MUDEC Méinden-Weekly news from the MUDEC community for the MUDEC community-#lifelongMUDEC

J-Term 2020 #1-2019 MUDEC Memories Edition

January 6, 2020

To start 2020, we are going to look back at 2019 at MUDEC through the eyes of the #lifelongMUDEC community. To kick things off, here is the Editor's Top 10 MUDEC moments of 2019, in no particular order:

Dean Leterre wishing Evie Doster happy birthday and asking her to be his Valentine on Valentine's Day at lunch in the Grand Hall
Reading the accounts of MUDEC alumni who were at the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989
Monkeying around with Barbary macaque monkeys on the Discovery Tour The Magic of Alsace
Spending over an hour trying to convince the bus driver to drive us from Venice to the Milan airport on the Italy Study Tour in the summer when he was insisting on being paid in cash for the entire trip first
Walking with the US Ambassador and the Grand Duc and his entourage through Petange at the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation in September, and also meeting descendants of the first American solider killed in Luxembourg
The Chäteau in the snow on the first day of classes in January and having to convince students that the message from Oxford that "all campuses are closed" due to snow back in Ohio did not apply to Luxembourg
The MUDEC 4th of July party, in partnership with the American Luxembourg Society, where so many people came that we ran out of some beverages early and barely had enough food
The Guac-off SFC event in the fall, where groups of students competed to make the best guacamole
Seeing Luxembourg celebrity chefs Léa Linster (as judge for the Feed Your Brain debate) and Anne Faber (for the Philosophy of Food class) visit MUDEC
The showing of the movie Ashcan for the students with Director Willy Perelsztejn and seeing Ambassador Dolibois on screen

-Study: Professor Memories

-Engage: Alumni Memories

-Travel: Student Memories

Janice Kinghorn-Fall 2018-Spring, Summer 2019 Professor

Now that I'm back teaching at Oxford one thing that I miss about MUDEC is Monday mornings. It was always so much fun to come to class Monday mornings and hear the students talking about their weekend adventures. They never cease to impress me with how adventuresome they were, how well they problem solved, and in general how they embraced the time they had in Europe. It would have also quite impressive that they could do this and still bring their homework to class Monday morning. Although I'm sure it was not easy they really did integrate study engage in travel in a meaningful way.

Claudine Bechet-Metz-Professor

At the end of the fall semester, I was proud to see that my class perfectly understood the main characteristics of a baroque painting: subject seen from below, whirling movements, complicated structure, ascending composition 😀

Discovering an art piece in a baroque church!

After a sketching class by a professional sketcher, students hold a sketchbook with the nicest art works seen each weekend. Some of them discover or rediscover a new way of expression.

Experiencing art in an interactive way.

Spring 2019 Field trip in Metz

Visiting surroundings of Lux City and getting to know the legendary Melusina

Visiting a Keith Haring exhibition where we met a personal friend of the artist.

Stephanie Law-Professor

In teaching the ARC 404L class, my goal is not just to improve the students’ graphic presentation skills, but to take them out to various sites to sketch iconic European architecture and urban areas.

By sketching rather than just taking photos, you use an area of the brain that helps develop spatial perception and develops a design vocabulary in a way that cannot be achieved otherwise.

This year, I had a very talented group of students that I really enjoyed teaching. It’s not easy to take criticism on art work, but all of them remembered my message that this is a process and mistakes or attempts that miss the mark are the best way to learn. Every one of them in the end presented some outstanding illustrations.
We really enjoyed a long weekend trip to Amsterdam where we visited the EYE film museum, NDSM art and design studios (in an old ship building warehouse), the NEMO museum and more. In Luxembourg we went to Belval and the MUDAM museum of modern art. We also visited the UNESCO World Heritage listed cathedral in Trier.

I wish all the students the best in the New Year and beyond!

Students in front of red circled studio in a warehouse

Brian Domino-2019 Spring Professor

The difference between philosophy and marketing: the day before Anne Faber was to come to my Philosophy of Food class, I was explaining who she was and how our dinner with her at Bache Jang connected with what we had been studying. Even though I was very excited about her visit, the students looked as if I was lecturing on Hegel's approach to dental floss. Suddenly, one student looked up from her laptop and declared: "Guys! The Rachel Ray of Luxembourg is coming to our class!" Suddenly the class was abuzz as the students were sharing what they had found online about our celebrated guest.

Carlo Klein-Professor

Find attached two pictures showing my class attending a conference about the international monetary system. This was definitely the highlight of my 2019 Fall semester class.

Pam Archer-Chair of the MUDEC Advisory Board

Pam Archer with Andy Adams and the Luxembourg flag

MUDEC Alumni continue to support MUDEC long after their time there. The MUDEC Alumni Facebook page has 1521 members with more joining every week. During #MoveInMiami this year, 118 alumni and friends contributed over $16,000!”

Crici Dumont-Former Housing Coordinator

2019: The year I stopped as Housing Coordinator. In the middle of the Fall 2019 semester I finished working as the MUDEC Housing Coordinator. Dean Leterre organized a beautiful reception and I was overwhelmed by the innumerable gestures of appreciation everybody shared upon my departure: alumni, staff members, faculty and host families alike showered me with their warm, best wishes, words, cards and gifts. The MUDEC family is a strong and lasting connection and I already look forward to all future contacts with extended MUDEC Family alums. So it is just like Dean Leterre said in his address during this reception: Fall 2019: it is not an ending but a new start.

