Zorbing, Reading, "Green"-ing

Recently the Rolling Stonehill got the chance to catch up with Andrew Norkiewicz, who's currently studying at Oxford University in England.  Read all about his amazing experiences below- from country hopping, to "Fire Shots," to getting the chance to roll in a zorbing ball!

RS: How has your abroad experience been so far? What places across the world have you explored? 

AN: My abroad experience so far has been extremely diverse and I am very glad that it

Bodleian Library

has been. I have mixed a lot of academic work (I now know the inside of the Bodleian library better than MacPhaidin) with sport, volunteer work, and travel. Though I have not had much time during term to travel, I managed to make my way around England (Stonehenge, London, Bath) as well as Galway, Ireland in the fall semester. In the spring I was able to spend a week in Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich and I have been currently living in Wales on an organic farm for over a month now.

RS: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done abroad yet? 

AN: If my parents are reading: On Easter Sunday I ran on a high coastal path in Wales that took me onto cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I ran until the sun set over the ocean and Welsh headlands and was accompanied by four wild horses at one point. If my parents aren’t reading: in Vienna I went to a dive bar that offered a “Fire Shot” for only a euro or so. I thought it was just something that would burn on the way down. Rather, it was a shot of alcohol that was lit on fire while in my mouth. All I can say is that Brother Mike’s should invest in this.

RS: What are you excited most about to bring back to Stonehill?

Water zorbing

AN: Two things. Farming and water zorbing. Working on an organic farm in Wales for over a month has been one of the greatest aspects of being abroad. It has been a great break from bookwork and it has given me a variety of practical skills which have helped me to develop a much more comprehensive understanding of my academic studies. I am very much looking forward to returning to Stonehill with what I’ve learned abroad about sustainability, global perspective of environmental issues, and organic growing in order to help make Stonehill a greener college.

On a more important note: I would very much like to start an initiative that would see the ice-skating rink in front of the science center to be changed into a large pool during the warmer months and used as a water-zorbing station for students. During the Mansfield Ball at Oxford, such a station was created and I can honestly say: running around in a human-sized hamsterball on top of a pool of water was probably one of the greatest/claustrophobic/nauseating experiences of my life.

Carolyn Meklenburg '14
Image credit: Guardian.co.uk

Cultural Osmosis: Gaining Perspective and Acculturation Through Travel

Over Spring break, I travelled farther than Virginia for the first time in my life, going abroad to Germany with my fellow LC members. Leading up to our travel, I felt nothing but anxiety and fear: What if the plane we fly on crashed? What if I am stuck sitting next to someone with body odor? What if I get the window seat and have to force the person next to me to get up multiple times because I need to utilize the facilities? What if I lose my luggage? What if I can’t find anything to eat? And the list goes on. Everything that someone who has not travelled before worries about, came across my mind. After a lengthy flight, we touched down in Munich with no problem, easing my anxieties partially. We then left the airport and headed towards our bus, and as I looked around at the second largest city in all of Germany, I realized how life changing an experience I was going to have: gaining perspective and cultural diversity through my travels.

Travelling to Germany had its obvious advantages: the chance to see more historical German landmarks than most will ever see in their life in the course of 13 days, the opportunity to experience a vibrant and youthful German nightlife, the chance to sample a new cuisine, the chance to test the language skills I have been honing all year in my German class, and the ability to check something off my bucket list, leaving the United States and going abroad. These were all amazing advantages and experience gained from our time in the Vaterland, but upon arriving back here at Stonehill I found I have gained something even more valuable: perspective. I have lived on the South Shore my whole life, and have rarely left without the company of family. Going to Germany threw me into a new culture, and allowed me to see how others live beyond the Stonehill, and Southern Massachusetts bubble.

I observed many things about the Germans, but there are a particular few worth mentioning here. The first thing I noticed is their impeccable time management skills: whether it was a tour guide, member of the hotel staff, or a waiter, all the Germans I encountered were timely and conscious of the hour. The beauty of their precision in regards to their schedules was that they were not on time because they were constantly in a rush as we often are here in the states, rather they moved at a normal pace and yet were never late. Germans also place a large emphasis on utility, be it their vehicles, their showers, their souvenirs, you name it, they were all well-made and built to last. Germans also treat money different than we do, when one prepares to pay at a restaurant you pay right at the table, you don’t send your payment off and wait for the waiter or waitress to come back, it all happens right in front of you in a shockingly transparent process. It is also not a shock to a server if they receive no tip, for their wages are high enough as it is so they do not have to work strictly for gratuities, they make a respectable wage no matter what you tip them. Perhaps most shocking to Americans, nearly every German restrooms require a fee for entry. This may sound obnoxious, but these restrooms were kept impeccably clean and stocked with nearly every amenity one could imagine. Germany was just an entirely different world, and I liked it. It was amazing because even the most trivial of tasks such as paying a waiter or using the bathroom were the polar opposite of what I was used to, and therefore an experience worth having.

I do not mean to downplay the significance of my time abroad by highlighting such specificities, but I would like to use them as a springboard to explain the more broad societal themes of Germany. Through my day to day interactions, I realized the German people place an emphasis on utility, transparency, punctuality, a normal and deliberate pace, cleanliness, cordiality, and the ability to make a respectable living despite one’s profession. Not to beat a dead horse, but can any of us say that we have never commented on the lack of such characteristics in our own country? I know that as Americans we like to go it alone, but maybe we can learn more from the Europeans than we may think.

Brendan Monahan '15

Image credit: Brendan Monahan

The Tallest Man in Scotland

Anyone who knows Nick Howard is already familiar with his passion for music, poetry and the arts.  Although campus is not quite as merry without him this semester, we were eager to hear all about his cultural adventures while abroad in Scotland, and even heard he got to meet one of his musical heroes in the process- nearly by accident!

