Group Topic "Challeneges and Benefits"

When interviewing international students there are both challenges and benefits to the situation. The challenges that one may face when interviewing range anywhere from language capabilities to religious views between the two people. Not everything during the interview is a challenge though. There are benefits as well and they can range anywhere from learning about a new culture to putting yourself into a diverse situation.

When interviewing an international student there can be barriers that prevent you from obtaining the information you were looking for. Language plays a huge role in the interview process. If you cannot understand them, or vice versa, it will be tough for you to communicate. While interviewing the other person, it might be difficult because of cultural differences. Cultural differences not only make it tough for you to interview them but it might make it uncomfortable for interviewee to share information amongst you. In almost every culture there are religious views or customs that people practice. If the two people meeting to talk share different views between the subjects of religion, it will make it tough for one another to actually listen and not be biased. Listening is the key while giving the interview and you don’t want to let biased thoughts wreck the information that is being given to you.

Just because there might be challenges during the interview, it doesn’t mean there can’t be benefits. If you pay attention during the interview there might be a chance you’ll be able to learn something about another culture besides your own.  Interviewing international students you give yourself opportunities for meaningful interactions with others you may have never of had the opportunity to do. Meaningful interactions just might include having a conversation about how life is viewed differently between the two. When you put yourself out there to interview international students you are involving yourself in the diverse community. Asking others about their country or how things worked in the country they are from will enhance your knowledge in global issues or global surroundings. Not only do the interviews give you a chance to make acquaintances but it also gives you the opportunity to compare and contrast your own culture to the culture you have just learned about.

Interviews can be both a struggle and a benefit to both people. Interviews are like a race. There is going to be struggle during the race but hopefully by the end of the race, when you cross the finish line, there is something you got out of it. Preparing yourself to face the challenges will help you obtain the information you were intentionally looking for when you decided to do the interview.

 

Group: Valerie Mattson, Jasmin Sainju, Grant Schow

Works Cited

"Benefits of Student Exchange | World Education Program Australia." World Education Program Australia | Student Exchange. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. .
<http://wep.org.au/info/student-exchange-benefits>.

"Border crossings in the classroom: The international student interview as a strategy for promoting intercultural understanding | Derek Alderman - Academia.edu." Academia.edu - Share research. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. <http://www.academia.edu/1029548/Border_crossings_in_the_classroom_The_international_student_interview_as_a_strategy_for_promoting_intercultural_understanding>.


We chose this essay because it covered the topics we discussed coherently with a sense of structure.The strengths that the paper had were an introduction and a conclusion following the body of the paper.

Interview Objectives and Questions

1. Objectives

I am doing the interview project to learn about other cultures and learn about the lives of international students. For the interviews I am going to be meeting with international students or people. I am going to be sitting down with people and asking them questions about their lives while I record the interview for later use. After I am done interviewing them i will sit down and type out a manuscript describing the interview.

2. Questions

1. What country is it that you are originally from?
2. In your culture how are men and women treated differently?
3. Is it common to study abroad in your country?
4. Do you prefer to be friends with American students or other internation students? and why?
5. Is there a proper way to address a woman or man you're interested in in your country?
6.What is the common age for marriage?
7. How does your religion affect you, such as your beliefs, your daily life, and you preferences?
8. How important are religious customs?
9. Do you have different rules of eye contact and body language in your country?
10. Is there any special custom in your culture? how do you comply with it?
11.What kinds of food do you usually eat in the U.S?
12. Whats the Common food in your country?
13. Whats the most common type of transportation in your country?
14. What do you like to do in your free time?
15. Do you have any questions for me since I have already asked you so much about yourself?

Research Paper - Holistic Living

Finding yourself and being able to become “whole again beyond” is among one of the first steps of recover. There are so many things to confuse us from day to day that we often lose sight of history and the need to be cleansed from our clouded knowledge. Hart writes, “We experience moral confusion, but also philosophical, religious, educational, legal, economic, and political confusion, and part of it all – indeed, at its center – is the sense that something is missing, that the whole is somehow less than the sum of its parts, that there is no center, no structure, no anchor, and no core”(1). The quote above goes to show that we are confused throughout many aspects in life. Becoming “whole” is the hardest step towards recovery because there isn’t any sort of structure to it. Like the quote says, there’s no core. Even though we think at times there isn’t an answer to our clouded questions, there is a clear spectrum through modern history and modern thought to answer them. Hart explains, “Yet I wish to propose, frost-like, that there is a clear stream of understanding that can clarify the issues in these multiple confusions and enable us to see our way beyond them”(2). There’s always a way past confusion, the answer just lies in a place you have not looked yet.

