Maddie is a junior majoring in advertising and minoring in sociology and Corporate Communications and Public Affairs.

London was definitely quite the learning experience, but more so a growing experience, for me at least. Indeed, I learned a great deal about international advertising and the media in Great Britain from class, all of which will help me in the future with my career. Yet, it is the things I learned and saw outside of class that will help me be a better person and live a better life. I feel like a changed person, a person not afraid to try new things or attempt to speak a different language or even get a little lost from time to time.

To be bold
I have learned to be more open-minded and bold. There are so many different viewpoints and ideas in this world, and many are respectable and admirable. Without diversity in opinion and character our world would be an awfully boring place, and nothing creative or inventive would ever surface. Actually immersing myself in a new culture has changed everything. Whether it's politics, fashion, entertainment or food, being different is a good thing and makes experiencing those different things memorable and special.

I'm convinced that my newly developed open-mindedness has made me a better person and a bolder individual. For example, never before would I have agreed to try something like black pudding, because I am fully aware of its contents, yet being in London and seeing how prevalent and traditional the dish was I decided to try it. Similarly, when I was in Scotland I decided to listen to Alex's father and taste a-must-have delicacy called haggis. Also in Scotland, I left my stable state and joined in on the ten or so Scottish dances in the castle ballroom. Never have I felt so incredibly awkward and clueless, but it was so worth it! All the twirling, stomping and arm-locking with old men decked out in kilts ended up being the highlight of the night. I'm sure this doesn't seem like much, but it's a decent start to my new bold self.

To be independent
In London I have learned to be independent. I mistakenly took my roommate's passport to the airport (when we were flying to Paris) and was faced with the quandary of me getting myself back on the correct shuttle, platform, train and tube line home. Somehow I managed to make it back to Regents College, with a few wrong turns and a little guidance from this cute, older woman. I was flustered and upset I missed my flight, but in a way relieved that I had actually made it home.

To appreciate
All in all, I have learned to appreciate. London is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and surpassed any of the expectations I had for it. There is so much history, and every English person is proud to be one. Oddly enough, I have also learned to appreciate my parents more. They were the ones who agreed to this adventure in the first place. They were the ones who said, "Maddie, go have the time of your life." Without my parents' support, I would not have experienced or learned what I did. I did have the time of my life in London and managed to actually study while abroad too. I learned how to properly drink tea and how often to carry an umbrella. I learned how to handle out of control Spaniards and Italians and the necessity of wearing flat shoes. I learned there's never such a thing as too much diet coke, but there is such a thing as too much refectory food.

Looking back on this whole experience, frankly I am surprised. I am surprised by how brave I've been. I'm surprised by the food I ended up liking and the music I am now obsessed with (Scottish Ceildh). I'm surprised that I handled five weeks of rain and survived not having air conditioning. I'm surprised I was able to handle being fully on my own and loving it. The bottom line is -I am proud of myself. I will never forget my summer of 2007 in London and the weekend adventures that felt like dreams...

An update from Whitney P, a senior CCPA major with a Spanish and music minor who interned this summer with One World Broadcasting Trust, which aims to increase understanding between developing and developed countries through the effective use of media:

I was placed at One World Broadcasting Trust (OWBT) because of my interest in media. My first day of work was very interesting. The work culture in London is very different than what I am used to in the States. Everyone was extremely quiet, I mean you could hear a pen drop! It was the strangest thing I have ever experienced in a work setting. Everyone was so focused and passionate about their work, it was an amazing thing to see because some of the places I have worked in Texas lack the passion that I saw in this organization.

In my first weeks at my internship I worked on a lot of follow-up for the annual OWBT media awards ceremony. The awards recognize the unique role of journalists and filmmakers in bringing together different societies, and communicating the depth of social, political and cultural experiences across the globe. So it was interesting to learn about the different awards and topics that various journalists covered and how they were making a difference by shedding light on these situations, which usually received little or no media coverage.

Botswana vs. the U.S.
Today I met one of the volunteers named Keletso, and she was originally from Botswana. I had an amazing conversation with her about the culture differences in Africa, Europe and the U.S. We mainly discussed our personal experiences as African-American women in our respective cultures.

I was explaining to her how different my experiences were in the United States as compared with London. Since London is such a melting pot I feel like race is not an issue whatsoever, and I did not feel out of place anywhere I went because of my race. But, in the U.S., race is of course a much larger issue, and racism, despite what people might think, still occurs every day. It is usually not overt, but it is there, and I shared with her some of my experiences on job interviews, in school and social settings.

She shared with me her experience of living in Botswana and not having the same features as native Botswanians and some of the reactions she received. She also told me stories of the discrimination she experienced when attending school in London from other African and African-American women. We bonded through our common experiences and became great friends that day. She even invited me to come visit her when she went back home, so I'm taking a trip to Africa! I don't know when, but I am definitely going to take her up on that offer!

New ways to work
After about two weeks of working at One World Broadcasting Trust, I decided to take some initiative after overhearing a conversation my boss was having with a colleague regarding the American fundraising model. We were learning about this in Professor Latour's class, and she gave us a document that contained all of the information my organization needed. So I customized the document to fit some of the organization's needs, and I also made suggestions on a few things I thought OWBT could use to improve sother programs. The next day my boss was really happy with the fundraising document and the suggestions I gave her she asked me to do.

- Whitney P

An update from Jillian - Jillian is a junior CCPA major who interned with OneClimate.net.

With the term global warming, many pictures come to mind: a hybrid car, Hurricane Katrina, Al Gore's face and now - five planet Earths. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), that is the acreage required if every person in the world shared the lifestyle of an American student.

Until recently, the vast majority of the general public, and even most global justice activists, have seen climate change as "an environmental issue" of secondary importance to "people-issues." OneClimate, a program under OneWorld NGO, acknowledges many connections now beginning to emerge between climate change, poverty and social justice. OneClimate focuses on promoting awareness and education, bringing the problems of climate change to the forefront of people's lives across the globe.

How big is your footprint?
Tracking the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) individuals produce, or your carbon footprint, helps you gain perspective on personally making a difference. CO2 is a greenhouse gas connected to global warming and is something we release in mass quantities every day. Several calculators that determine your carbon footprint are available on the web. The majority produce results in pounds or kilograms, accurate but difficult to visualize. They ask questions relating to households and bill,s which, for students who live on campuses, can be inapplicable or time-consuming.
For example, according to www.timeforchange.org, "one kg (2.205 lbs) of CO2 is released with the production of five plastic bags, production of two plastic bottles and the production of 1/3 of an American cheeseburger." Yes, just 1/3. It is easy to tell that is significant, but difficult to grasp because holding a pound of gas is somewhat intangible.

