Tag: Students

This semester, students in two Spanish classes offered by Dr. Graciela Tissera had the opportunity to present their research on literary topics connected to Spanish literature and film. Madison Barbor, Kathleen Fallon, Mauricio Gallegos Leal, Chandler Gilliard, Nariah Haeffner, Alexandra Hitchens, Laura Issel, Rachel Jones, Akim Koutsioukis, Jillian Marlowe, Elle McDermott, Wyatt Meadors, Valerie Peters, Abigail Tiller, Madison Williamson, and Hannah Winnie presented their research in the course ‘Introduction to Hispanic Literary Forms’ (SPAN 3040) offered by Dr. Tissera in the Fall 2019 semester. Students analyzed works by Emilia Pardo Bazán, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Ana María Matute, Carlos Fuentes, Mario Vargas Llosa, Luis de Góngora, Francisco de Quevedo, José de Espronceda, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Rubén Darío, José Martí, Osvaldo Dragún, and Federico García Lorca to research themes, messages, symbols, and techniques related to narrative, poetry, and drama.

Students in the course ‘New Spanish Fiction’ (SPAN 4010) also presented their research on works by Spanish authors. Students analyzed works by Spanish writers and film directors of international renown: Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, Carmen Laforet, Pío Baroja, Carmen Martín Gaite, David Roas, Jesús Fernández Santos, Antonio Hernández, Enrique Urbizu, Isidro Ortiz, David Carreras, and Fernando Trueba. The research presentations focused on male and female psyche, urban legends, perception of justice, conscious and unconscious mind, spiritual worlds, historical memory, and international relations among other topics.

Students taking part in presentations included Victoria Badura, Elena Barraza, Andrew Butterfield, Caroline Calder, Carol Capps, Michael Cox, Anastasia Galasso, Emily Jordan, Steve Kurtz, Michelle Logan, Brenna O’Kelley, Adriana Peralta Bernardino, Hunter Rivers, Layna Shutack, Kelly Waters, Brie Weiss, and Angel Werth.

The Department of Languages hosted the 47^th Annual Declamation Contest on October 19, 2019. This annual poetry recitation contest is an opportunity for middle-school and high-school students from across the region to visit the Clemson campus and show off their foreign-language skills by competing in ASL, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. This year the contest brought together 486 students from 34 middle and high schools from GA, NC, and SC to compete in nine languages, with 13 students competing in multiple languages. All languages taught at Clemson were represented this year.

Students compete with recitations of two poems in their respective languages, both a mandatory selection and a second selection, and are evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of members of the community and Clemson faculty and staff. The contests are followed by an awards ceremony in Tillman Hall.

The Declamation Contest also offers the students and their families the opportunity to take a campus tour. This year, approximately 40 students braved the rain and participated in the campus tours.

The Department of Languages is grateful for the hard work of the faculty, staff, and student and community volunteers that make this event a continued success, especially the Declamation Committee of Su-I Chen, Amy Sawyer, Melva Persico, Anne Salces y Nedeo, Julia Schmidt, and Debra Williamson. This year, 21 faculty and 44 members of the community served as judges. The Department of Languages is grateful for the continued support of donors Dr. Rob Roy McGregor, Jr. and Dr. Ralph Rynes and the Dean’s Office of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities.

On Thursday, October 17, representatives from the Department of Languages and College of Arts and Humanities participated in Language Day at Pelion High School in Lexington, SC.  Language Day, which is in its second year, is an informational event held at Pelion High School in Lexington, SC in which high school students can learn about the benefits of studying languages as well as learn about the programs and classes offered at Clemson University.

This year, 240 high school students from Lexington and Richland Counties had the opportunity to interact with students, faculty, and alumni from the Department of Languages and CAAH as well as visit activity and information tables about each language represented. The event also featured an information panel comprised of three current Clemson students, Chloe Finley, Chloe Satzger, and Claire Campbell, and a graduate of the LAIB German program, Zeb Parsons.

Representing the Department of Languages were Lee Ferrell, Julia Harvey, Kenneth Widgren, José Ortiz, Ling Rao, and Kumiko Saito, along with current and former students Chloe Satzger, Chloe Finley, Sarah McErlean, Lauren Guthre, Rachael Risinger, Claire Campbell, John Ruzzi, Montae Dean, and Zeb Parsons. Representatives from CAAH included Cari Brooks, Carolyn Crist, and Paul Hyde.

Kumiko Saito, assistant professor of Japanese, visited Kansai University’s International Plaza and Institute for Innovative Global Education (IIGE) on June 11, 2019 to discuss plans for Kansai and Clemson’s new collaborative endeavor in international virtual and physical exchange. Her trip was made possible thanks to a Global Learning Seed Grant awarded by Clemson’s Office of Global Engagement. Kansai University is a private university located in Osaka, Japan.

