Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This week we started our new classes in the CLM! I am very excited because all my professors are very nice and I get to meet other students from the US, China and Japan. I was a little nervous to take Economics in Spanish, since it is already hard in English, but my professor is great and I feel that I am going to learn a lot from him. On Wednesday, we had a reception in the CLM where during the day they gave out churros con chocolate and had a parrot! At night, the directors spoke about the program and a beautiful choir that sang! I had a great first week of class and an excited to continue to improve my Spanish.
Submitted by Daniel Bailey on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This past weekend, I went with a large group to Morocco. It was my first time in Africa and I did not know what to expect. The first day we were in Tetouan. It was a very large city, and a little bit more dirty and run-down than I was used to. I saw so many children, many of whom were very excited to see foreigners walking their streets. It was crazy for me to think about how different life is in a city like this, not only compared to my life in the United States, but also compared to my new life in Spain just a short ferry ride away.
On another note, Morocco was way more beautiful than I thought. I did not know much about Morocco before going, and expected to see a sparsely populated country with a lot of desert. In the north part of the country, this could not have been more wrong. The land was way greener than I thought, maybe even more so than Granada and southern Spain. There were incredible hills and mountains surrounding us at all times. My favorite place we went to was Chefchaouen, the blue city. I had seen pictures of this city online, but they do not do this place justice. Nearly every building in the city was painted blue, with the doors usually beautifully decorated, and seeing it in person was beyond belief.
I am happy that I was able to cross another continent off of my bucket list, but nothing beat the feeling of returning to my home in Granada at 1:30am, to my host mom still awake preparing me something to eat! I am grateful to be having such an amazing experience this semester, with my host mom, the amazing people in my program, and the always beautiful city of Granada.
One of the small blue side streets in ChefchaouenMe and a couple friends after taking in a beautiful view of the mountains and lake outside of Tetouan
Submitted by Kylie Boggs on the 2019 World Scholars fall semester program in New Zealand…
Even though I’ve been an international exchange student here for just one semester, I was lucky enough to be asked to perform in the annual Inter-Residential Talent Competition at the University of Auckland on behalf of my residential hall. My hall was fairly new to this, which I did not know, and apparently it was strange to only have one person representing the residence the way that I was! When I arrived at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the venue for the event, I was greeted by large comedy groups, dance squads, and dozens of musical duets and trios that were practicing for their representation of their community. My inexperience gave me the opportunity to observe this yearly ritual as a soloist, and it was heart-warming. These people were not here to win, even with the prestigious venue or the end-of-year pressure, they were there to demonstrate how well they’ve come to know one another.
Throughout the showcase, there was raw talent and a million inside jokes all being poured onto the stage, and I felt lucky to be a part of it, albeit a tad disappointed that I was not offered the chance to partake. I hadn’t seen true university spirit on the University of Auckland Campus up to this point, especially since I missed the beginning-of-year orientation period, so I was relieved to see that the tradition of tightly knit living communities also thrives here in Auckland. Each hall presented the strengths of individuals and the cohesion of their cohorts and it was so exciting to see them win their trophies! Hopefully, the residence hall I lived in has more of a presence at next year’s competition, and my greatest wish is that it remains a humble gathering of community rather than any kind of cut-throat match. This lack of toxic competitiveness was refreshing, especially since American Universities often advertise their own competitive edge at all costs. Despite that, though, a large portion of my first-year students came to support me, and although they may not have been on the stage, I consider that their own contribution to the demonstration of genuine community that night.
The auditorium inside the Auckland War Memorial Museum
Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This week, I attended a cooking and learning Spanish class! We made paella and gazpacho. I learned so many new vocabulary words around the kitchen and ingredients in each dish. Our group worked together really well and we were able to make traditional Spanish dishes. I had so much fun making and eating the food with new friends!
