Australia: A Blonde Abroad

AUSTRALIA: 

A Blonde Abroad

Walking into the exercise science office at Berry and seeing a flyer about studying abroad in Australia freshman year was all what was needed for me to be convinced that I wanted to go study abroad down under. The program I chose to apply for was a 3 week research program through the University of Canberra focusing on comparing the Aussie sporting industry to the American sporting industry. During those three weeks, a group of 39 students adventured through 4 cities and gained a better understanding and a new perspective on the sporting industry.

Melbourne

This was honestly my favorite city visited because it reminded me so much of Belgium. Melbourne was home to lots of really good coffee and a small little coffee and waffle shop called "Waffee", which for the duration of the stay I managed to become a regular at.

Not only did Melbourne have great coffee and waffles, Melbourne also had it's own share of street art. Alley ways were covered in graffiti and Chuck Taylor Converse were hanging from rooftop to rooftop. The artwork was a form of expression from life mottos to political statements - even targeting U.S. presidential candidates. One very memorable piece of graffiti was one of Donald Trump, but the artist depicted him with devil horns coming out of his famous carrot colored hair. No political statements made in the graffiti alleys that I visited contained artwork of Hilary Clinton.

The Great Ocean Road was breath taking and a great way to take a break from the Australian City life. I wouldn't call myself an overly religious person, but standing on literally one of the closest parts  of the globe to Antartica and seeing just how amazing some of the world's natural wonders are left me speechless. I've heard from being part of Campus Outreach, a form of campus wide bible study at Berry and throughout the Southern U.S. that Australia is very secular. Touring the great ocean road makes me wonder how can you not believe in God and miracles.

During our free day in Melbourne, I found what I had been patiently waiting to locate; the aquatic center. Public transportation was actually very safe and I was really amazed by how helpful Australians are willing to help lost tourists. A professor from the University of Melbourne stopped me as I tried to find the right tram platform and offered help; which I gladly took. Eventually, I learned to navigate the rails and found my self heading to the Melbourne Aquatic Center in Albert Park. During the three trips that I made over to the center I got to watch iron man triathletes, nationally competitive divers and swimmers, and get the contact information for the club team that trains there if I have any questions about how Olympic trials work in Australia compared to the U.S.

Melbourne was also where we got to attend an AFL game (Australian Football). The game was played in the Melbourne Cricket Ground; which is an oval shaped stadium. The field is shared by cricket. In the summer Cricket games are played, but in the winter Australian football games are played. Before the game started we had the chance to learn some of the skills involved with playing the game. We learned how to properly throw and kick an AFL football and how the scoring worked.
The game itself was really fun to watch. It appeared more like soccer than american football; there was a constant amount of running and there wasn't a lot - if any - stopping during the game.

Canberra

A place that we were warned about for being very bland seemed to hold up to all of the very little expectations... However, In the very "boring" city; I found arguably the most interesting experiences. The lecture given by Lennon Wicks, our professor for the Canberra and Sydney, discussed the differences in both the Australian and American sports medicine and sporting industry. 

While there were many complaints about the single dorm styled rooms looking like "prisons", I actually enjoyed having a room to my self because it allowed me to get up at 5:30AM and make my way to the Canberra Aquatic Centre. The best part of these swims were when I got to meet with the local swim coach who had previously been a four time Australian olympic swim coach. Discussions with him included the differences in swim culture and preparing for trials in the US versus Australia. Sadly, I didn't get to talk to him till the day before we left. He offered me a spot with his team to train during my stay in Canberra, but I had to decline it since I would be leaving for Sydney the next morning.

Canberra also was the city where we got to visit the Australian Institute of Sport - the Aussie version of the U.S. Olympic Training center in Colorado. Some of the Australian athletes were present working out during our tour and it was really cool to see them motivating each other in the weight room despite playing different sports. The aquatics facility is a 50 meter pool but with a really cool feature. Coaches can take a set of stairs down to a sort of tunnel that allows coaches to watch what is going on under water. It's sort of like turning the pool into a fish tank in an aquarium.