The WWF calculator estimates how much productive land and water you need to support what you use and discard based on questions about food and technology as well as recycling and transportation. For example, a student who eats meat/fish once a day, buys food that isn't locally grown (which in a major city like Dallas is inevitable), drives an SUV 5-15 hrs a week, doesn't use public transit, spends 10 hours on a plane annually and lives in a two-person apartment, uses up to 22 acres of the earth annually.
Included in this calculation, this student recycles, turns their lights and computer off when they leave, and carpools, which are solutions that we have easily adopted to attempt to do our part. This isn't enough, considering that if divided evenly, there are only 4.5 acres for each person across the world to use every year.

You can make a difference
That means during our time at SMU, we will produce 5 times the amount of carbon dioxide the average person should be allotted. We hear about climate change beginning to be a serious problem in 2050 or even in 100 years' time. But OneClimate founder Anuradha Vittachi believes an "Irreversibility Day" is set for 2030.
There are recycling cans all over campus - use them. Carpool. The energy used up by being lazy is actually more than the energy you would use to be productive.

Eliminate your excuses for not tracking your carbon footprint by going to www.worldwildlife.org/globalwarming. Go the extra mile for a detailed footprint at www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html or www.begreennow.com/users/calculator.

Each website provides insight on how to reduce produced CO2 so you can start implementing improvements at SMU today. Statistics are showing that U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions declined from 5.955 million metric tons (MMTCO2) in 2005 to 5,877 MMTCO2 in 2006.

People are responding and changing. Be one of them today by signing up at www.oneclimate.net.

An update from Claire
We have been in Northern Greece now for almost five days. It is beautiful here, although much of the land is rural and poor. However, the beauty of the landscape, ocean, food and white-washed villas with red-tiled roofs seems to keep us busy!!

We flew in to Thessaloniki, which is a large city on the Northwestern coast of Greece. It was very warm, as you can imagine, since Greece is in the middle of a severe heatwave this summer. Some days, locals say, it gets as hot as 110 degrees, so we are naturally by the beautiful Mediterranean beaches every chance that we get.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy getting to our resort in Gerakini, a small village on the middle Southeastern coast, as it was getting from London to Greece. We got lost, and what should have taken us an hour car trip to the hotel took us about four hours. Needless to say, we nearly saw this entire country and met every local who owned a gas station and didn't speak English. However, we finally got to Gerakini late Wednesday afternoon and didn't waste any time in getting out to the beach.

The majority of our time in Greece was spent at the Center for Disease Prevention and Medical Research in Ormylia, a small village about 10 miles up in the hills away from Gerakini. The center co-hosted a breast cancer workshop along with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure foundation.

As communication students attending this workshop with over 40 delegates from Egypt, Greece, Syria, Bosnia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Srpska, our job was to brainstorm with these doctors and advocates ideas about how to build better communication for their countries about breast cancer, prevention care and education. Many of these countries face cultural and religious barriers, so our mission is finding how we as communicators can get the message to the people who need to hear it.

When the workshop research is done at the end of the day, it is one of the first times that the 15 students who left London to come to Greece have been able to rest! It is amazing how easily you can fall asleep on a sunny beach, with Mediterranean water lapping against a sandy and rocky shore when all your energy and enthusiasm are drained from the cold and rainy London weather!

It's beautifully simple here, which allows us to be easily focused on relaxing when we are not working. However, it is equally difficult to have any outside contact with the rest of the world. It is rare to get internet access, there are only three ATMs in a 200-mile circumference and calling home is a little unheard of. So watching CNN International in English is as exciting as celebrating Christmas morning.

Greece and London have been a great experience, and we have met amazing people from all over the world. However, I definitely look forward to coming home, but I have many great stories to share!!

Claire

An update from Candy
Dr. Stanley Kivitz from Stanford University opened a breast cancer screening and treatment clinic in the Favalas of Brazil. The Favalas are the shantytowns or ghettos surrounding the cities in Brazil. Dr. Kivitz serves underprivileged women with the best technology, but most importantly by making the women feel welcomed and comfortable.

Quotes from Dr. Kivitz patients in his Brazil Clinic:
"I felt valued as a human being."

"It is excellent how the human being is treated."

"This is the third time here...world is full of prejudice and inhumanity...here such an enlightened team - it is a dream."

An update from Candy
The first full day of the conference was exciting. I never expected I'd be in a room with so many people from around the world, all in one room, to fight breast cancer. The schedule was broken up into lectures and mammography practicum. Experts like Dr. Philip Kivitz from Stanford University and Dr. Elizabeth DePeri from the Mayo Clinic lectured other professionals on how to sharpen their radiology and patient care skills.

They also lectured about what they do day-to-day to make their practices successful. The mammography practicum gives the radiologists opportunities to review their mammography films with other professionals and talk about better reading and screening practices.

Again, they served us a phenomenal, 4-course, homemade lunch that included an exotic dish: giant stuffed squid. It was interesting, to say the least. But, I'm proud to say that I did give it a try. Tastes like chicken.

Throughout the conference we were able to collect some great data by interviewing the participants.

At the end of our long but rewarding day, we put on our swimsuits and headed for the beach. There's nothing like a swim in the Mediterranean to bring the day to a close.

Candy

An update from Laura - Laura is a sophomore majoring in journalism who participated in SMU-in-London this summer.

Deliriously wandering off the airplane at London's Gatwick airport on the day of my arrival to the SMU in London program, I boarded a bus with the rest of the kids in the program. Knowing some of the girls as sorority acquaintances, I had only been formally introduced to a handful of girls. For the most part, I didn't know anyone on the trip and certainly did not feel at total ease or comfort with any other students. I suppose learning to acclimate myself to challenging social situations and learning to be more open minded about people are the two most valuable things that I've taken out of these five weeks.

To be honest, I did a study abroad semester in high school and have lived in London for the past six summers so I felt like those two experiences really enlightened me to the traditional "things to be learned" from an abroad program: learning a language, learning about another culture, gaining a sense of independence, and learning about new transportation systems. This trip really held no culture shocks per se. On the other hand, having to be comfortable with people who I had already established as merely casual, distant friends was the most difficult thing to overcome. I now can honestly say I have done what I would never have imagined possible: converted a few social friends to true, lifelong friends that I will continue to hold near to me even upon returning to Dallas at the end of this program.

