It's just another boring Monday to someone else today, but not for me and my SUSI fellas apparently, when we woke up to the sound of our alarm and hurrying up to get ready to leave from our hotel Fairfield Inn in downtown Philly and continue our amazing visiting around the city. I still can't believe how fast we got to the last part of our program! And here we are, enjoying every bit of this experience! Visiting University of Philadelphia was quite a thing! A school of world-class education could be easily recognized from those iconic architectural structures and how firmly they stand behind the great wisdom that people in there have served for centuries. Quotes in every corner you could see! It suddenly inspires you of grabbing your books and just delve into the beauty of academia! Who knows, maybe this could be my next stop in the future!? Next on our way from campus visit, we stopped at Reading Terminal Market, one of the oldest and largest markets in the state. And to all those like me, with a zest for food, this stop was just another adventure! Anthony Bourdain was right when he said that food, culture, people and landscapes are all absolutely inseparable. What a great way to learn about Philly's cheesesteak and cinnamon rolls of American style! On the way back to hotel we had this great chance to have a lecture from Molly de Aguiar of the Independence Public Media Foundation that covered topics such as journalism and philanthropy in US. Quite interesting to learn more about her experience in this field and the opinions she had on certain issues and the answers she offered to our questions. But that's not all for this Monday! Kristy, Amy and Nagat make sure that we get this full insight on the most important monuments of this lovely city that I seem to adore and now, the Mütter Museum-a preservation of medical collection was about to just blow my mind as if it wasn't enough from what we've visited before. Einstein's brain and a collection of skulls! Just fantastic! This satisfies my appetite for neuroscience that I have! What I wasn't satisfied with is that I couldn't take pictures and have them on my photography album! It doesn't really matter, right!? End of the day isn't the only thing approaching, but also the end of this program that went by so fast. Still can't believe it! And we are all sitting in a big table at Iron Hill Brewery for the last dinner together as a group when it finally starts to hit me how much I'm going to miss these people and how grateful I am to be part of this project; all those places I've been, professors I've discussed with, friends I've made, and the list goes on and on. But what I also know is that this program isn't just about journalism and democracy, it's also about values and diversity, friendship and responsibility. It's about future. The future that we are architects of it. The one that we seed a ray now, so that a sun shines some other day. And I know, that this is just a beginning of another chapter and not a goodbye! Written by Fatlinda Zeqiri
0 Comments
Allow me to welcome each and every one of you on board! My name is Stephanie, your Romanian SUSI Class of ‘23 fellow, and courtesy of our beloved Kristy, I will be your captain as we venture into what appears to be the last entries of our blog... Our SUSI adventure here in Phoenix is about to come to an undesirable yet unavoidable end, and let me warn you beforehand: During this journey, you will enjoy plenty of laughter, plenty of tears, a lot of unslept nights and more adventures that we could have ever imagined before coming here. You will be the front-row witness to how lifelong friendships have been created in only a few weeks. Without further ado, let’s get started with the beginning of the end: a seemingly not-so-special Thursday, July 20th! The beginning of this day was rather unusual than the rest of our days here in Phoenix, as the day began in the wee hours of the morning, at 2:07 AM, to be more precise. Exhausted but determined, Mirza, Saska, Rexhep, and I found ourselves huddled in the lab since 11 PM, immersed in our respective projects and battling the ever-fickle Premiere Pro – a tool that has both blessed and cursed us during our SUSI program journey. After what felt like a marathon scriptwriting session, I finally allowed myself a well-deserved slumber, only to rise early in the morning to join my Romanian comrades, Andra and Amalia. The mission was easier this time: a rendezvous with the esteemed Romanian professor, Cristina Baciu, at the Starbucks downstairs. Thanks to Kristy (author’s note: this does seem to become a catchphrase, doesn’t it?), we finally met some other Romanian peers here in America, and Cristina amazed us with her life story and dedication. Our conversation was nothing short of fascinating, covering a wide range of topics from the changes in Romania since her departure, our aspirations, the cultural shock of life that we inevitably encountered when we got to America, our progress in the SUSI program, and her own incredible