Clearing the mind is essential when you’re dealing with the healing process. Theres a website online that covers holistic living and they say, “Having a Healthy Mind is essential to the healing process. And Emotional Healthy living is a core component of achieving a healthy mind. Our brain chemicals run our bodies. They are the messengers and communicators. If these chemicals are out of balance then our bodies are out of balance”(3). In any given day the mind is the strongest asset that you contain. If your mind isn’t able to think clearly on what it is that you want to achieve, you more than likely will have a harder time achieving your goals. One way to help clear the mind would be through meditation. Meditation allows you to simply ease the mind and put yourself in a stress free environment. Michelle Toole in her article about rewiring the brain mentions, “Meditation is a component of many religions, and has been practiced since antiquity." The purpose of meditating can be many different things to many different people but usually those who practice have a common goal: to quiet the mind, to relax and reflect”(4). One of the essential things when recovering starts in the mind. The mind is your power to control and balance everything in your life. An unstable mind equals an unstable way of living. Certain ways, such as meditation, help you rewire the brain to relax and control situations in your life that effect your brain.

When creating a balanced life on your way towards becoming “whole again”, every person you come across can play a role in your life. Connections with other people can drive you to be great and destroy you. Luckily, you get to decide who you value and want to keep in your life. New Holistic Living website says, “ Of course our lives would not be truly balanced without leaving room for the most fulfilling and enriching experiences most of us ever have -- our connections with each other”(5). Having a healthy life with others in it is a good way to balance out your life. It is an essential part of living “whole” and moving towards the state of self satisfaction.

When moving towards recovery the question you want to ask yourself is, “Am I living holistic?” This can be achieved by rewiring your brain to think differently from the way you do already. Meditation is one way to help, but another is through the intertwining of healthy relationships with the ones you love and care about. Becoming “whole again” is the right step towards recovery. You have to become whole within yourself if you want the world around you to start moving on the right track.

Works Cited 

1. Hart, Jeffrey “Acts of Recovery”, University Press of New England, Hanover and London 1989. Page 15
2. Hart, Jeffrey “Acts of Recovery”, University Press of New England, Hanover and London 1989. Page 15
3. Toole, Michelle. "Emotional Healthy Living: Healthy Mind." n.pag. Web. 3 Oct 2013. <http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/Emotional-Healthy-Living.html>.
4. Toole, Michelle. "Rewire Your Brain for Health and Happiness." n.pag. Web. 3 Oct 2013. <http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/brain-health.html>.
5. "Holistic Loving: Improving Relationships Through Understanding." Relationships n.pag. Web. 3 Oct 2013. <http://newholisticliving.com/relationships.html>.

Review of Five Classmates' Book Posts

Valerie Mattson:

She chose "The Birth of Christianity" by Maurice Goguel. The book was published by The University Press of Aberdeen in Great Britain. The book Was printed in London in 1953, 1st edition. Valerie chose the book because she is a Christian and she loves to learn about it and develop a better knowledge of her religion and the church background. Valerie's Book Review

Adam Block:

He chose "Minotaur" by Joseph Alexander. The book was published in the year 2000. The publisher of the book is Hill and Wang and it was printed and distributed in the United States. City of publication was New York, New York. Adam Chose this book because Greek Mythology interests him. He recently in high school had done a project about the subject. Adam's Book Review

Mary Jean:

She chose "Emotion and Imagination" by Adam Morton. It was Printed by Polity Press in both the UK and the USA. Printed at Polity Press Malden, MA and Polity Press Cambridge, UK 2013. Mary Jean chose the book because she finds psychology and the human mind very interesting. She has considered changing her major to psychology. Mary Jean's Review

Yu Fan:

He chose "Chinese-Japanese War, 1937" by Julla E. Johnson. The H.W. Wilson company printed the book. The book was printed in New York in 1938. Yu chose this book because he wants to stand on a different way to view history and compare things. Yu's Book Review

Yipeng Liu:

She chose "Culture Shock" by Kevin Sinclair & Iris Wong Po-yee. The book was published by special arrangement with Times Editions Pte Ltd. She chose this book because she wants a lot of people to learn about the Chinese culture. She wants people to learn the customs of China and the meaning behind it. Yipeng's Book Review

Library Choice of Book

"Acts of Recovery" by Jeffrey Hart

Why did I chose this book?

