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A
lesson in Port Wine Culture, Duoro Valley
In August, 11 Memorial students boarded a plane at the St. John’s
airport. Their destination? Portugal. The international field school
was offered by the Department of Geography after a visit to Aveiro
by Dr. A. B. Dickinson of the International Office in May 2000. Dr.
Dickinson sponsored a field-course planning visit by Drs. Gordon Handcock
and Chesley Sanger of the Department of Geography. Funding and logistical
support was contributed by the International Centre, the dean of arts,
Student Affairs and Services, the geography department and the University
of Aveiro.
Geography
students making salt fish in Aveiro, Portugal
The 11 students and two professors were
based at the University of Aveiro and were housed in the university’s
residence. Day trips were planned where the students were treated
with the upmost hospitality by representatives from the University
of Aveiro, Pascoal Fisheries, Town Council of Ilhavo, Aveiro Port
Authority, Coimbra University, etc. The field school focused mainly
on the historical associations between northwest Portugal and Newfoundland
through centuries of involvement in the fisheries and port wine trade.
Students explored other topics related to regional planning, coastal
zone management, tourism, built environments, cultural landscapes,
economic development, and also issues dealing with resource exploitation
and management.
Aveiro,
Portugal
Through excursions and presentations,
students were able to gain a broad view and appreciation for the vibrant
culture of northwestern Portugal, particularly Aveiro. Not all days
were scheduled for the students, giving them some time to explore
the culture independently. An early train to Lisbon began an exciting
weekend in Portugal’s capital city. The sand and sun of Barra
beach were a welcome change from Newfoundland’s rocky coast.
Each student has completed a journal and field project on a chosen
topic for course evaluation. Encouraged to include both academic and
personal thoughts in the journal, students will have a detailed account
of their experience for years to come.
Student Brad Jones called the trip “probably the best experience
of my life.”
For classmate Karla Pope, the experience “holds a million memories,
great new friends and some great experiences.” Julie White added:
“I have made many friends on this trip and I wouldn’t have
changed anything about it.”
A collection of student photographs from the trip is on display in
the science building near room S-2025.
Memorial
students on the steps of the Language Institute on Heidelberg, Germany.
Memorial’s students of German were
hard at work in August in Heidelberg, Germany. The third annual field
school attracted the largest group yet, with 22 students taking part.
Program organizer Marcella Rollmann of the Department of German and
Russian attributes the success of the program to the enthusiastic
reports
of returning students and the obvious enhancement of their language
skills. The group engaged in 10 weeks of studies via three spring-term
courses, followed by four weeks of intensive language practice in
Heidelberg. Ms. Rollmann reported many slips of Entschuldigung and
Danke schön heard in the Toronto airport as students found it
hard to “turn off” their German on their return to Canadian
soil.
Memorial students
at the Alte Brücke (Old Bridge) in Heidelberg, currently closed
for repairs.
The
Newfoundland Symphony Youth Choir, a number of whom are MUN students,
was one of only three entrants selected to participate in the youth
choir category in an international choral festival. The choir visited
England, performed in several churches and at a MUN alumni event (Oct.
10 at Canada House in London) and took home a third place prize. The
choir director is Susan Dyer-Knight, our most recent alumnus of the
year. Here, the choir performs at the St. James Parish Church in Poole,
England. According to President Axel Meisen, who heard the choir perform
at Canada House, the international performing experience was immensely
valuable to the students. The president, the chair of the Board Regents,
Ed Roberts, and the director of Alumni Affairs, John Kearsey, were
on hand for the alumni event.
A
lesson in Port Wine Culture, Duoro Valley
In August, 11 Memorial students boarded a plane at the St. John’s
airport. Their destination? Portugal. The international field school
was offered by the Department of Geography after a visit to Aveiro
by Dr. A. B. Dickinson of the International Office in May 2000. Dr.
Dickinson sponsored a field-course planning visit by Drs. Gordon Handcock
and Chesley Sanger of the Department of Geography. Funding and logistical
support was contributed by the International Centre, the dean of arts,
Student Affairs and Services, the geography department and the University
of Aveiro.
Geography
students making salt fish in Aveiro, Portugal
The 11 students and two professors were
based at the University of Aveiro and were housed in the university’s
residence. Day trips were planned where the students were treated
with the upmost hospitality by representatives from the University
of Aveiro, Pascoal Fisheries, Town Council of Ilhavo, Aveiro Port
Authority, Coimbra University, etc. The field school focused mainly
on the historical associations between northwest Portugal and Newfoundland
through centuries of involvement in the fisheries and port wine trade.
Students explored other topics related to regional planning, coastal
zone management, tourism, built environments, cultural landscapes,
economic development, and also issues dealing with resource exploitation
and management.
Aveiro,
Portugal
Through excursions and presentations,
students were able to gain a broad view and appreciation for the vibrant
culture of northwestern Portugal, particularly Aveiro. Not all days
were scheduled for the students, giving them some time to explore
the culture independently. An early train to Lisbon began an exciting
weekend in Portugal’s capital city. The sand and sun of Barra
beach were a welcome change from Newfoundland’s rocky coast.
Each student has completed a journal and field project on a chosen
topic for course evaluation. Encouraged to include both academic and
personal thoughts in the journal, students will have a detailed account
of their experience for years to come.
Student Brad Jones called the trip “probably the best experience
of my life.”
For classmate Karla Pope, the experience “holds a million memories,
great new friends and some great experiences.” Julie White added:
“I have made many friends on this trip and I wouldn’t have
changed anything about it.”
A collection of student photographs from the trip is on display in
the science building near room S-2025.
Memorial
students on the steps of the Language Institute on Heidelberg, Germany.
Memorial’s students of German were
hard at work in August in Heidelberg, Germany. The third annual field
school attracted the largest group yet, with 22 students taking part.
Program organizer Marcella Rollmann of the Department of German and
Russian attributes the success of the program to the enthusiastic
reports
of returning students and the obvious enhancement of their language
skills. The group engaged in 10 weeks of studies via three spring-term
courses, followed by four weeks of intensive language practice in
Heidelberg. Ms. Rollmann reported many slips of Entschuldigung and
Danke schön heard in the Toronto airport as students found it
hard to “turn off” their German on their return to Canadian
soil.
Memorial students at the Alte Brücke (Old Bridge) in Heidelberg, currently closed for repairs.
The
Newfoundland Symphony Youth Choir, a number of whom are MUN students,
was one of only three entrants selected to participate in the youth
choir category in an international choral festival. The choir visited
England, performed in several churches and at a MUN alumni event (Oct.
10 at Canada House in London) and took home a third place prize. The
choir director is Susan Dyer-Knight, our most recent alumnus of the
year. Here, the choir performs at the St. James Parish Church in Poole,
England. According to President Axel Meisen, who heard the choir perform
at Canada House, the international performing experience was immensely
valuable to the students. The president, the chair of the Board Regents,
Ed Roberts, and the director of Alumni Affairs, John Kearsey, were
on hand for the alumni event.