News

By Meghan Stark

1) Facetime is your best friend

None of the data usage, all of the sentimentality. Facetiming or Skyping your family and friends can relieve some of the homesickness you’ve been feeling, as seeing their faces can make you feel more connected than just hearing their voices.

2) Eat something that reminds you of home

Make something that warms your belly and your heart; eating food you usually eat at home can help connect you to home and the kitchens you love.

3) Keep familiar things around

Maybe it’s a stuffed animal or a sweatshirt from your favorite vacation spot, but keep important things close to you to foster a sense of home in your new location.

4) Pictures

Pictures of EVERYONE! Your parents, dogs, siblings, friends, anything that reminds you of happy times in a happy place, print it out and hang it up! You’ll be surprised how much visual suggestion can make you feel at home.

5) Movies/Music

While it’s awesome to get into the cultural scene of your new home, music and movies from home are a big comfort and reminder that you’ll always appreciate the music and movies you grew up with. Stream your favorite local radio station, see what movies they have on their respective Netflix (Yes, other countries have Netflix – it’s pretty wild!). Remind yourself of what made you dance or laugh when you were home, and chances are it will still make you laugh while abroad.

6) Visit friends

Chances are, you know other people studying abroad right now. Plan a weekend trip to go see them! A familiar face can do wonders.

7) Avoid obsession or romanticizing

While home is GREAT, there are hardships there as well.  It’s possible your longing for something familiar is stopping you from remembering that if you were home right now you’d still have to do homework, go to work, and do other things you’re probably not crazy about. But you don’t get the added bonus of getting to travel to other countries on the weekend.

8) Learn the language

Maybe one of the reasons you’re feeling out of place is because there’s a barrier between you and your new neighbors. Learning some basics of your new home can help connect you to the people and culture of the city you’re studying in.

9) Explore your new home

The best way to combat homesickness? Make a home where you are now. Explore your city, eat the local food, get to know the streets and people. Make new happy memories in this new place. By the time you leave, you’ll be homesick for where you went abroad.

Syracuse Abroad has announced that space is still available in the following programs for the Spring 2018 semester:

• Beijing Center
• Florence Center
• Florence Center and Direct Enrollment at the University of Florence
• Florence Center and Intensive Language Program at the University of Florence
• Florence Center: Design
• Florence Center: Engineering
• Florence Center: Studio Arts
• London Center
• London Center: Architecture (B.Arch)
• London Center: Design
• Madrid Center
• Santiago Center
• Santiago Center: Cuenca, Ecuador Immersion
• Strasbourg Center
• Strasbourg Center & French Language Institute
• Strasbourg Center & U. Strasbourg

Students interested in applying for these programs should visit suabroad.syr.edu/apply and begin their applications. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at suabroad@syr.edu.

Participant bios:

On Monday, September 25, Syracuse Abroad will host its first-ever Study Abroad Showcase in the Schine Student Center Atrium from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Students worried about choosing a study abroad program that fits their major or minor requirements are invited to attend and talk to representatives from ten of Syracuse’s schools & colleges*. School and college advisors will be paired with study abroad staff members and global ambassadors to highlight abroad programs that work well with specific majors and minors.

In addition to the seven Syracuse Abroad centers and 65 World Partner Programs, the showcase aims to highlight 2018 summer and short-term programs. Faculty members who are leading programs in 2018 will be available to answer specific questions about their courses.

New faculty-led programs in 2018 include a Mount Everest base camp trek, led by Professor Tom Brutsaert from the School of Education and Falk College Professor Rick Burton; a spring break program to Cuba focusing on Afro-Cuban dance, led by Professor Sydney Hutchinson in the College of Arts & Sciences; and a summer program based in Vancouver, Canada, led by Professor Dessa Bergen-Cico from the Falk College, which will focus on drug policy and harm reduction.

“We want to help SU students figure out which study abroad program is right for them,” said Jennifer Horvath, Syracuse Abroad Marketing and Communications Manager. “With over 100 programs in 60 countries to choose from, we know it can be overwhelming for students who are unsure where to begin.”

*Participating schools and colleges: The College of Arts and Sciences, The Maxwell School, the Newhouse School, the School of Education, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the School of Visual and Performing Arts, the Whitman School of Management, and the iSchool.

