From May 25 to June 5, 26 SUNY Oneonta students enrolled in three separate courses joined forces and traveled to Guilin, China together to learn all about cities and architecture in the region and study the history of urbanization and modernization in China and the impact of tourism on Guilin. Accompanied by professors Ho Hon Leung (SOCL 294), Matthew Hendley (WHIS 294), and Wesley Bernard (CART 211), students in sociology, world history and photography explored the meaning and symbolic power of man's influence on his environment from a cross-disciplinary approach. Following the same itinerary, students attended lectures and classes at Guangxi Normal University and visited the 700-year old Longji Rice Terraces, where they were greeted by Yao and Zhuang villagers, who still use the terraces for growing premium quality rice. They also hiked, explored nearby caves and parks, and shopped in the bustling market town of Yangshuo.

Thirteen SUNY Oneonta students are touring the United Kingdom for their class "The Philosophy of Life and Death," a course that examines the "big questions" about life and death, including their nature, meaning and value. Accompanied by faculty members Daniel Patrone and Elizabeth Seale, the students have made stops in England, Wales and Scotland, all the while examining important conceptual and ethical questions concerning individual, social, and political responses to catastrophes and other existential threats; the rationality and significance of religious faith and the possibility of surviving the death of the body; and the treatment of the dying and the dead. This is a three-week trip, and students will return June 20. Students have explored and discussed ancient religious practices surrounding death; beauty, illness and patient rights issues; death and suffering in art and entertainment; the meaning of suffering; and end of life care, among other related topics. Students have visited Canterbury, Stonehenge, Bath, York, Edinburgh, Dover, Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square, and attended a performance of Hamlet at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. While investigating many philosophical traditions, problems, perspectives, and arguments that transcend the common cultural and intellectual traditions of the United Kingdom, the students are exploring, in depth, the cultures, traditions, and histories of Great Britain.

Eighteen SUNY Oneonta students spent a little over two weeks (from May 13 to May 26) completing service projects and working with impoverished youth and families in Quito and Mindo, Ecuador as part of an upper-division Human Development and Family Studies course. The students were involved in three service work projects - building a greenhouse for an elder-care facility; working with a preschool program developing activities and refurbishing a room into an activity room for future use; and working with the mayor in Mindo on a beautification project in a high-poverty district. As part of their cultural immersion, students took 20 hours of Spanish lessons and lived with an Ecuadorian family. In their free time, they were able to visit museums, tour communities, visit historical and ecological attractions, attend programs learning about food and the arts, and visit with indigenous populations (primarily Quichua). This service learning program was designed for students interested in learning about sustainable solutions to poverty in developing countries. It offered exciting hands-on work opportunities and meaningful cultural immersion, while encouraging an awareness of the risk factors of impoverishment.

It's one thing to read about water resource problems and environmental issues in the developing world. It's an entirely different experience to see these issues - and the people they affect - first-hand and work toward solutions. Twenty environmental sustainability students from SUNY Oneonta recently returned from a summer international field course where they did just that. The annual field course, called "Water and Environment of Guatemala," brought students to Guatemala for two weeks, where they took water samples and analyzed water quality data from Lake Atitlan and the surrounding drainage basin. The course is led by Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Sciences Tracy Allen. Based on their observations, interactions with local residents, and data collection, students worked to identify sustainable solutions to the area's water resources problems. Students were also able to learn about agriculture while touring a coffee plantation and, later, take in the area's natural wonders, including the Pacaya volcano, which is active. The students went into a Guatemalan elementary school to teach children about the lake and water quality, and they also installed water filtration systems into some of the area homes. Students said these interactions were particularly meaningful and rewarding, and the trip was eye-opening.

