Stan and Karen Johnson
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Welcome to the newest edition of Going Global, the quarterly 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: 2019: Trevor Tuxill, Emma Hagan, Joy Nave, Brooke Ghiglia, Ben Koerber, Veronica
Taylor and JP Popham
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Santiago, Chile
2
I made the decision to study abroad about two days before the course approval deadline. It was a mad scramble during those two days to pick a program and get all my courses approved. Somehow, I ended up choosing a program in Puntarenas, Costa Rica for my junior year fall semester. I still couldn’t tell you how I ended up choosing my program, but it turned out to be the perfect fit. Costa Rica was so different from anything that I had experienced. I lived in a tiny house right by the beach with my host Grandma, Father, Uncle, two kids and two dogs. The importance of family in the Costa Rican culture was evident from day one of my semester. All meals were eaten together around one small table and the conversation was always fulfilling and family oriented. This aspect of my life abroad was far and away my favorite. My host family made me feel like one of their own. To top it all off, my host Grandma, who was the primary cook for the family, was a retired Costa Rican chef. The food was insanely good and always consisted of fresh fruit, a salad and some kind of meat (usually fish). Due to the location of the program, my family always had access to fresh sea food and certainly took advantage of it. I spent most of my afternoons sitting in the open-air living room of my home with my host family, waiting to enjoy a late lunch.
However, Costa Rica is not just known for its food. It has become a global center of biodiversity and adventure. The program I studied with took full advantage of this and scheduled regular excursions into the rainforest. When the school wasn’t planning an adventure, it wasn’t hard to travel around the county for a weekend. The bus system in Costa Rica is both extensive and dirt cheap, making it the perfect way for a band of college kids to see the whole country. As a small group, we went on endless hikes to waterfalls, rainforests and beaches seeking after cliff jumping, surfing or good hiking trails. By the end of the semester, we had perfected the art of weekend travel and could throw together a two-day adventure for about $20 each. There were so many places that were worth mentioning but my favorite was the waterfall in La Fortuna (Pictured Right). It was one of the most amazing natural displays of power that I have witnessed. The locals go to the lagoon to swim because the waterfall acts as a sort of treadmill, pushing them away from the base of the falls as they try to swim towards it. Another one of my favorite locations was Arenal Volcano, one of several active volcanos in Costa Rica. On a clear day, you are able to the smoke rising from the summit and could often smell the sulfur in the air. We had the opportunity to climb about halfway to the summit and to swim in the lake that was created by an eruption of the past.
The wildlife that we often stumbled upon during our travels was usually both terrifying and fascinating, depending on the creature and the distance we were from it. One afternoon, on a bus bound for a good surfing spot, the driver pulled over by a river to refuel. We got out to stretch our legs and looked over the side of the bridge to see a band of alligators sunning themselves on the banks of the murky river water. Other creatures were less intimidating but no less fascinating. The semester flew by as I adopted the routine of learning Spanish during the week and exploring the country on the weekends. My program provider (USAC) was super helpful throughout the semester and insured that the students were getting an experience that was genuine and safe. I was able to take classes through my program for Spanish, Surfing and Latin American Dance which gave me a unique experience with plenty of daily variety. Looking back on my semester abroad almost a year later makes me miss my second home in Costa Rica. As a student advisor for the Office of International Education, I get the privilege of helping other students study abroad as well. During the student’s decision making process, I always tell them the same thing. We are given eight semesters here at Grove City College to grow, learn, build relationships and prepare for the ‘real world’. I believe that taking one of the eight semesters to study abroad is the perfect way to experience a new form of growth, learning, relationships and preparation that will really round out a student’s college experience. I would not say that my semester abroad was ‘life changing’ or ‘soul shattering’ or anything like that. It did however teach me a lot about myself and gave me the opportunity to test my faith in a new and sometimes scary environment. I am so grateful for the time I spent abroad and would highly recommend a study abroad program to anyone who has the itch to branch out and experience a little more of the world.
