Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art by Li Sun

Austin Campbell, an RA in Futrall Hall, organized a field trip to go visit the Crystal Bridges for Futrall and Holcombe residents. Li Sun shared her experience with us. Enjoy!

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At the entrance of the museum

Whenever I visit a different place, museums are always the must-go-places ranking top on my list. To me, a museum is the condensation of knowledge that the artists, past and present, have passed on to us from generation to generation by way of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance. Among the most interesting and quickest ways of learning a different culture is simply immersing yourself in a sea of masterpieces which together help unfold a panorama of history, culture and arts of that place. For that purpose, I, along with many other international students, went to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Group of Bears & Group of Friends

My friends and I started our trip from the Crystal Bridges Trail. It is noteworthy that the outside landscape of the museum is as much as a part of the experience of Crystal Bridges as the art inside. The trail features a beautiful and serene walk through Compton Gardens. Along the winding trail, there are some sculptures of artistic interest, for example, Group of Bears, a bronze sculpture created by Paul Manship which features three bears with different poses, and Shore Lunch, another bronze sculpture by Dan Ostermiller that depicts a bear hunting fish. The subject of both works is a bear, a wild animal at large and a creature in the nature. I felt that those artists presented their works in an attempt to let viewers take away the idea that arts and nature are both vital to the human spirit and they should be accessible to all, which is also the overall philosophy of Crystal Bridges Museum.

Guide in front of Enassamishhinjijweian

After walking through the trail, we came into the “Wonder World”, one of the museum’s collections. It brings together thirty-three contemporary works by established, mid-career, and emerging artists and those works illustrate the themes of perception, representation, illusion, nature, and history.

Personally, one piece of work that impressed me the most was Enassamishhinjijweian,an oil painting by Tom Uttech. In the painting, mists lie heavily and the sun sets roseate on the lonely swamps; locks of various species of birds, nocturnal and diurnal, flying in the same direction; one contemplative bear sitting motionlessly with his back to us in the midst of the landscape – the bear was staring into the distance.

Enassamishhinjijweian

While sitting on a bench in front of the painting, I couldn’t figure out what that artist was trying to convey until the guide asked me a simple question “Where are you from?” I told him that I was from Beijing, China and then he continued with another question “How long will it take you to get out of the city and approach the natural environment in Beijing?” I thought about that for a while and said “Four hours’ drive.” Of course, allowing for the gnawing traffic jam in such a big city as Beijing. At this point, I couldn’t help thinking that with urbanization and industrialization progressing on, we have gone to great lengths to flock into metropolises in pursuit of more opportunities that we thought those big cities promised us. However, the lamentable result is that we have become so accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the cities that we have left no room and time for the enjoyment of nature, the very inhabitancy we human beings are dwelling in. Our minds are stuffed with all the trifles which we boasted as significant things, however. I was sitting there in front of this huge painting, contemplating just as that lonely bear, and wondering if he was digesting the same thing as I was.

Sun Li looking into the sphere to enjoy "After The Last Supper"

Apart from the contemporary arts, the museum has another collection of works that can be dated back into colonial era. “Celebrating the American Spirit”is the inaugural presentation of the Museum’s collection. It holds more than 400 works by American great artists, and provides us with a great understanding of American art and history.  This historic and significant art pieces teach us about America’s history through artists’ perspectives.

A museum is, to some extent, a story-teller. The collections of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art told us an unfolding story of the United States from as early as colonial period to the present day through the masterpieces of American arts.

Essence of History Fashion Show by Ali Khalid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This month of February is the Black History Month to celebrate and remember important historical people and events in the history of African Americans. Thus, the Black Student Association (BSA) organized an “Essence of History Fashion Show” on the 9th of February, 2012.

Great performances

It was a creative event where history was portrayed in a rather aesthetic way. Aside from the narrators telling the history and efforts of historical people, there were students who were dressed and presenting themselves like various African American historical figures, such as Malcolm X, Zora Neale Hurston and many more. This ‘Fashion Show’ like portrayal definitely added a wow factor to the event.

There were also dancing performances as well as a mind blowing performance by a prominent singer. Each performance was applauded. I couldn’t take my eyes off the stage for even a little while or else I’d risk missing the great feats performed by the dancers.

