GSU's EU Studies Program Blog

BEWARE! The end is nigh.

2011-12-08T23:45:00.002+01:00

It's difficult to imagine that it's already been over three months since I was met by Willi at the Gare de Strasbourg in the waning summer heat. As classes come to an end and the finals beat me about the heat, I reflect quietly on the time I've spent in France. I've seen history, dreamed of the future and become lost in the present. I will miss the friends I've made here. I will remember fondly stepping onto the tram upon returning from my trip to Paris and thinking, "Ohmy! I'm home."

As I look back, I see that I could have done some things differently. But at the same time, I value every moment that I've had here. It's sad to grow so fond of a place and then have to be ripped from it. That said, another band of merry GSU students will soon be on their way to take the place of my cohort. I can only wish them the same awe-inspiring experience that I've had.

-ALdeCroÿ

The End

2011-12-07T20:11:00.006+01:00

As my semester abroad comes to an end and classes begin to whine down, i can finally have time to appreciate the time I've had here. Management classes at Strasbourg University, as a political science major, were difficult and uninteresting at first. Now, at the end of term, I realize that it is not only making me a well rounded college graduate but also has become interesting. Not only have the classes been interesting but I have loved my new French buddies and friends I've made here.
After weeks of relaxing and taking a "laisse faire" approach to school, it has finally caught up with me. Most of my classes have decided to bombard two random weeks in November with assignments, projects, and tests that cease to exist during the first part of the semester and during finals week. As the assignments begin to pile, I begin to realize that this one assignment, project or test will practically determine my grade in the class. I have never had a class before where a single task counts as much as ninety percent of the grade in the course. Naturally, I'm terrified. This system is very different from the American grading system I am used to. I'm used to having attendance not only count as part of my grade but also as extra credit in some classes. Daily assignments and quizzes cushion the majority of the test grades and tests are given every eight weeks or six weeks or so. Ecole de management only has one task that determines your FINAL grade. Not only is this one obstacle to overcome but the most difficult part of the assignments is when it comes to group work. I found it difficult to coordinate with others' schedule since the Chateau is a long bus ride away from both school and the city center, where most other students live.

The End of the Semester

2011-12-04T21:09:00.004+01:00

The
semester is coming to an end which means that it is almost time for finals to
begin. I am nervous because the French system bases 50% of the total grade on
the final exam and the other 50% on participation and other miscellaneous
grades. If I were in the United States at this time I would be freaking out
about finals and drinking large amounts of coffee but I am somehow keeping it
together here. Maybe it is because most of my teachers have been laid back when
it comes to the previous assignments I have done. With this being said, they
expect students to do each assignment thoroughly and correctly so we have to be
self-motivated to do well in these courses.
One of the best parts of my French
classes is being able to do group projects with other students from around the
world. Most of my previous grades have been through group assignments and
everyone assigns themselves parts so you are never stuck with doing something
that is overwhelming or boring. Going to an international school has been one
of the best experiences because I have made friends with students from France,
Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and others. This is one thing that I wish the US
did more of.
-
Rachel Cooper

The Program that Was and the Experience gained!

2011-12-04T19:45:00.004+01:00

Only two weeks remaining before I leave The Chateau, time has gone by pretty fast, living and going to School in Strasbourg, France was worth every minute, every hour and every penny I paid to the program. "To go is to see" goes the ol' wise saying, and yes, in deed, I came, I saw and now I am getting ready to leave it all behind.

The experience will live in me for a long, long time to come. The people I met, the places I went and the food I ate, shall serve me in my future reflections about Strasbourg and the Chateau. I will expect to be granted a 'spot of time' when my mind will wonder back to France from time to time.

This program was wonderful, but I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would miss GSU, the way I did while here, it goes to show what a great school GSU is. I miss you Panther!

For those, who have never traveled outside the U.S, I would urge you to take chance to go to any study abroad program, you will of course get an experience like no other, but above it all, you will learn to appreciate your home institution, I loved it here, but I embrace my GSU and look forward to the Spring Semester.

It is time to say good bye to France and all the nice Christmas markets, and the professors I came in contact with, but deep down I shall forever cherish Strasbourg with fond memories.

This is for Dr. Downs...I cannot write about any experience gained intellectually with French students. Reason, Ecole de Management is only for international students from all over the world. I met and made good friends with students from Sweden, Israel, Georgia, Portugal, Greece and China.

What am I looking forward to doing once I return home, one would ask? Of course, the biggest break will be to close my computer and not look at any monitor and a key board for at least two weeks, I deserve that break! - Caroline

Wrapping Up The Term

2011-12-04T18:29:00.003+01:00

I haven't had a lot to say about academics this semester, because well, my classes are few and far between. As it comes down to the last two weeks, however, I realize that it's going to come at me all at once. Three major finals, a presentation this week, a three day seminar. Which, sure, doesn't sound like a lot, but after the slow semester that I had, it's a bit overwhelming.

It's funny when you realize you have all of this free time with no immediate work that needs to be turned in, but then when it's time to do the work, it comes at you head on. I'm not too incredibly stressed out, I just know it will be a tough week that I will be glad when it is over. That's the difference between the French system and the American system, with French work, there are only a few grades that determine your final grade. And in the American system you are given frequent work to measure your progress in the class. I'm undecided which system I like, both have their flaws and their advantages, and both you just have to get used to.

These next two weeks will be a strange feeling, when we're all getting to the end of our stay, packing our things, doing last minute Christmas shopping for friends and family, and finishing up on classes. It will be a surreal feeling when I land back in Atlanta.

-Jessica Fitzgerald

The Chateau Support System

2011-12-04T17:55:00.003+01:00

There's a lot to be said about studying abroad. There are adaptations to be made and ways to get prepared. A big fear for most is being homesick, not having a support system behind them and being lonely. That is something that has not been an issue here. I live in a Chateau with thirty five other people. Who are going through the exact thing that you are. They are there for you and they know how you feel. And you even have the "Chateau Mom & Dad" Jim and Jan.

So when there is a particularly hard week, maybe your friends will get together one night and cook a group meal. It is close to the end of our time here and last week my friends held a "Southern Night" wherein we pitched in on making a dish each. We had fried chicken, cornbread, beans, potato salad, blackberry cobbler, mac & cheese, and a hole table full of other things. It was a good night for those of us who had started to feel homesick. Nights like these make you feel like there is a family with you everywhere.

-Jessica Fitzgerald

Same Institution, Different Day

2011-10-31T21:02:00.001+01:00

Earlier this summer, I was lucky enough to be in Strasbourg and visit its three famous government institutions. We finished our tour of those same institutions just this week.
On my first trip to these institutions, I was impressed and mystified by all their grandeur and prestige. I was amazed that even the architecture of each building had a meaning and symbolic reference to a principle of that institution.
This time around, I was able to appreciate and fully understand the complexities that are involved in having an entire continent answer as if in one voice. Whether the institution is dealing with forty-seven member states or thousands of applicants, they have founded a way to communicate to the world their goals holistically.
The most interesting and, I feel, humanitarian of them all is the Court of Human Rights. This court system accepts and reads any complaint of a violation of a right coming from the humblest of people. The freedom for people to have access to such an organization shows how transparent, accessible and willing this institution is for those who think that their rights have been violated.
Our tour guide was diligently explained the commencement of the court, the inner workings, and interesting statistics. For example, the court receives about seventy thousand applications a year. The court has one judge from each member state. The court also rejects many applications because they have yet to reach the required criteria.
Although these certain visits gave me 'deja vu' in a way, I am glad to report that I was able to not only learn something new but also create a different experience with the knowledge from the previous visit.

The Truth Unfolded - Verdun 1916!

2011-10-27T17:05:00.007+02:00

Verdun, I would never have thought, in my entire life, even when I have seen documentaries on National Geographic Channel, that the French/German Trench warfare was really as shown on those documentaries. I always thought they exaggerated the war to attract viewership, but last Sunday, 10/23/11 after our visit to the battlefield of Verdun, I am left with no doubt that the trench warfare was real in 1916 and remains real to this day. The memorials, the Fort, the physical trenches, the graves all these are proof of the destruction that took place in Verdun in 1916. Lives were wasted, villages were destroyed and even to this day, the cloud of death still looms over Verdun. I still do not believe neither the French nor German governments have a correct figure of how many lives were lost in that war, besides the soldiers, there were the villagers, children, women, animals and farms. Soldiers were killed and memorized in the underground barracks of the Fort, others were buried alive in the trenches armored and in ready position. Villagers too were hit and buried by the powerful cannons, as a matter of fact, in the movie shown before tours, they state that "nothing was ever expected to grow in Verdun after the war", but slowly life has returned to Verdun. I do not think I have enough right words to express my shock at the number of graveyards, memorials and mass graves, etc, all I can say, Verdun is a place where the smell of death still lingers in the air even after 95 years today.

Dr. Hauser of West Virginia University, who came to visit his group of students, was kind enough to act as our tour guide, took us on a five-hour on foot tour, to the little chapel down deep in the forest where Mass is celebrated once a year in memory of the departed souls, the graves on both sides of the road leading to the chapel look like little garden patches waiting for flower seeds, the mined land with hills created by landing powerful cannons that buried thousands of men,trees and animals alive, the trench memorial that is still as it was then, save for a stone pillar above the ground protecting the dead in the trenches, the spent cannons, you cannot even begin to think what madness drove countries to such heights of war animosity that drove men to built such type of weapons to destroy lives in the name of competition for land ownership! Completely absurd, if the dead French and German soldiers would wake up today and see the unity in Europe, they would simply fall back to their death, wondering what is it they fought so hard for? Why destroy each other only to unify later would be their question. Young men, entered the trenches, and never saw sunlight ever again, the armies coup of engineers, digging trenches in the name of defense, were buried still in digging position. I could go on and on, but what was the purpose of such brutality? They say time heals, and seriously it could not be more true, from what I saw in Verdun, only time could have healed both the French and the Germans, so that brotherly-hood could return in the region and generations to come could live forever happily among each other. Now I understand fully why Schuman/Monnet 'fathered' the idea of starting a cooperation of European Coal and Steel Cooperation (ECSC), so that war would never be fought again in Europe, by manufacturing weapons using coal and steel. One can read all the history books in the world, and one can watch all the documents on National Geographic Channel, but nothing can give you the chill like when you visit the see with your own eyes the destruction that took place in Verdun in 1916. If generations of people were not born to replace depleted generations, I would have vowed that France and Germany would have ceased to exist after Verdun.

It is no wonder then, the European Union is working so hard, patiently and calmly, year after year, 59 years today, to integrate member-states to avoid wars ever returning in the region. It is not just about free movement of citizens, common currency and free trade area, it is more about living together as one continent without borders in peace and harmony with each other and without bloodshed ever taking place on the Europa soil! EU integration is hard to understand to the Europeans even after so many years, but the nationals need to understand that their rich diversity and cultures can only be enriched by sharing it with their neighbors and not about destroying it in the EU integration process, instead it will be enriched and made stronger by living closely with each, understanding each others cultures, sharing foods, learning each other languages and above all trusting each other in a brotherly and neighborly way to foster growth. Viva to the EU Integration! Viva to Schman/Monnet their foresightedness!! - Caroline

Une Fille Francaise!

2011-10-17T19:51:00.002+02:00

I've been here for about six weeks and I my goal has been to do as the Strasbourgians do, if there is such a word. I'm going to school here like most of the people here my age and I've started to attend a local church. I plan on riding my bike to school on Wednesday and today I bought a pair of roller blades. Many of the students here have decided to go to other European countries but I feel that traveling all of Europe in one weekend is a little much, so...I've just been trying my best to enjoy Strasbourg. On one day last week, I decided to get on my bike and just ride. There are a couple of paths near the chateau so I just chose one of them. I rode all the way to end of it and a little further. My music was blasting in my ear and the wind was blowing in my hair, but there was a point when my seat started to irritate me. All of sudden, I heard a french gentleman on a horse asking me, in French, if I needed help. After trying to follow his instructions unsuccessfully, he finally got off of the horse to help me. The catch, I had to hold the reigns of his horse while he was fixing my seat. The horse made it very clear that he didn't know me and that he didn't want me holding him, but I remained calm and looked him into his eyes as if to tell him that he needed to calm down. Now I don't know if you're supposed to do that, but I think it worked because he actually calmed down. After that I mounted my bike once more and went along the path.
Today, I bought my first pair of roller blades and I felt like a baby taking her first steps. It was nerve racking! I was standing at about 6'2" and I was on wheels! I had no control. I took Caroline along with me and she was laughing and picking at me. Thank God she missed my fall. I'm going to keep working at it and make sure that I'm controlling the blades and the blades aren't controlling me.
Macy C. James

Living the Life - In All Kinds of Ways

2011-10-17T17:01:00.003+02:00

A typical week for me is - grocery shop, class-class-class, shop, bike, walk, walk, bike, read, travel-travel-travel. Oh, and then there is babysitting.

I cannot tell a lie, I have an interesting life here in Strasbourg. My classes are few & far between, but my free time is abundant. The French system for classes, is amazing and yet frustrating all at the same time. Maybe you'll have class, maybe you won't, maybe you'll watch a movie, maybe you'll discuss. To be oh, so, cliche - the French are very Laissez-faire. But I like it.

I've been able to do a lot, see a lot, and eat a lot this past month. I've gone from the cute expensive town of Basel, to the old historic city of Munich, and down to the sunny, warm French Riviera. I realize that normal working French people do not have as much free time as myself, but they're not living in a Chateau either! I've also been able to find work - two separate babysitting gigs. This was quite a surprise, that I've had an opportunity to make a few extra euros while I am here, and all she wants me to do is speak English to her kids!

I'm loving my life here in France, I love the opportunities it brings and the adventures that I'm having. It's a much needed change of pace in lifestyle.

-Jessica Fitzgerald

Never sitting still

2011-10-12T22:02:00.002+02:00

I'm composing this entry from Paris. See, that's the amazing thing about Europe. With the drop of a hat (and a few Euros), one can easily hop aboard a train and find himself in a distant city in only a few hours with the greatest of ease. Of course, to minimize the number of Euros lost requires a little preparation...

Strasbourg is proving to be quite the paradox. An ancient town with the newest of trams. A French city with a distinctly German flavor. A casual college town which stands as the Capital of Europe. A progressive city surrounded by the most conservative of hamlets. With every new day, Strasbourg continues to impress me with its headlong rush into a united Europe while steadfastly insisting on maintaining its Alsatian identity. It is this struggle between opposites that breathes the very life and passion into this city.

And with this in mind, I say... I can't imagine my life without having come to Strasbourg. While I may not live here or grow old in one of its cafés, Strasbourg has, in this short month since my arrival, had an indelible affect on me. Of course, I saw this as I sit in the 11th arrondissement of Paris listening to the motocylettes puttering by on the Boulevard Voltaire. Paris is a city unlike any other, but Strasbourg will always be in my heart... as the heart of Europe.

Strasbourg Student

2011-10-12T21:26:00.003+02:00

Strasbourg has been a wonderful city to see and live in. Seeing different and new parts of the city have currently been postponed with the start of classes. Classes here have been interesting and easy to get accustomed to them. Although, I am taking six classes, the schedules are spaced out enough that I, not only, have plenty of time to study for each one thoroughly, but also time to travel on the weekends. I have chosen not to take any French courses in school but have been able to practice my French around town and with other students. I have also signed up for a language exchange program where I will be partnered with a French student that wants to improve their English and will help me improve my French at the same time. Making friends here has been a challenge but many students are extremely helpful and there has been a sense of comradely among the international students. I am currently working with both other international and French students in a group project where they have been able to answer any question I have from, 'where the coolest club is in town' to 'when do we plan study sessions for the final'. My academic as well as social life have been interweaving smoothly and effortlessly to where I am able to enjoy my classes and create a stress free study zone as well as see all the destinations I have planned. I hope the weeks to come are just as interesting and peaceful as this transition to this new university has been.
Alexandra Rodriguez

Ordinary Strasbourg Life

2011-10-02T19:09:00.003+02:00

So far, the usual routine as been anything but usual for me, being an American student. For example, the courses at the EM usually consist of a two-hour class that meets once a week. Other courses can be only half a semester or even three days. The classes that meet three days during the semester meet for eight hours a day for those days. No matter how long the duration of the class, it is normal to have one exam which is the final. This is incredibly intimidating to me but it ensures that I am going to study consistently throughout the semester. My three French courses are taught completely in French because there are students from all over the world which means there is no other common language. I am amazed how much my French has improved in just a couple of weeks.
Other differences involve being able to ride my bike three miles to school everyday without worrying about being ran over by angry drivers. It's so nice to ride through the small town of Robertsau that is picturesque because of the beautiful flowers, gardens, and fields.Also, I love crossing the river into downtown. I feel so European! When I ride by the river I see the European Parliament, European Council, and the Court of Human Rights which is surreal.
I could definitely see myself living in Strasbourg after this trip. It is historic while being urban, cultural, and interesting. There is always something to do and many great people to meet every time I go downtown.
-Rachel Cooper

The Experience of a Life Time

2011-09-18T20:34:00.003+02:00

Back home I am always on the go. Sometimes from as early as 5:00 a.m. to most times 6:00 p.m. I am always running and ripping, time always seems to be rushing along, leaving me with little or no time to do much in any given day.

Since I arrived in Strasbourg, France, it is as if time stopped moving, I have plenty of time ahead of me, and I am doing stuff I would never have thought doable back at home.

