Winter 2014

PG. 18

GERMAN EXPOSURE RYAN MCEVOY STUDIES YOUTH DRUG ADDICTION IN BERLIN

PG. 24

READING TO LIVE A NEW SSIR TAKES STUDENTS FROM TUCSON TO NEW YORK CITY

Forum Magazine A UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND STUDENT PUBLICATION

world

THE IS OUT THERE WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? PG. 15

WINTER 2014

URFORUMMAGAZINE.COM

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

ForumMagazine Our mission at Forum Magazine is to create an impactful, revealing and balanced magazine designed and reported with students in mind.

In awarding time and space to the most impressive people and projects, we hope to make something that strengthens the community by inspiring pride in every student, faculty, and staff member at the University of Richmond.

Through sections focused heavily on career advice, national issues, superlatives, and culture, Forum will be a place for conversation—both serious and light hearted—that leaves students with a deeper understanding of both the college world and beyond.

DEAR READERS: “ONE’S DESTINATION IS NEVER A PLACE, BUT A NEW WAY OF SEEING THINGS,” American writer

Henry Miller said. Though many of us understand the allure of traveling to a beautiful foreign place, we sometimes forget that such voyages can open our minds to new ways of living and even thinking. In this issue of Forum Magazine, we celebrate travel and what it offers to us as students on both academic and personal journeys.

I went on my own journey this past summer as I road tripped across the U.S. to my internship site in San Diego, California. Both the drive out west and the ride back home offered me opportunities to glimpse landscapes and scenery that I had previously only seen in pictures. Some notable stops included the Grand Canyon National Park, Las Vegas, and the Great Salt Lake.

During my time in California, I spent plenty of time exploring the city of San Diego and its surrounding areas. Located on the Pacific Coast and approximately 20 minutes from the U.S.-Mexico border, the area was a culmination of culture much different than that of southern Virginia in my hometown outside Roanoke.

I also took time to explore the greater state of California, visiting both San Francisco and Los Angeles. My journey to San Francisco consisted of an approximately 18-hour trip up the Pacific Coast Highway with stops along the way, including a tour of Hearst Castle. Though the drive was sometimes taxing both mentally and physically, the time I spent alone showed me that I could easily create and enjoy my own experiences without the help of others.

For many, travel is defined by studying abroad in a foreign country during their years at the University of Richmond. For some, this

Editor In Chief REBECCA WILSON Representin’ the University of Richmond at the Grand Canyon National Park

is a semester abroad, and for others, it is a choice to leave their home countries and make this university and the U.S. their new home for four years. We explore a few of these latter stories in “Leaving Home.”

We also explore the ways in which studies are enhanced by travel. “One Spider’s Berlin” explores sophomore Ryan McEvoy’s journey to Berlin to research the youth drug culture of the post-World War II era, and “Reading to Live” highlights the travel components of the Sophomore Scholars in Residence programs.

Enjoy. And, as always, feel free to contact the magazine staff with any comments or inquiries through richmondforum@gmail.com.

Assistant Business Manager ELIZABETH MEYER Advertising Managers MONET BAER, TONY DA LOMBA, MEREDITH SCROGGIN Distribution Manager EAMON O’KEEFE Director of Photography BRIDGET WHAN TONG Lead Writer BEN PANKO Design Assistants SUGANDH GUPTA, SAVANNAH KELLY, RAE LAND Web Manager LIZA DAVID

Social Media Assistant CALEB TROY Assistant to the Editor MOLLY ROSSI

Rebecca Wilson Editor in Chief

FM

Your campus. Your culture.

Your Forum.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Please direct all story ideas, letters to the editor, and other comments to richmondforum@gmail.com.

ERRATA On page 17 of the Fall Issue, Ted Lewis was incorrectly identified as the director of Common Ground.

Lewis is the associate director for LGBTQ Campus Life. On page 22, a photo of Jepson Hall was inaccuractely edited with an old photo of North Court. Jepson Hall was completed in 1992. On page 23, Sarah Brunet Hall was misspelled.

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Business Manager JOE HAN

Director of Social Media CHRIS ACQUAFREDDA

Best,

CONTACT US

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Executive Managing Editor MCKENNA JENSEN

Staff Reporters TRACY AKERS, KEN ANDERSON, RHIANNON BELL, PAIGE DEREMER, MIA HAGERTY, JOE HAN, MADELEINE JORDAN-LORD, CARNEY JUDGE, JIAQI LUO, DYLAN MCAULEY, EAMON O’KEEFE, MARIELA RENQUIST, MEGHAN ROBERTS, MEREDITH SCROGGIN, SOLEIL SHAH Staff Photographers PAIGE BASHIAN, BRITTANY CLEMENS, PAIGE DEREMER, ALYSSA GUNVILLE, MIA HAGERTY, RAYNA MOHRMANN, ELLEN OH, MONIKA PAYERHIN, TAYLAN SALVATI, MADELINE SMITH, CALEB TROY, ABBY WILSON Copy Editors KARISSA LIM, LIANA SALEH, HANNAH SULLIVAN

( CONTENTS ) 14

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OUR MAP OF THE WORLD

ONE SPIDER’S BERLIN

READING TO LIVE

See how many Richmond students choose to study abroad, and check out a photo map of where some went and what they saw.