The finale took us all by surprise. We were told by the narrators to stand up as the President of the United States, Barack Obama and First Lady, Michelle Obama, are making an appearance. To everyone’s astonishment, students once again were impersonating the President and First Lady. Yet, we all stood up, showed respect and applauded the great presentation.

Ali (on the right) BSA President, Raven (third from the right), and his friends

At the end, the President of the Black Student Association, Raven, gave an inspirational speech; she said that great people from the past devoted their lives so that African Americans would be granted equal rights and power to vote. Their dreams have materialized and now it is the duty of every African American to vote so that the sacrifices made in the past are not wasted.

It was a great event, very enlightening and amusing. It was wonderful to see many African American students from the University of Arkansas sitting under one roof, remembering their past. All would agree that it was a great tribute to the African American legends of history.

– Ali Khalid

“Long Live Peace” from Palestine by Ramz Shalbak

Holcombe Geography Series Program has been successful thanks to our international students. One of great things about this program is a lot of presenters have been visiting students! Ramz Shalbak shared her reflections about this program and love & pride for her country, Palestine. Enjoy. — Nami

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Geography Series Palestine

After I was selected as one of the six Palestinians for the Near East and South Asia Undergraduate Exchange Program (NESA UGRAD) to study in the United States, I was nervous and scared: I might not be good enough to represent my country in a way that it should be represented in. I guess it was because, at that point, I had not yet recognized this great connection between myself and Palestine, the place I come from.

As a NESA student, my goal is to learn about the American people, norms, holidays, and all the other aspects of the American culture, but I believe my experience has been extraordinarily different from my expectation, in such a positive way. Since the Fayetteville has such a supportive international community that is friendly to international students from all around the world, my experience has not been limited to only learning from the U.S. cultural experience but also from unique multi-cultural experiences. This kind of experience has taken me “on a journey” to different countries around the world every time I meet a new friend and learn something about his/her culture.

Presentation Day

After spending five months here, I felt it was my turn to tell my story to all those who had shared their lives, cultures, experiences, and feelings with me from the first day I came to Fayetteville. My biggest fear at that point was “how” — How am I going to represent my country which is not like any other countries, because Palestine, the small country that lies on the Mediterranean sea, has always been a special country for its long and unique history. Geography Series Program, a country presentation program that is open for anyone who wishes to learn different cultures and expand a global perspective, was the perfect chance for me to introduce the community to my country. The coordinator of Geography Series Program offered me the opportunity to start the Spring semester by presenting “one of the most complicated countries in the world” as people tend to describe it — Palestine.

At the beginning, it was hard for me to choose what to talk about because I was thinking that the image about Palestine for almost everyone would be automatically tied up with the image of the country as a war zone. I did not want to repeat same scenes they usually see on TV shows or news. I wanted to share stories how the life would be if you were a Palestinian. I wanted to show our daily life in Palestine to let participants know our language and culture. Also my number one hope was to give a memorable impression about Palestinian people.

Ramz and friends

This experience lifted me to a new level of understanding about peace not only as a Palestinian whose country is struggling as an occupied country, but also as an ambassador of the country who wants to translate her history and the knowledge she has gained here into a new peaceful experience to the whole world.

It is said that you never feel the love of something until you are far away from it; and it is indeed true because I did not actually realize how much I love my country and how much I am proud of my origins until I represented it.

by Ramz Shalbak

Latin Jazz Music by Komal Nadeem

Komal Nadeem is a visiting student from Pakistan. She studies at the University of Arkansas for a semester. She is trying to soak up all the cultural experiences! One day, she shared her story about a concert that was held at the Walton Arts Center (WAC) in Fayetteville. As Bo Kyung told us her story before, WAC is such a great place to explore cultures. So, here’s another great example. Enjoy! — Nami

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Poncho Sanchez

‘Hey, Komal, I found out that there is a Latin Jazz concert tonight at the Walton Arts Center. Let’s check it out!’ said Ali Khalid, another visiting student from Pakistan.

It was a performance by Poncho Sanchez and his band.

I had not explored much different genres of music, especially Latin Jazz.

Latin Jazz – it sounded something new and something diverse, which was very exciting to me. When Ali told me about the concert, I was already tired because of all the school work and an evening event on campus, but I decided to give it a try to explore a different culture. Since music had always intrigued me, I was sure I would not regret the experience just because I was tired.