We also had the opportunity to have a small "training" session with Mel Breen, Australia's fastest female sprinter. Being responsible for the motivational Monday quotes with my college's swim team, I couldn't resist asking her what her favorite motivational quote was. It turns out it was one that her coach told her: "Just because it hasn't been done before, doesn't mean it's impossible."

Canberra is also home to "freakshakes" which are really extravagent milkshakes. I had a "pretzella", a combination of a nutella milkshake and pretzels. The hour long bus ride and the sugar coma afterwards were defintely worth it. 

Sydney

In Sydney we stayed at a hostel; it's like a hotel but dorm styled and budget friendly for students. We were about five minutes from China Town and the market. We were also 15 minutes away from the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Center.

During our first night in Sydney, we went to eat at an Italian Cafe where we realized that we needed to work on our Italian pronouciation skills a bit more.

On our first night in Sydney we went on a harbor cruise and saw the harbor and the world famous Sydney Opera House lit up for the Vivid Lights Festival. I learned to never put a digital camera lens cap inside a jacket pocket while on the boat deck. The harbor now has a Nikon lens cap somewhere at the bottom of it.

We also discovered that the address from Finding Nemo is not real. There isn't a Wallaby Way in Sydney.

During our time in Sydney we also went to a Rugby Union game. It was different from AFL because there was a whole lot more contact. It varied from NFL because the clock and game kept moving during the tackles. The halves took 40 minutes and 40 minutes only. (Unlike with American football where a 15 minute quarter might actually end up taking 45 minutes).

Cairns

Cairns, otherwise pronounced "Canes", is like a small tourist town. Our hotel is just on the water and the views from the 11th floor balcony are amazing. Surrounding the town along three sides are mountains of lush tropical rain forest. Cains is home to massive bats that come out at night and countless birds that are in all the trees along the side of the roads. It's so weird to look outside and see them flying around and no one squealing. The grocery store here is my favorite. It has food from France and Belgium that I can't get back home in the states. 

I also went out to my first club while in Cairns. It was really fun getting to go out with a group of students and have fun. Especially since all of my exam scores are finally back, it was nice to be able to not have to worry about anything and "let loose". All the girls who went were able to get a card to get up to five free drinks the night we went. (In our eyes it made up for the fact that we missed out on getting to see crocodiles).

I also got the chance to hold a koala and feed wallabies at the Kuramba Koala Center. (The Koala was named Hazel.) Koalas aren't bears; they are marsupials. They carry their young the same way kangaroos do (without the hopping).  The wallabies are equally as adorable as the koalas. You could walk into their enclosure and, grabbing a handful of wallaby food, hand feed the wallabies. They would hop right over to you and take the food out of you're hand.
There were other enclosures of koalas that we could take pictures of before and after getting to hold one. The koalas pretty much just sat in the trees and ate the leaves but one of them was really active and decided to do some jumping from one tree to another.After visiting all the animals we went to the markets in Kuramba. We also got to eat and drink from a fresh and raw coconut. I definitely prefer fresh coconut milk and meat than the bottle and packaged stuff you can purchase in the stores back in the United States.

White water rafting through the rain forest was also quiet an experience. Our river guide seemed to be more of a hippie; and his opinion and views on the way things worked were very different than what I've heard before. It seemed as if it was a combination of a lot of physics and science fiction. At the end of the trip we only had one "major" injury; someone chipped a tooth.

During one of our free days we ventured into the tropical rainforest. The rainforest in Cairns in the world's oldest rainforest and is considered a world heritage site. While we didn't see any animals; there were massive trees and some really nice waterfalls. We also got to see the Cairns reservoir. While my college has a very nice reservoir as well; the Cairns one was way larger and slightly more secure; the reservoir at Berry College is very easy to "fall in to" while the Cairns reservoir required an access key to drive past.

Our last group excursion was out to Fitzroy Island. While the turtle hospital tours weren't available we were able to snorkel around the reef and go on a glass bottom boat tour.

In the end....

Participating in the Australian Sporting Industry study abroad program was definitely the adventure of a lifetime. I'm hoping that someday I'll get to come back to Australia and explore more of what this amazing place has to offer.