Tyler participated in SMU-in-London's Mass Media class and British Film class.

What I learned in London? What did I not learn in London should be the question. My experience in London put me on the right track again. Being 22 years old, life was beginning to get complicated. Do I go to graduate school? Do I need to get an internship? What about getting a real adult job? Life was much easier on the structured path in middle school.

My entire life has revolved around my music career. I missed out on a lot of college memories because I was too busy choosing to do things that may further my passion of music. I never had a close group of girlfriends at SMU because of this. Coming to London allowed me to forget about what may or may not happen with my music, and allowed me to concentrate on just hanging out with a group of smart, amazing girls.

I got to stay in scary hostels and laugh until I couldn't breathe. I have visited three different countries in a month. I have seen things that some people will never in their lives see. I have made friends that I hope to keep forever.

I almost decided to stay in Texas because I was afraid I would miss out on some show or opportunity for my music. That would have been the biggest mistake I could have made. I finally feel like I am having the college experience I have always heard about. "These are the best years of your life," now I understand.

-Tyler

The first day of the conference was incredible. I've never met so many
people that are so warm and welcoming. Every person I've had the pleasure
of meeting has been thrilled to see us and happy that we came to the
conference. It's hard to explain the overwhelming sense of joy these people
have when they see us. I've lost count of how many hugs and kisses I've
gotten from the staff and from the nuns at the center.

At the introductory ceremony, the staff provided the guests with translating
devices that looked like futuristic stethoscopes and that was pretty cool.
However, it was obvious that the nice woman translating the Greek portions
to English, spoke English as her second or maybe third language, as she
referred to "vagina cancer" several times during the speech. No big deal,
we got the gist of everything.

During the ceremony, I was amazed at the caliber of the guest speakers. I
heard lectures from the head of radiology at Stanford University, Brown
University, Susan G. Komen and the Mayo Clinic. After the opening session,
the doors to the dinning hall opened up to the most beautiful homemade
dinner I've ever seen. We sat down for a 4-course meal prepared by the staff
of the Ormylia Center, and to make it even better, everything we ate was
grown right here at the center. Talk about fresh. I know this is going to
be an incredible experience.

Candy

An update from Candy
To add to our already jam-packed, awesome summer of non-stop life-changing experiences, the 15 of us that were interning in London are now in the north of Greece. We're staying in a small town called Gerakini Beach. Yes, it's tough; we have to stay in a beach resort, on the Mediterranean, because it's the only hotel around that can hold this SMU bunch. At the hotel, we're crammed in three to a room, but that's okay because we have an ocean view from our balcony.

About 10 minutes from our hotel is the tiny town of Ormylia. In Ormylia, there is a center called the Ormylia Foundation: Center for Disease Prevention and Medical Research, Panagia Philanthropini. The mission of the center is to comfort and alleviate the suffering of human beings with emphasis on the poor and working-class public without preference to race, nationality, gender, or creed. The center provides breast cancer and ovarian cancer education and screening.

We are lucky enough to be guests at their annual breast cancer conference. The conference brings together international partners and focuses on breast cancer prevention through early detection. Right now, 90 percent of breast cancers are curable if they are detected early. The participants of the conference come from all over the world including Greece, Bosnia, Egypt, Turkey, Eritrea and the U.S.

So, what in the world are we, SMU undergraduate students, bringing to the table? We are getting a once in a lifetime opportunity to collect significant data, using an interpretist approach, on people's attitudes and beliefs towards breast cancer and how it is seen, discussed and addressed in their part of the world. Our goal over the course of the conference is to collect qualitative data through one-on-one interviews, and then develop a feasible communications strategy to leave with the participants to take back to their countries and regions.
I know, I know, it's brain overload, but it is such an amazing opportunity that as an undergraduate student, I'm getting experience in field research and experience in issues that affect so many women around the world.

Mallory is a junior journalism and psychology double major.

When I decided to come to Dallas for college, it was a big step for me. I grew up in a small town in Arkansas where the population matches the total number of undergraduate students at SMU. I had never lived in another city before, much less another state, so I was nervous about being on my own for the first time in unfamiliar territory. Two years later, I now know that this choice to broaden my horizons and come to SMU has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

With this in mind, I took the huge leap to come to London this summer with SMU to study journalism and film. As my time here is coming to a close, I can honestly say that this has also been one of the best decisions that I have made and one of the best experiences of my life. I have learned so much in such a short amount of time, and I don't regret a moment of it.

It's true that I have learned a lot about British media and film through my courses. I have learned about Parliament, the British Monarchy, and the rich history of England by exploring London. I have learned about the culture of the UK and other parts of Europe by traveling on the weekends. But most important, I have learned that no matter where you are in the world, no matter what language is spoken, what currency is accepted, or what crazy foods are eaten, people are all essentially the same - most people are good.

One weekend I traveled to Prague with my friend Lesli. After a long day of touring the city, we took a tram in the wrong direction and ended up completely lost. We were standing at a tram station fumbling with our maps trying to figure out how to get back to our hostel when a man waiting at the stop approached us. This man only spoke Czech, but despite the language barrier, he was desperately trying to give us directions. He had a look in his eyes of genuine concern, even though he didn't know us. Finally, he managed to put us on a tram sending us in the right direction.

At the time, I was just thankful to no longer be lost, but now looking back, I feel like I really taken something important away from that situation. Even though this man lived halfway around the world from the small town I grew up in and even though he spoke a different language, he still had a kindness about him. Though our cultures and lifestyles may differ, people are just people with the same wants and needs as everyone else on the planet.

My advice to anyone considering a study abroad or travel opportunity would be to jump at the chance, even if it scares you. And when you do it, take it all in because it will go by quickly. Spend an afternoon people watching. Talk with strangers. Stay out until four in the morning. Get lost - because when you do, you just might find something.
- Mallory

An update from Kathy LaTour
Tomorrow at 4 a.m. Assistant Director Becky Hewitt and I will meet our group for our 7:30 flight to Thessalonica, Greece. By around 3 we should be at Gerakina Beach hotel, where we will be staying for the next week, and to say the women in the class are looking forward to it is an understatement.