Syracuse Abroad Showcase

Monday, September 25
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Schine Student Center Atrium

Congratulations to all six Syracuse Abroad students who received Gilman Scholarships for their abroad programs this fall! The Gilman Scholarship Program is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide. We encourage all Syracuse Abroad students who meet the qualifications to apply for awards that can reach up to $8,000!

The next deadline (for spring 2018 programs) is October 3, 2017.

Our fall 2017 winners are:

Sammy Cayo – Syracuse Hong Kong
Alexandra Goodnough – Syracuse Hong Kong
Calvin Guo – Syracuse Hong Kong
Jessica Vinciguerra – SIT India: Sustainable Development and Social Change
Yeshi Wangmo – Syracuse London
Thandar Zone – Syracuse Hong Kong

Summer program update! The students on the South Africa Immersion: A Global Health Education Experience program are in their second week of the program. One of the course instructors, Jason Torreano, sends in this picture and update from Grahamstown:

“This past week, SU students worked to tutor our students in the first hour of Inkululeko and in the second hour, they’ve begun a project where they have our learners identify triggers of stress and then look at ways to combat that stress (particularly relevant now that it’s exam time). They’ve also heard from Jane Bradshaw, who is the Founder of Amasango School for Street Children. She was our first guest speaker and she spoke about how she launched Amasango more than 30 years ago, her time as principal and now, her reflections on it as she recently retired. The students were captivated. We actually had to cut off questions (a wonderful problem to have) as Jane had to leave for another appointment.”

Syracuse London staff have confirmed the safety of all Syracuse Abroad students in London at this time.

Our international risk management partner, International SOS, reports the following:

Last Updated: 04 Jun 2017 04:00 (GMT)
Members in the capital London should continue to avoid the London Bridge and Borough Market areas following two security incidents there late on 3 June that the authorities are treating as terrorism. A van was driven into crowds of pedestrians on London Bridge shortly after 22.00 (local time); this was followed by stabbings outside a pub in Borough Market. At least six people have been killed and 30 others injured in the attacks. Armed police officers remain at the affected locations; traffic is suspended on London Bridge and Southwark Bridge on both directions and London Bridge and Borough Underground (‘tube’) stations remain closed.

ISOS’s advice is as follows:

Travel to the capital London and the UK can proceed. Security alerts are likely in the coming hours and days and could result in the short-notice evacuation of transport hubs. Allow ample time for travel within the UK and maintain flexible itineraries. Security hoaxes tend to proliferate in the aftermath of high-profile terrorist attacks, especially via Web-based social networks. Ensure you have access to reliable intelligence and refrain from acting on the basis of unverified information. Exercise caution at all times in crowded public areas. Remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior or suspect packages to the police. Investigations may prompt localized incidents and security cordons in London or elsewhere. Allow ample time for travel to and from all London airports as heightened and additional security checks are likely, especially at border crossings. Travelers should carry relevant identification documents.

Avoid the London Bridge and Borough Market areas until the situation fully stabilizes.

For up-to-date information on the ongoing situation, monitor our alerts and the Metropolitan Police Service’s (Met) Twitter account.

Expect a heightened security force presence and related travel disruption in the affected areas. London Bridge and Borough Underground (‘tube’) stations have been shut down.

Plan routes circumventing the affected area and follow all directives issued by the authorities. Updates on disruption to the transport network in London can be found here.

Security alerts and police operations are liable to prompt short-notice travel disruption across the UK. Follow all directives issued by the authorities. Do not communicate or act on unverified information.

Syracuse University, both here on the main campus and at our international learning centers, sends its thoughts to the victims and all those impacted by today’s incident in London. We will post further updates as needed.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program has awarded several Syracuse University Abroad alumni the opportunity to explore their research and teaching interests around the world for the 2017-18 year. Of the seven students awarded from Syracuse University, five are alumni of at least one Syracuse Abroad program. Two, Frederick Cieri and Meghan Mistry, have represented Syracuse Abroad as student global ambassadors.

Congratulations to all!

