Stan and Karen Johnson
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Welcome to the newest edition of Going Global, the monthly newsletter that provides readers with information and reflections on the international experiences of GCC students. Presented by: The Stan and Karen Johnson Office of International Education Director: Dr. Lois Johnson Field Director: Dr. Mark Reuber Staff Assistant: Mrs. Jennifer Gilliland Student Advisors: Justine Simon, Reed Alioth, Pierre Habib, Precious Grieco, Jocelyn Halliley, Joel
Kearney, Jesse Nelms and Lauren Schoeppner
We hope you enjoy our newsletter! Find us on Facebook (GCC Office of International Education). Visit us anytime in HAL 319!
Prague Castle, Czech Republic
2
Last spring, I began my much-anticipated semester abroad in Barcelona, Spain. I didn’t really know what to expect – after all, I’d never been out of the country for more than two weeks, and I’d never stepped foot in Europe. I decided to go the apartment route rather than a homestay, because I wanted to gain a feel of what it might look like to live in an apartment in a city after college. I really wanted practice learning Spanish, though, so I was intentional to befriend locals. For me, there are four main reasons that I loved having the opportunity to spend a semester in Barcelona: weather, activities, church, and travel. The weather in Barcelona was incredible. I was told to expect “bone-chilling rain” during the month of February, but it only ended up raining two or three times, and it certainly wasn’t bone-chilling. Other than that, the sun was always out. It was never unbearably hot, but I could definitely got away with a light jacket for the first month or two, and just a tshirt and shorts after that. I was blown away by the amount of opportunities and activities available in Barcelona. There are countless plazas, beaches, restaurants, theaters, museums, and even hiking trails. I often spent my free-time hopping on the metro and taking it to a stop I had never explored before. One really cool spot in Barcelona is the Bunkers – an old Spanish Civil War site on top of a mountain where you get a full 360 degree view of the city. Many study abroad kids and locals hike up to the Bunkers in the evening to eat snacks and watch the sun set.
Continued‌ The opportunity I valued the most while in Barcelona was getting involved with the International Church of Barcelona. The services were incredible, and on any given Sunday over 70 nationalities were represented. I made long-lasting friendships while there, and on Mondays we would all have a movie night. On Tuesdays, we’d play football (soccer) on the roof of the church, and on Wednesdays I had guys group (we would talk about the sermon, or sometimes just watch a Barca game and have a cookout). Every other Thursday was Awaken, where the young adults would gather for a worship night, trivia, or a build-your-own-sundae event. One event I really appreciated was a retreat to Tarragona where I got to know people from the church on a deeper level. I also was able to participate in a mission trip to Cairo, Egypt through the church once my semester ended. Finally, Barcelona was a great place to be since I wanted the chance to explore other areas of Spain and Europe in general. As a student in Barcelona, I was able to get a cheap metro pass, which allows you to travel to even the outskirts of the city. It works for the metro, the buses, the trains, and even the funiculars. Transportation to incredible mountain ranges like Monserrat or beaches like Costa Brava was super easy, and my program offered excursions to other areas in Spain like Pamplona and Basque Country. Barcelona also has a major international airport, which made traveling to other countries easy and affordable. Friends studying in other regions of Spain sometimes would have to take a bus to Barcelona so they could fly out to their final destination. I was able to find cheap flights quite often, and thus visited about ten other countries.
$9, 500 includes everything listed here for the semester. Most GCC financial aid applies to study abroad programs. Visit the OIE (HAL 319) or email jlgilliland@gcc.edu for an appointment.
San Jose, Costa Rica By Jesse Nelms
During my stay in Costa Rica, I was able to experience a sweeping scope of the culture, flora / fauna, scenery, and many other aspects of this beautiful country. Costa Rica is known for its wide range of stunning nature scenes, from its majestic sandy beaches to high volcanic peaks. I enjoyed getting to see all of these firsthand while getting the ‘locals perspective’ as well. I lived primarily in San Jose, which is in the center of the country. I stayed with a host family who showed me how they ate, worked, and lived, and provided an excellent opportunity for me to work on my Spanish skills. One of my favorite things about being abroad in Cost Rica was being able to visit such a diverse set of places all within the country. The ocean, volcanic mountains, forests, and cities were all within grasp with a simple purchase of a bus ticket. An excellent place to visit is Manuel Antonio. This area of Costa Rica is nestled right on the Caribbean Sea and is home to numerous flora and fauna, not to mention absolutely stunning views and gorgeous beaches. By paying a small fee to enter, you can visit the top of the volcano and experience what it’s like to stand only a few hundred yards from the mouth of the volcano.
Another one of my favorite trips was to Monte Verde Cloud Rainforest. This trip took me into the heart of the Costa Rican jungles and allowed me to experience numerous waterfalls, breathtaking mountain views, and rainforest zip-lining. La Fortuna waterfall was particularly stunning with its powerful waterways and deep blue basin. The accompanying rainforest was awesome to experience and something I’ll never forget. Costa Rica provides a wide variety of experiences that all proclaim “Pura Vida!” or “Pure Life!” So that being said, go explore Costa Rica! And to you I say, “Pura Vida!”