Saito will teach a new course on business and Japan starting in the Fall 2019 semester in which 6-8 weeks of virtual exchange, known as COIL (collaborative online international learning), will be embedded. During the COIL period, students will collaborate online with students at Kansai University to learn about Japanese business and management through hands-on experiences.

Students who wish to expand this virtual exchange to on-site experiential learning in Japan will be able to participate in “Clemson in Japan,” a new short-term summer program at Kansai University which Saito will start in Summer 2020. This summer program, open to all Clemson students, will include an intensive Japanese course and optional internship in Japan. Students who enroll in the COIL course in Fall 19 and participate in the summer program in 2020 will be awarded a JASSO scholarship, which pays approximately $800/month toward expenses in Japan thanks to IIGE’s support.

IIGE also reported the news on their website.

$500,000 gift to spark new global learning opportunities at Clemson

CLEMSON – The efforts of Clemson University to increase opportunities for students and faculty to engage globally continue to move forward with the creation of a $250,000 endowment and a $250,000 fund thanks to a donation from the Michael W. Schwehr family of The Woodlands, Texas.

The gift will create the Schwehr Family Global Service Learning Annual and Schwehr Family Global Service Learning Endowment, both of which will support service-learning, research and engagement in under-resourced communities.

“The generous gift will not only make a lasting impact on the Clemson community but will allow faculty to expand the use of service learning models and open opportunities outside of the traditional study abroad locations,” said Sharon Nagy, associate provost of Global Engagement at Clemson. “Faculty and students will positively impact communities while addressing many of the challenges faced by societies today. Students will be able to do their part to change the world while being changed themselves by the experience.”

The Schwehr Family Global Service Learning Annual will be used immediately to support student and faculty opportunities in developing countries. It will provide annual competitive seed-funding grants to faculty for the development of new Global Service Learning programs. The first call for proposals will be announced in August 2019 and will be reviewed and awarded by the Council for Global Engagement for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Once fully funded, The Schwehr Family Global Service Learning Endowment will provide financial support to programs designed for students from any of the colleges.

Submitted proposals will be reviewed by the Office of Global Engagement and funding will be awarded to selected proposals for service-learning projects and international program development for students in under-resourced communities worldwide.

“We’re blessed to be able to help others in the Clemson family participate in missions at locations of need around the world,” said Schwehr. “Hopefully, with this early contribution, others will join me and my family in this great opportunity to help others”

Global service learning is not new at Clemson. Whether through courses, Creative Inquiryand student organizations, Clemson students, faculty and staff are solving problems and serving communities in Tanzania, India, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Peru, Guatemala and Dominica. These initiatives include bioengineering students working with low-resourced communities to find affordable solutions to health care challenges; agriculture faculty engaging around the world to develop drought-resistant crops and technologies to improve food security; engineers addressing water quality; and the School of Nursing’s Global Health Certificate, for which students address health-delivery systems in Peru.

“It is an honor to receive this gift from the Schwehr family. Having spent time in his career working and raising his family abroad, Mike recognizes the importance of preparing students for meaningful lives and careers in our globalized world,” said Nagy. “The Schwehr family’s commitment and altruism are evident in the careful thought they put into the ideas of global service learning. Their gift will give in ways we can hardly imagine today.

The $500,000 gift was made by Schwehr family members Michael William ’81, Linda Pogue, Laurel Michelle and Victoria Leigh ’16.

Michael W. Schwehr graduated from Clemson with a degree in mechanical engineering. After Clemson, he went to ExxonMobil, where his career spanned more than 35 years. During his time there he served in various assignments, including refining, products supply, retail marketing, environmental remediation and real estate. He traveled and lived abroad on numerous occasions and his work led him to Europe, Asia, South America and Africa.

Schwehr’s daughter, Victoria Leigh, graduated from Clemson with a degree in language and international trade. As an undergraduate she studied and worked abroad in Paris, France. After graduation she joined Amazon in Louisville, Kentucky, and later progressed to AeroTek, a prominent national staffing and placement firm.

The following students were honored at the annual College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities (CAAH) awards ceremony on April 12 at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts:

Joey Martinek, Award for Excellence in Spanish

Katrina Killinger, Japan-America Association of South Carolina (JAASC) Award for Excellence in Japanese

Harrison Kerr, Clemson Chinese Laoshi Award for Best Beginner

Matthew Hagan, Joan Bridgwood Award for Excellence in Russian

Destanee Douglas, Language and International Health Award for Excellence

Katie Ann L. Day, Jordan A. Dean, Sr. Annual Award in French Studies

Bennett Andrew Maeres, Draexlmaier Language Award for Excellence in German

Mari Lentini, Patricia Walker Wannamaker Language and International Trade Award for Highest Merit

Congratulations to our outstanding students!

