education, the impact has been dramatic. Sara traveled to London with Dr. Craig Smith, chairperson of the Department of Special Education and Eucational Leadership , in January 2012 to do her student teaching at the Queensmill School. Queensmill is designated as a center of excellence in the United Kingdom for the education of children with autism and has had a relationship with the special education program at Georgia College since 2005. While Dr. Smith does a Maymester study abroad trip for pre-education students that centers on observational experiences at Queensmill, there is also an opportunity for selected seniors in the special education program to return in January of their senior year for full time student teaching. Sara, along with three other special education majors, partnered with teachers at Queensmill for student teaching this past year experiencing programming decisions, parent conferences and actual teaching of children with autism. Upon graduating last May Sara was hired as a special education teacher at the Oak Hill Elementary School in Conyers. While most of her caseload has children with mild disabilities, she quickly realized that her experience at Queensmill made her uniquely qualified to meet the needs the school had for educating children with autism. Sara currently has a caseload that

New World Mathematics Abroad - Dr. Ryan Brown, Associate Professor of Mathematics Mathematics is a discipline not often associated with study abroad programs. Frequently, we need not travel farther than our pencil sharpener or chalkboard to find everything necessary to approach significant problems. There are some mathematical questions, however, that can only be fully considered if we leave our classrooms and offices and venture into the field. The purpose of the new world mathematics study abroad program is to expose students to the mathematics of pre-Columbian Andean cultures, especially the mathematics of the Inca Empire. GC2Y 2000: New World Mathematics is a Georgia College area B2 course appropriate for any adventur-

includes three autistic children and has become the school-based resource in the unique needs, characteristics and most effective teaching methods for these children. Recounting her first weeks as a teacher Sara said, “Had I not experienced all the different levels and attributes of students with autism in London at Queensmill, I would be at a loss in my room. I have used so many invaluable techniques that I learned in London to calm my autistic students and help them to transition.” The administration at Oak Hill also realizes the value Sara’s experience brings to her teaching practice. According to Sara, “My principal has consulted me multiple times on different students to see if I have any new ideas to help a student and always remarks that she can’t wait to see my London ideas! The study abroad opportunity at Queensmill has turned out to be the most valuable experience of my education!”

London Special Education study abroad students summer 2012

Those at the school also value the study abroad exchange between Queensmill School in London and Georgia College. Quoting Mrs. Jude Ragan, Queensmill’s Head Teacher, when told of Sara’s experience, “It’s good to hear of The Queensmill way spreading far and wide all for the good of children with autism. We love our collaboration with Georgia College, everyone is a winner it seems to me, and long may it continue!” For the students who attend Queensmill and for the Georgia College students on study abroad…everyone’s a winner! Special education major Sara Landers student teaching in London in January 2012

ous student who has completed a GC1Y 1000 course. In the course students will investigate the textile coding systems used by the Inca, especially quipus and tocapus. Quipus are knotted cords that contain a significant amount of quantitative information expressed in a positional decimal number system. Tocapus are the extraordinarily symmetrical geometric designs the Inca created in their tapestries. There are many open questions about quipus and tocapus, including whether or not and to what extent they constitute a system of writing. We will examine Andean geometric expressions on textiles and ceramics and study cultural connections. Students will also compare the architecture and astronomical framework of pre-Columbian Andean cultures. We will visit celestial markers at archeological sites, including the ruins at Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, and watch the winter solstice sunrise at the City in the Clouds: Machu Picchu. The program will be offered during Summer I of 2013. We will spend two weeks in Lima and two weeks in and around Cusco, staying in bed and breakfast style hostels. The program cost covers airfare from Atlanta to Lima, all accommodations, many meals, all site entrance fees, roundtrip airfare from Lima to Cusco, bus fare from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, and rail tickets to Machu Picchu. There is no language requirement, but students are encouraged to learn at least a modicum of Spanish to get the full benefit of a month in Peru.