After falling in love with Germany’s capital, sophomore Ryan McEvoy now seeks its stories of hardship. By Jiaqi Luo

While traveling across the country, one Richmond class learned about the power of books.

By Dylan McAuley

on campus

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FOUR-YEAR TRANSFER STUDENTS Sweden, Jordan, El Salvador, and Turkey – these are four of the nearly 80 countries from which UR students hail. Read about their expereinces.

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around town UNLOCKING THE FORBIDDEN CITY Artifacts from China’s imperial palace create a “transformative” exhibit for visitors at Richmond’s Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

in our world MUSKY RAT KANGAROOS Australia’s smallest kangaroo overcomes big threats from habitat fragmentation.

ON THE COVER

PHOTO BY ALLISON DE LA TORRE During her time studying abroad at the University of Sydney, De La Torre took a “free-spirited, not-planned-to-the-T” trip to New Zealand. The road trip began in Rotorua in the North Island and ended at the Coromandel Peninsula, pictured above.

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Food Truckin' Through Finals (hosted by WCGA and RCSGA) Sunday, December 7th in the Forum (12pm-5pm)

wcstudentconcerns @gmail.com

@wcgadaisies

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UR Downtown: take advantage of the richmond city reserve space for meetings and projects, or enjoy a meal at the cafe with dining dollars

( ) ON CAMPUS

Leaving Home Nearly 400 of Richmond’s undergraduate students came from other countries to study here. Four of these international Spiders share their experiences.

ILLUSTRATION BY TONY DA LOMBA

BY TRACY AKERS ON MOST ADVENTURES, a certain amount of bravery is required. For four Richmond students, the choice to leave home to attend college in the States was nothing short of a daring, new adventure in their lives.

Adela Chacon, a junior, grew up in El Salvador, knowing for most of her life that she would one day attend college in America. “I went to the American School of El Salvador which is very similar to most American high schools, so college in the U.S. was not a strange thing to do. Our school offers college counseling

like all schools in the U.S., and around 80 percent of graduating students go to college abroad; about 70 percent go to the U.S.,” she said.

Even though she and her parents always planned for her to leave home, Chacon knew that leaving her family would not be the easiest of transitions. Luckily, she was able to balance her life at Richmond and her life back home in El Salvador. At first, Chacon thought that going away would be hard because she was an only child. Chacon, to her own surprise, has been faring well here at

Richmond. “I have found I was able to adapt better than students with siblings because – well, it sounds horrible, but I have less people to miss. Of course I get homesick sometimes, but Richmond is so diverse in terms of places people come from that I am always aware I am not the only one far from home, including U.S. students. Flying home for me is faster than for students from California,” she said.

Currently, Chacon is studying abroad in Paris, France. She has been able to adapt to the European lifestyle smoothly, especially since she speaks French in addition to Spanish and English. However, life is different overseas, she said. Life is slower there than in Latin America or the U.S., but, of course, this made it even more of an adventure for her. “The only time I’ve ever felt out of place abroad was once at a UR football game – never been more lost in my life. I had no idea what was happening.”

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( ON CAMPUS ) STUDENT LIFE

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speak in a different way, but I feel I belong here as much as the next person.” Ciftci commented on the smaller city life of Richmond compared to his bustling home city, Istanbul. “Given the size of Richmond, most people appear to be locals, so there I do feel kind of out of place. I didn’t get that feeling in some of the larger U.S. cities I have been to.” However, Ciftci thinks that perhaps he is better fit for a small city lifestyle: “Richmond feels much more relaxed, and I actually think I like it better.”

When asked if he wanted to include anything awkward or spontaneous in his international story, Ciftci animatedly added, “Something most people don’t realize is that just because you speak English doesn’t mean you speak ‘American’ […] After moving in freshman year, whenever I saw my RA he would say, ‘Hey man, how are you doing?’

And taking the question in the literal sense, I would proceed to tell him how I am actually doing, what I have been up to since the last time I saw him, etc., and he would be walking away while I did that!” Most of the time, Americans expect the same answer — a simple “good” or “fine.” As cultural – and certainly funny – as this realization of difference is, answers to questions about home, fitting in, or missed loved ones, are more complicated than a simple “how are you?”

For senior Louise Andersson, her adventure was certainly different from those of AbuAlNeel, Chacon, and Ciftci – but no less brave.

