International Travel: What a Trip
If you could go anywhere in the world, how would you prepare? Attending travel forums is a great place to start. On Sept. 21, PVCC’s Zack Beamer and David Lerman presented on their respective trips to Argentina and the Netherlands this past summer.
Beamer, Instructor of Mathematics, took part in an exchange program offered through PVCC and the Otto Krause Technical School. He was the third PVCC instructor to take part in it, and the first professor outside of the Spanish department. The school is a co-educational, public secondary trade school located in the San Telmo section of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Argentina is about four times the size of Texas. Buenos Aires has 13 million inhabitants, and according to Beamer, “[It] is home to some of the most beautiful architecture.”
While at La Recoleta Cemetery, Beamer visited the current resting place of Eva Peron (Evita). Her remains have been moved many times due to the threat of robbers and have even been buried under an alias.
One of the most beautiful places he visited was Iguazu Falls which lies on Argentina’s border with Brazil. It consists of 275 falls over 1.67 miles, reaches the height of 269 feet and ranks third in the world for the average flow of water.
Lerman, Coordinator of Student Success, participated in the Virginia Community College System’s exchange program. He visited the Netherlands, where Dutch is the native language. The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries and is roughly twice the size of New Jersey. Amsterdam boasts a population of 1.5 million and possesses more than 60 miles of canals.
Lerman took part in an immersion program connected with Noorderpoort College in the municipality of Groningen. This is a multifaceted regional technical school. Klaas Heeres, whom PVCC hosted in October 2014, was Beamer’s host.
Some of Lerman’s time was spent taking in the architecture, noticing the homes with their beautiful yards, and touring five-thousand-year-old burial sites where the stones had to be transported a vast distance.
He visited Greece, where he saw the Acropolis cloaked in moonlight. He also visited the Samerian Gorge, a National Park of Greece on the island of Crete, where he spent time hiking its many trails and taking in the scenery.
PVCC is offering several international travel opportunities for its students. Professor Decker, Spanish instructor, will be leading a trip during spring break to the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. This area comprises a significant portion of ancient Maya Lowlands. Arrangements are incomplete at this time.
Professor Grajales-Diaz, who also teaches Spanish, is leading a trip through Spain leaving May 18, 2016, lasting 11 days. The arrangements for this trip are complete and can be seen on fliers posted in the hallways or on PVCC’s website.
Faculty are planning two additional trips. Professor Swanson is organizing a trip to France and Instructor Noriko Donahue a trip to Japan. As more information becomes available on all these exciting trips, it will be posted on the school’s website under the Academic tab titled International Education.
