Field Trips
Marlboro College sponsors field trips as a way of supplementing and supporting the curriculum. Outside funding sources, such as the Freeman Foundation Undergraduate Asian Studies Initiative (FFUASI), enable short-term international and intercultural experiences. In previous years, students and faculty have studied in Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Japan and China. A second round of FFUASI funding allowed for a Vietnam trip in spring 2009, and additional trips planned to Japan in May of 2010 and China in 2011.
In spring 2007, the Gannett grant was established and provides resources for faculty-led trips during spring break. The first group went to Chile to study Latin American feminist literature and the second group went to Cambodia to study traditional Cambodian arts and do service-learning projects with children. This past school year a group studying Arabic went to Egypt and was led by our Fulbright fellow, Ahmed Salama.
Non-academic trips are offered through the Outdoor Programs (OP) and have included trips to Costa Rica, Belize, the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador and to a Cree community in northern Quebec,Canada. Two OP trips went out this past March, one to Oujé-Bougoumou, Quebec and another to Costa Rica.
Field Trips 2009
Egypt
Language is not only part of how we define culture, it also reflects culture. Thus, the culture associated with a language cannot be learned in a few lessons about celebrations, folk songs, or costumes of the area. Culture is a much broader concept that is inherentlytied to many of the linguistic concepts taught in language classes. That was the main point of the two-week trip to Egypt, illustrating how challenging it is to teach the language and culture from a place very far away.
According to Ahmed Salama, Fulbright Teaching Language Assistant in Arabic, the main goal of the trip was "to practice Arabic and encounter different aspects of the Arabic culture, particularly Egyptian." Ahmed included aspects that shape the modern face of Egyptian culture including historical and political aspects as well as every day life. Stopping in Cairo, Middle Delta and Alexandria, the group visited different historical and cultural sites and met with a variety of people from different backgrounds and experiences.
The trip was a great opportunity to foster mutual understanding between east and west and bridge the gap between US and Egyptian cultures. Students Sarah Ferrari and Geri Medina summarized it best: "We were very impressed and so very grateful for having had the opportunity to meet so many intelligent and fascinating people, see so many places, learn so much history, eat so much authentic Egyptian food, speak Arabic with a number of people, meet a wonderful Egyptian family, and see a community organization doing beautiful things. It was certainly a unique and awakening experience."
Vietnam
In the middle of an intensive six credit commitment to study the culture and history of Vietnam, nearly a dozen students and three teachers eagerly spent spring break gaining hands-on experience in the country. The travelers split into three smaller groups which each pursued separate projects. Lead by Tim Segar, one group studied the art and architecture of the Champa people while Cathy Osman's group worked with students at Hue College of Arts on collaborative printmaking. The third group, under the supervision of Todd Smith, explored the Tam Giang Lagoon while learning about local conservation efforts from students at Hue University. (Photo by Cathy Osman)
These projects were the focus of the trip but students found plenty of time to explore other facets of the culture. Some spent time learning the national language while others spent a night out with Vietnamese students, singing karaoke in both languages. Everyone experienced the thrill of biking though Hue's crowded, and often confusing, streets which suited some students more than others. Other highlights included visiting what was known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) during the American war in Vietnam, camping with Vietnamese students, bicycling through the country side and visiting the My Son ruins. (Photo by Levi Gershkowitz)
Previous Trips
Cambodia
In March 2008, the Cambodian traditional arts and community service learning class went to Cambodia for three weeks to study traditional arts and provide community service. The 10 students and two faculty members participated in a range of programs designed to support the education, health care services, and cultural revival of affected communities.
At Helping Hands, a school in the village of Prasat Char in Siem Reap province, they helped rebuild a fence of heavy posts around the school in the midday heat. They also had some lighter tasks, like creating a sock-puppet play to teach kids about brushing teeth and washing hands and collaborating with local students to paint decorative murals.
The Chile trip