The idea of studying away from home was not unfamiliar to Andersson. “I always planned to come to the States to study. When I was four, I

told my parents that I would move to Florida so I could go to Disney World every day. My motivations changed along the way... But the goal to eventually move to the U.S. never did,” she said. Andersson said she moved away from home when she was 16 to go to boarding school outside the capital of Sweden, and even moved to France and Switzerland before coming to school here in Richmond. “So I was already used to living away from home and had no problem being away from my family. The beautiful [Swedish] invention of Skype keeps me connected to them on a weekly basis,” she said.

Andersson is not shy when it comes to stating the obvious difference between the young adult cultures back home in Sweden and the maturity of those here at Richmond. “I didn’t struggle too much when I came here, but I was shocked by the drinking culture my freshman year. It’s not that we don’t drink alcohol at home, but we are allowed to drink it at a younger age and therefore don’t freak out as much when we see alcohol at parties in college. At home we drink to socialize and have fun, here people drink to blackout – very confusing.”

In the end, Andersson is unbelievably happy that she came to Richmond for college. “I have gotten to have some amazing things during the past three years: Greek life, being part of campus organizations, networking with professionals, meeting people from all over the world, working on campus, getting to know professors, learning professional skills, landing an internship in London — all things I would not have been able to do at a Swedish university.” FM

COURTESY LOUISE ANDERSSON

For Haneen AbuAl-Neel, a sophomore, her experience studying abroad in America was different from Chacon’s. “Home is Amman, Jordan. However, I originally come from a Palestinian family from Yafa, or what you may know now as Tel Aviv-Yafo,” she said. At first, AbuAl-Neel wanted to study abroad, but not in the U.S. specifically, she said. “I applied in the U.K. and the U.S. and eventually ended up coming here. I think the diversity in the American society is the reason I eventually decided to come, I assumed it would make me feel more included and less homesick.”

AbuAl-Neel said that her experience here is exhilaratingly different, which makes her forget about what she misses back home in Jordan, at least for a little while. She said her lifestyle in Amman was very westernized, which was an advantage when coming to America for schooling. However, she still finds that there are too many instances where she sees the “huge cultural differences and experiences culture shock, such as the way of communication, expectations in social interactions, and formal expectations. It can get hectic sometimes,” she said.

“Making new friends here is easy for me,” AbuAl-Neel said, “but deepening those friendships can become a challenge also. With different customs and ways of communication in cultures, so many misunderstandings can happen. As far as keeping up with friends from back home, it boils down to those you are really willing to push yourself to the limit for. There is a 7-hour difference between here and Amman.

You can imagine how much of a hassle keeping up with everything can be.”

Dinc Ciftci, a sophomore, grew up in the city of Istanbul. In Turkey, Ciftci went to an American high school similar to Chacon’s in El Salvador. During his second year of high school, he began contemplating the idea of studying in America for college. When first arriving in Richmond and navigating his way through freshman year, Ciftci realized that being away from home was not as easy as he thought. “It would be overwhelming at times, but I got used to it. The concept of ‘home’ started to get confusing because I’m in Richmond throughout most of the year. I miss friends and family back home, and of course food,” he said.

Ciftci said that sometimes he still feels “foreign” here at Richmond but only due to the fact that he has only been in the States for over a year now. However, he does not feel out of place on campus or in the university community. “I might have a different perspective on things than most of my friends, and I might

VERBIER, SWITZERLAND

Senior Louise Andersson, pictured at the Swiss Alps, first lived in Sweden, then moved to France and Switzerland before heading to the U.S.

( ) AROUND TOWN

Unlocking the Forbidden City Mystery, luxury, and technology at the VMFA

BY JIAQI LUO

PHOTO COURTESY VMFA

Vairocana Buddha in ritual costume, courtesy of The Palace Museum.

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( AROUND TOWN ) WHAT TO DO

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“

The VMFA raised more than $60,000 – exceeding its original goal – to build a scale model of China’s imperial palace using a 3D printer.

capital city. These include paintings, sculptures, costumes, furniture, gold and silver, jade, lacquer, and other decorative arts. These artworks represent the imperial collection from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (16441911) dynasties, with a primary focus on the mid-Qing dynasty. Overall, the Forbidden City exhibit delivers a clear but profound message: The Qing rulers incorporated their Manchu nomadic traditions, adopted cultural elements from ethnic groups, and endeavored

Wine Set (cup and stand), courtesy of The Palace Museum.

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to create a diverse government and maintain societal harmony.

The exhibition is artfully divided into four thematic sections, each section showcasing different activities that took place in the palace’s outer and inner courts. “Rituals in the Qing Court” addresses the function of the outer court for state affairs and ceremonies.

