Accepting the Crocodile Fat:
by sunshine Ray Clark The Many Gifts of Overseas Study
Identity is
shaped by vari
ous experi
ences, and nat
urally my experiences
abroad have had an
enormous effect on
who I am today
Perhaps the great
est influence from my
trip to South Africa
came from one
touching incident: It
was my first day at
the site, when I heard
a voice coming from
over the hills. I
looked up, just in
time to see a small
boy, no older than six,
standing on the top of
an adjacent hill, smil
ing and waving his
arms frantically. It
took only a moment to hear his broken
English: “Welcome to my country” Al
most instandy, tears came to my eyes, as
the young boy, followed by a large group
of other children, ran up to us with a
unique gift in their arms: crocodile fat. It
was at that moment that I realized that
poverty meant nothing in relation to hap
piness.
These people were living in dung hous
es, with barely enough food from their
small sugarcane fields to get by, but they
were presenting us with one of the most
highly prized gifts in all of Zulu culture.
(Crocodiles are said to hold magical pow
ers, and eating the fat makes one resistant
to poisons and diseases.) This experience
made me see life in a different way, and
made me an entirely different person. I
now realize what it means to share one’s
way of life with another person, whether it
be material or not, and what a profound
influence that can have on an individual.
Being removed from a home and peo
ple that I have known all my life also
made me more appreciative of the people
around me. I spent much of my time
"Spend
ingtime
overseas
broad
ened my
view of
the world
and made
me more
sensitive
to the
people
and
places
around
me.
overseas thinking how lucky 1 was to be
there, and how 1 would never have had
the chance to have such an experience
without the financial and emotional sup
port of those close to me. Everyday I
make sure that those around me know
how grateful I am to have them, and how
imrwrtcmt tVipv c\rt> fn rr\t>
important tney are to me.
Spending time abroad has
also helped me on an academ
ic level. I have become devot
ed to my major (archaeology)
and more driven than ever to
complete school and follow
my ambitions. My grades and
attendance have improved
drastically Through my expe
riences in South Africa, I have
now seen how I want my life
to be, and I have begun to
work towards that goal.
Essentially, spending time
overseas broadened my view
of the world and made me
more sensitive to the people
and places around me. The
experience improved my
sense of identity, and I look
forward to adding to those
changes in the future.
Sunshine is a senior majoring in archaeology.
She participated in an overseas internship in
South Africa in the summer of2001.
Sunshine poses with an alligator.
Sunshine gets hands-on experience digging at an archaeological site in South Africa.
It Just leemTCT A 7
Getting BettirVi Li VV
Study-Abroad Opportunities
for UO Students
• New hands-on programs.
Students can now select from four
new semester-length programs in Be
lize, Cuba, Jamaica, and Mongolia.
Classroom learning is concentrated in
the first part of the semester, with inten
sive culture and language courses, and a
hands-on field placement fills the re
mainder of your time. Placements in de
velopment, human services, ecology, the
arts, and a variety of other fields are pos
sible. For Cuba, two years of Spanish
language is required; for the other pro
grams, no previous language training is
needed. Contact: Surendra Subramani,
surendra@oregon.uoregon.edu.
• The cooperative model.
Like UC Santa Cruz or Evergreen
State, Aalborg University is Denmark’s
alternative school, where the coopera
tive learning styles of the 1960s are still
the norm. Spend two months in discus
sion-based seminars and then work
with a small group of students on practi
cal, problem-solving projects. All cours
es are offered in English, and Aalborg
programs are tuition-free for UO stu
dents. Choose from: development stud
ies, Danish welfare state studies, and in
ternational cultural studies, European
integration studies, or transnational
studies. Contact: Roger Adkins, rad
kins@oregon .uoregon.edu.
• Eastern exposures ‘near’ and ‘far’.
The UO now offers semester, year, or
summer study programs in Jordan,
Taiwan, and Turkey, as well as three
new programs in mainland China. In
Jordan and Turkey, select from courses
on the local culture, language, history,
literature, politics, and religion—all
taught in English. In China and Tai
wan, courses are offered in both Eng
lish and Chinese (some programs re
quire prior study of Chinese). Subjects
include Chinese language , culture, and
literature; economics; international re
lations; history; sociology; art; and art
history. Contact: Cari Vanderkar, cvan
derk@darkwing.uoregon.edu.
• The Argentine way.
Another new program for UO stu
dents is at the National University in
Rosario, Argentina. Courses in busi
ness and Argentine culture and history
are taught in English, and courses in
Spanish language are available. Fall,
spring, and summer programs are avail
able. Contact: Surendra Subramani at
346-3207 or surendra@oregon.uore
gon.edu.
•Creativity in the Italian Alps.
The Department of Art now offers a
workshop from mid-August to early
September each year in scenic Oira,
Italy. Topics and media vary each year.
Contact: the Art Department at 346
2163, or stop by 198 Lawrence Hall.
• The business of learning in
bustling Copenhagen.