I am from Pakistan. I grew up with rock music, pop music and some traditional cultural music. Pakistani folklore varies: Some are serene some are inspirational. So, thinking of music I grew up with, I was expecting Latin Jazz would be a little bit different from the music I was used to.

Walton Arts Center

With excitement in my heart, we arrived at the Walton Arts Center and found our reserved seats. Who knew that I would experience one of the most beautiful music that night! Their music was full of emotions. It was happy. It was sad. At the same time, it lightened me up and it also made me feel all nostalgic.

I didn’t know whether to “enjoy” it or “experience” it because every moment, I was listening to the tunes composed by Poncho Sanchez; I was in the state of Glee. One of the many things I found different in the concert was the ‘arrangement’ of it. Where I come from, concerts are more about screaming and dancing, or listening quietly. Here, I found both in one. People were so synchronized. If one danced, everyone followed the rhythm. If one shook his head in music, everyone did. It was like a culture. Some discipline of sort that I loved about the people. They were happy and they were all enjoying together – dancing together and screaming around as if we all were a family enjoying some TV show at home. It may sound weird, but even at the concert, I felt at home. I learned to love both Latin Jazz and people.

I felt good when I came back home and lied down to drift off.

Of course, I didn’t have any regrets. No, I didn’t. I felt happy. Very happy, indeed.

Ali & Komal (on the right)

My First Week Experience by Gamram Baik

Mr. Freeman's Welcome at the Orientation

First week of my life in the U.S. kicked off smoothly! I got to spend some time with the International Students & Scholars staff and new friends. Thanks to their warm welcome and hospitality, my feeling of anxiety, worry and fear about the new life and new semester, which felt cold in my heart like a winter weather of January, got transformed into motivation, joy and excitement. Cross-Cultural Mentors from all over the world, volunteers and staff became my friends and support during the first week and they assisted me to step into the whole new experience in this new culture. It was a big step for me as someone who grew up in one country, South Korea, for more than 20 years.

I traveled to the U.S. with other students who are from the same university. A long journey with a few flights brought me to Fayetteville. Finally, we arrived in the hotel where we stayed for a few nights as our temporary housing before moving into our residence halls. Soon after we got to Fayetteville, Arnold (Visiting Student Program Coordinator) and Danilo (Arrival Coordinator for the International Students Orientation) also arrived and helped us. We hit it off quickly and went to have dinner together. We spent the weekend together as well before the orientation started.

Lunch in an American Home Program

Everything was new: from attending Immigration Basics Session in ISS to visiting different offices on campus, from going to make a school ID to setting up an e-mail account. Arnold, Danilo and others helped us to complete all the basic steps to prepare ourselves as UofA students even prior to all those scheduled events and programs during the orientation week. It made our transitions so much smoother! Addition to it, class registration was another challenging experience for me. With kind advice and full support, I managed to handle all the tasks to become a Razorback!

The Orientation Week was full of fun programs and important information that were helpful and enjoyable. All the scheduled programs and sessions were not too early or too late and I appreciate that same sessions were provided in different schedules multiple times in order to accommodate our individual schedules as well. This structure allowed me to have some time for myself to explore and get to know the campus atmosphere and different facilities.

I was impressed by that staff, CCM and volunteers were multitasking to deal with class registrations and other tasks to assist new-comers who did not know where to go and what to do — including myself. They were always busy but never looked exhausted or anything even though it was such a busy week. Some already knew some words in different languages and I was surprised that some were familiar with different cultures as well, which made me feel comfortable.

Volunteers who took me to different places in Fayetteville during the orientation and people who helped me throughout the week were like a searchlight for me to adjust to the new place and start my new life in the U.S. smoothly.

ICT Kick-Off Event

Tonight (1/20/2012), I am attending the International Culture Team’s Kick-off event and I am looking forward to it! I hope I’ll get to see people I met during the orientation again as a member of Razorbacks!

by Gamram Baik

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and thoughts about the first week of your stay! Those warm messages are always our motivation to work in ISS! We are so, so, so happy that everybody arrived safely and started their semester! — Nami

Human Library in Russia by Katya Romanova

Katya said “When I just arrived to Arkansas I said to myself all the time, ‘hmm, it’s all so weird, why on earth do they do this or that?’… But upon coming back to Russia, I said the same about everything in my city.”

