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Elizabeth Ehly (Mexico)
The controversial election of a recent Mexican president may baffle some students, but social policy major Elizabeth Ehly has a pretty good handle on what's going on. She's been studying the Mexican political process firsthand since mid-June through Northwestern's Mexico in Transition summer program. Ehly frequently volunteers, either at the Evanston YMCA, in Roger's Park, or at Rotaract, the Rotary-sponsored club at NU. At the end of the summer, Ehly and the other 15 NU students in this program will receive four credits for their work.
Summer Northwestern: What have you been doing down there?
Elizabeth Ehly: I've been attending a lot of guest lectures and am researching the role of the Left in Mexico and Latin America as a whole. I hope to draw some conclusions between the incredible poverty that is present in Mexico and the Left's role in ameliorating this situation. Comparing and contrasting the three main parties in Mexico and their previous achievements and failures in dealing with the enormous disparities in wealth, living conditions and opportunities will hopefully shed light on what has worked for Mexico and what type of programs might work in the future.
SN: How did you find out about the Mexico program?
EE: I learned about the program through the study abroad Web site. I have studied Spanish for a number of years and always been fascinated by Mexican culture and history. I hoped that a firsthand learning experience would help me better understand this amazing culture as well as the many difficulties facing such a large portion of its population. My interest in the relationship between people and their government, as well as the government's role in providing social programs and opportunities for the less fortunate, also drew me to this program.
SN: What has been the most rewarding thing about what you are doing?
EE: I haven't been here that long, but I believe that getting to understand another perspective and way of life has been very interesting and helped me look at my own culture in a very different light.
SN: What is one thing you miss about America?
EE: Sometimes I miss home, but I enjoy the challenge. The thing I miss the most, however, would have to be my friends and family and the income from a summer job.
SN: What is life outside the program like? What do you do for fun?
EE: Exploring Mexico City is amazing. There is always something new to do or see. Traveling outside the city is also very easy and cheap. Weekend trips to Cuernavaca and Xochimilco are fun, but so is finding exciting to places to dine within the city.
SN: What do you hope to accomplish through this program? Is this something you would like to do in life?
EE: I hope some day to work, through the government or the UN, with a Spanish speaking country so I hope to gain a better understanding of the Hispanic culture through this program. Also I hope to learn of the many assets available to these people within their own country so as to one day successfully help them achieve their own goals.
SN: What was the biggest culture shock when you arrived?
EE: The way women are treated here, although I knew it would be different, was a shock when I arrived. I was not used to being looked up and down everywhere I go or being yelled at as I walked down the street. It is very frustrating to see women have to change their lifestyles just to avoid harassment from men.
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Kara Downey (China)
China is only the first stop for rising senior Kara Downey. After completing the Public Health program at the Tsinghua University, she will return home for two weeks and then spend Fall Quarter in Uganda. Downey is no stranger to a lot of work. Beside working on a double major in theater and political science with a minor in global health, she has also been involved in student theater, JTE Storytellers, NU Radio Drama and Lambda Pi Eta, the communication honor roll society. Before going to Africa, though, she needs to survive eight weeks in China.
Summer Northwestern: What's an example of a typical day?
Kara Downey: We have Chinese class every weekday morning from 9 a.m. until noon. It's definitely challenging - especially because the class is taught in Mandarin, so if your mind wanders for a moment, it's easy to get lost - but on the other hand, I want to learn as much as possible while I'm here, and the teachers are very friendly. Having to constantly speak Chinese outside of class just to get around Beijing helps a lot, too. After Chinese class, the entire program goes out for a group lunch at one of the restaurants on campus. After lunch, the history/economics students go their class on the Tsinghua campus, and the public health students usually take a bus over to Capital University of Medical Sciences. For the first half of the program we get lectures (in English, thankfully) from different Chinese professors on a variety of topics: China's aging population, the history of public health in China, China's health insurance policy, etc. Sometimes we go other places for class. Last week we visited two community health centers outside of Beijing, today we're getting a lecture on HIV/AIDS at Peking Union Medical College, and later in the program we're visiting more hospitals and the Beijing Center for Disease Control. During the second half of the program we'll be studying traditional Chinese medicine. On Saturdays, the entire NU group goes out to visit famous places in and around Beijing; so far we've been to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Yuanmingyuan and the Great Wall. So we definitely stay busy, but it's a lot of fun.