journey from Romania to the United States. After exchanging contact info with Cristina, our day continued with relentless focus on our projects, knowing that we had a deadline looming over us: Friday, July 21st – the date of our project presentations and the last day here in Phoenix. With a collective sense of purpose, we decided to embark on a sleepover at the university overnight. Late into the night, we toiled away, fueled by passion and camaraderie. In the evening, a fortunate few among us decided to recharge their spirits with a visit to the Elevate Studio for a yoga session led by the spectacular Amy, one of the stars of our SUSI odyssey. The experience was nothing short of transformative; there was something inherently spiritual about the practice that left them feeling rejuvenated and ready to conquer the world. Some snippets of the lucky ones practising yoga, whilst others were running of caffeine, an iced matcha latte, or the tasteful pizza from Taste Budzz and praying that the video will finally render As all of us laid our tired bodies to rest, we couldn't help but look forward to the next day – the culmination of our efforts. Friday, July 21st, would mark the last day of our academic residency in the vibrant city of Phoenix, Arizona, hosted by the generous Arizona State University – Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Our projects, the fruits of our labour and sleepless nights, would finally see the light of day as we prepared to present them to our mentors and peers.
Before I sign off, I must ask you the question of the year! July 21st is a special day, and the SUSI family has unfortunately been divided into two teams: Team Oppenheimer and Team Barbie. Which team are you? Dear reader, you have until tomorrow to ponder the question, as on Friday, we prepare to disembark and say goodbye to the cacti, unbearable heat, the Chick-fil-A down the street and our esteemed professors here in Phoenix! PS: Here is a snippet of tomorrow’s post (I can really sense a leitmotif here) My blog day finally came. So far the program has been amazingggg, amazingg and amazingg!!! Days are flying very fast and at the same time we are growing personally and profesionaly. The professors are wonderful, because they don’t just take the time to talk about class materials, but get to know us as well. I was very pleased with what I gained in a short time. So far, the highlight of the program for me has been the tour in the Superior Court in Maricopa county. It was my first time entering a Courtroom and observing a judicial criminal proceeding in the US. This Susi Experience has made me a better student and an informed individual, to participate in a community of interest and experience perspectives. At the same time, it has provided me with some of the best memories, friendship-wise. My mission is to work in a global community and I want to be at the head of decision making, to lead and form global communities. Quite simply, I can say that during this time I sat at a table with professionals, we turned our passion into solutions and became an agent of change for current and future generations across the globe. 18 July 2023 - Last Tuesday in Phoenix The lecture starts at 9:30 everyday . It was 9:00 and I was hurrying up to be on time cuz for americans "On Time" means late and "Early" means on time. Our first lesson was about the basics of digital audience research with Celeste Sepessy. She brought to class a box of donuts with chocolate covered to sweeten us a little before lecture. Yummyy!! We did some exercises in class, such as analyzing top-performing tweets from Cronkite News, learned how to use analytics tools to brainstorm future content ideas and online tools to monitor search queries, related keywords and even language sentiment. For lunch, we went at Arizona Wilderness. Me and Luca have been counting our calories not to get fat but Fatlinda is 100% a bad influence. She made us cheat on our diet. Her stomach is never full. She ordered 1 Chicken Fajita Quesadilla, 2 Tacos and Chips served with Elote Dip. Hope we won't have Cheat Days in Philly cuz we’re going crazy. ( Fatlinda aka the Hungry monster is not allowed as our eating buddy FOR REAL). Anyway, Luca brought a scale from Budapest to keep our fatness situation under control :pp. In the afternoon we had an amazing session with the Mexican journalist Maritza L. Felix. She runs Conecta Arizona, that is a non-traditional media outlet committed to the community, it serves both in the United States and across the border, in Mexico. She explained to us all the challenges she faced as the founder of CA that was established in the midst of the pandemic with the purpose of verifying information and false news. Maritza was named one of the «40 Hispanic Personalities Under 40>> in Arizona in recognition of her influential work in the state. Such an amazing and inspiring woman !! Later on, me and Marcell were stuck for hours in front of the computer editing the video for our multimedia reporting project. Can't