Stan and Karen Johnson
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Welcome to the newest edition of Going Global, the monthly newsletter that provides readers with information and reflections on the international experiences of GCC students. Presented by: The Stan and Karen Johnson Office of International Education Director: Dr. Lois Johnson Field Director: Dr. Mark Reuber Staff Assistant: Mrs. Jennifer Gilliland Student Advisors: 2018: Justine Simon, Reed Alioth, Pierre Habib, Precious Grieco, Jocelyn Halliley,
Joel Kearney, Jesse Nelms and Lauren Schoeppner Guest Writer: Jenna Hershberger
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Nafpolio, Greece
2
Washing Julius Caesar’s Floor By Jenna Hershberger
During the first few minutes of my very first class at Grove City, Dr. Graham spoke about ACI, and I began to think that becoming a history major was not such a bad idea after all. The Archeological Conservation Institute is a program run by the conservation organization Centro di Conservazione Archeologica. This program allows students to experience historic conservation while gaining an understanding of Italian culture. The summer before my senior year of college, I had the incredible opportunity of joining seven other students from GCC, as well as a few from other colleges, to live in Italy for a month. During the majority of our time, we worked on three different sites with conservators Roberto Nardi, Andreina Costanzi Cobau, and Gian Mario Porcheddu. In the first week, we cleaned mosaics in Julius Caesar’s villa, a building which has been left to the elements since 2008 when it was uncovered by an archaeologist about to retire. Due to the neglect of this site, what were once beautifully-preserved mosaics were covered in weeds. Wall painting has faded and walls have crumbled. This sad state of affairs showed us just how much conservation is needed.
The second villa on which we worked was located on Marco Simone Golf Club (which will host the Ryder Cup in 2022). There, one team worked on unearthing a room, clearing away the dirt layer by layer to eventually reach a collapsed floor. In the room beside that one, my group used chisels and scalpels to scrape calcium encrustation from a mosaic. For lunch every day we got to enjoy incredible food in the golf club. At each meal we were served five different dishes, and I’m pretty sure that not a single one was repeated!
Throughout the trip we spent a couple of days in class time, learning about reasons for conserving, abuses that historic sites take, and how we could pursue conservation after the program. These classes, on top of conservation experience and getting to know Italy, helped me learn what really drives my love of history. For practically my whole life, I have been studying the ancient Romans and finally had the chance to experience that city for myself. A couple of times in the Vatican I almost cried tears of joy when encountering art which I had spent semesters learning about. Not only did I have the chance to enjoy touristy sites in Rome, but because Dr. Nardi has connections with historians and conservators all over the area, we had preferential treatment during tours. Tour guides would provide very detailed explanations. One time, we even got a tour of some catacombs given by the conservator who had directed their preservation!
Even our free time was enjoyable. For a large part of the trip, we stayed in a former convent in the Sabine Hills. On days off we could walk through the nearby village, journal on the rooftop, or play the piano with others. In the evenings our group loved playing games like mafia and Madame President. During our last few days in Italy, we traveled to Rome itself and had a lot of freedom to do what we wanted. Throughout the trip, we had some super fun and random experiences, and Rome was no exception. In the course of one afternoon a friend and I crashed a wedding ceremony, found the prison where the apostle Paul was jailed, and talked to some armed police officers. This trip came after a particularly difficult semester, and was honestly one of the best things I could have done. After three years as a history major, I finally solidified that I had chosen the right major. I got to see that conservation is a path which interests me immensely (and am now applying to study it in grad school). By working with the Nardis, I experienced Italy in a way I never would have had I gone simply as a tourist. Maybe it’s because of my aversion to being a real tourist that I never did throw a coin in Trevi Fountain, guaranteeing my return to Italy. Nevertheless, nothing, even college graduate poverty, will inhibit me from returning to that country which I love so dearly.
Think Big—Beyond the Big City By: Lauren Schoeppner
When most students consider studying abroad, they will often investigate major cities like Paris, London, and Berlin. While you could have an excellent experience in any of these places, I encourage you to consider cities besides the most popular one in the country.
The Problem with Popular Cities The unfortunate case with cities like Paris and London is that they are always teeming with tourists. In my own experience, I think I heard more English than French being spoken whenever I visited Paris for a weekend. If my goal in studying abroad is to learn the language and culture of the country, I should seek to surround myself with locals—not tourists. Smaller cities enable greater immersion into the daily life of an average French/English/whatever country-man, instead of greater experience ducking huge tour groups and avoiding long queues.