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RS: What influenced you to go to Scotland?

NH: I was influenced to go to Scotland because of the academic reputation of St. Andrews. I did not really process it as being part of Scotland or the UK. I figured that I knew enough about "British" (what I really meant was English) culture that it would not be an issue. It was one of those I will figure it out when I get there things.  

RS:  So we heard you're doing a radio show over there. Tell us a little bit about what you play and discuss on the air.

NH: Yes, I have brought my radio program "The Beach" across the pond with me. It is basically the same show I have at Stonehill, a mix of modern alternative and folk, classic rock, classic indie (The Smiths), a little punk, and everything in between. Basically the mantra for the show is, to quote Mick Jagger, "It's only Rock n Roll, but I like it"

RS:  What's been the biggest culture shock from being in a new country?

NH: In my opinion, culture shock can kind of be like an earthquake, sometimes there are large tremors and sometimes there are just small aftershocks. At the beginning there was a huge quake of "Oh my God, what is this country? Everything is different?" Now I simply enjoy taking notice in the different phrases, expressions, foods, customs, spelling, and culture overall. To summarize, I have continued to learn about the culture, the only difference is now it does not overwhelm me, I embrace it. 

We see you recently got to meet the Tallest Man on Earth. Can you tell us a little about that?

NH: Yes, I did meet The Tallest Man On Earth. Probably one of the greatest moments of my life. To make a long story short, my friend and I ended up in the same cafe as him, so when he stood up from where he was sitting, we went over, introduced ourselves, chatted a wee bit, and got a photo. He was just such a relaxed, yet still so focused guy. He had it in his eye and it all came out in the show.

The "Tallest Man on Earth", Kristian Matsson

RS:  Have you discovered any new music or art in Europe that you wouldn't have picked up in America?

NH: I wish I could say, but unfortunately no. You could maybe count my re-interest in The Who, but that is just because I love 60's rock, before it became big and bloated in the 70's. What has really happened is I go through periods where I listen to marathons of American music. I will devour the catalogs of Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Neil Young (technically he is Canadian), Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and Passion Pit. You get the picture. I like to hear my country in my music choice, both classic rock and modern alternative. My goal is to get into one Scottish band that captures what I feel that the sound of St. Andrews is.
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Nicole Colantonio '14
Image credit: Nick Howard and yetimusic.net

Function Meets Style in London

Meg Lewis '14 has always been a fashion presence at Stonehill...and this semester, she has continued to experiment with looks and styles while studying abroad in London.  While still keeping up with the College Fashionista website by submitting regular posts, Meg's style is still making an impact back in the states.  We got the chance to chat with her recently about her experiences with style and fashion on the other side of the pond.
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RS: Describe your style in three words. Has it changed since coming to London?

ML: AH this is tough, probably "function meets style." I think it definitely has changed a little since being here. Living literally in the middle of London gives you a wide range of other people's styles on a daily basis, and I quickly began to realize people really don't care what other people think of what they wear, they wear what they want and that is that! It was eye-opening. I have pretty much worn whatever I pleased to a degree before coming here, but I have definitely stepped it up in the personal style department.

RS: What is the biggest difference you've noticed between European and American fashion?

ML: Everyone has their own way of wearing what they want to wear, while at the same time remaining very functional and comfortable. Living right in the city has taught me a lot about layering and wearing functional pieces, especially in London where it literally could rain, hail, and be 70 degrees within the span of 8 hours. I have definitely learned my lesson to always make sure my bag is big enough for my umbrella.

RL: Have you noticed big style similarities or differences in the different countries of Europe?

ML: The men are so impeccably groomed and styled pretty much everywhere in Europe. I know returning home will be a rude awakening in this respect. When thinking of the different countries in Europe, the only thing I think I can really put my finger on is that when I went to Prague, when people went out at night, they were significantly less dressed up as they are in London or Paris. However, girls seemed to be dressed to the nines when going out in Galway, Ireland which really took me by surprise!

RS: So I hear you got to go to Fashion Week, what was that experience like?

ML: I did! It was amazing. I got the chance to attend a trend show at the Somerset House in Central London which was so amazingly cool. It was right at the tail-end of Fashion week, so they were summarizing the different trends seen in the past week with pieces from some of the shows. I write a personal fashion blog as well as doing a remote internship for CollegeFashionista, so I took a bunch of pictures for those, which were both really well recieved.

RS: Give us a hint as to what might be big this Spring season.

ML: Something that was really present were prints, especially stripes and polkadots. It's hard to believe these designers don't collaborate on their collections considering it seemed that stripes were the staple of Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and Tommy Hilfiger, three pretty big names. Also, for a change of pace, there was quite a bit of leather on the runways for the spring, which is usually a fabric considered for fall, so I am pretty excited to see how that translates.

RS: Fashion aside, what has been the biggest culture shock since coming to Europe? And what things do you like the most that we don't have in the States?

ML: Probably the biggest thing that shocked me was how easily we are spotted out as Americans, and how that is typically a bad thing. I also was shocked, and excited, by how well dressed everyone was for class every single day! There were Americans in my classes, but also a bunch of English and other international students, and instead of a sea of sweatpants, it was a stampede of heeled boots and wedges!
What I'll probably miss the most is how much people care about their sense of style on a daily basis, and living in a city and having the ability to see so many different things within walking distance.  Also these things called Jaffa Cakes, they are orange and chocolate flavored cookies that are TOO DIE FOR. I will be bringing many back to the Stonehill community to open their worlds to the wonder. I miss them already.

Lewis on historic Abbey Road

You can check out Meg's style and fashion blog at http://clothezonelayers.blogspot.com and check out her posts for College Fashionista here.
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Nicole Colantonio '14
Image credit to Meg Lewis