May 12 - University of Maryland Eastern Shore

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
Embrace Diversity: Study Foreign Language and Culture
By Associate Professor Carole Champagne
The Maryland International Consortium,
which I was invited to join, met for the
first time on April 19 in Annapolis.
Maryland Secretary of State John P.
McDonough welcomed delegates from
Sister Cities throughout the state. Governor
O’Malley has strengthened cultural and
economic ties with cities in Brazil, China,
Japan, and Mexico in the past few years.
Sister city and state agreements are gaining
strength with St. Petersburg and the
Leningrad Region of Russia. Estonian
delegates reinforced their strong linkages
with Maryland and the consortium.
The Secretary of State encouraged
collaboration and resource sharing between
associations throughout the state. As a
member of the board of directors of the
Sister Cities Association of Salisbury/
Wicomico County, I support the mission of
the association. We promote international
exchanges that create enduring bonds
through cultural awareness and
understanding, economic development, and
all levels of education.
The association is co-hosting the
Celebrating the Beauty of Diversity
Conference with the Wicomico County
Board of Education. The diversity
conference will
appropriately be held on
May 5 (Cinco de Mayo).
Participants will discuss
current issues related to
multicultural and diverse
students. We hope to
improve the educational
opportunities of ESOL
students (English
Speakers of Other
Languages). All members
of the local community
are invited to the
conference at Prince
Elementary School on
Cinco de Mayo, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The Northeast Conference on the Teaching
of Foreign Languages celebrated the
diversity of our educational communities
in the Mid-Atlantic as well as Northeast
region of the country. The conference was
held in Baltimore from April 20 through
24. A variety of sessions offered cultural
and pedagogical topics related to languages
from Latin and Italian to Russian and
Japanese. Films, workshops, and
networking sessions filled my schedule.
Opportunities for study abroad are
increasing, despite the weak economy.
Students majoring in all degree programs
are encouraged to study abroad.
LITERATURE COMES ALIVE
Students Hear From Award Winning Author
Dr. Champagne (fourth from right)
poses with members of the Estonian
delegation and others at the Sister
Cities meeting.
Photo provided by Dr. Champagne
International
education will enrich
your academic as well
as your cultural
competencies. I have
served as the
Benjamin A. Gilman
International
Scholarship Study
Abroad Certifying
Advisor since 2011.
Students who receive
Pell Grants are
eligible to receive up
to $8,000 to study
abroad for a year or
$4,000 to $5,000 to
study abroad for a summer or semester.
Several UMES students submitted
excellent applications this year. On May
11, I will serve on the National Selection
Committee with the Gilman Foundation
in Houston. We will review applications
from college students throughout the
United States. Students may apply for
the October 2012 deadline if they plan to
study abroad in 2013.
The world of possibilities awaits
students who step beyond the familiar
and learn second (or third, or fourth…)
languages. Browse study abroad
opportunities at the portal to global
studies at http://www.iiepassport.org/.
The printed page collided with reality for a
group of students enrolled in Amy
Hagenrater-Gooding’s Special Topics in
Literature class (ENGL345) this semester.
Dr. Hagenrater-Gooding
envisioned a course which
would study literature that
changed the world and examine
how the world has changed
literature. Among the books on
the reading list: The Jungle, The
Catcher in the Rye, Black Like
Me, and the poignant and
powerful Vietnam War
remembrance The Things They
Dr. Hagenrater-
Gooding
Carried by Tim O’Brien.
Her selection of O’Brien’s book
was fortuitous. It’s a National
Endowment for the
Arts “Big Read”
selection for 2012.
Because many local
residents are
participating in the
“Big Read,” Mr.
O’Brien was invited to discuss
his book in nearby Berlin,
Maryland.
Five UMES students—LaBasha
Alexander, Brittany David,
McKenzie Davis, Meghin
Seldon, and Lauren Tatum—
attended the lecture with Dr.
Hagenrater-Gooding.
Ms. Alexander was
particularly struck by the
author’s recounting of his
experiences as a Vietnam
veteran. “Living in the USA,
you never really think about the whole
aspect of war. You only give your
attention to the side in which it affects
you, but in all honesty, we are all fighting
for something,” she said. “We all want
freedom, no matter the cost.”
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