We have had mostly rain and cold weather in London for a month, and now we can expect sun and a high of 100. The change in the weather will be as big a shift as our focus. For the next week the students will be matched with Radiologists and advocates from breast care facilities in a number of developing countries. The students, under the direction of visiting senior lecturer Tony Kroll, will be interviewing individual doctors and the advocates with them about issues of breast cancer in their country of origin. For example, in a Muslim country the women are covered from head to foot because of the belief that only their husband should see their body. So how will they receive adequate preventative screening for breast cancer -- and how do you overcome that issue?

For the past month the students have been using statistics and numbers to prove the need for issues such as gun control, women's rights and climate control. Now they will learn how to gather those statistics from doctors and women on the front lines. Tony and I will be encouraging them to look at ways to leverage their work this summer into a fellowship or internship for next summer.

-Kathy

On July 24, 17 CCPA juniors and seniors will travel to Ormylia, Greece, where they will take part in a workshop at the Center for Disease Prevention and Medical Research Panagia Philanthropini.

Working with visiting senior lecturer Tony Kroll and senior lecturer Kathy LaTour, the students will finish internship hours begun in London, where they interned with international nongovernmental organizations. Working with Kroll, whose research expertise is in barriers to treatment, the students will be gathering data through interviews to understand cultural barriers in breast cancer screening and creating messages that they hope will ultimately be used in the home countries of the doctors and advocates in attendance - who come from Bosnia, Eritrea, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Syria and Turkey.

The students and faculty were able to attend the workshop because of funds granted by Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Meadows Foundation Edge of Excellence Funds.

Both LaTour, who is a 20-year breast cancer survivor, and Kroll, who has specialized in barriers to treatment in his research and with the Centers for Disease Control, will be part of the faculty for the program, which also includes Elizabeth DePeri, MD, the director of Breast Imaging at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

Kathy

I have had some great memories in London as I am getting ready for my time here to be over! I finished my internship at the Green Belt Movement on Thursday and actually fly to Greece on Tuesday morning.

In Northern Greece, we will be researching alongside the Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer in their facility in Thessaloniki. We will be doing in-depth interviews with participants about barriers and perceptions of breast cancer and breast cancer screening. It will be an amazing experience - not to mention that we get to take part of the beaches, food and lifestyle of Greece!!

After that, I fly home for some rest and much needed time with the people that I love - before jetting back to Paris for the fall! What an experience!

Well as for London-

We have been finishing our time by seeing a lot of markets and museums... and resting as much a possible! Thursday afternoon I took a train to Salisbury, about an hour and a half away, to see the Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge! We toured the cathedral that night, then again slept above a pub (like Scotland) - I'm not sure what SMU is thinking - and then up at the great hour of 4 am to experience Stonehenge at sunrise ... a very early sunrise!

Unfortunately, if you are following the weather over here in the UK, you would know that London is flooding with these summer rains - and Salisbury was no exception! There were SHEETS of cold rain sweeping over the drenched grass as we all wobbled out of the car at 4:15 on a fabulous Friday morning.

We had the rare ability to walk into the circle and touch the stones and take pictures! It was quite a sight ... seeing 20 college students running around, slipping, skipping, and chasing sheep around these massive stones - all in order to keep their frozen bones warm!!

Other than that, this week we have been to Kensington Palace, Camden Market, the London Eye, every museum known to man - thanks to an overexcited little brother, as well as the National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, the British Museum, and the British Library ... plus far too many restaurants and shops than any of us can remember!
London has been a great experience; I look back and really appreciate my time here so much. I have learned more than I could have imagined from the experiences and places that I have been put into. Working in a global office is just a fascinating experience in itself. But having the ability to work hands-on alongside them is even more amazing.

While I look forward to Greece, I will always remember my time in London and fondly cherish what I learned here. It is more than unique to have this opportunity as a college student, and I am forever grateful to SMU for this chance to learn outside of the classroom.

There is nothing that better sums up the last month of life than just incredible. I am so blessed to be here today, and I cherish my opportunities that I have had and the ones to come in the future.

-Claire

Well I can???t believe today is my last day at the office. It has turned out to be a great experience, even though along the way seemed rocky and frustrating. I can honestly look back and really appreciate my time here so much. I have learned more than I could have imagined from the experiences and places that I have been put into. Working in a global office is just a fascinating experience in itself. But having the ability to work hands-on alongside them is even more amazing.

While I look forward to Greece, I will always remember my time at the GBMI and fondly cherish what I learned. It is more than unique to have this opportunity as a college student and I am forever grateful to SMU and CCPA for this chance to learn outside of the classroom.

I have loved getting familiar with the research and fundraising aspects of non-profits: a side so different from Taos and my work there. There is nothing that better sums up the last seven months of work than just incredible. To have the opportunity to work at a local, medical clinic to working in the arts in another state, then moving globally and working with an international non-profit in one of the most amazing cities in the world ??? well, that???s just unfathomable to many of the people I know.

I am so blessed to be here today, and I cherish my opportunities that I have had and the ones to come in the future.

-Claire

I had planned to go into work this morning, expecting to finish up with all of my writing documents. However, what I got was something much different!!

As everyone was busy today, James (my supervisor) asked me to represent africapractice at The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development: Least Developed Countries (LDC) Report 2007. (I wasn't sure if I was their last choice and had to go because of others' time restraints or because he knew I had a background in economics.... Either way doesn't matter - I still went).

The conference discussed the need of technological and capital investment in Africa, rather than human development projects. In order to escape poverty in Africa, the national governments must adopt new technology policies and increase knowledge through the development of science, technology and innovation (STI).

They showed that there was a direct link between the increased technological investment and the reduction of African poverty. Furthermore, access to technology by the LDCs does not mean there will be an automatic use of it. Thus, there is a need for proper implementation and training of such technologies, especially in the industrial and farming sectors.

As I sat there, I was totally blown away. All of these economic classes finally made sense. The famous economist Adam Smith (a strong supporter/ founder of the laissez-faire theory) would roll over in his grave if he could see how the economic problems in Africa are being handled now!

Any economist will tell you the key factor of a successful economy is increased spending on capital. It seems that the only solution that is ever proposed to Africa is foreign aid/investment in education, environment, health, etc (all focusing on the human aspect). However, they have completely forgotten the key aspects to creating a successful economy.

Foundations, such as the Gates and Clinton Foundation, should provide aid to Africa through capital investment rather than human development initiatives. Securing private investments through these foundations has proven to be difficult, due to the lack of knowledge of the importance of STI. Additionally, there is a continued need for foreign businesses to invest in African firms, thus increasing the economic capacity.

So I have to wonder.... Although many human development initiatives are providing some relief in Africa, they don't seem to be truly solving the problem. So why don't we give something else a try?

