Tuesday, May 31, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com STUDYING ABROAD Students spend their summers around the world V opp sti inte arious summer the workers around the villa speak Italian to us, and all the )ortunities allow shopkeepers in town speak Ital- ian," Biltz wrote. "I believe that udents to study, I will become more comfortable with my speaking abilities as the 'rn and volunteer days go on, though Iknow that my accent is still largely American." By CLAIRE HALL Cultural immersion is an Daily StaffReporter important facet of the trip, according to Italian Prof. Sabina While many University stu- dents are staying in Ann Arbor to take spring and summer term classes, others have decided to venture around the nation and overseas to take courses, embark upon internships or partake in volunteer groups. By engaging in worldly pur- suits, many students said they're gaining far more than just an addi- tion to their resumes or a fulfilled requirement. Instead they said the opportunity to mingle with peo- ple from different backgrounds and ethnicities presents a unique learning experience, as well as a chance to learn more about them- selves and their place in the world. LANGUAGE STUDIES IN ITALY LSA sophomore Nicole Biltz is fulfilling the LSA language requirement while living in an Italian villa outside Florence for six weeks. In an email interview, Biltz wrote that the experience has allowed her to grow more confident and independent, and that by being fully immersed in the language she has been able to become more proficient in Italian. "When we don't have class, Perrino, the program's faculty coordinator. Sabina said that in addition to attending class Mon- day through Thursday and com- pleting internships at an Italian elementary school, the students also have the opportunity to trav- el the country. SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING IN THE U.S. The North American Sum- mer Service Team proves that students don't have to leave the country to have a meaningful summer traveling experience. NASST, which operates under the umbrella of the Ginsberg Cen- ter, sends students to U.S. loca- tions throughout the summer to volunteer with local organiza- tions and explore social justice issues such as sustainability and community health, according to Lilliane Webb, business junior and NASST's public relations and outreach co-coordinator. LSA junior Holly Godden spent the first week in May in New York City with NASST work- ing with God's Love We Deliver, an organization that delivers meals to individuals struggling with illnesses like HIV and AIDS. "I really liked going into a community and seeing how peo- ple's lives are different than mine and also how they're similar," Godden said. Recent LSA graduate Anne West's NASST team traveled to Waco, Texas from May 3 to May 15 and studied agricultural sus- tainability with the organization World Hunger Relief. West said the experience has reinforced notions she learned in her courses at the University. "I can understand better what I've learned in the classroom by taking it out and applying it to this kind of work, and then it res- onates more with me," West said. Engineering sophomore Erica Mertz said her experience with World Hunger Relief taught her about more than just the orga- nization's mission. Near the end of their trip, they had to prepare their own dinner with limited tools, which involved catching and preparing a chicken for con- sumption. Mertz called it an "eye- opening" experience. "When you buy packaged chicken in the store, you don't really think about ... where that chicken was raised or how it lived or how it died," Mertz said. HEALTH CARE ASSESSMENT IN GHANA The one-year, intensive cur- riculum of the Accelerated Sec- ond Career in Nursing program normally does not allow for inter- national study, so when a summer trip to Ghana became available this year, SCN student Peter Kachur jumped at the opportu- nity. "I'm really interested in see- ing (Ghana's) level of health care and their knowledge base in regards to medical care and nurs- ing and learning about how they utilize their resources," Kachur said. Nursing Lecturer Norma Sarkar, the trip's on-site coordina- tor, said that the group - which is made up of both SCN students and undergraduate nursing students - will be visiting hospitals and community care clinics, as well as teaching about health issues in schools in Tamale, the capital of Ghana's Northern region. CULTURAL IMMERSION IN NEW ZEALAND LSA junior Kaille Megouiar is among a group of students who spent four weeks in New Zealand this past May with the Global Intercultural Experience for Undergraduates program. Meguiar will work in schools and on environmental projects to study and promote revitalization of land, language and culture in the small island nation, accord- ing to Cathy Reischl, an associate professor at the School of Educa- tion and one of the GIEU faculty site leaders in New Zealand. Meguiar, who hasn't been abroad before, said the reason she chose the New Zealand trip over other GIEU destinations was the unique opportunity to "join a community, if just for a month." Living with New Zealand fam- ilies in home stays have allowed the students to get a firsthand look at local customs. LSA sophomore Hayley Sakwa said the home stay families take the students on a variety of afternoon excursions around the city of Hamilton. "We weren't coming here just as tourists, we were coming to live," Sakwa said. Sakwa added that her expe- riences in New Zealand have altered and expanded her per- spective in a multitude of ways. "I really liked how this trip worked very hard at making the effects of the trip itself last past actually being in New Zealand, learning the idea that you don't know everything about everyone and that they have more to offer you than you have to give," Sakwa said. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com BETHANY BIRON ZACHARY YANCER 734-4415ext. 1151 73 4-415ext 24 bethb@michigandailycom zyancer@michigndailycom CONTACTINFORMATION Newsroom office hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11a.m.- 2 am. 734-763-2459 NewsTips news@michigandailycom LetterstothetEditor totheda il@michandailycom or visit michigandaily.com/etters PhotoDepartment photo@michigandailycom ArtsSection artsage@michigandaily.com Editorial Page opinion@michigandailycom SportsSection sports@michigandilcom Magazine .klareckiomiceigandailycom Advertising Phone: Department dis~paynlmichigandailycon tlassifieds Phone:734-764-0557 Department classifidc michigandai.comn EDITORIAL STAFF Mark Burns ManagingEditor Brie Prusak NManaging New.,Editor bprusak amichigandai ycom SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Sarah Alsaden Teddy Papes Editorial Page Editor SENIOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Will Stepheni. 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