For example about two weeks ago, Christina our guide and assistance informed us that after we finished our morning visit at the EM school of Management, we would head back to the Chateau for an afternoon event. In my wildest dreams, I would not have thought that we were going to ride bicycles on a trail in the deep forest on a scavenger hunt exercise. Well 2:00 p.m. we assembled near the gazebo and then we were handed our individual bicycles. Let me just inform everybody reading this blog that that was going to be my first ever bicycle ride in my entire life! I thought to myself, should I excuse myself and say I had never ridden a bicycle in my life or should I just brave it out, and try it, and give up if I was not able? Well I decided on the latter. I braved it out, everybody got on their bicycles and we started riding, of course given my situation, I zig-zagged for a little while, and thought, huh, huh, this is not going to work. I tried it again, and this time, I did not zig-zag as much, we stopped to be given instructions and put into groups. The first group left, then the second, then it was our turn. We piled in one line and I was at the back of the line, with the instructor following right behind.

To my biggest surprise, I kick the bicycle into gear, and away I went following my team-mates in one single neat line, not zig-zagging and not falling, not hitting trees, or other bicycle riders, I was actually riding and controlling it. We reached the trail and mosquitoes "jumped" on us. I had never seen so many little creatures stinging us like they were upset with us for being in their territory. This did not deter our lively spirits, we kept going, deeper and deeper into the forest, the trail was wet and slippery, but I rode on, and on, and surprisingly I was not scared anymore. I enjoyed the experience, even-though, I was really sore the next day, but so was everybody else, including the boys! I must say, this was the ultimate experience in my life and I will never forget it as long as I live, so coming to France has taught me how to ride a bicycle and I look forward to purchasing one when I return home. How nice, Wal-Mart you have a new customer for a bicycle!

Another odd thing I have done since coming to France, is jogging early in the morning. I actually wake up, get into my athletic gear, and jog for at least half an hour. This too is a first in my life, I never thought I could jog and enjoy it at the same time, even though my body is sore, I am enjoying every bit of it.

Ok guys, everyday, it seems I am going a "first" in my life. Seriously this is so absurd, I am beginning to think, maybe I might consider living in France on completion of my studies. Just for the few weeks I have been here, my life seems so much fuller, with so much to do, I have no time to stress nor boredom. The other day, one of the people who work here invited me for an early morning tennis game, do you want to hear this, I have never held a tennis racket, even when I was in high school, I thought that was a game for professionals, so I said, I do not know how to play tennis, he said just come and I will show you how...well the next morning I woke up at 6:48 a.m. dressed up again in my athletic gear, and took off to the tennis court, hoping he was not going to be there, but alas, there he was hitting balls and quickly handed me my racket, then I asked him, what do I do next, he responded never mind, I shall first show you how to hit the ball from the "sweet spot", within a few minutes I was hitting balls like I knew how. To my surprise, we were on the tennis court for an hour and I was sweating like I was in the middle of noon sun!

Bottom-line, the experience I am getting from being here is almost going to be like a story you only read in a novel, and it is worth every minute of it.

I am so glad, I was able to have this opportunity of a life time. - Caroline

Final Reflections

2011-04-30T17:42:00.001+02:00

Looking back on the GSU Strasbourg Program, I am glad that I attended it. I will admit it was not what I expected, I left the States having an image of being totally emerged in a foreign country and speaking only French, which was not the case. I ended up meeting more Americans and other students studying abroad than actual French students (especially since the classes were taught in English). The Chateau, while breathtakingly beautiful and full of fascinating history, is a bit far from the city center where anyone outside of the GSU group would be living. However, attending such reputable institutions in the excursions was interesting and informative. What should also be noted is how close people on this trip get with each other. Few of us knew each other before coming to Strasbourg, but after cooking countless dinners in the kitchen, and breakfasts in the breakfast room, not to mention attending class, traveling, and living together, we became our own little Chateau family. People who I probably never would have met and become so close with are now the people I share a myriad of inside jokes with and are already planning on seeing when we all return from traveling. I am now on a six-week backpacking trip of Europe with a girl I met on the program, now one of my closest friends. We visited Berlin and Prague, where another Chateau family member met us for a few days, and are currently on a train to Budapest before heading to Venice. Overall, the GSU Strasbourg Program does teach a lot about the EU, though one of the biggest questions I am left with is what is asked in most of the classes about European Integration, “What is Europe?” So now I’m off to try to figure that out for myself.

Heather Hager

Study, Save Money & Travel!

2011-04-29T16:39:00.002+02:00

A few last parting words of advice for students considering this program.

It's a LOT of fun. You'll make great new friends, you'll have the opportunity to learn a new language and culture, and you have all of Europe at your disposal.

That said, here's a few tips.
1. Take a lot of lecture classes. Most classes in France are lecture, meaning the professor has a presentation of notes on a screen and talks about them every class. Many times professors will provide the slides to you via email. Meaning you can just take notes on the professors slides and make your life easy come finals time. Exception: French classes. Most French classes you must orally participate and you may have homework or presentations as part of your classwork. These are usually quite easy and if you stay on top of your homework, you'll do fine.

2. Save your money! Don't waste money on expensive dinners or clothes. Travel instead. If you enjoy taking pictures, you'll find you have much to do in Europe. Every city is at your disposal via train or flying. Some helpful sights
- www.voyages-sncf.com use this site to book your trains when you are in Strasbourg, others - bahn.de (for germany and parts of eastern europe) - and for big train trips consider a rail pass particularly if you are going to many countries in a row - www.eurorail.com
- bravofly.com here you can lookup prices for several airlines at ones, although I recommend booking the actual ticket through the carrier's website and not bravofly because bravofly charges a fairly hefty fee.
- ryanair.com - cheap flights in europe
- easyjet.com - more cheap flights
- www.hostelbookers.com and www.hostelworld.com - use these to find cheap hostels around europe. Often these are far cheaper than hotels and offer directions and maps both in person and on the hostel websites.

3. Take full advantage of the trips offered as part of your program (called "excursions"). Some of these trips may be part of a break (winter, spring etc.) if so, see if you can link from the city you are going to other cities nearby instead of coming right back to strasbourg. Most of us did this for Winter Break and were able to leave from Brussels and go straight to Amsterdam and Paris after our Excursion to Brussels.

4. Immerse yourself in the language and culture. It's a little scary at first, but join clubs and groups at both IEP, EM-Strasbourg, and the University itself. Some of us joined a weekly dinner group that met every Thursday where most attendees spoke only in French. It was daunting at first, but really paid off after a couple of weeks in understanding culture, turns-of-phrase and the flow of language. You might not be able to speak French fluently, but joining these groups outside of the Chateau will greatly improve your ability to understand and comprehend French language and culture. Do it!

Lastly, enjoy your new friends at the Chateau. You'll find you will rely on them more than you realize and you will be making new friendships that will last.

Au revoir et Bon Journée

Tim Cairl

CUIDADO! ATTENTION! CAUTION! ACHTUNG! PICKPOCKETS!!

2011-04-29T14:53:00.002+02:00

The main perk about studying abroad in Europe is the facility to travel within Europe. Ryanair and Voyages-sncf have simplified our travels in Europe. I have had the chance to find awesome deals in both websites, and they are both very efficient. I’ve had a blast in Paris, Amsterdam, Reus, Tarragona, and Barcelona (so far) because of them and well because of my pocket. So far one of my favorite trips has been BARCELONA! As I spread the news to my friends and family about my trip to Barcelona, everyone got excited, yet; they ALL warned me about the infamous pickpockets!
Just for an image I keep my wallet in my purse that I carry across my body and closes with a zipper.
I felt my wallet was secure so through my whole trip I felt fine. I enjoyed Gaudis amazing architecture, the food, the beach, Las ramblas, Los Boquarillos, Park Guell the list goes on!
I was amazed by it all, especially by how NICE the Catalunyans are, they themselves even warned me about the pickpockets. Again, I felt my belongings were secure for my purse is always on me and basically in front of me. At the end of my Barcelona trip I was preparing to go to Tarragona. I had my purse as usual and my backpack and one duffel bag. My friend Annick was right behind me the whole time. We had printed out our tickets and sat down at the train station waiting on our train. As I was sitting I decided to do a run through of my stuff, and when I reached into my purse I realized my wallet was gone! I immediately backtracked and asked around....and well it was gone. I realized that In the span of about 15 minutes, they had stolen my wallet and I did not even feel it! So what did I learn!? Do not keep everything in your wallet. Spread your cards around or get a money belt!! haha
Luckily I only had 20 euros and they didn’t steal any money out of my cards, and even better that I was not traveling alone.... or else I would have been STRANDED!

BE SAFE, AWARE of your surroundings, and when people say BEWARE of Pickpockets.... LISTEN to them!

:)

Valerie Ibarra

Negotiation Skills

2011-04-29T13:08:00.002+02:00

What was by far my favorite class during our semester at Ecole de Management was a class on Negotiation Skills. When initially signing up for the class, we found it odd that it only met for three days in the whole semester. However, the three days are basically a crash conference on how to better negotiate in business deals and in life. A group of about seven of us arrived early the first day (8 hours long) not exactly knowing what to expect. We came to find out that this short French man who told plenty of jokes also imparted his wisdom in how “everything can be asked for, everything can be negotiated. What is the risk you are taking? You have the no in your pocket by not asking. The only risk you are taking is the yes.” The first half of the class was his lecturing, and then the negotiation began, we were divided into teams of roughly four people as each team was given a different perspective and business objective to a scenario. Then the teams gathered in a room to come to a negotiation where everyone wins. Anyone looking at classes to take at EM Strasbourg should definitely sign up for this class, don’t let the long hours deter you, the advice he gives is well worth the three early mornings.

The picture a snapshot from a relaxing lunch at the park on one of the classes breaks.

Heather Hager

Farewell Strasbourg

2011-04-29T13:02:00.002+02:00

Since going to Strasbourg, I have learned so much more about both Europe and myself. I had many hesitations before deciding to join this program. For example, I was extremely scared to leave my family and friends behind, and even more scared to be thrown into such a foreign environment. The idea of just going to a city I had never been before, with a group of people I had only met once terrified me. However, amongst the fear and anxiety was a load of curiosity and adventure for a journey I knew would change my life, and that is exactly what this program has done for me. I know that may sound rather cheesy and ambitious to say, but it is the truth. This program has taught me how to have a lot more understanding and acceptance for different cultures and different people. Being in a foreign country enables you to experience life as an outsider and forces you to be outgoing whether it is comfortable for you or not. Prior to going to Strasbourg, I found new situations dreadful. When it came to meeting new people, I was always shy and rather introverted. I found myself very comfortable with the small group of friends I had back home and had no intentions of branching outside. However, living in France has encouraged me to become more open to new people, places and things that in turn have definitely broadened my outlook on life. It has taught me to be more trusting towards people I do not know. I know when I return to Atlanta I will try to be that person that goes out of their way to show the lost visitor the way to the grocery store, despite their broken English, as so many French strangers were patient enough to do with me. Currently, I am traveling around Europe with one of the girls that I became friends with over the course of the semester. I never thought I would be on an adventure this crazy, I always thought I would be too scared to follow my dreams to travel. But here I am now finishing this blog outside a café in Corfu, Greece with a friend that now feels like a sister to me and it is all because I decided to just get on a plane to another country, despite all the fears in my head telling me to turn around. This program has taught me to be strong and that it is ok to follow your dreams no matter how scared you may feel, you never know what kind of a journey it will take you on.

-Kate Bryan

The End

2011-04-28T10:04:00.003+02:00

The time is here to go back home, and I don’t think any one wants to. We have so many memories here at the Chateau that its actually quite hard to let it go. I have new friends, new experiences, and even new skills. Although we are all getting ready to do our own traveling now, the Chateau has been our home for so long now that leaving it feels like leaving Atlanta gain. I have so many stories this Blog would probably explode....

I have been stuffed in a Berlin metro because it was too full, I have sang karaoke in 3 different languages, I have gotten lost in multiple cities, I have translated 2 jokes into French, I have new friends, I have improved my French, I have run out of money, I have found money, I have spent hours trying to book tickets, I have missed a train, I have walked for 10 plus hours in cities, I have mastered finding the "change language" button on all subway/metro ticket machines, but above it all... I finally came to Europe for en extended period of time.

I have always dreamed of living here for more than just your average 2 week vacation. My dad lived in Paris for a year and I got have a similar experience. There was tons of paperwork, appointments, and meeting but I made it. If your thinking about coming and the only thing stopping you is money, just go to the Financial Aid office and they will hook you up. There are MILLIONS of scholarships out there. If you really want it, I am sure you will find the money.

I will probably write on lat time after all my post-program travel. Till then, I leave you with all the pictures I have taken on this trip. The link is:

https://picasaweb.google.com/111171661815759447903?authkey=Gv1sRgCMipgdbO07zFQA

I want to thank Sven, Willi, Sophia, and everyone else from CEPA that made this an AMAZING TRIP! Wish me safe travels...

Enrique

Nearing the End

2011-04-26T13:52:00.005+02:00

I can’t believe it’s been four months since I first came to Strasbourg. And now, my studies in Europe are nearing their completion. This will mark the end of my first trip abroad, and while I’ve seen and done so much, I find that as the date of my return flight to the United States nears I approach it with mixed emotions.

I’ve climbed the steps to the top of the Notre Dam de Strasbourg, which for hundreds of years was the tallest building in the world and continues to be a beautifully intricate and awesome reminder of what men can accomplish in the name of their faith. I’ve stood in the chambers of both the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice where Europeans have waged countless legal battles in the name of their civic religion – a dedication to human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. I’ve walked the cold and solemn grounds of Struthoff where tens of thousands of Jews, Gypsies, Roma, homosexuals, communists, socialists and others who refused to submit to Nazi domination died because men temporarily forgot the lessons of Kant and Christ. I’ve discussed the role of the military in European Integration and the prospects for a common European Defense Agency with a Polish colonel, a Norwegian colonel and a German general while visiting the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers of Europe (SHAPE).

I’ve seen the Mona Lisa, the Wedding at Canaan, and Winged Victory. I’ve looked out over Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower and watched the sun set over Napoleon’s Tomb. I’ve said a prayer for departed friends and loved ones in Sacre Coeur, even though it’s been years since I’ve prayed. I’ve toured the Anne Frank House and the Museum of the French Resistance. I’ve survived a pub crawl through Amsterdam’s red light district and a visit to the Bulldog. I’ve stood in Rembrandt’s studio and watched an artist create an etching from an original Rembrandt plate. I’ve visited the Museum of Sex and the Atomium. I’ve seen enough opulent churches and cathedrals to write an entire blog just about them and I’ve seen castles so immense that they defy written explanation. I’ve strolled through the magnificent Muse d’Orsay, beheld the lavish La Fontaine Bartholdi and taken in the grandeur of the Grande Place.

I’ve learned about European politics and economics and gained an appreciation for the philosophical and historical roots of European integration. I’ve gained invaluable insight into international and supranational institutions that could never have been imparted to me in libraries or classrooms at home. I’ve marveled at the fact that the Alsatian region, once the source of some of the most destructive conflicts on the continent, has become the symbolic seat of the new European peace. I’ve had the privilege of sitting in bars and discussing the implications of EU policy with ordinary Europeans. And I’ve had the honor of studying what could prove to be an emerging political theory with the creator of that theory.

I’ve watched soccer matches in Irish pubs and sampled French, German and Alsatian cuisines. I’ve sat up until the small hours playing poker with Canadians and Columbians and I’ve learned, to my regret, that they don’t bluff. I’ve visited royal palaces, marveled at the verdant beauty of the French countryside in spring and called the centuries-old Chateau de Pourtales home for four months. After all I’ve seen and done I know that if I stayed for another year there would still be more to see and do. But still, there is a part of me that yearns to go home, in spite of all of this history and beauty. I’m glad I came and I hope I’ll come back. As I prepare to leave Europe I hope the cherished friendships I’ve made here will endure. Before I touch American soil again I will go to Paris (once more), Marseilles, Arles, Avignon, Nice, Cinque Terre and Rome and I plan to write one more entry about my experiences there. I am sure the places and things I will see in these cities will all be just as breathtakingly amazing as what I’ve already experienced and I know how incredibly lucky am to have the opportunity to go. But I also miss my friends and loved ones in Atlanta and I miss, for all its flaws, the familiarity of my city. Perhaps the most poignant lessons I’ve learned, after all, is that one can never stay too long from home and that while one should always to strive to experienc new things, one should never forget to appreciate what one already has.

Michael Shea
B.A. Political Science
First Year Master's Student
Georgia State EU Studies Program, Spring 2011

2011-04-25T20:16:00.001+02:00

Have you ever ridden Marta? Wait.. have you ever ridden Marta and wished it took you more places? Do you wish that the bus lines actually made sense, that the bus drivers could actually answer your questions, and most of all that you could get to more locations without having to drive all the way to a station? Well keep dreaming because Marta will probably never fix all of that, just as they haven’t fixed the escalators for almost a year.

However, the transportation in Strasbourg and its surroundings is flawless. Everything you wish Marta would be! There are bus stops on every block. The bus times are clearly posted, and the maps make complete sense, and the bus drivers get to the stops on time. How do I know this? Because sometimes we have count downs and they get there at the exact time they post. Not to mention the bus drivers are super friendly. They always greet you with Bonjour or Bonsoir! And wait, it gets better! They have TRAMS here. Basically these are Marta trains but are futuristic and classy and run along the roads instead of underground or on bridges. The Tram is also really easy to use.

The best part about transportation around Strasbourg is that we don’t have to worry about buying tickets because CEPA buys us the pass that allows us to use the bus and trams for our entire stay. But if you don’t want to get around public transportation then no worries! You can ride a bike! There are bike lanes in most streets. Everyone is bike friendly. I’ve ridden on the road and was scared but most definitely felt safe, compared to riding in Atlanta. Haha!

