Hawks Abroad
Fall 2009, no. 2
Hawks Abroad is an occasional publication from the Office for Study Abroad at the University of Iowa, intended to provide useful information to our students overseas. In this issue:
- Diversity issues overseas: what can you tell us?
- Calling all vegetarians
- Getting ready to come home
- Academic credit from study abroad
- Back on the Farm: Local and National News
Do you have some advice to share?
We would like to have returnees from various backgrounds write open letters to prospective study abroad students that we can post on our Office of Study Abroad web pages. A new diversity web section will be organized to cover information and helpful links based on several categories of underrepresentation in study abroad. We will include some open letters from returnees in each of the following sections:
1. reflections on race and ethnicity abroad
2. reflections on gender abroad
3. reflections on sexual orientation abroad
4. reflections on disability abroadIf you have something to say about any of the above topics, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit an open letter to prospective study abroad students along with a photo of yourself for possible inclusion on our web site. The letter should be based on your own experiences and include: anything you wish you had known before departure, what the greatest joys and challenges have been abroad and any issues or reflections you have to share specific to your own identity abroad. Letters and photos can be sent to: autumn-tallman@uiowa.edu
What’s it like to be a vegetarian abroad?
Our web site contains a section about cooking overseas, but we’ve realized it doesn’t really have a lot of helpful hints for vegetarians abroad. If you are a vegetarian, you can help us correct that! Please send us a note and let us know what strategies you have come up with to eat the way you want to eat in your host culture. Are there any recipes you have found particularly helpful? Please share! Drop us a line!
Getting ready to come home
So, it’s about that time. In a month or so, most of you will be making plans to come back home (that is, unless you are abroad for the full academic year). You’re almost finished with your study abroad experience. Before you fully get back, there are some things we think you should know.
Returning to the U.S. can be bittersweet. It’s great to see family and friends again, but sometimes it’s hard to fit back into your old roles. Face it: you’ve changed a lot while you’re abroad. We like to say, “You’ve been gone twice as long as you’ve been away.” While you are overseas, you are changing, growing, adapting, and learning. And time doesn’t stand still at home. Your friends and family are different after that passage of time. It’s like being away twice as you really were.
The Returnees section of our web site has some tips and advice for re-adapting to U.S. culture, and you might want to review that before you come back. Re-entry can be harder than adjusting to a new culture and it can surprise you and confuse you.
In January, after classes begin, the Office for Study Abroad will host a re-entry workshop to discuss these ideas and also to give you some tips about how to capitalize on your study abroad experience as you search for jobs after graduation. You will receive an e-mail announcement from us about the workshop, and we hope you can attend.
Credit Transfer
The culture, the food, the friends! Even though it might not seem like it,you did study abroad. Since your grades are coming from all different countries and programs, they will take a while to appear on ISIS. Your programs should send each of you notification that your transcript is finished and/or being sent to the Office for Study Abroad in the mail. After our office has received your transcript, your credit will be posted on ISIS in 2 or 3 weeks. If it does not, contact your study abroad advisor for an update.
Also, if you completed any credit for you major, minor, certificate program, or Gen-Ed requirements, it will take an additional 2 - 3 weeks for that credit to appear on your degree audit. Bottom line: be patient, it will all happen eventually!
Photo Credits
We don't know who photoshopped the Holstein cow below, but they're a genius... The photo of the waterfall is by Lindsey Kurek. Erin Damisch took the picture of the artist drawing the cityscapes. The swiss mountain horn was taken by Gregory Pelc. And the school children marching to school was taken by Michelle Gin. All photographs were submitted to our 2009 photo contest.
Back on the Farm: Local and National News
University of Iowa News
The Iowa Board of Regents approved tuition surcharge of $100 for spring semester.
The University of Iowa must cut $23.5 million for the 2010 fiscal year.
National News
The House of Representatives passed a health care bill on November 7 with a vote of 220-215. What are general opinions your host country has towards US healthcare reform?
President Obama announced plans to hold a forum on job and economic growth in December; this forum will bring together small businesses, labor groups, and chief executives and find ways to improve the job market.
President Obama met with 564 federally recognized Native American tribe representatives to discuss Native American Issues on November 5.
Major Nidal Hasan, a Palestinian-American military psychiatrist, is the primary suspect in the Fort Hood shooting for killing 13 people and wounding 30 others.
$30 billion in bonuses will be distributed amongst the employees of the top three investment banks - the same banks that taxpayers bailed out - this upcoming holiday season.
Sports News
The men's football team is now 9-2 after losses against Northwestern and Ohio State. Ricky Stanzi severely sprained his ankle during the Northwestern game and may be out for the remainder of the regular season. His replacement, redshirt freshman James Vandenberg, performed admirably against Ohio State, forcing that game into overtime and surpassing all expectations about his performance. The Hawks play their final game of the season against Minnesota at home on November 21.
The New York Yankees won the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on November 4.
Iowa City and State of Iowa News
Michelle Kehoe, of Coralville, was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and child endangerment causing serious injury. The jury rejected the claim that she committed the murder by reason of insanity. She was accused of killing her 2-year-old-son and attempting to kill her 7-year-old son.
Moo! Where are you???
Local / Regional Newspapers
World Newspapers
The International Herald Tribune
InkPot
Link to dozens of international newspapers.
