Recent Entries by Marissa  

This summer I participated in the Arabic Language and Culture Study Abroad Program through the University of Minnesota. As a part of this program, I lived and studied in Fes, Morocco for six and a half weeks. While in Fes I lived with a host family and another participant in the program. I studied Modern Standard Arabic at the Arabic Language Institute in Fes (ALIF).

Interacting with my host family and the local community was the most challenging and rewarding part of my experience. Most Moroccans do not speak English (including my host family), so for the first few weeks I depended on my research, roommate, and an Arabic crash course to get me through family meals and shopping trips in the old medina. Being immersed in the Arabic language all day everyday made learning the language much easier. As soon as my Arabic starting improving, my ability to understand and learn about Moroccan culture also grew. I was able to learn not only about the local customs and culture, but also about Moroccan history and the Arab Spring. My host family and the faculty at ALIF were enthusiastic to share Morocco's rich culture with me, including Morocco's strong sense of community, Islamic foundation, and love of food.

While in Morocco, I often visited the old medina, which was built around the 9th century. Many of the old walls and gates once used to protect the city are still intact, making you feel like you have stepped back in time. When I wasn't bartering for shoes, dodging donkeys or eating delicious Moroccan food, I was traveling with our group to various parts of Morocco, including Casablanca, Marrakech, Chefchaouen, and the Sahara Desert. Moroccans are such warm and welcoming people that by the end of the program, I had felt like I had really become part of the community. They knowledge I gained from this experience has not only been helpful in Morocco, but also during my clinical rotations this year in the BSHP Program. Studying abroad has taught me a lot about myself, along with the importance of a little patience, motivation and an open-mind.

Although I have lived in Minnesota all of my life, I am no fan of winter. I could start listing the reasons... the seven layers of clothes needed to stay warm, the sun being practically nonexistent after 5pm, driving... but instead of making an endless list of reasons of why I should move to Florida, I decided to spend this weekend celebrating the winter at SocialICE. SocialICE is an annual event hosted by the Rochester Downtown Alliance. Located conveniently in the Peace Plaza, SocialICE is 7 different uniquely carved ice bars, each having their own theme and signature drink. Even if you're not 21, you can still grab a hot chocolate or warm apple cider and check out the live music, ice sculptures and ice carving demonstrations.

This year the bands at SocialICE played in the skyway between the Siebens and Kahler Hotel, right above the Peace Plaza. Friday night the band Incognito was playing, so after class a few friends and I walked over to the Peace Plaza. First we checked out the "The Wall of Ice" or line of ice sculptures at the east end of the Plaza representing different companies downtown. We were able to see an ice sculpting demonstration and UMR's very own Raptor sculpture. We then walked around the Peace Plaza, checking out each bars' theme while Incognito played above us in the skyway. My favorite ice bar was Dooley's New York themed ice bar, which was complete with a Statue of Liberty and Empire State building.

Although it was cold, the great music and atmosphere totally made up for the weather. So next year grab your hat, coat, mittens, boots, snow pants, sweater, long underwear and scarf, and don't miss out on SocialICE!

As BSHP applications are becoming available for UMR students, many students have been asking me why I chose the radiography program, what classes I take, and what the radiography program is like. So for those of you who are curious, here is a little insight into what a typical day looks like for a BSHP radiography student...

8AM: Lab.
For 2 hours each week I either come in early or stay after class for lab. Each lab is focused around certain projections and positions we have just covered in our positioning class. Lab is our opportunity to practice on each other and show our professors what we know and what we may need to cover again. We set up everything in lab just like we would if we had an actual patient, and are graded on how well we performed. The lab at the Mayo School of Health Sciences is energized- meaning it can take actual x-rays, although we never make an exposure on a real person in lab. Instead we are able to take exposures on "phantoms." A phantom looks like a clear mannequin that has bones inside. These allow us to see how accurate our positioning is without having to expose anyone to unnecessary radiation.