The Teal Elephant

SEXUAL ASSAULT:

The Teal Elephant on College Campuses

Every high schooler who has plans on continuing his or her education holds their breath hoping that someday a college acceptance letter will come in the mail. The application process is grueling, and when the letter final comes in the mail announcing college acceptance, it's a huge relief. However, colleges aren't what they used to be.  Colleges are now home to countless pathways for education. They are the home of students from all over the world. However these institutions, that we as a society place so much value on, are also home to a teal elephant that is often turned a blind eye towards. The elephant on every college campus is sexual assault.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice:

Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.

Sexual assault is considered a felony almost unanimously across the United States, but each state has it's own laws and penalties for the crime. 

Also, each college and/or university handles sexual assault cases differently.

Elephants on Campus:

News media and social media has definetly lead to the increased awareness to sexual assault in colleges.  The Washington post has put together a list of every college and the list of reported sexual assault cases.  Recently, campaigns have emphasized the lack of rights victims have on college campuses and how actions made by a college are usually in favor of the aggressor, NOT the victim. One of the reasons is the issue of alcohol and it's role in sexual assault cases. "you shouldn't have been drinking" is often a reason for blaming the victim for the situation. 


Consent: Respect the situation and the answer

It's seems as if with the consequences and just the thought of being a felon, sexual assault wouldn't be an issue. It should be a no brainer to respect someone enough to realize when it's proper to ask for consent, and when sex shouldn't even be brought up into a situation. However, it is. 

Consent should be black and white. Don't take advantage of a person's inability to make a decision due to either a substance (such as alcohol or drugs), or emotions, or things going on in their life that they aren't showing.


On college campuses especially, alcohol is a major factor with sexual assault. Regardless of being a wet, dry, or somewhere in between college campus there will almost always be some form of alcohol present. 

However, the issue isn't wether or not the alcohol is allowed. The issue isn't even the amount of alcohol consumed. The issue is that alcohol is the leading substance used on college campuses during sexual assault. 

Regardless of the victim or the aggressor being too drunk to make proper decisions, rape is rape. 

Dragging the Elephant out:

Removing the elephant from college campuses isn't going to be easy, especially when talking about the elephant isn't easy. Some people will blame the victim for being raped. However, the elephant is being dragged out.

In 2014, Stanford University students rallied in support of a sexual assault victim and used the hashtag #StandWithLeah when making their stand on the issue. 2014 also brought to light the girl with the mattress who carried her mattress with her everywhere until her aggressor was expelled.

Last year at the Grammies, Lady Gaga performed an amazing song, written for the movie "The Hunting Ground", that served a powerful message for survivors of Sexual Assault.  It brought national attention to the issue as she took a stand with many other survivors on the stage.

This year, USA Today shared a campaign brought fort by "Don't Accept Rape" discussing the issues of rape on college campuses. Berry College even has campaigns during April (sexual assault awareness month) that invite students to learn more about sexual assault, encourages support of the victims, and brings awareness to the fact that the elephant needs to leave.

College should be a place where sexual assault shouldn't be an issue. It should be a place where students are safe, regardless of the situation that they might find themselves in, whether it be at a party, at a dorm building, or just anywhere on campus. It shouldn't matter if everyone is sober or if everyone is intoxicated.

Sexual assault shouldn't be an

 elephant on college campuses. 

Dealing with Fear: Part II

After the 2015 Paris Terror Attacks I wrote a blog post titled "Dealing With Fear"; it discussed the fear I had for Belgium, my country, and the people I know there. 

On March 22, 2016, what I had feared became a reality; Terrorist had attacked Belgium.

Tuesday, March 22nd, was supposed to be a stress free day. My major class had been canceled and I didn't have to worry about waking up early for anything. As I rolled over to hit snooze on my alarm clock, I noticed several messages from my dad. My heart stopped and I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach as I read three words. Terrorists in Belgium.

I went straight to what everyone with a smartphone goes to; the internet. I kept hoping it wasn't attacks. Maybe the police had picked up more terrorists after having picked up one of the attackers responsible for the Paris tragedy. Yet, as I read the news reports my throat seemed to swell up and I began to cry.

34 people died, 250 plus people were injured, many are still missing. The images and videos of the metro bombing were frightening to take in. However, the one's that struck me the hardest were the reports about the airport bombings.