Studying Abroad: A Look at the Numbers The 2017 Open Doors Report completed a study of U.S. study abroad data over the past couple years, and the report gives some interesting insights worth noting. Yet again, the United Kingdom tops the list as the most popular destination for students to study abroad. This is likely due to the lack of a language barrier and a similar culture, both of which make the idea of living in a foreign country a little less daunting. The United Kingdom saw 39,140 American students hopping across the pond to study in the country between 2015-16. The UK was followed next by Italy, Spain, and France respectively in number of American students. Germany overtook China in ’15-16 as the fifth most popular country for study abroad, seeing as the number of American students studying in China fell by 8.6% from ‘14/15 to ‘15/16. France and Costa Rica were the only other top ten destinations which realized reductions in the number of students studying abroad in the country.
MOST POPULAR STUDY ABROAD DESTINATIONS BY NUMBER OF STUDENTS: '15/16 45,000 40,000 35,000
39,140 34,894
30,000
29,975
25,000 20,000 15,000
17214
10,000
11900
11688
5,000 0
United Kingdom
Italy
Spain
France Germany China
11070
9536
9223
Ireland Australia Costa Rica
7145 Japan
Cuba*, Japan, and the Netherlands are up and coming countries to watch: they have experienced the largest percentage increase in Americans studying there with changes of 58.6%, 18% and 17.2% respectively. Cuba’s massive increase in international students is in accordance with the re-establishment of ties (especially regarding tourism) between the U.S. and Cuba. *GCC students cannot yet study in Cuba due to recent travel alerts there.
Who Are My Peers? DISTRIBUTION OF GENDER STUDYING ABROAD: '15/16 Women
Men
34%
66%
While the distribution is relatively evenly spread, most students studying abroad are in their junior (32.9%) or senior (27.7%) year. The experience is predominantly done during undergrad, as 87.7% of students are undergraduates versus 12.1% in graduate school. Undergraduate study typically offers more elective credits, which enables students to take classes abroad and profit from the international experience.
Men: you need to step up your global game. Approximately two thirds of students studying abroad are women. This could possibly be due to a higher percentage of women in majors which are conducive to a semester abroad (communications or languages versus science and engineering). Regardless, American men abroad will face some competition with European men with such one-sided ratios.
ACADEMIC YEAR DISTRIBUTION STUDYING ABROAD: '15/16
27.70%
Senior
32.90%
Junior
12.70%
Sophomore
Freshman 0.00%
3.60% 5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
Students with an interest in studying abroad should begin their research early to ensure that credit requirements can be met. It is the experience of a lifetime, so make every effort to have it happen for you, too!
35.00%
Meet Professor Guido HĂźlsmann
Professor Guido Hülsmann is an Austrian School economist who is on sabbatical at Grove City College this spring. He is a professor at the University of Angers in France, and he and his family have come to Grove City College for the semester. His first time visiting Grove City College was in 1997 when he came to research Ludwig von Mises. Grove City had been given von Mises’ papers by his widow in 1978, and thus when Hülsmann was researching von Mises, Grove City was the obvious place to go. Hülsmann has previously taught many courses at Grove City, including International Economics, and has been to the college around 15 times in his career. He has also participated in many Vision & Values discussions, including an economic comment on the book of Revelation, migration issues in Europe, and on the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris. While on sabbatical, he is working on a book on finance, along with a smaller book on gratuitousness. This smaller book deals with where free goods come from. He talks about the gifts that people give to one another, along with the benefits from laws of nature, which are gifts from God. Professor Hülsmann is also director of a new Masters in Law and Finance program at the University of Angers. It will be starting for the first time this fall. It is a full-time study from September to August and is completely taught in English. The program only costs 256 Euros for the entire academic year. For more information about this program please email Professor Hülsmann at guido.hulsmann@univ-angers.fr.
Skinny Orange Chicken In less than 30 minutes, you can have a mouth watering dish that is as good for you as it tastes. Forget the traditional rice and frying method. Substitutions like quinoa and a bed of fresh arugula are simple ways to take things to the next level.
ORANGE CHICKEN INGREDIENTS: 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bitesized pieces salt and pepper 2 Tbsp. olive oil orange chicken sauce (ingredients below) toppings: thinly-sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, orange zest OPTIONAL: 1 cup dry quinoa 1 bag of fresh arugula
ORANGE CHICKEN SAUCE INGREDIENTS: 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup honey 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 3 Tbsp. cornstarch (add gradually) 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. white pepper zest of one orange pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
DIRECTIONS: TO MAKE THE ORANGE CHICKEN: 1. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. 2. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté for about 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and nearly cooked through. If desired, Cook quinoa according to
package directions.
3. Pour in the orange chicken sauce, and stir to combine. Let the sauce come to a boil, then boil for an additional minute or two until thickened. Remove from heat and serve immediately over a bed of arugula and quinoa. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds and additional orange zest. TO MAKE THE ORANGE CHICKEN SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together until combined. If you would like the sauce to be even sweeter add an extra 2-4 tablespoons of honey.
Pro-tip: Add the cornstarch gradually. If the sauce gets too thick, add water to the pan until the desired consistency is reached.
By: Justine Simon ’18