By: Meghan Daniel, contributing writer
The Two to Tell competition, hosted by Wofford’s Office of International Affairs and its partner CIEE, allows students who have participated in study abroad programs to give a short presentation about their abroad experiences. The competition encourages students to reflect on their study abroad experience in respect to “interaction with the host culture, transformation within the experience, language learning, research” and other factors that played a role in their appreciation of the experience.
Other criteria of the presentations include artistic and academic quality, originality and reflection of “the artist’s participation in their cross-cultural experience.” All students willing to participate in the competition first submitted their six-image PowerPoint presentation to the Office of International Programs. The Office then selected 10 of the total submitted presentations to be presented during a campus-wide event on March 16, 2018 for the chance to win $50-$500.
The ‘17-‘18 finalists were Nick Butler, Lydia Estes, Emma Hauser, Mae Hoffman, Avery McMillen, Bridget Murtagh, Victoria Nwankudu, John Patterson, Will Randall and Emily Washburn. The group participated in study abroad experiences ranging from a summer in the Dominican Republic studying public health, a fall semester in the Czech Republic for a film program and an Interim trip to Bonaire studying the local marine life, among others. Each participant was allotted two minutes, coupled with six pictures, to narrate their study abroad experience. Audience members were encouraged to take notes on each of the presentations so that they could participate in determining the top presenters.
Each of the participants presented unique and creative presentations. Nick Butler recited an excerpt from a poem entitled “Uphill,” which he linked to his experiences during Interim in Nepal and Tibet. He concluded with the statement: “The difficult things in life are the only things really worth doing,” which he says summarizes his appreciation of the demanding nature of the trip. Lydia Estes, who presented on the same Interim, incorporated many significant images from the trip into her presentation. These included prayer flags, “ripped threads and worn fabrics,” and the distant silhouette of Mt. Everest that came into focus as the group ascended to base camp.
Bridget Murtagh presented on her Interim experience in Ireland. Her presentation, titled “We All Come From Somewhere,” illustrated how her trip allowed her to explore her personal origin on a broader scale. She concluded her presentation by emphasizing the understanding gained about both her role and the role of her great grandmother in the cross-cultural immigration sequence coming from Ireland to the United States.
John Patterson also presented on his experience during Interim. He presented his experiences in Spain via a poem that he composed titled “Now I Can See.” Within the poem, Patterson described some of the highlights of his Interim trip, including soccer games, cooking classes and friendships that were solidified during this incredible experience. The main takeaway for Patterson was the way the trip challenged him to see the world through a new lens.
Victoria Nwankudu studied abroad in Morocco during the fall 2017 semester as the Presidential International Scholar. She discussed the importance of language and tools of construction. During her time in Morocco, Nwankudu developed a refined understanding of language and came to understand how many of the tools behind language construction function subconsciously, especially when communicating in multiple languages.
After the final presentation, audience members indicated their top three nominees for best presentation and turned in their ballots. Within the next few days, the Office of International Affairs announced the winners: first place to Patterson, second place to Butler, third place to Murtagh and an honorable mention to Nwankudu.
