In one of my previous blogs, I mentioned my first team assignment: analyze the political and economic conditions of the selected region. My team chose Western Europe as a region and I chose Italy to present. The project was due on Friday, but due to time, not everyone had the chance to present. Some groups continued on Monday, some today, and the rest will finish tomorrow.
I was a little nervous to present in front of a group I had just met and more importantly, in front of my professor. In my part of the PowerPoint presentation, I discussed Italy’s GDP rate, GDP per capita rate, percentages of trade import and export, and Italy’s largest trading partners. By doing this assignment, students are able to look into their selected country in depth and view the area in an economic and financial perspective.
At school, we normally don’t analyze a country with such profundity but in this class we concentrate on analyzing information and looking at it from an international ecumenicist’s outlook. We have already been assigned to our next team assignment. Professor Li encourages us to work with our original group so we will be working together another time.
This evening, I was invited to the Partner Scholar Supper at the Arnold Lounge which is located in the Keeney Quad. As soon as I walked into the lounge, Dean Rose greeted me and we both exchanged a handshake. I introduced myself and she was incredibly fond of The Ivy League Connection.
The five other Brownies were there also, along with 150 students from different partnerships from all over the nation.
First generation Brown students were there to speak to us of their hardships during high school, applying to college, and the difficulty in transitioning and fitting into Brown’s community. Shortly after that, the students split into two smaller groups so that the first generation students could answer any of our questions.
First Generation is an organization/club from Brown that is made up of any sort of first generation students including those who’s parents did not graduate high school or from a four-year college. Seeing and hearing these students voice their stories reassured all 150 of us that people come from completely different backgrounds and that everybody should consider Brown.
How did the presentation go? It sounds as if Brown is really interested in wooing a very diverse student body, especially first generation.
ReplyDeleteYour course sounds really interesting. We don't focus much on current events or country-specific political/economic status in school; you're right about that. I wish I was taking that class right now, haha.
ReplyDeleteStephanie,
ReplyDeleteYou may not have thought so at the time but having that extra weekend to prepare for your presentation gave you the opportunity to practice it even more and to steel yourself for that time when you had to stand before the assembled crowds and teach of them about European economics. I'm betting that those that gave their presentation on Friday wished they had had that extra prep time.
On the other hand, they're probably telling themselves that because they finished before the weekend, their weekend was free to relax while you all still had to prepare.
A double edged sword if ever I've seen one.
After reading from you all about these other sponsoring organizations we're going to have to check into them and see if we can learn anything from how they conduct their programs. Maybe we can teach them all of the value of daily blogging. :-)