Nine art students from SUNY Oneonta were in France from May 13 to 26 learning art history firsthand for an upper-level course on Impressionism. Led by their professor, Dr. Pearlie Rose S. Baluyut, the students learned through a combination of on-site lectures and discussions based on assigned readings and in front of original paintings in major museums and artist studios, including L'Orangerie, Musee d'Orsay, Musee du Louvre, and Musee Marmottan-Claude Monet, among others. The group explored parks, boulevards, apartment buildings, cafes, theaters, gardens and bridges in Paris, and visited historic sites and monuments such as the Eiffel Tower. They also made cultural excursions to Giverny, Cannes, Nice, and more. While deepening their understanding of art history's two greatest stylistic movements, students gained a global awareness and experience as a responsible citizen of the world.

A total of 27 SUNY Oneonta students studied abroad this spring through programs in 10 countries.

Four SUNY Oneonta education students traveled to Cali, Colombia over spring break with assistant professor Dr. Thor Gibbins. The students completed field experience in bilingual schools - one an affluent foreign-school and the other in a less-privileged area. Students said the trip was eye-opening. "We were able to compare education systems in the United States to those in Colombia," said Mckenzie Hyer, an Early Childhood/Childhood Education major from Cobleskill, NY. "We saw how some schools are given more opportunities and resources than others, just as you can observe in the United States, and to see how that influences children in both societies is something I will continue to consider as I grow as an educator."

Two SUNY Oneonta seniors traveled with professor Dr. Robert Compton to Zimbabwe during spring break to learn about development in an environment of economic turmoil. Students learned about the political development and political economy of Zimbabwe and the difficulties of NGO operating under unstable socio-economic conditions. The students met with and received briefings from a large array of groups including Parliament staff and elected national legislators, the Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust, the Clerk of Parliament, the National Association of NGOs, the University of Zimbabwe, the US Embassy, and a brief stopover to the opposition MDC offices. There, they saw the after-effects of the riots in Zimbabwe after the elections and the accompanying damage to the offices, which included shattered windows and the charred markings of a fire bomb. Students also did some sight-seeing, visiting Heroes Acre (built by the North Koreans) and Domboshawa Park (one large granite formation for miles and miles), took a tour of Mbare high density suburbs, visited Victoria Falls from both the Zimbabwe and Zambia sides, and enjoyed the sunset on a Zambezi River cruise. They also visited the Mbizi Game Reserve and the famous Hwange National Wildlife Reserve, where they saw animals including zebras, bushbucks, hippos, baboons, giraffes, elands, and elephants. Despite experiencing electoral conflict, violence and a declining peacetime economy, the students found that Zimbabweans were hospitable, friendly and hopeful for the future. Prior to arriving in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, the students spent several days in Johannesburg, South Africa and attended a theater performance in Newtown and participated in a Graffiti Tour. They also visited the University of Johannesburg.

Five SUNY Oneonta students traveled to Seoul, South Korea over spring break for a short-term cultural immersion program called "The Philosophies of Peace," which let them explore philosophical, cultural, social, religious and historical aspects of various conceptions of, and issues surrounding, the notion of peace. Accompanied by SUNY Oneonta philosophy adjunct professor Daniel Patrone, the students visited Confucian Temples to learn about Confucian philosophy and its enduring place in Korean culture. They met with monks at a Buddhist temple to learn about Buddhist thought, practice and temple life. And they examined issues in political and international justice as they visited the DMZ, where students toured the Demilitarized Zone; learned about the history and current political situation involving North and South Korean relationships and U.S. and Chinese involvement in these; and met and spoke with a North Korean defector about life in North Korea, his experiences defecting, and the prospects of a stable and lasting peace in the region. Students were immersed in various aspects of Korean history and culture, visiting several palaces and museums, touring significant cultural sites in the city, and attending contemporary and traditional Korean dance and music performances. In concert with the college's partnering institution there, students also visited Sungkyunkwan University to meet with students and faculty and attend philosophy classes with their Korean peers. In the evening, students from SKKU hosted SUNY students at a traditional Korean BBQ for a chance to learn more about each other and to develop new friendships.

