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Exploring the world is a great opportunity

Posted by :Troy Thomas On : September 10, 2013
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Category: Opinion

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Studying abroad is great! It allows you to get to know yourself, the country you’re in, the United States and your hometown a whole lot better.

I’ve had the opportunity to live and study abroad before coming to Linfield and I absolutely loved it. You get a better understanding of another country, culture and way of life. Even though we all think we have our own ideas of how other people live, it’s completely different than what we could ever imagine,

regardless of how much research we do or how many people we talk to beforehand. Nothing can really prepare you for the new adventure that you will embark on while studying abroad. Each study abroad opportunity is different and you learn so many new things about yourself that you probably did not even know you could know about yourself.

Studying abroad is a lot easier and less stressful if you remain open-minded and go with the flow. The more you resist, the harder it is to enjoy yourself and have fun. You will learn new ways of doing things you would have never thought that may even be better than how you previously performed a task.

You will truly understand how fortunate you are to be able to study abroad or even to be receiving an education. You will realize all of the little things you took advantage of at home because you won’t have them while you are gone, and you will find a newfound appreciation for them.

I lived in New Zealand when I was younger and the experience was a lot different than when I studied abroad in Europe after graduating high school. Life as a kid is much simpler than as an adult. Kids have less to worry about and are much more accepting of strange things compared to when you are an adult.

Now I am so glad I had that experience and I want to go back to New Zealand one day.

I chose to study abroad in Germany as a gap year after high school because the opportunity arose and I knew I wouldn’t ever get one like it again. I went not knowing anything about the German language, but I learned just by being there. I learned so much more from my host family and my friends that I would have never been able to learn in a classroom. I also learned a lot about myself. I am planning on studying abroad here at Linfield and I think that everyone should at least consider it.

Kiera Downs / Staff writer

Alyssa Townsend can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com.

Student shares study abroad experience in Mexico

Posted by :jprokop On : March 27, 2013
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Category: Culture

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“I know everyone says this about their abroad experience, but it honestly was the most incredible, eye-opening experience I’ve had in my life,” senior Emmylu Elliott said about her time spent in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Elliott described the way her abroad experience impacted her during a presentation, “Highlights of Oaxaca,” on March 21 in Jonasson Hall.

Elliott was required to study abroad for a semester in a Spanish-speaking country to fulfill a minor in Spanish. However, her experience meant more than learning a language.

“We take advantage of language here,” Elliott said. “When you get to a place where they speak another language, you make connections only because of speaking that language.”

She said that learning the language gave her deeper interactions with the people of Oaxaca. Her time spent in Oaxaca also allowed her to realize how diverse Mexican culture is.

“I think a lot of people get a false impression of what Mexico is like,” Elliott said.

Elliott and the other students traveled to many cities and historical sights. The trips were incorporated into their classes and helped them gain a better understanding of what they were learning.

“Not only were you learning about the Mexican culture, you were able to actually experience it,” Elliott said. “Not something you get to do every day, obviously.”

These trips took them to pre-Columbian archeological sites, such as Monte Albán, which was founded in 500 B.C. and is one of the oldest cities in Mesoamerica.

Tlahuitoltepec was Elliott’s favorite city that she visited while traveling for her classes. It is a small indigenous city that follows a traditional political system, where men customarily handle government issues.

To Elliott and the other students’ surprise, however, Tlahuitoltepec had a female president. They got to meet her and learn about her life and the city.

They also visited the classrooms of local children. They played games with the children and learned from the teachers why preserving native languages is so important.

Living with a host family taught Elliott many things about Mexican culture. It allowed her to understand what life is like in Oaxaca and gave her an opportunity to use the language to build relationships.

“Using [Spanish] to form a personal relationship was something that was really meaningful to me,” Elliott said.

Before going abroad, Elliott was nervous to step out of her comfort zone.

“I can’t stress nearly enough how glad I am that I pushed myself to do that,” Elliott said. “I wouldn’t be the same person today if I hadn’t. If I was able to overcome this initial fear, I honestly think anyone can.”

She urges any students studying abroad to fulfill a Spanish minor to equally consider the options of countries they can go to.

“It might end up being that Costa Rica is the right program for them, but they should know just how amazing the Oaxaca program is before they rule it out as an option,” Elliott said.

Elliott plans to live and teach in Spain next year.