-Kelly C.

Everyone seems to be slowing down a little with the reality that this is our last week in London. Between class, work, traveling and trying to see as much of London in between, the time has absolutely flown by and left most of us exhausted, but absolutely fulfilled. Next Tuesday we will leave for Greece to start our work and the second half of our internships, and say goodbye to the relationships and adventures we???ve had in London. It???s sort of sad, but how can I be at all disappointed with the adventures that I have coming up? I???ve already started making plans to come back next summer, maybe again with the SMU program, but more likely for a more extended stay. I love this city and I really have not gotten enough of it to last me a life time???yet.

But enough about what???s going to happen, a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks. The entire SMU in London class went to Edinburgh, Scotland for a couple of days, where we toured the castle and the city, taking in a whole other side of the UK. My friend Whitney and I made sure to experience a real Scottish pub, plaid curtains, carpet and all. It was fun to tour around and get a feel for another way of life, but it did feel good to get back to the hustle and bustle of London after a couple of days.

That Saturday a few of us went out to the London Live Earth Concert taking place at Wembly Stadium. I wish we has been there for the music as well, but our goal that day was to do some work for our friend Jil???s internship, One Climate, which is the largest internet NGO advocating for environmental awareness. We walked around and interviewed people going to the concert about why they were there, if they thought the concert was a good way to promote environmental issues and what they might be doing to help the environment. The interviews were posted along with others from around the world on the One Climate website at http://oneclimate.net/liveearthday. So check it out! And while you???re on the site make sure to register with One Climate. It doesn???t cost anything and get in the know on the hot issue of climate change!

After Saturday???s adventures a couple of us decided to hop back on the train and head to Stonehenge for the day. What an incredible place! Definitely worth the hour or so train ride to get there and something that I will never forget.

On Monday I didn???t have work and my old 1970???s Olympus OM- 1 was finally back in working order, so I took advantage of the first sunny London day I have ever seen and explored more of London. My favorite thing to do in this city is just get lost. I get off at some random Tube stop and just walk around, trying not to stand out too much and pulling out my camera when I find a good shot of some part of the city. Then I just wander until I find another tube station and head home. It???s so easy, and never once have I found myself in a part of town where I thought: it is really not ok for me to be here. Every day in London is a new experience.

This past weekend my friends and I flew to Ibiza, Espa??a, (or EYEbeetha, as the Brits say), for some much needed sunshine and a little relaxation. All three of us speak at least some Spanish and study the language at SMU, so it was cool to be able to experience Spain and use our speaking skills a little bit. The clubs were expensive, but as one of the ladies from the beach said, ???the tourists, they come to Ibiza for the Discos.??? The experience was definitely worth the money.

At the Consortium for Street Children I have started drafting Human Resources policies for the organisation???s board to approve this week. The writing itself intrigues me and it feels incredible to be handed the responsibility of such important documents! The people in my office continue to be an absolute joy, and going to work everyday is really not the chore it is made out to be. Working with CSC has really opened my eyes to the world of civil society and the extreme deficits the U.S. faces with this sector. In the UK and most of Europe getting a job with any non-profit is an incredibly competitive process, and typically requires extensive education for even entry level jobs. That???s why we are so fortunate to even have these internships: getting visas for Americans who want to work in UK non-profits is nearly impossible. Compare that to America where new college grads can walk into a pretty comfortable position in reasonable size NGO and non-profits, and you understand where the inequities lie. Hopefully we can take what we have learned and maybe some of the passion of the incredible people we have worked with back to the states, which will be here all too soon.

- Jessica

When I first learned of the Global Civil Society Class Professor LaTour was going to offer for the summer in London program, I knew immediately it was something I had to go do; that this program was my window of opportunity to become part of something great.

I had no idea just how great my summer in London experience would be. As our time here in London is coming to an end, I feel like I'm just beginning.

Inspired by our class discussions and the jobs people are working on in their internships, I proposed our class start a Civil Society Club (CSC) on the SMU campus. We have learned so much in our short summer here, and it is our job to keep the amazing program Professor LaTour began alive and growing. She chose us for a reason, knowing we were up for the challenge and that we could carry on what she started.

Although Professor LaTour will not be back at SMU (and will be sorely missed by all her students!) with the CSC our group can build the relationships we have started at our internships and continue the expansion of the program.

The goal of the club is to raise awareness and empower students to make a positive change in the world by using communication skills that provide a knowledge and understanding of Global Civil Society.

As you can tell by all our journal entries, we are amazed and challenged by the work we are doing every day. I think it is important that not only communication students, but also the student body as a whole feels the impact of Civil Society and its importance.

We have all had experiences here that have possibly changed the way we will look at the world forever. There is so much we are capable of if we use our power to communicate and create awareness.

Within the work we are doing here we have all come to understand the gravity of the failure to make changes for the betterment of humanity. Mother Teresa once said, "The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being uninvolved."

Our time to get involved is now. As communication students, our job is to connect people to information and knowledge that can encourage change and create awareness. Through positive and effective communication maybe we can look forward to a future without poverty and helplessness.

-Jesse

Since the class where we discussed Michael Edwards' speech on "love that does justice," I wondered is it really that simple - can love change the world through justice, as Martin Luther King said? Could a deep selfless, societal love fix and change the major world issues, such as those faced in Africa by millions? Or is it just a nice thought that raises more questions than answers? Could an individual's love for another be the ultimate answer or do we need passion for others to inspire action? If I had to answer, I would say the latter.

It seems to me that love or that trusting optimism that you have as a child, unfortunately, changes to knowledge of the world, and in a way isolationism. However, I think those things that you have a passion for as a child never really dies. Yes, maybe simmers and is somewhat faded, but never really dies. When I go in to work, I wonder to myself, is the reason all of my colleagues work for africapractice out of selfless love for people they will never meet in Africa or some sort of passion they have for changing the world? Are they interconnected somehow or are there individual drivers for working?

The problem I find with Edwards' argument, and thus I make this argument that passion is the change we need: We as human beings are selfish by nature; we weigh our actions on a cost-benefit analysis. When you say that the world can be changed by selfless love, you completely go against our human nature. However, passion leaves room for some selfishness. If my colleagues are working out of a personal passion to help others and change the world, they themselves get some personal validation.