“Court Arts in the Inner Quarters” explores artwork that was influenced by imperial patronage, cultural exchange and trade with the West, as well as the portraits of daily imperial life. “Court Paintings of the Qing Dynasty” explores imperial interests and influences on forms and styles of court paintings. The final stage, “Religious Life in the Palace,” delves into the Buddhist and Taoist activities of the inner court and offers a glimpse into the spiritual practices of the Forbidden City. “The exhibition aims to offer a broad perspective of imperial China through displaying extrava-

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY VMFA

irginia Museum of Fine Arts is the first art museum in the United States to establish an extensive collaborative project with the Palace Museum in Beijing,” said Alex Nyerges, executive director of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), proudly in the media review panel prior to the public opening of the exhibition. Emphasizing the growing connection between the state of Virginia and China both in business and cultural exchange, Nyerges said the Forbidden City exhibition not only serves educational purposes, but also has political appeal. Today in Virginia, ancient (particularly imperial) art from China is still seen as exotic under the name of “Orientalism.” The nearly 200 works of art drawn from the Palace Museum’s collection presented in this exhibition fit this description, but they may also help expand the audience’s view of China. Nyerges hopes that, by holding this special exhibition, the general Virginian audience will gain a clearer vision of the culture of contemporary China, the country that has just surpassed the United States to become the biggest economy in the world in terms of gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity.

“Forbidden City: Imperial Treasures from the Palace Museum, Beijing” features imperial treasures shipped directly from China’s

WHAT TO DO ( AROUND TOWN )

Fast

FACTS

ABOUT THE CITY

The Palace Museum is located in the center of Beijing on the site of what was once the imperial palace, known as the Forbidden City. The residence was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties from 1420 until the last emperor in 1924. The Palace Museum is the largest art museum in China and the largest palace in the world. Established in 1925, the Palace Museum holds more than 1.8 million works of art and artifacts, many of which are either on view in the palace halls or featured in special exhibitions in the palace. In 1987, the Palace Museum was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO, and it attracted more than 14 million visitors from China and abroad in 2013.

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT TITLE

Forbidden City: Imperial Treasures from the Palace Museum, Beijing

DATES

October 18, 2014-January 11, 2015

ORGANIZERS

The exhibition is organized by The Palace Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

CURATORS

gant details of the imperial costumes, decorations, and court paintings,” exhibition curator Li Jian said.

Besides the extraordinary aesthetic assets, the Forbidden City exhibit has also introduced the latest technology – 3D printing – to maximize the spectator’s experience. VMFA is “the first American museum to use 3D printing technology to create a scaled model of the Forbidden City,” according to its curatorial team. Inside of the exhibition space, dramatic animation of the imperial city’s landscape will take visitors on a simulated journey into the emperor’s luxurious lifestyle, once forbidden to the general public.

Many of the journalists present at the media review described the exhibit as a “transformative” experience. “I want this show to be more than a story-telling space,” Nyerges

Li Jian, E. Rhodes, and Leona B. Carpenter, Curator of East Asian Art at the VMFA

TICKETS

$20 for adults; $16 for seniors 65+ and adult groups of 10+; $10 for students with IDs and youth ages 7 – 17.

Free for members and children 6 and younger.

FOR THE UR STUDENT • DuPont Fund: Note that the For bidden City exhibition qualifies for the DuPont Fund reimbursement for UR students. UR students who are on need-based financial aid can receive full funding to attend this event. said. “I want people to discover more about an ancient civilization of our world, deepen their understanding of an emerging country and, beyond everything, the essence of Chinese people.” FM

• Transportation: 1. Take GRTC’s Route 16, which has a stop in front of the VMFA. 2. Take UR Downtown, get off at Thomson and Grove, and walk for ten minutes.

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( ) IN OUR WORLD

Hypsi Havens in Forest Fragments Three students share their experience tracking Australia’s smallest species of kangaroo

PHOTO BY JOHN ROBINSON

BY JENNIFER BRADY, ROSE FOGLIANO, AND MONIKA PAYERHIN

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PHOTOS BY JOHN ROBINSON

( IN OUR WORLD ) RESEARCH

WHEN YOU FIRST THINK OF AUSTRALIA, visions of kangaroos jump-

ing in the outback or koalas sleeping in eucalyptus trees are often the first things that come to mind, but because of this, many other native animals are easily overlooked. In the Wet Tropics of Queensland, an ancient rainforest teems with birds, reptiles, and marsupials.

Among these is the musky rat-kangaroo, the smallest member of the kangaroo family. Their scientific name, Hypsiprymnodon moschatus, is affectionately shortened by locals to “hypsi.”

These rabbit-sized kangaroos keep busy collecting and caching seeds and fruits among the leaf litter of the rainforest floor.

This makes them an important part of their ecosystem, as they help to disperse seeds of many different fruit trees. Therefore, the presence of these creatures can drastically impact the tree species present in the rainforest, and their absence can cause many of these species to suffer.

