The Spirit of Adventure E-term 2016: A Walk in the Woods

By Sarah Hendrix

Dr. Hardwicke and Dr. Nicholson-Angle are the professors for the e-term The Spirit of Adventure.  Today’s class consisted of class lecture, outdoor activities and a nice walk around Adams Lake.  The classes focus is spiritual wellness, faith among various cultures and how the natural world impacts our spirituality.  The class will be leaving Wednesday, May 11, to head to Lake Junaluska for about a week.  Our first class was mainly informative discussing expectations and what will be occurring during the e-term.  Additionally, we discussed some history behind the spiritual connections of Ferrum College to Methodism. 

The hike that the Spirit of Adventure class went on today was led by Aaron Conover who is the Director of Ferrum Outdoors.  At the beginning he gave everyone a blindfold that they would need the whole time because some of the activities required it.  This also would mean that you would need a partner for some of the activities.  We were asked to walk through the woods blindfolded while guided by our partner.  There were trees, limbs, pinecones, etc. all on the ground, so we had to trust our partners enough and believe they would keep us safe.  Another activity required being blindfolded while your partner guided you to a tree and then the blindfolded person had to touch and feel the tree and the area that was around it.  After that the partner and the blindfolded person went back to the starting point where they could then take the blindfold off.  Then the person that was blindfolded had to go and find the tree their partner had picked for them.  A lot of people found their tree and that was because their senses were used to figure out what tree they had come in contact with.  The class really seemed to enjoy the activities and they trusted their partners, but they also used their senses, which will be needed all throughout the Spirit of Adventure e-term.

Students Attend Prom For Class Final

By Sarah Hendrix

Ballroom dancing has been around for a while and is all around the world. This past semester Dr. Hardwicke taught a ballroom dancing class on Wednesday afternoons from 2:30 until 3:50. This class was held once a week in the gym, but people outside the class were always welcome to attend the class whenever they wanted too. Dr. Hardwicke had Michael Rucinski helped teach the class with her as his internship, but this was a great person to have teach along side of her because he is a really good dancer. The class learned a number of dances that they had to perform on the last day of class as their final.

The final for the ballroom dancing class was a prom, A Step Back In Time, at the end of the semester on the last day of class, which was Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The dress code for the students was to dress like you were going to prom, so whatever someone would have wore to the

prom. Each student was allowed to bring a date, they could be in the class or they could be someone else they wanted to bring. Each dance was danced at the prom and everyone had to dance to each song to be able to get their grade on their final. The students had learned a total of nine ballroom dances over the course of the semester, while also learning some line dancing, contra dancing, and a barnyard dance for a little fun and change in pace. Also, there were some “free” dance songs that were played like, the “Cha Cha Slide” and the “Wobble” just to have some extra fun at the prom. All of the students looked very elegant at prom and seemed to enjoy themselves, while showcasing for the class and spectators what they had learned in the ballroom dancing class.

Fulbright Spanish Language Assistant Esther Pescador de Galdo Shares More of Her Interview with Kaitlin Roeper

¡Hola! The Spring semester is finishing and soon I will be going back home. I am really sad about leaving but I am also looking forward to going back home so I can be with my family and friends. Kaitlin Roeper has written an article in The Iron Blade (you may read Kaitlin's article here) about my experience here in Ferrum College and she asked me a few more questions that I would like to share with you.

Q.: How has your experience at Ferrum been different from what you expected?

I did not have any expectations really, because I know every experience is different. It is true that I thought there would be more events concerning intercultural events or the promotion of different countries and cultures on campus but I tried to bring my own experience into my classroom in order to promote my culture and my country as well as to teach the Spanish language.

Q: What was your favorite part about being here?