Bob Eckhart-MUDEC Alum

Bob Eckhart and his wife in front of the Château

I had the real honor to stay at the MUDEC château in 2019--a proper medieval castle. When I was in Lux (summer, '89), we were at 45 Ave Monterey, and after the bars closed we used to sneak in the window by the mail room and sometimes sleep one off in the cave and climb out before daybreak. I never thought that 30 years later I'd have the privilege to be a guest of the Dean and have an actual bedroom and stay overnight at MUDEC in an authorized fashion, ha!

Paula Hinz-MUDEC Alum

A year ago, I thought that my Luxembourg 50-year-anniversary reunion trip in 2018 was a more of an ‘end of an era’ trip. I had no plans, at all, to meet-up with MUDEC friends or to visit Luxembourg in 2019.

Fortunately, Dean Thierry Leterre’s visit in September was to kick-off a season of MUDEC connections for me.

At the MUDEC party to honor Dean Leterre’s visit to the US at the elegant Scioto Country Club in Columbus, I got a chance to catch-up with some of the Central Ohio MUDEC alumni I met last year at the reunion. I also got to meet a few new MUDEC friends, eat Pam Archer’s Luxembourg cookies (using Anne Faber’s cookbook and cookie cutter) and hear about current events in Oxford and Luxembourg.

Later in September. I visited Chicago and managed to meet Bob Peterson (MUDEC ’83- ‘84) for dinner and drinks. Naturally, we reminisced about ‘the good old days’ in Luxembourg.

In October, my husband and I were in Stuttgart for his work, so we drove to Luxembourg for the day. Crici Dumont organized lunch at her home. I don’t want to make you hungry, but we had a Luxembourgish meal that included a pea soup with wurst, a rustic bread and a homemade mirabelle plum tart for dessert. It was an afternoon of storytelling, laughter and even a little singing with Cynthia, M. & Mme Dumont, Crici, and her daughter. Without a doubt, it was one of my best days in 2019!

Finally, in November, while I was studying in Strasbourg for two weeks, Professor Gerardo Brown stopped by to visit the city. I got a chance to be the tour guide for one of my favorite ‘former’ (I try not to say ‘old’) teachers, in one of my favorite European cities.

Looking back, I had no idea that MUDEC would be such a large part of my 2019 memories.

I hope I have the same luck in 2020.

PJ Hinz with Pam Archer, Thierry Leterre and Brian Domino in Columbus with the Lux flag

Riley Whitfield-2019 Spring Student

Riley and Jingpei at the blackboard in the Gare

A blackboard was set up at Gare Centrale, and it asked what people wanted to do before they died. It was all filled up except for a small space at the top. George and I had to get creative, but we got in some MUDEC representation eventually!

Quinn Anderson-2019 Summer Student

While abroad for the summer, I was able to travel to 9 different countries which was amazing! Even better, I was able to travel with some of my best friends and meet tons of amazing people. My host family was the absolute sweetest and made my experience in Luxembourg one to remember for the rest of my life!

Sarah Green, Professor Liza Skryzhevska, Quinn Anderson at the MUDEC 4th of July party

Students with hard hats at a company visit

Emma Burke-2019 Spring Student

Students on a rooftop looking out at Florence

One of my favorite moments during the semester in Florence, Italy 😀

Helena Wolenski, Megan Brady, and Emma Burke in front of the Eiffel Tower

In front of the Eiffel Tower with Helena Wolenski and Megan Brady

Madeline Marshall-2019 Spring Student, Newsletter Editor

My favorite MUDEC memory was the field trip day for Philosophy of Food! We went to the four corners of Luxembourg to try different foods and wines like charcuterie plates with local cheeses and meats, wine from the Moselle, and a four course dinner (at an amazing restaurant that I cannot remember the name of but I believe there was a MUDEC connection to). The day was filled with amazing food and we got to explore the countryside of Luxembourg more. Out of every field trip I have ever taken, this was by far the best. Another fun Philosophy of Food memory was meeting Anne Faber and going to dinner with her as a class. Meeting a Luxembourg celebrity and getting to hear about her love for Luxembourg and other European cuisine was such a unique and fun opportunity. She even brought us some of her books to sign- one of my favorite souvenirs from Luxembourg.

As far as my favorite newsletter memory, it was making the travel misadventure column. I always loved talking to my peers about their weekend failures and encouraging them to write about it for the newsletter. It was a way to remind all of us novice travelers that it is okay to make mistakes, and to laugh and them and let them be part of the learning process. More than that, I loved reading the alumni submissions- especially the travel misadventures from wayyyy back in the day with no cellphones. It gave me a new appreciation for the technology we have now and how much it assisted me in my weekend travels. My hands down favorite edition though was my mom's travel misadventure on her way to visit me for Spring Break, where she was almost not able to come because of an expired passport, but miraculously got a new one expedited in 24 hours.

Clare DiCuccio-Spring 2019 Student

Clare and Erin Lorigan with host father Marco Antunes at his wedding

Wedding selfie! Host sisters!

Venice!

Taking the train up Mt. Rigi, Switzerland

Alec Hoelker-Fall 2019 Student

My favorite memory from MUDEC 2019 was ease of meeting new people and making memorable friendships. Everyone was in the same seat as me, knowing maybe 1 or 2 people in the crowd of 70. But it didn’t take long before weekend trips with strangers became memories that I’ll never forget. From Oktoberfest to Croatia, MUDEC is a great opportunity to meet new people from Miami that have the ambition to travel. I already miss it.

Monday-Friday: No classes

Saturday-Sunday: Closed

Aerial view of the Château de Differdange, where Miami's Luxembourg campus, the John E. Dolibois European Center, often abbreviated to MUDEC, is located

Château Hours

Monday-Friday: 8:00-17:00

Saturday- Sunday: Closed

Administrative Hours

Monday-Friday: 8:00-12:00 and 13:00-17:00

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