Four SUNY Oneonta art students traveled to South Africa over spring break for a week of academic and cultural exchange with students at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where Nelson Mandela once studied. Working closely with Wits University host students and host faculty member, Dr. Alison Kearney, SUNY Oneonta students were able to develop a greater understanding of identity politics, social justice, and human rights through art and creative research and applied-service learning activities at the Wits University, Wits Art Museum, and Play Africa, a non-profit community organization that serves families and children from disadvantage backgrounds.

Ten SUNY Oneonta students traveled to the Pacific for Geography 294 to soak up the sun, fun, views, culture and history of the 50th state - Hawaii. Accompanied by professors Wendy Lascell and Ken Johnson, the students visited popular landmarks, were immersed in the Hawaiian way of life and participated in various eye-opening activities. One of their first stops was the Tantalus Overlook, where they were treated to a spectacular view of the Honolulu side of the island. Next, they visited a Japanese Buddhist temple and cemetery complex. Other points of interest included Ioni Palace, Kualoa Regional Park, the Polynesian Cultural Center, Pearl Harbor, and a Senior Community Center. One particularly interesting stops was at the Kualoa Regional Park, a state park that manages sustainable ancient fish ponds which have been struggling with pollution. At the state park, the students saw first-hand Hawaii's cat overpopulation problem. At the park, and in many places in Hawaii, there are huge groups of feral cat colonies. Students spoke with people who feed the state park colony and take care of them - about 70 cats in total. It is a major issue in Hawaii, as the government and locals are at odds about what to do. Other notable items on the itinerary included visiting the University of Hawaii and the Bishop Museum; snorkeling at Haunama Bay Nature Preserve; taking a tour of Hawaii's Plantation Village; hiking Diamond Head Crater; and seeing a hula dance and gorgeous sunset at Waikiki!

Five SUNY Oneonta students flew to England recently to perform in a choir in Durham, UK. The students rehearsed about 25 hours, during which they learned 18 short choral works for performance at the English Choral Experience course held at Durham Castle, part of Durham University. The English Choral Experience was led and directed by prominent English choral conductor, Paul Spicer, who serves as choral conductor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatory. Durham Castle is a Norman castle that has been occupied since 1840 by University College, Durham. It is open to the general public to visit, but only through guided tours, since it is in use as a working building and is home to over 100 students. Oneonta students rehearsed and stayed in the 16th century Great Hall. In order to be selected for the trip, SUNY Oneonta students had to audition. They were required to prepare one song of their choosing and complete several sight-reading exercises. The students were able to do some sightseeing, as well, visiting the cathedral where segments of two Harry Potter movies, the latest Avengers film and "Elizabeth I" were filmed. The trip was conceived through a Faculty Center grant for Applied Learning. The D'Antonio Student Travel for Excellence Fund, the Fund for Oneonta, the Dean of Humanities and the Music Department all supported the trip.

In early January, 11 SUNY Oneonta students traveled to Japan for their class, Biology 271 - Global Studies in Conservation and Sustainability, taught by Dr. Kiyoko Yokota. The goal of the two-and-a-half week course was to teach the students how they can meaningfully contribute to conservation and sustainability efforts around the world, according to Yokota, who accompanied the students along with professor Paul Lord. While in Japan, students visited Tokyo and the islands of Chichijima and Hahajima. The locals of Chichijima and Hahajima work with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to remove invasive species and prevent the transfer of new invasive species onto the island. They also work to protect the populations of indigenous species like the Japanese wood pigeon and the Bonin flying fox.

17 SUNY Oneonta students recently traveled to Peru to study tropical biology. The group spent one week in the Andes Mountains learning about ecosystems in the highlands, as well as agricultural practices and culture. Students also learned first-hand the effects of high elevation on the human body! A highlight of their time in the mountains was the visit to the ancient Incan town of Machu Picchu, considered to be one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