wait to present our project. That was a day of A Susi Student Leader In Arizona State University. Good nighttt!!! Even if some moments can be experienced again, the way you felt in those certain moments is unrepeatable and irreplaceable. I am so happy that I continued my journey in one of the leading universities, in an environment with like-minded people. That was a mind-expanding experience providing me with answers as well as creating new questions. It changed our point of view, it enriched our inside world and now it is approaching the time to say good bye Susi - dear friends. Thank you for the unforgettable moments. ENI SHTJEFNI, Albania We all know that Mondays are universally disliked, especially if you are a GEN Z. It's tough to muster up productivity after an eventful weekend. But let me tell you, this Monday was different. It was our final Monday in Arizona, and we were determined to make every moment count. Despite a wild weekend, as documented in our previous blogs (you should check them out!), everyone miraculously woke up on Monday morning brimming with energy. We enjoyed the warm morning sun, which thankfully wasn't too hot yet, and headed towards the Arizona Republic's main office. As we entered the impressively tall and somewhat fancy building, we were greeted by the friendly faces of the journalists who work there. What followed was an engaging conversation about journalism and media, not only in the US but also in our respective countries. Being the young leaders that we are, we seized the opportunity to share our thoughts and make our voices heard around those round tables. That's our forte, after all! It was truly gratifying to witness everyone getting involved and contributing to the discussion. I must say, the journalists from the Arizona Republic were consummate professionals, and our time with them was both stimulating and productive. Now, brace yourself for some photographic evidence of how cool the people at the Arizona Republic are. Feast your eyes on these: Sporting our Arizonan aesthetics, with an abundance of SPF, sunglasses, hats, and water bottles, we made our way back to our beloved sanctuary, a.k.a. the Cronkite School. Once there, we had a session with the phenomenal Dr. Nikki McClaran (yes, I've etched her name into my memory because she's simply amazing). Dr. McClaran enlightened us about the power of theory in communication. Considering our focus on media persuasion, Monday's discussions revolved around various communication theories. Oh, and we had a cute little game to play, though I must confess, our team didn't emerge victorious. We were defeated! Sad face. But I suppose I should spill the beans anyway, or else the winning team might get mad at me. Before I delve into that, let me first tell you about another exciting experience we had. We also had the pleasure of visiting the offices of the Cronkite Agency, which specializes in digital marketing, PR, and communication. Let me tell you, they left quite an impression with their outstanding work. But being the outspoken bunch that we are, we couldn't resist voicing our opinions and brainstorming about the crucial issues in their field. It was a remarkable opportunity to exchange ideas with them. Motivated by this invigorating conversation, we made our way back to our cozy classroom, number 430 (did I mention how comfortable it is? Where I come from, we often struggle to find enough chairs, let alone enjoy such plush interiors). There, Dr. Nikki had another exciting challenge in store for us. We split into groups and had to prepare presentations on why our favorite TV show reigns supreme. Our group, the cool cats that we are, delivered a stellar presentation on "Elite." But alas, we didn't emerge victorious because the group presenting about "Friends" allegedly had more money to bribe the judges. Can you believe it? The audacity! Another group showcased their love for the classic cartoon "Phineas and Ferb." Each group did a decent job, but we were the epitome of greatness! (No kidding!) All jokes aside, this game was a fantastic opportunity to enhance our collaborative skills and unleash our creativity, all while putting into practice the communication theories we had learned. After the game, to keep things brief, some of us headed back to the dorm to catch some rest, while others (definitely not me) ventured off to the Amusement Park. They had a blast, and we all enjoyed watching the videos and pictures they shared with us. Here's a sneak peek: To sum it up, Monday was a casual yet unforgettable day. If this is your first time hearing from me, just like our previous blogs indicate, we're having a fantastic time while learning and growing. Also, I'd also like to take a moment to congratulate all the participants for their intelligence and hard work. It's disheartening how often our generation is portrayed negatively, but this group of young individuals here is living proof of the brilliance, creativity, and dedication that we bring to the table, eager to shape the future of our communities. And we've been fortunate enough to collaborate with some extraordinary professionals, including Dr. Kristy Roschke and Ammy Schweim. Sadly, I don’t have a picture of them together. But here’s my drawing of them: By the way, this marks the fourth week of my journey to becoming an Arizonan, and I absolutely love it here. I could go on and on, as I tend to do, but perhaps I'll save that for another time. Or you can check out my private accounts, where I've mastered the art of self-marketing (thanks to our meeting!). Feel free to visit my Instagram at agon__rexhepi to hear more from our experience here :D