The Zaventem airport's check-in/departure hall where I've stood in line to have my passport checked, ate a quick snack, and waved goodbye to family members hundred of times is now destroyed. Videos showed the windows blown out, smoke and fire filling the building, some people running away, some people running to help those injured, and some people frozen in fear, shock, and disbelief.

Children about seven or eight, who were interviewed from an elementary school in the area, told reports when they heard about terrorists in the area that they were worried about their parents and hoped that their parents were safe.

People, who had a few seconds before the bombs went off, were in complete shock as they described the events. Many broke down in tears as they recalled the sounds and sights of the injured after the blasts.

The entire day between reading my dad's text message to when I went to my music lesson that afternoon was filled with attempts to study but my thoughts and heart across the ocean. I watched the news report online and fought back the urge to throw up when they showed a video of what happened.  As the day ended and I called one of my very close friends to try to talk about it; I couldn't.

Almost three days later, it's still hard. The last time a country I was a part of was attacked it was September 11, 2001. Honestly, I don't remember much of it. All I remember are things I didn't understand at the time, airport security becoming stricter, and that I had an irrational fear that lasted throughout elementary school of terrorists hiding in the dark. Now, this week, Belgium experienced it's version of 9/11. This time, I understood what was going on. This time, I wanted to go back to being a six year old. This time, I didn't have an irrational fear. Fear was a reality.

I'm still terrified about another attack. I'm more hesitant about traveling back home (Belgium). Growing up, after 9/11, my parents always told my sister and I we'd be safe traveling to Europe. (Because who would want to attack a country who's main objectives are waffles, chocolate, and beer?)  However, I don't believe that anymore.

Alas, it's impossible to live a life of fear. Risks have to be taken. Following the attacks, citizens of Brussels and the rest of Belgium were advised to stay indoors and avoid large public crowds. They did just the opposite. They gathered in town squares and in front of churches. They held candlelight vigils, wrote messages of peace, love, hope, and prayer on the sidewalks with chalk. They left flowers and cards as memorials to those who died.

Fear could have convinced them to stay inside and take the police advice. However, giving into fear would have meant that the terrorists would have succeeded. The people of Belgium proved they will not let fear control their lives. For that reason, when given the chance to go back home, I'm going to take it. I won't let fear win over me.

Dealing with Fear

 

     It seems as if the whole week has been filled with news reports and alerts about France and Belgium. Terror has seized both nations after the ISIS attacks in Paris and the terrorists were linked to Belgium. Seeing these news flashes, a national feeling of empathy towards all those affected spread like wildfire in the United States. However, for most of us watching from television screens or cellular devices, worrying about what's going to happen within those countries borders is the least of our worries. Most of my friends can turn off the news and not wonder what will happen to these countries in the following days, weeks, and months. As much as I would love to be able to push the recent attacks to the back of my memory and not be distracted by a news alert featuring Belgium, I can't. As much as I would love to be able to say I'm not scared, I can't. When the place you call "home" despite having permanent residence in the United States for your whole life is practically turning into a war zone before your eyes; the one thing you can't help but feel is a growing pit inside your stomach; that growing pit is fear. 

      As fears of more attacks have lead to a level four security level in Belgium (the highest level), one might feel safe knowing that the military and police forces are ready to go at a moments notice. However, I don't feel a fear for a lack of help in a time of crisis. Being half way around the world from Belgium, I don't really feel fear any fear about what's going to happen twenty minutes from now. However, I do feel a fear. It's a fear that doesn't ease with growing news reports. I fear for my family and friends. I fear for them because no one knows what'g going to happen tomorrow. I fear for them because they are on the other side of the world, in a situation that I cannot even begin to relate to or even try to comprehend. 

       However, despite this growing pit of fear that seems to stay with me I've found ways to put my mind at ease. I've found that despite the terror, God was still present and isn't letting people down. Bible verses (1 peter 5:7, psalm 23:4 and psalms 56:3-4 to name a few) are marked and read whenever I realize my thoughts are turning away from what's going on in front me to what's going on 4,500 miles away. I look back through "Motivational Monday" quotes and remind myself of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous words: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." When the motivational quotes don't help; I do what any scared twenty year old college girl does very well. I call my mom.