Machu Picchu

Quipos

Los Valientes: A Music Theatre Piece on Legendary Hispanic Heroes Rivera, Romero and Murrieta On Oct. 15 the Core Ensemble (Tahirah Whittington, cello, Cyrus von Hochstetter, piano, and Michael Parola, percussion), with actor Gabriel Sloyer, performed the music theatre work Los Valientes in Russell Auditorium. The work is the one of a series of multicultural performance pieces produced by the ensemble over the past fifteen years. Los Valientes (The Courageous Ones) is a live music theatre work for singing actor and onstage music trio of cello, piano and percussion. Based on the lives of three heroic Latinos – all portrayed by singing actor Sloyer – the show celebrates Mexican painter Diego Rivera, martyred Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, and Mexican-American outlaw Joaquin Murrieta Some say the Zorro character was based on this historical figure. The music ranges from traditional Latino folk and popular songs sung in Spanish to instrumental works by Latin American composers. Gabriel Sloyer portrayed the three legendary Latinos. Sloyer is a New York based actor who has appeared at The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Liberty Free Theater, The Players Theatre, The Kraine Theater, Abingdon Theater, The Working Theater, SoHo Playhouse, Yale Repertory Theater, INTAR Theater, Repertorio Español and Gardzienice in Poland. The Core Ensemble has toured in Australia, England, Russia, Ukraine, the Caribbean, and in every region of the U.S. The Core Ensemble receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida, Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs, the A.D. Henderson Foundation, the Florida Humanities Council, and the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. Los Valientes toured throughout the U.S. during Hispanic Heritage Month, reaching venues in California, Washington, Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri,

Illinois, Connecticut and Maine. Along with their Oct. 15 performance at Russell, members of the Core Ensemble offered educational programming on Oct. 15 and 16. Apart from the performance itself, the educational sessions that were open to the public were focused on jazz history, music literature and music theatre scenes. An interdisciplinary collaboration among university departments, the Georgia College event was free to the public. “It is an honor to work with our colleagues, staff and students across disciplines in welcoming these performers and their important programming to our campus,” said Bill Fisher, chair and professor in Georgia College’s Department of Art. “Their message promotes meaningful and rich histories, often untold or misrepresented, that define who we are and the cultures we share.” Collaborating departments included music, theatre, history and geography, art, modern languages and cultures, government and sociology, philosophy and liberal studies, the latin american studies program, the International Education Center and the Division of Enrollment Management. “The International Education Center is happy to see departments across campus collaborating in this performance, which highlights important Latino heroes,” said Dr. Dwight Call, assistant vice president for International Education. “This performance was a fun and exciting Hispanic celebration of art, language, music, theatre and history,” said Dr. Karen Berman, chair of Georgia College Department of Theatre. “It’s important that we learn about and celebrate great people from many cultural traditions.” “The students benefitted not only by seeing the performance but also through the many master classes Core Ensemble taught,” said Dr. Wendy Mullen, interim chair and professor of music. “It was a pleasure working with colleagues to bring these gifted performers to campus.”

A Fashion Extravaganza at the third Annual USA India Business Summit - Amelia Pelton, director of dance The Fashion Extravaganza at this past spring’s third Annual USA India Business Summit in Atlanta was the culmination of a year’s work creating the costumes at Apeejay University in Delhi, India and fashion show preparation by the Deaprtments of Theatre and Dance models from Georgia College. The models showed the creations at an evening banquet for the 350 Business Summit delegates from throughout seven Southeast USA states and India. Department Chair Karen Berman gave strong support to Georgia College participation. 12 Georgia College students were chosen based upon height, figure, stage experience, and availability and costumes were arranged into three historical periods: ancient, medieval and contemporary. All were current Georgia College dancers whose participation in many productions at GC guaranteed their confidence on stage. In January, Georgia College sent student measurements and photographs to the two designers in India, who in turn sent sketches of their beautiful creations. In March, the Indian planning team met with performers in Milledgeville and organized the show. The planning team brought the music and dialogue to which Director of Dance Amelia Pelton choreographed the modeling. Later in the spring, the clothing arrived from India and the Atlanta team brought it to be fitted on the models in the GC costume shop. Unbelievably,

Los Valientes

every item fit beautifully! Since two of the models were studying abroad at the time, they had to try theirs on the day before the show, which was very nerve wracking! In June, the models rehearsed at the dance studio so they could practice walking to the music and dialogue. Finally came the night to perform and the models got to meet the two designers in person, a happy moment! All could not believe the beauty and detail in the costumes, all of the beadwork and attention to detail. The two designers told when and where the clothing would be worn, for example, to a wedding. A makeup artist applied makeup and a bindi, or traditional marking on the face and body, as well as appropriate hairstyles so everything would be authentic. It was a wonderful experience that none will ever forget! The Department of Theatre hope to work again with partners in India or another country on an exchange similar to this sharing of cultures. All models are now Facebook friends with the designers.