Submitted by Kylie Boggs on the 2019 World Scholars fall semester program in New Zealand…
I took a few of the first year UD World Scholars with me to the Auckland Zoo during a weekend off, and while I typically think of zoos as loud and possibly inhumane spaces, this one was different. The well-documented cultural thread of eco-friendly tourism and business of Aotearoa was apparent throughout the zoo – the open spaces and free-roaming exhibits along with the visible bath houses and feeding grounds were enough to convince me. However, what we all really came to see was the nation’s bird, the Kiwi! The North Island Brown Kiwi is a fragile, flightless bird native to Aotearoa that eats small bugs during the night and sleeps during the day. They are, frankly, adorably goofy looking! However, they are also a strong symbol of uniqueness and they and their feathers are a treasure to the indigenous Māori people. Now, there are only about 35,000 of them left in the world. A creature that used to dominate the underbrush is now struggling to survive, with staggeringly low egg survival rates each year. What happened? Well, ultimately, colonization happened.
With the arrival of the British Crown in Aotearoa also came the hordes of invasive species like snakes, rodents, spiders, and more. Before the 18th century, New Zealand had no native snakes, only one native venomous spider, and had no native rats or large rodents, cats, or dogs. Since the arrival of these pests, however, the natural ecosystem of Aotearoa that allowed the evolution of fragile, native creatures like the Kiwi has been devastated. It naturally follows that the Kiwi is a modern, endangered species. So what can we learn from this? In the end, Aotearoa was invaded by both lawless settlers and invasive animal species at the same time – and both have had a similar effect. There is a stronger need than ever before to preserve and promote the protection and value for those that were here first. The longstanding ecosystem and the Kiwis that live in it are under threat and require strong policing of importation and international travelers. The indigenous culture and way of life necessitate political and social advocacy to combat the violence and the worldviews of the initial settlers and the institutionalized discrimination that resulted. Our goal should not be to keep the Kiwi in the zoo to be observed nor to simply preserve the Māori Culture for the sake of speculation – the goal is to protect and encourage the native world of Aotearoa and allow it space to thrive beyond its current level.
A North Island Brown Kiwi in the Auckland Zoo Kiwi House Exhibit
Submitted by Ceara Stewart on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain…
These past few weeks have been filled with a lot of adventures, new experiences and a little bit of apprehension.
Week 4, we went to Zaragoza. It was a weekend trip filled with a huge amount of history. We visited the Palacio de la Aljafería, a palace that has been between the hands of the Christians and Muslims for centuries. It is here I got to further my knowledge of the territorial struggle and architectural change that came to Spain through various years of Christian and Muslim rule. We also visited the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar and toured the remaining Roman ruins. Coincidentally, we happened to go to Zaragoza during the beginning of their week long festival celebrating La Señora del Pilar.
On our way back from Zaragoza, we stopped in the town of Belchite. This town holds the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. As we walked among the ruins, we learned about the the destruction of the town and the lives that had been lost. The town is preserved today because Franco wanted to remind his opposers what lengths he would go to create a Spain in his vision. To us, it was a reminder of the horrors that Franco put his citizens through. Coincidentally, during my 5th week in Barcelona, it was announced that Franco’s body will be removed from his tomb and moved to the town where he was born. This helped give closure to families still mourning those Franco killed.
Week 6 is interesting. On Monday, news came out that the political prisoners from the 2017 Referendum were sentenced to many years in prison. This sparked a fury in the Catalan citizens who favor independence. Throughout the weeks, protests have caused public transport to be majorly effected. At night, trash bins and cars are set on fire. During the day, the streets are filled with people shouting for the freedom of the prisoners and the need for independence. Throughout the region of Catalonia, people have been marching towards Barcelona and today the highways were filled with masses of people and most streets were shut down. Police were sent from Madrid and at times the demonstrations get brutal. Classes have been affected too and yesterday the school canceled classes even ones which had midterm exams because of fear of demonstrations. Thankfully, most of these protests are peaceful and they should be over by the end of the week.
I can say though that I am “lucky” to be here during a time when politics are anything, but set. I get to see first hand the effects of taxation without representation and the political unrest that results from it. For those wanting independence it is a long road ahead, but for us outsiders, we have really gotten to appreciate our time here and we are excited to see what occurs in the next couple of months.
