By Kiara Catanzaro
Staff Writer
Do you aspire to travel and learn world history in other countries? Bonaventure offers numerous opportunities to study abroad. Students will have the opportunity to visit Uganda this summer for a 12-day program.
Chris Mackowski, professor of journalism and mass communication, will host a trip that will give students credit for Clare 401, university forum.
“We offered the program through Clare College because it’s an experience that anyone can benefit from,” Mackowski said. “Going to a place like Uganda will be eye-opening for anybody.”
The tentative dates for the trip are May 22 through June 4. According to Mackowski, there are 10 spots available for students.
Pauline Hoffmann, dean of the school of journalism and mass communication, wants students to experience Uganda because of how different it is from other countries.
“I like the idea of going to Africa because it is so far outside most people’s comfort zones,” Hoffmann said. “This is an experience you won’t get in many places. For many, it is a culture shock and that’s a good thing. I like that students have an experience that allows them to remove themselves from their normal routine.”
Students will have the chance to immerse themselves in world history in addition to participating in service learning.
“Students will be able to go out and see cultural resources — for example, the head of the Nile or where the Rwanda genocide took place,” Mackowski said. “In the evening, we will come back and go over what they learned and prepare the group for the next activity. We will also be doing service learning with a school orphanage, so there will be a chance to do public service, which is important to the Clare curriculum.”
Mackowski stressed the importance of traveling and experiencing other countries.
“To go to a third-world country, if you have never been to one, will rock your foundations in a way that you can’t believe,” he said.
Hoffmann highlighted the activities students will participate in, and how they will connect to the importance of experiencing other cultures.
“Students will be able to see a different kind of life,” Hoffmann said. “They’ll see abject poverty. Students will experience the history of a place including the role of colonialism. Students will have an understanding of the history of a continent including genocides and tyranny. Students will see what economic options are available and viable for a country (ecotourism). There will be side trips to safaris (understanding the economy and way of life of a people), the Rwandan Genocide Memorial and other museums. Students will also work on one or more volunteer projects while there. They may include helping to build a chicken coop or helping to renovate a latrine. The service component hasn’t been decided just yet.”
Students will have the opportunity to discuss and share their ideas from the trip when they return to Bonaventure.
“When students come back in the fall, they will be able to go over and reflect on their experiences in class,” Mackowski said. “They will go experience Africa, and then process their experience in the classroom. Then they will use their experiences and present that to the other forum classes.”
Mackowski offered advice and insight to students who may have negative opinions about Africa.
“People have a lot of misconceptions about Africa and I would urge people to not let those misconceptions scare them away from the possibility to having their eyes open to going on the trip,” he said.