“After going abroad, I feel like I can’t sit still here. I want to travel as much as I can and find another experience that is exciting and new, just like Oaxaca was.”

She said there is no better time to study abroad than while in college, especially at Linfield, where it is strongly encouraged.

“I feel like I changed both academically and personally from this experience,” Elliott said. “I encourage everyone to study abroad and fall in love with another culture like I did with Mexico.”

Carrie Skuzeski/Culture editor

Carrie Skuzeski can be reached at linfieldreviewculture@gmail.com.

Austria provides students with many opportunities

Posted by :jprokop On : December 3, 2012
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Category: Culture

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Fisherman’s Bastion located in Budapest, Hungary.

culture1_ONLINE(From left) Junior Nick Kintop, sophomore Ariana Lipkind, junior Annika Yates and junior Kelly Carmondy stand outside of Fisherman’s Bastion located in Budapest, Hungary.
Photo courtesy of Adison Wisthoff

 

Most who have traveled abroad can tell you that learning a language is one of the hardest parts about being in a foreign country. But for those going to study abroad, it is essential to the experience. Traveling to Austria has provided Linfield students the opportunity to improve their German speaking skills, as well as the opportunity to see Europe.

“At Linfield, I would only speak German for an hour or so each day for class, but here it’s nonstop,” junior Addison Wisthoff said. “I can definitely tell my German has improved from this.”

Attending the Austro-American Institute, Wisthoff has been immersed in Austrian culture. While the classes meet the Linfield Curriculum and catalogue, Wisthoff said that they are very different in teaching style.

“I took three classes: Ethnic Diversity, Austrian Cultural History and Austrian Politics. We also take [a German class] at the University of Vienna,” Wisthoff said. “The classes are taught differently than at Linfield.

“I have gone on tours/field trips with all my institute classes. I really enjoy this aspect of school,” Wisthoff said. “We were able to learn about Gothic or baroque architecture one day and the next day we get to go see real baroque and Gothic building or learn about a Habsburg monarch, and then see where they lived and where they were buried. The time spent in class was slightly different from Linfield, in the aspect that it was primarily lecture-based with little discussion.”

Junior Angie Aguilar went to Austria during the fall of 2011 with only one year of German under her belt, which caused some difficulties adjusting to the culture.

“I was able to go through the classes alright because our professors were very patient with us,” Aguilar said. “But when I would try to speak German in stores, the salespeople would switch to English as soon as I made a mistake.

“After that happens so many times, it gets very discouraging,” Aguilar said. “Also, when I would have dinner with my host family and their friends, it was really awkward to be able to understand what they’re saying but simply not have the vocabulary to add to the conversation.”

While school in Austria has provided a more exciting learning environment, the city life has been a little shocking for Wisthoff.

“Since Austria is a strongly Christian state, nearly all the stores are closed on Sundays,” Wisthoff said. “This means that you need to plan ahead when you go grocery shopping, since the stores would be closed. The stores also close around 7:30 p.m., so that was something else to think about.”

Aguilar struggled with the conservative style of Austria in comparison to the brightly colored clothing from America.

“When I went to Austria, I had bleach-blond hair and dressed in skirts, knee high socks and hair bows, usually all in pretty bright colors,” Aguilar said. “This didn’t mesh with Vienna’s fairly conservative fashion of jeans, a button-up shirt, blazer, and scarves in dark or neutral colors.”

During his time in Austria, Wisthoff has gotten the chance to do many things he wouldn’t have expected to have the chance of doing had he not studied abroad.

“I met both the Austrian chancellor and president, I was on an Austrian national TV News Talk twice [as an audience member], and [was] able to go all over central Europe on weekend trips,” Wisthoff said. “I have been to Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Italy and Hungary. I am thankful for all these opportunities that I could have, and I would recommend others to look into the Austrian study abroad program.”

Aguilar’s favorite thing she experienced while in Austria was the connections she made with new people from different places and backgrounds.

This semester, Wisthoff and four other Linfield students are studying in Austria. While Linfield does not normally host Austrian students, they regularly have teaching assistants to help teach German, according to Marie Schmidt, assistant to the International Programs Office.

Kaylyn Peterson

Copy chief

When study abroad disaster strikes

Posted by :jprokop On : November 7, 2011
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Category: News

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Three students gave a presentation about their study abroad experiences of the recent earthquakes in Japan and Christchurch, New Zealand. The presentation took place Nov. 3 in Jonasson Hall.