A view of the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar at sunsetTaken from the inside of the Palacio de la Aljafería. This shows the Muslim architecture that is seen in a lot of ancient Spanish buildings. These are a good example of multifoil arches, something I learned in my art history class.Some of the ruins of Belchite. These buildings were bombed and shelled for two weeks during the longest battle of the Spanish Civil War.This is the church in Belchite. One of the bombs struck the roof of the church causing the roof to collapse and in doing so killing all of those seeking shelter inside.Taken on my walk home from class. Protests like these shut down streets and disrupt public transport. But as you can see, most of these protests just involve the waving of flags and the calling for independence and they are not harmful.
Submitted by Zachary Shulman on the 2019 fall semester DIS program in Copenhagen, Denmark…
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity, and as I reflect on their contribution to my semester, I realize that in two months’ time, I will be boarding my flight back home. Therefore, I consider this blog post to be uniquely important to the overall perspective I will have at the conclusion of the semester. I am not only writing these to provide advice and insight to students who currently, or intend to, study abroad; my second motivation is to provide for myself a sort of cartography of thoughts that have influenced my perception of Copenhagen as a city, Denmark as a country, my place within them, and who I will be upon my return to the United States.
Studying in an unfamiliar environment is a unique opportunity to grow as a person, and not exclusively in an academic context. Alongside European politics, I have been searching for ways to learn more about myself. This semester has presented me with challenges for which I was not prepared in a country I had never visited. Unlike my experience in Rome, before which I was able to meet the other attending students, I entered this program with a clean social slate. This was both an exciting and intimidating venture; never before since kindergarten had I been placed in a situation so unfamiliar as this.
So how did the last two weeks profoundly change the course of this semester? There were two main functions they performed, with each week taking on a respective function. The second of these past two weeks was quite eventful in a more academic context. A staple facet of the DIS Copenhagen program is the long study tour, which is a week-long trip to another country in Europe full of experiential learning. For my study tour, I visited Brussels, Belgium, which is the capital of the EU. We were so fully immersed in European politics last week that even our hotel was just down the road from some of the most important EU institutions. We toured most of them, as well as the European External Action Service, a European think tank, and conducted interviews with European diplomats and lobbyists.
The effect of last week manifested in a tendency of the college experience I have noticed since freshmen year, but never occurred in such a concentrated dose. When you choose your major in college, you are typically informed by a broad interest in a given field, without much knowledge about what effect that degree will have on your relationship with that field or your future aspirations. I have noticed throughout my four and a half semesters that learning new information, of any quantity, can revolutionize the way you perceive that topic. Any given reading, lecture, or conversation can create a paradigm shift, opening up brand new avenues of thought. The most effective catalyst for this type of change, of course, is experiencing it firsthand, and that is what last week was all about.
The most interesting stop on the trip was the European External Action Service, which is the primary institution through which the EU member-states can express a collective opinion regarding a development in international politics. It does not, however, supplant each country’s individual foreign policy, as that would constitute a major shift of sovereignty from the national to the supranational level. However, within the scope of issues that the EU faces as a whole, the EEAS serves to provide effective and immediate responses. We heard from a few select speakers who were surprisingly conversational in their approach to the lecture. Ultimately, they touched on their various topics with a degree of casualness and nuance atypical of political discussions.
The second effect these weeks had on me kicked in when I came to terms with a permanent sense of solitude. This is not to say that I do not have reliable, consistent friends here with whom I regularly communicate. However, given the distance of my homestay from the city center and the unfortunately short length of the semester, I have found myself growing more comfortable in the time I am able to spend alone. I genuinely believe that young people, especially in this generation of kids that have grown into adults with the constant power of connection at their fingertips, to truly understand the meaning of solitude. I do not mean physical separation, but a social separation as well. I implore my peers to take purposeful breaks from their communication with and company of others, and use that time discover themselves.
Sometimes it can feel in my situation as though this social separation is involuntary, and that my unique situation here has forced my stifled ability to make connections. This feeling only arises, however, out of the unnecessary comparison of myself to others in different situations. Some people make fast friends; others take time. Some are socially advantaged by living alongside their peers; I chose to live with a Danish family and receive a more culturally holistic experience. Contextual factors must be taken into consideration if you are to find satisfaction and comfort in your situation and fully appreciate the experiences and opportunities that you have. This may require a bit of “trial by fire”, and the pressure can get heavy. Only after this process is complete will you be able to look back and recognize just how far you came, how much you grew, and how deeply you developed as a person. And it will all have been worth it.
