The Chart Online

Fair presents many travel opportunities
Mandi Steele

International Editor

This year's Study Abroad Fair featured many different opportunities for students to visit other countries through the study abroad program.

The fair was held from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 12 on the second floor of the Billingsly Student Center.

Several tables displayed information on the trips, each with the faculty group member who would be accompanying the participating students to their foreign destination. Many students who had already experienced some of the trips helped out at the tables and gave their recommendations to newcomers.

Actually getting to see pictures of places you can visit and talk to people about their own experiences on the trip really makes a difference, said Mariam Stone, senior economics and German major.

"I think it makes (the students) a little more comfortable about asking to go.

Stone was at the fair helping to promote the four-week immersion program to Ansbach, Germany. She went on the Ansbach trip during the summer of 1999 and said the experience was definitely worthwhile.

"You learn something that you just can't learn here," Stone said.

John Magoffin, senior secondary education science and German major, stopped by the Germany table on his way through the fair. He went on the Ansbach trip as well and said the trip was eye opening.

"All of the sudden you realize we're not the only ones in the world," he said. "Not everyone thinks like we do."

He thinks the different tables throughout the fair tease students into finding out more about the programs so they can eventually take the trips themselves. Seeing the pictures taken of the places to visit "makes it a little more real," Magoffin said.

Janelle Starchman, senior music education major, was asked to come to the fair and answer questions about the education department's trip to Southampton, England. She will be taking the trip this spring.

She said Missouri Southern offers education majors many different opportunities to student teach abroad or take comparative education trips.

"[Having a table at the Study Abroad Fair] is beneficial because it lets the entire school know what we're doing," she said.

Starchman said students decide to take trips abroad to "go to new exciting places" and study other cultures.

Other destinations available and featured at the fair included Costa Rica, Spain, India, Russia, Italy, Greece and France. Door prizes were also given away to students who attended the fair.