Ada Simanduyeva
For The Daily
University art senior Samantha Ploetz is gearing up for a three-week sojourn in Florence, Italy, studying Renaissance architecture and art. Instead of simply viewing Europe’s art works on slides, she now has the opportunity to see the real deal.
“I am looking forward to traveling, practicing my Italian and learning a great deal about art in its actual manifestation,” Ploetz said.
Ploetz is one of a growing list of University students participating in global seminars, a new overseas program introduced by the University for the first time this spring.
Sponsored by Global Campus, the seminars are a part of the May Intersession, which runs May 22 through June 9. The Intersession will allow students to earn three credits on campus or abroad.
During this period, students can choose to study in Spain, Germany, France, Italy, England or Australia. In each country, students will be placed in small groups taught by University faculty members traveling with them.
Students can focus on archaeology, architecture, art, literature and business-related courses while surrounded by new environments and cultural experiences.
“We intended (the global seminars) to be a first taste of study abroad,” said Lynn Anderson Scott, director of advising and collegiate liaison.
Short-term seminars provide study-abroad experiences to students who cannot afford the semester- or year-long versions because of travel and lodging costs, Scott said.
“We are eager to be able to provide students with a very structured program that they can be successful at,” Scott said.
Jennifer Schneider, a political science and journalism senior, is one student taking advantage of the program’s cost to experience Europe firsthand. She decided to go to Paris where she will study Gothic art and architecture.
“The global seminar is nice because it is an affordable way to study overseas for a relatively short period of time,” she said, “I didn’t want to spend an entire semester overseas, but I wanted to be there long enough to get my money’s worth.”
Allison Colby, a speech communications and management junior who also works at Global Campus, is going to Berlin. Her program will focus on the interpersonal challenges and opportunities faced in multinational organizations. Colby said she chose this program because it satisfies the two parts of her major.
“Mostly I am looking forward to getting a chance to explore a new culture, to see a new country that I haven’t seen before, and a bonus is that I’ll get credits toward my major at the same time,” Colby said.
Seth Steinbach, a management junior, and Marshall Bennett, an international business sophomore, are also going to Berlin. Any American citizen who has never been abroad should go to another country in order to explore another culture, Bennett said.
Jenny Clark will be going to London to study Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, visit his birthplace and watch a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Clark, who has been to London before, said it was a wonderful city with a variety of things to do and a lot of culture to learn from.
“Not only will I learn about Shakespeare, but the experience of actually staying in another country for three weeks will surely teach me about myself and the world that we all live in,” Clark said.