From May 14-18, assistant professor of music Dr. Adam Kent led a mini-course on Colombian music in Cartagena, Colombia with three SUNY Oneonta music majors, Misaki Kobayashi, Taylor Stone and Catrin Miskewicz. The program was an outgrowth of a COIL collaboration organized by Dr. Kent with a colleague from the Universidad de Cartagena last fall. With a grant from the O.I.E. and funding provided by the Sociedad de Mejoras Publicas in Cartagena, Dr. Kent partnered with Patricia Ojeda, founder and director of the Escuela de Musica Patricia Ojeda, for a series of presentations on musical nationalism in the South American country. Guest speakers and performers included local percussionists, jazz musicians and experts on Cumbia, the best known indigenous musical form. In addition, the students studied and performed works by such Colombian composers as Jaime Leon, Carlos Luis Figueroa, Adolfo Mejia, Juan Guillermo Villarreal Solar and Guillermo Uribe Holguin. The students plan to offer a concert of the music studied on this trip in the fall semester at SUNY Oneonta. When not busy practicing or attending presentations, the students were able to do some sight-seeing, enjoying an excursion to the Islas del Rosario keys off the Cartagena coast, participating in a workshop on chocolate making, and visiting the local Museo del Oro.

In a whirlwind, multi-country trip, students enrolled in a European History course called The Norman Conquest spent spring break in Norway, England and Scotland visiting countless historic sites. They listened to lectures, examined artifacts in museums including viking ships and the Rosetta Stone, took long train rides through beautiful countryside, saw medieval walls and churches, and visited the White Cliffs of Dover and Westminster Abbey, to name a few popular sites. They were accompanied by their professor, Dr. April Harper.

Seven Spanish students spent spring break completing service learning projects in colorful Colombia, where the temperature was 78 degrees and higher. They toured La Universidad del North, enjoyed the lush vegetation, visited museums, hit the beach, and spent time at Sofia Camargo - an all-girls' school, grades first through eleventh - teaching lessons in English.

Eleven SUNY Oneonta art students traveled over spring break to the far-away island-country of Singapore - a contemporary art destination in Asia - to further their studies and experience new cultures. While on the faculty-led trip, the students attended lectures at LASALLE College of the Arts, visited renowned museums and photographed the city. They also tried exotic new food, enjoyed the tropical climate, and met people of diverse ethnicities, including Chinese, Malay and Indian.

Sixteen students explored canyons and hot springs and camped under the stars during winter break as part of their Field Geology of Plate Boundaries course, led by Les Hasbargen, geology professor in Earth & Atmospheric Sciences. This course partially satisfies a capstone requirement for Geology majors and allows them to utilize everything they have learned in geoscience in an applied field setting, identifying rocks, fossils, faults, geomorphic features, folds and sedimentary structures in their natural settings. Students were able to visit some extraordinary places right on the plate boundary between the North American and Pacific plates. They were able to see evidence of recent fault movement and the results of rock deformation along the plate boundary. The students made many field observations and recorded them in a field book. They collected data along this boundary, from which they will create maps and diagrams that reveal how the Earth is tearing apart, shearing and colliding in this region. Most of the diagrams and data analysis will take place back at Oneonta during the spring semester. Assisted by Dr. Chris Karmosky and Dr. Kathryn Metcalf, Hasbargen and his class hiked for several hours a day in desert environments. Temperatures were in the 70s. In the evening, students prepared meals together and slept in tents at private, county and state park campgrounds. Russell Carpenter, a meteorology major, said the trip was beneficial both academically and socially. "This trip was a great hands-on opportunity to learn new information while sightseeing in a region of the U.S. that is new to me," Carpenter said. "In addition, it was great meeting people outside of my major."

On a service-learning trip to Ghana, five SUNY Oneonta students and their professor, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics Janet Antwi, collaborated with dietetics faculty and students at the University of Ghana to conduct nutrition assessments and teach children in an area elementary school about health and nutrition using games, activities and visual aids. Students also completed a clinical experience in the capital city of Accra, observing and evaluating clients at the Diet Therapy Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. They were able to put into practice knowledge and skills from their Nutrition Assessment and Community Nutrition courses.