Oh and my favorite thing about the trasnportation is waiting for the bus or tram with all the friends... oh the converstaions and good times! GREAT memories!

Enjoy!
Val

Memories

2011-04-20T18:39:00.004+02:00

Oh how time flies...

My time in Europe has been a blast! I do not regret my decision to spend my last semester in college in Europe. When Veronica did a presentation about the EU Studies Program in my Global Issues class I was immediately intrigued. At the time I never thought that things would work out for me to participate in the program but it did. Dream big it may come true!

Europe has been an amazing learning experience. Not only did I learn about French culture but I learned about myself. I learned that the French live longer because they appreciate life more. I learned that some of my favorite memories occurred when I was not doing anythings special, just spending time with my friends over a nice glass of wine and laughs.

These last four months have been a dream come true and I will never forget it!

Stephanie G.

Milano

2011-04-20T18:19:00.007+02:00

Milano...Milano what a marvelous city you are!

My decision to go to Milan, Italy was a spur of the moment decision. One of those "I'm bored what do I want to do this weekend...oh you're going to Milan, I think I'll come too." EM Business school is awesome! They are one of the few schools that has numerous activities and trips for international students. One of those trips was to Milan for the weekend.

Italy is such a beautiful country but Milan takes the cake. Milan is so old and cultured. I really enjoyed seeing the architecture in Milan. As an American it is amazing to see churches that are literally older that our country. Apart from the architecture the fashion definitely rivaled Parisian fashion. Italians know how to dress and Milan is arguably the fashion capital of the world! My favorite thing about Milan was the cuisine. Olive Garden and Ragu have nothing on real Italian cuisine! From the pizza to the lamb, artichoke, and potatoes I ate at a nice Italian restaurant, Italians love food about as much as they love fashion. Oh and if you want to taste the best gelato in the world you have to go to Italy.

Stephanie G.

My Birthday

2011-04-20T17:52:00.003+02:00

Birthdays are always a joyous occasion. This is your day and you feel special and appreciated. So what happens when you are out of the country when it is your birthday? We have a party that is what happens. My birthday was April the 3rd and I was apprehensive about being alone and not celebrating it with my friends or family, but I was pleasantly surprised with my birthday weekend.

On April 1st Aryanne took me out to dinner. We went to a nice Indian restaurant and it was amazing. We spent hours laughing and talking and it was nice. That birthday dinner would have been enough for me but on April 2nd we went out and played laser tag. Who would have thought that even in France I would get a chance to shoot lasers at people? It was an excellent workout! After an amazing Indian dinner and laser tag on my actual birthday there was a nice get together organized by Sven. Sven is our amazing German house-father who says the funniest things unintentionally. He saved the best dessert for my birthday. It was an apple crumble with ice cream. Sven's dessert was a great finish to a wonderful birthday weekend. Twenty-two never felt so marvelous.

Stephanie G.

Photographic EU Studies Retrospective the Third (and final)

2011-04-10T13:10:00.008+02:00

Our final weekend outing as part of the EU studies program consisted first of a day trip to Heidelburg. Beginning very well, we had a brunch-time local beer at a family-owned restaurant while waiting for our tour guide. After meeting her--a knowledgeable if slightly frazzled middle aged academic--we were given a tour of the old city. This included the location of the medieval fortress walls, the famous university, and the ancient bridge over the river Neckar. Included here are pictures of the old bridge as seen from Heidelberg castle and Heidelberg castle as seen from the old bridge.

The next day was an excursion along the wine route again, but this time the occasion was more solemn; we were operating on the knowledge that our day would end with a visit to a concentration camp.

In the morning, however, we attended a tour of the castle Haut-Koenigsburg. Nestled in the Vosges mountains, it is now a major tourist attraction along the wine route. The castle has changed hands many times and has been under renovation since 1900 after the orders of Emperor Wilhelm II.

Finally, our afternoon concluded with a trip to Struthof, the only Nazi concentration camp built on what is now French territory. The camp was operational from 1941 to 1944 and includes dormitories, guard towers, medical and dissection labs, a crematorium, and a gas chamber. Pictured here are the gas chamber and the entrance to the camp.

To finish on a cheerier note, I leave with this picture of a happy occasion: a group of us in the last weeks of our stay here who attended the Strasbourg Carnival. This is French merry-making.

We'll be done with school this week, and most of us are taking the opportunity to travel. I'll be heading off to Jerusalem, Cairo, Athens, and Rome before returning home for the summer. Best wishes to everyone.

Joshua A.

A Day Out in Strasbourg

2011-04-09T20:17:00.001+02:00

One Thursday some weeks ago, I decided to venture out in Strasbourg on my own for the first time. I normally run all errands to Simply (the closest supermarket) or go into town for some shopping with other people from the group. However, I had the day off from classes and so in an odd ‘assert my female independence’ stance, I left the Chateau after breakfast and decided to visit the Tomi Ungerer Museum by myself. Though the idea sounded invigorating, I would need to maneuver the bus stops on my own, determining ahead of time when to push the Arret Demande button before my stop. That shouldn’t have been a large task, but since I didn’t know exactly where I was going or what stop it was, it seemed a little daunting.

So off I went, umbrella in hand, striding into town on my own. After getting on the bus at Lamproie, I sat alone for the first. I understand this probably sounds pathetic--it is just a bus ride lasting perhaps a total 15 minutes--but coming to Europe on my own, not knowing anyone in my group or any French at all was, at least in my mind, an attempt to prove to myself I can go out on my own, shed my paranoia of something horrible happening while I am alone, and find myself by myself.

But back to the bus: Fleetwood Mac’s Coming Home came on my iPOD and I had a moment of panic. But it was nothing Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car couldn’t cure, a song which would later reappear at a Karaoke Bar in Brussels: easily my favorite night out so far. I mastered the bus and the tram too. I tracked down the museum only to find that it wasn’t open for another hour and a half. I take for granted how often everything is open in the States, and miss being able to even buy groceries on Sunday. Anyway, I wandered around downtown Strasbourg in the rainy cold, mostly window-shopping for a while. I mustered up the courage to enter a patisserie and successfully ordered a curry chicken sandwich in French. So again, I wandered around the streets, window-shopping and people watching. I came upon a large building, the Opera House, and saw the formation of a strike – a few dozen people putting on bright orange vests, getting picket signs out of the back of a van. I found it captivating. One hears often about how the French go on strike all the time, but I was witnessing one. So I stood off to the side by a tree, watching.

Then, two men approached me, speaking French. I immediately experienced the familiar panic one feels when confronted with a language one doesn’t understand. I was the very picture of a deer in headlights. I muttered a “Je suis désolée, ne parle pas francais. Anglais??” and they shook their heads “no”. Then, before I could think to protest, they escorted me to the steps of the Opera House in the center of the strike.

Despite blaring music and waving signs, they got all the strikers’ attention to find someone who spoke English. Finally, a guy my age came up. Most of the students in Strasbourg speak English, and this one began to explain the reasons for the strike to me. He works for the Union that helps organize strikes. As he explained the working conditions, why they chose the location, and the responsibilities of his job, I thought to myself how lucky I am to be able to have the opportunity to be here, to venture out for a day and end up taking part in a French Strike. I stayed for a little over an hour, making friends through the language barrier and even getting to go in the Opera House Lobby since it was so cold out. I still haven’t made it to the museum I intended to that day, but how many people can say they have been in a French strike? I found a good dose of the independence I was looking for that day, and certainly gained the confidence to do it again.

Heather Hager

Photographic EU Studies Retrospective the Second

2011-04-09T17:51:00.006+02:00

An excursion to Brussels, Belgium gave us the opportunity to visit both the U.S. Mission to the EU and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). The latter trip was particularly special, as we were allowed a twenty minute interview with the Chief of Staff, a four-star general; we were able to ask someone quite high in the NATO command structure what NATO's policies were (or might be) in response to numerous global conditions including piracy in Somalia and the civil war just then beginning in Libya. Finally, during our free time, we visited the Atomium, a momument erected for the 1958 World's Fair. As the name suggests, the Atomium is a model of an iron atom magnified 165 billion times. One can visit the spheres by means of interconnecting tubes which house escalators. The highest sphere offers a panoramic view of Brussels.

As transportation to Brussels was included in the trip costs and the trip coincided with the weekend before the beginning of winter break, our group took the opportunity to leave from Brussels for a trip to Amsterdam and Paris. The advantage of leaving from Brussels and sticking together was reduced travel and hosteling costs.

Amsterdam is every bit the delicious den of iniquity it's make out to be, but for the purpose of this blog I'll show off its tame side: a picture of the Royal Palace from inside.

The end of winter break was spent in Paris, which many of us agree lives up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful and cultured cities on Earth. We visited Notre Dame, Montmartre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre (free on the first Sunday of every month!), and, of course, the Eiffel Tower.

Until the next installment...
Josh A.

Photographic EU Studies Retrospective the First

2011-04-05T20:20:00.008+02:00

Here is captured one of our first impressions of the Chateau. We had only recently arrived, were suffering from jet lag, and none of us knew one another. Nevertheless, a very undignified snowball fight is occurring just out of frame.

Our first weekend outing was a bus trip along the French Route de Vin, during which we visited a couple of charming French villages. Most notable was Obernai, known for the ruins of a 15th century abbey now serving as the village's clock tower. This excursion ended with a wine-tasting; pictured here are several very pleased GSU students.

Back in Strasbourg, one can see the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg. This exemplar of Gothic architecture was constructed between 1015 and 1439 and was once the tallest building in the world. Notably, only one of the two planned towers was ever built due to the cathedral's weight and a dubious foundation.

Finally, our first outings to European institutions were the Court of Human Rights, where we were given a lecture in landmark cases that had been brought before the court, and the European Parliament, where we were given a lecture on European integration and then were allowed to view the chamber where sessions meet.

To be continued...
Josh A.

Things To Prepare You For Living In France (and Germany!)

2011-03-30T23:17:00.002+02:00

So we have been at the Chateau for about 3 full months now, and I wanted to highlight some of the major things I think students interested in studying abroad in Strasbourg should know before coming over.

1. Learn French ahead of time!
There are a couple of reasons for this.
A. You can take a whole different level of courses at the Political Science Institute in Strasbourg if you can understand and write French. Most courses in France are lecture, meaning you may or may not have mid-terms and likely will not have any take-home homework unless it's a team project. Had I known the amount of awesome courses at PolSci that are available only in French, I would have taken a couple of crash courses before leaving home and just gone for it here by taking more courses at a higher level. One other thing you avoid is repetition in the english-only classes, many of them repeat the history parts of the EU development because there are so many foreign students. Plus knowing and understanding more French will make your time here go MUCH more smoothly.

2. Get used to walking everywhere, taking the bus, and taking your time. The first two apply only to Germany, all three apply to France :-). The french love their culture, they love their language, they love their history, and they adore their food. This combination of things leads to a level of program we are not used to in the US. Take your time to eat, leave early for class, do your homework well ahead of time, and relax. It's the french way! Our German friends are more relaxed than they give themselves credit for, but they do have an utmost respect for time (never be late!). One area that the French and Germans agree with time is the train system. Trains (and most buses) ALWAYS run on time, no exceptions. It the train says it leaves at 11:05 and you get there at 11:06, the train has left the station. Same with buses. Everything else? Relax, always be polite, and don't rush.

3. Know how to take good notes from lecture and take more classes than you think you should. In France most classes are lecture classes. It's 2-3 hours (with breaks) of listening to your professor, some who will ask questions, most will not. Make sure you can take notes even though they provide you the presentations/slides from class. Most final exams have only 4-8 questions, so you have to know your material.

4. Be willing and open to trying new things. The food is much different here, it's prepared longer, it tastes better, and generally will knock your socks off (especially the pastries). This is one area where Americans should do well, but don't always. Take the French for example. If you come to France, you will notice very few French speak English to you at any time. It is NOT because they don't know any English, but because their culture setting holds them to very high standards. The french would never attempt to speak English to you because they don't think they should unless they can speak it perfectly. It may seem crazy, but as you meet and talk with new french friends, you'll find it endearing.
This is where you can excel. Learn how the train system works, between the trains, the trams, the cheap intra-europe flights and the buses, you can really cover a LOT of countries for little money compared to the US. Travel when you can!
Try new food and drink. There really is an amazing amount of new experiences in food and drink that I can't even begin to describe to you. Don't go to McDonald's when you're here. Try a sandwich shop or even a low-priced cafe. You won't regret it!

5. Save your money! Start stockpiling your change, start a new savings account, whatever you have to do. The chances of getting this opportunity again, anytime soon, is extremely rare. But traveling, eating out, evening spending an afternoon at an outdoor cafe with friends isn't free. You can live quite well on a small budget here in France by buying groceries smartly while your here, watch your spending at cafes and brasseries, and don't waste money on things that you don't really need. Use this money to travel, to go to museums, to go on an awesome winter and spring (or fall) break! You will not regret it, I promise.
On that note, you will generally have time built into the end of your trip for travel. In the spring this would be around the first week of march and again the last two weeks of april. By saving money carefully you can travel and visit some pretty cool places in Europe like Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Marseille, Rome, Athens, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona and a lot more.

6. immerse yourself in the culture. University of Strasbourg has a number of student groups ranging from social groups at the School of Management like BDI (social) and BDS (sports) to Evolution (GLBT) and even Philosophy at the main campus. Most of the groups will be a mix of people who speak both French and English. Join, go to the activities, make new friends, and you'll soon find yourself going on trips (very cheaply i might add) going to birthday parties, local festivals and even weekend excursions before you know it. It's the only way to learn the real French language (not just classroom) and experience the world from a whole new perspective.

7. Have fun! Make new friends both in your group and at school and in Strasbourg. Travel when you can. Try the food and drink everywhere you go. Rely on your coordinators a lot, they are awesome and generally know everything (yay Sven & Sophie!).

Our time here in Strasbourg still has over a month to go, and it is already so completely rewarding, not just for the education, not just for the awesome trips, but more for the friends, relationships, and incredible experiences you will have and sights you will see and laughs you will have, together.

All for now,

Tim Cairl

University Life

2011-03-29T20:14:00.001+02:00

Well it’s getting close to finals at L’Ecole de Management and I thought it might be nice to take a moment and blog about school life here in Strasbourg. Surprisingly, I have had more schoolwork in the last week than I have had this whole semester in France. The French university system is extraordinarily different than the American university system I am used to back at home. Being a Georgia State student, I have become accustomed to having classes that meet twice a week at a specific time and place. However, this is far from the case at my university in France. Whenever I do have class scheduled, I always have to make sure I arrive at school early in order to check the board listing where class will be held that day. If this doesn’t seem chaotic enough, some of my classes will be scheduled for eight in the morning one date, then ten in the morning the next date. Being a student in France definitely means having a flexible schedule!
Regardless, one refreshing aspect of French university life is classes only meet once a week compared to twice a week back at home. However, it has been a hard adjustment getting used to sitting in a two hour lecture compared to a seventy minute one. Along with this, most classes do not meet regularly during a three-month semester. For example, one of my classes is scheduled to meet ten times this semester. We met for six weeks in a row and then took a three-week break. Also, l’ecole de management offers what I like to call ‘cram courses’. These are classes that only meet three days consecutively for ten hours. I am scheduled to start one next week and I must admit I am a little nervous as to what this experience is going to be like.
Tests and workload at l’Ecole de Management has proven to be lighter than what I am used to. Only one of my classes requires a book and another class of mine does not even have any tests. I think the biggest difference in workload has to do with the number of classes a student takes. Whereas at my home university I am used to taking four to five classes, here in Strasbourg an average student typically takes many more classes than that. I am not complaining though. Honestly, the light school schedule has been a great advantage to me as far as gathering a European experience goes. Spending less time in a classroom has enabled me to travel more and obtain cultural knowledge in addition to my academic classes.

Until next time-
Kate Bryan

Learning the Lessons of History

2011-03-17T00:36:00.007+01:00

“Sleep, in your hunger. Sleep in your tears.
Sleep, my young one. Sleep, all beautiful.
Sleep in the distant sound of arms.
Sleep, you who were born too late, sleep, you who were born too soon.
Sleep for the time of rotten luck.
Sleep for the kings. Sleep for the beggars.
Sleep for the heaven of bad signs,
For the red ocean of fire.
Sleep for the dark farandole
Dead and cursed battalions.
You can sleep: the Earth is mad.
It is your mother who tells you so.
Sleep for the bed that saw you being born,
Where I curse the piercing cold
At night, I see the death of traitors there.
I have dreams full of blood.
When the grey and bitter victory
Comes tapping on our windowpanes,
I will take you in my thin arms:
You will see them, all the heroes.
Dawn will be pure mother-of-pearl,
But before the stroke of noon
There will be great massacres.
It is your mother who tells you so.”

Excerpt from the poem, “Lullabye for the Children of Europe,” by Louis Cauchois.

A few days ago I visited Struthof. I week before that I visited the Anne Frank House. Both are poignant reminders of an age when many on the European Continent forgot their humanity and treated each other with such contempt, such viscous cruelty, that were it not for the physical proof of the acts one would scarcely believe that modern men were capable of such barbarity. Over 6 million men, women and children died during The Holocaust. Strikingly though, at no point during the years of Hitler’s reign of terror could the Nazi Party claim a majority of Germans as members. What made The Holocaust possible was for a majority of Germans and others under Nazi occupation to decide that the persecution of Jews, Gypsies, Poles, communists, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the homeless, alcoholics and the mentally and physically handicapped was not something that they needed to be overly concerned with. The saying goes, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Struthof and the Anne Frank House were chilling reminders of the veracity of this axiom.