We were a part of a group of 19 study

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abroad students that set out to survey the population of hypsies in four different locations in northern Queensland. Another group had already collected data during the wet season of 2014, so this time the study was conducted during the dry season to see if the population size changed. We surveyed each site for several hours to record the number of hypsies, their current activities, and their response to our presence. Many of the sites have hiking trails through them, so the hypsies regularly have to deal with humans moving through their habitat.

Historically, land in the Wet Tropics was developed and farmed, which led to fragmentation of the rainforest. Two of our sites were Lakes Eacham and Barrine, which are both in the middle of small rainforest remnants.

When rainforests are fragmented in this way, many species disappear from them. The presence of hypsies is a good indicator that

these fragments are still able to support a healthy ecosystem. Not only are the hypsies still able to survive there, but they also help to keep the forest healthy by dispersing seeds.

We saw one hypsi busily hopping through the underbrush with a neon-orange fruit clasped in its teeth, so intent on its task that it seemed oblivious to us.

The other two sites were continuous areas of rainforest. Interestingly enough, these areas each had very few hypsies. The fragments

“The presence of hypsies is a good indicator that these fragments are still able to support a healthy ecosystem.” around the lakes had populations roughly seven times larger. During the wet season of 2014, the continuous rainforest sections also

RESEARCH ( IN OUR WORLD )

had small populations of hypsies. The lakes still had larger populations, but were about half the size of the populations we measured in the dry season.

There are several factors that could account for these numbers. The populations could have simply increased in a successful year of reproduction. However, there is also currently a shortage of rainforest fruiting. At first glance, the hypsies could simply be coping surprisingly well with this, but there is also the possibility that the shortage of fruit has forced them to spend more time foraging, increasing the likelihood that we would encounter them.

Regardless, the population does seem to

be sustaining itself around the lakes. Joeys, baby marsupials, leave the pouch in October, which is when this study was conducted.

Accordingly, we spotted a young hypsi with its mother at Lake Barrine. They were generally wary of human presence and ran away, but we were often able to observe them for half a minute or longer. They never seemed overly stressed by our presence, just cautious.

One possible reason the hypsies may be more populous in the fragments is that predators are also affected by the shrinking of the forest. Quolls, cat-like marsupials, will happily make a meal out of a hypsi but are very sensitive to forest fragmentation because they require larger home ranges. Therefore, they are more likely to be found in the continuous areas of forest, where we saw far fewer hypsies. Rainforest fragments are known for having high numbers of pythons, which are nocturnal. Hypsies, however, are active during the day, which helps them to avoid these predators. Thus, it is likely that the hypsies

in the continuous forests are faced with more predators, which could reduce their population size in those areas.

Although hypsies tend to choose fruit as their main diet, they are flexible and will also eat other foods, such as fungi. Given the moist environment around the lakes, fungi may be more available there than in the continuous forests. The hypsies in the fragmented forests may also have more sources of food when there is a shortage of fruit, allowing them to better survive.

Though forest fragmentation may be unbalancing their natural ecosystems, the hypsies still seem to be hanging on and finding enough to sustain themselves. In both seasons, they were most commonly observed foraging among the leaves for fruits and seeds.

Even in their changing environment, with their habitat becoming fractured and invaded by humans, hypsies are still finding ways to survive and play their part in the grand scheme of the ecosystem. FM

LAKE EACHAM, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

(From left) Forum photographer Monika Payerhin with Rose Fogliano, a junior at Gettysburg College, and Jennifer Brady, a junior at Bucknell University

f l e c ti o n : broad re a y d u t ncient s a autiful, a

le, through be the adorab r o f Strolling g n i h p but s and watc uldn’t hel o c rainforest niquely I , s e i hyps udying a u t g s n i e p b p o o h t vorite tiny, l of my fa ucky I was a l r e w v o e h s t r u e o nd togeth think ab biology, a ies, tying n c o e i road p t s a v n r a e i s l n my time ab , co r d Austra o e i h v c a i h r e n b e animal ct has field subjects: This proje e biology c . n e e c i n r e e i p c x s e the tal e to fully t gave me m I environmen g . h n i t w r o a l e l m at ia by a aces on e classroo in Austral wildest pl h t e h n t i f d o e n e r n on Australia; s I’ve lea n t i p e d research i c l n e o i c f e in the integrat ve learned ’ chance to I s t p e c n ith co unity.

Richmond w the opport r o f l u f e rat I’m very g

-Monika Payerhin

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StudybyAbroad the numbers Most students that Chart Title choose to study abroad are female.

Male Female

9 out of 10 spiders will study abroad in the fall semester, as opposed to the spring semester.

71% of students study abroad in Europe.

Of the three undergraduate schools, primarily students of A&S Leadership will study abroad.