Seven SUNY Oneonta students took the trip of a lifetime during winter break, traveling to the beautiful Islands of The Bahamas for the first offering of immersion course BIOL 394: Tropical Flora of The Bahamas. Stationed at Forfar Field Station on Andros Island, students explored plant communities on the islands and learned about the botanical diversity across habitats. They also visited national parks, heritage preserves and several museums to learn about the unique culture and history of The Bahamas. In their downtime, students visited nearby beaches and blue holes, snorkeled in mangroves and learned how to make traditional baskets. Faculty members Tami LaPilusa and Sean Robinson accompanied students on the trip, which lasted from Dec. 28 until Jan. 12. LaPilusa said she was inspired to create the course by a class she took in her undergraduate years.

A total of 32 SUNY Oneonta students are studying abroad this fall through semester-long and academic-year programs in 13 countries. SUNY Oneonta offers study abroad and exchange programs in Finland, Ghana, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan and the United Kingdom through the Office of International Education, plus international internship opportunities and short-term, faculty-led field courses abroad. Oneonta students also have access to more than 600 study abroad and exchange programs through the SUNY network.

It's one thing to read about water resource problems and environmental issues in the developing world. It's an entirely different experience to see these issues - and the people they affect - first-hand and work toward solutions. Sixteen environmental sustainability students from SUNY Oneonta recently returned from a summer international field course where they did just that. In its fourth year, the field course, called "Water and Environment of Guatemala," brought students to Guatemala for two weeks, where they took water samples and analyzed water quality data from Lake Atitlan and the surrounding drainage basin. The course is led by Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Sciences Tracy Allen. Based on their observations, interactions with local residents, and data collection, students worked to identify sustainable solutions to the area's water resources problems. Students were also able to learn about agriculture while touring a coffee plantation and, later, take in the area's natural wonders, including the Pacaya volcano, which is active. The students went into a Guatemalan elementary school to teach fifth and sixth graders about the lake and water quality, and they also installed water filtration systems into some of the area homes. Students said these interactions were particularly meaningful and rewarding, and the trip was eye-opening.

Six students enrolled in Biology 296, a Directed Research course called CCRABSS: Creating Collaboration in Research Among Bahamian and SUNY Oneonta Students, spent a month in the Bahamas learning about fishery management issues. The data they collected will aid in determining land crab fishery stock abundance on North Andros Island as a means of enabling long-term, sustainable harvests of this economically and culturally important species. The students surveyed 5,000 square meters of land crab habitat, counted and measured hundreds of land crab burrows, explored a handful of Blue Holes, enjoyed 28 sunrises from Forfar Beach, and learned how challenging field work can be, even in a tropical paradise.

A total of 60 SUNY Oneonta students are studying abroad this spring through semester-long and academic-year programs in 15 countries.

A total of 39 SUNY Oneonta students are studying abroad this spring through semester-long and academic-year programs in 13 countries. SUNY Oneonta offers study abroad and exchange programs in Finland, Ghana, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan and the United Kingdom through the Office of International Education, plus international internship opportunities and short-term, faculty-led field courses abroad.

Seventeen students studied tropical biology in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet during a 22-day summer field course in the Peruvian rainforest.

Twenty-two SUNY Oneonta students are spending part of their summer volunteering in Bolivian schools through a unique faculty-led field course in collaboration with Save the Children International. Accompanied by Brett Heindl, associate professor of political science, and Alejandra Escudero, lecturer in Spanish, the students will spend two weeks immersing themselves in Bolivian culture and doing service-learning projects in elementary schools, high schools and in the Save the Children offices.

A total of 53 SUNY Oneonta students are studying abroad this spring through semester-long and academic-year programs in 12 countries. SUNY Oneonta offers study abroad and exchange programs in Finland, Ghana, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden and Taiwan through the Office of International Education, plus a variety of short-term, faculty-led programs throughout the year.

Four SUNY Oneonta students and recent graduates have won prizes for photos they took while studying abroad. The college's Office of International Education holds a Study Abroad Photo Contest every year with two categories: Culture and Society, for photos where the focal point of attention is on the customs, objects and historical sites; and Nature, where the focal point of the photo is a landscape or vista.