This is a photograph of a medieval hospital in Bruges, BelgiumThe Brussels City Hall in the evening
Submitted by Nicole Caracciolo on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain…
On Sunday, I took a dance class in Madrid by myself. I was in London for the weekend with my friends and flew into Madrid from London, took the class, and then took a train home to Barcelona. This was the first time I have ever traveled alone before, so I was a little bit nervous, but mostly excited to navigate my way alone. I waited too late to leave for the airport on Sunday morning and just barely made my flight in time. I totally underestimated how long it would take me to get to the airport, plus security lines and time to get to my gate and terminal, from my hostel. I had to take a bus to the train, then a train to the airport, and then a shuttle to my terminal, and was extremely anxious the entire time. I was truly petrified I would miss my flight and completely worked myself up over it. With literally minutes to spare, I made it to my gate as more than half the plane had already boarded the flight. I learned from that experience to always make sure I am aware of how long it will take me to get to the airport in countries I am unfamiliar with, especially when I am alone. I was lucky this time, but I was very close to not being so.
This picture was taken in the MNAC- Museum of National Art of Cataluña. My professor took our class here for a field trip and we walked around the modern art wing of the museum.
Submitted by Haleigh Kidd on the 2019 fall semester program in Paris, France…
I wanted to take the opportunity of this blog to talk again about the richness of the peripheral areas of Europe rather than the main cities Americans usually think about first. Much like LA and New York are major destinations in America, they hardly reflect daily life in other regions of the country. I think of Paris like this often, too, it is a big metropolitan city, a world tourism destination, and it holds a host of work opportunities. But there is truly no other city like Paris in the rest of France. The rest of France holds cities and regions with very distinct cultures, styles, architectures and even languages – no I don’t mean dialects, I mean entirely different languages. France especially is rich in these ancient regional languages that have since been overtaken by French as a national language, but these languages have existed for centuries before France was even a country, some such as Alsatian, Occitan, Breton, and Basque, which are respectively Germanic, Gallo-Iberian, Gaelic, and Basque is even a language-isolate entirely unrelated to any Indo-European languages. This past weekend, I had the chance to learn more about the Alsatian language and culture in Strasbourg, and even had the chance to speak to an Alsatian couple. It was quite a unique experience as Strasbourg has switched from German to French property 6 times since the medieval times. We often think of European countries being these very old and established places with distinct cultures, but that’s not quite right, every country has a fluid culture with many variations within its own borders, especially AT the borders where you get a very unique mixture of people and ways of life. So this week, I will share some pictures of Strasbourg in hopes that when you think of France next time, it is not always Paris that comes straight to mind.
Notre Dame de StrasbourgPart of la petite France district of Strasbourg
Submitted by Daniel Bailey on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This past weekend, I went with a few friends to explore the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. It was a nice change of pace to see life outside of the city. With only minimal confusion, we took a public bus to the town of Monachil, right on the edge of the mountains. Before we reached the trails, we walked past a few small, run-down houses with tin roofs and lots of land to grow food and raise animals. This type of life is so different from the one in Granada, and definitely from the life I know in the United States. Part of the reason why I love traveling so much is not always to see all of the big tourist attractions and take photos for social media, but to actually see and experience what life is like in other parts of the world. This may sound like a cliché, but doing so has helped put my own life in perspective and allowed me to see the privileges I’ve been given in life, and to not take them for granted.
We hiked for a couple of hours and took in the beautiful scenery of the mountains. The trail had all sorts of terrain, including muddy slopes along the river, long and shaky bridges, and narrow crawl spaces between rocks. This trip was a great break from the city life that I have become accustomed to ans coming back home to Granada after a long day feels like a sigh of relief. And as I had said in my last blog, Granada really does feel just like that: home.
A snapshot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from the Los Cahorros Trail
