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Fulbright Program for U.S. Students

Fulbright FLTA Newsletter

Issue 24 | October 2009

Moving Between Cultures Through Service
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Alumni Perspective: The Warming House - Gateway to an Enriching Experience

by Anouar El Younssi, 2007-2008, Morocco

This summer, I volunteered for the Warming House - a St. Bonaventure University student-run soup kitchen which provides meals for St. Bonaventure area poor throughout the year.  I have benefited greatly from this experience on various levels.

I witnessed poverty in the U.S. first hand - an aspect of American culture of which many are unaware.  There are extremely poor Americans: whites, blacks, Latinos and others.  I was surprised to witness that almost all the poor people we served were white.  Coming from another country, I was initially shocked to see so much suffering.  I would reflect on this regularly.  Before coming to the U.S. as a Fulbright FLTA grantee, I heard that there was poverty in the U.S., but I didn't think about it much since I had not experienced it directly.  Among the preconceptions I held was the belief that the U.S. is an extremely wealthy country and that all Americans are affluent.  Now, I realize that some Americans can’t afford healthy meals, while others go to bed with empty stomachs.  Coming into contact with this reality changed my view of the U.S. as far as wealth and prosperity are concerned.    

Anouar El Younssi, 2007-2008, Morocco 
Anouar El Younssi, 2007-2008, Morocco (center), working with fellow intern Katie (left) and chatting with a guest  
The Warming House provided me with an opportunity to experience another religion, as it is owned by St. Bonaventure University, a Catholic institution which houses the Franciscan Order.  Part of the experience involved occasionally going on retreats and participating in reflections and meditations at Mount Irenaeus - a retreat sanctuary owned by the University and run by Franciscan Friars (priests).  It was extremely enriching and illuminating for me as a Muslim to be in close contact with friars, to join them in prayers, reflections and meditations.  I found the difference very appealing and interesting.  I loved crossing religious frontiers.  I remember one Friday when I went to Mount Irenaeus for a reflection session with other interns and a Catholic priest.  Right after we finished, my Christian friends drove me to the mosque in Allegany so I could attend my Friday Islamic sermon and prayer.  I moved very smoothly from one religion to another.  In fact, I feel strongly that we need to encourage openness, tolerance and recognition of other religions, cultures and civilizations in children and students. 

I also learned a great deal about various American dishes and, in turn, improved my English vocabulary.  Almost every day, I used a new kitchen utensil and learned a new word.  My familiarity with American cuisine has increased dramatically.  I now talk about different American dishes with confidence.  Moreover, I can cook some American dishes. 

It's important to mention that my time at the Warming House was not just personally enriching, but productive as well.  Coming from a country with a rich cuisine, I managed to impart some culinary diversity by occasionally cooking Moroccan dishes such as tagines and couscous for the guests.  The first time I cooked Moroccan Couscous, the guests loved the dish and kept asking me to make it again.  Through cooking couscous, I introduced my culture.  And, I also lead the pre-meal prayers.  My prayers consisted of a small chapter from the Holy Qur’an.  I introduced my country, culture and religion.  It was indeed a memorable experience.

To comment on Anouar El Younssi's article on State Alumni, please click here.    



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A Call for Articles About Culture Shock


We welcome articles with accompanying photos for future issues of the Fulbright FLTA Newsletter.  Articles ideally should be about your experience of being abroad as a Fulbright grantee (and cultural ambassador), and any relevant and/or unique thoughts 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 high resolution photos (300 dpi or above) whenever possible with captions indicating where you are and who you are with (if applicable).

For the November issue, please submit an article based on the theme of culture shock: mandate or myth?

-For an article written by a current Fulbright FLTA grantee, write about the ways in which culture shock can be a positive experience

-For an article written by a recent Fulbright FLTA alumnus/na, write about ways to overcome culture shock

-Top 10 List: top 10 reasons why culture shock can be good for a current Fulbright FLTA grantee

Please submit your articles and 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 materials!



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Submitting Photos, Articles and Blogs to State Alumni


Share your photos with the Fulbright Community!
  • Step 1: Register for State Alumni at https://alumni.state.gov.
  • Step 2: Once your account has been verified, login to State Alumni and navigate to the Fulbright Community from your community menu on the home page, or go directly to https://alumni.state.gov/fulbright.
  • Step 3:  Click on "Multimedia Gallery" to view existing photo albums, podcasts and videos. 
  • Step 4: To add your own photo album, click on 'Create a New Album' on the right hand side of the multimedia gallery page.
  • Step 5: Create your album by adding a title and description.  Please be specific.  Adding your name, home country, Fulbright country, field of study and year will help others to easily identify you and your photos.  Click "Save."
  • Step 6: Click "Add Photos" to begin adding photos to your album.  Photos may be added one at a time (Single File) or as a group (Zip Archive allows uploads of .zip, .gzip, and tar files). 
  • Step 7: For each photo or group of photos, enter appropriate titles, captions, keyword tags and a location. 
  • Step 8: Edit your album or the individual photos in your album if necessary.
  • Step 9: The Fulbright Community Manager will be alerted of your new album and will approve materials before they appear live on the site.  Until they are approved, photos will display a "pending" status.
  • Step 10: Enjoy the Fulbright Community galleries and articles!

    Note: In addition to adding photos to the Fulbright Community Multimedia Gallery, you may also upload photos to the general Photo Gallery for all State Alumni members or to your user profile.  If you have a podcast or video to share, please email it to Fulbright@alumni.state.gov. 

Tell the Fulbright Community about what you're writing!

  • Step 1: Register for State Alumni at https://alumni.state.gov.
  • Step 2: Once your account has been verified, login to State Alumni and navigate to the Fulbright Community from your community menu on the home page, or go directly to https://alumni.state.gov/fulbright.
  • Step 3: Navigate to "Resources" and select "Fulbright Library" from the menu.
  • Step 4: Choose the appropriate section, such as blogs, research papers or multimedia.  Click "New Topic" to add a new item, or reply to an existing post. 
  • Step 5: Write the name of your blog (or other writing), add a descriptive message, and upload any relevant files.  Click "Save." 
  • Step 6: Subscribe to any or all of the Fulbright Library sections to receive an email when new items are posted.


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Correction


Correction: In the September edition of the Fulbright FLTA Newsletter, Maysa Abu Amar's article, "My Blessed Year" incorrectly indicated her country of origin as Egypt.  Her country of origin is Israel.  We regret the error.

 

 



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