Spotlight on LdM: Lorenzo de’ Medici International Institute By: Veronica Taylor
I remember my first view of Florence as the plane descended, complete with the pointed cypress trees and red, tiled roofs so typical of Italy. I had already burst my comfortable Grove City College bubble by independently flying internationally for the first time, to a continent I’d never stepped foot on, to live in a city where I knew no one. Within five minutes of picking up my bags and heading for the taxi cab line, I had already found a friend to share the adventure with - as well as an overpriced taxi ride - and all thanks to recognizing she was clinging to the same LdM instruction print-out as I was. LdM stands for Lorenzo de’ Medici International Institute, which Grove City College has partnered with to send students to either Florence, Rome, or Tuscania for a semester abroad in Italy. My experience abroad was the hallmark of my college career, maybe even my life, and LdM played a prominent role in making that happen. In addition to its affordability compared to many other program options, the top three areas where LdM enriched my experience were through its international instructors, monthly activities/excursions, and student housing. While studying abroad I maintained a 15 credit hour semester, which included Global Business and Introduction to Finance, my two majorrelated classes. The finance class was taught by an Italian and one of the projects was to analyze an international business, culminating in a recommendation to invest in the company or not. The fact that the professor’s full-time job was in the Italian finance sector gave lots of practical insight into how foreign companies do financial reporting differently from the United States and what factors might affect profitability in a space like the Eurozone that would not be applicable to American corporations. The professor for my global business class had grown up in Germany, worked in the United States for 20 years, traveled all over the world, and spent the last several years living in Italy. She was eminently qualified to teach the class and there was certainly no better way to learn global business than during a time when I myself was living abroad, engaging in foreign transactions every day. Much of the time, studying abroad is more about the cultural immersion and less about academics, but I am thankful to say that my studies with LdM were beneficial in both respects, due to the quality of my international instructors.
In addition to providing classes, LdM also offered a handful of weekend trips that students could sign up for as well as cultural activities that occurred throughout the month. The weekend trips included destinations like Rome, Monte Carlo, Lake Como, and more. I participated in the one that went to Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri, which was enjoyable but also probably cheaper to do in a large LdM group than on my own. Furthermore, having our Italian LdM guide meant that we got the VIP experience, including a private boat tour around the island of Capri that ended with all of us jumping off the boat and swimming in the crystal clear Mediterranean. Back in Florence, at the beginning of every month LdM sent out a list of activities that were all either free or mostly free and students were allowed to sign up for four. Through these I was able to take Italian cooking lessons, visit nearby towns, watch local artisans working their crafts, attend the musical Mamma Mia, and much more. Without LdM offering these options to learn more about Italian culture I would certainly have had a much less memorable and educational experience abroad. Lastly, perhaps one of the most important functions LdM fulfilled was that of planning students’ living situations. I had been concerned about this leading up to my time in Italy because I did not know any of my roommates and I assumed that the apartments students received would be very low quality. I was pleasantly surprised in this regard, as my roommates were all perfectly nice, and while I did not become best friends for life with them we were able to cohabit for four months without any issues. We even hosted a Thanksgiving dinner at our apartment for a large group of friends - one of my favorite study abroad memories. The apartment itself was spacious and homey, with all the essentials provided. If we ever needed anything all we had to do was send an email to the housing contact and someone would be over soon, oftentimes before the end of the day. The location was safe and yet provided us a feeling of independence and immersion as we were not in a dorm full of other study abroad students, but rather in an apartment building with other residents of Florence. Without LdM, I doubt that I would have found a living situation anything close to as ideal as what they provided. Before studying abroad the most adventurous thing I had done in college was probably a 2 a.m. Sheetz run - by the time I returned home from Florence I was at the point where I would spontaneously hop on a 2 a.m. bus to who knows where. That change certainly did not happen overnight and LdM helped make the transition feel like a natural progression. I had worried that the classes would not be taken seriously, that I would struggle finding unique cultural experiences, and that my living situation might be stressful, but LdM went above and beyond my expectations to support me and create the most memorable few months of my life.
GCC has a partnership with
Fall, Spring, Summer, or full
LdM that gives students a
year programs for:
discounted rate.
