The Rampage October 2019

13

bc Rampage.com

BC Stu dents Tour and Study China by Kaleigh Compton Communication • 2020

A s part of Bluefield College’s study abroad program, BC junior Noel Saunders, alumnus Breanna Buterakos, and Professor Cynthia Bascom spent part of their summer in China, touring the country and teaching and studying at Jiangsu Second Normal University. The trio made their way to the other side of the world just after Spring Commencement this past May spending exactly one month in China where they toured Tiananmen Square, The Great Wall of China (the group’s favorite), and many other places in Beijing. Dr. Bascom also traveled to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Warriors. Dr. Bascom, professor and chair of the BC Department of Communication, is no stranger when it comes to Asia. Several years ago she visited both Taiwan and Hong Kong, but this is her first time visiting mainland China. She spoke about how the mainland was “less westernized” than the other Asian regions she had visited. Most of their trip for the group was spent in Nanjing at Jiangsu Second Normal University who partners with Bluefield College to send professors and students from China to BC in the fall of each year in addition to accepting BC visitors in Nanjing each summer. While at Jiangsu, Dr. Bascom taught four classes. “I tried to teach things that would be interesting to them (the Chinese students),” Dr. Bascom said. “One of the things that I shared with them was idioms that we (Americans) use. Some of the idioms they knew very well, like ‘a piece of cake.’ They did not know what ‘he kicked the bucket’ meant.” Dr. Bascom said she was curious about what her students thought of the United States compared to their home country. She said overall they admired America’s pop culture and were interested in everything from Hollywood movies to American pop music. Regarding their own country, they shared how they had a great sense of history and community. In addition to their studies and tours, Dr. Bascom and the students said they enjoyed how gracious and kind the Chinese were. “I’ve been to four continents, and the Chinese are simply the most hospitable

loved walking to the Yangtze every day. It was about three miles each way from where we were staying, but I walked there almost every evening to watch the sun set. I would definitely recommend students go! It’s the experience of a lifetime.” Saunders, who is very interested in linguistics, was able to sit in on a linguistics class at Jiangsu. She said one of her favorite parts of the trip was learning Mandarin through conversations with everyone from the shopkeepers and passengers on the bus to the professors and Chinese students. “The people who are at Nanjing Second Normal University are very supportive,” Saunders said, “and are eager to help students pursue whatever their interests are at the academic level.” Dr. Bascom spoke highly of the gardens in China. She admits she has a green thumb and enjoys spending time in her own garden at home. “I love gardening, and the Chinese gardens are beautiful,” she said. “Some of them are hundreds of years old. Their gardens have four elements: a water feature, plants, rocks, and some kind of structure.” Dr. Bascommentioned how highly-prized some of these rocks can be and how most are excavated out of the ocean and placed in these oriental gardens. As a whole, the BC travelers encourage others in the Bluefield College community to take advantage of the annual trip to China. In fact, Dr. Bascom said that traveling to other countries is one of the “most enriching things you can do in your lifetime.” “Students need to go,” Dr. Bascom

said. “I hope this program continues for many years, because it truly was a phenomenal experience. I am so pleased I went.”

people I’ve ever met,” Buterakos said. “The school in Nanjing was wonderful, and I absolutely

(Pictured left to right) Noel Saunders, Breanna Buterakos, and Dr. Cynthia Bascom