Fashion Extravaganza: Director of Dance Amelia Pelton with her three children, left to right, Hampton, Caldwell and Olivia

Fashion Extravaganza: Left to right, back row: One of the two Indian women who designed all the costumes, Alexa Gregory, Matt Riley, Katherine Darsie, Thomas Pangia, Caldwell Pelton, Julia Richardson, and Hampton Pelton; left to right, front row: Morgan Henry, Gabby DePhillips, Hailey Powell, Azaria Hogans, Miles Daly, and the other Indian woman who designed all the clothing

Georgia College Green Towel Travels the World International and study abroad students are among our best recruiters of international and domestic students and the Green Towel definitely builds enthusiasm!

Normandy study abroad group in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Italian Language and Culture study abroad group in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Germany alumna Dorit Kruse holding towel at cookout with friends in northern Sweden

Czech theatre study abroad group posing after their performance of The Flights of Jan Wiener

Alumnus Honored by the Japan-America Society of Georgia Alex Gregory, who holds two master’s degrees from Georgia College and has served for more than 20 years as a member of the Foundation Board of Trustees, has been awarded the Mike Mansfield Award, presented by The Japan-America Society of Georgia in Atlanta in late June.

Carter, and former Georgia governors Carl Sanders, Joe Frank Harris and George Busbee. In 2001, Gregory received the Georgia College Alumni Achievement Award, and Georgia College recognized Gregory as the university’s 2002 Executive of the Year. He has served on the Board of Trustees for more than 20 years, twice serving as chair. In 2010, he was inducted honoris causa into the GC Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) honor society.

“I am proud and honored to receive this award,” said Gregory, chairman of YKK Corporation of America’s board of directors and president and CEO of the Marietta-based company. “The relationship between Georgia and Japan has really blossomed in the nearly 40 years since I went to work for YKK in Macon. Fostering good will between Japan and Georgia comes naturally to me and to most Georgia citizens.” As chairman of YKK Corporation of America’s board of directors and president and CEO of the Marietta-based company, Gregory has been deeply involved with Atlanta’s and Georgia’s Japanese community for many years. He serves on the board of the Japan-America Society of Georgia. In 2000, Gregory received the annual Yamabikokai Award presented by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia. He also received the first Governor George Busbee Award from then Governor Sonny Perdue in 2004 in recognition of his dedication to stronger relations between Georgia and Japan. YKK Corporation of America (YCA) is a subsidiary of YKK Corporation, a worldwide Japanese manufacturer of fasteners marketed under the YKK brand and architectural building products marketed under the YKK AP brand. YCA oversees 13 companies operating throughout North and Central America, Colombia and the West Indies. Gregory, a native of Eatonton, began his career with YKK America Group in 1973 when he joined YKK Industries – now YKK (U.S.) Inc. As one of its first American employees, he started at the company’s thennew Macon manufacturing operation and held positions of increasing responsibilities. In the autumn of

Gregory also participates annually in the university’s Georgia Education Mentorship program, providing valuable experience and guidance to students. He is a member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, The Carter Center’s board of councilors and The Georgian Club’s board of directors.

Alex Gregory

1991, he joined YKK Corporation of America in its Atlanta headquarters as senior vice president of corporate planning. In 2000, he was promoted to executive vice president, corporate development, and in 2001 he was named president and CEO. From 2008 through 2010, Gregory served on YKK Corporation’s Board of Directors in Japan as YKK’s first non-Japanese Director. In 2011, he was elected Chairman of YCA’s Board of Directors. The “Mike Mansfield Awards” were established in December 1985 by the executive committee of The Japan-America Society of Georgia in honor of former Ambassador Mansfield’s efforts in fostering good will between Japan and the United States. The awards are presented to outstanding Americans and Japanese who continuously contribute their efforts toward promoting better understanding of cultural and economic issues between the people of the United States and Japan. Notable past recipients include President Jimmy

In Memoriam The International Club held a candlelight memorial on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the reflection pool near Sanford and Wells Hall in memory of Cho Rok Alice Chung, senior Management major from Anyang City, South Korea, who died tragically in the preceding week. The gathering was an opportunity to remember a fellow student and friend. Cho Rok’s funeral was held in Milledgeville on Sunday, Sept. 9. Many friends from Milledgeville and around the country attended, as did her father from Korea and relatives from Atlanta.