Leadership

Leadership Business Business Arts & Business Sciences

Spain is the most popular study abroad country followed by the United Kingdom and Italy.

58% of University

of Richmond students study abroad sometime during their undergraduate term.

Arts & Sciences

*Information based on 2013 university data

Tips for students Arts & Sciences planning to go abroad: What’s the housing situation like?

Every program is different regarding housing. Make sure the university abroad fits your housing needs and be sure not to miss deadlines for abroad housing applications.

Schedule an appointment to meet with someone in the Office of International Education.

This knowledgeable office will give you the ins and outs of studying and living abroad and tailor make a worthwhile and academically beneficial experience.

Develop a relationship with your adviser and ask questions about the program.

Does the school abroad offer classes suitable to my major?

Do I want to travel within the country or see sights in nearby countries?

Certain programs have an emphasis on certain majors and interests.

A prevalent example is the business-oriented programs offered in the Copenhagen program.

A student abroad hopes to gain memories, experience a different culture, and graduate once back at UR.

If you’re planning on going to a European destination, travel to other countries is relatively easy and practical. However, if you are in Australia or Indonesia, traveling to “nearby” New Zealand might be more of an investment to make the trip.

Talk finances with your parents and your adviser.

Make sure that you and your parents are on the same page when it comes to your study abroad experience in regard to your finances. Know what you can and cannot afford and be open and honest with those who can potentially fund your journey.

-KEN ANDERSON

URForumMagazine.com

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an

Michelle Shum

Samantha Eastlack

r

Loubna ElBa

rco

el Ba

aD Fatim

Study abroad locations Home countries of UR students Both 16

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Emily Whitted

Our Map of the world Emily Whitte

d

Khatira Darvesh

Allison

De La T orre

Fabiana Ayala URForumMagazine.com

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BY JIAQI LUO

Photo taken from the Berlin Zoo Station, a focal point of much of McEvoy’s research. On the right is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which, in the late 1960s and 1970s, was the center of West Berlin’s drug scene.

Not many people share the same enthusiasm for a foreign city as Ryan McEvoy does for

Berlin.

As an International Studies and German double major, Ryan McEvoy, a sophomore, has spent several consecutive summers in his favorite city, Berlin, immersing himself in the German language and authentic youth culture. This past summer was no exception, but the trip was built on a more scholarly purpose.

Inspired by professor David Brandenberger’s class “Russia in Revolution, 1905-1934” in his first semester at the University of Richmond, McEvoy continued cultivating his interests in German history with Brandenberger’s encouragement.

When McEvoy heard about the opportunities for an Arts & Sciences Summer Research Fellowship earlier this year, he was not sure if he would be sufficiently prepared to write a proposal or take on a highly demanding project, especially as a rising sophomore. It was Brandenberger who supported him throughout the process, helping him to formulate and define ideas. “I have heard from other undergraduates who have performed research how rewarding the experience is, so I found myself especially motivated to give my all to the proposal,” McEvoy recounts. “When I was later notified that I had been awarded a fellowship, I was thrilled and immediately began planning out the specific logistical aspects of my summer in Berlin.”

The grant-applying process was just the start of a rewarding experience for McEvoy.

Interested in continuing his education in a setting where he would need to conduct further research, McEvoy not only learned how to craft a theoretical proposal for the To the left is one of the entrances to the modern Berlin Zoo Station.

Christiane F., the author whose book inspired McEvoy to pursue his research, wrote about the station.

McEvoy at the Reichstag, the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Institutional Review Board but also how to understand how to develop the practical side of a research project such as budget planning.

McEvoy had visited Berlin more than once prior to his research trip. In 2012, he participated in a student exchange program between his high school and a Jesuit high school in Berlin, Canisius-Kolleg; it was an experience that brought him extensive local contacts. Though Ryan was fairly familiar with the cultural atmosphere in Berlin, he still found the preparation to be lengthy: “It is by far the longest and has required a tremendous amount of planning.”

Initially inspired by a book called “Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo” (We Children of the Zoo Station) by Christiane F., McEvoy was fascinated by the shocking storyline and the broad cultural context within. “I began thinking of ways in which such a fascinating topic could be transformed into an academic pursuit,” he says.

McEvoy’s success in conducting the research was partly dependent on Brandenberger’s extensive feedback. “[Brandenberger] was

especially helpful in helping me to narrow down my topic and brainstorming methodologies I might want to employ in carrying out a project,” McEvoy says. In order to have a solid foundation in his research subject, McEvoy had spent a great deal of time over winter break working through Robert Stephens’ book “Germans on Drugs” which was also the topic of Brandenberger’s doctoral thesis. McEvoy is passionate about exploring the youth culture in West Berlin between 1968-1975, a period during which he believes the area experienced significant political and social change.

