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Spring 2021 #12April 12, 2021
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Study
- Preparing for Study Tours
Engage
- The Return of Terrace Dining
Travel
- Malta and Palma de Mallorca
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| Preparing for Study Tours
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by Hannah Sroka, MUDEC student
Study tours are coming up, but they are looking a bit different this year!
Normally, students travel to a destination with their study tour class. They spend a week there visiting museums, taking guided tours, and experiencing different cultures and lifestyles. They also learn more about topics they have been studying all semester; for instance, HST250 (Cold War Childhood) would focus on how the Cold War affected their destination, and MUS189 (Great Ideas in Western Music) would focus on famous musicians, their lives, and their works. After the study tour ends, spring break would begin, and students would have a week to explore Europe on their own.
But COVID has brought changes to many things, including the study tours. The first major change came earlier in the semester, when the study tours were pushed back from mid-March to mid-April. This was done in hopes that COVID cases would decrease, which would allow students to safely travel to farther destinations. Unfortunately, as the study tour week drew closer and closer, it was becoming clear that the original three destinations—Berlin for HST250, Slovenia for SOC337, and Poland for HST270—would not be possible.
MUDEC staff did not let this deter them too much, though, and they worked hard to create an alternative plan that would please the students. This year, every class will be going to the same place for their study tour: Zadar, Croatia.
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Students will spend the week doing course-specific activities, but they will also spend time doing things as one large student body, like listening to guest speakers and visiting national parks.
The three study tour professors have given students an idea of what kinds of activities they will be doing. For instance, Professor Albarrán’s HST250 class will visit an abandoned prison island and learn about Tito, a Yugoslav dictator. Professor Khoury’s HST270 class will visit museums and also learn about Tito. In both cases, students will learn about historical events from a different perspective—Croatia (as a part of Yugoslavia) was a Nazi puppet state in World War II and socialist throughout the majority of the Cold War. Professor Briot’s SOC337 class has also been learning about Croatia and Yugoslavia, and will interview Croatian citizens to learn more about Croatian society, culture, and history.
Many students are overjoyed that they have this opportunity. Croatia was on many of their bucket lists, but it was rather hard to get to. They are looking forward to traveling to a beautiful country as a large group, and to learning more about topics they have been studying inside the classroom.
The group leaves on Sunday, April 18, and returns on Saturday, April 24. In order to ensure they are able to go (and return), students are being very COVID-cautious. However, everyone is looking forward to the study tour—it wiill be such a unique experience for everyone!
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| The Return of Terrace Dining
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by Megan Fogarty, MUDEC student
Luxembourg outdoor dining reopened Tuesday, April 7th. With the arrival of spring, students are excited to experience terrace dining.
Luxembourg dining had been closed due to COVID-19 precautions. Students have been enjoying take away meals from places in Differdange and Luxembourg City. Local favorites around the Château include Taste of India, Good Will Chinese, Snack Antalya, and Umisaqi.
Luxembourg offers a wide variety of choices across cultures, diets and venues. Many students have been travelling into Luxembourg City to explore and have found some favorites there as well. Students have been particularly excited by the variety of healthy and vegetarian/vegan options. Student recommendations include Dean & David, Exki, Beet, Rawdish and Cereal Lovers.
Professor Elena Albarrán even created a document for students in her HST296 class to share their favorite “boulangeries” (bakeries) around Luxembourg. Gerard de geckege Bäcker seemed to be a favorite, described as “the absolute best, the pastries are always fresh and soft and the customer service is absolutely unrivaled.”
Students can visit terraces from 6am-6pm and explore all that Luxembourg restaurants have to offer!
Below, left to right: Exki Beet Salad (photo by Caroline Conrath); Rawdish To-Go Options; Cereal Lovers' Drink Menu
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| Malta and Palma de Mallorca
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by Megan Smith, MUDEC student
Students at MUDEC have been fortunate to experience a traditional European holiday this year. Since there was no spring break due to the COVID pandemic, students focused their travel plans around Easter weekend. Traditionally Easter is a family oriented holiday in Europe, meaning Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays.
Students were able to travel to some amazing places during Easter Weekend. Malta was a popular destination, as was Palma de Mallorca.
Anna Juhas and Max Rattner were among the group that traveled to Malta. They both said that the views of the beaches and lagoon were nothing like they’d ever seen. Juhas said flying in was a unique experience, because there was no land in sight until they were on the ground. Max concurred, and said his favorite part was being able to hop on a ferry to an island that was still in the country.
Meg Stein was among the students who went to Palma de Mallorca, an island off the coast of Spain. She said that being able to take her time to see all the sights was her favorite part, and of course, being welcomed by the locals who have been awaiting the return of tourism.
While this break was short, all MUDEC students made the most of it while still staying aware of COVID guidelines. Juhas and Rattner said that in Malta there was a two- person gathering law, which was enforced. Stein said that while the measures in place in Palma were strict, they were still as accommodating as possible to tourists. It’s clear that both the students of MUDEC and the countries around them are eager to welcome each other in the safest way possible.
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Left to Right: A lagoon in Malta; Taylor Fannin, Cate Wheeler, Kalie Adrian, Isabelle Guerreau, and Anna Juhas pose in Malta; Cathedral de Mallorca
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Monday-Thursday: 8:00-22:00Friday: 8:00-17:00
Saturday, Sunday: Open variable hours; students, please check Canvas
Administrative Hours
Monday-Friday: 8:30-12:30
13:00-17:00
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