News from our alumni around the world

We look forward to hearing from former international and study abroad students and always welcome emails letting us know what you’re doing. We value and need your assistance in recruiting good students from around the world to study at Georgia College. Despite being separated by vast distances and time, alumni from all corners of the globe stay connected by the strong bonds they formed at Georgia College. Find out what your Georgia College international friends are doing by joining our Facebook group at GCSU International Education Alumni. All former international and study abroad students and members of the International Club and their friends are welcome! Everything is going well for Vikas Agrawal, who is self-employed with a small business in Kathmandu. Ajay Agrawal is founder and CEO of official academia licensing company Pride Forever in Mumbai, India, which provides a range of apparel and gifts that brand educational institutions in India. Antonio Aguilera writes that his brother and wife Carlos and Suzanna Williams Aguilera are now proud parents of baby Eva. Yacoubou Alou continues to work on his Master’s at Ohio University. Lisa Baer writes that she’s living in Mongolia, where she’s teaching English at university. She writes “I’m preparing for winter by buying a lot of camel and yak socks. No joke! Feel free to read my blog at travelingbaer.blogspot.com for more frequent updates.” Fernando Bellod Valle writes that he’s been in touch with former students, like Laura Mesen Mendez from Costa Rica, who is going to get married soon, Kyle Smith, who is doing a Master’s program in Italy, and Rafael Vaquero Martinez, who is still working in Washington, DC. Fernando himself was working as an international trade specialist in Brazil, but that adventure ended last June, when he returned to Spain. In Brazil he and his Spanish girlfriend Marta, whom he met in Sao Paulo, “decided to travel around the world with the goal of knowing more different cultures, meeting more, new and interesting people, and mainly, trying to help wherever and whenever is possible. We don’t already know where or how we can help others, but we are sure we want to help those who are in need during this trip.” They began their trip and collaboration writing for a Segovian journal on Aug. 7 and traveled first to India and Nepal, where they planned to spend 3 – 4 months, then make their way to Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore and onward to Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. They estimated traveling for a year more or less.

Ola and Vanesa (Ruiz) Bjorklund are keeping busy with their two sons, Noah (age 5) and Liam (age 3). Since finishing his MBA in 2009, Mariano Cebrián has been living in Chattanooga TN with his wife Angelina Wallace, where they’ve bought a home and started an import business, Panoram Imports LLC ww.panoramimports.com that brings Argentinian wine to Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina. A few months ago they donated a few bottles to the GC Athletic Auction. Mariano continues to teach tennis and volunteers with La Paz de Dios, an organization that reaches out to the Latino community in the area, among other things translating Spanish to English at schools. Recently La Paz de Dios nominated Mariano for a Latino Leadership Award. Rui Huang is working at Intel in Chengdu, China as a financial analyst. Recent Biology graduate Chris Karafotias, who studied in the Bahamas in the summers of 2011 and 2012, has been hired to a job as lab technician at the Coca-Cola Company. He writes that “During my interview process the panel was very impressed with all the research work that I did in the Bahamas and the fact that I presented at the Bahahas Symposium with Dr. DeVore.” Kasper Klinto and his wife Marie and daughter Edith stopped by the office to catch up. Both Kasper and Marie are veterinarians. Yuedong Li writes that she’s now associate professor, teaching managerial accounting this past summer as a visiting scholar at Washington State University. She writes that she wants to come back to teach at Georgia College one day! At the Atlanta Airport Dwight Call recently ran into Raul Llorente, who is now teaching Spanish at Georgia State University. Rishwa Patel has moved to California, where she has married Mehul Patel, and has applied to the MPH program in Environmental Epidemiology at Loma Linda University. Priti Verma Singh gave birth on Sept. 5, 2012 to Arjun Amarjit Singh at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Anshul Singhal heads his company, JSW Severfield Structures Limited, India’s first company to provide complete structural and building solutions, which employs five hundred people. Anshul says “I developed independent thinking and the ability to question authority [at Georgia College].” Murali Thirumal has accepted the position of interim executive director of the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Habitat for Humanity and is busy enlisting community support to turn the financially strapped organization around. Ting “Hunter” Xu, who is working for UNESCO Creative Cities Network in China, will be traveling to Japan on business and hopes to catch up with an old friend, Chikage Toyama.