Katya Romanova was a visiting student during the 2010-2011 academic year. As I posted the blog article by Stevan, I got to learn Katya was trying to organize a Human Library Program in Russia. Here’s an article from her regarding her project and also her experience in Fayetteville. This is very inspiring and such a great example of your study abroad experience will continue even after going back home.

Here we go:

Katya in front of Old Main

I miss Fayetteville a lot. Its comfy atmosphere, my work at ‘CAT’ (Community Access Television), our creative proactive team of international students, Thai food (I’m an addict;), countless trips and adventures, residents of Hillcrest Tower and watching a sunset on the second floor of Public Library… And you can probably never imagine what it means for a Russian girl to be able to bike the whole year round or walk barefoot in January! That was the best winter in my life indeed!

I came back home with depression and a textbook with ideas of projects I was eager to organize in Nizhny Novgorod. So, a couple of months later, I ‘embarked’ on preparation of Human Library with my friends.

I took part in this project as a “reader” and a “human book” at University of Arkansas, and the program impressed me a lot with its unusual form. I loved the idea of bringing such diverse people together and raise awareness about social issues in quite an entertaining and informal way.

Human Library

Human Library in Nizhny Novgorod turned out to be a big success – it attracted about 200 participants who came to talk with human books, 18 books in total. Books were a hitchhiker, gay, family with adopted children, orphan, transsexual, HIV positive, Muslim woman and social worker.

I often got frustrated while working on the project but what made me keep going is support of my friends worldwide and inspiration from their great projects. By the way, this project was quite an international one because our designer was from Canada and web-designers was from Moscow, plus, we consulted organizers of Human Libraries from everywhere. I think that my experience of studying and living abroad changed my perception of the world – I somehow feel that everything is so interconnected and you can do so many things together as a team, that was part of motivations for me to make the Human Library Program here successful!

Katya

Thank you, Fayetteville and friends I met there.

Love from Russia.

By Katya Romanova, IREX Student 2010-2011

Photos by Alyona Antsygina

Human Library Program by Stevan Perovic

Human Library Fall 2011

When I heard about this project, Human Library Program, for the first time, I was very intrigued. The Balkans was always a region misrepresented by the media, and I found a chance to tell my story about the Balkans (focusing on ex Yugoslavia) and how I view the whole social and political situation during the 1990’s and 2000’s.

At first I was quite nervous- what should I talk about? What would be an appealing topic? What if nobody cares about this? After thinking about it for a couple of days, I decided to tell the story about the Balkans during Yugoslav wars in the 90s, bombing of Serbia in 1999, overthrowing our president Slobodan Milosevic, and how it reflects today’s youth in ex Yugoslav countries. Since I am of mixed heritage, Croatian and Serbian, two of the biggest conflicted sides during the war, I believed I could provide a unique input to this whole social and historical situation.

Stevan Perovic from Serbia

After applying for time slots, I did some research on the factual history of the wars. This research gave me a deeper understanding of the topic I chose to discuss. I tried to be as unbiased as possible, and I hope I succeeded in it.

As days went by, I noticed that slowly my time slots started getting reserved- it was incredibly exciting! Three people decided to “read” my book, to gain a deeper knowledge about my region and my culture. It was an incredible feeling!

When the day of my actual readings came, I was very nervous. What if they don’t like me? What if I don’t know enough info to correctly portray the situation? What if, what if, what if… I came to Holcombe, checked in and sat down. I saw a familiar face approaching me! I was really relieved that someone I knew was my first reader. She had a really good background about Serbia and the Balkans (thanks to FORECAST 2010/2011 students Anja and Nikola; you two rock!), so it was rather easy to get into the discussion. The other two readers were also knowledgeable about the region, I was really positively impressed!

Stevan with a reader

All three of my readers had different motives of hearing about this topic, all had different questions and different points of view- I was really grateful for that because it made me view my region from different perspectives, ones that I hadn’t paid attention until then. We got into different discussions, comparing the Balkan to the Rwandan situation, talking about how media represented Balkans during the wars, and even about what the youth are doing to connect to each other and overcome the fabricated differences and learned hatred.

