Students Present SYE Travel Experiences

Winter break at Otterbein signaled the end of classes for six weeks and, for many, the start of holiday jobs. For some students, however, winter break meant the arrival of long-anticipated trips to foreign countries and our nation's capitol.

Students enrolled in Senior Year Experience courses 425, 470, 471, and 473 spent fall quarter preparing for the travel portion of their class - raising money for their cause, learning the native language, establishing service projects, and studying the culture.

These students presented their experiences to the campus community on January 26 during the SYE Off-Campus Travel Reception.

Examination of Culture and Health Care in England (SYE 470)

This class studied the culture, history, and health care of England. The 10 students prepared for their off-campus travel by participating in an online component and one face-to-face meeting to discuss safety issues and what they would be doing on the trip.

During their time in England, the students were able to shadow district nurses on patient home visits. The students were able to get one-on-one time with the nurses to ask questions. "It was very rewarding to see how they helped each patient," one student said.

The students also visited St. Thomas Hospital where they talked to specialty nurses and visited the neonatal intensive care unit to compare the United States and British practices. One student observed that the United States nursing programs offered more classroom education while the British programs focused on clinical experience.

The students also had scheduled tourist activities to visit famous England attractions including Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, the White Cliffs of Dover, and the Stonehenge. The students kept reflective journals and picked one area of interested to focus a travel log around, said Marjorie Vogt, nursing professor.

More photos of this trip.

1900-WIEN-2000: Culture and Conflict in Vienna at the Turn of Two Centuries (SYE 471)

This course dove right into the history and culture of Vienna. The 19 students in the class studied music and folklore, Vienna's role in World War 2 and the Holocaust, and compared the new and old art and architecture.

In Vienna, the students continued their discussions with classroom and field study. The students were able to study their interests by dividing into four topics groups - marketing, environmental issues, media, and religion. Each student also taught their peers about an important area of the city.

The students enjoyed guided walking tours throughout the city and museums, a weekend in Budapest, a dip in the hot springs, a soccer game, and a variety of ethnic foods. Throughout the trip to Vienna, the students also kept journals and reflected on their experiences and how the living city had changed them.

More photos: Click here to see a presentation with photos from the Vienna trip.

Africa: Rwanda (SYE 473)

This course focused on service projects to help the people living in Rwanda. The 27 students in the class broke into three groups to research topic areas including education, how the country was coping with genocide, and women's issues. The students, who were joined by two alumni on the trip, were also charged with raising money for the trip and planning their service projects.

The three groups spent half the trip in different locations in Rwanda including Muzanze, Kigali, and Batsinda. One group stayed in the capitol and helped build a school. Another group traveled to an orphanage for children who had been orphaned by genocide. The third group spent time at a hospital and AIDS clinic.

A video presentation showed the group traveling to an African university, on a safari, on a mountain gorilla trek, playing games with children, and learning cultural songs and dances. And as the video said and the students agreed, the trip to Rwanda could not be explained, only experienced.

More photos of this trip.

Social Justice, Responsibility and Change: Washington, DC (SYE 425)

This class examined the causes of social oppression and the responsibility we have to create change. "[The class] made me realize how lucky I am to have the things that I do," one student said.

Students traveled to Washington, DC where they participated in service projects, including So Others May Eat (S.O.M.E.), to help people affected by social injustice. "It was really satisfying," another student said. "It was really hard too because as you're handing people food and coffee you saw their faces and it was really sad."

The class also covered topics ranging from racism to sexism. "It's cool to come out of this class knowing how [my peers] feel about certain topics," said Kristy Farren. "I have a deep respect for them."

Overall, the students said their experiences on the SYE trip opened their eyes and made them realize that they could make a difference in the lives of others. "The community doesn't just have to be where you're from," one student said.