Every other Tuesday for the rest of spring term, come read the story of a University of Oregon student currently studying abroad. With the help of the UO’s Study Abroad office, these students provide a first-hand account of what life is like in his/her current country. Throughout Summer 2010 Ethos will continue publishing work from students studying abroad. Check back to see what’s new!
April 27 – Karissa Olerich – Australia
As a junior, Karissa Oelrich has taken the opportunity to spend a semester on exchange at La Trobe University in Bundoora, Australia, just outside Victoria’s capital city of Melbourne. Karissa is majoring in Human Physiology with an emphasis in sports physical therapy. Aside from her studies, she enjoys working with and caring for the elderly, camping on the Oregon Coast, and, most recently, exploring the Australian Outback. Karissa grew up in a small town just an hour south of Eugene; going to Australia was her first time to really be away from home, and on the other side of the world at that. The program has provided a wonderful opportunity to broaden her education, her travels and her self independence.
Read Karissa’s blog, Facing the Surf
May 13* – Lexi Whitmore – Japan
Lexi Whitmore is a junior at the University of Oregon majoring in Japanese language. She is currently studying abroad at Japan’s Meiji University on her fourth trip to the country. Her dream job is to interpret for Japanese Visual-kei musicians. Not yet widely known in the United States or Japan, Visual-kei is a unique type of rock that uses not only sound, but also image to convey the emotion in a song. Other than providing a definition for her favorite genre to the uninitiated, her hobbies include writing, long walks anywhere but the beach (she is a magnet for sand), and trying to play the bass guitar. She was born and raised in the lovely Boise, Idaho, but hopes to be a citizen of the world.
Read Lexi’s blog, A Racist in the Other Direction
May 25 – Christopher Bradley – Italy
Christopher Bradley is a Eugene native and holds an English degree from the University of Oregon. He is also a graduate of the Robert D. Clark Honors College, for which he wrote a collection of short stories as his senior thesis. He is currently a post-baccalaureate undergraduate studying Italian literature and linguistics at the University of Pavia in Pavia, Italy. He writes articles periodically about his experiences in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, which are available along with his fiction on his website.
Read Christopher’s blog, Catching the Travel Bug
June 10** – Joshua Savey – Denmark
Joshua Savey is a junior majoring in Political Science at the University of Oregon. He is a native Oregonian, growing up in Reedsport. Growing up in a small Oregon coastal town sparked his interest in spending time abroad to see the world and experience new cultures. As such, Josh decided to spend his junior year at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, studying European politics and history. Upon graduation, he plans to attend law school with focuses on constitutional and civil liberties law along with international law. Study abroad has sparked his interest in international law and how it can be used to strengthen civil liberties and state interaction. Read more about Josh’s time abroad, during which he’s visited over 13 countries, on his blog.
Read Joshua’s blog, Reintegration.
*Date changed from May 11.
**Date changed from June 8.
