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Fulbright Foreign Student
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Walking Through American History and Culture
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Visiting Where the U.S. Was Bornby Juan Carlos Duran, 2008-2010, El SalvadorWhen I arrived in the U.S., I was captivated by the country's history and how it has shaped its institutions, culture and citizens. After spending a year in Oklahoma, I have experienced the region's different cultural aspects firsthand. Some did not reflect my preconceptions about the U.S. For example, realizing the important role religion plays in public life was an interesting surprise. Oklahoma is the 46th state to join the Union and its history is therefore very recent compared to other states. This summer, I had an opportunity to visit the East Coast, where much of the country's historical foundation was laid. This trip helped me to gain a better understanding of how the U.S. government and its institutions were developed.
One of
my stops was in Philadelphia, the nation's first
capital. Walking in the historic district
gave me another sense of the country, one far from
modern skyscrapers, amusement parks and
blockbuster movies. With its narrow,
cobblestoned streets, this city takes you back in
time. In addition to its historical legacy,
the city has several interesting museums. The
Philadelphia Museum of Art deserves particular
mention. Paradoxically, this museum attracts
more tourists due to its outside stairs, which
Rocky Balboa climbed in the first
"Rocky" movie, than its masterpieces
inside. Within its walls, it is possible to
appreciate a diverse collection of archeological
pieces from around the world and unique modern
works of art. What I discovered in
Philadelphia wouldn’t have been possible
without the guidance of two Fulbright fellows
living in the city, known for its cheese steak
sandwiches. |
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Unforgettable Moments at the University of Kansasby Canan Dagdeviren, 2009-2011, TurkeyAs Fulbrighters, we increase our academic knowledge and also contribute to finding shared solutions to international economic, educational, and social concerns. One of the most important goals of the Fulbright Program is promoting peace and understanding. Future generations will be able to regard our experiences as examples of nations working towards common solutions and addressing concerns.
My international Fulbright friends and I - a group of 34 students - attended the 2009 Fulbright Pre-Academic Orientation Program at the University of Kansas' (KU) Applied English Center this past summer. It was a great opportunity to improve our academic and social skills. We obtained a general understanding of U.S. culture, an overview of U.S. social values such as family structure, attitudes, manners, civil rights and political views. In a very short time (three weeks), we took a series of courses: a cultural seminar, a computer skills workshop, grammar for communication, oral skills seminars, library research workshops, graduate writing seminars and reading for academic purposes. These courses will be very useful to help us organize our time effectively and successfully pursue our majors. We also took incredible trips during the pre-academic program: a trip to downtown Lawrence and Clinton Lake; to Topeka, the capital of Kansas; to the Kansas Museum of History and State Capitol Building; and to Kansas City, Missouri to visit the American Jazz Museum, the Negro Baseball League Museum and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. These activities gave us a good sense of American history and customs. We really enjoyed participating in sports activities, discussions and learning about different cultures. These activities also made a great impression on all of us, especially the hosted dinners with local Lawrence families. We were invited to dinner in small groups which encouraged discussions about topics such as: politics, tradition, culture, family structure, religion and education. Having dinner with a local family was a wonderful experience which provided a window into “traditional” American family life. I believe that we as Fulbrighters will be better able to adjust to our host universities due to this pre-academic program. I would like to express my special thanks to our teachers at KU for their outstanding efforts and also to all my Fulbright friends for many unforgettable moments. To comment on Canan Dagdeviren's article on State Alumni, please click here. |
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Submitting Photos, Articles and Blogs to State AlumniState Alumni If you are not already familiar with State Alumni, it is a social network sponsored by the U.S. Department of State exclusively for all current and past participants of State Department-sponsored exchange programs, including the Fulbright Program. To register for State Alumni and gain access to the Fulbright Community, go to http://alumni.state.gov. The Fulbright Library The Fulbright Library on State Alumni is a new way to share, connect and collaborate with other current and former Fulbrighters. It offers a platform, categorized by subject area, for you to share your articles, blogs, classroom materials and other media related to your areas of interest and research, particularly work related to your Fulbright grant. If you are already a member of State Alumni, you may access the Fulbright Library at https://alumni.state.gov/fulbright/library. Share your photos with the Fulbright Community!
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A Call for Articles with PhotosWe welcome articles with accompanying photos for future issues of the Fulbright Foreign Student 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. Please make sure to indicate the date your Fulbright begin and end date of your Fulbright grant. The accompanying photos should show you engaged in program activities, or be illustrative of your article's content. Photos should also be clear (high resolution whenever possible - 300 dpi or above), sent with captions indicating where you are in the photo, where it was taken, what the event is, the names of other people in the photo, etc. 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! |