Some of the greatest movements in history were not driven from love, but rather passion. The American Women Suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, and the French Revolution (my inspiration for these thoughts, which was brought about by Les Mis) were organized and fought not out of selfless love, but out of the passion and anger to change societal norms for themselves and future generations. Thus, I ask, has my generation lost this passion or is the rise of the civil society our revolutions and protest?

Kelly C, Africapractice

Kelly C is a senior CCPA major from Fairfax, Va., who's interning with Africapractice.
www.africapractice.com

At lunch today, I was asked, "What is it that you like most about London?" After thinking about all the things I love about London, including its blend of historical and modern architecture, its selection of unique markets, and its rich history, my answer was obvious.
Looking around our table, which included two Australians, two Romanians, two Englishman, a South African and two Texans, I responded, "I love the wide mix of cultures that only London has."

Here a variety of people and ethnic groups fill the streets, tubes and buses. Before coming to the city, I thought I would hear English accents everywhere and everyone would look pretty much the same. I couldn't have been more wrong. In fact, British English, apart from work, is what I have heard the least.

London is a true melting pot of cultures and languages. As a Spanish major and French minor, I am person who loves to learn new languages and examine the different ways people communicate. With all the languages spoken all around including Russian, Chinese, Spanish, Romanian, French and many more, it has been fun just listening and picking up on each one. Even the English here has been an adventure to discern. Although I thought it was going to be simple to understand people here, I find myself constantly asking them to repeat themselves.

As in the states, London has its own unique words such as "cheers" used as a salutation, a toast, a farewell and pretty much anything; "no worries" to mean no problem; and "brilliant" to mean great or cool. I plan to take some of these words to use in everyday talks back in the states, which will probably annoy my friends, but will make me seem more cultured.

Leaving the restaurant, my fellow Texan and I reflected on the amazing opportunities we've had to meet a variety of people from around the world in one place. It could only happen in this city. It could only happen in London.

-Esmeralda

It's Friday the 13th, so we did the only thing appropriate for such an infamous day: we went on the Jack the Ripper walking tour of London. The tour took us around different parts of London in relation to the murders committed by Jack the Ripper.

Although it may seem the walk's purpose was to bring a scare, which it did, it was actually a great historical telling of 19th-century London. In the tour, I learned that London had and has two police forces: one for the city of London, the original city; and one for the rest of the metropolitan area. The murderer used the invisible line dividing the two forces with knowledge that neither police force could intrude on a case on their territory. Another interesting fact is that hospitals at the time were called "spitals," the host part didn't come until later, hence the name Spitalfields Market. The area was important to the tour due to a supposed Jack the Ripper murder there in the middle of day. The details to each murder were very descriptive, which provided the scare.

-Esmeralda

How can you tell you're getting homesick for food? The answer is quite simple: you'll walk 20 minutes on foot to get to a McDonald's.

At this point in the trip, I was tired of sandwiches and healthy food and needed something that would remind me of the food I would normally eat in America. Although McDonald's may not have seemed like the best choice, a Big Mac with those famous fries sounded mighty good at the moment.

I looked up the directions on Mapquest which told me it would take 5 minutes for me to get there. So off I went to get my ??3 heart attack, forgetting the time was estimated for a car ride. Fifteen minutes into the walk, thoughts of turning back prompted by sore feet and dark clouds were quickly discarded by the sign in the distance. Ahhh, those Golden Arches, peeking through the tall double decker buses, stood like the Statue of Liberty announcing the way to food freedom.

After taking a bus back to the office, I sat at my desk, Big Mac and all, ready to bite into a piece of heaven. Unfortunately, the bite tasted more like an imitation of American heavenliness. My walk had been in vain. It wasn't like the Big Macs back home, but then again, nothing is ever really like home.

-Esmeralda

An update from Casey, a senior from McKinney majoring in CCPA and earning her EC-4 Teaching Certificate who has a summer internship in London with AFFORD (African Foundation For Development).

I spent most of my day at work researching for the case statement on my organization, AFFORD. I am not even halfway through the day, and I already feel compelled to share what I have learned through my research. First and foremost, immigration delivers massive economic gains, which could be used for poverty reduction!

Even though I am researching African issues, I see a direct connection to the immigration debate at home in America. I have always stood firm in my belief that immigrants are not problems - they are people trying to improve their lives and must be treated accordingly with respect and given rights - but today doubly stand strong, in my opinion.

How someone can declare a person illegal and send them to jail for trying to feed their starving family, boggles my mind and continues to be seen in my eyes as a direct breach of universal human rights. Who has the right to say that because I was born in an industrialized country I have the right to feed my family and receive education, but everyone else in the world who might have been born into lesser circumstances are just unfortunate - that is too bad for them! Excuse me, but that is just ridiculous! If people don't see the absurdity in that logic, then take a look at the research I found today.

Let workers work
A slight relaxation of restrictions on the movement of workers - increasing the proportion of migrants in the workforce of developed countries to 3 percent - would deliver global gains of perhaps $150 billion per year. To me this only makes sense, especially to Americans considering the simple fact that if there are global gains than the rich will always get richer and the poor will just get a little less poor. So for those who are selfish about resources, then they should still support immigration because they do gain - A LOT - and at least the poor are gaining some instead of moving backwards.

Worldwide, 175 million people, or just under 3% of the total population, live outside their country of birth. Thus, all the Americans who say the immigrants are going to take over our country and use up our resources are completely out of line. If you look at the facts it proves that is impossible!

Sending money home
So, how does immigration reduce poverty? The current volume of remittances, that is money sent home by immigrants to their country of origin, is estimated to be $93 billion per year, and with the addition of unrecorded remittances the total amounts to perhaps $300 billion. This compares to global aid by governments and NGOs of $68.5 billion per year. These figures alone are the reason my organization, AFFORD, is into African development and not aid. It is a HUGE opportunity to reduce poverty. If you can find a way to maximize remittances and make sure they are getting to the people who need them, then $300 billion a year could greatly reduce poverty.

Greater awareness on the part of governments and development agencies is necessary. If the potential of remittances is to be maximized, then more research needs to be done to understand remittances and their use in order to increase the flow of remittances and to make them work better for poverty reduction (Which is what my organization does).

Everybody wins
It's plain and simple, immigration is a win-win situation. Immigrants have the chance to employ their energy and enterprise in pursuit of a better life, and host societies have the opportunity to benefit from an influx of skills. Home societies can benefit from resources remitted by people who have moved away and from the return of migrants, armed with new skills and ideas.

