Thursday, February 12, 2004
THE PENDULUM
• Page 13
Valentine's plans
Elon students find new ways
to spend Valentine's Day.
See story p. 14
FEATURES
Changing gears
Safe Rides kicks volunteer
involvement up a notch.
See story p. 16
Elon study abroad students experience ‘re-entry shock’
Leanne Jernigan
Reporter
Elon has always encouraged stu
dents to reach out of their “bubble”
and explore new things. One way
students achieve this is by studying
abroad.
Students return after a semester
in a different country with a much
different outlook on life at Elon, as
well as life in the United States.
Those who were abroad fall semes
ter have recently returned to the
“Elon Bubble” for Winter Term and
spring semester. Upon their arrival
they experienced a sort of re-entry
shock.
Some found it strange re-adjust
ing to life back at an AmericMi col
lege. Little things such as makeup
and cars seemed out of place, while
attending class every day seemed
foreign after being accustomed to
taking classes at their own pace.
Some universities around the
country offer programs that help
students who are returning to the
states with “reverse culture shock.”
Elon does not offer students the
chance to receive help or advice on
adjusting back to regular life. But
is a program in which students have
to learn how to re-adjust to a nor
mal life really necessary after
studying abroad?
Junior Valentine Woods was part
of the Denmark International Study
Photo Submitted
Laura Batholomay takes a break from her study abroad classes in Sweden to
visit the mountainous regions of Nonvay. Her class schedule allowed for fre
quent trips to other countries, a convenience not necessarily afforded at Elon.
Program where she studied medical
practice and policy programs in
Copenhagen, Denmark.
“There is definitely a culture
shock when you come home, but
I’m not sure that it’s anything a
class could help with,” she said.
Junior Laura Bartholomay spent
fall semester in Orebro, Sweden.
The only advice she received about
re-adjusting to life was a packet that
explained the “emotional roller
coaster” when preparing to leave.
The packet contained information
on the highs and lows when abroad
while touching a little on re-entry
shock.
“The hardest part is feeling out
of the loop with things like current
songs and movies. Also, I have to
keep reminding myself that life
went on here without me,” she said.
Students who studied abroad
and returned for Winter Term say
they still do not feel as if they have
returned to a real college atmos
phere. With Winter Term having a
more laid-back environment than a
regular semester, returning students
did not feel in the normal grind of
Elon life.
When she returned for Winter
Term, Bartholomay said she feh as
if she had to wait a while for the
“real Elon” to actually start.
Since Winter Term consists of
only one class, returning students
are just now feeling the pressure of
16-to-18-hour class weeks. While
in Sweden, Bartholomay took self-
study courses where she was in
class for a brief time each week.
Besides the adjustment to
schoolwork. Woods touched on
other cultural differences she
noticed.
“What has always been normal
suddenly seems strange,” she said.
She had to become readjusted to
using a car for transportation as
opposed to taking a train like she
did in Denmark. Also, she was sur
prised when she noticed how many
Elon girls wear full makeup every
where around campus, whereas
Denmark’s women believe in natu
ral beauty. Feeling like an observer
in a world that she used to feel a
part of. Woods started noticing the
little things.
One of the purposes of studying
abroad is to allow students to view
the world through a different per
spective. That is the exciting part -
experiencing new things and
returning with a new sense of
everything. Though students who
have spent time abroad find it hard
to reacclimate themselves to life in
the United States, they doubted a
program designed to help with re
entry would be effective.
“I personally don’t think it
would do any good. It’s more like
you’re personally changed and I
don’t think there’s anything they
could have done or said to help. It’s
more processing everything on
your own.” Bartholomay said.
Woods proposed a different sort
of program.
“I think it might be nice if there
was a time for all the students who
were gone to just get together and
talk about their experiences both
abroad and returning. Sometimes
just knowing someone else under
stands what you're going through is
all the help you need,” Woods said.
Contact Leanne Jernigan at pen-
dulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.
Students ‘live their dream’ as firefighters for Town of Elon
lason Spinos
Reporter
Several Elon students are getting to live their
childhood dream. A group of seven students are
volunteer firefighters with the Elon Fire
Department.
“I’ve been interested ever since I was a kid,
said junior Scott Muthersbaugh, who partici
pates in the program.
Freshman Timothy Anderson agreed.
“I’ve wanted to be a firefighter my whole
life,” he said. He first became a volunteer fire
fighter two years ago in his home state of
Pennsylviinia. When it was time for Anderson to
ajply for colleges, he narrowed his choices by
eliminating schools without a fire station nearby.
After deciding to apply to be a volunteer fire
fighter, tte Elon students had to go through sev
eral steps befcBS being accepted.
The fire station only accepts applications
when there are openings for volunteers. A thor
ough background check of the applicants is con
ducted and the applicants are put through a num
ber of interviews.
The applicants also have to go through a 90-
day probation packet before they can respond to
emergencies. During this time, they learn the
basics of firefighting and the equipment they
will use. However, the volunteere do not learn
everything they will need to know in these 90
days.
“It takes a full year to get up to par,” said
Assistant Fire Chief Alva Sizmore.
Once accepted as firefighters, they will be on
call 24 hours a day. They can turn off their
pagers, but they need to answer a certain per
centage of calls each year. And volunteers don’t
just get the easy jobs.
“We do everything, once we are trained for
it,” Anderson said.
In addition to the initial 90-day training peri
od, the fire station holds training classes two
nights a month. The volunteers and other
members are required to attend 54 hours of
training a year.
With such a difficult application fwocess, all
that training and the inherent dangers of the job,
why do these Elon students want to volunteer?
Anderson and Muthersbaugh both said they
love their job, and they agreed on the best things
about being a volunteer firefighter: the strong
impact firefighters make and the family-type
atmosphere of the fire station.
“It gets in their blood once they start doing
it,” Sizmore said. “It’s a gift, and they enjoy
doing it.”
Contact Jason Spinos at
pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.