     The fear that's been staying with me the past week probably won't be completely gone for a while. However, I know that despite the evil that was present in Paris this past weekend, the good in the people present in Paris during the attacks will forever outrank the atrocities that took place. It is because there was so much good showed during a time when Paris seemed to go through Hell that there is still a strong belief and faith that everything will be alright. It is this belief that makes the growing pit of fear inside my stomach vanish, if not for a while, at least a little bit. 

      

        

Dear Facetime, an open letter to a good piece of modern technology

Dear FaceTime,

      I realize society often gives technology a bad rap. Researchers are constantly questioning whether our increase in technology is a beneficial or degrading factor for communication. The internet is filled with jokes, videos, and comments about how people are becoming more absorbed in what's in a screen than what's going on behind the less than one inch thick layer of plastics, glass, and wires. Truth be told; walk into almost any building and anyone is bound to find a group of people focused more on a screen than on holding a face to face conversation with the person next to them. However, there is one part of technology that deserves a good rap. FaceTime, you deserve a lot of praise. While social media applications and websites such as FaceTime and Twitter seem to pull us away from current situations and people near us; you have allowed people to not only speak to each other from far away distances, but you have allowed people to see each other again.

     The people who matter the most to me currently live not across a street, road, town, or state from me. They don't even live across the country from me. They live approximately 4,500 miles away in a small country called Belgium. Phone calls whenever I go back to my home in the United States are always a great comfort; but it's not the same as actually getting to see my extended family. I can't see their expressions or how their faces look as they laugh. I can't see what someone's new hair cut looks like; I just have to close my eyes and visualize it.  FaceTime changed that for me. It allowed me to see just how wide my grandma can smile; or how much she can scowl when something isn't exactly right. I can see just how my grandad looks as he ponders on another history or science question; filled with an unmistakable gleam in his eye that reflects a need for understanding and a desire to learn more. While I'm still not able to give them a hug or smell soup simmering in the corner of the kitchen while freshly brewed coffee slowly drizzles it's way down into a coffee mug, I can see these things. And that's already more than what I previously had.

     People don't realize how much that means that I'm able to connect with my family back where I call "home" on a level beyond letters and traditional phone calls. It's made living 4,500 miles away a little bit more bearable. So while people are out giving technology a bad rap; let's remember one thing. Just because technology seems to be pulling a lot of people away; if used correctly it can bring families and friends, if not fully, partially back together.

Thank you,

A not so homesick - homesick European.

An open letter to America's Education Community Concerning Math and Science

Dear America’s Education Community,

It shouldn't be news to anyone that the United States is not number one in the world for mathematics and science. All around the United States; there's a cry going out for students to become more involved with math and science. According to the Pew Research Center and the Program for International Student Assessment; the United States of America is currently ranked 35th out of 64 countries for math and is ranked 27th in science*. Federal, state, and local programs are working with researchers to figure out why the United States is falling behind and what can be done to start regaining ground and catching up to countries, such as South Korea, Japan, Belgium, and the Russian Federation, that are leading in math and science. Theories suggest changing how teachers teach by adjusting to a "common core" or having set standards for everything. However what if it's not the “what” that is being taught; but rather fact that schools in the United States are removing one crucial element of education necessary for students to become engaged in Math and Science? Schools are forgetting to make it interesting.

Schools and Teachers in the United States are forgetting that in order for a student to learn, the student must be engaged in the subject. How does one become engaged in a subject that seems to be hard, boring, and the root of one of the most common questions "Why must I learn this" ? The solution to this problem isn’t hard to find.

Show the student how to apply the skills and let the student try to apply the skills being learned. Challenge the students by teaching them how to apply skills such as algebra, physics, or chemistry and biology instead of having them memorize the skills. Instead of piling on the endless worksheets and forcing students to memorize formulas, why can’t more projects take place? Why not challenge students to do research papers on mathematical and scientific topics that go broader than simply who created the microscope or who figured out the value of pi? Why not encourage participation in science fairs? Why not allow students to apply knowledge learned to solve everyday problems?