I am completely sold in this strategy to fighting world poverty. Yes, it might make life in America a little different, but hey survival is about diversifying so we can't have all our eggs grouped together looking the same and thinking the same in one basket. There is no quick fix to poverty reduction, but it is obvious that we cannot turn our backs on immigration as at least part of the solution.

- Casey

Right now I'm a volunteer intern at Child Rights Information Network, or CRIN. CRIN works inside the Save the Children building, and basically hosts the organization, which is quite small compared to Save the Children, which is an internationally known child's rights INGO. CRIN has just 3 members who are paid, and these are the three people who have been supervising me, mentoring me, advising me and guiding me through the last three weeks. They are fantastic people fueled by passion and never daunted by all the dozens of challenges they face each day.

CRIN is a global network that disseminates information about the Convention on the Rights of the Child and child rights amongst NGO's, United Nations agencies, inter-governmental organization (IGOs), educational institutions, and other child rights experts. The Coordinating Unit is based in London, UK, where I am working now.

The network is supported and receives funding from Save the Children Sweden, Save the Children UK, UNICEF and other large organizations in Europe. CRIN has a membership of more than 1,700 organizations in over 140 countries. About 85 percent of the members are NGOs; and 65 percent are in the Africa, Asia and Latin America. In addition to working with member organizations, CRIN services the information needs of 2500 organizations and individuals who have joined the mailing lists.

The organization revolves around the website, which is updated daily with current events that affect children's rights all over the world. It is a mecca of information on the CRC and the hundreds of treaties, council hearings and documents that each country has.

The challenge that I have been facing the past two/three weeks is one that I encountered on my first day working here. While researching the organization to help me better understand CRIN, I uncovered some rather troubling information.

CRIN operates around the CRC, the Convention of the Rights of the Child. The basic premise of the Convention is that children (all human beings below the age of 18) are born with fundamental freedoms and the inherent rights of all human beings. Many governments have enacted legislation, created mechanisms and put into place a range of creative measures to ensure the protection and realization of the rights of those under the age of 18. Each government must also report back on children's rights in their country.

Since its adoption in 1989 after more than 60 years of advocacy, the CRC has been ratified more quickly and by more governments than any other human rights instrument. There are two governments who haven't ratified the CRC. Somalia....and the U.S. I was shocked to hear this. The CRC has been the subject of heated political opposition in the U.S., mostly coming from conservative religious organizations. These organizations are well funded, well organized, and very vocal. The primary argument made by these opponents is that the CRC threatens parental rights and the American family because it will give children and the state dangerous new rights against parents.

This argument is based on the idea that the CRC will be used by the state against individual parents to take such action as removing their children. The opponents' premise is that the protections in the CRC will be interpreted as protections for children against parents, or will mandate prosecutions of parents for failing to respect their children's rights.

From what I understand, the U.S. is basically claiming that whatever laws and treaties it already has is all that it needs. They don't want the U.N. to intervene and tell them how to run their country. They think whatever they have is superior, and that infuriates me. The CRC is a great document ensuring that children are protected. The excuses used by the U.S., to date, are that the death penalty used to include minors, up until a few years ago. Also the CRC would protect and ban children being used as armed forces, and the U.S. used to enlist boys who were 16 and 17. Now their excuse is that the CRC would let children sue their parents, which is an exaggerated excuse in my opinion. Somalia doesn't even have a government and that's the only reason they haven't ratified it. The U.S. is a self proclaimed leader of the free world, and they can't even ratify a document that would make it more so.

-Kelly W.

I celebrated my first Fourth of July away from my parent???s hometown of Frederic, WI, last night, and I have to admit I was a bit homesick. We went to a small American-themed bar in Covent Garden where they played Bruce Springsteen and Lynyrd Skynyrd all night, which was cool, but I missed the celebrations I had grown up loving. Someone set off fireworks in the park next to us, but they couldn???t compete with my uncle???s homemade fireworks display over the lake by his house, or seeing my little cousins playing in the marching band in the local parade. This year was particularly hard not to be home because it is the first Fourth of July since my brother decided to enrol as a cadet in the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the mixture of not knowing where he is and being so proud of him for serving our country was overwhelming. It also makes hearing the occasional anti-American rant a bit harder.

To be honest I thought everyone would hate us here just because we are American, and I am please to say that this is not the case. However, there are some who hate where our country has taken not only itself but the rest of the world with it, and many are not afraid to share their opinions. While out last night a man approached one of my friends, and upon finding out she was American, burst into a 15 minute rant about how ignorant she was, how disastrous our foreign policy is and how it???s our fault for electing the wrong leaders. While in a way it made me really angry to hear him insult my country, our military, my way of life, ME, just because of some decisions that were made in trying times, I refrained from telling him where his opinions went blatantly against fact and instead decided to find his side of it all intriguing.

Now days there aren???t even many Americans who would side with our administration, and I was far from surprised to find that this man wouldn???t. But to be an American living in day-to-day U.S.A. is to see a certain side of things, even a certain side of other people, and sometimes we forget the world is round and everything can be looked at from some other way. I thought I was worldly before I got here because I read the New York Times and the occasional Foreign Affairs magazine, but text cannot teach me how the average person half way across the world thinks, or the perceptions a man from Westminster can hold of me before he has even seen my face or heard my name. This world is suddenly bigger than it was in my polisci text books, and I know now that I really don???t have anything figured out just because I can tell you the differences between Sunnis and Shiites. I have finally looked beyond the bold print of scholars to the details of an every man???s life, and it???s both humbling and absolutely intriguing.

- Jessica

Since 2000 the Corporate Communications & Public Affairs Division of Meadows School of the Arts has offered students an emphasis in nonprofit management that provided them a theory class and a writing class with an internship.

This summer we have taken that approach global with our class "Communication in the Global Civil Society," offered as part of the communications in London program. The 17 students who apsplied for this class knew that it would require an internship with an International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) as well as the theory classes on the growth of the Civil Society.

It took calls to more than 45 organizations to find 17 who fit our needs, and on June 25, when they left Regent's College in the middle of London, they traveled to different parts of the city, where their placement waited. The organizations include human rights groups such as Global Witness, the Secretariat Against the Use of Children as Soldiers, Womankind International, The Greenbelt Movement, the Consortium for Street Children and Healthlink World Wide.

They are also working with the OneWorld network at OneWorld Broadcasting and OneClimate as well as childre's organizations such as EveryChild and the Childre's Rights Information Network. And two are working with for-profit organizations that benefit the Civil Society, Geneva Global, which matches donor funds with projects around the world, and Africa Practice, which assists the growth and development of cause-related marketing in Africa.

