Web Resources

To view flash video, this browser needs the Flash 8 (or higher) plug-in

Transcript

Debra Bermann : The International Affairs Scholars program is one of thirteen programs here at Ohio State University and it's for high ability students coming in from high school to their first year of college. The focus is on the international arena and global themes in some way. We spend winter quarter all taking a class together and in that particular class we focus on a country or a region. It's taught by a faculty member here at OSU and then spring break we go to that country and region and connect what was learned in class with the trip. So, in the past we've gone to Poland, Bolivia, Hong Kong and southern China, Brazil, and then this fifth and most recent trip was to Senegal and that was the largest ever.

Megan Swillinger : I had never been on a plane before. I had never been anywhere before, so I might as well do Africa you know. It was overwhelming in many senses. I wasn't prepared for anything, but you know, looking back on it, it was life changing. There are a lot of carvings, a lot of masks, a lot of jewelry. A lot of really nice stuff. I bought tons of souvenirs for my family. It's something that you would see in National Geographic. just that colorful, vibrant, thriving community of the markets.

Lauren Koepke : You really got to see a lot of the Senegalese culture, in terms of music and food and dancing. I mean when someone thinks Africa they think a lot of music and dance, at least I do. So it was cool to see that when you were there and experience it. They were so energetic and so excited to share their culture with us, so that just made it that much more fun.

Mackenzie Rapp : Goree Island was beautiful. They had turned the island into an artist community, so a lot of people paint there and tourists come to see the art and to see how they live and it's just like a really beautiful place, the French architecture. We got to see where they held all the slaves before the slaves were taken to America. It was absolutely a moving experience for all of us. People were crying when they were telling us about how the slaves were kept, what the conditions were like. It was one of the very sad emotional parts of our trip.

music

Mackenzie Rapp : I'm interested in becoming a Doctors Without Borders worker and I would specifically like to work in Africa. So just getting to go to Senegal my first year in college was a huge step for me and got to see what the country sort of was like and kind of confirm my dreams of actually being there some day for work.