For several years the Oregon Univer
sity System has run a popular study pro
gram at the prestigious Copenhagen
Business School in Denmark, but the
program was limited to MBA students.
Starting in the fall of 2002, juniors and
seniors studying business and related ar
eas are also eligible for the program,
which offers undergraduate courses
taught in English. Contact: Roger Ad
kins, radkins@oregon.uoregon.edu.
• General information on UO
Overseas Programs:
http://studyabroad.uoregon.edu or
stop by 330 Oregon Hall.
Happy travels!
1. Globalize your education.
Some people think only students majoring in foreign languages study abroad
and, sure, that was the model in, like, the 1800s. But these days, the world is get
ting smaller and better connected, and jobs in every field are more international.
People planning careers in just about any area can significantly benefit from over
seas study. Just think about your interview at Global Company X, when you are
asked about the range of your experience and training and whether you can inter
act with people from diverse backgrounds, and you get to say, “Well, I studied in
India for a semester in college.” Dude, you are so employed.
2. It’s so much cheaper than you think.
Consider these simple facts: You get to use your regular financial aid (most
scholarships, grants, or loans you usually get) for the costs of any UO-sponsored
study abroad program. There are also special scholarships and loans just for peo
ple who study abroad. Plus, some programs (at foreign universities that have di
rect exchange with the UO) actually charge no tuition beyond the study abroad
fee. For many of the UO overseas programs, people end up spending around the
same amount that they would for on-campus study (and it can be an even better
deal for nonresidents). With these super options and the lifelong benefits of over
seas study, you can’t afford not to do it.
3. Just fit it.
There are so many options these days, just about anyone can fit overseas study
in their academic plans. With 85 regular programs in more than 50 countries, the
UO offers something for students in any major, and you can choose from any re
gion in the world. With a little advance preparation, your term, semester, or year
of overseas study can be tucked neatly into your overall plan, getting you to your
degree just as quickly—and with the added benefit of an international experience.
4. Sprechen Sie Deutsch? It may not matter.
Many courses in UO overseas programs are taught in English. In addition,
some programs include an intensive period of language training upon arrival in
the host country. Some programs do require language training, however, so con
sult the individual program description or an overseas studies adviser.
5. When you wish upon a star, it makes no
difference who you are.
Students of all identities and backgrounds study overseas these days, and spe
cialized information is available to address the specific concerns of people of color,
disabled people, women, and lesbians and gay men who want to study abroad.
Ask the overseas studies advisers in OIP for more information about making your
dreams of overseas study come true.
6. Shiny, happy resumes.
If you think studying abroad is a boost to your resume, try working in a foreign
country! Every employer wants to hire people who know how to interact with for
eign colleagues or business panners, and what better way to prove that you have
this skill, than to do it? Through Oregon’s unique IE3 program (International Ed
ucation, Experience, and Employment), you can choose from about 120 estab
lished internship positions, in dozens of employment fields, in more than 30
countries. Plus, you get internship credits for your IE3 experience, and you can
use financial aid toward your overseas travel and living expenses. Getting that
unique experience for your resume just got a lot easier!
7. Get a clue.
As Americans, we tend to be a little, well, sheltered. Studying or interning
abroad while you’re in college is one of the best ways you can broaden your per
spective of the world. In fact, many overseas returnees talk about how much more
they understand American culture and their own sense of self-identity after being
removed from those familiar contexts for an overseas study experience. You can
gain more self-confidence and a wider sense of the many possibilities of human
life. It’s a kind of learning you just can’t get in a classroom.
8. Be the change you want to see in the world.
Are you an idealist who dreams of a more socially just society? Of course, you
must know that any lasting social change must happen both locally and globally.
And what better way to understand how folks in other countries are working to
better their own societies than to go and witness for yourself their efforts for pro
moting peace, ending hunger and poverty, and improving their social and cultural
infrastructure? Several of the UO’s cooperative programs with the School for Inter
national Training offer field-placement opportunities. You can get hands-on expe
rience in Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, or South or Central Asia. Now
that’s thinking globally.
9. It pays to do the time.
Not only will you be, like, an ideal future employee after you study abroad;
you’ll also be far more likely to have gazillions more rewarding international expe
riences. The stats don’t lie: the UO, which has one of the highest levels of student
participation in overseas study and internship programs, also has high numbers of
Fulbright Scholars, graduates in the Peace Corps, and alumni who end up work
ing in overseas jobs or starting their own international projects. The fact is, laying
an international foundation now opens up additional opportunities for jet-setting
in your future.
10. Airfare: 866 Euros
Apartment in Siena: 296 Euros per month
Overseas experience: Priceless
You know what we hear over and over again from folks who’ve just returned
from studying abroad? “Wow, that was really a life-altenng experience.” It’s true:
you’ll never have had such an incredible sense of going beyond your own bound
aries—and we’re not just talking about the U.S. border. There simply is no substi
tute for studying abroad. You gotta go!