However, this is easier said than done. In fact, a student in Texas recently discovered that branching out on his own in an engineering class caused him to land in trouble. No, the student did not try to alter the school’s structure. The student also didn’t try to build a robot out of school computers. The student, Ahmed Mohamed from Mac Arthur High School in Texas, made a digital clock out of a pencil case and was arrested later in the day for carrying a “suspicious item” to school. Not only was he arrested, but it took a while before anyone seemed to believe him that the clock was actually a clock instead of a bomb. Police officers even accused him of making a “movie bomb” (a device made to look like a bomb). It wasn’t until President Obama tweeted about the subject that the student finally got some pretty sweet recognition and praise for what he actually did; he made a digital clock out of a pencil box at the age of 14.

Another very popular story concerning science and arrests is the story of Homer Hickem, the rocket scientist who’s story is the basis for the movie “October Sky”. Passionate about rockets, he overcomes trial after trail to finally create a working rocket in high school until one day he is arrested. Unable to prove that his rocket did not start the fire that lead to his arrest, he goes to work in a coal mine and does not finish his education until he teaches himself calculus to locate his missing rocket and prove that it did not start any fire. Homer’s story is true.

The solution to one of the problems currently facing our country, education, and students does not lie behind a scantron or piles of worksheets. It lies behind the face that we don’t allow students to challenge themselves when it comes to the fields of mathematics and sciences. Students aren’t shown what lies beyond the world of a text book or computer screen and when they venture out on their own, some are arrested. Instead of arresting Ahmed, why can’t we learn from him? For starters, find out what materials were used to make the clock and let the next physics/math project be making a digital clock. Instead of simply watching the movie “October Sky”, why not have students analyze what branches of science are involved. Allow them to find something they are interested in from the movie and do a project about it. Let them build models and try to solve physics and calculus problems similar to those that Homer had to solve.  

It should be that the United States is leading the world in science and math. Research Institutions and Universities across the country are filled with students from all over the world. However, the United States is lagging behind in what it should be excelling in. Student’s aren’t interested and that needs to change. Until students understand why something is important and that it shouldn’t be something that causes events to be ashamed of, such as being arrested, getting the students engaged will be a task nearly impossible for anyone to accomplish. How are you going to get a student interested?

Sincerely,

A Concerned Science Major

sources:

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/02/02/u-s-students-improving-slowly-in-math-and-science-but-still-lagging-internationally/

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/17/us/texas-student-is-under-police-investigation-for-building-a-clock.html?_r=0

National Suicide Awareness Day: Tough Lessons

A little less than six years ago I was a freshman at Cedartown High School. I was learning all the things that you'd expect to learn in school. English, Literature, History, Biology, and anything else that is taught. However, I learned a lesson freshman year that I will never forget. I learned a lesson that no one should ever have to learn the hard way.

It started off as a regular spring day containing all the regular struggles of a high school freshman, pushing through the hallways, trying not to get trampled by upper classmen, etc. However, walking out of the second class of the day something was different. There was an electric tension and an eerie silence that replaced the usual cacophony of class change. I remember turning to one of my best friends and whispering "why are all the administrators in the hallway? what happened?"

We found out as we sat down in the next class. A few classmates were red eyed. Most of us were still clueless. Then the school counselors walked in.

My stomach had turned into knots. Something was wrong. Something was wrong that involved all of us.

The room fell silent. The counselors spoke. "One of your classmates passed away after attempting suicide."

The day before one of my fellow musicians, friends, and classmates was alive. Now I learned I would never get to attempt to teach her how to speak dutch. I would never hear her laughter behind me from the saxophone section. 

It was the worst feeling ever.

Many people say you should reach out and call a suicide hotline and tell someone who can do something about it. But what I learned six years ago was you can't always know how much someone needs help. I learned its sometimes those who don't ask for it who end up needing it the most.

That spring day's events 6 years ago changed me. I've become more conscious about what I say and what others say. I've learned to stand up for others instead of expecting someone else to do it for them. I want people to feel needed and for them to realize that even if all seems to go wrong, it isn't all wrong. 

The biggest lesson I've learned though is to make sure if you decide to be someone's friend, be there friend through the good times and the bad. Don't turn your back on them because of a personal decision they made; rather help them through what ever follows. Talk to them. Comfort them. Stand up for them. Don't tell people you love them just on the good days. Love them on the bad days.