April Fools: CGE Launches New ‘Study Abroad at Seminary’ Program
(Photos edited from GCPR)
By Anna Cincotta, Editor-in-Chief
After the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an overwhelming number of Gettysburg College students cancelling their plans to study abroad, the Center for Global Education (CGE) announced a new program for those who still wanted to, as the new flier on the office door reads, “get away without really getting away.”
“We knew we needed to do something for our students during this challenging time,” said CGE director Angela Travella. “Our new global study program, ‘Study Abroad at Seminary,’ is the perfect cure for their heartbreak.” She added that 35 Gettysburg students decided to opt into this new program at the start of the spring semester.
When Italian Studies and Art History major Carrie Walsh ‘23 found out that her global study program in Milan had been cancelled, she was devastated. One of her biggest dreams was to visit the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie to see The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Still, Walsh decided to take advantage of CGE’s new program, hoping that it would ease her disappointment.
“The Seminary isn’t Milan, but at least it’s something,” she said. “Sometimes when I close my eyes, it can really feel like I’m somewhere else.”
While students choosing to opt into the new, not-so-global study program are still required to enroll in Gettysburg College classes, there are lots of opportunities to engage in activities in their new environment. For example, CGE offers an array of digital learning tools, including virtual tours of airports and airplanes. Students can even get experience booking fake flights.
Walsh expressed gratitude for these options. “Now I’ll know what to expect when I travel in the future,” she explained. “Becoming more familiar with airports and airplanes, even virtually, is a wonderful opportunity.”
Jerry Evans ‘22 decided to attend Gettysburg College because of the amazing opportunities for global education, and was devastated when his program in Buenos Aires, Argentina was cancelled. Still, he noted that studying abroad at the Seminary has been an enriching learning experience.
“While it was always my dream to study outside of the United States, being a whole mile from Gettysburg’s campus has really expanded my horizons,” Evans said. “I’ll remember this semester for years to come.”
