Student Gets a Taste of the Middle East During Program
Kourtney Brown-Wells
Issue date: 5/4/09 Section: Campus Life
For this native of Elkhart, Ind. a trip to the Middle East was not how he had originally envisioned his senior year as an English major at Alcorn State University. Fortunately for Jovonte Santos, this unexpected chain of events resulted in a host of pleasant experiences and a plethora or knowledge for this future writer.
Cost is a primary concern when considering studying abroad. Dr. Dovi Alipoe heads the Office of Global Programs. "It's usually very expensive to study abroad, but with proper planning it is feasible, especially if the student starts the process early," says Alipoe.
Through IIPP or the Institute for International Public Policy and the Gilman International Scholarship, Santos was able to afford to study in Muscat, Oman during the fall semester of 2008. This region of the world stirs media propagated stereotypes almost immediately.
Why would anyone want to go to the Middle East? It's often told of students who go to Costa Rica, Brazil, China, Japan and France. "I wanted to challenge myself by going somewhere I knew I would be out of my element and somewhere I may not have been able to go without the help of IIPP and the Gilman Scholarship," said Santos. "We have to become global thinkers and learn to diversify."
In conjunction with his trip, he is performing several service projects to promote global awareness and opportunities to study abroad. One of such projects was a cultural symposium on Tuesday within the Mass Communications department. Santos was the guest speaker in Larry Sanders' class, where the country discussed was Oman. The course is titled Alternative Media in a Diverse Society. It explores a wide array of social subjects and their relation to the media.
Senior Business major Chelsea Hunter participated in the symposium. She admits to knowing little about the small country before this event but "I would definitely study abroad if given the chance," says Hunter. "It would be a good experience for me."
During the event, students presented information about the geography, social customs, education opportunities, and religion of Oman. Additionally, Santos spoke about his stint abroad. He debunked myths and stereotypes about this highly scrutinized region of the world. This segment was followed by a question and answer forum and a sampling of native foods, where students were asked to cop a squat on the floor and enjoy the meal of chapatti, rice, stew and khamati, without using utensils.
"Anyone can do it," says Santos in reference to studying abroad. "The money is out there. It's possible. If I can do it anyone can."
Cost is a primary concern when considering studying abroad. Dr. Dovi Alipoe heads the Office of Global Programs. "It's usually very expensive to study abroad, but with proper planning it is feasible, especially if the student starts the process early," says Alipoe.
Through IIPP or the Institute for International Public Policy and the Gilman International Scholarship, Santos was able to afford to study in Muscat, Oman during the fall semester of 2008. This region of the world stirs media propagated stereotypes almost immediately.
Why would anyone want to go to the Middle East? It's often told of students who go to Costa Rica, Brazil, China, Japan and France. "I wanted to challenge myself by going somewhere I knew I would be out of my element and somewhere I may not have been able to go without the help of IIPP and the Gilman Scholarship," said Santos. "We have to become global thinkers and learn to diversify."
In conjunction with his trip, he is performing several service projects to promote global awareness and opportunities to study abroad. One of such projects was a cultural symposium on Tuesday within the Mass Communications department. Santos was the guest speaker in Larry Sanders' class, where the country discussed was Oman. The course is titled Alternative Media in a Diverse Society. It explores a wide array of social subjects and their relation to the media.
Senior Business major Chelsea Hunter participated in the symposium. She admits to knowing little about the small country before this event but "I would definitely study abroad if given the chance," says Hunter. "It would be a good experience for me."
During the event, students presented information about the geography, social customs, education opportunities, and religion of Oman. Additionally, Santos spoke about his stint abroad. He debunked myths and stereotypes about this highly scrutinized region of the world. This segment was followed by a question and answer forum and a sampling of native foods, where students were asked to cop a squat on the floor and enjoy the meal of chapatti, rice, stew and khamati, without using utensils.
"Anyone can do it," says Santos in reference to studying abroad. "The money is out there. It's possible. If I can do it anyone can."
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