My favorite part is to be living in such a remote place. I love having gotten used to not seeing taxis, buses, shops and people everywhere. I think I was lucky to be able to experience something so different from what I was used to. I am so glad I was not placed in a big city. There were times when I felt a bit lonely but I am really happy I could experience once in a life time living in a remote place like Ferrum. I have learned to appreciate and value things that I used to take for granted like taking the bus or being able to choose if I wanted to go to the cinema or the theatre and being only 20 minutes away from either. Also I love the accent of the people from around here, which I found very hard to understand at the beginning. And I love going to Floyd and listening to music there. I even tried to learn how to dance with Jessa King but I was not very successful… I am really going to miss Floyd!

Q: What can you take away from this experience?

I have experienced America, since I was used to Ireland and England and the English and culture there, so I have a broader knowledge of the English-speaking world now. So basically I have learned a lot and experienced new things, and become a better teacher and person through my experience here. Also, I am going to miss my students. I love when they see me around campus and they address me in Spanish and say to me: ¡Hola! I have met really nice students and I hope they will miss me a little bit too.

Q: Did you accomplish what you were hoping to get from this experience?

Apart from my teaching experience, and my traveling, I wanted to experience a country in which Spanish is the second language. I just wanted to have new experiences and I wanted to live in this country for a while to see what America is like from my own experience. My previous experiences in English-speaking countries as a Spaniard were always positive. Everyone wanted to talk to me in Spanish, ask me about Spain, tell me they have been on holidays there, etc. Here, however, a lot of people assumed I was Mexican, or either Mexican or Spanish, but there are 21 countries in which Spanish is spoken as an official language! Why could I only be from Mexico or Spain? Also, I have been walking in the street while I was talking in Spanish with friends and I was asked if I did not know how to speak English and I had to speak Spanish instead, and also I was told that in America “we” speak English. On the other hand, I have students who are really interested in learning a new language and in learning about different cultures and countries, so I hope I have showed them a bit from other countries and cultures, and I hope they are curious about what there is outside America and they travel! Also, I hope that students who are bilingual and speak both English and Spanish are proud of their origin and their languages and keep speaking Spanish and speak Spanish to their children one day. My biggest accomplishment would be if my students felt curiosity and wanted to travel and wanted to continue learning Spanish and to broaden their knowledge about different cultures and languages.

Q: What will you take back to Spain to teach others about us?

Well, first that America is not what we see in the movies like Sex in the City or shows like Friends. There might be some parts of America which are like that but there is another side of it, the one I got to experience. The one in which my neighbours are a squirrel and a woodpecker. The one in which there are no buses but pick-up trucks. From my experience, American people are really friendly and welcoming. I love walking in the cafeteria and everyone has always a smile on their faces, and when I walk around campus I always stop to chat for a while with everyone (so then I am always late!). I am taking to Spain great memories that I will share with my friends and family, and also experiences and pictures that I would use in the classroom when I am teaching English there, so as I have been promoting my culture here, I will promote this part of America I got to live to my students there. Hopefully I will come back to Ferrum one day!

See more of my photographs here.

Tiny Dancers Perform Spring Recital With Ferrum College Students

By Sarah Hendrix

Dr. Shannon Hardwicke’s Organization and Administration of Sports (HHP 402) class completed a semester long project, in which we developed, instructed, and showcased a dance program. With the leadership of Michael Rucinski and in partnership with the Ferrum YMCA, Ferrum’s Tiny Dancers was formed. Local children had the opportunity to go through 11 weeks of rehearsal, and then a recital in which five dances were performed. Each week, HHP 402 students and Michael met with two different classes of three children each, split based on age and grade, and every other Saturday, the recital was rehearsed. The HHP 402 students taught these classes on a three-week rotation, with facilitation from Michael.

All of the hard work led to the recital that took place on Friday, April 15th. The recital was at 7 p.m. and lasted about thirty minutes, with five dances being performed. The “Birthday Song,” by Katy Perry was performed first with the whole 402 class and also all of the children dancing in this performance. The other songs that the 402 class danced in were “Thriller,” by Michael Jackson and “Men In Black,” by Will Smith. The younger girls danced in “Men In Black” and “Dance With Me Tonight,” by Olly Murs, while the older girls danced in “Country Girl,” by Luke Bryan and “Thriller.” 