From 1933 to 1939, laws were passes in Germany barring Jews from owning land, being newspaper editors, and qualifying as lawyers or officers of the court. They are denied access to the national health insurance. Jews are denied the right to serve in the German military. They are restricted from having sexual relations with or marrying non-Jews and are eventually are deprived of all legal rights most other Germans took for granted, like owning businesses or even eventually property. They were also stripped of the right to travel freely and were forced to carry special papers at all times identifying them as Jews. During this time, laws were also passed during this time heavily penalizing homosexual acts by consenting male adults. Laws were passed allowing for the imprisonment of members of religious sects deemed unacceptable, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and also allowing for the imprisonment of the homeless. At no time did the German people rise up with sufficient force so as to dissuade the Nazi leadership from continuing to implement and execute these persecutions. All of these laws were aimed at accomplishing two goals: to create a sense of “other” with regard to these groups so that “ordinary” Germans would instinctively view them as alien and therefore entitled to fewer rights; and, to deprive these “alien” groups of the power to defend themselves. This is what made The Holocaust possible. The German people, and eventually those living under Nazi rule, decided that their own welfare was more important than the welfare of any of these “alien” groups.

This attitude on the part of “ordinary” Dutch living under Nazi occupation is what forced Anne Frank and her family escape into hiding. A fourteen year girl spent what should have been the best years of her youth, and what ended up being the last years of her life, skulking silently, half starved and afraid, in a series of dark rooms not much bigger than the apartment I’m going home to in May. This attitude on the part of “ordinary” French is what made the horrors of Struthof possible. There 22,000 men and women died frozen, beaten, emaciated and diseased among the pristine pine forests of the Vosges Mountains. Among the dead were 90 who were sent to Struthof’s gas chamber for no other reason than a professor of medicine at a French University wanted undamaged skeletons for medical research. When humans begin to think of others as somehow less human, and therefore entitled to fewer rights, atrocities like this become possible.

None of this would have been possible had “ordinary” men and women not forgotten the simple truths that all people are created equally and that all people are entitled to equal rights and equal dignity under the law. None of this would have been possible had “ordinary” Europeans not forgotten what Kant taught them 150 years prior: that a person acts morally only when he or she acts as if his or her conduct was establishing a universal law governing others in similar circumstances and that no person should ever be treated solely as a means to some other end.

But in the decades since 1945 Europe has endeavored, it seems, to relearn these lessons. I’ve visited the German Federal Constitutional Court where I learned that the consequentialist felicific calculus that underpinned the social acceptance of Nazi laws depriving select minorities of their rights had been utterly rejected. I’ve visited the Euro Institute where I have been shown strategies for ensuring cross-cultural cooperation and understanding between different European nationalities. I’ve visited the European Court of Human Rights were I was informed of court ruling after court ruling guaranteeing that each and every European citizen is entitled to the same fundamental rights, including freedom of speech, expression, assembly and religion. And I’ve visited the Council of Europe, where it was made clear to me that the membership status of any state is contingent on their acceptance of the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Europe may have some progress yet to make. The wars in the former Yugoslavia occurred in my life time and in them over 100,000 were killed, many due to ethnic cleansing, and during much of which Europe stood by passively. But, in fairness it should also be pointed out that the states of the former Yugoslavia were outside both the EU and the Council of Europe until well after the end of the Yugoslav Wars and it is possible that failure to intervene in the genocide there was due more to questions around proper foreign policy rather than questions of human dignity and equality. What I find most heartening is that as I travel Europe and visit these places scarred by war and human indifference, no one seems to miss the point: that inaction in the face of evil breeds opportunity for evil to thrive.

Michael Shea
B.A. Political Science
First Year Master's Student
Georgia State EU Studies Program, Spring 2011

Winter Break

2011-03-10T18:09:00.005+01:00

So here I am, back at the Chateau after a long week of adventure for our school’s winter break. My weeklong trip began in Brussels, where our study abroad group visited the European Commission, SHAPE (supreme headquarters allied powers Europe) and finally the U.S. mission. While I was honored to have the opportunity to visit all three institutions, I must say my favorite visit was to SHAPE. Our visit to SHAPE began

with an exhilarating entry through security. I have never been to a military base before, so I was pretty taken aback at the site of all the uniformed soldiers. After entering the base, we had the opportunity to eat in the cafeteria where we sat at a table in a room full of soldiers from various countries. It really was a unique opportunity to dine with the SHAPE employees. A NATO cafeteria is the only place where one can find soldiers to the left of you speaking Polish and soldiers to the right of you speaking German. It was bizarre to look around and see the different camouflage uniforms and try to find the patch designating which country each person was from.

After lunch, we were taken back into a briefing room where we heard two lectures from different generals. The first lecture covered the information about SHAPE and its missions, while the second focused more on the relationship between SHAPE and the European Union. I found both lectures to be extremely thought provoking, especially in regards to EU/SHAPE relations. The lectures helped to clear up some uncertainty I was harboring ‘pre SHAPE’ visit. However, by far the most intriguing part of our visit was the twenty- minute Q&A session with the SHAPE General chief of staff. The set up was similar to how a press conference would be, in which the general sat behind a podium while we all had the opportunity to ask questions. It definitely was an incredible experience!

After our school excursion to Brussels was complete, a group of us headed over to Amsterdam for a few days and then finished off the break in Paris. Amsterdam was a real trip. One of the benefits to traveling in Europe is witnessing the

cultural differences of each country and Amsterdam was no exception to that! While the Anne Frank house and the Rijksmuseum museum were important attractions to see, I also witnessed some of the other ‘sites’ in Amsterdam including the red light district. The last night I was there I had the opportunity to attend a pub-crawl through the red light district that the hostel I was staying at hosted. Since I have been living in Europe, one major difference I have noticed between American life and European life is how much more conservative Americans are on certain issues and visiting Amsterdam demonstrated the most extreme case of this observation. While I was on this pub-crawl, I had the chance to speak to a local about such differences.

Finally my break ended in my favorite city yet, PARIS! We arrived in Paris at night and took the metro into the city. As I was walking up the stairs from the underground metro to the streets of Paris, I was able to see the arch de triumph lit magnificently against the starry night backdrop. I couldn’t believe I was looking at it in real life! Actually, I found myself saying that a lot through my trip in Paris. Ever since I was a kid I had dreamed about going to Paris. Just to give you an idea, I used to have an Eiffel tower lamp next to my bed growing up. Now I can actually say I have been to the top of the Eiffel tower and witnessed a beautiful sunset over the old rooftops of Paris. By far, the highlight of my Paris adventure was visiting Notre Dame. I arrived at the end of a mass. Entering the ancient cathedral while hundreds of people are singing and a grand organ is playing above in the balcony was a moment I will never forget. What a vacation! How many people can actually say they have sat in on a Q&A session with the chief of staff at SHAPE, went on a pub crawl through the red light district, witnessed a sunset from the top of the Eiffel tower and listened to a mass at Notre Dame? It definitely was a memorable break!

Kate Bryan

European Parliament Visit

2011-03-10T14:40:00.001+01:00

We have had several trips, tours, and excursions during the duration of our study abroad program, some of which include excursions outside of France, as well as visits to the European Court of Human Rights, Wine and Cheese tasting events, and museum visits and day tours in and around Strasbourg and surrounding cities. Among these many planned trips, the one that has stood out to me the most has been our guided tour of the European Parliament.

It is one of the most important buildings in this region, and although it is somewhat smaller in size than what I had expected, I found that it does big things. It was started about 50 years ago and is located right here in Strasbourg, near the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights. Its main focus is protection against conflict and it aims to work against instability and insecurity in and around the European Union. The members deal with a wide range of topics, ranging from agriculture to women’s rights and almost everything in between; they try their best to ensure that the voices of each person is heard and attempt to resolve issues as effectively and quickly as possible.

One of the members of the Parliament actually took the time to speak to us about what goes on behind the scenes, and a little about how they deal with sensitive issues from the past, present, and future. He explained that they do not only focus on their own problems, but also have open communicate with other countries and try to help those who need help. There are some issues, such as the U.S. economy and war problems, he admitted are inevitable crises, but the Parliament works to face these problems and help other nations as well. Over 500 million people are represented by the members of 1 assembly, 1 council, the European Parliament. -Fatima Punja

Out on our own

2011-03-10T14:37:00.001+01:00

I am studying abroad here with a group of 12 other students from my home school, and even though it has only been a couple of months, we are already like a family; I know this trip would not be even half as amazing without them. A few weeks ago, some of the girls and I decided to spend the day in downtown, which really gave us a chance to fully experience the daily life of Strasbourg, as well as to bond and get to know each other a little better.

The day started off pretty normal, until we got off a tram to head to our destination; there was some sort of protest going on, and it was nothing like the ones in downtown Atlanta. There were hundreds of people, young and old, some women but mostly men, blowing horns and chanting and yelling in French as they walked along and filled up the streets, wearing neon colors and holding up signs which I later found out were for animal hunting rights. This was the first time I’d ever been so close to such a large protest, and it was definitely an experience I will never forget.

A few hours later, after eating lunch and doing a bit of shopping, I saw my very first street music performance, in the courtyard of the main tourist area in downtown Strasbourg. They were students, about 6 or 7 of them just playing music and raising money, and we joined a large crowd that had gathered around the students and watched. As they played their music together and smiled at the crowd and each other, they seemed to forget all the problems around them, it seemed to spread out into everyone else, and I remember feeling truly happy. I am a music minor and am very passionate about music, and it always touches me to see other younger students so passionate about music as well. I am a strong ambassador of spreading music knowledge and keeping the musical arts in schools, and after enjoying their wonderful performance and youthful energy, I decided to donate a bit of money myself.

After all of this, the day was still not over; on our way back, we saw yet another protest. This one took place on a stage on the other side of the same courtyard in which we saw the students playing music; it was much quieter and smaller than the protest we had seen earlier, but by the look on the people’s faces, I immediately knew it was just as important, at least for them. When we went a little closer to the stage, I realized it was a protest in light of the current issues in Egypt, and something caught my eye that I will never forget. There in the center of the stage, was a little girl no older than 7 years, holding up a sign and looking as passionate about what she was protesting about as the other older adults on the stage. Although I realize she may not have fully understood everything about the ongoings in Egypt, the look in her eyes and the intensity with which she was protesting put me in awe to see someone so young standing up for what she believed in; it was truly inspiring for me.

As we walked along after the protest, taking pictures of the beautiful scenery and sunset and getting ready to head back home, I reflected on all that had happened, and how I had, albeit just a little bit, grown and changed from it. I will remember this as one of the first days since being here we actually went out on our own and became immersed into French culture, like I had wanted to do since before even arriving in Strasbourg, as one of the first days I felt confident and independent rather than homesick, and as one of the most memorable days of my trip so far. I hope to take something from this experience, and I hope to have many more days like this during my semester studying abroad! -Fatima Punja

Mercedes-Benz (Stuttgard, Germany)

2011-03-10T14:34:00.001+01:00

Last week we had an excursion to the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgard, Germany. The museum had several floors, and each floor had a different era of Mercedes models; the first floor was a collection of some of the first and oldest Mercedes ever made, and the last floor had the newest models available to buy then and there. It was interesting to see the changes in car models over time, but even as I stared at the fancy new cars, I had no idea the hard work that went into each car.

This all changed for me today, when we went to the actual Mercedes-Benz production factory, also in Germany. The morning started off with a video explaining the entire process of making a car, all the way from designing a car to completing the final product, ready to sell. After viewing the video, we took a bus to the actual factory to see all that we were told for ourselves. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take cameras in the factory, but I know that I will remember what I saw, only because I was so amazed by it all. It was a very large factory that consisted of several small sections, and each section was responsible for the different parts of a car...and trust me, there are many, many, parts to a car. We saw there were quite a few factory workers, but even more robots and machines, all working together in unison like clockworks, focused on each detail of each part of car. As we walked along, we also saw several smaller robots, working on smaller parts of the cars.

Our guide informed us that the factory employees actually work in teams of 12, and rotate to work on different parts of the car. She also told us that the smaller robots cost about 100,000 Euros each; I didn’t dare to ask how much the larger robots cost, of which there seemed to be hundreds throughout the factory. I was surprised to learn that there are about 650 cars produced each day, and by the time we left, I was in awe and generally impressed by all the effort, time, and energy that went in to each minor detail to every car that I see and take for granted every day.

Before this experience, I never really paid attention to anything even pertaining to cars, unless it was my own; however, since coming here, my mind has expanded in a way that has inspired me to soak up as much knowledge and information as I can, about as much as I can, and to learn about things in which I never before had any interest. Coming on this trip to study abroad, I never expected to develop any sort of interest in cars, but now I look forward to learning even more about different types of cars and am eager to see what else I will gain interest in during my time studying abroad.
-Fatima Punja

Living history

2011-03-09T02:37:00.003+01:00

I took this picture at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The image is actually something that most people in college have heard about. Few people can probably recognize it from the picture alone, but most of us have heard of it at least once in our academic careers. I consider myself a kind of a history nerd and I did not know what it was when I passed by it. There was a relatively big crowd around it (nothing compared to the Mona Lisa) but to me it just looked like a big black rock. As I got closer to the object I noticed the writing on it. The writing was of course not English and it was clearly very old. As I continued to examine the object I finally found the Museum info card… it was The Code of Hammurabi.

At this point my jaw dropped to the ground (if you don’t know what the Code of Hammurabi is Google it). In front of me was the freaking Code of Hammurabi. Arguably, the first set of written laws in the modern world was less than a foot away from me. You would think that the first thing that would come to mind would be something like “this is one of the turning points of humankind” or “this really helped shaped the world we live in today” but that was not the most amazing thing to me. To me it was unbelievable that I was actually seeing something I had learned in history class. I learned about the Code of Hammurabi in Mr. Anderson’s 7^th grade Social Studies class and there it was. It was real!

I never thought I would actually see it. The Pyramids in Egypt and the Coliseum in Rome are things you hear about all the time, but this was different. It was almost humbling to really see something like this outside of a textbook. But the Code of Hammurabi was just the first of many eye-opening experiences. Down a couple of Metro stops from the Louvre Museum was the Bastille where the French revolution started. In Amsterdam there was the Anne Frank museum. Most of us read her diary, but walking through the empty attic in which Anne, her family, and her friends hid for all those years is something no book and explain.

This trip has truly brought history to life for me. It is one thing to read about events and artifacts, but to see them and to be at the very spot where they unfolded is surreal. Behind the Château is a huge park which is covered with wildlife and old German bunkers. In the same spot where I go run and see families playing together, bloody battles were fought during WWII. The trails that wind through the forest were once filled with bullets and bombs instead of joggers and hikers. History has become a living science on this trip for me. Everything around me has a different story and I am excited to keep reading it.

Till next time,

Enrique C.

Pardon my French writting....

2011-02-23T21:36:00.004+01:00

( First I will say that I am not the greatest writer. In fact I have learned that I pretty much suck at writing in the three languages that I know. I can speak them with ease…but when it comes to writing and ummmm, shall I say GRAMMAR..well I just sort of blank out, even after days of studying. )

I signed up for a Intermediate French class at L’Ecole de Management because I have not taken a French course since I was 13 (I am now 20). I figured I should get back to my “French” roots and re-learn how to write French.

I started class about a month ago and WOW the first day of class made me feel like a child in French school again. The days where all I spoke and wrote was French, the days where I would get yelled at for saying the wrong verb terminations, the days where my teacher would yell, “VALERIE ARRET DE PARLER!” and make me stand out in the hall until class ended. How happy I was sitting in my French class as a 20 year old, feeling like child for the first days!

When class ended I remember I was eager to come home to the Chateau because I just wanted everyone to ask me about my first day in French class, and I wanted to share what I learned, as I did with my parents when I was a child. Everything was wonderful…until I took my first test.

Yes, today was my first French test after a month and it is worth 50%. I felt quite ready as I walked into class for I had studied everything she taught us. My fellow classmate/castlemate, Josh and I had basically memorized every verb conjugation. Yet, as I was taking my test I realized there were questions that the teacher had not taught us in class. She just expected us to know it from our past French classes… but when my past French classes were 7 years ago…well I just felt like handing her my test and never speaking French again! But I figured that would do me no good so I sat there.. almost at tears and took that test. A test that made me realize that my abilities to speak French help me on my day to day adventures in France, help me find one of the hottest bars in town, and help me help my fellow GSU classmates; they help me understand French movies, and do everything a French person does….but don’t help me in writing what so ever.

Now I have never felt so ashamed to take a test before than when I took that test. I was scared to even ask her a question because I speak French! I should know everything! Even though I am pretty certain that I failed, all I can say, and say with certainty, is don’t expect to just study the things that the teacher focused on in class. Study everything because anything can come up! Also, don’t be discouraged if you don’t know how to write French… heck a fluent French speaker can’t even do it! My teacher even said (en Francais), “Everyone can speak French, it’s the writing that everyone has a problem with”. Hopefully she will take that into consideration when she grades my test. (This can also go vise-versa- some people may be good at writing and no good at speaking! Haha the irony’s in life)

So Good luck! Don’t give up! and Practie writing and speaking French!

Aurevoir,
Valerie Ibarra

Freedom Ain't Free

2011-01-27T13:37:00.004+01:00

Welcome to my Chateau.

For the next couple of months I will be dazzling you with stories of love, betrayal, deception, integration, translation, and cultural exploration. As you accompany me in my journey of self-discovery and shenanigans, I must warn you... this will be a great deal of fun. I will not be held responsible for the hours of sleep you lose waiting for my and my fellow patriots posts.