I chose the book "Acts of Recovery" because economy and how things work interest me.

How many authors does it have?

The only author of the book is Jeffrey Hart

What is the title?

Acts of Recovery

Who printed the book?

University Press of New England

Which city was it printed in? What year was it published?

Hanover and London, in 1989

Part 2

The book "Acts of Recovery" by Jeffrey Hart provide provacative information on many American and European writers to reveal the values of western tradition. In the year of 1989, in Hanover and London, The book was published and ready for print.The book was printed by the University press of New England. The Author Jeffrey Peter Hart specialized in 18th century literature, but he was also very fond for modernist literature. Students favored him knew him because he required a great deal of writing. Writing was a passion of his. His political views and interests annoyed many faculty and colleagues but he was well known for his interest in history.

 

 

 

Research Tips and Tutorials

Starting Your Research

This is helpful when doing a research paper because is helps you find topics, search them, and find the scholarly information. The subject help different links that you could click on and then visit the website for help. The following subjects are quotationed under starting your research.

 

“Library 101”

It is a guide with tips and tricks to help you get your research papers done quickly. The link is broken down into five steps helping you obtain better information about your topic.

“How to Find Hot Topics”

The link provides you with suggestions and resources that will help you select topics and provide background information on that topic.

“Information Cycle”

Helps you decide which resources you need. (Books, websites, journals, etc.)

“Library and Services for Graduate Students”

Link is a research assistance which provides database access.

“Primary Sources”

A list of online collections of newspapers that provide access to primary resources.

“Minnesota History Day”

Helps students work on this project. Some data bases are only accessible through librarian.

Finding Resources

Finding Resources is helpful when doing a paper. It helps you find resources that are scholarly and provide good information.The following subjects are quotationed under finding resources on topic.

“Locating Scholarly Articles"

Helps find scholarly articles physically and online.

“Scholarly Journal v. Popular magazine articles”

Is a useful link to help you decide if a document is scholarly.

“Internet Search tools”

Search engines that compare and evaluate the credibility website guides.

 

Evaluating Information

Evaluating Information from your sources and things you have read is important to help your research be effective.The following subjects are quotationed under evaluating information.

“Assessing the credibility of online sources from SCSU’s project LEO”

Helps when evaluating online sources that are appropriate for papers and assignments.

“How to evaluate Journal Articles”

Tips on assessing quality articles you will come across in research.

“How to Evaluate Books”

Tips on assessing quality books you will come across in research.

“How to Evaluate a Web Page”

Tips on assessing quality web pages you will come across in research.

“How to Evaluate Web Sites”

Tips on assessing quality web sites you will come across in research.

“Evaluating Criteria (from the good, the bad & the ugly)”

Explains criteria necessary for evaluating information you find anywhere on the internet.

 

Using the Information You Found

When using your information you have found from resources, you want to be careful when using the information. The subject helps you cite your sources carefully to avoid plagarism.The following subjects are quotationed under using the information you found from resources.

“Citation Styles (APA, MLA, etc.)”

Gives examples of these styles and helps you learn how to format it.

“Refworks Basics”

Guide for managing citations

Group Project: Chapter 1 Review

Chapter One:
Valerie Mattson,
Almoutasem Aljahdli,
mohammed asiri
abdulhakeem alabbad
Grant Schow

• Orphanage
• Food
• Hospital
• Child trafficker, Golkka

Summary:

     The entire reason Conor Grennan begins his volunteering adventure in Nepal at an orphanage is to impress friends, family, and women in bars.  He does not realize there actually is a war going on because he assumes the brochure, from which he learns of this opportunity, is exaggerating.  He had previously worked in Prague for eight years but wanted to do something both challenging and impressive as an excuse to travel the world.  The first place he goes to in Nepal is Thamel, which is a tourist region.  The first night is spent with a host family.  The little daughter, Susmita, teaches Conor a little bit of Nepali.  He spends his first night outside gazing at the stars.  This is the moment he realizes Nepal is going to be a completely different experience from anything he had ever encountered.  He then travels to the Little Princes home in Godawari, which was founded by Sandra.  By spending time with these children, he gains new insight into Nepali culture. 

