NEW : IAF Newsletter (Jan `12)

International Affairs
A newsletter by students, for students
Volume two - issue three
Staff:
Editor and Writer:
Audra Jones
What can you do with your International Affairs major?
International Affairs embraces complementary and
inter-related disciplines. The field provides language
and concepts with which to explain, justify and
criticize the modern world. The skills that an International Affairs major develops are truly diverse.
Note: Tess Frawley and
Lena Hamvas are currently
studying abroad for the
semester, thus they will
not be writing for the IAF
newsletter.
International Affairs graduates have skills that transfer well to many work environments. Understanding how your skills work in the context of the job description is important. Adding another degree, such as Law, or doing a double major,
can enhance your prospects considerably, and may even be necessary.
There are, however, a range of organizations for which the particular mix of skills
and knowledge acquired by International Affairs graduates is uniquely relevant,
even if in some cases additional qualifications or experience are also required.
These include organizations and positions such as:
* Federal Government - executive, legislative and administrative
* Local government – City and state levels
* Foreign Service – represent your country’s interests in international issues
* NGOs (Non Government Organizations)
* Community Organizations
* Media and Communications
* Networking: This simply
means putting yourself in an en- * Corporate and Multinational Organizations
vironment which has some con- * Journalist
nection to your career interests * Banker, Investment/Corporate Finance
and talking to people. It is all * Marketing Manager
It is a good idea to start laying
the groundwork for a career in
International Affairs while you
are still studying. This includes
two strategies:
about making connections and
building links with people who Some useful sites for planning ahead:
can offer just a little bit more
than you could on your own.
APSIA.org
This site offters information about professional schools in the International
* Information Interviewing: this
Affairs area of study.
is a more focused form of networking and involves targeting
specific people or organizations Idealist.org
with the purpose of gathering This site not only offers information about schools, but has job postings,
opportunities to volunteer, and much more.
particular information.
You should join...
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cer.edu.
Mercer International Affairs Organization:
A message from Laurel McCormack
Do you enjoy meeting people from all over the world?
Do you like free snacks and drinks?
Did you know that in a certain Asian country, forgetting to flush the toilet is a crime?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, join
MIAO for our first event of 2012: International Weird
Trivia Night! Come on out for multicultural hang-outz,
snacks, and basically useless facts! The winning team
will receive gift cards to Jittery Joe’s and homemade
cookies!
ALL students are welcome, American or international!
Invite your friends, and we’ll see you there!
International Weird Trivia Night
Thursday, January 19 at 6:30 pm
Langdale Hall outside Political Science offices
A Reflection
on the Peace
Corps.
Bryant Harding’s
experience in Mongolia
3. Do you have any advice for students interested in the Peace Corps.?
Bryant in Mongolia.
My advice is to be committed to the
decision and be patient. Some people
receive invitations soon after interviewing while other people wait for
years!
4. What has your experience in
Mongolia been like?
My experience in Mongolia has
A mother tree.
been
great
and
I
imagine
that
it
will
1. How did you first take interest in
only get better. I’ve met many great
the Peace Corps.?
friends, both American and Mongolian, who I’ve shared a great experiFortunately, I was selected to be a
part of a Mercer On Mission trip to ence with. It has gotten cold recently,
South Africa in the summer of 2010. but I stay busy with the different
holidays, sports competitions, and
That trip helped me to realize how
fortunate I have been throughout my English classes!
life and I wanted to share that fortune with people around the world. 5. Would you recommend the Peace
I applied to be a Peace Corps Volun- Corps. to others?
teer a few weeks after coming back
Of course. Peace Corps is a great
from South Africa.
opportunity for people to experience
the world while working coopera2. What was the process like?
tively to make a difference.
I applied in the Summer of 2010 and
I received an invitation in March of
2011. After I completed the online
application, I received a phone call
to have an interview in Atlanta.