Weeks 1 and 2

The University

Lets begin by saying that I have never been a fan of the 10 stop shop... I mean the one stop shop. But, as I have quickly found out, you don't realize what you have until its gone. The University of Starsbourg has separate schools just like GSU does. There is the Ecole de Management (Buisniess school) and the Science Po [totally misspelled that] (Political Institute). Unlike GSU though, these schools are their own independent entities and work with the University of Strasbourg, but are basically individually managed. This means that each school has their own registration days and operate on different schedules. To make things even more fun, class start on Monday but registration is on Tuesday. This means that if you have a Monday class you have to go to it when you are not even signed up for it. Furthermore, going to class does not guarantee you a spot, so you might be sitting in a class you will not be able to sign up for. All these fun differences make it very complicated to fix a problem if one were to arise.

Another fun adventure is your student ID card. Imagine an empty room in GCB. Now put in there some chairs for a waiting room, a desk with 2 chairs and a reception desk. Now imagine every single exchange student and transfer student trying to get their ID card. Lets just say I met a lot of people that day.

Classes

For some unknown reason classes change classrooms every time you meet. On Wednesday my French class is in the basement and then on Friday its on the 3rd floor. They give us a sheet that has all the rooms for each day but these can be changed the day of the class. They have a board that is updated hourly that is the only valid source of information. When I say its updated I mean they scratch off the old number and write in the new classroom.

But the French do have something I like a lot. I have a class that starts on April 13th (Wednesday) and my final is on April 15th (Friday). It does meet for 8 hours a day but who does not love cramming and caffein. Also classes don't meet on a regular schedule. My Economics of the Economic Union class meets every Tuesday but then in March we meet once and then in April we meet twice. Also, professors love taking breaks. in one of my classes we have 10 minute coffee breaks to relax and get coffee if we choose to. We only have one or two grades (Final and midterm or just final) so its important to not miss class. Overall, classes are really interesting and I am learning a lot.

French

I am going to be fluent by the end of this trip. Unfortunately, when everyone around you speaks English, this is harder than just going to class. To truly learn you have to integrate yourself with the locals. I have found that The Irish Pub has done wonders for my French. For 3 Euros, 6 Euros, 9... whose counting... my French becomes a thing of second nature. We have been very lucky to have Val who is fluent in French. I managed to open a bank account and get minutes on my own so it really is getting better. Im sure this will be the source of many stories.

Girls

You thought I would give all the good stuff on my first post?

Things to do

The Chateau staff is really good at regularly having activities for us. This Saturday we actually have a huge BBQ that will have all you can eat food and really cheap drinks. Most of us also joined the BDI. The BDI is the club that is responsible for making the foreign exchange students feel at home. They host parties on Thursdays and provide a "buddy" if you are a member. A Buddy is a person assigned to you who you can practice your French with. We will get our Buddies on January 30th. They also give you a sweet bracelet.

Sven

Think Chuck Norris squared. He is our fearless leader who is never late. He moves at the speed of light and will catch you if you leave your light on. Electricity is 3 times more expensive here than in the US, so he is big on that. Also, if you make him angry he will make you death. This I promise.

Too many stories, yet so little time. I hope everyone back home is enjoying the cold and get ready for the next one.

If anyone is thinking about doing this trip... stop thinking and pay your deposit.

Enrique C.

A New Sense of Wonder

2011-01-23T00:13:00.000+01:00

I want to begin this blog by saying I’ve never been out of my own country before. At 34 I’m finally getting my Master’s Degree but I’ve never traveled anywhere. It’s always been a dream of mine; I just hadn’t gotten around to it until now. And I suppose my perspective has suffered for it. But things change; I’ve finally done it. It’s now been nearly two weeks since I first set foot on European soil and while I am still a novice international traveler two things already have become clear.

First, before coming here I had no real appreciation for history. I’d studied it in books but reading text on a page never prepared me for living among history I could see and touch. Let me be clear about something before I continue with that thought: we have history in the United States obviously but I can now say that, since coming to Strasbourg, I’ve seen buildings that when the Pilgrims sailed from England were already as old as my country is today. That’s history. The area now known as Strasbourg was first settled as a Roman military outpost by Nero Claudius Drusus (brother to the future emperor Tiberius) in 12 BC. Archeologists still unearth remnants of the city’s Roman past from time to time.

Just today, I toured a brewery that has been producing fine Alsatian beer since the sixteenth century. A few days before this I spent hours in a museum that houses a collection of furniture and artwork that were once enjoyed by Napoleon Bonaparte. The chateau I am staying in was built in 1784, five years before the United States Constitution was ratified. I am typing these words a few hundred feet away from rooms that once housed Franz Liszt, Napoleon III and Albert Schweitzer. Living in the United States has left me ill-equipped to fully appreciate this, but I find it amazing none-the-less.

Second, before coming here I had forgotten the simple pleasure that can come from being a new face in a new place. I traveled here with 13 other students from Georgia State University and with the exception of one of them, I knew none before coming here. And each of them, perhaps with the exception of one or two of us, saw each of us as an unknown. We were all strangers thrown together nearly 5000 miles from home. But ever since our arrival I find to my joy that we are becoming better friends with each passing day.

We go on journeys of discovery together. Whether these journeys are to the Musees de la Villa de Strasbourg or to the market down the street it makes no difference – at least one of us is sure to glimpse something he or she has never seen before. And we delight at the wonder of it. If ignorance is bliss in this case it is because only a state of ignorance can allow for the possibility of even the slightest revelation. I, like my newfound friends, came here because I knew on some level that I was ignorant and I felt a desire to change that. And even something so simple as the knowledge that one really can’t find sweet Italian sausage everywhere can lead to a sense of revelation in one who has never ventured beyond his own comfortable, native cultural surroundings.

Of course I’m here to make discoveries of more import and the revelations I am expected to have are certainly more immense in scope than what can be found at the neighborhood store. I am here to study the European Union and its various institutions. I will be visiting the Court of Human Rights and the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. I will be expected to develop an appreciation for the history that has lead to the creation of these institutions. I will be visiting churches and cathedrals and concentration camps and NATO headquarters. And I will be trying to synthesize a knowledge of the workings of the institutions based here and of the European Union in general and of the recent history of this entire continent into a work which will hopefully resemble something like what will eventually become my thesis. And I will certainly be posting blog entries on these topics as I get further into my studies.

But for now I wonder at the newness of the experience. I wonder at the sense of camaraderie that can develop among total strangers when they each face the prospect of a new beginning in a new city together. I wonder at the fact that I can look at buildings that I know were already old when my country was young and yet they can seem at once ancient and novel to me. I wonder that I never did this before. And it is my sincere hope that I never lose my sense of wonder.

Michael Shea
B.A. Political Science
First Year Master's Student
Georgia State EU Studies Program, Spring 2011

Two Weeks In

2011-01-20T12:23:00.001+01:00

So here we are, two weeks into our program.
Registration for l'Ecole de Management is over, most classes have begun. Registration at the Science Politique ends tomorrow and classes started this week. I thought I'd give a rundown of some of the differences from GSU to the University of Strasbourg.

1. You go to class before you register. Different yes, interesting though because for some classes you can actually hear the teacher, see the size of the class and the style of teaching and then decide if you want to add or drop the class. it can be quite confusing though.

Registration isn't the open process we were used to at GSU. First you have to lookup your courses in several places. One place with a particular login shows you the list of classes in English that you can choose from, another site with a different login will show you the classes and when those classes meet, and yet another site with a login is where you register for classes. Think Paws/Ulearn/Panthermail but all with different logins and no links to each other from their pages...I will never complain about GSU's online computer system again!

Anyway, after we all looked at our schedules and figured out which classes didn't overlap, who wanted to take what classes at l'Ecole de Management, we all traveled with Sven (our coordinator) to school and parked ourselves in a computer lab about 11:45am. Registration opened at 12 and it's first-come-first-served meaning if a class has 20 slots for students, that's all there is. So it was kind of crazy, you have to login and find your class, click the registration check and submit quickly. A difference of a few seconds could mean you didn't get the class you wanted and would have to appeal to be let in. Oy vey.

It was exciting, and for the most part, everyone got the classes they wanted.

2. Classrooms are very fluid in France. You don't always meet in the same room or even every week. For instance our French I (debutants complet I) class for beginners is on Wednesdays and Fridays from 1-3pm, but the rooms change each day, so you have to printout your room schedule and keep it posted to remember where to go. I guess it makes class slightly more interesting being that you're not always in the same space. Classes also don't meet every week. You might have Economics of the EU every Tuesday from January through February but only once in March and April.

3. Most classes are lecture only. The french language classes are slightly different, meaning there's interaction with the professor - he/she will have you repeat phrases and words back and with other students. Our other classes at l'Ecole are very lecture-based with only a final, so take good notes!

4. We get both a Winter and Spring break. The first week of March is Winter Break. We'll be traveling with Sven to Brussels for an excursion to several institutions, but then the remainder of the week is our break (yay!). Spring break is in April, the last two weeks, and is the break in between the end of classes and final exams.

5. The colleges of the University are not all on the same schedule- Science Politique classes begin this week, l'Ecole de Management's was last week. REgistration also was a week apart, though the colleges share the same Winter and Spring Break schedule this year.

6. The interaction on a personal level with the professors at the school is very limited, you generally don't have personal interaction with the professors. The exception for us has been our two classes we have here at the Chateau - European Integration History & Culture, and our French Conversational Class. We have a lot of interaction with both professors in those classes and I actually find them very enjoyable and personal.

I'll write more next time on cultural differences, which may be a longer post! Thanks

Tim Cairl
Grad Student in Public Policy
Andrew Young School
Georgia State University

Bonjour and Welcome Spring 2011 Students!

2011-01-13T10:39:00.000+01:00

All of the students have arrived and are getting settled into their new surroundings.Classes have already begun at the University of Strasbourg.In the coming weeks, there will be many exciting things to do and see around the castle and Strasbourg. Have fun exploring and getting to know the area and Strasbourg!From everyone at the Château and CEPA Europe, we would like to send a warm welcome to all of our new students!

www.eustudiesprogram.eu

Skiing in the Austrian Alps

2011-01-04T22:37:00.000+01:00

This semester I was lucky enough to become friends with a student from Innsbruck Austria named Andy. After finishing finals, we went to his house for a few days to ski. Innsbruck is in the heart of the Alps and was a great place to go outside of France. People were friendly and most could speak English fairly well. The weather was perfect (for skiing) and there was lots of fresh powder on the slopes.

We went to three different resorts outside of town, and two of them had hosted the winter Olympics before. That just made the trip even more special. Every day we would get up early to go skiing and then come home to the family dinner to eat and socialize. One night his mom even made the traditional Austrian wiener schnitzel dish, which was amazing!

I cannot describe in words how beautiful it was from the tops of the mountains. There were Alps as far as the eye can see in the vast landscape. I will let the pictures do the talking for me!

Nathan Larson

Sheepish Switzerland

2010-12-21T18:12:00.000+01:00

I love Switzerland. So much that I visited it three times over the course of the semester. The country's natural beauty is unparalleled, its reputation for efficiency well-earned, and its wealth apparent (but tastefully so). Several times I thought to myself, "Why would anyone ever leave this place?" Eventually, however, a second thought occurred to me, "How would a person ever get in?" As I spent more time in the country, it became evident that while Switzerland is very accessible for tourists with full billfolds, Swiss society is a rather exclusive club, particularly when it comes to its immigrants.
The first inclination I had that not all was right in paradise was on the train ride from Basel to Lausanne, when a rail serviceman did not ask to see my ticket or the ticket of any of the White passengers around me, but spent several minutes integgorating every Black passenger on the train and requesting that they provide additional forms of identification. One of these passengers and her young daughter were subsequently escorted off the train by the Swiss authorities.
Then, during a hike through the Alps in the beautiful village of Vevey, I spotted a campaign poster fot the Swiss People's Party (SVP)that depicted white sheep kicking a black sheep out of the country. I know at this point, particularly as someone who has spent a decent amount of time reading about nationalist parties in Europe, such an ad should not come as a surprise. Yet something about seeing such blatant racism, particularly in such an idyllic setting, was incredibly shocking.
This controversial "black sheep" poster generated a lot of controversy in Switzerland and abroad when it was first used in 2007. However, it also contributed to the electoral success of the SVP, and, as a consequence, is still used today.
In November of this year, in a referendum which was driven by the SVP, the Swiss public approved a plan to automatically deport foreigners who commit crimes. This plan passed despite objections from the Swiss government, and despite the fact that it is in violation of the freedom of movement (which Switzerland guarantees via a bilateral treaty), not to mention a violation of human rights and due process. Similarly, last year the SVP successfully initiated a referendum which led to an official ban on minarets-despite the objection of the government. These nationalistic episodes make me aware of the pitfalls of direct democracy and the extent to which referendums can lead to the totalitarianism of the majority.
So as not to depict Switzerland too harshly, I will say that at the Christmas market in Lausanne I saw two political parties with counter-"black sheep" ads that advocated for tolerance and integration of immigrant communities. Yet, it is also evident that the issue of immigration in Switzerland and many other European countries is far from resolved.
Anyway, my optimistic holiday wish for Switzerland is that people realize that sheep of all colors are capable of coexistence.

Shannon

I'll Be Home for Christmas!

2010-12-16T10:49:00.000+01:00

One by one, people are leaving the Chateau to go home. It's bittersweet... we're all ready to see our families and be home for the holidays, but it's sad leaving each other! Thank goodness for facebook. And a roadtrip is in the works to visit all the students in Atlanta. We've begun our Christmas here in Strasbourg, and we'll be home in time for the 24-hour TBS marathon of "A Christmas Story" :) I'll miss you all!

Ce n'est qu'un Aurevoir !! (It's only a Goodbye)! by Johanne T.

2010-12-15T19:00:00.000+01:00

Coming to France to study abroad has been a dream come true and the best time of my life so far. I’ve gone to places that I could have ever imagined and lived moments that I have never anticipated. All college students should study abroad through their college years. I’ve had the best time and I could come back and do it all over again.
Now, classes are over, just counting down the days to go home. The days are going slow …and fast sometimes, I miss my family.
I will go home in a few days and I hope I could come back to France one day, I know I will. I will miss telling the French that I live in the chateau de Pourtales and make them jealous. I will miss the walk to the bus station, although as it was closer to go home I find myself hating it more and more. I will miss the ease and the uncomplicated way of going to places, all you need is a bus pass. I will miss the “Petit pain au chocolat”; you’ll have to try it to understand. I will miss the students I have met that are going to other states. Believe it or not I’ll miss the kitchen, 12 and 7 PM, our “rendez-vous” always pack with students trying to make lunch or dinner.
I will miss the computer lab, always hot just like I like it, where I spent hours working on my different projects and that one computer (that’s my spot). I’ll miss looking out in my windows every day, whether sunny or cloudy, rainy or snowy, there is always people running in the park. I will miss having those quiet moments to myself; it will not be the same.
…But on the other side I will be enjoying all of the things I missed back home from being in France. I will be reunited with my family which tops them all.

Aurevoir Strasbourg, France…I will see you again in the future.

Quality Couch Time

2010-12-15T14:53:00.000+01:00

I have particularly enjoyed the quiet moments at the Chateau, when several of us are just sitting around... and it feels like the right time to make a pile. Every now and then, someone has a camera to document the magic. When we first arrived here in September, I don't think any of us thought we'd be this close in December. Figuratively, and literally.

Freiberg and the Unexpected Hike

2010-12-10T17:30:00.000+01:00

It was a slow day at the Chat (as we affectionately call our Chateau de Pourtales), and John and I thought we'd been stuck inside for far too long. So we got to work convincing several others that they too were coming down with the cabin fever and needed to get out.
So the next morning, John, Pat, Nathan, Meganne, and I walked to Kehl, Germany where we boarded a train for Freiberg. An unexpected mountain hike then ensued, but the view was completely worth it. Several frozen toes and 300 silly pictures later, we found our way back down the mountain and had currywurst (spicy level 5 = Bunny hot!) for dinner. That was topped off by a few more glasses of Glühwein at the Freiberg Christmas market :)

Paris and a final farewell

2010-12-09T17:34:00.000+01:00

As our program comes to an end I post one final farewell blog. I thought it was only appropriate to talk about my last trip during our time in the EU Studies Program. One of the wonderful things about this program is that you are able to travel on your own, allowing you freedom to experience Europe outside of the planned excursions. The last trip I went on with some of the girls from our group, was for a weekend in Paris. It was one of the most amazing experiences to travel around this amazing and beautiful city for the few days of our stay. Although the weather for the first two days was not ideal, by this I mean incredibly snowy and rainy, I still had an amazing time. We got to see all the wonderful monuments and tourist locations which included Notre Dame, the Louvre, Are de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Galeries LaFayette, Montmartre, and of course the wonderful Christmas markets where we enjoyed hot crepes filled with nutella and bananas. Yum! The memories created during that weekend in Paris and during our time in the EU Studies Program will last a lifetime.
As the group came back together to enjoy a final farewell dinner, the emotions set in that our final days here in Strasbourg, and together as a group, are drawing near. It was an emotional time for everyone, especially as we enjoyed champagne afterwards with our wonderful coordinator, Sven, sharing our favorite times during our stay here. Leaving is definitely bittersweet. The people I have gotten to meet and the amazing places I have gotten to see during my stay will be something I will always cherish and never forget. This was an amazing experience.

And now for a final au revoir!

