Rudolph Fund: Summer Study Abroad

Clifford Kocian ’11 – There is a certain serenity or peacefulness that comes from living in small-town America. It is comforting to know your neighbors, the composition of the town; to have the stability that arises from the static nature of the place. No movement in or out, but rather just simply being. It is this type of atmosphere that is viewed as truly American, and has been idealized on television and in movies for decades. However, one might be surprised at how well the small town of Arles, in Southern France, meshes with the notion of small-town America. True, there are no SUVs, no similar houses with similarly manicured yards, and no perfect family structure (mom, dad, two children- one girl and one boy, two dogs, one cat, and a goldfish), but then again a small-town feel is just that: a feel. While Arles may not have the physical manifestations of small-town America, it still has that small-town feel to it. It is a place where everyone knows everyone, where buildings and streets haven’t been changed for hundreds of years, and where security is nestled in the static way of life. 

On the first day of being here we were told that life in Southern France was slow, and to get used to it. Throughout two days of orientation (all in French, of course), this may have been the best piece of advice that we were given. All similarities to America aside, this slow pace of life is perhaps the most striking difference to living in the States. People really do take their time and enjoy it. It, quite frankly, is a comforting way to live. There is no such thing as getting something to go here. In fact, it’s completely normal to get a coffee and sit at the café for an hour or two after finishing. In a way it’s odd for people to dine and dash. If you get a meal, expect to follow it up with a round of dessert, followed by a round of coffee- each one happening in its own time. This is the type of place where going to work at 9 might be considered early, and working late considered overkill. Here, time is treasured because people are treasured. It’s simply not as important to consume the day running around on a tight schedule if it can be put off until tomorrow and good company can be had instead. 

In photo: Kocian, at far left, with a group of fellow students.

Joe Johnson ’11 – Well, I am on my fourth week in Athens and I find it pretty astounding how the time in a foreign country has adapted me to its everyday lifestyle. For example, I went downtown to a store in Syntagma Square. Syntagma Square to Athens is like a miniature version of Times Square to New York City. I went into a store called “Public” which is very similar to our Best Buy, however, Public didn’t only sell electronics; they also sold name brand clothes (in the same store), which blew my mind. Anyways, I was in conquest for an Ethernet cord for my computer and when the attendant asked me what I was looking for I replied, “A two meter Ethernet cord.” It wasn’t until my roommate pointed it out to me that I used the term “meter” instead of feet. Not only was I using meters to describe lengths but liters to describe volume. The funny thing is, I don’t recall asking for the cord in meters and I can’t remember ordering beverages in liters, my brain just automatically switched over. 

Like I stated in my last blog, time has been going by extremely fast. Last week, my class visited the sites of Piraeus (Port City), Eleusis, Eleutherai, the Agora in Athens, and the infamous Corinth. My favorite of the five sites was Corinth because of the archeological history and the surrounding area was breathtaking. I have never seen so many hills, valleys, and beautiful bodies of water all tied together in one fascinating landscape. This past weekend I went to Nafplion and Epidaurus with a group of my friends from class. In Nafplion, I visited with Adam Miller ’12. Adam and I work together at Career Services and became good friends over the past two semesters. Adam is working in a wine shop in Nafplion for seven weeks out of the summer and from what he has been telling me, his experience of Greece is pretty comparable to mine. It was great seeing another Wabash Man in such a distant, and distinct place. 

Patrick Concannon ’11 – Well since my last blog I have been to Turkey and back. While I was in Turkey our class went to see Ephesus which is one of the many places Paul preached and is considered his base of operations. It was great to see what people lived like during the first century. We were able to see Roman baths and sewer system. As well as Roman housing where the wealthy would have lived. These houses over looked the sea and just like in today’s world it was all about location.

 Some of you may be thinking that modern day Ephesus does not have an ocean front and you are correct. The ocean has receded about a half mile in the last 1500 years. That was the main reason why Ephesus was abandoned and why we can see it for what it looked like over 2000 years ago. After we left Turkey we went straight to Kalampaka which is where the famous monasteries of Meteora are located. It was astounding to see how monks in the 11th century built monasteries on top of mountains so they would not be bothered. The sights were beautiful and breathe taking. Not to mention a tough climb on a hot day, but as I said it was worth it to see these amazing buildings that seem to float on the mountain tops.

After a rough day of climbing around the mountains of Meteora we left to Thessaloniki where Paul wrote his letter to the Thessalonians. We are planning on spending about three days here and then heading back to Athens. So far this has been an eye opening experience. Our professor knows both Greek and Hebrew so we are learning what the ancient bible said and not what scholars interpreted. The difference is not huge but with so many different bibles out there today its nice to see what was really said.