10AM: Radiographic Procedure Class.
The radiographic procedure class I am currently enrolled in covers the anatomy, positioning, and critique of projections that we perform in the clinical areas. These classes are generally divided by body part; for example this semester we covered different projections in the upper and lower extremities. These classes help us prepare for our clinical rotations of Tuesdays and Thursdays.

12PM: Lunch!
The best part of any college student's day.

1PM: Radiation Physics Class.
Our radiation physics class covers everything from how the x-ray tube works to the physiological effects of radiation. There is a lot of physics involved in radiography, but the instructors are incredibly helpful and are always available if you have questions.

2PM: Work Study.
After class I head over to my work study job assisting the secretaries of the medical imaging programs at the Mayo School of Health Sciences. I help them with various odds and ends such as sorting bones or running papers over to UMR.

6PM: Prepare for Clinicals.
As I previously mentioned, Tuesdays and Thursdays we spend all day in the clinical areas. Each week we rotate to a different area and are assigned to either a technologist or instructor. Our clinical rotations take us all over the Mayo Clinic campus, including St. Mary's and Rochester Methodist Hospital, the Mayo and Gonda buildings, and surgery. Each day in clinicals is a great opportunity to practice, learn, and try something new. At the beginning of the semester we are given clinical objectives that aim to reach by the end of the semester. Clinicals are so far my favorite part of the program because it allows us to implement and practice new things we have learned, along with interacting with patients from all over the world.

Instead of spending this summer by the pool or at the movies, I decided to spend 7 ½ weeks abroad. I choose to travel to Morocco with a group of students from the U of M to study Arabic language and culture. Deciding to study abroad has been by far one of the best decisions I've made in my college career. Whether it's for a summer or a semester, here are just a few reasons why you should consider packing up and studying abroad!

10. Get out of the classroom: Granted you will probably be stepping into another classroom, but then again that classroom could be in a castle, near a beach, or in the middle of an ancient medina. Studying abroad is a great way to get out of the same old classroom and into a different environment.

9. Improve your résumé: Studying abroad looks great on any application. It shows that you are able to handle change, are culturally competent and take responsibility for your own actions. It can be a great experience to talk about during interviews as well.

8. Take fun classes: Studying abroad provides you with the opportunity to take classes that might not be offered to you normally. Take advantage of this opportunity to explore areas of interest outside of your major. In Morocco I studied Arabic language and culture, and was able to put the skills and topics we covered in class into practice right away. This helped me pick up the language way faster than if I was to study it here in the US.

7. Gain appreciation for your own country: There were many things I missed about home while I was abroad, e.g. my family, normal milk, the English language... Traveling abroad will give you a new appreciation for home, and will make you look at your own culture in a different perspective when you return.

6. Gain appreciation for a different country: Experiencing a new culture first hand will open your eyes, and you will return from your trip with a new-found respect for different cultures. While I was in Morocco, I definitely came to appreciate many things about Moroccan culture, such as their sense of community, respect for elders, amazing architecture and of course the delicious couscous.

5. It is affordable: Sadly, a lot of people don't even consider studying abroad because of the cost. Studying abroad isn't cheap, but it's not impossible to afford either. Depending on where you are going, many organizations (here and abroad) offer scholarships to people willing to learn a language or research a culture. Look around and research before you leave!

4. Sightseeing: While abroad, you'll have the opportunity to travel. Take advantage of your time! The 6 weeks I was in Morocco went by fast, each weekend we traveled to see another amazing site in the country. Study abroad programs usually have field trips planned that can make traveling easier.

3. Food: Need I say more? While abroad, you will have the opportunity to try a huge variety of different foods- some good, some not so good. Each meal brings a new adventure; don't be afraid to try things you normally wouldn't! From fresh fruit to camel, Moroccan cuisine definitely made the trip worth it.