I am very grateful for this project. I got to share my personal views, have a discussion with three very smart and opinionated individuals and got to look at this topic from a new perspective gained by listening to my readers. I am taking this chance to thank Ms. Jessica Pope (Graduate Assistant in the Ombuds Office), Ms. Sue Theiss (Director in the Ombuds Office) and ISS for organizing this event. I am looking forward to participating in this project next semester, hopefully with an even more interesting topic!

By Stevan Perovic

Human Library

What is Human Library? You, as a book, tell your original story to a reader. This is a collaborative effort by Ombuds Office, University Library & ISS. Human Library deals with various topics and it is a great way to explore diversity in the Fayetteville community. Human Library is held in Holcombe Hall and the program normally looks like this in this photo. Holcombe Living Room is such a cozy environment and a book and a reader can enjoy 1 on 1 conversations.

 

 

Hanna from Korea as a book

Kalina from Bulgaria as a reader

Stevan was such an interesting “book”!! (Yes, I was a reader ;))  I would recommend you to be part of this program either as a reader or book! Keep your eyes open for the announcement for the Spring 2012! — Nami

Friendship Family by Emna Ghariani

Courtney, Emna and friend at ISO's Tailgate Party in Holcombe

I was already excited about the Friendship Family Program offered by International Students & Scholars even before coming to the United States. Friendship Family was one of the things I was looking for since my friend who was studying at the University of Arkansas told me how much this program assisted her to adjust to the culture here and overcome homesickness.  She also said that the program helped her to get connected closer to the culture and life in Fayetteville.

My Friendship Family is Ms. Courtney Osborn, a young lady with a cheerful personality. She has been my great host and I feel she has been my true friend as well. Besides that, I can truly say the Friendship Family Program Coordinator, Ms. Casie Shreve, and her team are very caring and I really appreciate their events and programs that they organize to provide the students and their families with opportunities to see each other.

Lake Fort Smith

One great event that was organized by ISS was a picnic to the Lake Fort Smith State Park. It was one of the best days since I came to the United State. The weather was amazing on that day and the landscapes at the park were amazing. I was impressed by the magnificent colors of the autumn and the beautiful scenery made me understand why people call Arkansas as the Natural State. When we arrived there, we found the Friendship Family Program team setting up a huge lunch that all families prepared together! The food was of course delicious, and it was simply amazing to sit in the beautiful nature next to the lake and be surrounded by mountains. After a while, we went to the lake to do canoeing, pedal boats. It was wonderful to share those moments with my Friendship Family and other families.

By the end of the day, I felt that being part of the Friendship Family is not only about having a family that hosts you, but also about having truly caring people who support you in your hard times and share your best moments with you during the time of study abroad. I am glad to be a member of the big family called Friendship Family Program at the University of Arkansas.

By Emna Ghariani

Emna Ghariani

Emna is from Tunisia. She’s very energetic and always willing to take part in different programs. I was impressed that she contributed to the community as an an emcee (even during her first semester!) at the Taste of Africa Event by African Student Organization. I admire her love and passion about her country and also her pride as an African. This led her to present at the Holcombe Geography Series as well. Please keep sharing your culture and enjoy the U.S. culture with friends and the Friendship Family! — Nami

West Side Story by Bo Kyung Shin

Before the Show

West Side Story was performed at the Walton Arts Center a few weeks ago. I gladly signed up for the special event with the UofA Visiting Student Program as I believe it is a great way of experiencing and exploring the U.S. culture to watch a Broadway show. This program allowed me to have an opportunity to enjoy the second Broadway show experience in my life. I had seen Mamma Mia! five years ago in Korea and this musical definitely became my favorite. All of the songs were beautiful and the story was very interesting. So I was really looking forward to watching West Side Story.

Although West Side Story is a very famous classic piece, I did not know much about it unfortunately. I had never watched a movie before either. So, I asked my friend about its storyline. She said it was similar to the story of Romeo and Juliet. (This explanation helped me to understand the show so much more easily!) She also told me that it was a story about two gangs of different ethnic groups: one group is White Americans and the other group is Puerto Ricans. I learned that the heroine would speak Spanish and some other parts during the show would be also in Spanish. So, I was nervous and worried if I would be able to fully understand the story.

