Language, history, culture – and science? GC professors and students embark on summer excursion to Berlin
(조지아칼리지 주립대학교)[해외유학장학금,미국주립대학비]
When people travel to Berlin, Germany, they often think of the city’s historic past – from the Weimar Republic to the cruelty of World War II. They think of a once-divided city that today is a tranquil center for the arts, museums, architecture, cuisine and music.
They don’t often think science.
But that’s what two Georgia College professors thought 12 years ago, when a dean challenged faculty to create more study abroad opportunities for students. Dr. Ken McGill, chair of chemistry, physics and astronomy, said, “Let’s give it a whirl and do the history of German scientists. I think it’d be neat.”
Interest was so great the first year; it took everyone by surprise. Fifty students from a dozen different majors went in 2007. Twelve years later, the Berlin science courses remain one of the most popular study abroad trips offered by European Council Study Abroad Programs, an arm of the University System of Georgia.
It’s unusual to see three professors from one university on a trip together, said Dr. Ronald Fietkau, who’s been with the program since its scientific beginnings. He normally teaches the History of German Scientists course but, this year, acts as program coordinator. McGill will teach science history, along with a class on renewable energy.
Fietkau and McGill are teaming up with another Georgia College faculty member, Dr. Craig Callender, associate professor of linguistics and English, as well as a psychology professor from Berry College and German language professor from the University of North Georgia.
They’ll guide 26 students through classes and fieldtrips. Seven are Georgia College undergraduates, eager to learn more from their favorite professors in a different cultural setting. The excursion lasts June 29 through Aug. 2.
“I have not studied abroad before now,” said senior Jenna Lee of Jackson, who’s majoring in chemistry with a minor in biology.
“I chose Germany, because Berlin seems like a really fun city to explore,” she said. “It was also the only study abroad program offering upper-level classes in my major. I’m hoping to learn a great deal about different German scientists, as well as renewable energy.”
Another senior, Annaleigh Jackson of Milton, said this program allows her to go abroad, while completing the remaining requirements for a chemistry degree.
“Usually people go out of the country for a week or two as a vacation,” Jackson said. “I’m excited to be there for five weeks and experience Germany more as if I live there, rather than just being a tourist for a few days.”
Callender’s been on the Berlin trip before. He teaches World Literature II, which spans “Beowulf” to Voltaire. As a linguist, he includes discussions on older Germanic languages and Old English. Students were given reading assignments ahead of time, so they can enjoy themselves and get the full experience of traveling without being swamped with schoolwork. He especially looks forward to reading an epic Old Saxon poem, "Heliand," with them.
“It’s really interesting culturally, because it gives us a chance to see what happened when two very different cultures meet – this warrior pagan culture and the Christianizing Franks coming up from the southwest into Germany,” Callender said.
“Part of the beauty of the program is students get exposed to professors they don’t normally have contact with, so they’ll be getting different perspectives,” he said. “And the other really cool part of it is the students meet other students too. In some cases, they form lasting friendships.”
Renewable energy is another a popular subject, especially in Europe where electricity and gas are costly. Germany’s coastline is dotted with windmills. Hallways aren’t lit up like in America, McGill said. His students will calculate the price of a gallon of gas, converting it to a liter. They’ll compare wind energy to solar and write a final paper on how they’d fix the energy problem, if they ruled the world.
Students will visit the University of Berlin, the first institution to combine teaching with research. This started the rise of science, once considered a hobby, to the career level. About 29 Nobel Prize winning scientists are associated with the university.
“That’s one of the reasons we do the history of German scientists,” McGill said, “because it dovetails into the fact our society hasn’t always seen science as a career path.”
This year’s also special, professors said, because it’s the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation – or “Luther Year” – in Berlin.
“It was 500 years ago that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the church door at Wittenberg,” Callender said. “So they’re having events all year. For students who are interested in history, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
McGill’s excited to be in Germany for the Luther festivities. But, mostly, he’s looking forward to schnitzel, bratwurst and “soaking up the culture.”
Students stay at the Akademie Hotel, where they’ll take classes two days a week. They’ll go on fieldtrips two other days per week, leaving a three-day weekend for independent travel.
Fieldtrips include a visit to the Baltic Sea where vendors sell crepes, beer, wine, bratwurst, fish sandwiches and pastries; the church at Wittenberg Castle where Luther nailed his theses; a natural history museum; and cemeteries where famous chemists and physicists are buried – including the brothers Grimm and Charles Herty, after whom the Georgia College science building is named.
Jackson said she’s looking forward to making new friends and new memories. Lee said she’s excited to see the Berlin Wall and travel to Italy to see the Trevi Fountain and Colosseum.
“I don’t speak German,” Lee said, “so reading menus and trying to read from an English/German dictionary will likely be entertaining for some of my classmates who do speak German.”
“I am most excited about traveling around different European cities while abroad,” she said. “I’m eager to taste all the different types of food from various places. And I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to live in a foreign country and experience a culture that’s new to me.”