Vikas Agrawal and family

Lisa Baer (left) making dumplings

Vanesa (Ruiz) Bjorklund and her children, Noah (left) and Liam

Mariano Cebrian with tennis students

Kasper Klinto, 1999-2000 Rotary exchange student from Denmark, recently visited the International Education Center. Left to right, Dr. Harriett Whipple (Kasper’s adviser when he was in Milledgeville), wife Marie, daughter Edith (9 months), Rotary host father William Jackson, and Kasper. Both Kasper and Marie are veterinarians.

Yuedong Li

Kasper Klinto and Libby Davis, associate director, International Education Center

Rishwa Patel and her husband Mehul Patel

Anshul Singhal

Arjun Amarjit Singh, son to Priti Verma Singh

Murali Thirumal

Alumnus Joins the Navy to See the World and Settles Happily in Italy After receiving his Bachelor’s in Music Education from Georgia College in 1996, William “Jeff” Edes, Jr., didn’t feel like he was ready to settle down and spend the rest of his life in Georgia, even though, as he writes, “I had plenty of job offers thanks to the wonderful education that Georgia College and my professors provided me. That’s when I began exploring my options on how to travel the world. I also wasn’t quite that sure I wanted to be a ‘music teacher’ for the rest of my life as I had never explored other areas that much. I did just the opposite of what most good old American boys do. A lot of us join the military, get out and then get our college degree. Instead, I got my Bachelor’s degree and then joined the U.S. Navy. As my score on the ASFAB was much higher than your average high school student’s, I was told that I could choose my career field. I decided to become a medic and then changed my mind again to nuclear technician. While I was in boot camp however, the commander of the base knocked at my barracks door and told me that I would be leading the music in the Protestant, Mormon, and Catholic services during boot camp. The director of the Navy band noticed my talent, and talked me into becoming a U.S. Navy musician. As I already had my degree in Music Education, the training school after boot camp, which usually last two years for most Navy musicians right out of high school, only lasted six months for me. “My first and only assignment was in Naples, Italy where I lived for four wonderful years. I had been stationed in the COM Sixth Fleet Band which served the European and Mediterranean theatre for any musical engagement requested including Navy, Air Force, Marine and Army balls, engagements at any embassy you can name in Europe and the Middle East, changes of commands for high ranking officers, as well as engagements with the President of the United States when he

would come to Europe. Yes, I was the musician who played ‘Hail to the Chief, He’s the Chief and He needs hailing.’ It was an outstanding career, but I felt that it wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. During my time in the military, I had learned Italian fluently, reinforced my Spanish and my French and gained a heck of a lot of culture that I never could have dreamed of gleaning from a classroom or a text book. I had tasted Europe! “After I was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy, I decided to return to what I do best … teaching music. During my four years in the U.S. Navy band, I had learned what it was like to play on stage in front of thousands of people and represent my country in parades outside of the U.S.A., but that just didn’t give me the same feeling as teaching did. That’s why I applied to be a teacher in the Department of Defense Dependent Schools, which provide military children with a good education. I was immediately hired and sent to the most beautiful island on the face of the earth, La Maddalena in Italy, where I still live. I taught school for U.S. Navy children for eight marvelous years. It was probably one of the best jobs that I have ever had. I learned so much, and had so much fun. In the meantime, I fell in love and bought a house on this beautiful island. Unfortunately, after eight years of paradise, the U.S. government decided to close the base on the island of La Maddalena in 2008, leaving the island in economic disaster. Since the American families rotated out every two years, I had more Italian close friends than I did American. I was offered the choice of moving to Okinawa, Japan. I chose happiness over a higher paying job. “That’s when I began going through the soul shattering experience of immigration! I will admit that it was particularly challenging for me, because most countries in the world have not yet made legal the possibility for me to marry my boyfriend.

Jeff Edes directing the Giuseppe Garibaldi Band in the town church of Saint Mary La Maddalena in honor of the patron saint of music, Saint Cecilia