• Liberal Arts • Design
Approximate Semester
• Sciences
Tuition: $7,200
• Italian Language and
Housing: $3,800
culture
Also features summer workshops in art or archaeology
from Nantes to Grove
City By Emma Hagan
Every Spring semester, Grove City College is given the exciting chance to host French students from ONIRIS, Grove City’s partner school in Nantes, France. Over the past few years, Grove City students have enjoyed hosting and getting to know the students from France during their month-long stay in the United States. This semester, however, we have the privilege of welcoming a student for much longer than in previous years. Tiffany, a student at ONIRIS studying food engineering, arrived at the beginning of the semester and will stay until mid April auditing courses. I had the chance to sit down with her and chat about her experience so far. Continue reading to learn about what has surprised her about Grove City and much more!
Q: Why did you decide to come here? A: For French students it is a very big opportunity to come here. I want to do my Mobilité Académique (where university students spend 13 weeks in a different country to validate their degree) in an English speaking country. Grove City has a real campus and is really the only option for a campus life experience. The campus life really attracted me.
Q: Has anything been shocking or surprising about Grove City or about America in general? A: The links you have with your teachers is different for me. They ask you how your weekend was and how you are and you can talk to them. You can share if you have problems, too. You’re a big family. Your course schedules are better organized and the classes are shorter so you can concentrate better. You practice religion a lot and share it with other people.
Q: Have any parts of your time here been unexpected for you? What about the food or other aspects of the culture? A: One thing, you eat for dinner between 4pm and 6pm. That is very, very early for me. I used to eat between 8pm and 9pm or between 7pm and 8pm when I am with my family. I have my snack when you have your dinner. I have noticed that there are a lot of activities and clubs. It’s like everybody is involved in a club or something. You promote your activities. Q: What are some things you enjoy doing at Grove City? A: I enjoy going to language tables because you learn language better when you speak it. It’s a great concept. I went to see Tartuffe and I loved it! The Food Feedback Forum was very interesting to see. You have a lot of diversity in your cafeterias.
Q: Anything you don’t like about America? A: Maybe the weather. For example, the difference in temperature between Monday and Tuesday is hard to adapt to. Q: What are some of the major differences you see in America when compared to France? A: The classes are different. You have a very different system for academics with majors and minors that you can adjust and personalize. The people are very welcoming here. They invite you into their homes. Q: How has your English improved since you arrived? A: I hope it has improved! I understand better and I talk better. When I’m in France, I don’t choose to practice English except for in class with Grove City students during the fall semester. It has been a great opportunity to practice my English here and my understanding has improved. Q: Have you had the chance to do anything special or take any trips since you arrived here? A: I went to New York during break and we visited a lot of things. I went with two Grove City students and saw all the sights. Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Little Italy, we walked all day. I also went to their family’s house and celebrated one of their family members’ birthday with them. I went to a basketball game in Cleveland in early February which was special for me because I love basketball! Q: What do you miss most about France? A: The food. The bread. The cheese. And the crepes. And my family and my best friend from ONIRIS. Q: What is your favorite food here? Have you found anything you like to eat that you cannot get in France? A: I have discovered quesadillas, I love them! Both in the cafeterias and in restaurants.
Costa Rica’s National Dish: Gallo Pinto Ingredients: •2 cups cooked white or brown rice (1-day old rice is best) •1 ½ cups cooked black or red beans •1 chopped red bell pepper •2 tbsp. minced onion •1 tbsp. minced garlic •5 tbsp. of Lizano or Worcestershire sauce •2 tsp. vegetable or olive oil Prep: 5 min Cook: 10 min How to: 1. Sauté the onion, pepper, and garlic in oil for 1-2 minutes 2. Mix in the rice and cook for another 2 minutes 3. Add the beans and Lizano sauce, making sure to mix all ingredients well 4. Fry on medium heat for another minute or two 5. Cover the pan and let sit for 2 minutes 6. Serve with natilla (Costa Rican sour cream), a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro and enjoy Yields 2 servings.