He is also trying to prove an unconventional theory that matches his belief: “Robert Stephens of Viriginia Tech argues that conventional wisdom about West Germany’s ‘successful’ experience with modernization and westernization following World War II often ignores the fact that the experience of West Germans was much more complicated.” By reading extensively about post-war Germany,

“I sometimes think people, including myself, forget how recently Germanyreunified reunified.”

- RYAN MCEVOY

McEvoy is more convinced that the massive increase in youth drug use during this time period demonstrates an increase in consumption (closely tied to modernization and westernization), come with disadvantages.

Perhaps most importantly, McEvoy wants his research to introduce a more social aspect to this widely misunderstood topic. To do so, he would have to show substantial investigation on how people responded to the macrolevel changes occurring around them, both in theory and in real life.

Along with the summer fellowship, McEvoy was allowed to spend six weeks in Berlin. “During the first half, I spent time in the national library collecting and examining biographical literature from the period, as well as some of the scientific evidence

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“Even when I visited Berlin for the first time, I didn’t speak much German [...] Now, I am conducting research using almost exclusively exclusively German sources.”

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY RYAN MCEVOY

- RYAN MCEVOY

published during this time,” he says. “In the second half of the research period, I interviewed [in German] people who were teenagers in Berlin during this period. I collected a significant amount of information in regard to how understandings of several areas of interest [relationship to authority, relationship to the outside world, gender roles, drug use, and citizenship] changed during this period.”

In Berlin, McEvoy found two aspects of his research truly surprising. The first aspect was the relationship between social groups.

Although extensive literature review and several interviews have demonstrated just how important it is to analyze this time period in West Germany on a variety of levels, McEvoy tries to underpin his research in order to see “how individuals, both in an isolated way, with each other, and alongside macro-level actors like the West German government, shaped this time period.” The second aspect is the relationship between individual behavior and ideology within this specific time period in Germany. Ryan says with excitement, “I believe most historians would agree that at the time period I’m interested in, students in West Berlin were hyper-politicizied.”

“During my research, therefore, I have sought to understand more deeply the ideological foundations of this movement.”

Adopting a truly interdisciplinary research manner of youth culture in West Berlin, McEvoy was satisfied with what he encountered during his experience abroad.

McEvoy has a long story to tell about his infatuation with Berlin. The city is somewhere he feels personally connected. Recognizing the endlessly rich culture buried within

Berlin’s urban landscape, he said, “Berlin is certainly different from other European cities, both in its openness and social liberalism and its history, which are clearly connected. There is a vibrancy in Berlin across the broadest conceivable range of cultural elements – from academia to different social scenes – which I think is unparalleled.” More than that, Berlin’s turbulent modern history has sparked McEvoy to keep going back in order to discover more narratives. In McEvoy’s point of view, there will always be a fresh and interesting angle to look at Berlin’s historical significance, simply because of the city’s unforgettable past.

“I sometimes think people, including myself, forget how recently Germany reunified,” McEvoy said.

For a freshman scholar who had just finished several years of German studies, the path was not always smooth. There were certainly difficulties and barriers Ryan McEvoy had to combat, however he successfully car-

ried out the final result. Surprisingly, his greatest fear during the whole research process was the interview stage. “In the 9th grade I couldn’t speak a single word of German,” McEvoy says. “Even when I visited Berlin for the first time, I didn’t speak much German because I didn’t have much confidence in my skills. Now, I am conducting research using almost exclusively German sources.”

However, gaining first-hand experiences in his research automatically makes it easier for McEvoy to empathize with a seemingly distant group, such as youth on the margins of a foreign society. As his academic interest in Berlin’s youth culture continues, McEvoy expresses a more optimistic view of furthering his research in this field. “Even for topics that have been explored, such as youth culture, there is always a new and interesting angle one can find, which can lead to a significant reinterpretation of the ‘common wisdom’ on an issue,” McEvoy says confidently. FM

LEFT: Artwork on the Berlin Wall lists humans needs in several languages. A few listed needs include protection, pleasure, music, and happiness. RIGHT: McEvoy at the German National Library in Berlin, where he spent a significant amount of time drawing from a variety of media.

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W

hy is it that so many of us cannot think of life without books? That is precisely the question that French professor Olivier Delers and his students are aiming to answer in their Sophomore Scholars in Residence (SSIR) class “Reading to Live.”

Whether their passions lie in fantasy, nonfiction, or mysteries, one thing unites all 16 of the class’ students – a true love of reading.

Together, this class has embarked on a journey around the world through novels in order to explore the meaning of literature and the human experience of reading well instead of simply reading a lot.

“Reading to Live,” currently in its inaugural year, was started by Delers, a professor who is described by his students as highly effective and laid back, with the intention of giving students the opportunity to not only read a novel but also to experience it.