We were able to talk to one of the parents and director of the Ferrum YMCA, Kameron Kitts, after the dance recital, this is what he said, “It was really good considering what we had, it wasn’t a huge crew and we didn’t have but a few months to put something together. I think everybody did a good job! There was a whole team effort there, much more than what I was anticipating when I first reached out to Dr. Hardwicke about the program.” The recital was very nice and had several parents and students in attendance who were able to enjoy the reception afterwards that was held by the HHP 402 class.

Spring Break Alternative: Living "Not Self, But Others" in Washington, DC

Article by Ferrum College student Sarah Patnaude.

As an alternative to spring break this year, Dr. Jan Nicholson Angle, Dr. Shannon Hardwicke and Ferrum College students Nicholas Padden, Sarah Patnaude, James Ridley, and Kaelyn Williams went to Washington, DC to learn more about Ferrum College's Methodist heritage and live out our motto, "Not Self, But Others."

Throughout the week, we attended social justice seminars at the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society. Topics of discussion focused on human trafficking, child advocacy, and poverty while weaving in the concepts of mercy and justice. Through devotions, films, speakers, activities, and discussion, we were challenged in our understanding of these issues and the effects they have on the individual as well as the community.

As our understanding deepened, our responsibilities came to light. In addition to brainstorming ways individuals, Ferrum College, and the community can extend God's grace to those in these circumstances and enact change to minimize the prevalence of the issues, we put our motto into action with a service project. On Thursday afternoon, we participated in Martha's Table "Joy Market", a program that provides meals to children and their families through a farmer's market style set up. This ensures that families have access to healthy food while still allowing them to have the feeling of freedom and independence as they make their way around the different stations.

Of course, the trip to our nation's capital wouldn't be complete unless we ate amazing food, had fun adventures on the Metro, and visited a historic landmark, Ford's Theater.

See additional photographs from the trip here.

Sharing My Spanish Culture & Language on Campus

From Madrid to Ferrum: Fulbright Adventures in the U.S.

¡Hola! Loads of new events have been happening on campus these days!

The Fulbright program seeks to form leaders who share their knowledge and culture, are open to new ideas, and are committed to international engagement, this is why, apart from teaching my language, my duty is also to promote my culture on campus as well as learn from the American culture. This is when the experience becomes truly enriching for the Fulbrighter.

I am teaching two different Spanish classes, so we could say that in some way I am sharing my culture, however, just my students get the chance to learn from my experience. Therefore, in order to promote my culture and my language on campus, I have been keeping myself busy! Now, I have my own radio show in Spanish and English. You can listen to Habla español on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. on Ferrum Radio. Each week, different guests come to share their experiences with all our amigos. On our first show, Jessa was talking about her experience studying abroad, and she encouraged everyone to do the same if they want to have an amazing experience (just like she did!) Last week, Clifton explained how he became interested in learning Spanish, and the impact his Spanish teacher had on him before coming to Ferrum to major in Spanish. In every show you can listen to music from different Spanish-speaking countries, for example, bachata, salsa, pop, and rap. Also, we discuss what is happening outside our borders, and there is some time for a short poem in Spanish from one of the important authors of the literature in Spanish, such as Rubén Darío or Antonio Machado.

Not only the radio has been keeping me entertained. Last Tuesday I gave a talk about Spain: “España in 10 questions”. We discovered interesting facts about Spain. For examples, Spain was the fourth country in the world to legalize gay marriage and bullfighting is not as popular as it might be expected.

I will give another talk about Spain in March, so I hope to see you all there! And  tune in to our Spanish show, Habla español every Tuesday at 11 a.m. on Ferrum Radio.

See more of my photographs here.