That's all from me (Agon Rexhepi) for now. Signing off from Phoenix, Arizona, but I'll hand it back to my colleagues in the studio! Beep, beep, beep. As I turn the alarm clock off at 5:00 AM on Sunday, all I can think about is canceling the hike. But as the group chat gets more active, I have no choice but to go. I gather my stuff rapidly, and we call an Uber. At this hour, it would be a shame if we got a boring driver. No, our guy has lived in North Korea and, in just a few days, will be lying on a beach in the Philippines. He loves to tell stories, and we enjoy listening, but seeing Amy's smile through the car's window gives us a sign that it's time to go. A hike can be an emotional experience. You get going and feel great; you see the small squirrels accompanying the road, chit-chat a bit. After that, you start getting tired and annoyed- why did I leave my bed in the first place? But you continue hill after hill to the peak. I won't lie, but it took us some time to get there. What's important is that we succeeded. Oh, what a magnificent view! Or, as Werner Herzog said, "The world reveals itself to those who travel on foot." But no one prepared us for what’s about the happen. As 9 AM got closer and as we were gladly heading down, the sun started shinning brighter and brighter. I never expected that walk to be harder than going up, but at some point I could feel the heat burning my skin. After we arrived at the parking lot, after whet felt as a 12 hour walk, we hid in the shade. As we departed, we sang a song to congratulate ourselves for making it. It’s time for the prize. With an ice-cold lemonade in hand, I lay on a sun-bed next to Amy’s pool. I feel grateful for the experience I shared with her and others. What a day and its only 10 AM. Sometimes it’s worth it to give up sleeping late. And sometimes you return to it. I don’t thing Gordon Commons have ever been as quiet as the moment we came back home after that.
Waking up from my nap, Yoanna Friday, July 14 A normal day in Phoenix: the sunrise at 5:30, the sunset at 19:38, temperature during the night: 33°C, during the day 47°C. Real feel? 5.600°C. Yes! The surface of the Sun! Rise and shine because… time is relative. However, our day did not begin at 8:20. Today is Saška’s birthday! The preparation had been going since the day before: cake, confetti, flowers. And, for the first time in my life I felt like Raskolnikov (haha! Inside joke for the ones reading Dostoevsky – love you to the Moon and back! >3): sneaking, “Does she know? What if she realizes? Do we look obvious?” Tuesday, July 13 – 23:55 (we are doing flashbacks now, guys!) She is anxious about the blog, but Mirza pops out and blindfolds her in a trice on the hallway, dancing and leading her to the common room where we are waiting for her. 23:58. 23:59. 0:00 Back in our day, TGIF! We met Amy (our program coordinator, I wish I had her optimism!) in front of Cronkite for a Team Challenge at Fitness Center. The yoga session freed my mind – which is not common for me because I breathe hyped, rushed, always-with-my-timer/alarm-on air. Top secret; I had heard some joints cracking… including mine. A few minutes of volleyball got us back on track. Donuts 10/10 Our lectures on media persuasion began at 9:45 with Dr. Nikki McClaran. Those professors never stop to amaze me: truly connected with their students, updated, and relaxed. If I thought that I overcame Aristotle in my first year of university in the lectures of Old Literature, I would be wrong. Ethos, Pathos, Logos hello again! Oh, Cialdini, a new name to add to my to-read list. Dr. McClaran told us about the principles and the theories of persuasion. Fantastic how there are names for various phenomena; though I had seen those practices in ads, I had never thought about terminology. My very first VIP guided tour has just happened! 17:30 – Phil Maravilla, senior producer of PBS NewsHour West waited us for a sneak peek into the heart of a TV set at Cronkite. In the order of the number on our shirts (Alert!!! Romanian joke again): Rexhep (easy level) [rehjehp] / hard level [rɛdʒɛp], Eni, me, and Agon. Stephanie Sy, the anchor, and the staff let the four of us stay behind the cameras during her takes and see the editing room. It sounded like this: It was a long, but rewarding day. “Take advantage of every opportunity and raise your hand!” – those were Phil Maravilla’s words.