“I thought the SSIR would be a good way of recruiting interested students and giving them the opportunity to experience knowledge differently, and for me to experience things with them,” Delers said. In order to make this a reality, Delers hopes to teach his students to value reading well over reading a lot. When asked what it is to read well, the professor responded, “Slow[ing] down to spend some time with those novels and with those characters and really get into the text.”

The result of this is a deeper understanding of literature and ultimately a richer and more valuable experience.

Like all SSIR programs, “Reading to Live” features a travel component to enhance the learning experience. The group took two trips, one to Tucson, Arizona, and the other to New York City. The Tucson trip was designed as a three-day, pre-semester reading retreat at a small ranch in the desert. According to Delers, “The goal during our trip was to really get to know each other and to read books together in a beautiful place.” The students

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found this trip to be a good way to get to know the other people they would be living and learning with over the next year. One member of the class, Abby Sanchez, found the retreat especially rewarding. “Because we went before the semester started, a lot of us didn’t know each other,” she said. “It was a great opportunity to get to know them before our class together. It was a nice way to make friends with people you might not have hung out with otherwise.”

Upon their return to campus, the students began their course with full force. Delers began the year by having the students facilitate their own discussion while he stood by, simply observing and taking notes. The result was a rich, organic conversation about the meaning behind the literature they had read in Tucson. The class does not meet frequently enough to allow for such discussions every week, but they are indicative of the spirit of the course in that they allow the students to share their reading experiences with each other and to learn from one another in the process.

“People have these diverse interests and somehow everyone in the class cares as much as I do,” Sanchez said with a sense of wonder in her voice. “It’s like finding out that you have a common background with these people you’ve never met before because they’ve read the same things you’ve read. It’s such a great feeling.”

By the time that friendships had begun to form in the class, the students had their second opportunity to travel by going to New York City over fall break. The group went to New York “in order to look at reading a book from a different perspective and as an object by being surrounded by beautiful and rare works of literature,” Delers said. The students went to the Morgan Library, which houses the private library of J.P. Morgan. Sanchez remarked that she was most impressed by the library’s possession of three of the world’s 48 Gutenberg Bibles and its first editions of the works of William Shakespeare.

The students then visited the Argosy Book Store, New York City’s oldest independent

TUCSON, ARIZONA

The class spent three days at the C.O.D Ranch prior to the first day of classes at the University of Richmond. The reading retreat was designed as a chance for the class to get to know one another.

bookstore, in order to see rare pieces of writing, including George Washington’s letters, Dr. Seuss’ autograph, and Marilyn Monroe’s signature, all of which are for sale. The group was able to speak with one of the owners of the store and to shop around the immense collection of one-of-a-kind pieces. “I really enjoyed the bookstore because it was more personal and we could touch and see things,” said Sharon Lee, another student in the class.

“I was able to buy a beautiful copy of the Book of Psalms.”

Lastly, the class met with the curator of the Berg Collection at the New York Public Library who showed them even more rare works of literature. Though they had the opportunity to experience the rest of New York City, including a Broadway show, the students say that they were most moved by the gravity of the pieces they had seen and the impact such works had on them.

PHOTOS COURTESY JIAQI LUO

New York City

In the coming semester, the students in “Reading to Live” will undertake an exciting and meaningful project to fulfill the SSIR community involvement aspect. The class will split off into four different groups and spend a week helping others in the commu-

nity share in the experience of reading. Three of the groups will go to public schools in the Richmond area (one elementary, one middle, and one high school) in order to help teach students how to read or to become better readers. Sanchez said she was looking forward to

her experience working with middle school students. “Middle school is where I learned to really love reading, and I can think of nothing better to give back to the community than that same love of reading,” she said.

The remaining group will go to The Hermitage, a local senior center, to read with the people living there. Lee said she is planning on working there: “I want to read with them and talk about their lives and experiences to learn from them.” In addition to the fulfilling nature of these projects, Delers believes “both show the students the importance of reading in life beyond reading for a class, and that it is a skill we often take for granted and should share.”

The Sophomore Scholars in Residence program has offered students incredible opportunities to experience the world differently with a new group of friends, and Delers has successfully enriched that experience with “Reading to Live.” His students have nothing but wonderful things to say regarding his class. “It’s a lot of work, but I really love it so far!” Lee said.

As far as anyone involved is concerned, Olivier Delers’ course, “Reading to Live,” truly embodies the essence of the Sophomore Scholars in Residence program and is continuing to enrich the lives of Richmond students every day. FM

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class time #classinmydorm

home #HotelLakeview

fall break #ssir #google

wow! #deathvalley #ssir #lookatthestars #protectedlands

my ďŹ rst professional conference #q-community #networking

saturday in richmond with my professor #rva #humanrights

bonding #friends #newheights

roommates #fallbreaktrip #ssir

class time in the city #eatinglocally