The 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: John Popham, Emma Hagan, Trevor Tuxill, Joy Nave, Brooke Ghiglia, Ben Koerber,
Paige Kraynak, Veronica Taylor
We hope you enjoy our newsletter! Find us on Facebook (GCC Office of International Education). Visit us anytime in HAL 319!
Salzburg, Austria
2
Krakow, Poland Tatra Mountains Our featured city is Krakow, Poland. Krakow is a beautiful and friendly city that is a very underrated location for studying abroad. It is comparable to Prague in its colorful buildings and cheap cost of living. A semester with our program partner USAC is only $5,980 for one semester, or $11,460 for a full year. This is less than half of each semester at GCC. You will save money going abroad! USAC offers classes in Polish language and culture, Jewish/ Holocaust studies, politics, and international business. The housing options are either private apartments or residence halls. The program also includes a trip to the Zakopane and Tatra mountains, where you can take a hike and admire the beautiful view. Experience authentic Polish food like freshly cooked pierogis and original polish bagels called Obwarzanek Krakowski that are sold all around the city. After a good meal, you can take a stroll around the largest city square in Europe. St. Mary’s Basilica is also worth the visit, boasting the largest gothic mantel piece in the world. More sights include Wawel Castle and Wieliczka Salt Mine.
Krakow was also a notable place during World War II, after Germany invaded and took control of the city. It is the home of Auschwitz, a concentration camp used during WWII. It is a somber visit, but worth it to pay tribute to the 1.1 million Jews who lost their lives there, and to ensure that history does not repeat itself. You can also visit Schindler’s Factory, now part of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow. Because of Krakow’s great location, it is very easy to travel by plane or train to another part of Europe, and the program offers optional trips to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. As a study abroad student, you will have many opportunities to explore all around your host country and surrounding countries. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and find out if spending a semester in Krakow is right for you.
Establishing Roots Beyond the Bubble By: Trevor Tuxill
Fall of 2017 in Salzburg, Austria
Studying abroad‌it can sound like a terrifying experience, living in a completely different country where you are not fluent in the primary language. But that sounds like an adventure to me! I mean come on! Who wouldn’t want to get lost in an old city and have to spend hours finding their way back to where they live? That just sounds like an adventure, an adventure worth taking.
I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in Salzburg, Austria, the home of a captain with seven children. Rather than seven children, my host mom adopted four of
us Americans to stay with her and her
grandson. We were treated as her own, and immediately felt like we were always welcome there.
There’s something about getting pushed out of your comfort zone, where you don’t know where anything is, don’t know anyone, and sometimes don’t even know the language.
But that’s one of the wonderful things about study abroad. It forces you to confront things that you would never have thought of if you were back in the United States with another semester on campus. Instead, there are countless opportunities to travel, to learn something outside of what is considered to be normal.
Personally, I had no one from Grove City College in my program and being a relationally based person, I knew that not having close friends there with me would be a challenge. However, some of the people I met while in Salzburg were genuine and authentic. Having never been in a public university setting, it was a lot different than Grove City and the ‘bubble’ that is sometimes associated with it. Not having faith brought into the classrooms and having so many people from similar backgrounds, I knew I would be challenged in my faith. I was right, but there were other people that were in a similar situation as me. We found a common bonding element of feeling slightly out of place from the typical study abroad atmosphere and when doing our own thing.
Another thing was that traveling was a great way to get to know other people even more. Nothing makes you get to know one another better than a long journey where you’re crammed together, experiencing something new and powerful. Something that makes you see the world in a different light.
For example, as a part of my trip to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp and Birkenau, we found very cheap travel. So cheap that it was 13 hours there and 23 hours back...We truly got to know one another through those several days riding in buses, on trains, and in the back of a Ford Transit van with our driver Ziggy from the Czech Republic. Interesting scenarios, and at times absolutely hysterical situations can truly bond you with the people you’re abroad with.
All in all, studying abroad lets you meet some really awesome people from all around the globe that you would not have otherwise when spending another semester in Grove City.
Summer in
South Korea
By Emma Hagan
Grove City students took time out of their summer to immerse themselves in the Korean culture and have the experience of a lifetime.