-Kate Kornacki

Dreaming of a White Christmas ♪♪♪ by Johanne Toussaint

2010-11-29T22:18:00.000+01:00

It started snowing here in Strasbourg since Thanksgiving Day. The next morning, we decided to decorate our Christmas trees, it was perfect. It was snowing outside, having hot chocolate and hot wine, listening and singing to Christmas song while decorating our gorgeous trees. Looking at how white and beautiful it is outside, it makes you want to sing: ♪♪♪ I’m dreaming of white Christmas….♪♪♪ but only this time it wasn’t a dream, I was actually living it (and it’s not even December yet).
Today class was delayed because of the snow. The traffic jam reminded me of Atlanta and how crazy it gets when it snowed. However, we were excited for the snow and so we declare a snow fight day at the château de Pourtalès. The Georgia State students, along with students from West Virginia and New Hampshire form team USA. It was Canada vs. USA. Needless to say that USA did win the snow fight, it was awesome. But no worries, it was a friendly match and I can say this was the most fun we’ve had together.
It makes me fall in love all over again with Strasbourg!!!!

Thanksgiving at the Chateau

2010-11-28T16:03:00.000+01:00

While there have been many posts on the amazing institutions we have gone to visit, and the places we have gone to see, I think it is also important to address the fun times one can have while staying in the Chateau with their peers. Thanksgiving day is an important day of the year in the United States where you spend time with family and enjoy and give thanks over a traditional thanksgiving meal. However, the wonderful day of Thanksgiving is not celebrate here in Europe. However, the wonderful coordinators and management of the Chateau but together a memorable Thanksgiving feast in order to give everyone a piece of home on a day we all cherish. They started us off with delicious appetizers and a slide show of pictures from the amazing semester we have experienced here in Strasbourg. We then proceeded into the beautiful Grand Salon to enjoy the wonderful Thanksgiving meal that was prepared for us. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, salad, and a nice variety of desserts to chose from. It was what anyone could have hoped for. We even enjoyed a hilarious skit Sven and Katie put together. Overall it was a wonderful night leaving everyone with fond memories. I just wanted to give thanks for the Chateau giving everyone a Thanksgiving they could enjoy when we were not able to be home with our families!

-Kate Kornacki

Thanksgiving Dinner

2010-11-27T01:32:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone! Yesterday was Thanksgiving Dinner here at Chateau de Pourtales. First, we started off with hors d'oeuvres and Champagne, and then we had dinner in the Grand Salon. There were about 64 people who joined us, and it was beautiful! We had turkey and gravy, with mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, rolls, salad, and differnt kinds of wine. For dessert, we had an assortment of different cookies and small cakes, along with the French version of pumpkin pie, along with a delicious vanilla cream to go on top.

Between our entree and dessert, Sven and Katie Wilson performed a play for us, called Dinner For One. This play is very famous in Germany, and although it is in Enlgish, not many english speaking countries know of this short film. It is played around the holidays, and they did an excellent job reenacting the skit! Also, IT SNOWED! It was so pretty...and it is supposed to snow more this coming week. Today, Dottie and some of the students began decorating for Christmas by putting up Christmas trees and decorating them. The Chateau has a new touch now, they did a great job!

Thats all for now, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!

~Sara Shelton

Life in Strasbourg

2010-11-19T21:59:00.000+01:00

Looking over the past blog posts I noticed that nobody has written anything about Strasbourg or life in the Chateau. Strasbourg is a great city and represents the Alsace region well. It’s pretty diverse being on the border of France and Germany separated by the Rhin River. The centralized location of it makes it possible to travel to many different parts of Europe as well. There are several canals and rivers that crisscross the city. It is very pretty, but can be difficult to navigate because of the windy roads.

There are a ton of international students that go to the University of Strasbourg. That has to be one of my favorite things about this place, meeting people from all over Europe and the world. There is always somewhere to go and something to do with plenty of nightlife.

Living in the Chateau de Pourtales is good too. It is situated in the neighborhood of Roberseau which is a residential area of Strasbourg. It is about 20 minutes outside of center city in a huge recreational park. There are lots of trails to explore on foot or bike in the beautiful park. Right now the fall leaves are beautiful to see. The Chateau is filled with students (similar to a dorm) studying abroad, mostly from North America, as well as hotel guests.

On the weekends, there are always private weddings and events held at the Chateau. This makes things interesting. They are held in a beautiful ballroom with classical architecture. We had an awesome Halloween party there. It is cool living in a place with so much history. The Chateau is over 300 years old and has had some important guests in that time. I wonder if they enjoyed tarte flambee as much as I do?

-Nathan Larson

2010-11-18T13:41:00.000+01:00

By Patrick Davies

So after Nathan and I visited London, the next city on our agenda was Amsterdam. The beginning of this trip started with waking up at 2:45 AM in London in order to catch our extremely early flight. For those who are traveling and are trying to save money booking a flight through a discount company such as Ryan Air or EasyJet, just remember they usually don’t fly out of a main airport. We found out the hard way that the airport we had to take was an hour and a half away. Oh well. We got to Amsterdam at about 8 AM without a place to stay, so we booked a hotel immediately. We ended up staying on a boat because we had our own private room for 5 euros more than a noisy hostel. Nathan and I had quite the busy last few days so we went to the boat and took a long nap. We woke up and spent the night walking around Amsterdam. There was a big carnival in the middle of the city with different rides and snacks. It was nice because the festival worked as a good reference point for the rest of the weekend.

The next day we did exactly what we have been doing in every other city, walking around for hours just looking and buildings and people. Amsterdam is a very pretty city with all the canals and picturesque brown buildings. Amsterdam is also an extremely difficult city to navigate due to the thousands of canals and flat ground that provides no vantage points. We explored for hours. We also visited the Rijksmuseum which was full of beautiful art that I am not sophisticated enough to understand. We walked through the red light district at night, and lets just say it felt pretty greasy. It was definitely a sight to see with how in your face it is.

All in all I had a good time in Amsterdam even if I spent the majority of my time lost. Between Brussels, London, and Amsterdam I had a great fall break. My trainride home was excellent. The train basically followed the Rhine back to Strasbourg. I saw many castles and the mountainside was beautiful thanks to all the leaves that had changed colors in the trees.

Two Days in London

2010-11-07T15:24:00.001+01:00

After the group trip to Brussels a few of us planned a trip to London for our fall break. We took a 2 hour train ride in the morning (that included going under the Chunnel) and arrived in the heart of the city. The first thing that we had to do was exchange some of our Euros to British Pounds. This was an expensive process considering that 1 GBP= 1.6 USD.

Once we had our new currency we bought some public transportation day passes and got on the Tube (London's subway system). The Tube was very busy and fast paced with lots of people packed on it. My roommate Patrick and I travelled to the London School of Economics. There we meet Patrick's friend Bryan who we would be staying with in London. Then we ate a late breakfast called "The Full English". It was a typical hearty English breakfast that included tea, toast, baked beans, eggs, tomatoes, bacon, and sausage. When I heard this it did not seem like a very good combination of food but it really was amazing.

Then we got settled in and the three of us went on a walk into the town. London is a beautiful city and the parts that we saw were very clean. There were a lot of people commuting by bicycle just like in France. There were also a ton of busses, red double deckers of course. Bryan told us that it was because it is very expensive to own a car in center city London. Even without a car it is still very easy to get around.

The first stop was the Waterloo Bridge that crossed the Thames River. This was the first time we saw the skyline that included Big Ben and the London Eye. After our tourist photo shoot we went to dinner in an English pub. It had a very cozy atmosphere and served excellent cask ale which is the drink of choice for the locals. We ate some Fish n'Chips and enjoyed ourselves. On the way back to the dorm we walked through a public market. There we caught a public performer juggling chainsaws in front of a huge crowd. It was a good first day in London.

Patrick and I started the next day off right with another Full English Breakfast. Then we went into town again to see some museums and more attractions. The first stop was The British Museum. There were many different types of exhibits including Roman, Chinese, Japanese, and Greek. We spent hours looking around and it was totally free. Then we went to some other tourist destinations including Trafalgar Square, Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the National Gallery. It was quite an experience and I would definitely recommend going if you have the chance.

-Nathan Larson

Belgian Politics, Belgian Waffles, Belgian chocolates!

2010-11-06T15:02:00.000+01:00

In the past 2 months, we have had excursions to almost every important European Institution possible. The first week that the EU study abroad group arrived in Strasbourg, we visited Parliament and heard Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso speech, who is the 11th and current President of the European Commission. And throughout our time, we have enjoyed countless discussions about the European Union, while some of us are taking online courses regarding European Integration, other's find Dr. Patrick Dollat's class of the European Union quite interesting. In any way, we have learned much on these excursions, than one could ever learn just by sitting in the classroom setting. Let me re-emphasize, that before the EU trip, I was never interested in the EU. My recollection of having any kind of knowledge on the EU was very slim. However, in participating in this program, I feel that I can have a credible debate with someone and have substantial evidence because of all the things I have been exposed to while in this program.

With that said, I think that the trip to Brussels had to have been the best excursion thus far. Not only did we visit the Council of the European UNION, we also had a chance to visit the U.S. Mission, the European Comission as well as the Committee of the Regions. Nonethless, out of all the institutions that we visited, I must say that the one i found most exciting was the U.S. Mission. Not because I was happy that I was stepping on home turf, but more so because I was interested in the international relationship between the European Union and the United States. I have done much work in diplomacy and I thought that it was great to have an intern speak to the group about possible internships with the Department of State in Brussels. In addition, Mr. Gregrory Garramone, Officer of the Regulatory, Trade and Consumer Affairs of the United States Mission to the European Union kept the momentum afloat. He was humorous in his discussion, nonetheless, I learned about Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs and the EU's stance on importing beef from the US. Having the opportunity to learn about certain trading agreements between the US and the EU such as cars, beef or steel helped me acquire much more knowledge about the EU and their role in the international realm. Mr. Garramone was great in discussing certain issues that the EU and the US have been negotiating for years, however, I think the relationship between the EU and the US will continue to grow, as long as they have common goals and policies.

The trip to Brussels increased my knowledge about the European Union and how important it is to the international world. Then again, the European Union is an amazing force to be reckoned with, since they developed a single currency, strengthened economies of poorer countries and have been a major trading partner with the U.S. as well as china. I was able to enjoy the political side of Brussels as well as enjoy delectable Belgian waffles and Belgian chocolate!
By: Jeannelly C.

Geneva!! Oui oui ou lala !!!

2010-11-05T20:04:00.000+01:00

By: Johanne Toussaint

Although we are studying in France for the study abroad program, we get to visit other countries as well. That’s one of the countless advantages of the program. In Strasbourg, we are just minutes away from Germany and a few hours (with the fast speed train: TGV) from Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, and Spain to cite only that.

Over the break I visited Geneva, Switzerland and I fell in love with the city. Geneva is home of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Headquarter, the highest water fountain in the world (Jet d’Eau), the United Nation, the Red Cross Museum…

Places to visit if you ever go to Geneva:

- The Flower clock (picture shown above) - It is breath taking. Like the name suggest, it’s a clock made out of real flowers and it’s actually work.

- Ariana Museum: it is a ceramic and glass museum.

- The US mission in Geneva,

- The Jet d’eau of course, using those little boats called “mouettes” they are free of charge if you have the Geneva transport pass.

- You can also visit several museums. The Red Cross museum is highly recommended because it is very educative. You will see the display of the first Nobel Peace prize medal which was awarded to

Henry Dunant, the Red Cross founder.

- “Conservatoire et Jardin Botanique”- Botanical Garden. If you like nature, this is heaven on earth. It’s a park, a zoo and a garden combined.

- Though no visitors were allowed inside the WTO and the United Nations, seeing the buildings were satisfying. It was even more amazing to see the US and the Haitian flag floating in front of the UN.

- St Pierre’s Cathedral, known for John Calvin’s home church and

- The “Place de la Bastion” which is a huge park with a library, very interesting.

Geneva is naturally beautiful and the views are astonishing. Starting from the beautiful snowy mountains in the background, the beautiful fall colors of the gardens and the parks to the multitude of swans in the lake.

It is a place where McDonald’s can be right next to a Rolex store, (which justifies their 4.50 Franc, or $ 4.69 double cheese burger), a Ferrari dealer next to a public transportation tram stop, and high fashion boutiques right next to a park!!

After all, Geneva is known as the 4^th most expensive city in the world!!!!

J’adore Genève!!!

Street Politics in France

2010-11-04T09:32:00.000+01:00

Every nation has its pastime: America has (or had) baseball and the French have the strike. My perception of the French tendency to take their politics to the street has evolved over the years. Ten years ago, as high school student in Paris, a strike interfered with my much-anticipated trip to the Louvre and, as a consequence, I held a years-long grudge against French labor unions. As time has passed and my egocentric perspective of the world has subsided, I began to develop a different understanding of the French system and appreciate that there may be issues of greater significance than whether or not my bus arrives on time or I get to see the Mona Lisa (Just so you know, I finally did make it to the Louvre!)

Over the past few weeks in France, strikes against Sarkozy's pension reforms continued. Students gathered in Place Kleber in Strasbourg and engaged in (sometimes violent) strikes in Lyon and Paris. In a world where political scientists frequently bemoan public apathy and low voter turnout in Western democracies, the French public's reponse to government policy seems to be something of an anomaly. In addition, where many around the world may perceive a stike as an annoyance or a threat, the majority of the French public supports strikers, even if they are not opposed to Sarkozy's policies.

As I watched a group of students marching through the streets of Montmarte, I continued to wonder, what is the difference? Why is there such apathy for politics amongst American youth when the French youth are so engaged? According to one student protestor, the strikes are motivated by the dismal job market the youth will face following graduation: "If older people have to work longer, when young people arrive in the labour market, there won't be any jobs left and we will end up unemployed at the age of 25 and we won't be able to contribute long enough to be able to get a pension." While the economic logic behind this perspective may be flawed, it is evident that French youth have been following the pension issue closely and are considering its long-term impacts. The tendency of French youth to take their politics to the street can be partially explained by the legacy of the student rebellions of May 1968 against the De Gaulle administration. The students have even incorporated some of the same chants, substituting Sarkozy's name for De Gaulle's: Sakorzy, t'es foutu, la jeunesse est dans la rue" (Sarkozy, you're screwed, the youth is in the streets).

However, the 1968 rebellions in and of themselves cannot explain French striking behavior. Strikes are an integral part of the political culture of the country and are reinforced by the historical narrative of the French Revolution. Living in France provides me with a reminder that the influence of citizens on the government takes a variety of forms and does not necessarily have to be channeled through the ballot box, political parties, interest groups, and non-governmental organizations. That being said, it is worth noting that, despite the intensity of the strikes, the pension reform bill did pass. However, Sarkozy's approval ratings have taken a beating and many pundits believe that the likelihood of his success in the 2012 Presidential elections is low.
By Shannon Jones

Excursion to Brussels

2010-10-31T11:45:00.000+01:00

Bonjour! Greetings from France!

We have almost been in Strasbourg now for 2 months. Time flies by as we get to experience new adventures during our time here abroad. The latest adventure the group has experienced together was our excursion to Brussels, Belgium. I would have to say that this was one of the most interesting trips we have taken as a group together. There was much to learn during our visits to multiple institutions, and the city had a character of its own, full of life! Upon arriving in Brussels the group began its first walk into the city on the way to dinner. One of the first unique characteristics that I have never experienced before was the streets of restaurants in Brussels. At first glance, they appear to only be crowded alleys, but upon entrance they consist of a plethora of restaurants with people standing outside of each one advertising their restaurant. These people are full of life and character as they plead and try to convince you that their restaurant is the best to dine at. The experience is one of a kind and is one I will never forget. At first it was overwhelming, but soon it turned into an interesting and rather amusing experience.

On our first official day in Brussels, the group visited two institutions. The first was the Council of the European Union. Before even being able to enter any of the buildings, you must go through security, which is similar to that of an airport. Once inside the building, we were escorted to a rather large elevator, which became very small once they packed the entire group into the elevator. We were taken up into one of the main rooms used for meetings there at the Council of the European Union. It was so surreal to sit in the chairs where members of the Council sit while listening to a man speak about the Council of the European Union. After this visit the group had a break before the next visit to get lunch. This gave us an opportunity to explore more of Brussels. We ate at a small restaurant with great food for lunch. Our waitress, and almost everyone in Brussels, appear to be very hospitable, making Brussels a great place to visit! After lunch, the group met up to visit the United States Mission. This was another interesting visit. We sat in an elegant room and listened to a few speakers, one of which was an intern. The people here were very charismatic and their speeches were interesting to listen to, however, I must say that my favorite part about this visit was when one of the speakers talked about the painting in the room. It is a rather peculiar painting of two young toddlers with their legs intertwined. Although, there appears to be one leg that does not belong and no one can quite figure out whose leg it belongs to. The speaker gave his rather interesting and amusing theory, but I will not be the one to share it.

On our second and last day in Brussels, we visited two final institutions. The first was a visit to the European Commission. This was a rather interesting building, very plain, but beautiful just the same. We listened to another man speak speak about the Commission. He was a rather interesting speaker, he always kept your attention when he spoke because he was very animated with his voice. After this visit, we had a few hours to spare before the next visit. One of the men working at the European Commission told us where the best place in town to get fries was. You must have fries in Belgium because that is where they originated! And Belgium waffles of course! We got the french fries and they were amazing! After this, I went with Sven and Shannon for a walk around the town. We looked in a few windows and went into the local market to look at the food they carry in Belgium, experiencing even more of Brussels. After that, we settled in a nice pastry shop and had hot drinks and a sweet before arriving at our next and last institution. The last institution we visited in Brussels, was the Committee of Regions. The Committee of Regions is not one you hear of often but it was an interesting visit to see how the Committee works. The man who gave us our tour told us how the Committee works and why it is an important part of the European Union. He also spoke of how hard it is to get a job at the Committee as well. The application process is much harder than I would have ever thought.