Some street art from Lyon. The text reads: hope is a child.
Bear in mind that I say some of this in jest. You could be perfectly capable of having an authentic French or English experience even in the capital city, since it is still a city within that country, inhabited by natives to the country. You just have to be mindful of the vast number of tourists present, and you need to make an effort to befriend locals, speak their language, find their favorite spots, and enjoy the benefits inherent to truly knowing a city. This effort is far easier in a city that isn’t tourist-ridden because when you are constantly surrounded by locals, you can’t really escape their language and culture. If I am trying to order food or have a conversation with a cabbie and they don’t speak English because they rarely encounter tourists, I will be forced to speak their language even if I don’t want to do so (which I should want to do anyways!)
Overlooked Perks of Less Popular Cities In a city that isn’t constantly inundated with tourists, foreigners are new and exciting (for the most part). Given that you are considerate and genuinely interested in understanding that person’s beliefs and culture, they will be thrilled that you decided to come to their city instead of the most popular one. I’d like to think we all have a little hometown pride, regardless of the country we’re from or language we speak. My friend Lane and I, in the middle of one of our runs.
If you know anything about French friendships, it’s that they are difficult to break into; however, once you are a part of the group, you’re in it for life. One of my greatest moments was getting my grossly overweight suitcase checked without an extra fee because I blabbed on and on to the Air-France agent about how much I loved Lyon and was sad to be leaving—never underestimate how much people love their hometown!
Oysters and white wine at the open-air market along the Saône River was a classic Sunday afternoon meal.
My love for Lyon (the French city in which I spent a semester) was always a great ice breaker with locals. I was able to wriggle my way into the hearts of the Lyonnais by appealing to their hometown pride, thus earning myself some great friends and partners with whom I could practice the language. The Quais du Rhône was always a lovely place to walk, run or bike along the water.
As absurd as this sounds, an American accent can even be considered charming to some. I know, I know, how could it possibly compare to the allure of an English accent? In my experience, in places where tourists are more of a novelty, a slight accent differentiates you and makes you a little more interesting. Think about it—you automatically pay a little more attention to someone with an accent, right? Even though we might not think our language sounds as cool as others, it’s still that something different that makes someone’s ears perk at the sound. Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière is an iconic basilica overlooking the city.
In Paris, a French person might hear your American accent and think, “Good grief. Another tourist.” In a city like Lyon, however, they might be more inclined to think, “Oh! They’re not from here. I wonder where they’re from, and what they’re doing in my city.” While this might not sound like much, it could be the exact “in” that you need to make local friends. I cannot speak enough to the great joy you will find in having friends local to your city, not to mention the added benefit of their knowing the city’s ins and outs and sharing them with you.
My friend Lane and I on a weekend trip in front of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
For these reasons and many others, I recommend you don’t discount studying abroad in a lesser-known city—it might be exactly what you needed.
2018-2019 OIE Student Advisors by Justine Simon
Aix-En-Provence, France. CIS. French & Business w/ International Studies
Costa Rica. USAC. Entrepreneurship & Spanish. Class of 2019
John Popham
Emma Hagan
Seville, Spain. ISA. Spanish Education K-12.
Nantes, France. Grove City Study Center.
Mechanical Engineering.
Class of 2020
Class of 2019
Joy Nave
Ben Koerber Edinburgh, Scotland. CIS. Accounting & Political Science.
Brooke Ghiglia
Class of 2019
Florence, Italy. LDM. Business, Economics & Accounting. Class of 2019
Veronica Taylor
Class of 2019
Trevor Tuxill
Salzburg, Austria. AIFS. International Business, Accounting & German. Class of 2019
Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction A simple recipe for a perfectly refreshing summer meal in just 25 minutes.
by Jocelyn Halliley
Ingredients: •1 cup balsamic vinegar •¼ cup honey •3 large tomatoes, cut into ½ in slices •1 (16 oz) package fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into ¼ in slices •¼ tsp salt •¼ tsp ground black pepper •½ cup fresh basil leaves •¼ cup extra virgin olive oil Prep: 15 min. Cook: 10 min How to: •Stir balsamic vinegar and honey together and place over high heat. Bring to boil, reduce to low and simmer vinegar until the mixture has reduced to 1/3 cup (about 10 minutes) •Arrange slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese with basil leaves on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil and balsamic reduction.