Kerry Mitchell's photo from CRC

Bengali Mai, tantric aghori. Meeting her was part of our coordinator’s agenda to make Hinduism more complicated for us: a) it’s not clear how tantra is part of Hinduism, although they are commonly lumped together, and b) tantric aghoris are supposed to be male, and she’s not. Actually meeting and speaking with a living representative of the complexity and diversity of Indian religion makes it a lot less overwhelming and a lot more rewarding.

Head scarves drying outside a window in Istanbul. I had the idea that female, pious Muslims led relatively grey lives. There are certainly a lot of associated traditions that strike me as stultifying. But the Muslim head scarves are more colorful and expressive than almost anything that the liberated secularist women wear. In looking for expressions of individualism and personality, where do-I/should-I look?

Participating in domestic puja in Varanasi. Once I let my conceptions of religion and art, ritual and theater blur into one other, it ceased looking like superstition to me and started to become something I could appreciate.

Meditation in Thailand. Okay, they know what they’re doing. Give us westerners a meditation class with a great view over a misty valley and we’ll be happy. But they’re also wonderful about poking holes in our attachments. Meditation class was ridiculously simple, which made me realize how my preconceptions about meditation were ridiculously complicated.

Molly Dutton-Kenny's photos from Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador

Indigenous boy with new dominos in his elementary school, Amazon, Ecuador

Old meets the new: Indigenous Emberrá men in Panamá lead a cultural tourism boat trip, Panamá

Snack at the Ark Herb Farm for the Holistic Health Class, Costa Rica

Palm tree in biological reserve, Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Yujing Shentu's photos of some China Center students

May's Photo Contest Guidelines

Global College Photo Contest, May 2009

Description:
With the hopes of contributing to our Global College community through sharing pictures, a photo contest will be held monthly during the two semesters of the 08/09 academic school year. THIS is the last Photo Contest of the year, so please participate!

April Winner:
-Sophie Kirpan photos from Ecuador are the winners for the Photo Contest in April. Congratulations Sophie! You will receive a $25 gift certificate to www.Amazon.com in 4-6 weeks to your email. Please visit http://globalcollegephotocontest.blogspot.com/ to see Sophie’s photos, along with all the amazing photos that were submitted for the Photo Contest. You can also share this blog link with friends and family.

MayTheme:
-OPEN. But once again, we like seeing pictures of Global College student(s)! Please send us your FOUR favorite photos from this academic year! IT WOULD BE GREAT IF EVERY GLOBAL COLLEGE STUDENT PARTICIPATES IN THIS LAST & FINAL PHOTO CONTEST OF THIS ACADEMIC YEAR!!!!

Deadline:
-Pictures must be emailed to Susana.Smith@liu.edu on or before May 29th, 2009. Please only send one email with FOUR pictures.

Guidelines:
-The FILE OF the photo must be labeled include the photographer’s name & date of photo.
-One person can submit one to FOUR photos per contest.
-There will be one photo contest per month, during the Fall and Spring semester, for a total of eight photo contest during the 08/09 academic school year.
-Global College students and staff can participate.
-There will be one winner per contest.
-The Global College listserve will be used to announce each monthly photo contest, the contest’s theme and the contest’s deadline.
-Each Global College center will post a flyer to announce each monthly photo contest, the contest’s theme and the contest’s deadline.
-The Global College listserve will be used to announce the winner each month.
-Photos must be in “Jpeg” format.
-Photos must be 200 DPI (Dots per Inch), but preferably 300.
-All contributed photos will be posted on http://globalcollegephotocontest.blogspot.com/.
- Every picture should come with a one sentence description outlining where it was taken and what captivated the photographer to take the picture.
-Photos must be appropriate, so no profanity, nudity or vulgarity.
-Photos must be emailed to Susana.Smith@liu.edu on or before the monthly deadlines.
-By submitting photos, the photographer is giving permission for Global College to use the picture(s) to share with the Global College community, for marketing purposes and to be posted on the internet.
-All submitted photos must be from an experience while studying with Global College.

Reward:
-The photographer of the winning photo will receive a $25 gift certificate to www.amazon.com

Questions:
-Contact Susana.Smith@liu.edu

Yoli Maya Yeh's photos from India

Alex Franjola meditate amidst fluttering prayer flags on the suspension bridge at Khandro Sangpo, the Cave of the Dakini, West Sikkim

Here are two photos from a recent field trip to Northeast India:

Larissa Fardelos and Julie Virgin celebrate Holi, also known as The Festival of Colors, in the village of Hat Govindapur, West Bengal. The spring festival is celebrated by throwing colored powder and water.

