Student Blog: Traversing Taiwan
This is a student blog post submitted by Leah Emerson C’18. Leah is a Psychology and Advertising double major.
This is a student blog post submitted by Leah Emerson C’18. Leah is a Psychology and Advertising double major. Pictures featured in this post were taken by Leah.听
For as long as I can remember, a goal of mine has been to visit all seven continents before I die. When it came to Asia, my first thoughts were always things like, 鈥淚鈥檇 love to see Thailand,鈥� or, 鈥淗ong Kong would be amazing.鈥� I knew that Taiwan was a country, but it has never been a country that crossed my mind when I thought of the places I wanted to visit. Not because Taiwan wasn鈥檛 interesting or worth my time, but because I just didn鈥檛 know enough about it. Yet, here I am writing about my first experience in Asia that took place in鈥攜ou guessed it鈥擳aiwan! Life is a funny thing.
The context of the trip is a Keystone course offered by 萝莉社 entitled 鈥淐ulture and Ecology of Asia.鈥� The course is exactly as it sounds. It is two weeks long and focuses on teaching students of all backgrounds about the culture鈥攃ustoms, societal norms, food, etc鈥攁nd the ecology鈥攍iving organisms and their surrounding鈥攐f Asia, and more specifically of Taiwan. The trip was led by Dr. Timothy Lin and Dr. Linda Vick鈥擠r. Lin specializes in the more 听cultural aspect of the trip, as he is a Taiwanese native, and Dr. Vick specializing in the ecological aspect鈥攖eaching us about the unique organisms and living things in this unfamiliar part of the world.
This trip was more than just a class where we gained factual knowledge. It was an experience that we got to make our own. Throughout the two weeks we were there, we did more than sight-seeing. We did things that pushed us beyond what we are accustomed to which gave us the opportunity to see and experience the world, and engage with people in a way we didn鈥檛 know possible.
my biggest take away from this trip was this: mindset is everything
We spent one day at Tunghai University, North Park鈥檚 Taiwanese partner school. During our stay at the University, each of us were paired 听with a Taiwanese student from the university, and we spent the whole day with them. We talked with them and compared our lives, cultures, experiences, and so much more. It was things like that, having simple conversations, which really opened 听our minds and created great learning experiences鈥攁nd many new friendships!
One of my favorite parts of the trip was traveling to the countryside of Taiwan and seeing all the rice fields. While we were there, we had the chance to eat dinner in a Taiwanese family鈥檚 home. The father was previously a professional chef in Taipei (the largest city in Taiwan), but due to health reasons, he and his family had to leave and move elsewhere. They decided they wanted to live a simple life, so they moved to the countryside and began farming. While in their home, he prepared somewhere between 8-10 courses for us to enjoy, all of which were grown and farmed locally, and his two little daughters and his wife served us the food. Afterwards, he came out of the kitchen and spoke with us (in Mandarin鈥擠r. Lin translated). He told us his story and answered questions we had. It was such an incredible and special experience, and the food was even better!
As much as I learned in the two weeks, my biggest take away from this trip was this: mindset is everything. It plays a crucial role when it comes to our outlooks on life. I left on this trip challenging myself to keep an open mind, and a willingness to try new things. I came home two weeks later with an entirely new perspective. That open-mindedness ultimately opened up my world. This hands-on learning experience allowed me to learn things about the world, myself, and others that I wouldn鈥檛 have learned otherwise; for that I am thankful.
Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Blog, Stories
Every inch of space in the room seems to be used to make a statement. Some student鈥檚 work take a minimalistic approach, letting blank space speak for itself while others choose to immerse it fully in fanciful color and complex arrangements.
I think it a fabulous idea that childhood wonder and understated macabre can occupy the same space. It feels a little bit like stepping into a labyrinth; a bewildering maze of a right-brained person鈥檚 head. I have found it a transcendent experience walking through these living, breathing galleries. They are always fresh and insightful.
Personally, my life in and outside of school this semester has included lessons on the importance of memory and meditation in spirituality. Anxiety and constant change has plagued my spirituality. I鈥檝e craved harmony in the twisting emotion of blank space and overstimulating color. The present has unfolded parts of my life journey I do not feel prepared to manage. I feel like a mess in progress. I鈥檝e been learning in those moments, though, to take time to slow down and meditate on the various experiences and people that have given to me and taught me to be steadfast when the world around me is in flux. I access memory that otherwise lay forgotten in my subconscious. And then breathe it to life. I find I know things I was certain I did not know 鈥� the misplaced words of others, the minuscule moments that did prepare me for the here and now.
Rachael Evangeline Greco, a business and economics major, has spent her North Park years in academic overload just about every semester. She co-leads North Park鈥檚 chapter of International Justice Mission, raising awareness about the international, national, and local issue of human trafficking. She鈥檚 a Fellow for the Future of the Carnegie Council Global Ethics Network, working under Dr. Ilsup Ahn to raise awareness on campus about selected global ethics issues. When she鈥檚 not participating in these North Park responsibilities, she鈥檚 been working 25-hours a week and volunteering at the Vietnamese Association of Illinois, teaching English to Vietnamese immigrants.
The second recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Senior Award, Nicholas A. Collar, is a biology major and a busy guy. He鈥檚 worked in clinical lab research at Swedish Covenant Hospital designing and implementing studies, investigating diagnoses, and gaining proficiency in interpreting medical information. He had the Hugh Edmondson Research Fellowship at the UC Davis Medical Center during his 2015 summer break where he implemented a study sequencing data from blood samples that were positive for Hepatitis B. There he also participated in several shadowing experiences ranging from observing a tumor board meeting, bone marrow biopsy procedure, and the daily tasks of cytology and histology specialists. Nicholas has his sights set on medical school after taking a couple of years off.
Take the painting by Pietro Aquila, for instance. Located in the Room of Triumphs in
Before I go, I want to share my favorite painting with you; it鈥檚 the fresco of the riot between Pompeiians and Nucerians, 59 A.D., Pompei, Volume IV, plate XXXII by Fausto and Felice Niccolini. This is an illustration of a riot that occurred outside of the amphitheater in Pompeii in 59 CE, speculated to have been between organizations from different towns. It鈥檚 distinctive because the artist decided to paint this event rather than a gladiatorial fight, which was the most common use of the amphitheater. They鈥檙e also what you鈥檇 assume people would want to remember in a painting. It may be that the artist was connected to the riot somehow. The piece takes a bird鈥檚 eye perspective which removes the artist from the scene, whether that be to distance themselves to not be triggered by the event or because they were not there, I cannot say. It also is very spread out; each brawl and element are separated from each other, this is very different from the other art we saw during this time and that made it even more interesting. It is just so cool!