After this visit it was finally time to make our long six hour journey back. Brussels is definitely a place worth visiting. It is full of life and has character where ever you go! I would love to visit it again!

From across the pond!

Kate Kornacki

Moment of silence

2010-10-18T00:12:00.000+02:00

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The pledge is our oath of honor and loyalty towards the country that fosters our ability to strive for a better future. For better or worse, United States was and is a pillar of democracy and of the dreams of new beginnings. Throughout the years the people who guard these dreams gave their life so we enjoy a better life, and they are the ones who one day will judge us.
In one of our little adventure through the North of France we decided to take a detour. Little did we know that the village we were about to enter was the home of more than 10,000 soldiers who fought for the flag of United States. They found eternal peace on the hills of that sublime forest.
The memorial we visited is the biggest American cemetery dedicated to the Second World War in Europe. That peaceful place is made of the rows after rows of tombstones that have been constructed to commemorate and honor our country’s veterans. Words cannot describe the range of emotions that one feels when her eyes embrace the multitude of tombstones.
At one point that day I had the privilege of gazing across the vast landscape covered with a countless number of tombstones really late at night. The moon seemed to embrace each and every stone of sacrifice and in that moment only prayers of gratitude did justice to the moment.
We pledge honor and respect not only to the flag of United States but we pledge allegiance to fight for liberty and justice for all, and maybe from time to time we should take a moment and say a little prayer for everyone in this world who still fights for “liberty and justice for All”.

Silvia R.

Sarkozy at a Crossroads: Perspectives from an American in Alsace

2010-09-19T23:13:00.000+02:00

Bonjour tout le monde!

Sometimes as a student of European Politics, I have unusual daydreams. Up until recently, I would fantasize that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi would invite me to a luxurious party at his Sardinian Villa during which he would reveal to me the truth behind his alleged connections to the mafia and make a number of highly offensive jokes (e.g. his 2006 statement that "Communists used to eat children") that I could then forward to his archenemies at The Economist.
My new daydream is that I could have been a fly on the wall in Brussels on September 16th when French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Commission President Jose Manual Barroso had lunch and apparently agreed wholeheartedly about sauerkraut, but ended up in a heated argument about the Roma.
As Jeanelly mentioned, our attendance at Barrroso's State of the Union address and the lively response of several EP members made it evident that Sarkozy's summer of Roma explusions has generated a lot of tension within the EU's institutions. On September 14, EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding suggested that the French removal of the Roma was akin to policies implemented during World War II- a reference which Sarkozy has professed to be both shocking and "disgusting."
The BBC has referred to the Roma debate as an "unprecented row between Paris and Brussels." Paradoxically, Sarkozy, the executive of one of the EU's "Big Three", is holding fast to a policy towards the Roma that is in violation with EU policies on freedom of movement and the protection of minorities.
Living in Strasbourg provides one with the unique opportunity to directly observe the impact Sarkozy's policies have made at the elite and public level. We have been directly impacted by the strike of transportation workers in response to Sarkozy's proposed pension reform. We have witnessed a heated debate about the situation of the Roma in the European Parliament and seen a public protest in Place Kleber (a central square in the city) against the xenophobic policies of the French government.
Dr. Downs has repeatedly said that that the study of politics is more than impassioned conversations in smokey bars. However, I believe that this experience will provide substantial fodder for debate and that, by the end of the semester, we can make like our Alsatian neighbors and have an lively discussion of European politics while sitting by the Rhine...with a glass of wine, of course.

Á bientôt,

Shannon

Adventure to Kehl

2010-09-19T22:25:00.000+02:00

Bonjour and Guten Tag! This weekend was our first free weekend in Strasbourg so I decided to venture to Kehl to get my hair cut and colored. I met up with another international student from Sydney, Australia and we ventured over to Kehl by bus. We got off a stop early and decided to walk across the bridge that connects

Germany

and

France

which crosses over the Rhine River. Once we crossed the bridge we had about a ten minute walk ahead of us into town. When we got to the city center, I ventured aimlessly into a hair salon called “Klier” which looked promising from the outside. Fortunately, the woman who cut my hair spoke a good amount of English, so the anxiety of a language barrier between the hairdresser and me was lifted off my shoulders.

As I was getting my hair styled I thought about the differences between the German and French people and tried to observe even the most subtle cultural variances between the German, French, and American people as well. I also thought back to the guest lecture we attended last week when Dr. Wassenberg spoke about the differences between the two nationalities of German and French. During this lecture, I also learned that the Alsatian people’s nationality has changed hands 4 times in between 1870 and 1945. These changes have affected Alsace’s interaction with both France and the larger European community. Alsace has become a focal point for European unity and cooperation and because of Alsace’s central position in Europe and its renowned history of strife, it has now become a symbol of Franco-German and European cooperation. Strasbourg, Alsace’s capital was made the seat of the Council of Europe in 1949 and was later chosen for the site of the European Parliament as well. Although Strasbourg and the Alsace region has suffered in the past, the people really do seemed to have learned from their historical mistakes and now live in a state of peaceful coexistence. Even though the town of Kehl is small, it amazed me to see a German town so immersed within French culture, and also how prominent the English language was once you crossed into the German border. The emersion of a European identity and even an Alsatian identity among these people seems beneficial to the well being to the people of this continent and has proved to be successful in integrating the two cultures.

One thing I noticed is that German culture is much more time sensitive than the French. In France, it is customary to go out for a meal and sit for more than an hour. I was thankful to have lucked out with a German hairdresser because I was told that a German hairdresser would be much more efficient by Sven our coordinator, although I wasn’t sure if that was just a German bias J . However once she was done coloring my hair she had another German woman cut it. She literally took my hair by the hand, snipped off 5 inches within 4 seconds and said she was done. The look on my face was of pure horror because I have never experienced a German haircut, and luckily she put some more layers in and fixed it to my liking. After she was done cutting my hair, another woman (who was French) came to blow-dry my hair. She kept leaving in the middle of blow-drying my hair so all in all it look her almost 30 minutes to blow dry my hair! I no longer doubted Sven on his claims about how slow French hairdressers are after that instance.

Overall, it was a very fascinating experience to get a haircut in a foreign country and I would recommend it to anyone who has an adventurous spirit and can quickly recover rom a shocking hair cut. Besides, not many people can say that they experienced France and Germany all in the same day!

Marlee Long

The Bridge Pont de l'Europe, which serves as a physical symbol of the coexistence between France and Germany.

Parliament Day Trip...

2010-09-12T19:45:00.000+02:00

Arriving to the Parliament, was unlike any other fieldtrip I have ever been on. It was beyond interesting, and I was like a little kid on Christmas morning. Although, others may find my excitement to be overly dramatic, my inner nerd was truly content after the visit.

When we first arrived, I noticed that the entrance of the building was half open/ half closed. For instance, you walk in and its one big circle, however, if you continue to walk towards the center, you will notice that the top of the building, has no ceiling. Surrounding the circle, are the 27 flags that represent the 27 countries apart of the European Union.

Before this trip, I wasn't very interested about the European Union just because my main focus was more of Central and South America, however, my interest was tickled a little when I sat in the forum and heard President of the European Commission, Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso speak. He spoke about the banks and financial insitutions and how they must take part of the problem that their own mistakes and mishaps have created. Of course, many of the representatives of the European Union felt that there were more issues to solve than just the financial aspect. For instance, one representative from Slovakia, I believe, was in favor of providing adequate solutions to the issues of freedom and security. He argued that the EU should create a balance, if not other countries may be exploited in terms of their civil rights. Greece's representative felt that it was imperative to have an ambitious budget for the E.U and to win over the public opinion that are opposed to the union and the effects of it. While the forum may have seemed humble and free-going, one representative changed the mood for all.

As he stood up to speak, I was unable to catch his name, however, his words stuck with me. "It was a huge mistake to allow Bulgaria and Romania to enter the EU because there are many Roma's being discriminated against and are experiencing more racism than ever before, and we should not stand for this." He argued that the EU needs to be considerate in applying civil rights without any exceptions. I was appalled by this statement but at the same time, seeing how each representative was allotted two-minutes to argue their point to Mr. Barroso, I found that this method was much more organizedd than other parliament deliberations I have witnessed.

Nonetheless, to conclude our portion of the forum one of the main debates discussed, was the issue of the Euro. Most felt that the solution to the problem of the budget is to not create or print more Euro(€), but to have a much better standing Euro (€).

You think seeing the a heated forum was the highlight of the trip? Not at all, as we parted out into the foyer which led to our next presentation, we had the privilege to see the arrival of the President of the Republic of Mali, Mr. Amadou Toure. He arrived with a huge team, of course, however, he was greeted by the President of the Commmission and both men walked towards the room we had just exited. Apparently, Mr. Toure was also going to speak, however, we had another meeting, therefore we were unable to hear what he had to say.

In conclusion, this day trip taught me more than any classroom setting. I learned that the European Union had 27 countries, Romania and Bulgaria being the newest entries. There are 736 members representing the European citizens, and these delegates are chosen based on proportional representation of that country. There are 7 major parties that make up the European Parliament: European for People's Party (EPP), Socialites and Democrats (S&D), Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), Greens/ EFA, European Conservatives and Reformist (ECR), European United Left-Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL), and Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD).

The numbers of the members within the European Parliament increase with every election, while some countries gain seats depending on their population and political parties, others may sacrifice their seats. The parliament day trip was quite eventful, and though it wasn't your typical tour of sight seeing and taking pictures of neat buildings, the presentations and forums were more than enough to grasp the fundamental basics for a successful semester in France.

Jeannelly J. Castro

Bonjour and Welcome Fall 2010 Students!

2010-09-02T13:09:00.000+02:00

September has finally arrived and the students are getting settled into their new surroundings.

This weekend, there will be many things to do and see around the castle and Strasbourg. Have fun exploring and getting to know the area!

Next week, students will go to the University of Strasbourg for their orientation, be able to register for their courses and learn more about their upcoming semester. This is an exciting time!

From everyone at the Château and CEPA Europe, we would like to send a warm welcome to all of our new students!

Trip to Brussels

2010-05-04T18:06:00.002+02:00

by Ian Hochman-Reid

I arrived in Brussels via Amsterdam. As I sat on the train watching Holland and Northern Belgium zip by, I thought about the European institutions and the American agencies we would be visiting and what Brussels would be like as a city. Before writing more about the Brussels visit, I would like to say that that this program has given me the opportunity to visit many extraordinary places including Normandy where I spent four days. I have also the chance to visit places like Paris, and Berlin.

Soon after our arrival at the hostel we were almost immediately whisked off for a meeting at the Bank of Belgium. At the bank we discussed the monetary integration of the EU and related issues of ceding monetary policy to European Central Bank. Belgians, he said, are for greater integration of Europe because it would help make real what he described as an “artificially created country”. In his view it was not a big deal for many EU nations to cede monetary authority because they had already pegged their currencies to those of other countries; Belgium, for example, pegged the Belgian Frank to the German Mark. The bank representative also took some shots at England by calling England’s voice in the EU “a lot like Uncle Sam’s”.

This was in contrast to our visit at the Council of the European Union the following day. In this case, one speaker was British, and unlike the individual at the Bank of Belgium, brushed off the criticism that other Europeans level at the UK.

Following this we visited the American mission to the European Union, visiting American soil for the first time since January. After getting through the fortress-like security, we had discussions with embassy officials on the many complex matters of EU-US relations. The US mission not only includes the state deferment but also represent most cabinet level departments within the federal government including Commerce, Defense, Agriculture, Justice, and Labor.

Our discussions with the state department representative of the Foreign Service covered human rights and EU-US relations where our policies were in agreement and where they disagreed. With the Commerce representative we talked about the level of trade that exists between the US and the EU and the disputes that such trade creates as the “banana wars” of the late 90s.

After our trip in Brussels we visited the ancient town of Tier in Germany, which was founded by the Romans over 2000 years ago. Following Trier we traveled on to Luxembourg to visit the European Court of Justice where issues of European community law are decided.

Coming back to Strasbourg was an interesting. Not only were trains crowded because all air travel was shut down across Europe due to the unpronounceable volcano in Iceland, the French Railroad (SNCF) was about to go on strike! Our reaction was that this seems to happen every couple of weeks. So we came back on an earlier train and were able to make it back with out any hassle.

Overall – a great trip!

Human Rights Politics- Meeting Bundestag MP Harald Leibrecht

2010-04-09T20:25:00.000+02:00

April 11, 2010

Massiel Silva

We wish we had more time to write everything you need to know about our semester abroad... Fortunately, there is a lot keeping us busy! Nevertheless, there are certain events that everyone needs to know about - such as our fantastic experience meeting Bundestag MP Harald Leibrecht!

Last week not only did we get to spend quality time with Dr. Downs, Dr. Carey and Dr. McCoy, GSU faculty who came to visit us and to make sure we are enjoying our time is Strasbourg, but we had the great opportunity to have a discussion session with Harald Leibrecht. Mr. Leibrecht has held several political offices within the Bundestag and in inter-parliamentary bodies such as the Council of Europe and the Assembly of the Western European Union. As a current member of the committee on economic cooperation and development in the Bundestag, our discussion with Mr. Leibrecht's focused on his involvement with different development initiatives and human rights violations around the world. It was truly fascinating and eye opening to hear about first hand accounts on important initiatives such as: human rights violation investigations in Russia, talks with opposition groups in North Korea, and development plans for Haiti.

Mr. Leibrecht emphasized the violation of human rights in Russia and the strengthening of Russia's centralized system of government. He narrated several instances in which he had met with opposition groups and journalists who were willing to go through harassment by the authorities and sometimes to even risk their lives in order to draw international attention and action to their country's situation. Despite Russia's responsibility to adhere to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights, it faces the largest number of cases pending in the European Court of Justice - 28% of the total.

When Mr. Leibrecht spoke about meeting with opposition groups in Russian, North Korea and other authoritarian regimes, several of us asked about how to solve the dilemma of listening to their troubles and providing them with help when knowing that days later they could face strong repercussions from the local authorities. Mr. Leibrecht explained that although there will always be risks, parties in the Bundestag establish organizations in countries that need international attention in order to have a safer way to continue communications with opposition groups and other individuals whose rights have been infringed upon.

The opportunity to have such an interesting discussion with a member of the Bundestag whose day to day work have important social implications, which could change the course of human rights activism and the lives of millions of people around the world, is a truly significant experience. We appreciate the efforts of the program coordinators and we thank Mr. Leibrecht for taking the time from his busy schedule to enhance our knowledge on the tangible implications of politics.

-Massiel

European Identity?

2010-03-15T14:25:00.000+01:00

March 14, 2010

Massiel Silva

This past Wednesday I took a big weight off my shoulders; I presented my research project for Dr. Dollat's class! Our European Citizenship class is one of the most demanding classes we have to take this semester; it focuses on the study of the treaties of the European Union and the creation and implications of these treaties for the member states and for European citizens. In order to understand Community law, Dr. Dollat requires students to present particular sections of the treaties and analyze the implementation of the law by briefing court cases seen in the European Court of Justice.

Dr. Dollat volunteered me to be the first presenter along with Michelle, a girl from another US study abroad program. We did our research on the topic "Obtaining European Citizenship", which encompassed the analysis of article 20 TFEU (citizenship of the Union as a complement to national citizenshio), article 19 TFEU (non-discrimination on basis of nationality), dual citizenship, rights and responsibilities of EU citizens, immigration to the EU, among other points.

While doing my research I realized something that seems obvious but that we as non-Europeans sometimes do not pay much attention to. In two out of the three court cases I had to brief, the main problem between the member states occurred because of difference in culture. For example, in the case of Carlos Garcia Avello, the dispute initiated because of the different systems Belgium and Spain use to register the names of their nationals. More often than notwhen we think of Europe many images that reflect what the European countries have in common come to our mins. Nevertheless, in order to understand many of the issues that arise with the creation of the EU, it is imperative to comprehend that each country has a different system influenced by particular cultures and traditions.

Living in Strasbourg has helped me see Europe as a whole composed of divergent essential parts.I can now see the possibility of a dual identity being formed for new generations. French students think of themselves as French, but they also speak of themselves as "Europeans". The European countries are strongly linked by geography and history, therefore the concept and the connotations of "Europe" as a whole entity are consistent with reality. The creation of a European identity has been successful so far, especially in the last decades with the political and economic link created by the European Union. For Americans it is easier to understand the dynamics of a dual identity because of the federal nature of the American government, but for sovereign nations (which have been in war with each other for most of their existence) this concept becomes more difficult to grasp. Today, Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union explicitly states that "the European citizenship shall compliment and not replace national citizenship." In the future, it will be very interesting to see if the national/cultural differences like the one we saw in class (Carlos Garcia Avello's case) would continue to be strong or if the overarching idea of "Europeans" would make the differences slowly disappear...

Please post comments! Would love to know what you think about the topic...

Massiel

Beginnings

2010-03-02T19:24:00.000+01:00

Joshua Andrews: To all of our loyal readers: I apologize for my part in the lack of posting this semester. Now that's out of the way, let's get down to business. Some of what Massiel and I--who are going to be the main posters on this blog, with possible occasional contributions from the other students--post might be somewhat rehashing the posts of the previous group on this blog, but we want to post about our own experiences and we hope that if we do post about similar things as the previous group our unique perspectives will make our posts fresh and exciting.

That said, take it away Massiel!

Massiel Silva: I can’t believe that more than a month has passed since the beginning of the program! It feels as if it was yesterday when I first arrived at the Chateau. After finally processing the fact that I was going to live in a beautiful 18th century chateau just five minutes away from the European Union Parliament, I was beginning to imagine the amazing experience I was going to have this semester.