After a steep hike up above Kecheopalri Lake, West Sikkim, students enjoy a warming breakfast while gazing at the Himalayas

Julie Virgin's photo in Kechopalri, West Sikkim

Seth Robinson looks out along a river in a small village in Kerala at sunset during our two week field trip in the spring.

Seth Robinson, Larissa Fardelos, and Molly Greening pose in front of the Dubdi Monastery in West Sikkim, which was built in 1701.
Alex Franjola poses while on a trip in Kechopalri, West Sikkim. After hiking up a small mountain, students stopped at the summit to see ancient village monastery and numerous stupas, which are mounds of Buddhist relics, in the backdrop of the Himalayas.

Kayla Wexelberg's photos in NY and Washington DC

This photo was taken on Chinese New Year in New York City. It captures enthusiastic student, Sophie Vranian throwing confetti in the streets of China Town.

This photo was taken during the senior semester trip to Washington, DC. Cooper Browning and Alicia White pose in front of the capitol where we met congressman Tim Bishop.

This was taken in front of the capitol as the sun was setting. Brilliant colors spanned across the mall as birds fluttered around, soaking up the last rays of sunshine.

Michael Wakely's photos in Japan

All three photos are from a free music and art exhibit at the Kyoto prefectural office. The man in the first two pictures is using his body to paint to music. The third photo is of the picture that the man painted through his dance.

Jake Larson's Photos from Ecuador

Brittany Hinds holds a Boa Constrictor in the Amazon Basin. Costa Rica students traveled to Ecuador for two weeks. During their stay in an Indigenous Community, the students were allowed to see and hold the Boa Constrictor they use to attract more tourists.

A monkey sits in a tree in a rehabilitation center in the Amazon Basin. Costa Rica students went to the rehabilitation center during their two week trip in order to see some of the wildlife of the area and how people are trying to preserve it.

Brittany Hinds and Alex Olt work in an indigenous community. During their home stay with an indigenous family, the students were able to help make some traditional food and drink.

Sophie Kirpan's photo from Ecuador

Global College students attend a baptism in the Otavaleño indigenous community on their visit to Ecuador.

Sophie Kirpan poses in front of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador where students had the opportunity to stay with an indigenous host family. The guinea pigs were prepared and eaten for lunch later in the day.

Sophie Kirpan and a classmate collected plantains and carried them back to the community on their heads in the traditional way.

Sophie Vranian's photos from NYC

Photo 1: Students Ross Barlow and Tina Von Roedern look closely at the Vietnam War Memorial during the Capstone Semester's trip to Washington DC. Students had some few time between visits to organizations to wander the beautiful parks, visit the monuments and memorials, and view the blooming cherry and magnolia blossoms.

Photo 2: This is student Kayla Wexelberg practicing her poi spinning on the streets of Washington DC during the Capstone semester's field trip to take a look at the cultural hub of the United States. During the trip, students also visited various NGOs and think-tank organizations. Kayla succeeded in capturing the eyes of a few curious onlookers from near-by office buildings.

Photo 3: Student Tina Von Roedern sprays color over the crowd during the Holi/Pagwan celebration in Queens, NY. Tina and Sophie ventured out to Queens from their home in Brooklyn during Capstone semester to participate in the biggest Holi celebration in North America. Hundreds of Indian and Trinidadians came out on the cloudy day to dance in the park to live music and watch traditional dancing, and of course to smear each other with color powder and colored water! Sophie took this photo in one of the brief moments she had her camera out and unprotected.

Kerry Mitchell's photo from CRC in India

Camille Lindsey-Larrabee celebrates Pongal (harvest festival) with CRC outside of Bangalore earlier this year. The students and faculty were hosted by Dr. Narayan Reddy, one of India’s leading experts and advocates for organic and sustainable agriculture.

Sandra Martin's photo from Costa Rica

Molly Dutton-Kenney bottle feeds baby goats at an organic, sustainable farm in Costa Rica during a 2 week independent study focusing on agriculture.

Anna plays a handmade drum in Boruca. This Costa Rican indigenous community relies on traditional art for income. The drum also depicts a traditional “Diablito” (little devil) mask which plays an essential role in community festivals.

Kayla Wexelberg's photos in India

Both of these photos were taken in Bodhgaya. Bodhgaya is located in Bihar county, the most dangerous, poverty stricken county in India.

The first photo is a photo of Laney Sullivan and the friends she made while in Bodhgaya. The two Indian boys in the photo showed Laney the history of Bodhgaya by taking her to a historic cave on the top of a mountain. It is said that Siddhartha himself meditated in this mountain cave for 6 months of his life.