2. Learn something new about yourself: Getting out of your comfort zone isn't easy, but it will definitely help you grow. Being totally self-reliant was an eye opener for me, but it made me become much more confident and independent.

1. Have fun and create memories that will last a lifetime: Spending time abroad will be a total adventure, and you will experience so many new things, and meet amazing people along the way. The people I met abroad have become some of my closest friends, and I will no doubt continue to stay in touch with them. There will be difficult times, you will probably make a complete fool out of yourself more than once, but it is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity that you will never forget.

For more information about studying abroad, you can visit the link http://www.r.umn.edu/student-life/study-away/

As much as I dread the end of summer, there is always a silver lining to starting classes early in Rochester; Thursday's on First and Third. For those of you who don't know, every Thursday from June to September, the area between First and Third Streets is blocked off and transformed into a mini fair for all of Rochester. Vendors from local restaurants and shops set up tents selling their products, and there is large stage which usually has a band or performance going on. Thursday's on First and Third is one of my favorite things to go to because you can pass the time by grabbing a bite to eat, browsing handmade goods, or listening to some local music. The vendors open up for business around 11am, and don't close until 8:30pm.

This year I was able to make it to the very last Thursday, so a few friends and I brought our lunches out to the Peace Plaza to see who was preforming on the stage. "Mayo's got Talent" was going on, and we saw a lot of really great performances. Mayo not only is a world leading health care facility, but their employees also have some amazing talent! As much as I appreciated listening and watching the different performers, my favorite part of Thursday's on First and Third is hands down the food. Dozens of local restaurants have stands available, which makes it really convenient to try new foods. I'll eat pretty much anything, and last Thursday I decided to treat myself to a mint chocolate chip cookie. It was a kind of expensive, but little did I know that the cookies made from that vendor there are gigantic. Literally, the cookie was bigger than my hand. It took me forever to eat, but by that time I had to go back to class anyway. Even though I'm sad that Thursday's on First and Third are over, I know that next summer will bring more delicious food and fun times!

This semester has been extremely busy, but now that it is winding down, the last major project we have to finish is our Anatomy and Physiology Symposium Presentation. For this assignment, we had to write a research proposal, conduct an experiment, and put together a poster and short presentation about our results. It sounds easy, but a lot of effort and preparation is needed to pull off even a relatively simple experiment. Even though it is a lot of work, I really enjoy this project because the professors give us a lot of freedom to explore areas that we find interesting.

Many of the groups in our class have really creative projects; some are looking at the physiological effects of caffeine, while others are analyzing the effect video games have on certain brain waves. Our group decided to investigate how we perceive taste, more specifically how we taste a difference between regular sugar and artificial sweeteners. After collecting and analyzing our data all of last week, we are just about ready to put the finishing touches on our poster. With less than a week until we present, it's crunch time!

Taking my work study position at the Diversity Council has been the best decision I made this year. The Diversity Council is an organization in Rochester whose main purpose is to create a community that is welcoming and inclusive. They are in charge of a variety of workshops and discussion groups, and assisted with a major project; the "RACE" exhibit at the Rochester Public Library.

My job is to assist Dr. Char Kunkel, professor of Sociology at Luther College, who is on sabbatical at the Diversity Council. I am helping to create an online resource manual highlighting community based anti-bias activities. Their goal is to find organizations or groups doing anti-bias work, write up a summary about how the organizations are encouraging diversity in their community, and then post it on a website for other communities to access. The process sounds really easy, but it can take months just to set up an interview! Interviewing organizations about their work is my favorite part of the process.

It is really fun to learn about how people are making a difference in the community. We have interviewed people from all over the state and have been able to meet some really amazing people, and learn about some really remarkable projects. I have interacted with people of many different races, religions, and cultures. Working at the Diversity Council has opened my eyes to not only the incredible diversity in Rochester, but also how much work is needed to ensure equality for all. It has truly been an incredible experience that I am very grateful for. For more information about the Diversity Council, please visit www.diversitycouncil.org .