Meeting the coordinators of the program was very relieving since I quickly learned that Willi, Kerstin and Sven were young, energetic, and fun people who were always available to help--as long as everyone washed their dishes and turned their lights off when not in their room!

Later I met the rest of the students, comprised of people from different educational backgrounds and concentrations. We all had one goal this semester: to experience life to the fullest while learning and submerging ourselves in a different culture and system. Because Strasbourg is a center of European politics, most of us are political science majors. Nevertheless, because the University of Strasbourg offers classes on many disciplines and the city has plenty of things to do and experience, Haley and Thomas, participants who aren’t political science majors, fit right in the program and are truly loving it!

The history of Strasbourg is very particular and makes the city even more charming. The city has been both French and German throughout its history. The result of the multiple changes of nationality is the amazing mixture of cultures, which becomes evident as one takes in the architecture, art, food, and even the names of streets and places. Strasbourg represents the unity of the European nations despite their past animosity. The first couple of weeks in the program, Willi and Kerstin showed us around the city and exposed us to the culture and past of the region Alsace. We visited several museums; the cathedral, which later became a central meeting place; La Petite France, the most picturesque spot in the city; and many other places. As the semester goes on, we hope to post on individual spots in the city that we enjoy.

Even though we came in the middle of winter, the cold didn’t stop us from enjoying the beauty and the fun Strasbourg offers (or sexy, sexy Strasbourg as Thomas would call his favorite city).

The city of Strasbourg is the perfect city to study abroad. The University of Strasbourg is the largest in France, with over 40,000 students. This makes the city a very safe and student friendly environment. International students from all over the world choose Strasbourg as their study abroad city: the ERASMUS students from all over Europe as well as students from China, Japan, India, Africa, all of South and North America, the Caribbean, etc.

This extraordinary diversity makes Strasbourg a fun and interesting city. Of course, when in France one would like to interact with French students who are usually very friendly and willing to help you practice French! Many French students take classes in English and are involved in student organizations, which makes the interaction much easier. What is great about this program is the genuine opportunity to really submerge yourself in the culture by experiencing French Alsatian food, speaking French, watching French films and plays and do what the French love doing: drinking wine and eating baguettes and delicious pastries all the time!

Living in Strasbourg not only offers you the opportunity to experience France, but because it’s located at the center of Western Europe, traveling anywhere in the European Union is easy and affordable. The program offers several excursions to Germany, Brussels, and Luxembourg, where we will visit European Union Institutions and where we will experience and see what we have learned in class. This serves to make the subjects we've learned in class spring to life, so to speak. Our group has already visited Stuttgart, and Baden-Baden, the Vin du Route, Haute Koenigsbourg, and other places. We have also had the opportunity to travel on our own, some of the places that we have visited so far are: Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Athens, London, Istanbul, Vienna, Venice, Rome, and Berlin.

The program just gets better and better. Back to Joshua!

Joshua Andrews: Strasbourg is a small, charming town (around 450,000 people live here) in north-east France, about a 5 minute drive from Germany. I'm studying at both the Ecole de Management and the Institut Etudes Politiques, basically the business and political science branches of the University of Strasbourg. Like Massiel said, the amount of diversity at these two institutions is astounding. I previously lived in Prague and while I was there I went to an international school, so I've had prior opportunities to interact with different cultures, but this is by far the least homogeneous place I've ever lived. It's been pretty fun thus far, especially the meeting new people from all corners of the world bit.

Even the students in our program are quite diverse. All of us have different stories and perspectives on life which makes dinner-time conversation quite lively. Due in part to the fact that there are so many international groups visiting the Chateau and in part because of the numerous students I've met from all over the world, I feel like I will come back from France speaking more Spanish, German, Italian, and Portuguese than I will French, but c'est la vie.

Our daily comings and goings have started to become routine, settling into that old familiarity with which most people approach daily life, all the while oblivious to the fact that they feel completely at ease doing what they're doing. That's the real struggle here: feeling at home and comfortable. While everyone is hospitable and I'm enjoying myself immensely, being constantly reminded I don't speak the language by the signs on the side of the road, the people walking by me, and the people who are unlucky enough to hazard a one-sided conversation with me is hard at times.

Half the students I talk to haven't even heard of the Chateau de Pourtales, my home for this semester, so I've found it rather difficult to explain that I live in a castle. The students that have been told often say, "Oh! You're the one who lives in the castle!" It's kind of an amusing distinction to make, but it does make remembering our names and faces easy!

Our coordinators, Willi and Kerstin (depending on the day, sometimes Sven was involved in our group as well), are awesome. Kerstin and Sven actually just left, but they were such blessings to our group for the couple months that they were here. I miss them already. Soon, Massiel and I hope to do a biopic on Kerstin with input from all the students here.

The things we've done so far as a group include a boat cruise, a walk through the park that the Chateau is in, many trips to Kehl to go grocery shopping, a welcome dinner at Gurtlerhoft which is a traditional Alsatian restaurant, the Alsatian museum, Stuttgart to visit the Mercedes Benz museum, Baden-Baden to visit a castle and the spa, wine tasting, and various others!

We've also visited the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights several times.

We will be posting on more particular excursions soon. Welcome to the blog; we hope you enjoy the ride as much as we do!

Going East...

2010-03-02T16:47:00.000+01:00

Fall 2009 post
November 22, 2009 by Veronica Armendariz
In Berlin last week, a huge celebration occurred which brought out thousands of people as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Prominent leaders from around the world made an effort to attend and join in the celebration as the west marked a time in history of liberation, celebration, and above all change. The streets were alive with music and people joining together to remember what happened here 20 years ago and the prospect of a continuing and peaceful future. At the same time in another world capital, the streets were wet and icy from the melting snow which had roared through like a bear the night before. The weather was significantly colder and gray as people hurried on their way to work or home. You would never know that a celebration of such a historic and significant event was occurring elsewhere. While the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall reflected back on the course of positive change in the western world, here it also reflected on how things either changed for the worse or didn’t even change at all. Here, life remains tough and the people are in a constant mode to just survive. While some parts did show great prosperity, others showed decline, depression, and corruption. Here, it is hard to celebrate. Here, it is easy to feel as though the world has forgotten how you seemed to stay behind as they moved forward. No one ever really speaks about how the fall affected the east. No one really knows what happened afterwards here in Moscow.

Last week I had the great opportunity to return to the city that served as my home for 3 years. When I lived in Moscow, I was working as a Director of Studies and a certified teacher of English for a private British school. Now I was returning for a different reason altogether; research for my master’s thesis. My master’s thesis idea was solidified in Strasbourg after our visit to the European Court of Human Rights. I knew that I wanted to concentrate on human rights and democracy, and of course focus on Eastern Europe. Gradually, the finalized idea moved to the process of democratization through human rights on the institutional and aggregate levels. While there are plenty of excellent sources here in Strasbourg, I wanted more. I made the decision to go back to Moscow to try and meet with organizations that worked or had experience in both areas. Not only that, but the short distance and low cost was too much to pass up in order to catch up with one of my favorite places in the world.

The trip was a success! I managed to meet with two exceptional groups in Moscow including the recently awarded group MEMORIAL. MEMORIAL is a Russian human rights NGO which was recently awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament for their hard and fearless work and in memory of their colleague, Natalia Estemirova, who was murdered this past summer in the Chechen region of Russia. The prize will be given to them in a formal ceremony here in Strasbourg next month. They allowed me the honor to sit with one of their lawyers who also works with bringing forward complaints to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg for about two hours. The lawyer was able to answer my questions regarding the more institutional aspects of my thesis. The other group was a German organization, The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. This organization was able to address my questions regarding the aggregate side of my thesis ideas as part of their mission is to create dialogue and forums for the people to help them realize that they do not have to stay silent with regards to human rights and democracy in Eastern Europe. I came out of both organizations loaded with useful information and a new energy to continue with my thesis. When I wasn’t doing work in Moscow, I was able to catch up with old friends, former colleagues and the city itself that was my home for so long.

I’m not sure who said it, but I once heard a quote in Russia which translates as “if you want to truly know and understand how you’ve changed, go back to a place which hasn’t.” In the two years that I have been away, Moscow has changed very little. Yet this trip served as a reminder of why I love this part of the world and studying it. It has helped to re-spark my interest and has instilled a new feeling of inspiration and eagerness to go forward. While it may be evident that many things in Russia and most of Eastern Europe have changed little in the last 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, there are people within it that see the potential and refuse to give up. It is this element of the human spirit that I find truly impressive and poignant. Without the bravery of such men and women, the world would be stuck in an atmosphere reflecting on what could have been rather than on what could be.

Cross-Country Escapades

2010-03-02T16:41:00.000+01:00

Fall 2009 post
October 15, 2009 by Katie Keyzis

Bonjour! My name is Katie Reyzis and I am a senior at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. So much has been going on in the last few weeks, I don’t know where to start! After only two months (not even!) of living in Strasbourg, we’ve done more exploring than many people hope to do in a lifetime. While our weekdays are well occupied with classes and excursions, our weekends are open for the most exciting way to spend our free time…TRAVELING!

We love taking day trips to Switzerland and Paris and often go shopping in Kehl, Germany or spend the weekend on the beautiful stone beaches in the south of France. My personal favorite was two weeks ago when my roommate Kelly and I ventured to Germany’s world-famous beer festival, Oktoberfest, in Munich and tasted some of its finest brews (Ok, ok! Maybe we had more than just one taste…). Then, last weekend we spent our Sunday afternoon in Europa Park, the biggest amusement park in Europe, where we had a little blast from the past riding roller coasters and eating cotton candy…and who ever said we’re too old for a haunted house ride?

As you can see, we really enjoy traveling. And yes, it actually is as easy as it sounds! At the beginning of the semester, many of us invested in the Eurail pass, which serves as a ‘3-month train ticket’ and allows travel to 21 countries throughout Europe. Now, with our fall break coming up in just a few weeks, we are ready for even bigger and better adventures!

Eurail passes in hand, our group plans to set off all over Europe and beyond during our autumn vacation – from the ancient ruins of Athens and Rome to the Kremlin in Moscow’s famous Red Square, we seem to have the world at our fingertips. Personally, I cannot wait to visit the Colosseum and eat some Italian gelato in the heart of Italy’s capital city. Not to mention, I am looking forward to soaking in some sunshine in Greece and getting a break from the chilly Strasbourg temperatures! Although we don’t always travel together as a group, stories of our adventures fuel many lively dinner conversations at the Chateau. Next up on the agenda for this weekend: Prague!

Until next time…Au Revoir! Ciao! Do Svidanya!

All of This Politics is Almost too Much!

2010-02-17T06:45:00.000+01:00

Fall 2009 Post
October 5, 2009 by Veronica Armendariz
What a great time to be in a political center such as Strasbourg! Among the many institutions and visits that we have had so far, Europe and the world are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. I may only have been 7 years old when the wall fell, but I do remember seeing it everywhere on the news. I remember my parents glued to the TV as the news showed the infamous footage of people hammering and finally helping to bring the physical wall to the ground on that fateful autumn night. Soon another extremely important event would follow; the fall of the USSR, and the course of history would forever be changed. Among the many key leaders who were essential in the workings of this time was the President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev. Many Americans would probably remember the famous line delivered in 1987 by then President Ronald Regan declaring “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

The Council of Europe is celebrating both the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 60th anniversary of the council by holding a series of talks entitled “Dialogues de Strasbourg.” Along with the City of Strasbourg, the dialogues are designed to include the citizens of the city in discussions about critical topics such as democracy and human rights, and the future of Europe as a whole. This past Friday was the kick off to these dialogues and the first guest of honor was none other than Mikhail Gorbachev himself. I had only heard about his upcoming visit a couple of days before, yet as a grad student in political science who concentrates on Eastern Europe, I was NOT about to miss it! Not even an extremely persistent cold was going to stop me! That morning, I jumped out of bed early, ran down to breakfast, ran back upstairs to get ready, and was ready to go two and a half hours before the event started (an extremely rare occurrence for me in the morning). I was beside myself with excitement about this rare opportunity to see such an important man in person!

The event was fascinating! Mr. Gorbachev opened the dialogues with a well-thought out speech and then sat down to have a more intimate talk with his audience. The press in the front asked most of the questions, but the floor was opened up to the rest of the audience (mainly students). I really, really, really wanted the chance to ask a question to a former leader of the Soviet Union, yet because of time constraints only two students had the chance to ask a question. Mr. Gorbachev seemed to be a little scattered when answering his questions, going off in tangents and in the end never really answered anything. A lot of what he said particularly about Russia today was nothing new, yet he continued to stress the importance of dialogue between European countries and the need to cooperate in order to address and face problems concerning the world today.

All in all, say what you will about him, it was absolutely amazing having the opportunity to see the Former President of the Soviet Union in such a small and intimate setting! Never in my life would I think to have the opportunity to witness such an event, and it’s all because of being in the right place at the right time! Indeed my time in Strasbourg is proving to be more valuable than I could have ever imagined!

Here is one of the videos I took of Gorbachev making his opening speech (he is speaking in Russian. Sorry!):

In this clip, he made a joke about good lectures not being able to happen without water (the hostess runs off and puts a glass under his podium), and if you listen carefully you can hear my pathetic congested laugh in the background (I tried so hard not to cough so much during this thing!). The audience shares a delayed laugh because they were listening to the translation.

I can’t wait to see what’s next in this amazing city!
Link to Gorbachev’s speech delivered at the Council of Europe on Oct. 1st

Academia and Adventures

2010-02-17T06:41:00.000+01:00

Fall 2009 Post
November 3, 2009 by Corrine Hauth

Hello all!
Well, we survived our first French final! We had it two weeks ago from today. It was 5 short answer questions about European Integration. We haven’t received grades yet, but the general consensus is that we all studied hard and did well! The grading system in France is different, however. They grade on a 0-20 scale, with a 14 or above being considered “really good” or an A by our scale. I, not being used to lower numbers, will probably still be upset at seeing a “14″ or anything resembling that on my paper! Hopefully our grades will show the effort we put into it. It’s hard to believe we found time to study with all of our travels

Upon arriving in France, our apprehensions about class were great. Despite the assurances that they would all be in English, we wondered at the format of class, the language barrier that still seems to exist between cultures, despite speaking a common language, and the grades/tests. All of our worries were in vain, however, because our professors are generally easy to understand, and are more than willing to clarify until we understand. Plus, they have cute French accents! In all seriousness, we have found that the professors genuinely want to help. Our European Integration classes were designed around a desire for debate; the notes Professor Kreitz provided were outlines of the direction he wanted to go, but the class centered around our discussions. In a class full of students from all over the world, it was always interesting to hear the opinions and afflictions of other cultures, regions, etc. (It is worth mentioning here that the University of Strasbourg is a huge school, but the part we are enrolled in is primarily for foreign exchange students. The classes are predominantly taught in English, but we have classmates from Slovenia, Russia, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia, Australia, Korea, and many more I am sure. The debates are often as diverse as the students themselves.)

Dr. Dollat’s class (EU Citizenship) is similar, but more research based. We get assigned topics on his syllabus to prepare a paper and presentation for the class. He is interested not only in informing the class, but understanding the United States similarities and differences as well. For example, Justin and I are to present information on the free movement of workers: we have to present the EU laws, and the different sections of those laws, how it is applied, etc. He also wants us to compare it to the movement of workers between the different states in the US. Accordingly, we have found similar laws in place, but the Europeans utilize the freedom to move much less than Americans do.

With all of the studying, we find it useful to experience the European Union first hand. Collectively, the GSU students on this program have visited (or will have visited by the end of the program) Belgium, the UK, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Romania, and Austria. We don’t advise traveling completely independently (although Chris seems to ignore that warning often), so we travel together. We of course have academic excursions planned with the program which we all attend, but Katie, Kelly, Justin, Nikki and I went to Prague together; Kelly, Abby and Nikki are going to Transylvania together. The week break from school was the perfect time for us to travel further away from our home base. Justin and I went to a small town in the Swiss Alps, Cinque Terre, Florence and Rome. Our favorite was Cinque Terre. Rome and Florence were fascinating because of the history and ruins, but Cinque Terre offered unbeatable scenery and amazing hiking! We were most sad to leave there. I am proud to say that I am one of the blessed to have been able to do yoga along the Italian Riviera!

As a whole, I love to travel- but this experience has taught me so much more. Not only am I seeing all these iconic, amazing things, but I am beginning to understand the cultural aspects. We talk to locals on the trains to all of these places (language permitting), and it’s amazing to hear their opinions and stories that coincide with what we are hearing in class. We talked for almost 2 hours on the way back from Rome to a native Roman who now lives in France. One of my favorite topics is health care, since that is my concentration. I’m sure others don’t share my affinity towards it, but I just love hearing the Europeans talk about it! Each country has a different, independent system- there isn’t one system for the entire EU or anything. Some are similar, while others are vastly different. However, they all share the same shock about the failures of our system, and are eager to tell me why their country has the “best” system. I don’t mean to bore everyone; I’m merely trying to show the willingness (and even eagerness at times) for the Europeans to talk to us Americans. The French, we have learned, do not live up to the rude, unhelpful stereotype they have been given. We personally have had no problem getting around or help when needed; the most we have had to deal with is angry looks on the bus for being loud (which we really can’t help, since the French are completely silent while on public transport; being a group of predominately girls, this is impossible for us.)

Well, I must go finish part of an assignment for a professor at home. I am doing the directed readings class with a professor back home at GSU in addition to the classes in France (which I highly recommend!)