The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - September 8, 1998 - 7C Students travel the world to study languages, cultures By Uma Subramanian Daily Staff Reporter Istanbul, Johannesburg, Paris and Rome. The names of these cities cause many University students to conjure images of ancient civilizations, famous landmarks, and the allure of foreign food and remote cultures. ut at the University's Office of International Programs and the Overseas Opportunities Office at the International Center, these places are no longer remote locations in textbooks. The OIP is a branch of the University that coordinates and runs study abroad programs in countries all over the world. Recently there has been a lot of interest in study abroad programs due to the globaliza- tion of the world markets. Many travel barri- ers have broken down as communism gave way to capitalism and given rise to partner- ships between former enemies. "A lot of students are looking to improve language skills and broaden their horizons," said Susan Gass, an OIP advisor. "But more- over many students are concentrating in area studies abroad that give them additional acad- emic experience in their field. Still others are doing first-hand research on their heritage." Regardless of what an individual's interests are, there are an abundance of programs for students to choose from. In conjunction with the University, OIP offers 46 study abroad programs. During this Fall semester, nearly 500 stu- dents will study abroad through OIP pro- grams. "Studying abroad in Prague gave me a great idea of what vast cultural differences exist in the world," said LSA senior Lori Cloutier, an international relations major. "Even though I didn't speak Czech when I went. I picked up quite a bit while I was there." Cloutier spent the Fall '97 semester in Prague taking classes in economics and polit- ical studies, while living among Czech stu- dents. The Czech Republic is a country that was formerly inaccessible to American students. But Cloutier said, interacting with people who grew up under completely different circum- stances was the most fascinating part of her experience. "The young people grew up under commu- nism,' Cloutier said. "So it was interesting to talk to them about the changing political situ- ation." Besides the benefits of a global experience, Cloutier said her semester abroad enabled her to get an internship with the State Department in Washington, D.C., dealing with Eastern European affairs. "If I had my way, I think studying abroad should be a requirement," Cloutier said. Besides studying abroad through the University, there are a variety of other ways to see the world. The 000 is filled with information dealing with travel abroad, work abroad, and study abroad programs from other universities. The 000 prides itself on having informa- tion about all the international programs offered. In the 000 office, located on the main floor of West Quad residence hall, there are maps, guide books and vast quantities of information regarding these programs availble to students. For anyone interested in travel abroad, 000 has presentations year round dealing with spe- cific interest areas. Last September, 000 fea- tured a study abroad fair and engineering pre- sentations for internships in addition to other activities. "If I had my way, I think studying abroad should be a requirement.f - LSA senior Lori Cloutier Another resource 000 provides is the peer advisor program. The staff of 30 students each have an individual area of expertise. The stu- dents have office hours in which interested individuals are free to meet with them and dis- cuss their foreign experiences. "There are a lot of ways to go abroad," said 00 director William Nolting. "This office provides a multitude of resources and person- al attention from people who have first-hand experience with these things." This summer the office placed a University student in Iceland to research Arctic biology. In the past, there have been students who have done everything from researching Danish architecture to working in a British pub. There is yet another way for University stu- dents to experience life abroad and to con- tribute to the society to which one temporari- ly belongs. The Peace Corps, which was first announced by president John F Kennedy on the steps of the Michigan Union in a 1961 speech, annually recruits about 35 graduating seniors or graduate students to serve in a vari- ety of countries around the world. The University's peace corps office is the fifth highest producer of peace corps volun- teers in the country. "I'd recommend the Peace Corps because it is a fantastic opportunity to combine improv- ing yourself with helping others," said Peace Corps office director Sarah Naasko, who is a former volunteer. Though a student is only eligible for the Peace Corps after graduation, Naasko empha- sized that the application process takes nine months to a year to complete. U U sRegents command over decisions at 'U' By Jennifer Yachnin Daily NSE Editor The University Board of Regents may not be at the top of most students' lists ofconcems, but their decisions affect every University student. The eight-member board meets once a month with University president Lee Bollinger and the University's executive officers to discuss and vote n issues including contracts, tuition rates, room and board rate increases and a variety of other issues that are essential to the University's man- agement. The regents are elected in a statewide election for eight year terms with elections taking place every other year, but terms are staggered. Although the board is composed of three repub- licans and five democrats, board members said they do not consider their affiliations when voting or discussing University issues. * "The tradition in the board has been that lthough we are nominated at partisan conven- tions, once we are on the board our sole interest is in the University and that is not a partisan matter, said Regent Philip Power (D-Ann Arbor). Power added that there are exceptions to this unspoken rule which include affirmative action and the two lawsuits facing the University about the use of race as a factor in the admissions process. Regent Dan Horning (R-Grand Haven) said past #xamples have included debate over the 1406 by-law which allowed for an unmarried partners to be cov- ered by University employee health insurance. "For the most part the regents put their political code away when they enter the room," Horning said. During the upcoming academic year issues under consideration by the board will include "the affirmative action lawsuit, will continue to be a topic of concern," Power said. He added that the "Nike contracts which come up in a few years" and the "commercialization of athletics" will also be prominent issues. I lorning said that the issue of setting the rates for tuition -- decided each year in July after the state appropriations have been approved for the academ- ic year - will also be an item for diseision "I think the budget situation will be at the fore- front," Horning said. "We need to make sure we can live within our budget for the school year." The regents were responsible for the selection of the University's 12th president in 1996. Ihe contro- versial search lasted nearly a year and ended with the selection of Bollinger, who had formerly served as Dartmouth College provost from 1994-1996 and also as University Law Dean from 1987-94. "I think the board was subject to a lot of criti- cism. We held our tongues and didn't participate in character assignation with the governor or the newspapers," Power said. "The fact that president Bollinger is getting rave reviews implies that we did a good job." The terms of both Power and Regent Shirley McFee (R- Battle Creek) end in December. McFee has stated that she will not run for re-election, but Power will run for a second full term in November. "I've reached a point in my life where I'm cut- ting back on commitments rather than adding them," McFee said. "I've enjoyed my years on the board." Get a job. Try mive Employment Classifieds. Whether you're building your resume or putting yourself through school, find just the right job among thousands of online listings. MICHIGAN LIVE In alliance with The Ann Arbor News MALLORY S.E. FLOYD/Daily A friendly guy, University President Lee Bollinger opened his house to students after last year's Penn State football win. I I - ---- --- I Finally, a computer even Spartans and Buckeyes can use. SINCE 1915 A GREAT ANN ARBOR & SOICHIGAN TRADITION 0 Aft Introducing iMac. The most original Macintosh since the original Macintosh. Since 1984 there have basically been three kinds of computers. Computers that are large and hard to use. Computers that are small and hard to use. And computers called Macintosh. Now the company that started the personal computer revolution is helping students take advantage of Internet evolution. The iMac makes using the Internet as easy as using a Macintosh, and that's good. What's even better is that the iMac comes fully loaded with everything you need to get online. Which in turn means that - perhaps best of all -- you can be up and running for as little as $1,299. NEWT OUT LET Two central campus locations: 711 N. University 9 668-6915 Mon. - Sat. 9AM - 7PM . Sun.10AM - 5PM Catalog Available T 11 Free 1-800-319-6246 902 S. 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