Students present their research on literary topics

Andrew Gasparini, Clare Howley, Maggie Langland, and Joanna Lilly presented their research in the course ‘Introduction to Hispanic Literary Forms’ (SPAN 3040) offered by Dr. Graciela Tissera in the Spring 2019 semester. Students analyzed works by Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Carlos Fuentes, Mario Vargas Llosa, José de Espronceda, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Rubén Darío, Ángel González, Osvaldo Dragún, and Federico García Lorca to research transcendental themes and distinctive techniques related to narrative, poetry, and drama.

Students present their research on works by female authors

Bailey Beasley, Scout Beddingfield, Julianne Bruno, Sarah Burt, Amber Chopelas, Annabelle Daniels, Margaret Eberly, Nina Gallimore, Morgan Guest, Alice Harrison, Sarah Jackson, Hannah Martin, Caitlin Matthews, Ethan Melton, Elizabeth Nealon, Allison Nye, Rebecca Roth, Mary Elizabeth Schaible, Elkie Shramek, Abigail Stoddard, and Elena Womble presented their research in the course ‘Spanish American Women Writers’ (SPAN 4030) offered by Dr. Graciela Tissera in the Spring 2019 semester. Students analyzed works by female writers and film directors of international renown, including Delmira Agustini, Dulce María Loynaz, Juana de Ibarbourou, Lucrecia Martel, Lucía Puenzo, Solveig Hoogesteijn, María Luisa Bombal, and Griselda Gambaro. In their research presentations, students explored the intuitive female perspective on topics related to order and chaos, cultures in contact, objectification, censorship, witchcraft, existential questions, scientific experiments, and the reality of dreams.

Students present their research on social, economic, and political topics

Bryan Barton, Kyle Cole, Cassady Cook, Michael Cox, Anna Clare Eckrich, Rachel Elston, Asa Gray, Claire Hasenoehrl, Sophia Lamb, Jordan Mitchell, Angela Mondragon, Haley Nichols, Dana Phan, Sarah Reynolds, Eneida Rivera, Julia Rogers, and Katie Violette presented their research in the course ‘International Trade, Film & Literature’ (SPAN 4050) offered by Dr. Graciela Tissera in the Spring 2019 semester. Students analyzed articles and films to explore the impact of immigration, capital cities and urban poverty, culture and bureaucracy, political power, social classes, and working conditions in the Hispanic world. Their research presentations focused on the following films: Secuestro Express (Jakubowicz, 2006), El juego de Arcibel (Lecchi, 2003), La estrategia del caracol (Cabrera, 1993), and Subterra (Ferrari, 2003).

French:

The French Professional Society (FPS) is a pre-professional society for students with a strong interest and background in French and/or French-American relations that wish to apply these interests to their career. FPS meets monthly as a club as well as informally with individual members who want to learn more about the opportunities available to French L&IT/L&IH majors. Meetings throughout the semester focus on professional development and aim to introduce and inform members about study abroad, internships, and career paths.

The Spring 2019 semester began with a joint meeting with the Clemson French Club where students learned from the editor of the on-campus international affairs magazine, The Pendulum, about the opportunity to write an article of an international affairs topic of their choosing, experience the research and editing process, and become published in a magazine. As part of the Language and International Trade Council, FPS helped to plan and develop the 2019 Language and International Business Conference. The society also strengthened its relationship with the French-American Chamber of Commerce of the Carolinas (FACCC) and partnered with them for a networking night in Greer and attended FACCC networking nights in Columbia. At these events, FPS members connected with French Language and International Trade alumni and American and French business associates in the upstate region.

The incoming 2019-2020 FPS President is Mary Veideman. More information is available on the FPS Facebook page.

Spanish:

The Iota Phi Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, hosted its annual induction ceremony on March 2nd in The Brown Room of Cooper Library. Six new members were inducted. During the ceremony, Angelica Werth gave a presentation about her experience studying abroad in Córdoba, Argentina. The event was organized by chapter sponsor Rosa Pillcurima, lecturer of Spanish.

Jamie Plummer, a psychology major and Spanish minor, completed her research in SPAN 4970 (Creative Inquiry Project: The Hispanic World through Film, Literature, and Media) offered by Dr. Graciela Tissera in the Spring 2019 semester. Jamie presented her research paper “Machismo, Poverty, and Gender Violence in City of God (2002) by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund” at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research at Kennesaw State University, April 10-13, 2019. Her presentation discussed the impact of machismo, poverty, and gender violence on the lives of people portrayed in the film City of God (Cidade de Deus), directed by Meirelles and Lund (Brazil, 2002). Based on the 1997 novel of the same name written by Paulo Lins, the film portrays life in a favela in Rio de Janeiro and the realities of urban poverty. Examples of these realities include juvenile delinquency, gang violence, gender violence, drug trafficking, and power corruption. Jamie’s research explored characters, conflicts, themes, symbols, and techniques in the context of the social environment, connections among diverse groups of people, levels of education, and economic resources. Her presentation at the national conference was made possible through a travel grant awarded by the Creative Inquiry Program.

