Southern Virginia University Students Travel the World
Georgi Ana Smith ·
September 15, 2008
Some of Southern Virginia University’s 700 students returned to campus this semester as world travelers.
Over the summer, a total of 56 students participated in several Southern Virginia travel study trips to Italy, Ghana, Mexico and the United Kingdom, where they studied art, science, languages and literature.
“We want the trips to be rewarding academically and personally,” said Carrie Brotherson, director of Southern Virginia University’s travel study program. “Hopefully students learn a lot in ways they couldn’t in the classroom.“
Italy
Image“I traveled to Italy because I wanted to study art in the place where it all happened,” said Megan Dransfield, a junior from Buena Vista, Va.
She traveled with 15 other students to Italy in May where they studied Italian Renaissance art for two weeks with Southern Virginia Art History Professor Barbara Crawford.
Students in the class studied from textbooks before visiting churches and museums to see in person the works of art they were studying.
Doug Himes, an assistant professor of art, also taught a class for students called, Thinking and Seeing.
ImageAnd whether looking at Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, viewing Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper in Milan or studying Michelangelo’s David in Florence, students traveled the country seeing art and experiencing culture
“One thing that I’ve learned about experiencing other cultures is that I also learn new things about my own,” Dransfield said.
Ghana
While students were traveling across Italy studying art, seven Southern Virginia students with Barbara Van Kuiken, an associate professor of chemistry, went to Ghana and spent four weeks working in a hospital where they learned about more than just testing vitals.
Image“I was finding something to be grateful for every second of the day,” said Mandy Foote, a sophomore from Reno, Nev. “It is the type of gratitude that can’t be taught ⎯ only experienced.”
Traveling each day by “tro tros,” which are old, beat-up 12-15 passenger vans, the students were assigned to a different hospital ward each week where they would test vitals and glucose levels, and administer IVs or take blood.
“We take simple, everyday things for granted and are never thankful for them while people in Ghana would never think of having those simple luxuries,” said Brian Flood, a senior from Buena Vista, Va.
Mexico
Another group of 15 students spent a month in Mexico with Professor Lewis Bastian, an adjunct instructor of Spanish, improving their language skills and learning Mexican customs. They were housed with Latter-day Saint families who provided meals and a place to stay, which allowed for an intimate view of the culture and customs.
“I decided to go to Mexico because I want to minor in Spanish and thought it would be a great way to be immersed in the culture of Mexico,” said Courtney Montagna, a sophomore from Bountiful, Utah.
Each day the students would study Spanish grammar, Mexican history, then Spanish communication, dance and ceramics.
Students earned credits in Spanish and humanities. Montagna found that learning the language was easier because of all the time she spent speaking Spanish in both the classroom and in the home where she stayed.
Oxford, England
ImageIn July Professor Randall Cluff, an associate professor of English, and art Professor Doug Himes traveled with 18 students to England where the students studied literature and water coloring.
Students enjoyed the opportunity to study books and then visit the actual locations mentioned in them. And when the students were not visiting historical sites like Windsor Castle, Milton’s cottage, Warwick castle or the Roman Baths located in Bath, the classes were held in Oxford’s Christ Church, familiar to many as the backdrop for the Harry Potter films.
Visiting another country not only provided Samantha Faubion, a senior from Kalama, Wash., with the experience of being on location, but it also helped her become more independent as she learned to travel by train, bus and subway.
“My favorite part of traveling is getting to meet so many new people and see how they live, how they view where they live and just all the different cultures and customs,” Faubion said.
The opportunity to travel and receive school credits, while experiencing a completely different culture, can give students new insights into the world in which they live.
“Many of the people that we think of as great artists and thinkers have traveled extensively,” Brotherson said. “It’s a complimentary part of a liberal arts education to travel and see the world and see the things that you learn about in the classroom.”