J Term in Full Swing: Notes from Abroad

Associate Professor of Sociology Ryan Ceresola checked in from Ireland, where he and Associate Professor of Music Meghan Sheehy are leading a group of nearly 20 students from two classes. One of the highlights thus far, Ryan said, has been connecting with Hartwick alumni! “We connected with Dan Danowski ’00 for a couple of hours at a restaurant in Derry,” Ryan said. “He chatted with us professors and then spoke with the students. He was really great, talking about his journey from Hartwick to Northern Ireland, and how he went from being a Geology major to working in web design. He took this same Ireland course back in 1998 when it was run by someone named ‘Otto.’”

Meanwhile, in Portugal, the “Fermentation and Re-localization of Food Systems” class – led by Professor of Biology Mary Allen and Professor of Economics Carli Ficano – also met up with Hartwick alumni. Francisco Marcos ’68, an external senior advisor at Sporting Club Portugal (SCP), secured tickets for to attend a home game. The class was enjoyed the match Francisco and his wife, Beverly; fellow alumna Doreen Rasteiro ‘72 and her husband, Juvenal; and Chris Belnap ’03, who traveled from Vienna to join the group for the game and a field trip to Cartuxa Winery.

In Sudan, Associate Professor of Art Rich Barlow and Professor of French Mark Wolff are Keeping their students busy in their “Art & Culture in West Africa” class. Their charges have taken a djembe lesson and a batik workshop in Toubab Dialaw; wrote and recorded a music track at Association Afroculturban, a hip-hop and urban culture organization in Pikine Banlieue; and in Dakar they took in dinner and a show at Institut Français and visited to G-Hip-Hop, where community programs and education are rooted in hip hop music.

These are just a sample of the real-world experiences our students and faculty are getting during their J Terms abroad. They are typical, and always fascinating.

For descriptions of the off-campus J Term programs, visit our webpage. And for updates and images from abroad, keep an eye on the College’s Facebook and Instagram pages.