SN: How did you become interested in the program?
KD: Right after I declared my global health minor I went to a conference NU was hosting about HIV/AIDS in China and India. Some representatives from China talked about the often-strained relationship between non-government organizations and the government, and that was the beginning of my interest in health policy in China. I wanted to come on this trip both to learn more about public health - especially because seeing things in person and actually talking to the people involved is very different than simply reading a book or article about it - and to improve my Mandarin, and get some experience living in China.
SN: What has been the most rewarding thing about what you are doing?
KD: Probably when I manage to have a successful conversation with someone in Mandarin. I know it doesn't seem like much to get excited about, but every time I go to, say, the dining hall and manage to order what I intended to order, I want to run back to my room and e-mail all my friends in triumph. Even better are conversations with the Tsinghua students - a lot of them speak some English and are eager to practice, and we want to practice Chinese, so it works out well. We've managed to have some very interesting conversations despite the language barriers.
SN: What is one thing you miss about America?
KD: Cheese! Nobody here eats cheese outside of Western restaurants. I never really thought of cheese as high on my list of favorite foods, but now that it's gone, I miss it.
SN: What is life outside the program like? What do you do for fun?
KD: I've never been to Beijing before, so right now I spend most of my free time exploring the city with other people on the program. It's huge, tons of restaurants, shops, etc. The markets where you can bargain are a lot of fun. There are also basketball courts and soccer fields near our dorms at Tsinghua, so lots of us get games going, frequently with other Tsinghua students.
SN: What do you hope to accomplish through this program? Is this something you would like to do in life?
KD: I'm very interested in international relations in general and health and human rights policy is particular, so I'm glad to get both the experience abroad and the chance to study health systems in China first-hand. I definitely think it will be useful in the future.
SN: What was the biggest culture shock when you got there?
KD: I know this is a bit of a foreign-travel cliché, but the bathrooms were definitely the biggest shock. Not only the whole squat-style toilet thing, but also the fact that you have to carry around your own toilet paper and soap because no one provides it.
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Adam Laursen (China)
If you haven't heard of Adam Laursen on campus yet, you will. The Michigan native is majoring in economics and minoring in business institutions. He is a Peer Coordinator and is involved in the Undergraduate Leadership Program, Northwestern Class Alliance and his fraternity, Chi Psi. Somehow, he still found the time to apply to the Emerging Legal and Economic Structures program in Beijing. The eight-week program started June 18 and ends Aug. 12.
Summer Northwestern: So what is it like over there?
Adam Laursen: The class work, especially the language class, is very intensive. We have language class for three hours each day. The history or economics class is an hour and a half, four days a week. Although the classroom work is intensive, it is still a study abroad program so homework is not nearly as rigorous as it is at Northwestern. Work is expected to be done for class, but part of the allure of the program to get to know the culture, not just the classroom.
SN: How did you become interested in the program?
AL: I originally became interested in the program because I have always been fascinated with the economics of developing countries, especially China. China is where the future is at in terms of a truly global economy and to have the opportunity to study economics in China is one I couldn't pass up. Also, I can receive major credit for economics, which is something few other programs could offer.
SN: What has been the most rewarding thing about what you are doing?
AL: The most rewarding part of the program thus far has been the experiences and the culture shock. There have been several times where I have gotten lost in the middle of Beijing and had no idea where to go or what to do, and I found my way out and back and to me that has been extremely fulfilling. I love to travel and to experience new cultures, and this definitely has lived up to that bill. SN: What is one thing you miss about America?
AL: On occasion I miss being able to easily communicate with people, in stores and on the subway and such. On one hand its good to not be able to, because it enhances my learning process, but on the other hand it can get quite incommodious from time to time.
SN: What is life outside the program like? What do you do for fun?
