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Worldly Welcomes


Returning study-abroad students swapped worldly stories Feb. 4 at the study-abroad photo exhibit and Welcome Back Reception.

According to Jessica Sears ’11, it was a vital opportunity. “One of the most important things about the study-abroad experience is to share what you’ve seen and learned,” said Sears, who studied in Morocco last year.  “I really enjoy seeing what other people have seen and done.”

Diversity and character 

Sears did just that, thanks to the fifth-annual exhibit, which included study-abroad students’ photos of the world’s sweeping vistas and natural wonders, architectural details, street scenes, candid shots of friends, special events, artifacts and more. It also included pictures of the United States snapped by international students, such as Yixue Ge ’13’s photo of red chairs on Times Square. [Story continues below.] 


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  • Benjamin Roberts '11's photo of the Greenwich Docklands in England captured the win in the architecture category. "I took this photo when my class took a weekend trip to see the Prime Meridian and the Maritime Museum," he said.
    Winning Architecture
  • Daniel Kaplan '11's photo of Israel's Wailing Wall was the winner of the culture category. Kaplan traveled to Israel to visit family.
    Wailing Wall
  • Daniel Kaplan '11 snapped this picture of the Azure Window, a natural arch on the island of Gozo, Malta.
    Beautiful Landscape
  • Daniel Kaplan '11 (left) and his roommate, Evan Gregoire '11, sit on the banks of the River Seine. Kaplan took the photo using a tripod and a self-timer device.
    Daniel Kaplan '11
  • International student Yixue Ge '13 took this New York City photo, which won the prize for best international perspective of the United States. "The red chairs became my favorite icon of Times Square," she said.
    Red Chair Banquet
  • The grand-prize winner was Ursala Neuwirth '11, who took this picture in the Moroccon desert. "We rode camels to an oasis and spent the night there," she recalled.
    Contest Winner
  • Overseas student assistants (from left:) Samuel Xavier (Germany), Alessia Cecchet (Italy) and Alexandre Herpe (France) gather at the photo exhibition.
    OSAs
  • Brian Brubaker, director of study abroad (left), shares a laugh with Carla Maranto-Arnold, study-abroad coordinator. 
    Brian Brubaker
  • Ursala Neuwirth '11 (right), who snapped the Best Overall Photo, speaks with Verena Mertz, visiting international student.
    Ursala Neuwirth '11
  • Thiago Branco '13 of Brazil (left) chats with overseas student assistants Raquel Perez Villardon (Spain), Alexandre Herpe (France) and Samuel Xavier (Germany).
    Four Countries
  • Yixue Ge '13 (left), whose photograph was dubbed best in its category, speaks with (from left): Gwen Moore, coordinator of international services; Stephen DePaul, executive director of global education and associate provost; and Marlena Meikrantz ’10, program associate of global education. 
    International Views
  • Students discuss the photos. All members of the Dickinson community were invited to vote for their favorite at midday; the winners were announced late in the afternoon.
    Assessment
  • Florencia Cabral '13 (left) sends a text message as her friends look on. Students who have studied abroad report that texts, e-mails and social media help them stay in touch with overseas friends on their return home.
    Florencia Cabral '13
  • An orientation at the beginning of each semester acclimates international students and visiting scholars to life in the United States, in Carlisle and at Dickinson.
    Orientation
  • Students respond to advice delivered during international-student orientation.
    Warm Reception
Benjamin Roberts '11's photo of the Greenwich Docklands in England captured the win in the architecture category. "I took this photo when my class took a weekend trip to see the Prime Meridian and the Maritime Museum," he said.Prev ImageNext Image

All of the photos had been entered into the 2011 Global Education Photo Contest last fall and had been evaluated by global-ed staff members. Everyone who attended the exhibit had a chance to vote for their favorites among the top-scoring entries.

“Every year I’m astounded by the variety of subjects and styles we see,” said Marlena Meikrantz ’10, program associate of global education. “This exhibit really reflects the diversity and character of the Dickinson global-education program.”

Powerful memories 

Each image evoked strong memories in the student who captured it. A shot by Andrea Wiley ’11, for example, immortalizes the moment she first saw the Eiffel Tower up close. “It sounds clichéd, but I’ll never forget that moment,” said Wiley, who studied in Toulouse, France, and San Paolo, Brazil. 

“It’s interesting to see what other people decide to capture about places you've been,” said Verena Mertz. An overseas student assistant from Germany, Mertz submitted a photo of Carlisle’s autumn leaves, as well as a shot of a Washington, D.C., rally led by pop-media phenoms Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. “This contest is a great way to acknowledge the experiences students have had,” she said.

Mahmood Al Hinai, a Fulbright foreign-language teaching assistant from Oman and amateur photographer, agreed.  “Two people can take a picture of the very same place, and the pictures will be very different,” he noted. “It’s nice to be able to explore the world from right here on campus.”

Adjusting to a new life 

After the exhibit, returning students, international scholars, faculty advisors and global-education staff attended a Welcome Back Reception, where the winning photos were announced. Benjamin Roberts ’11, and Yixue Ge ’13 each garnered one award; Daniel Kaplan ’11 captured awards in three categories and Ursala Neuwirth ‘11, the winner of Best Overall Photo, took home the grand prize: a much-coveted travel voucher.

Throughout the reception, students chatted about their travels. This kind of community-building is vital to students adjusting to life back in the United States, said Wiley.

“Study abroad is such a huge part of the Dickinson experience—you learn things you couldn’t learn in a classroom, and in very different ways,” she explained. “Reintegration is an important part of that experience.”

Sarah Brnich ’11, who studied in Argentina in fall, 2009 and co-presented to a Dickinson Spanish class the following spring, agrees. “You’re excited to talk about your experiences when you get back, but not everyone wants to look through all of your picture albums and hear all of your stories,” she said. “People who have had a similar experience understand.”

By MaryAlice Bitts Jackson
Reception photos by Carl Socolow '77