Istanbul

By Drew Ajer

This past J-Term, 15 students, led by Turkish Political Science Asli Ilgit and Communication studies professor Leila Brammer had the opportunity to travel to Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey’s daunting overhaul to modern western customs, such as clothing, speaking, and dining has put Turkey at a crossroads between eastern and western cultures, and north and south economic spheres. During the trip, we were given the opportunity to travel to historical Istanbul sites, such as the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Hippodrome, experience actual Turkish customs like the Whirling Dervishes and a Turkish bath, went shopping at the Grand Bazaar, watched a Turkish soccer game at the stadium, and even traveled to the ancient city ruins of Ephesus. Turkey’s traditions, people, and convolution of culture, and influence, has made it a desirable nation to study global relations issues. There will also be a Turkish study abroad program in the Fall of 2012, which you can attain more information about by contacting the International Center or Professor Ilgit.

Rwanda

By Aaron Albani

Near Kigali, Rwanda is Cornerstone Leadership Academy, one of the most competitive schools in the country. It has Senior 4, Senior 5 and Senior 6 classes, equivalent to latter three years in American high school. I lived among the students teaching an introduction class on using computers and navigating through various Microsoft programs. In addition I taught an English speech class, introducing an effective method of writing and presenting a speech (intro, body, conclusion). All of the students’ classes are taught in English and though there are certainly various levels of skill among them, I was always presented with difficulties due to the ever-present language barrier. I learned many things, including proper cow-milking procedures and that African Time starts things no less than an hour after its scheduled time. The most fun and memorable part of working at Cornerstone, however, was hanging out with the students, playing my ukulele with them and singing songs, some even that I made up in their native language, Kinyarwanda, much to their amusement.

South Africa

By Peter Michaletz

Performing in South Africa further solidified my opinion that music is a universal language that speaks beyond political and geographic borders. I think it is so great that Gustavus gives musical ensembles the opportunity to travel domestically and internationally, both to share the talent we have on campus and to give students an opportunity they would likely not have otherwise. Having never been to Cape Town or Johannesburg, I can safely say the tour gave me a chance to learn about radically different cultures than the Midwest and allowed me to grow individually. The tour also allowed the ensemble to grow and collaborate together, making the musical experience that much more exciting to be a part of.

Australia & New Zealand

By Zeynep Tuzcu

My entire January was spent studying Sports Ethics in New Zealand and Australia under the supervision of the Gustavus men’s tennis coach Tommy Valentini. Our group of 32 spent our first week in Queenstown, New Zealand, my personal favorite. A few highlights included bungee jumping from 43 meters up in the air, hiking 12 miles, taking part in a Maori welcome ceremony, and learning how to play rugby, netball, and cricket. Week 2, we faced 90 degree humid Cairns, Australia, where we got to meet koalas and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef in addition to learning about the Aboriginal culture of Australia. We spent our third week attending the Australian Open in the lovely city of Melbourne and cheering on GAC alum Eric Buterac in his doubles matches as well as watching Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer battle for singles spots. I would highly recommend going to New Zealand or Australia as this trip was an experience that I will never forget.

China & London

By Erik Lundgren

My J-term was spent studying abroad in London and China through Olympic Quest 2012. The class focused on the Olympics and how they play into society and the cultures of both China and London.  Our trip was focused in Beijing and London due to the fact that Beijing hosted the 2008 summer Olympics and London is preparing to host the 2012 summer Olympics.  We also had the opportunity to travel to Xian, Shanghai and Hong Kong, which contributed to the 10 flights we took over our three weeks abroad.  Of the many sites that we got to see, those that come to mind right away include the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta warriors, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, which doesn’t even begin to cover all of the other amazing Olympic parks, buildings, and monuments that we also got to see.  The class was taught by two great professors, Aaron Banks and Bonnie Reimann, which helped to make the trip even more memorable.  Olympic              Quest was a great experience and I would recommend studying abroad to anyone who has the opportunity.