Stay hydrated, put sunscreen on, wear a hat, and just keep swimming, just keep swimming! Yours, Amalia (or like they love to call me when I place orders: Emilia, Malia, Amelia, Ena (???), Amie Welcome to another day in Sun Devil Town, where the warmth of the Sun matches the warmth in our hearts. I am so excited to share with all of you a day full of touching moments; from the fear and stress of completing our multimedia projects to the joy that brought tears of happiness. Morning on CampusWith a cup of Ice White Chocolate Mocha in hand, tooth bag over my shoulder, and dressed in a fancy outfit with glasses, I walked confidently from the dorm to the classroom, enjoying my own little "main character" moment (Crazy In Love by Beyonce playing in the background). Alright, let's refocus. I am constantly amazed by the breathtaking view of the ASU Downtown campus, with palm trees and tall buildings surrounding the school. Question: Do you have any tricks or tips to bring some of them to Bosnia? #AskingForAFriend It is summer break so the campus is relatively quiet with few people around but the best group of students is hidden in the classroom 430. Spilling the Tea with AndrewAndrew if you are reading this, WE MISS YOU! The first activity was a meeting with Andrew where we mutually reflected on the previous period of the program. We shared our impressions as well as general thoughts about the activities. Kristy says: The clock is ticking The second part of the day was reserved for the Lab day - a time that we used to work on our projects or, for some of us, at least start with them (Mirza and Stephanie have left the chat). As you could see from the pictures, we are PROs in video editing/taping, writing, and interviewing. Spreading Love and Support
It was an emotional and enjoyable experience at the same time. I was very happy that I could help bring light to those we met, but the whole scenario brought tears to my eyes, reminding me to appreciate everything. A Night to RememberIn ASU Gordon Commons, around midnight, it wasn't that quiet! WE APOLOGIZE FOR THAT! The excuse is: You wouldn't normally be in the USA celebrating your 22nd birthday. Saška, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! After we finished our volunteering, we had some time to rest and prepare for another day. However, a couple of us went to buy cake, balloons, and stuff for Saška's surprise. We decided to gather in the common room of our dorm where we would set up everything and bring Saška at 12:00 am. BUT, let's raise a glass or two to all the stress we went through! BECAUSE Saška decided to spend her evening on the main terrace that is between rooms and common space, which basically blocked our way to prepare everything for her. It was 11:45 pm, so we came up with plan B: “FAKE IT UNTIL MAKE IT”. Téa suddenly got the strongest headache #LOL, so she pulled Saška to her room to find a painkiller. We used those 5 minutes and 43 seconds to run with the cake, balloons, and confetti. In the end, we managed to set up everything without her knowing. Guinness World Records, contact me! Honestly, I am just wondering how we didn’t break that cake while running. #GodBlessSUSI23 But in the end, everything went perfectly. The cherry on top was the moment when Saška's boyfriend sent me a video to play for her (Indeed, she found her Prince on White Horse!). It brought another wave of tears and emotions for all of us. Most of my fellows are in relationships, so they miss their partners too. Lucky me, I'm single, so I don't have anyone to share my popcorn on this rollercoaster ride of emotions! #MorePopCornsForMe Until next time, LIVE YOUR MOMENT! Mirza Mujdžić - Jojić, Bosnia and Herzegovina #SUSI2023 #exchangestudent #ASU #bday #USA #cronkiteschool #moments #leaders #youth #journalism They say that dreams come true, but you don't really realize they do until the moment you get off the plane and BOOM!! You're in a whole different continent, making your inner child happy by turning dreams to reality. Relatable? Thought so. These days in Arizona have been incredible. Most of the time, I couldn't even separate reality from the feeling of being the main character of a movie. American movie. And even though we are slowly coming to an end, for me it still feels like I'm experiencing everything for the first time, just like the first day. Wednesday, July 12thToday, we started our day differently. Running late, of course, but not to the class; to catch the bus to Tempe, the city that offers everything for everyone. I started my day with a Starbucks milkshake, and of