Covenant Students Spend a Semester in Thailand
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Perspectives: Features: Arts: Is America an New swing dance Daniel Tucker reviews ungovernable nation? venue downtown . latest thriller. PAGE 7 PAGE 3 PAGE 5 thebagpipeonline.com VOL.56 NO.18 BAGPIPETHURSDAY, MARCH 4 PHOTOS COURTESY OF WAVERLY McMAHAN Covenant Students Spend a Semester In Thailand Riding elephants is just one facet of being a student at Thailand’s Chiang Mai University, as junior Kelsey Mucci and sophomore Waverly McMahan discover during their studies abroad. by Luisa DiBernardo Leming and his wife are on site and are and latent issues from seeing parents The process is quite simple. The [email protected] able to fulfill the needs of the students, murdered,” said Mucci. It is a great student applies the semester beforehand. Covenant College’s study abroad whether it be academic or emotional opportunity to open one’s mind and heart The all inclusive cost is $16,000, but program has opened its doors to Southeast support. to compassion as they approach a culture for those who study the Thai language Asia and has sent three assiduously Students in the program study at very different from their own. there is a $12,000 Boren scholarship to adventurous students to industrial the Chiang Mai University in Chiang One piece of advice Mucci offers be sought after which is funded through Thailand. They are junior Kelsey Mucci, Mai which offers studies in sociology, prospective students is to prepare for the U.S. Dept. of Education. Chiareli senior Jon Adam, and sophomore Waverly anthropology, language and art. their minds to be challenged as they is our campus representative for this McMahan. The program is a full-package deal. enter into a culture counterintuitive to scholarship. Toni Chiareli, professor of Sociology, was It contains an internship, and allows their own. “Thai classrooms are, to the Chiareli hopes to send five or so students able to facilitate this opportunity through students to complete their foreign American eye, unorganized and hectic,” next year. his connection with Michael Leming, who language requirement, cross-cultural said Mucci. Children have been trained If you’ve walked through the bottom teaches sociology at the college of St. Olaf. experience and any other art and sociology to cheat and not bother about individual floor of Brock you might notice that in Northfield, Minnesota. class they take. Students can earn 16-20 work. Thailand is not the only new opportunity He talked with Leming at the annual credit hours. “I think another really great thing about to study abroad. conference of ACTS (Association of “Elephant rides are an integral part this program is that it gives you a good “The Wall of May” is Dr. Chiareli’s new Christians Teaching Sociology) last year of this program,” Chiareli concluded chance to learn about Asia. I honestly way of advertising opportunities to study to learn more about the details of studying enthusiastically. McMahan also think that Asia is an underappreciated abroad in May. The advertised shorter abroad in Thailand. Leming has been commented that they got to “stay in tribal continent in American studies. Even in study abroad programs fulfill the field leading students through this program for villages for about three weeks.” missions, we focus on Europe, and South requirement for intercultural research for two decades through his own organization, Mucci stated that the internship has America, and Africa, but a lot of times sociology majors. Amazing Southeast Asia LTD. been her favorite and is the most mind- we forget Asia. Thailand is less than 1% Last year, a group of students went Chiareli affirms Leming’s program opening part of her trip. She teaches ESL Christian,” McMahan said. a-maying to Athens, Greece. This next may saying, “the fit between his program to third graders at a school for children This program is not limited to just Dr. Chiareli is trekking across the Atlantic and our goals for the newly developed who live in the slums. “There are many sociology majors. It can be extended to to Rome, Italy. Further opportunities will intercultural concentration in the problems in the students in my class any discipline that has a study abroad land students in Jordan, Thailand, Brazil, sociology department was very good.” ranging from ADD to suicidal depression component. France, and San Fransisco. 