52 students explore four countries

Jon Styer

Katie Cockley, Brenna Beck, and Amanda Gross say their goodbyes.

Just a couple days after reuniting with friends after the holidays, 52 cross-cultural students said goodbye again and boarded charter buses for the airport. Nine others had said goodbye before break, and were already overseas when the new school year began.

Guatemala and Bolivia, Fiji and New Zealand, and Spain will provide a home away from home to these students as they journey, study, and engage new cultures this semester.

Guatemala/Bolivia

Doug Hertzler, his wife Jodi-Beth McCain, and their two young daughters arrived with their group in Guatemala City on Friday the 14th. Students will stay with host families during six weeks of language study there at Cenral American Study and Service (CASAS).

As part of orientation before leaving EMU, guest speaker Marty Langelan, from D.C., gave students pointers for city safety. These may come in handy in crime-fraught Guatemala City.

Although Bolivians are currently in the midst of a political protest, Hertzler and McCain are sure (along with their contacts) that students will not be at risk there. While in South America, students will be placed in three-week service learning assignments in orphanages, hospitals, with Mennonite Central Committee, and Habitat for Humanity.

Hertzler has spent six years working with MCC and doing anthropological research in Bolivia; McCain's seven years of experience there were with MCC and Habitat. Both have visited other Latin American countries before, including Guatemala. They will provide seasoned guidance as students explore historical and current political, economic, and religious issues in the region.

Along with Spanish proficiency and spiritual growth, Hertzler hopes the students gain awareness of "the big impact of the United States and its policies in the world and become active citizens who influence the directions our country takes in the future." To conclude the trip, students will visit their congressional representatives in D.C. to share lessons learned on foreign policy.

New Zealand

While students on campus break out winter coats and scarves, the sun shines hot on the other side of the world. When Vernon and Dorothy Jantzi, Shirley Yoder, and Kenton Brubaker arrived with their group Saturday at 5:30 a.m. Fiji time, the thermometer already read 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

The social climate on the South Pacific islands has an appeal of its own. Jantzi says New Zealand "stands as a beacon for the rest of the world for the creation of a culture of peace." Students will study how churches, governments, and indigenous cultures have worked for the "economic sustainability and social well-being" which characterize modern peace and restorative justice movements.

Junior history/JPCS major Josh Brubaker opted for the New Zealand trip because of its solution-oriented (not "problem-oriented ") nature, although he expects New Zealand culture may turn out to be less ideal than the descriptions. Alexis Sauder, a junior history major, is also fascinated by the justice system; she looks forward especially to homestays in villages in Fiji and with the Maori in New Zealand.

Sophomore Heather Keim, a nursing major and "big Lord of the Rings fan," along with senior environmental science major Jen Fawley, said the New Zealand landscape was one of the big draws.

"I'm most looking forward to gazing at scenic views and then acting like a tourist and taking pictures," said Fawley. On a more serious note, she hopes to gather information on sustainable farming techniques to pass on to her previous boss at the organic farm where she worked.

Though English is the official language of New Zealand, students will learn some Maori phrases to enhance cultural understanding.

Spain

Meanwhile, nine EMU Spanish majors are studying at the Universidad de Cadiz, Spain from Jan. 10 to June 15. The first six weeks are spent transitioning to the new culture and university. All students live with host families and work with a Spanish Ph.D student coordinator. They also keep in touch with Moira Rogers via biweekly reflection papers.

Junior Jenny Hartwig provided a simple overview of their daily schedule. "A typical day here usually means getting to class by 9:30 (for some this means an hour walk while for others, only minutes), having class until 1 p.m. with a half hour break in between where we all make a mad dash toward the computer lab, going home for lunch and siesta, returning to town to pasear [stroll], and then returning home for dinner and sleep. Oh yes, and homework gets squeezed in as well." She added that the students' goals include a combination of learning more about Spanish culture and better understanding themselves and their own belief systems.

Junior Kevin Beachy said the orientation process so far has been good, but "there is only so much they can tell you before you have to experience it yourself." When the spring semester begins in March, according to Rogers, most of the students have opted to take a course in Islamic culture and religion, which offers encounters with northern Africans and visits to historic sites. Phonetics and Literature courses are required in addition to courses of the students' choosing.

During EMU's Spring break, Rogers and Marie Morris will spend 10 days with the students, debriefing, touring, and taking in a flamenco performance and "some good Spanish meals."

Students will also volunteer with a local organization to learn about local Spanish issues. May will include a visit to Burgos, where they will learn about local Mennonites' experiences and history.

Beachy is especially excited about the degree of independence that comes with this particular cross-cultural experience. "We have a fun group with many different perspectives, but yet all with the desire to learn Spanish and be involved in a different culture. We are the lucky cross-cultural without a leader here!" he said.