Draco at SOAR

We've reached a transitional moment here at There Be Dragons.  The spring 2014 traveling students and dragons are finishing up their programs and preparing to head home or off on new adventures, and the summer 2014 traveling students and dragons are just getting on their planes to begin their journeys!  Now is a good time to check in on the homefront at UNCG and see what Draco (Dr. Muich's dragon) has been up to for the past few weeks: visiting Spartan Orientation, Advising, and Registration, a.k.a. SOAR!

Draco meets Marion and Miranda, Honors Ambassadors, student workers, new friends!

Almost all our incoming LIHC students attended one of 8 summer sessions of SOAR during the month of June (there will be another session in August).  During  Day 1 and Day 2 of SOAR, students came to meet LIHC advisers in the EUC and were greeted by our student workers and Honors Ambassadors Marion and Miranda.  Students signed in and received their LIHC lanyard, handsomely modeled by Draco.  They also received some information about Honors Orientation on Saturday, August 16th, the Saturday before classes begin.

So many interesting choices!

After checking in, students met with one of the Honors Advisers (Mr. Chris Kirkman, Ms. Shelley Ewing, and Dr. Rebecca Muich) to go over their Honors course selections for the fall 2014 semester.  Students and advisers talked about AP, IB, and transfer credit, intended majors, interests, and more to determine which Freshman Seminar to choose. 

Thank goodness for Chris Kirkman!  A dragon needs all the good advice he can get!

Students also registered for their Honors Colloquium class, the 1-credit discussion course required for all incoming freshmen.  Draco reports that talking with Chris helped students better understand how the Freshman Seminar and Colloquium class meet their General Education and Honors requirements (GEC).  Draco heard Chris and Shelley and Dr. Muich give lots of advice for planning the international experience, for meeting foreign language requirements, and even the best time to show up to move into North Spencer in August!   

We'll check in with Draco again over the summer as we await news from his traveling friends.  In the meantime, keep up to date with LIHC happenings on our Facebook Page. You can also follow LIHC on Twitter @UNCGHonors!

Jessica and Hans in Denmark....and Beyond!

Traveling companion extraordinare!

Hej, from Odense, Denmark.  My name is Jessica Twitchell, and I am studying at Syddansk Universitet with my dragon Hans.  My little red friend was named after Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish writer from Odense who wrote the stories of The Little Duckling.  We can also thank Hans Christian Andersen fro the inspiration of the Disney movies The Little Mermaid and Frozen. Below is a picture of the old streets of Odense.  The yellow house on the right hand side was the childhood home of our very own Hans. He is very much celebrated in Odense -- event the pedestrian green light is in the shape of Andersen.

 

 

Hans Christian Andersen's birth place

Denmark as a whole celebrates Hans Christian Andersen also.  In Copenhagen, there is a very famous statue of The Little Mermaid.  She is visited from tourists from all around the world.  Copenhagen is most remembered by the harbor.  Personally, it's one of my favorite placed to visit in Denmark.

The Copenhagen Harbor

Hans and I have also done a few journeys outside of Denmark.  Our first trip together was a trip to London, Paris, and Prague.  During our vacation, we went on the London Eye during the day and night, visited Shakespeare's Globe, saw Once in the theater district, picnicked in front of the Eiffel tower, visited the Louvre, hung out by the Astronomical Clock Tower, and saw the John Lennon wall.

Big Ben

Jessica and the T.A.R.D.I.S.

To celebrate the end of examinations at SDU, Hans and I also planned a trip to Spain, Morocco, and Italy.  So far we've hung out in front of El Palacio Real in Madrid, rode a camel in Marrekech, swam in the ocean in Rabat, and watched a religious-based parade in Toledo.

On a camel in Marrakech!

Handsome Hans

More Hans

Tomorrow we're off to Rome!
Hej Hej!

Jessica Twitchell
Syddansk Universitet
Odense, Denmark

Melvin and Pablo El Dragon in Spain

This semester has been a great ride. I have grown immensely and come into myself in ways that I did not imagine prior to coming abroad. I have learned a lot about myself and gained a great deal of wisdom from my time here in Spain. During my semester here I have set goals to learn the Spanish language so my course load was light, but language focused. I took Translation I, Spanish Language, Spanish for International Students and a French course for a little variety. In these courses I have gained a greater understanding of how to use Spanish and also how it varies from Spanish spoken in other regions. Here is a picture of my faculty where I attend school.   

At the Universidad de Extremadura in Caceres

The registration system here is really hectic and frustrating and even at exam time I was not registered for two courses even though I had visited my registrar 3 times during the semester. Most classes here didn’t start on time due to the culture of the country and the loose way time is viewed here. I had one professor who consistently arrived to an hour-long class more than 15 minutes late, but this was not a problem for the students.

One of the things I had to become accustomed to here is the infamous siesta (daily nap time). I completed a summer program in Spain in 2012 and since Madrid is so industrial the siesta is not observed there. However, once I arrived here it took me a couple days to learn that the siesta is observed here and most businesses are closed from 2pm to 5pm. Coming from the Unites States where hard work is a pervasive ideology I could not grasp why anyone would not want to continue working during 3 of the most important hours of the day. But shortly after becoming accustomed to the siesta I soon began to nap as well with the rest of the population in my small town. 

Pablo taking in Caceres

This is a picture of Pablo el dragón on the balcony of my building where I often go to look at my part of the city and clear my head. This view is what really sold me on choosing this apartment. I am very pensive and a view of the city from up high really helps me gain perspective.

 

Pablo looking over Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor is located in the oldest part of the city of Caceres. It is here where many celebrations take place and people come to spend time with their friends and families. I can appreciate the glimpse into the past that these castle-like buildings offer because it is reminiscent of a slower more quiet time. It is also here in this plaza where many festivals and shows take place such as the festival of San Jorge where a play is shown and afterward they burn a large wooden dragon that they’ve constructed for that purpose.

My time here in Spain has been incredible and I have gained a lot that will prepare me for life once I return to the States. It has also been great having Pablo my little piece of home with me. Now we must enjoy this time we have left before I return home on August 4^th.

Melvin Clark and Pablo
Universidad del Extremadura
Caceres, Spain