     He learns how once a person has touched his or her food, it is considered “juto”, or unclean.  Also, trash and environmental concerns are difficult topics to understand and consider in third world countries because they are primarily concerned with the welfare of the people themselves.  He learns it is a custom to call older males “brother” as a sign of respect.  He also discovers the people of Nepal consider time differently than citizens of the United States do.  This is because no one punches in a clock for work, nor do they attempt to impress others by working through lunch. 

     One day, as Conor is trying to help the children get ready for school, the Maoists instigate a strike, which is known as a “bandha”.  During this time, everything, even school, closes.  There are people desperate enough for money they drive taxis anyway, even though they could be physically assaulted for not respecting the “bandha”.  As a result of production being forced to stop, there are food and kerosene shortages, which is dangerous for an already impoverished nation.  In Nepal, children actually enjoy school; however, teachers are not paid a lot by the government, so it is common for them not to come to work, which results in school often being closed.  Conor realizes the school system is flawed when he sees the answers to Anish’s homework is wrong, but the teacher does not mention it as being incorrect.  Education is not the only flawed system. 

     When he takes Santosh to the hospital, he realizes how unsanitary all of the beds and medical equipment are.  After this event, he meets Golkka, who is a child trafficker from the poor region of Humla.  Humla is also the home of the children of Little Princes.  Golkka commits this terrible act because he is able to receive a cheap source of labor from these children, which is otherwise difficult to accomplish in the poverty struck nation of Nepal.  As Conor rides a bus through Nepal, he notices a dark-skinned man on the side of the road.  This man lives in horrible conditions because he is at the end of the economic scale.  In Nepal, they consider the Caste System to be in control of economic affairs; therefore, if people are dark skinned, they are considered to be at the bottom and are untouchable.  They are often born into this judgment.  When Conor returns, Sandra decides to go on a hike.  She is captured by Maoists and forced to return, which makes her realize how powerful these rebels are.  Before leaving Little Princes, Conor Grennan tells all of the children he will return in one year.

Analysis:

     Conor Grennan begins his journey to Nepal because he feels he needs to do something challenging to impress all to whom he speaks.  Initially, he does not want to go to Nepal to actually help these children.  He just wanted to do something adventurous because he feels his routine has become boring.  Volunteering at an orphanage does not sound selfish and is the perfect excuse to travel the world and use his money in less responsible ways than he could be.  He does not realize how much this journey would impact him.  Right away, he realizes Nepal is a completely different country than the United States.  This impacts him because he has never realized how wasteful he is.  When the volunteers at the orphanage take the children out to bathe, Conor accidentally gives a child too much shampoo.  In the United States, this is about the amount most people use every day.  The child acts crazily with hysteria and excitement because he has received a lot more than he normally does. After this moment, Conor realizes how resourceful the children are because they are able to do a lot with just a little amount.  

     When they are eating dinner, Conor becomes full and does not want to finish all of the food that is on his plate.  He is unable to give it to the children, however, because he knows how once food is touched by someone, it is considered untouchable.  He begins to think about all of the times he threw away trays of food back in the United States.  The more he spends time with these children, the more he realizes how wasteful and ungrateful his and other people’s behavior in the United States.  Although a lot of the behavior is flawed in the United States, there is a custom in Nepal that Conor finds disturbing.  This is the caste system.  Conor finds it disgusting how a person can be born into a never-ending cycle of poverty and cannot do anything about it.  This is something about Nepal he has never been able to forget.  

     At one point during his time spent at Little Princes, he tries to commit a kind and charitable deed by purchasing toys for the children; however, the toys brake, and the children continue playing with toys Conor did not consider to be in good condition, but the children love them because these toys are considered to be their personal possessions.  

     These children teach Conor to become a better person, and he develops a loving relationship with them which then results with him promising to return to Nepal.  The ultimate meaning behind all of this is Conor realizes how American culture is more wasteful; however, there are many problems with a poorer culture, such as trash.  Ultimately, Conor will learn more about himself and become a better person through this experience with the children at Little Princes.