Mari Lentini is a graduating senior in the Language and International Trade (L&IT) program. She studied in France, interned with the U.S. Department of State, and is President of the French Professional Society. Let’s learn more about Mari and her accomplishments.

Where are you from and why did you choose to come to Clemson?

I am from Houston, Texas, although for the past couple of years, my home has been Maggie Valley in the mountains of western North Carolina. It’s about two hours away from Clemson and I chose Clemson because of its close proximity and how the Language and International Trade major combined a language program with business courses. The versatility of the L&IT program to achieve and apply language mastery in the global marketplace is incredible – my L&IT friends have followed their passions into industries such as commerce and trade, fashion, government and politics, teaching, nonprofit work, and more.

How would you describe yourself? What do you like to do in your free time?

I am a curious person and like to learn new concepts and explore new places. My frequent travel experiences taught me how to plan ahead and be organized as well as to be adaptable and spontaneous. In my free time, I enjoy running, studying new languages, hiking, and going to concerts.

Why did you select your major(s)? Have you studied abroad or done internships related to your studies?

I knew that I wanted to study abroad while in college. I absolutely could not wait to go to France and use French in my daily life. L&IT really interested me because in addition to the class requirements, there are two education enrichment requirements: one is to study abroad in a country with your target language and the second is to complete an internship at a company that uses your language. These components demonstrated to me that Clemson cared about my growth and development in language and cultural fluency.

My minor is in Global Politics, which shaped my study abroad experience. I completed two study abroad programs back-to-back. First, in winter 2017 with the Institute of American Universities College, I had the amazing opportunity to explore how American diplomacy and its institutions are implemented abroad, specifically in Morocco, Belgium, and France. This included understanding the structure of U.S. embassies, meeting with diplomats at the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca, the U.S. Mission to the EU, and the U.S. Mission to NATO, and visiting non-governmental organizations to grasp the effectiveness of the track II diplomacy approach in assisting with conflict resolution and the achievement of foreign policy goals.

Immediately following this, I studied for a full semester in the south of France with IAU College at Aix-en-Provence. I did a homestay to fully immerse myself in the French language and culture. My classes included courses such as Arabic (at the moment, Arabic is not offered at Clemson, so I jumped on the opportunity to learn a new language while abroad!), International Economics and the EU, and French Children’s Literature, to name a few.

If you would like to read more about my experiences and see pictures, feel free to check out my study abroad blog: www.aixperiencefrance.wordpress.com.

For my internship, I interned in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Department of State in Summer 2018. I was an Orientation intern at the Foreign Service Institute. Orientation, colloquially known as A-100, for newly-hired U.S. diplomats is where they learn more about the State Department and skills they need to be successful for their career in the Foreign Service. I helped to coordinate and participate in their workshops, and this experience provided invaluable insight in my decision to pursue a future in foreign policy.

What advice would you give to other students in your major?

I would encourage students to develop strong and meaningful relationships with one another and their faculty. Get to know your advisor and other people in the major early on inside and outside of the classroom – the Introduction to L&IT class is a great place to start as well as your language’s professional society. Participate in your language club’s events, like the film showings and their conversation tables. Reach out to past students who have gone abroad or interned and hear why they picked the city or program that they did, and then continue to stay in touch with them!

Are you involved in any extra-curricular organizations, and what is your role?

I am someone who likes to be busy and involved in my community, and I am still discovering new clubs that match my interests in languages, foreign policy, and music. Currently, I am the President of the French Professional Society and am helping to plan the upcoming L&IT conference in March 2019. I also am a delegate for the university’s Model United Nations team and chaired for committees at the Clemson University Model United Nations Conference and a French collegiate conference in Aix-en-Provence. I serve in the judicial branch of Student Government and manage finances for my service sorority, Gamma Sigma Sigma. I also love concerts and country music, which is why I became part of CMA EDU. As Vice President of Special Events, I help to plan and coordinate the events for our members, including opportunities to learn more about careers in the music industry and the business side of it from professionals.

What are your future plans?

I am searching for a business or foreign policy internship for the upcoming summer. I am also in the process of researching fellowship programs that will help make graduate school more accessible for me. I would love to continue my learning in area studies, specifically in the effects of French colonization on the development of North African societies, or in the field of international law. My dream career is to join the U.S. Department of State as part of their Foreign Service.