At the end of that interview, I was
nominated for a program in Eastern Europe. At this point, my main
focus was completing the medical
examination. The medical forms and
required tests was where most of my
time was spent. The Peace Corps
wants to make sure that each volunteer is fit for service. The skills that
are needed vary across many fields.
Currently, education, health & HIV/
AIDS, business development, environment, youth development, and
agriculture are the work areas on
which the Peace Corps focuses.
6. Do your think your experience
broadened your skills and who you
are as person?
During my service, I’ve gained
invaluable experience in working
with a variety of people with limited
resources and often in difficult situations. Also, I have learned a second
language and lived alone in a foreign
country for 2 years teaching English
to students who have rarely experienced English. As a person, I’ve
grown more appreciative of my life
in America and also more appreciative of people throughout the world.
Halloween party at the school
where Bryant teaches English.
Spotlight: Turkmenistan
Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran
and Kazakhstan
Capital: Ashgabat
Government type: Defines itself as a secular democracy and a presidential republic; in actuality displays authoritarian presidential rule
with power concentrated within the presidential administration
Population (2011 estimate): 4,997,503
Ethnic groups (2003 estimate): Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian
4%, other 6%
Languages: Turkmen (official language) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek
9%, other 7%
Religions: Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Independence: 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Natural resources: Petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt
Per capita GDP (2010 estimate): $7,500
Directions:
hazelnut crescentsCombine the butter and sugar in a bowl and cream until
Ingredients:
200g unsalted butter
120g icing sugar
1 tsp freshly-grated lemon
zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
210g toasted hazelnuts,
ground
300g plain flour, sifted
smooth and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, vanilla and egg yolk
and beat to combine. Mix the hazelnuts and flour in another
bowl and slowly add to the creamed egg mix. Bring the mixture together as a dough then divide in half and shape into
two balls. Cover in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and refrigerate
for 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured work
surface and roll each into a disk about 6mm thick. Cut out
crescent-shaped biscuits from the dough and transfer these to
lightly-greased baking trays, setting them 3cm apart. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 18
minutes, or until lightly golden. Allow the biscuits to cool on
the baking trays, sprinkle with a little icing sugar and serve.
My favorite view of the city of Seville.
Study Abroad: Seville, Spain 2012
A reflection of my experience.
Corrida de torros. Inside the bullfighting
ring.
The morning of my flight to Sevilla, I remember crying in my mom’s room like a child. I was excited for the
two month trip ahead, but nerves got the best of me. This was to be my first time on a plane and out of the
country and the not knowing how well I could rely on my Spanish skills once I made it to Spain was scaring
me to death. However, this story ends well. I made it to Spain, exhausted, but alive, and after a few emotional
days of culture shock and frustration with my inability to communicate effectively I fell in love with Seville.
There is so much to relate that I cannnot even decide where to begin because each experience, even the frustrating ones, is beyond description. Each day, I learned so much about the Spanish culture and myself and
I felt like I was actually living for the first time in my life. At Mercer, it is so easy to let school and the things
that you are involved in become you life, but the carefree Spanish mindset of “we work to live, not live to
work” showed me that the American life I had been brought up in is not always the most fulfilling. There are
other ways to a happy life.
I made some great American friends during my stay in Seville, but the most rewarding friendships were
those I made with my lively host family of young parents and three small children and a poor immigrant
from Senegal who went by the name of Destiny. I laugh when I remember him telling me that “the name is
easy to remember...just think of Destiny’s Child.” He sold paper tissues on the side of the street every morning, but I never knew where he spent his nights. I will always wonder, but something tells me I probably
don’t want to know.
I must say that this is a very poor reflection because I cannot even begin to explain all of the good times
and how much I grew as a person during my time in Seville. I encourage everyone to study abroad at some
point. If you think Seville is for you, contact Dr. Fernando Palacios or Dr. Yosalida Rivero-Zaritzky for more
information about the upcoming trip this summer 2012.
Hasta luego,
Audra