 |
Visit Fulbrightonline.org |
 |
Fulbright U.S. Student
|
Achieving Goals and Making Discoveries
|
 |
Experiencing Sweden Through the Eyes of a Damselflyby Elizabeth Orr, 2008-2009, SwedenIt’s a hot summer afternoon. Sunlight is dancing on the pond water as we stroll along the bank in search of elusive damselflies. With net in hand, I spot my prey: two blue-tailed damsels entwined in a ‘mating wheel.' Stepping closer, net dragging lightly in the grasses, I consider my approach. With a flick of the wrist, my target has been trapped neatly in the net. While extracting my prized specimens, I consider how difficult this seemed a few months earlier, let alone spotting damselflies among the dense vegetation.
Almost a year later, the adult damselflies are again in the midst of emergence, only this time we find ourselves in the controlled atmosphere of the lab. Having raised them from the eggs from last summer’s captives, I am the keeper of over 1,200 damselfly larvae, though fewer than 30% will make it to the adult stage. After 250+ days of feeding and general maintenance I have become deft at spotting and capturing escaping larvae and am now an expert at anticipating their erratic movements during photo shoots. I will be using these images to measure individual growth rate, part of a general analysis of temperature-related fitness. The first adult emerged on February 12, a special day, as it also marks Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday. Darwin Jr., as we lovingly called him, crawled out of the water onto a vertical stick, molted one last time, unfurled his new wings and rapidly developed his sleek blue body color all within a few hours.
I can’t think of a better way to experience Sweden than by wandering the landscape in pursuit of colorful bugs. We can appreciate the complexities of the natural world in this way and as Darwin put it, we can “contemplate the tangled bank…(and) reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent upon each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us” (On the Origin of Species, 1859). To comment on Elizabeth Orr's article on State Alumni, please click here. |
||||||||
Little Victoriesby Michael Davis, 2008-2009, BrazilEvery Fulbrighter began their Fulbright experience with a certain goal in mind. Success in our program can be measured by the progress made towards achieving that goal. I suppose that is why we all fill out those mid-year evaluations, but who am I to make assumptions? We can easily gauge what we’ve accomplished by how many interviews we conducted, how many leaders in our respective fields we have met, but we cannot forget about the miniature successes we have had along the way, many times without recognizing them.
“So you’re from the United States?” “Yes, I am” “Are you rich and have a big house?” “No, the U.S. is like everywhere else; there are rich people and poor people, not everybody has a big house. “Have you been to the White House?” “Yes, I have” “Do you know Obama?” “Not personally, but maybe one day I’ll meet him” And then Lindwyuê asked, “Do you speak English?” And that is when I laughed a good laugh. Their questions were so innocent yet based in a preconception that is shared by many Brazilians. I know for a fact that I am the first American that they have met, and that our conversations are going to shape their opinions of Americans. Especially with young children, ten minutes of dialogue can throw prejudice out the window and open their minds; it can even turn a childhood fantasy into a real and achievable goal. “How do you know how to speak Portuguese?” Coyodê asked. “I studied a lot!” “You see, Cayodê, you have to study!” Ricardo added. “I want to learn English, and study in the United States.” “Well if you study real hard, you can stay at my house while you go to school” Coyodê is the kind of kid that does all of his homework either before he leaves school or right when he gets home. It is impossible to take him away from his studies. Due to his diligence, it is a real possibility that I will be hosting him sometime in the future. He did not stop talking about my invitation for two weeks. These ancillary contacts are equally as important as our project-related contacts. To overlook them would be to forfeit the chance to make a real difference in somebody’s life. The two children I met are not going to remember me for my project. They will remember that their dad has a friend who is American, and that they have more in common with me than they had previously thought. To comment on Michael Davis' article on State Alumni, please click here. |
||||
Submitting Photos, Articles and Blogs to State AlumniShare your
photos with the Fulbright Community!
Tell the Fulbright Community about what you're writing!
|
A Call for Articles with PhotosWe welcome articles with accompanying photos for future issues of the Fulbright U.S. Student Grantee Newsletter. Articles should ideally be about your experience of being abroad as a Fulbright grantee (and cultural ambassador), and any relevant and/or unique musings you might want to share with your fellow Fulbright grantees and others interested in the Fulbright Program. The length of the article should be no more than 500 words and not require much editing in order to be published. The accompanying photos should show you engaged in program activities, or be illustrative of your article's content. Please submit your articles with photos within two weeks of the release of this newsletter. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to receiving your articles! |