course, they had to write my name wrong. Call me Xhemsila from now and on. It's all part of the American experience. After we got the right amount of refreshment for the morning, we were more than ready to experience a different type of reality at DreamScape Learn, a virtual reality ! Yeah, and we became scientists all of a sudden, experts on the anatomy of some fantastic creatures and the wildlife of a whole different universe. We analysed some data and did some lab time, and unfortunately, found out that one of the babies had some type of severe unknown cancer. Harsh, right? It was the time when we decided to go back to reality as a safer option. Back to reality, we decided to have lunch at the Memorial Union, where we ordered from the very American fast food, Chick Fil A. There we had some cool conversations about how we feel that the SUSI trip is coming to an end, the unbearable heat and hot guys passing through (at least according to Agon ;P). After lunch, we had a discussion session with the lovely students of Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian and East European Studies, where we talked about languages (of course), misinformation, media literacy, the importance of sharing knowledge about different cultures and so on. To me, everytime we get the opportunity to meet with new people and get introduced to new cultures, it feels like I'm expanding my knowledge about the world, as the world itself gets smaller. At the end of everything, we were so tired we just wanted to go back at the dorm and sleep. Even though waisting your time sleeping here feels like a crime, I did take a long nap to prepare myself for the next day. As the days go by, I feel nostalgic for every memory I make, in this beautiful country with these amazing people.
And do not forget!! Dreams do come true. Writing on my laptop from Arizona, I, Xhensila, can confirm!! :) Let me start this of by saying I’m bad at dealing with endings, so you might never know how the story finishes. Even if you figure it out, here you have a bunch of 19 to 24 year olds that are writing a new story everyday. That is, for you to remain as confused with the concept of time as one could possibly be. However, being confused might not be a bad thing after all. Combine lectures, volunteering, landscape visits, group projects, going out and having fun with constant sleep-deprivation and you might get a hold of your own, perfect summer in Arizona - just like we did. If you somehow made it to July 11th, welcome to the recap. Buckle up, you are in for a ride (because let me tell you right away, we have a lot to unravel here). When you are all dressed-up, hair up in a messy ponytail, key in one hand, Starbucks in the other, running down the street to Cronkite and manifesting a green light and some faster elevators (stairs don’t work, don’t even try), you are definitely ready to tackle the day. Please enter the classroom promptly at 9:30 because today, we are learning about the trust in media, misinformation, media literacy and some well-hidden world secrets. Grab a sticky note and write a reminder - if you struggle with a burnout after our schedule today, there is a guy in Bosnia that could make all your problems go away with a single visit to Bosnian Pyramids. And guess what, we are never running out of water either, so that’s one less thing to worry about, especially if living in Phoenix made you take dehydration seriously. If you are feeling relieved now, it is time to improve your leadership skills. For this next part, I will have to ask you to put some boots on, grab a hat (and some sunscreen, can’t forget that in Arizona) and a life jacket, because we are going on a boat ride. “Leadership” is what we are naming our boat for the day. With a long journey ahead, let’s cross the unknown sea, weather some storms, and maybe even rediscover ourselves while on a leadership journey. Look at the clear blue water. Calming, isn’t it? It almost makes you not want to come back to the classroom 430. So don’t. Go grab some lunch, we’ll meet you here in an hour. Well, that lunch flew by! Time to do some work now. Or even better, visit some people that are doing some work. Let’s continue our day at Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. We can learn about the process of gathering information, protecting your sources (and yourself!) and verifying your story before publishing. That rounds up our lectures for the day. Feeling tired yet? Hope not. We’ve got some volunteering to do! Run back to Gordon Commons and change into something comfy. Don’t be late, we might leave without you..