2 | News Mavericks and Fritos Business club goes big picture. The diversity and quality of companies that were visited was largely to Texas thanks to the combined connections of by Nathan Davis Mahla, and Business Club members junior [email protected] Stephen Johnson, and senior Jonathan Pelts. Biblical wisdom applied to business was “You can’t do anything you want to do, but probably the main take-away from the only what God has planned for you to do” experience. The Business Club President, recalled senior Ryan Yackel as he reflected senior Kevin DeJong, recounts learning how on his recent trip with the Business Club. “our generation is not entitled to success” and On February 17 several Business the importance of “building your business Club members, led by Tim Mahla from practice upon the foundations of your faith.” Advancement, set out on an educational trip “Hard work is necessary, but it’s not to Dallas Texas. According to Mahla, “The sufficient…if you don’t work hard, then PHOTO COURTESY OF NATHAN DAVIS purpose of the trip was to give our students you’re pretty much guaranteed not to an opportunity to see the principles we accomplish things. However, just working Business club members pose with Donny Nelson Jr., the teach at Covenant applied by Christian hard won’t get you to where you need or General Manager of the NBA Dallas Mavericks Basketball Team. Business professionals in the Dallas area.” want to go. You have to be working hard on While there, they were generously housed the right things, and you have to be doing at Nelson and Mary Somerville’s home. something that you are capable of finishing,” Nelson (a 1978 alumnus) and his wife Mary said senior Joana McGill. Steve Corbett on NPR are parents of a current Covenant student. Other general wisdom they received by Abigail Smith Business Club members met with a wide included the importance of finding a mentor, [email protected] experienced by the poor. In a study called voices spectrum of Christian business leaders, and the criticalness of knowing yourself. It of the poor, The World Bank asked poor people ranging from the owners of a family operated, is a necessity to find someone who can speak Covenant students are constantly being chal- around the world what poverty meant to them and local furniture store (Weir’s Furniture) to truth into your life about your gifts, and at lenged to channel their zeal wisely when faced it was answers like this that they were given. Some Donny Nelson Jr., the General Manager of the same time to cultivate a selfless, servant with tragedies like the earthquake in Haiti. With people even felt that they did not deserve a better the NBA Dallas Mavericks Basketball Team. attitude for building up and developing resources such as the Chalmers Center, as well as life. Clearly, poverty is not just a lack of things. It The group’s first visit was with President of others. Moreover, people are commonly professors and students in the community develop- goes much deeper than that. Annandale Capital (an investment advisory advised to follow their passions, but Craig ment major, finding wise ways to help is not very “Of course there is material deficit,” Corbett re- firm) Tom Shirley, and Principal and Chief Kilgore of Weir’s furniture advised the group difficult here on campus. These vast stores of infor- marked, but “If you [the poor] have a sense of ‘I Compliance Officer Craig Wenning. Despite that passions come and go in various degrees mation, however, may not be as readily available to can’t do this myself and others need to provide for dealing with portfolios of a minimum of of intensity, so instead, we should consider the general public. me’ and then others come in from outside…you $5 million, these men were quick to point being passionate about serving God, serving To help get the word out, professor of commu- may get physical manifestations better… but the out the absolute importance of integrating others, and working hard in order to be nity development and co-author of When Helping people may feel even poorer than ever, their dignity their faith into their business practice happy wherever you’re working. Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting may be robbed even deeper.” without falling into the common extremes Everything about the trip, from the the Poor and Yourself, Steve Corbett was a guest on With events such as project Boaz renewing our of either retreating into an unhealthy Somerville’s warm-hearted hospitality NPR’s Talk of the Nation on February 15. Corbett, campus-wide passion for acting out our faith by “closet-Christianity” or the other extreme to meeting Donny Nelson in the Dallas along with Father Ken Gavin of the Jesuit Refu- helping out brothers and sisters in Haiti, the advice of subscribing to a weak, unrespectable, Maverick’s locker-room, was such a privilege gee Service USA, and Marleine Bastien of Haitian professor Corbett shared on NPR is applicable now namby-pamby “Ned Flanders” Christianity. and blessing for the Business Club. Everyone Women of Miami were the primary guests on the more than ever. We must not let our desire to do Just listening to Tom and Craig’s biblical enjoyed seeing the many different ways show, while others with disaster relief experience something get in the way of what is actually best for guidance and encouragement was exciting authentic Christian faith was integrated also called in with their insights people in crisis.