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10-12-2001 |  |
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Students learn the dangers of off-campus programs
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By Elisabeth Bont
Community News Editor
Before they head to all parts of the globe this January, students planning to study off-campus this interim or spring semester met this Wednesday and Thursday to learn about how to behave outside the Calvin bubble.
The meeting, hosted by Director of off-campus programs Ellen Monsma, focused on the importance of respecting other cultures and the necessity of community.
German professor David Smith considered the question of ``What your calling is when traveling overseas'' and reminded students of Bible passages that mention interacting with ``foreigners,'' including God's promise to Abraham that ``all peoples on earth will be blessed through you'' and Jesus' parables of the Good Samaritan and the Sheep and the Goats.
Just as hosts need to respect their guests' cultures and encourage them to tell their stories, guests should keep their eyes open upon entering the hosts' culture. ``Bring a sense of freshness; tread lightly around the home; have an eye for customs and norms,'' said Smith. ``Watch how other people behave.''
Most of all, students need to realize that what is polite in America can be rude in other countries, a case of ``the right response in the wrong place,'' he said.
Despite the difficulties in adapting to another culture, traveling abroad with a group of students is ``a wonderful experience in community,'' said retired German professor Wallace Bratt.
Nevertheless, Bratt, who led many groups overseas while teaching at Calvin, admits that these communities occasionally break down, ruining the experience for everyone involved.
When a student misbehaves, instructors become distracted and drained, speakers and other group members can be offended and the student cannot fully enjoy the experienced, he said.
When they signed up, students promised to work in the best interest of the group, said Bratt. They need to remember that ``the way you act is not simply your own business; it has effects on others.''
Unfortunately, many students have a distorted idea of what is expected and practiced off-campus, said Shirley Hoogstra, vice president of student life.
``Whatever you may have heard about a particular interim, I think you need to discard that,'' she said.
When they get away from American alcohol laws and the eye of administrators and friends, students tend to get carried away. They need to remember, however, that ``the student handbook still applies.''
Students abusing alcohol or acting irresponsibly in any other way will be sent home at their own expense, will have to undergo the Student Life discipline process, and will loose the money and course credit they invested in the trip, said Hoogstra.
Worst of all, she said, they compromise their witness as Christians and representatives of Calvin.
Moreover, as Smith pointed out, many people have little contact with American students, and how traveling Calvin students behave will shape their image of all Americans. Like it or not, you take America with you.