Thursday, Halloween 2013:
We spent most of our day at GUST today meeting with different people and soaking in the campus life. In the morning we had a bit of free time and I was able to spend some time in the library computer lab which is almost identical to the computer labs at Dean Ellis Library except for one detail: gender segregation. Females use the computers downstairs while males use the computers in an upstairs area of the library. The classes at GUST are segregated by gender as well, but in the hallways you will find people talking to each other and interacting.
We were treated to a skit performance by members of GUST's Talent Club and were also entertained by a live performance of Kuwaiti music. I have several photos in today's slideshow. We met with Dr. Ali Al-Ansari, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and spoke with him about GUST’s academics, student body, and assorted topics in overall Middle Eastern culture. After our meeting we sat in for a class taught by Dr. Steven Koehn. Koehn’s class was an introduction level radio and television production course and we were able to follow him and his students to the GUST radio and television labs to hear him describe some of the equipment and outline details for his class’s upcoming project. When his students were dismissed we were able to speak with Dr. Koehn for a few minutes. Koehn received an MA in television station management from Pepperdine and a PhD in instructional communication from West Virginia. Koehn worked for PBS and other television stations before he received his PhD and says that he still does freelance work in Kuwait when commercial or film opportunities arise. He sought a PhD because he wanted to teach, and his background in station management and operation led to his first job after receiving his doctorate when he was hired by a school that needed a radio and television studio built from scratch. GUST is now his fourth different school and he came to GUST four years ago to build the radio and television labs. Students in the GUST radio and television labs do not produce media that is broadcasted like you’ll find at Arkansas State. Koehn said this is due to Kuwaiti government laws and things of that nature. While Red Wolf Radio or ASU-TV will play student productions the projects at GUST will never reach the air. Still, Koehn said that learning the technical skills is what is truly important. Koehn offered me some advice on pursuing a doctorate. He said that the most important thing is to know your exact topic of study before applying to programs. He said that finding the right program with the right faculty and resources for your particular field of research is the most important key to success.
We also went to a huge mall, the 360 mall, and walked around for some window shopping and a quick game of bowling. After this we came back to the hotel before walking down to eat dinner and visit the Western Union exchange. We all needed some more cash because tomorrow is our journey to the Friday market, which Dr. Fowler has been talking about for months now. I hope to find some wonderful treasures tomorrow and need to as I’m sure my family may want a few souvenirs. There aren’t a lot of souvenirs here like you’d find in the U.S. There aren’t “I love Kuwait” t-shirts and coffee mugs and key chains because Kuwait is not really a big tourist destination like places such as Dubai and because they don’t have the same type of commoditized nationalism that we have in the US. In our previous shopping excursions other members of our group have purchased rugs, scarves, and things of that nature but I’m still in pursuit of the perfect souvenirs.
One quick note, which I will expound upon in a later entry:
I now can empathize with foreign students who come to a school like A-State and other schools in the US. While everyone on campus at GUST has been extremely kind and gracious, you can't help but feel a little out of place sometimes. I'm not exaggerating by saying our group is usually the only caucasions on campus, and while that is not a bad thing, it still makes one aware that you're an outsider. No one has given us any dirty looks or anything weird like that, in fact several people have approached us to chat, but I now believe I somewhat understand how students who come from the Middle East, or Africa, or Asia may feel when they're walking around an American campus. This is a positive thing. It is a learning experience that I could only get from experience. We're only 5 days into the trip and I can feel my perspectives changing on a wide range of things.
The slideshow below has several photos from our time today
We spent most of our day at GUST today meeting with different people and soaking in the campus life. In the morning we had a bit of free time and I was able to spend some time in the library computer lab which is almost identical to the computer labs at Dean Ellis Library except for one detail: gender segregation. Females use the computers downstairs while males use the computers in an upstairs area of the library. The classes at GUST are segregated by gender as well, but in the hallways you will find people talking to each other and interacting.
We were treated to a skit performance by members of GUST's Talent Club and were also entertained by a live performance of Kuwaiti music. I have several photos in today's slideshow. We met with Dr. Ali Al-Ansari, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and spoke with him about GUST’s academics, student body, and assorted topics in overall Middle Eastern culture. After our meeting we sat in for a class taught by Dr. Steven Koehn. Koehn’s class was an introduction level radio and television production course and we were able to follow him and his students to the GUST radio and television labs to hear him describe some of the equipment and outline details for his class’s upcoming project. When his students were dismissed we were able to speak with Dr. Koehn for a few minutes. Koehn received an MA in television station management from Pepperdine and a PhD in instructional communication from West Virginia. Koehn worked for PBS and other television stations before he received his PhD and says that he still does freelance work in Kuwait when commercial or film opportunities arise. He sought a PhD because he wanted to teach, and his background in station management and operation led to his first job after receiving his doctorate when he was hired by a school that needed a radio and television studio built from scratch. GUST is now his fourth different school and he came to GUST four years ago to build the radio and television labs. Students in the GUST radio and television labs do not produce media that is broadcasted like you’ll find at Arkansas State. Koehn said this is due to Kuwaiti government laws and things of that nature. While Red Wolf Radio or ASU-TV will play student productions the projects at GUST will never reach the air. Still, Koehn said that learning the technical skills is what is truly important. Koehn offered me some advice on pursuing a doctorate. He said that the most important thing is to know your exact topic of study before applying to programs. He said that finding the right program with the right faculty and resources for your particular field of research is the most important key to success.
We also went to a huge mall, the 360 mall, and walked around for some window shopping and a quick game of bowling. After this we came back to the hotel before walking down to eat dinner and visit the Western Union exchange. We all needed some more cash because tomorrow is our journey to the Friday market, which Dr. Fowler has been talking about for months now. I hope to find some wonderful treasures tomorrow and need to as I’m sure my family may want a few souvenirs. There aren’t a lot of souvenirs here like you’d find in the U.S. There aren’t “I love Kuwait” t-shirts and coffee mugs and key chains because Kuwait is not really a big tourist destination like places such as Dubai and because they don’t have the same type of commoditized nationalism that we have in the US. In our previous shopping excursions other members of our group have purchased rugs, scarves, and things of that nature but I’m still in pursuit of the perfect souvenirs.
One quick note, which I will expound upon in a later entry:
I now can empathize with foreign students who come to a school like A-State and other schools in the US. While everyone on campus at GUST has been extremely kind and gracious, you can't help but feel a little out of place sometimes. I'm not exaggerating by saying our group is usually the only caucasions on campus, and while that is not a bad thing, it still makes one aware that you're an outsider. No one has given us any dirty looks or anything weird like that, in fact several people have approached us to chat, but I now believe I somewhat understand how students who come from the Middle East, or Africa, or Asia may feel when they're walking around an American campus. This is a positive thing. It is a learning experience that I could only get from experience. We're only 5 days into the trip and I can feel my perspectives changing on a wide range of things.
The slideshow below has several photos from our time today