AL: There are many things to occupy time outside the program. I have met several people in the program that I get along with quite well and we have found many entertaining things to do in the area surrounding Tsinghua, and all through Beijing. The nightlife in Beijing is really different from that in the States so its fun to go exploring at night. Also there are several markets to shop and barter with locals, along with many museums to visit. Life in Beijing is extremely cheap so the ability to do many interesting things is easy.
SN: What do you hope to accomplish through this program? Is this something you would like to do in life?
AL: Through this program I hope to be able to better understand a culture that is immensely different from my own. I also hope to have a better understanding of what the Chinese economy can do in the future and how I can possibly get involved in future endeavors, whether it is with a employer or just in my personal life. I believe this experience will further my interest in developing economies, and perhaps that is something I can use to build a career.
SN: What was the biggest culture shock when you arrived?
AL: Without a doubt the language barrier, not knowing how to read or say anything can be very frustrating. I am an independent person, and it is hard for me to rely on others to help me get around, but I am in the process of adjusting.
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Corey Merrill (Australia)
The Summer Study Abroad Fair was almost too much for Corey Merrill. She grabbed pamphlets from almost every location, getting excited about Tuscany at one moment and hearing about Beijing the next. In the end, she ditched the Northwestern programs for something that interested her more: a special program through the University of Melbourne focusing on different aspects of Australian life. The sociology major, who is also minoring in global health, is the only NU student studying abroad in Australia this summer.
Summer Northwestern: Your program isn't like any of the others since it's not through Northwestern. What's the deal with your program?
Corey Merrill: The program runs for six weeks, and we take two different classes. I am taking "Politics, Society, and Identity and Australia (module A)" and "Indigenous and Multicultural Issues in Australia (module B)." Other people are taking a class called "Australia in the World (module D)" and the final group of people are all doing different internships (module C) - everybody takes module A). Module B goes on a six-day camping trip to the Outback, module D goes to Sydney and Canberra, and the internship group stays in Melbourne.
SN: How did you become interested in the program?
CM: I've always wanted to study abroad. My family has traveled a lot, and I feel incredibly lucky that I've been to so many different places. But I hadn't really traveled on my own. I did a two-week French exchange in high school, but that doesn't really count. I wanted to go somewhere I had never been before and figure it out for myself and really have time to do so. The program in Australia was at the right time, in a great location, and the classes really interested me.
SN: What has been the most rewarding thing about what you are doing?
CM: We have the freedom to break away from the big group (46 Americans) and travel on our own. Last weekend, I went on a trip to Tasmania with four other girls from the IES program. We booked our own flight, stayed in a hostel that we found and completely planned our whole trip. We rented a car, and I drove - on the other side of the road, on the other side of the car! - for a total of six hours to visit Wineglass Bay and hiked up the mountain even though it was foggy and raining. Because we can't even rent a car until we're 25 at home, we all felt pretty badass getting one in Australia. But just having the freedom to travel in small groups and not being accountable to anyone is the best part of this program. You learn so much more when you accomplish something without help from parents, teachers or other "real" adults. SN: What is one thing you miss about America?
CM: Well, I only got to be at home for four days after finals before I left for Australia. I kind of miss home and just being able to chill out at home doing nothing. And I miss my summer job at Peet's Coffee - I'm rapidly running out of money here.
SN: What is life outside the program like? What do you do for fun?
CM: We travel (I am going to the Great Barrier Reef later) and go to bars, movies or World Cup soccer games (well, they're out now). I'm going to a "footie" game with two Australians I met and a few girls from IES. It's a cross between American football and rugby and is huge here. The stadium we're going to holds 90,000 people.
SN: What was the biggest culture shock when you got there?
CM: Australians really like to lie to you for fun. They'll wind you up so you believe what they're saying and then will laugh in your face when you fall for it. One Australian on the plane told me I'd see "kangaroos hopping around all over the city" and kept insisting it was true until I actually believed him. Then he laughed at me, which isn't really something an American would do. So you have to remember that "if someone makes fun of you, they like you" according to our Australian coordinators here.
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