Joe Johnson ‘ 11 – As a first time international traveler, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little skeptical, nervous, or at times afraid of what to expect about living in another country (especially if that country’s economy is struggling and its citizens are protesting). However, in only two short weeks in Greece, I have familiarized myself with the city and expanded my explorations from Greece’s northern border, all the way to the beautiful island of Santorini (roughly 600 miles). I have always heard it, but now found out firsthand that traveling is indeed addictive. 

I am currently enrolled in a program called A College Year in Athens and the class that I am taking is called Ancient Athens: Discovering a Greek Polis. Every day of class is “field trip” but a field trip unlike any other I have ever been on. The very first day of school, my 21 classmates from all over the United States and I climbed the 1,000 foot Lykabettos Mountain. It was surreal! You could see all of Athens and then some. From here we could point out the Acropolis, other important temples and their respected ruins, and the Mediterranean Sea. 

Besides climbing Mount Lykabettos, we visited the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion (voted one of the most beautiful places in the world). My class also visited the Temple of Hephaisteion which is Greece’s most preserved temple dating back from 420 B.C. Alongside the Temple of Hephaisteion, we visited the Ancient City of Delphi, Eastern Attica, Kerameikos, the National Museum, Eleusis, and of course, the Acropolis. The Acropolis holds four famous temples to the Greek Gods Nike and Athena (Where Athens derives its name from). The Acropolis’s most famous temple is the Parthenon. 

My study abroad experience is unique to me for a couple of reasons.  First, I am learning about the ancient city in which I am living in. For example, my apartment is right next to the Old Olympic Marble stadium. Being that close to history allows me to visualize the Olympic Games that once filled the city with cheers and excitement so many years ago.  Where my apartment is today, once stood a gate where athletes from all over Europe passed through before competition.  Also, I can walk outside and look up in sky to find the Acropolis towering a couple hundred feet above me. This very same view rivals the view of an Athenian over 2,000 years ago! We talk about American history being old (dating to 1776) but I am analyzing some artifacts that are dated 1776 B.C.! Besides learning about the city I am living in, I am also of Greek heritage so this class fills my interest of Greek culture and history. 

Overall, I have struggled to put into words what this experience has done for me. I wake up every day excited for the next journey to begin. I also know that every other student here feels the same way as I do. We have done more as a class in two weeks than many citizens of Greece have done in their lifetime. 

My class started May 24 and is currently already half way over. I feel like I am a veteran citizen of Athens (except for speaking Greek) but at the same time I feel like I arrived here yesterday. This trip has changed my outlook on life and has given me the motivation to come back in the near future. My hope is that one day I can extend my recent month residency in Greece to something a bit more permanent.   

Patrick Concannon ’11 – Greece is amazing. I have only been here a week and I am loving it. The people are nice and kind to all of the students. The news made it seem like an unsafe place but it is probably safer than most American cities, well as long as you don’t get in the way of traffic. The food is amazing and I think I was Greek in another life because I eat just like them. They like to dip their food in all sorts of delicious dishes, they love to mix and match for the perfect combination of flavor. They also like to eat with their hands and take food very seriously just as I do. 

Besides the food I am having a great time seeing the local sites of Athens. Just the other day I got to see the place where democracy was born which, needless to say, was amazing. The Agora or market place is where it happened and is still there for us to see today. It is not used however, because it is a archeological site but we were able to walk through it and experience and stand on the area where democracy was born. To be able to experience history in the place where it happened is a priceless experience I will not soon forget and I cannot wait to see more and experience everything this class has to offer.  After one week I already know my way around modern day Athens and I cannot wait to learn my way around ancient Athens.

Michael Vick ’10 – For my final trip during my time here, I decided to pay a visit to Dresden, a city that most Americans know from Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five. From that novel, most people know that it underwent heavy firebombing in 1945; 1500 tons of bombs were dropped in the city over the course of two days. Adding the fact that Dresden was an East German city, I was expecting something comparable to the eastern parts of Berlin.

Needless to say, my expectations were far off. Berlin is unique in that much attention was given to it after reunification. Even though some tenements and remnants of East Germany remain there, the “Wessies”—and their ideals—concentrated in West Berlin quickly diffused into the eastern parts. Dresden, by comparison, lies deep in eastern Germany, far from any border with the former West.