Amber Barrow ’17, neuroscience and biology, College of Arts and Sciences; Syracuse Beijing Center Spring 2016

• Study/Research Grant, Public Health, China

Rachel Brown-Weinstock ’17, sociology, citizenship and civic engagement, and policy studies, College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School; South Africa: A Global Health Experience Summer 2015 & 2016

• English Teaching Assistantship, South Africa

Frederick Cieri ’17, modern languages and international relations, College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School; Syracuse Strasbourg Center Spring 2015, Madrid Summer Session Summer 2015, World Partner CET Brazil Fall 2016 & Spring 2017, Abroad Global Ambassador

• English Teaching Assistantship, Spain

Hasmik Djoulakian ’17, women’s and gender students and citizenship and civic engagement, College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School; Syracuse Florence Center Spring 2015

• English Teaching Assistantship, Armenia

Meghan Mistry ’17, broadcast and digital journalism, Newhouse School; Syracuse London Center Spring 2016, Abroad Global Ambassador

• English Teaching Assistantship, Malaysia

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which is the largest U.S. exchange program with 1,900 grants awarded annually, allows students to take on international study, research and teaching opportunities as part of U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright’s vision in 1945 for the “promotion of international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture and science.”

Students interested in applying to the Fulbright program should contact the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (315.443.2759, jmpark02@syr.edu). The campus deadline for the 2017-18 application cycle is Sept. 11, 2017.

Syracuse University’s Remembrance Scholar Selection Committee has chosen the 35 students who will be the 2017-18 Remembrance Scholars. Of the students selected, 17 have either already studied abroad, or will be spending the Fall 2017 semester on a Syracuse Abroad program.

The scholarships were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the 35 students who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The students, who were returning from a semester of study in London and Florence, were among the 270 people who perished in the bombing. Remembrance Scholars each represent one of the 35 SU students who perished in the flight.

Two Lockerbie Scholars are also selected from Lockerbie, Scotland, to attend SU for a year of study. Andrew Dorrance and Heather Mutch, both Lockerbie Academy students, will be the Lockerbie representatives next year. They will work in the Syracuse Abroad office as work study students, and we look forward to welcoming them to campus in August.

Syracuse Abroad is pleased to recognize the 17 students who have (or will soon have) studied abroad through our programs:

Zainab Abdali of Houston, Texas, an English and textual studies and mathematics major in the College of Arts and Sciences: Syracuse London Spring 2017

Alex Alvarez of Caguas, Puerto Rico, a Latino-Latin American studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences and a television, radio and film major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications: Syracuse Santiago, Spring 2016

Madeleine Buckley of Owings, Maryland, a magazine major in Newhouse and policy studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell: Florence Summer Session, Summer 2016

Elissa Candiotti of Hewlett, New York, a broadcast and digital journalism major in Newhouse: Syracuse London, Fall 2016

Kathryn Cassidy of Framingham, Massachusetts, a history major in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell, social studies education major in the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education, and Spanish language, literature and culture major in the College of Arts and Sciences: Syracuse Santiago, Spring 2017

Bryan Cereijo of Hialeah, Florida, an international relations major in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell and a photography major in Newhouse: World Partner CET Brazil, Fall 2017

Katherine Conti of Erie, Pennsylvania, an international relations major in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell: Discovery Florence, Fall 2014

Ricky Diep of Quincy, Massachusetts, a systems and information science major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science: Syracuse Hong Kong, Spring 2017

Raymond Levine of Erie, Pennsylvania, a policy studies and political science major in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell: Syracuse Hong Kong, Spring 2017

Madeline Lorang of Bigfork, Montana, a geography and citizenship and civic engagement major in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell: Syracuse Madrid Fall 2016, Abroad Global Ambassador

Leonardo Marino of Pulaski, New York, a linguistic studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences and music composition major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts: Mediterranean Food and Culture, Summer 2015; Syracuse Strasbourg, Spring 2016

Jacqueline Page of Potomac, Maryland, an international relations major in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell and television, radio and film major in Newhouse: Syracuse London Fall 2016, Abroad Global Ambassador

Anjana Pati of Millstone Township, New Jersey, a neuroscience and psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences: South Africa: A Global Health Experience, Summer 2016

Kiran Ramsey of Indianapolis, Indiana, an information management and technology major in the School of Information Studies: Syracuse Florence, Fall 2017

Bronte Schmit of Syracuse, New York, a magazine major in Newhouse: Syracuse London, Fall 2016

Erin Welsh of Clarence, New York, a political science major in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell: The Aqueducts of Ancient Rome, Spring Break 2015; Syracuse London, Fall 2015; World Partner CET Jordan, Spring 2017

Sudan Zhuang of Queens, New York, an information management and technology major in the iSchool and marketing management major in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management: Syracuse Hong Kong, Fall 2016