11 students are first from UP to study in Krakow, Poland as part of the Europe Summer Studies Abroad
By Laura Frazier, Staff Writer -- frazier13@up.edu
Going to a club and seeing people of all ages – including senior citizens – dancing and drinking was something junior Andrew Wuertzer never expected to witness. Nor did he plan on swimming in the Baltic Ocean. Yet while studying abroad in Poland this summer, Wuertzer was able to experience these and other unique cultural opportunities.
For the first time, UP students visited Krakow, Poland as part of the Europe Summer Studies Abroad program. The 11 students in the program stayed in Salzburg for two weeks before traveling to Vienna and Prague and closing out the trip in Krakow. Though UP has offered the Europe Summer program for several years, this is the first year that a stay in Poland was included.
Fr. Art Wheeler C.S.C., who runs the Studies Abroad Program at UP, was excited to add Krakow to the program, as it brought a new cultural aspect to the students' experience.
"We wanted to develop programs that will expose students to the culture of central Europe," he said.
Professor Kenneth Kleszynski, who taught the program's fine arts class, agrees that Krakow was an excellent choice.
"It's accessible and located in a good position geographically, " he said. "There is a great deal of variety as far as culture."
Wheeler is looking into expanding UP's study abroad programs and possibly including a Catholic studies program. Krakow could potentially be the base city for this program as the role of Catholicism is a key aspect of Polish culture, Wheeler said.
Kleszynski agrees that Krakow's religious aspects make the city especially worthwhile for students.
"It's beneficial to go to a place with so much Catholic nature," he said.
Professor Gary Malecha, who taught the program's political science course, also believes that the presence of religion in the country is important for students to see firsthand.
"The Church helped with the evolution of the country," he said. "Being there students could see that."
Junior Ian Burns noticed the emphasis on religion every day and how it differs from the United States.
"One of the most notable things is the amount of nuns in habits walking in the street," he said. "It was a normal
occurrence."
Burns was also surprised at how many people attended Mass when the group went to a service at a chapel in the center of Krakow.
Wuertzer was surprised at how casual the service was, as the group dressed up for Mass, but found that locals wear everyday clothes.
According to Burns, the general atmosphere of Poland was more subdued than that of the United States. Burns said that people tended to dress more modestly and talk in softer voices.
"We were always talking or laughing and joking," he said. "But you definitely got the feeling that that was not the normal thing to do. People are maybe more carefree in America."
Wuertzer said he stood out because he was able to communicate only in English.
"No one could believe that English is the only language I speak," he said. "They were blown away by that for
some reason."
Burns said though the Poles are friendly, he noticed a difference between the young and old.
"Many college-aged students spoke English, but there was definitely a generation gap," he said. "It's not that older people weren't willing to talk to you, they just weren't as comfortable."
From an educational perspective, Kleszynski appreciated that students could directly see the evidence of what they had learned in class.
"They can see so many aspects of the turbulent and dramatic history," he said. "The students seemed to really take advantage of it."
Burns agreed that the courses enhanced his trip overall.
"I feel comfortable that I had learned something and could apply it walking through a city," he said.
Kleszynski said that one of the more memorable parts of the trip was when the group toured the Auschwitz concentration camp, where the Nazis exterminated thousands of Jews during World War II.
"It's very hard to put it into words," he said. "Some of the students were very profoundly moved. For all of them, it was a very revealing experience."
Wuertzer said the experience was truly eye-opening.
"It made me realize what human beings are capable of and that it can get to that level," he said. "It's humbling. Makes you think about it for sure."
Wheeler hopes to continue expanding study abroad programs and send students to Poland again in 2013, or earlier if possible. He also said that now more students then ever are taking advantage of study abroad opportunities, as 40 percent of May graduates in the past two years studied abroad at some point during their college career at UP.
"Study abroad used to be a luxury," he said. "Now it's an accessible part of a college education."