Take a class during summer break? No way. Study abroad? Don’t have time. Experience immersion in a culture vastly different from your own? That’s scary! While these things by themselves may not seem appealing, there is in fact one way to combine them and the result is magical. This summer, seven Grove City College students, accompanied by Dr. Paul Kemeny, spent almost an entire month at the Bahrom International Summer Program in South Korea, or BIP for short. The group was hosted by Seoul Women’s University and had a wonderful time learning about the culture, food, sights, language, and customs of Korea. The program included guest lectures, field trips, special events, tours around the city, and people from all around the world. Grove City students experienced much of what Korea has to offer, and a few shared some specific thoughts.
Liz Franz, a sophomore Computer Science major from Elizabethtown, PA was one of the students that jumped on this opportunity to go abroad. When asked why she wanted to go on the trip, she said, “It was a great mix of a spending a longer period of time abroad and also getting course credit.” This college credit is a class on Korean Studies. Franz added that it was “cool to see the similarities between Asian cultures and experience all they have to offer.” Similarly, Stefanie Klaves, a sophomore Political Science major from Milwaukee, Wisconsin shared that “It’s a really comprehensive program because we visit art museums, see the sights, and experience every part of the Korean culture. We learned firsthand how Korean university students experience the culture.”
“We learned firsthand how Korean university students C experience the culture.” -Klaves BIP provides the perfect opportunity for students in rigorous majors to study abroad. Because of major course requirements, some students have difficulty finding time and space in their schedule to spend a whole semester abroad. For students in majors such as Computer Science or Mechanical Engineering, summer study abroad programs are perfect. BIP incorporates several elements of study abroad into their summer program including class and guest lecture time, lessons about the culture and language, and the freedom to explore the city. Klaves added that she “really liked the visiting professors that came to talk about culture and politics. They came from all over.”
Bethany Juergens, sophomore Mechanical Engineering major from Mercer, PA, said her favorite part was the length of the trip. “It was nice to be there for an extended period of time. I didn’t feel like a tourist the whole time. It’s also perfect if you want to study abroad but can’t do a full semester and it is extremely cost effective.” She also shared how much she enjoyed being immersed in the Korean culture during this summer program and said “real Korean food is amazing. Every person we met was so kind and accommodating, even in stores where we had a language barrier. They didn’t get impatient, they would do their best to explain what was going on and use kindness. All the Koreans are like this.” BIP does an excellent job of providing students with the benefits of study abroad in an avenue easily pursuable by anyone, even those in some of Grove City’s most rigorous majors.
“It’s also perfect if you want to study abroad but can’t do a fullC semester and it is extremely cost effective.” -Juergens
Overall, BIP is an unforgettable program. Grove City students will be hardpressed to find another opportunity that is accompanied by Grove City faculty, offers elective credit otherwise unavailable at Grove City College in Korean Studies, and provides study abroad experience to those that cannot go abroad for a full semester at an amazing price. Franz shared that BIP really helped her see the differences between Asian cultures. “There is beauty in differences. Cultures are different and until you get to experience it, you won’t really realize that.�
Traditional Irish Soda Bread and Potato Soup For the days when you think you are in Ireland with the brisk, cold rain! Irish Soda Bread Ingredients-
Irish Potato Soup: Ingredients-
4 cups Flour 2 teaspoons Baking Soda 1 teaspoon Salt 1 ¾ cups Buttermilk
½ cup unsalted butter 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 3 leeks, sliced 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices 3 (14 ½ ounce) cans chicken broth 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper Optional: shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, chopped chives/spinach
InstructionsPreheat over to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt. Gradually stir in buttermilk until the dough comes together in a sticky ball-form. Knead the dough on a floured surface gently. Form the dough into a ball and press into a 9-inch round greased cake pan so that the dough resembles a large disk. Cut an X into the dough with a sharp knife, about ¼ inch deep. Cover the pan of dough with another round cake pan turned upside-down. Bake for 25-30 minutes (covered) and then remove the top pan and bake (uncovered) for 10 minutes or until the crust is a golden-brown shade.
Instructions: Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat- stir in onion and leek. Cover and cook 20 minutes. Stir in potato, cover and cook 15 minutes Stir in broth, salt, and pepper- bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 30 minutes or until potato is tender. Remove from heat and cool. Process soup in batches in a blender until smooth, scrape down sides. Return to saucepan, cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Add optional toppings and serve!