Laney Sullivan and Kayla Wexelberg dress in Saris by their host mother in Bodhgaya. This was a moment of pure excitement in terms of the cultural integration that occurred for both the students.

Alex Margosian's photo from Japan

This is a photo of a traditional Ryukyu dancer taken on the Japan Center field trip to Okinawa.

March Photo Contest Guidelines

Global College Photo Contest, March 2009

Description:
With the hopes of contributing to our Global College community through sharing pictures, a photo contest will be held monthly during the two semesters of the 08/09 academic school year.

February Winner:
-Lily Hanson’s photos from India are the winners for the Photo Contest in February. Congratulations Lily! You will receive a $25 gift certificate to www.Amazon.com in 4-6 weeks to your email. Please visit http://globalcollegephotocontest.blogspot.com/ to see Lily’s photos, along with all the amazing photos that were submitted for the Photo Contest. You can also share this blog link with friends and family.

March Theme:
-OPEN. But once again, we like seeing pictures of Global College student(s)!

Deadline:
-Pictures must be emailed to Susana.Smith@liu.edu on or before March 27th, 2009. Please only send one email with either one or two pictures.

Guidelines:
-The FILE OF the photo must be labeled include the photographer’s name & date of photo.
-One person can submit one to two photos per contest.
-There will be one photo contest per month, during the Fall and Spring semester, for a total of eight photo contest during the 08/09 academic school year.
-Global College students and staff can participate.
-There will be one winner per contest.
-The Global College listserve will be used to announce each monthly photo contest, the contest’s theme and the contest’s deadline.
-Each Global College center will post a flyer to announce each monthly photo contest, the contest’s theme and the contest’s deadline.
-The Global College listserve will be used to announce the winner each month.
-Photos must be in “Jpeg” format.
-Photos must be 200 DPI (Dots per Inch), but preferably 300.
-All contributed photos will be posted on http://globalcollegephotocontest.blogspot.com/.
- Every picture should come with a one sentence description outlining where it was taken and what captivated the photographer to take the picture.
-Photos must be appropriate, so no profanity, nudity or vulgarity.
-Photos must be emailed to Susana.Smith@liu.edu on or before the monthly deadlines.
-By submitting photos, the photographer is giving permission for Global College to use the picture(s) to share with the Global College community, for marketing purposes and to be posted on the internet.
-All submitted photos must be from an experience while studying with Global College.

Reward:
-The photographer of the winning photo will receive a $25 gift certificate to www.amazon.com

Questions:
-Contact Susana.Smith@liu.edu

Abigail Schultz's photos in Panama and Costa Rica

A Global College student on top of a fortress in Portobello, Panama.

A Global College student takes notes during a discussion at the Quitirrisi Indigenous Community in Costa Rica.

Lily Hanson's photos in India

Student Alexandra Franjola and Professor Anitha Srinivas of the India center wash dishes at the hand pump with street children and runaways during a service learning project in Jaipur, Rajasthan, fall semester, 2008.

Students Becca Brenneis and Catherine Rehberg hold a newborn baby while interviewing Pushpa (in green), 35, outside of the makeshift squatter hut where she and her family of eight have lived for 15 years. Her community, the Bunjaras, is a nomadic tribe thought to be descendants of roman gypsies; they work in construction outside of Jaipur, India. Professor Anitha Srinivas, right, translates.

Suzanne Bryan's photo in Costa Rica

Sophie plays with the natural plants that are used to make the dyes that the indigenous people use in their weaving. We are at Boruca, home of an indigenous people living in Costa Rica

Sandra Martin's photo from Costa Rica

Brittany Hinds learns how to prepare a loom from a Borucan weaver from handmade and naturally dyed yarn while visiting the indigenous community of Boruca, Costa Rica.

Jake Larson's photos in Costa Rica

The first is of a photo of Chrissy Sierra during our field trip to Sarapiquí in Costa Rica. She is bagging bananas, which is a perfect example of our experiential learning at Global College.

The second photo is of Emma Harris playing with an indigenous boy. We went on a field trip to Chumiko in order to learn about their culture and we had time to play with the children!

Yoli Maya Yeh's, a Global College staff at the India Center, from CRC when they visited

Photo one was taken in an unusual Afghani restaurant styled as a cave with waiters in safari suits and hats. Who couldn't snap photos in there?

Photo two was taken at the conclusion of the sunrise yoga class.....such satisfaction in the Corpse Pose!