(in Kristy’s voice) We made it! Grassrootz Bookstore, a place where you can sort clothes (and use a pricing gun!), take photos, paint, try some clothes on and all that while giving something back to the community! Sounds like a nice way to spend an afternoon, right? After being very productive, you even get to reward yourself with some new stylish clothes from this amazing small business. If you’re still standing on your feet and sun/heatstroke didn’t get you, congrats! We are taking you to the pool now to cool off. It is nice having friends in Arizona. It is super nice having friends that have pools, though. After three weeks on the surface of the Sun, I can assure you there’s no better way to spend an afternoon and decompress. After swimming and getting some food on the way home, you should feel happy and exhausted. Two most common words among the SUSIs. And please, do not book that one way ticket to Bosnia just yet (that is if you are not Mirza, of course). We still got some work to do! I’m positive Xhen will tell you all about it tomorrow if you show up on time. Stay tuned and hydrated! xoxo,
Saška Janković It was another Monday here in Phoenix, which means that there’s a whole week of new lectures and activities ahead of us. Unlike typical Mondays, this one was a bit different. Most of us (if not all) were under impressions from our weekend trip to the magnificent Grand Canyon and the beautiful town of Flagstaff. I had high expectations when it comes to Grand Canyon, and may I say that they were exceeded. Just being there and staring at the cliffs with my favorite music in my ears gave me goosebumps. The feeling of euphoria, satisfaction, welfare and fear at the same moment took me to another spiritual level, where I felt like I wanted to become part of that place and blend into rocks and rifts. Truly unforgettable experience! Town of Flagstaff was a small but a very warm, vivid and vintage place, stuck in previous century with all its essentials. Grabbing snacks and some souvenirs from the dreamy cozy town through which Route 66 passes, just made the little boy in me happy, and my childhood dream came true. Felt like a movie. There is a lot more which I would like to share from the last weekend, but this briefly showcasing was supposedly enough, as I have a task to write about MONDAY, and not weekend. This Monday I must say was very productive, as we started working more seriously on our multimedia projects. It started quite relaxing after the dancing game we did at classroom with our dear Amy in order to understand and connect with each other better. Later on we had a really busy morning as we continued with the research on our topics. My group (Andra, Yoanna and I) are really satisfied with how it went so far. We actually made appointments to do some interviews in the following days, so on both Wednesday and Thursday morning, we will be heading to Tempe to interview some of the professors from ASU who specialise in the field of Migration (our topic). After the lunch break, it was time for lecture with none other than our beloved Kristy Roschke. I’m not being biased and saying this because it’s her, but she really occupied the attention of most of us during the whole lecture. It was a very efficient introduction to the concept of Media Literacy, presented in quite interesting way, with a nice discussion throughout lecture. Her approach towards us has been encouraging, while allowing us to develop critical thinking. After some break from the busy part of the day, some of us went to friend’s pool and spent the afternoon there. It felt quite nice to enjoy and grab some rays of sun while being able to chill in water, and not burn from the heat. The day was exhausting, but I won’t complain. We all should manage to have as much fun here as we can, because this is, indeed, a once in a lifetime experience. We’ll never again be 19-25 years young and stay in America for this long, so we should remember every moment and make them unforgettable! So after the pool, I took some rest and read a book, but soon after (almost) all of us were gathered in the common room to play card game, called “Cards Against Humanity”, a party game where players fill in the blank or answer a question from a black card with a phrase that they think is the funniest or most outrageous from given cards. After first few rounds, even more people joined us and there were around twenty of us sitting in circle and having fun playing this game. What I love about board games is their simplicity and how they connect people in creative ways.
|