Following WWII and Soviet occupation, the East German government decided against rebuilding every historical building. Even today, almost 20 years after reunification, there are still areas in the city center that are little more than fenced-off holes in the ground.

While this was an interesting break from what I’d seen in other cities, I found the plaques describing the rebuilt buildings even more intriguing. For example, the description at the entrance of the Baroque Fairground and Zwinger detailing the history of the area describes the Anglo-American destruction of the city, followed immediately by the Soviet liberation of the city from the Nazi tyrants.

After reading about and discussing the ways in which people from either side of the Wall had their respective Cold-War-ideologies ingrained into their thought processes, it’s fascinating to see how even historically “neutral” buildings could be decorated with state propaganda. I especially wonder if I only noticed the wording in that description because I’m a Westerner, or if Germans from the former East Germany still notice such propaganda while in the West.

Another difference that I noticed in Dresden is that the most lively part of the city was not the Altstadt, as in other places I’ve visited, but in the so-called Neustadt. While the baroque architecture and museums are in the older part of town, the newer area is the place to go shopping, meet friends, get a bite to eat,  or go to clubs. While walking through the Neustadt to my hostel, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was walking through an American city, even though far more English-speakers could be found in Berlin.

It now seems serendipitous that the last city I visited before I’ll return home was so vastly different from the others I’ve seen during my time here: I feel that I was starting to think I had seen enough of Germany to “sum it up.” Dresden reminded me, however, that it really is impossible to generalize a culture very distinctly, and that I could spend the rest of my life studying this country and never stop learning new things about the German people.

In photos: Upper right, View from the Zwinger looking towards the entrance to the fairgrounds; at left, the Zwinger now houses a sculpture museum; lower right, The Hofkirche and Schloss on the Elbe.

Alex Ingram ’10 – (Written July 23) – With one day left in France, it´s painfully clear that I don´t have enough time to finish everything on my to do list. However, I´m sure I will be more than content on my return home, maybe even excited to return to normalcy and begin the fall semester.

I feel saturated with a whole collection of information from my trip. I´ve taken in a wealth of information ranging from French cuisine to French culture, etymology and the French economy, and much more. This experience has opened my eyes and allowed me to view a grander picture than I was able to see solely within the United States.

I´m certainly going to miss Nice once I´m back in the states, or at least some of it’s characteristic qualities. To be honest, the cuisine will be the greatest loss, but certainly not the only one. Leaving my great (and eclectic) group of friends and classmates, the metropolitan life, the mediterranean, and the mystery of a completely foreign culture to return to a sense of normalcy will be rough. But, of course, it will be nice to have the conveniences of home, and some regional American food, waiting on my return.

More importantly, though, I feel that this trip, which I expected to feel like a psuedo-vacation, was one of the most rigorous mental exercises I´ve experienced. When you´re forced to grind your gears just to communicate the most basic of concept, or to pick up on the conversations carrying on in, say, Spanish or Italian, you can´t ever turn off your mind or zone out until it’s time to sleep. It’s even become fairly difficult for me to communicate as well as I’d like in this blog because such a relatively small portion of my day is spent speaking or listening to English.

The week has been amazing though, and relaxing, of course, even as much as I complain about how hard I´m working to just communicate or comprehend anything. I’ve found a secluded beach under a rocky coast about 100 feet tall that is perfect for snorkeling with school´s of fish completely unafraid (or unaware) that I´m even around. The snorkel set, which I bought about two blocks from my house, was probably some of the best spent money this whole trip. I can say with a good degree of confidence that my last afternoon will most likely be spent snorkeling on the coast.

For my last night here, we´ve planned to go back to the family-style all-you-can-eat mussels restaurant at the port, which I´m beyond excited for. The rest of the evening will most likely be spent wandering aimlessly around the town for gelato and espresso and, admittedly, some touristy shops for me to buy the rest of my souvenirs. We are also tentatively planning on taking a trip to the observatory in the alps that is just outside of the Nice city limit, which should of course provde some outstanding pictures for my last night in south of France.

All in all, I don´t know that I´ll ever have the chance to do something like this again, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity. In one month, I was able to celebrate (for lack of any better term) Bastille Day, watch the Tour de France from arm’s length, go to the Casino at Monte Carlo, ride in a Lotus FX, travel to Italy and all over the south of France, eat some of the best food I´ve had in my life, and even expand my already-holistic view of general wellness and nutrition, all because I have been completely immersed in this place for the past month.

And I´m just as thankful for every nuanced experience of the trip as well; the small conversations, the street food, the new friends, everything. It´s unfortunate that the trip is over, but I can at least return home having gained so much.