I could have married any woman I liked in Italy and it would have greatly simplified the immigration process for me, but since I fell in love with someone of my same sex, I had to immigrate the hard way. Homosexual couples are deprived of certain rights that heterosexual couples are endowed with by their governments. This experience made me a much stronger person. I learned that we don’t have to succumb to the stereotypes that society forces us into, and that true happiness is found in fighting for what you want, and for who you are. I earned the respect I received as a ‘Professional English and Music Teacher’ in a culture that was completely different from mine, yet full of people, people who are the same in every culture once you get to know them. “It was a long, hard road. I became an English teacher for the Italian Navy Petty Officer’s School in La Maddalena. I had the privilege of spending the past four summers on the most important tall ship sailboat in the entire world, the Amerigo Vespucci. I was engaged as their official interpreter for EnglishItalian and as their English teacher onboard. It was like living back in the 1600s with Christopher Columbus. The sailors couldn’t use any electronic equipment to chart their course, which forced them to rely on the stars and their math-

ematical knowledge. Again I was travelling throughout Europe, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, but this time on a ship that felt like I was in a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie. “During the fall, winter, and spring months, I live on the island of La Maddalena, teaching English at the Italian Military School and piano lessons to local Italian children in the evening. I become the director of the town band and am respected on the island as ‘the music teacher.’ I feel that the preparation Georgia College and my wonderful professors – Gregory Pepetone, Chris Henley and many others – gave me really prepared me for the real world. If it had not been for the education I received at Georgia College, I don’t know if I would have been so successful. I have recently been offered the job of director of a new music school on the island, sponsored by the state of Italy. For me, life has been one big, beautiful adventure. When I grasped my Georgia College diploma in my hand in March of 1996, that piece of paper was just the beginning of my wonderful lifelong adventure. It has been so wonderful to live among people of another culture, interact with them daily, be entrusted by parents to teach their children, just to find that in the very end, we’re all just alike.”

Two Students in Japan Two Georgia College students are on exchange at partner universities in Japan this year and learning Japanese, Janicecia Nobles at Kansai Gaidai University and Grayson Maxwell at Ritsumeikan University. Janicecia tried to describe Japan in five words, “excellent food and amazing scenery. Everything is so aesthetically pleasing. The food, the buildings, and even the sewer covers are engraved with beautiful designs. The food here really brings people together. There’s nothing like grilling meat, just the way you like it, at your table while exchanging stories and laughter: yakiniku. The food is so artistic and beautiful here that you often take a picture before you take a bite.”

Janicecia Nobles with friends (second from right)

Gray writes that “the greatest thing I have done so far is to attend an annual rice reaping, known in Japan as inekari. Slipping into boots and sloshing into the rice fields armed with a gama (a small scythe) in one hand and a bundle of straw in the other, I proceeded to cut stalk after stalk of rice. A few stops away from Hanazono is a small countryside town known as Kameoka. While I rode the train there, I knew I was in for a treat. We passed through beautiful valleys and gorges as the train wound its way through the mountains. When it's time for the rice to be harvested, it is not unusual to have a celebration in which the rice is cut by hand (although most of the fields today are cut by machine). “At Kameoka, I was invited by Murasaki Tsuda, a student who studied at Ritsumeikan. The picture in which you see rice thrown over my shoulder is the hard labor of a morning’s work cutting rice. After the rice cutting is finished, everyone spends the day having a barbecue of squid, okonomiaki (a vegetable pancake), yakisoba, and mochi (sweet rice). Inekari workers took turns playing guitar, singing songs, and telling stories. Local children are also invited to participate in the rice cutting festival. They scurry around like mice collecting chestnuts off the ground and roasting them, playing tag, and singing along with everyone else. Getting away from the city, vending machines, and cars was the best thing that happened to me. Being able to spend time in the countryside to see how Japanese lived without so many modern appliances was amazing. I felt as if I could stay there forever. The rice fields in which we worked were managed by a few families, who seemed to be best friends. I can’t think of a better way to live really: planting and harvesting rice, living a simple life, and enjoying the company of your friends. “The only thing better than going the first time was being invited to go back and eat the rice that we harvested by hand. ”

Gray Maxwell throwing rice over his shoulder at inekari

Children playing at inekari

✁ PLEDGE FORM THE GLOBAL SCHOLARS FUND FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Assisting outstanding and financially needy international and study abroad students at GC

❑ ENCLOSED IS MY CHECK in the amount of $ __________, payable to the GC Foundation to Global Scholars Fund. ❑ PLEASE CHARGE MY GIFT OF $ ___________ to my : ❑ Visa ❑ MasterCard Card #: ________________________________________ Expiration Date: __________ Name: ______________________________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________________ Phone: _______________________________ Email: _______________________________________ Return Pledge Form to: International Education Center, Campus Box 049, Milledgeville, GA 31061 NOTE: GC employees may give through payroll deduction. Contact University Advancement to request a payroll deduction form and designate Fund #296. All gifts to the GC Foundation are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. 11

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

T E R R A N O S T R A