Almost from the first day the students began talking of how their views of the world have broadened and changed and how they feel that their experiences this summer will change them forever.

Kathy LaTour
Senior Lecturer, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs

Jessica is a junior from Eagan, Minnesota, with a CCPA and political science double major and a minor in Spanish. The SMU Scholar is participating this summer in the SMU-in-London communications program and interning with the Consortium for Street Children.

I have been in London for a little more than a week and I am already in love. I've bought into the accent, the history, the progress, the general bustle of city whole heartedly, and my proudest moments have come from locals commenting on how well I seem to have adjusted in such a short time. My goal is to assimilate to the life around me to the point where, if I don't open my mouth, people won't know that I belong an ocean away from here.

I'm interning at a non-governmental organisation (NGO) called the Consortium for Street Children while I'm here. Everyday after breakfast I walk the half mile to the Baker Street Station, run my Oyster card and get on the tube south, transferring once, to a little stop called Brixton where the office is located. This daily routine that seemed so overwhelming before I got here has helped me become more than just a student travelling abroad for a month. My commute makes me mingle in the daily life of busy professionals, and makes me go out on my own to places I would certainly not have visited otherwise.

Brixton itself is full of character, and is much different from the immaculate Regents Park that I leave every morning. It's not dangerous and never once have I felt unsafe, but the people I encounter are not always the type I would feel comfortable chatting up, and I wouldn't go there by myself after dark as a young, American blonde girl. It's a rougher side of town that I doubt many tourists would care to go. To me, though, this is really the best part of my internship. For however briefly, I am living the life of someone I might like to be someday. Just an average, broke 20-something-year-old going to a job I believe passionately about, somewhere in London. The people I work with are amazing as well, and I am lucky to have a desk across from a Houston-native with some really incredible stories from his experiences abroad. Plus he gives me tips on all of the best places to try while I'm here. Very helpful for when my friends and I go out after work for a favourite English activity: happy hour. Perhaps more on that later.

- Jessica

Interning in London has been one of the most challenging and exciting experiences I've ever had. There are so many differences between how the U.S. and the Brits approach nonprofits. The biggest difference I've noticed is the approach or mentality towards fundraising. Here in London, there is a greater dependence on money from foundations and the government, whereas back in the U.S. the majority of donations come from individuals.

There are also a lot of differences in the office culture. One thing that surprised me and many of the other interns is how quiet the offices are. In my office, there is very little conversation throughout the day. Not only are the offices quiet, but everyone in my office eats their lunch right at their desks. As an American or Texan, I'm used to working in kind of loud environments where everyone talks about what's going on at their desks and everyone goes out for a one-hour lunch to take a break from the office. That's difficult to get used to here.

I guess it's a trade-off because my office mates are having a hard time getting used to me using "y'all" in every other sentence. You can take the Texan out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the Texan. Cheers!
-- Candy

I don't know what I ate today or even how to describe it, but I had to eat it because my boss made it. I will make an attempt to paint a picture of what was going into my mouth. It included some kind of green vegetable, perhaps zucchini, tomato, big chunks of white cheese and a million little, tiny yellow balls. I was wondering where the meat was hidden. There was none.

The meal was part of the weekly Wednesday lunch the office has together to discuss current projects. Meals here in London have been a little difficult for me to take in. There are many sandwich shops around London with menus that include wraps and salads. Well, first, I can't eat sandwiches or wraps comfortably because of my braces (I can't bite into things, my mouth would be a mess, and it can break my brackets) and salads are just not my thing, but I will survive.

Yesterday, I was invited to a meeting with a radio broadcast journalism professor at City University by the chief exec of the org. Although I had to leave an hour earlier, it was definitely worth it. I learned a lot about pitching ideas and taking criticism from someone. I wish I could have contributed to the pool of ideas but I wasn't really briefed on the purpose of the meeting. Apparently, Peace Direct wants to launch a radio program profiling the experience of the unsung heroes they support and profile on their other website Insight on Conflict. Since Chris works for BBC Radio, the professor suggested he pitch it to them. From the meeting I realized the passion these people have for their cause. Peace Direct's major concern is let people know about these peacebuilders and their stories; they don't really care if Peace Direct gets mentioned at all.

During the meal later, I got to present myself to the team and explain what I would be doing for the next few weeks. After eating the mystery food, I helped a coworker wash dishes. She commented that she had gained weight. I told her she wasn't fat, to which she responded, "Maybe not by American standards." I didn't know whether to take that as an offense or what, but I thought it was funny considering my previous frustration with healthy foods. I didn't know how to react.

I am slowly getting accustomed to life here in London. The tube is getting easier to understand, and I am learning more about the work ethic. I know I will get to understand much more of this as the days go by.

-Esmeralda

After hearing the night before that it takes 10 different encounters to change a first impression, I can???t say that I was calm riding the tube to my internship today. I was very nervous and scared about that first impression and the overall impact I would leave on this organization. I was wondering whether they would take me seriously because of my age, so I knew that first impression had to be a really good one.

This summer I would be working for Peace Direct, a London based nonprofit organization supporting grassroots peacebuilding by funding, promoting and learning from local peacebuilders in conflict areas. My supervisor Chris greeted me in the lobby of the building and led me to the office: a large room with about 9 computers and only 3 people in it. He was very much ready for me. He had a packet prepared letting me know about the organization and outlining my ???mission.??? It made me nervous because at the bottom it said that this my chance to make my ???mark??? on Peace Direct. A challenge, but I???m definitely up for it.

After orientation, I was on my own to begin my mission (i.e. computer research). One thing, I did notice was how silent it was in that room. Chris had warned me, but I didn???t know it was going to be that quiet. In my office back home, everyone is always joking around and talkative, rare moments of silence in between. This was really different. I dove into my research for the rest of the afternoon a bit confused on where to start, but glad to be trusted with the project.

During the rest of the time, I spoke with a lady who worked there about the organization, then came up with questions for Chris to answer at the end of the day. Overall it was a very good day: my supervisor seems nice, the rest of the people seem nice, and I actually have something to do. Now all I had to worry about was the ride home.

I was by myself, not that I???ve never been by myself before, but I was by myself in a country overseas in a city that I am not familiar with and in a tube station that I was not comfortable with yet. It was all great though; I made it back safely for dinner and a chat with my professor and the girls. I learned more about independence and saw something different about British culture.
Looking forward to the next few weeks.

-Esmeralda