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di&s reflect on study abroad
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By Thomas Wotherspoon
Staff Writer
Traveling abroad has always
been a major part of the Guilford
experience.
Approximately one-third of our
student body spends at least a se
mester abroad and return with a
wealth of experience and a renewed
appreciation for the opportunities
and advantages the world has to
offer.
This semester is no different, with
students returning from around the
world with stories and perspective
to share.
Experiential learning is the core
goal of the international studies
program, which many students val
ue \vhen returning to campus.
Students returning from abroad
for a new year and a new semester
experienced various countries and
cultures; mainly due to Guilford's
encouraging array of choices of in
ternational study including at least
eight countries to choose from, not
excluding other non-affiliated for
eign studies programs.
A dinner on Jan. 16 welcomed
those students returning from their
international study.
"It can be disconcerting to come
back during the spring semester so
it's important to have an event to
welcome you back," said Jim Hood,
director of the study abroad pro
gram.
Those present in the audience
had traveled to a variety of places
ranging from Guadalajara, Mexico,
to Munich, Germany, with many
places in between: London, Eng
land; Barcelona, Spain; India; and
Maastricht, Holland.
When asked about his experi
ences abroad, junior Peter Linden,
who studied in Maastricht, Hol
land, cited a trip to Prague in the
Czech Republic as the highlight.
Prague, one of a minority of major
European cities fortunately not dev
astated architecturally by WWII,
offers a plethora of historic sites to
explore.
Of his visit to the Muzeum Ko-
munismu. Linden said, "The mu
seum of communism was the most
unbiased" that he had witnessed.
especially given that, "it was from
the Czech perspective."
"One had to be self-sufficient, if
you want to learn how to survive I
would recommend that you go (to
Maastricht)," said Linden
Joe Carey, a senior who studied
for four months in Kunming, the
capital of the Yunnan province of
China, had similar pronouncements
about studying abroad.
"Once you can do things inde
pendently you become more com
fortable in China," said Carey. "I felt
uncomfortable with the stares that I
got while walking down the street,
because it's not considered impolite
to stare."
Other than the stares, Carey
said, "Chinese people are ob
tuse but normally quite open and
friendly...they're excited to talk to
foreigners."
After getting back in the U.S.,
Carey says he's had a hard time
"adjusting to the pace of life."
"It's hard to get used to," he
said.
Breezy Mayo, a junior who stud
ied in Barcelona, traveled abroad
for the first time in the spring. Mayo
spoke Spanish for the first time out
side of the classroom and heard
Catalan for the first time: a language
native to the region which is signifi
cantly different from Spanish.
When contemplating her time
abroad, Mayo stated, "Knowing
that my experience was going to
end, that I was going to leave, made
the experience special."
These types of sentiments allow
for the truly enriching experiences
that Guilford strides to provide for
students. It is only fitting that these
students should be returning to
Guilford, and home, to share their
experiences and renew their studies
with new perspectives.
For those interested in the
study abroad options at Guilford,
there will be an information meet
ing about the Sienna semester on
Thursday, January 21, in Founders
Gallery from 7:00-8:00 p.m.
For more information about oth
er programs visit the study abroad
offices or the web site, at www.guil-
ford.edu/academics.international/
study _abroad.
Photo credits, counterclock
wise from top: Junior Jen
Albury, Mexico; junior Cloud
Gamble, Thailand; junior
Maya Oliver, Germany; ju
nior Jonathan Richter, China;
Maya Oliver, Germany; junior
Morgan Howard, Italy.
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