Some of participants after the show

Despite my concerns, West Side Story was interesting and very entertaining! Performance was very well organized and all the dancers were wonderful. The voices of two main characters were beautiful. One of my favorites was the song called, Tonight (Youtube link). It was such a sweet song and the lyrics –Tonight, tonight, it all began tonight. I saw you, and the world went away.– showed their real love regardless of their background differences. The musical was wonderful except one last part; the way the show ended was different from what I expected and it made me sad! However, I truly enjoyed this Broadway musical experience at the Walton Arts Center.

Since I came to Fayetteville, I have already visited Walton Arts Center several times to watch and enjoy musicals, concerts and plays. It has been one of my favorite things to do in Fayetteville. I like how convenient the location is by being close to the UofA campus. It is a great facility to enjoy arts. I would love to visit Walton Arts Center again in near future. If you have not been to the Walton Arts Center or have not watched musicals or shows, I strongly recommend you to utilize there to enjoy arts and cultural activities there!

By Bo Kyung Shin

Bo Kyung in beautiful Hanbok

Bo Kyung has been exploring the U.S. culture and sharing her own culture with the community actively since she came to Fayetteville as a visiting student. We are happy to know that Walton Arts Center has offered various activities outside of classrooms to maximize her study abroad experience!

ISS Eureka Springs Trip by Eun Hye Chang

Eureka Springs offers beautiful fall. I am glad I visited there with ISS. I had no idea how beautiful and fun Eureka Springs could be until I went there. I love traveling and visiting different places, yet, to be honest, I was not expecting a lot because I assumed it would be a small town in Arkansas that may be similar to Fyaetteville. However, I found this little town such a charming place to visit!

Thorn Crown Chapel

On the field trip day, we stopped by the Thorn Crown Chapel on the way to the Eureka Springs Downtown. It is a beautiful and relaxing chapel which is surrounded by beautiful trees in the Ozark Mountains. As we sat in the chapel and enjoyed the beautiful building, there was a person who gave us a quick lecture about the chapel. We learned about quick facts, its history, how it was built, who uses it nowadays and such. It was designed by E. Fay Jones, who was a professor at the University of Arkansas. Jim Reed proposed the idea to Dr. Jones and they constructed their dream chapel in 1980. It is a beautiful glass chapel which is 48 feet tall with 425 windows. I was very surprised to know how much it costs to clean those windows! Additionally, I was very impressed by the fact that it was chosen as the 4th on the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) top designs of the 20th century. The Chapel is often used for weddings. I learned that many happy couples from all around world come to this beautiful place to get married. If I could get married in this beautiful chapel, I would be really happy on my special day! I envy couples who plan their weddings in that location!

Eureka Springs Downtown

The next spot was the Eureka Springs Downtown. It is indeed a cute town in the Ozarks Mountains of Arkansas. Eureka Springs became famous for its hot spring. The first impression of the town was picturesque! The scenery somehow reminded me of small towns in Europe. We stayed there for about 3 hours for lunch and a walk. The downtown has steep winding streets filled with Victorian-style buildings. And there are many shops, boutiques, fine art galleries, craft emporiums, and restaurants along those streets. We had great time looking around and taking pictures in the downtown area. If I had had more time, I would have tried to ride on a trolley car, which I thought was very unique in this town! Later on, I also learned that Eureka Springs has been selected one of 100 towns to be in Great Towns of America and I completely agree to it because of its unique history, beautiful scenery and atmosphere.

Turpentine Creek

Finally, we went to Turpentine Creek. Before I visited there, I was imagining a fancy zoo in my head; but I was wrong. As its full name -Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge- shows, it is the shelter and home for Big Cats (tigers, cougars, leopards, and lions), bears, and other animals. We had a knowledgeable tour guide and we were able to see those animals at close range. The tour guide led us and showed us around the facility, from one cage to another, and explained those animals’ individual stories. Most of them were not pleasant stories: They were abused and abandoned. For example, the guide told us that one female bobcat was forced to live in the basement and she lost her sight because of the dark environment. After the tour, we were able to observe their feeding time, which was very exciting. I hope Turpentine Creek will keep providing a comfortable place for those animals to stay in.

Eun Hye in the Middle

In conclusion, the ISS Eureka Springs trip gave me a great educational opportunity to learn something new about the region and also such a relaxing time while having busy school schedules. I had fun with my friends and got so much closer to each other by spending a half day together. I recommend international students to visit the Thorn Crown Chapel, Eureka Springs Downtown, and Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge if you have a chance! 

By Eun Hye Chang