Prost. I proudly exclaim my new word for cheers as we clink glasses over the table. Faced with a lack of cultural events in Athens this week, I decided to create my own by inviting two of the German international students I've met on campus over for a pastime that is truly all-American: game night.
As we laugh through several rounds of Scattergories and Would You Rather...?, I find out more about their study abroad experience in the United States. I find it interesting that although they have only been in the U.S. since the beginning of Fall Quarter, they seem better-traveled in this country than most Americans. While most OU students went to their hometowns over winter intercession, returning to their crappy high-school jobs or simply zoning out for six weeks, Sebastian and Thomas conquered the East Coast, with New York City, Washington, D.C. and Florida among their destinations. I am ashamed to say that it took me 21 years to get to our nation's capital; they made it after three months.
I remember two years ago, when I was participating in my own study abroad experience in Pamplona, Spain. It was a truly life-changing experience that I will never forget. However, the one thing that was overwhelming was the negative response I got when Spaniards found out I was American. I was constantly asked what kind of gun I had, why I didn't care about the environment, and why I voted for George Bush. It didn't matter that I didn't even own a Nerf gun, I always recycle or that I was only 17 years old during the 2004 presidential election. I ended up telling people that I was from Canada to avoid the criticism; no one seemed to have a problem with maple syrup and hockey.
Having had this experience, I assumed that this was a common European perception of Americans: that we are gun-slinging, war-starting global warmers. However, Sebastian and Thomas, like many international students that I have met, seem thrilled to be here. In fact, they go as far as to call Americans open-minded and affable.
As the night goes on, we head up to Court Street for a pastime that is a bit more universal. After a mega-mug or two, I have to ask the boys: Why Athens? Of all places to go in the United States - Chicago, Los Angeles, New York - why choose to study in this little college town in the Appalachian foothills? It turns out the answer is easy: Their schools in Germany have a partnership with OU. However, they don't seem to feel that they've lost out at all in the deal, explaining that they love Athens and all the people they've met here.
Two o'clock comes quickly, and it is time to say auf wiedersehen. As I walk home, I reflect on the night. Although I love spending time with international students to learn about their culture, tonight I realized how important sharing American culture is as well. It is clear that my friendly foreign friends are having a great experience in the United States, and it is likely that they will return home with a positive perception of Americans. Maybe this is a solution to the problem. We can't change the past eight years of the Bush administration or the impact that it has had on the global view of the United States, but we truly can impact the personal views of the international students who pass through Athens, one student at a time.
Christina Stanek is a senior studying
Spanish education. Send her an e-mail
at cs348305@ohiou.edu.
4 Opinion
Christina Stanek