Senior Elizabeth Stenger began the presentation with her experience of the Christchurch earthquake.

“We didn’t have any idea what was going on,” Stenger said. “The power went out, and the ground was shaking.  We thought it was an aftershock but it just kept going.”

Junior Jen Boston was also studying abroad in New Zealand when the earthquake hit, although she said she was in Dunedin, a city  south of Christchurch.

“I didn’t find out until my host said to go watch the news,” Boston said. “On TV there were pictures of cracked roads and flooding. It was shocking because N.Z. doesn’t censor their news like the U.S. does. You could see bodies lying under rubble and stuff.”

Senior Ariel Lillico experienced the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan while she was studying abroad in Tokyo. Lillico said the earthquake was far away from Tokyo, but they could still feel it.

“I was in my dorm when the earthquake hit,” Lillico said. “The school was near a hospital, so we got power back pretty quickly, but most of the area around didn’t have power.”

Lillico said one of the first things she did after the earthquake ended was get on Facebook and tell everyone that she was okay.

The presenters advised any student who might encounter a natural disaster while studying abroad to keep in contact with their parents and the people at home. Staying in the loop of communication was important during an emergency, they said.

Stenger said that it took two and a half hours for her to get cell phone service so she could call her mother.

“I remember the first message we got was ‘people are hurt,’” Stenger said. “We got a message from the school that they were evacuating the international students. My roommate and I went to spend a week at a friend’s house in Wellington. I think that was a good decision—the parents were wonderful.”

Lillico said that Linfield gave its students in Japan the option to stay or go home, unlike some schools that pulled their students out of Japan.

“I never considered going home,” Lillico said. “I never really felt in danger. A lot of other students were required to go home. Everyone who stayed was really passionate about their opportunity to see Japanese culture, and they didn’t want to have to give that up.”

All in all, the presenters agreed that experiencing disasters while studying abroad was an unforgettable experience, and not necessarily in a bad way.

“The Christchurch earthquake opened up another window into the culture–how they react to disasters,” Boston said. “They pulled through in the most incredible way possible. I learned a lot about myself in that time.”

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Sharon Gollery/Cultures editor
Sharon Gollerycan be reached at linfieldreviewculture@gmail.com.

Students and their families press on after disaster hits

Posted by :jprokop On : April 1, 2011
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Category: News

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Linfield students studying abroad in Japan were not harmed by the March 11 disaster involving an 8.9 magnitude earthquake and record-setting tsunami on the coast of Japan.

The tsunami mainly affected the northern region of Japan, but the students are studying in the southern region of the country.

Videos instantly surfaced on the Web as waves crashed into the coastline, and millions watched as the coastal towns of Japan were quickly swept away.

Hours later, a tsunami warning for the west coast of the U.S. was sent out as well as one for Hawaii, which had the potential of devastating many students.

The families of students from Japan are fine, Shaik Ismail, director of international programs, said.

But the death toll as of March 31 was almost 11,500 and more than 16,000 are still missing, according to www.Gather.com.

Junior Niki Raissian, who recently studied abroad in Japan last semester, was affected by the disaster. Raissian’s mother recently moved to be with family in Yokohmara, near Tokyo.

Raissian said she found out what happened from her mother before the media aired the information regarding the disaster.

“She made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal,” Raissian said.

She went on about how her family was impacted by the earthquake and the tsunami.

She said her mother told her that other than daily power outages and some aftershocks, the effects were not drastic, but it was difficult to find food inside of the grocery store, Raissian’s mother reported to her.

Calls were made to students who may have needed Linfield’s assistance contacting their families in Japan, Ismail said.

“We continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis, with our partner institutions in Japan and with the U.S. Department of State,” he said.

Ismail explained what Linfield has done to help those impacted by the crisis.

“There was a campus- wide call-to-action fundraiser (via email) three weeks ago, organized by the International Programs Office. The college collected a respectable amount of donations from our community and sent the checks to Medical Teams International based in Portland,” Ismail said.

He said the college connects with students who are studying abroad and keeps in touch with their families through almost-daily emails.

“We also appreciate that our students in Japan have contacted us frequently and have remained cool, calm and collected throughout this ordeal — surely a sign of great preparation by the college,” Ismail said.

For more information about the students studying in Japan, contact Ismail at sismail@linfield.edu

Corrina Crocker/Sports editor
Corrina Crocker can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.