By Amberlie Romney
With more than 1,300 participants last school year and the same number expected this year, the Kennedy Center for International Studies is doing something right.
Rodney Boynton, associate director of the Kennedy Center, said studying in other countries provides students with experiences and an education incomparable to anything out of a textbook.
'It helps them understand their major in the context of a global society,' Boynton said.
Students said learning is more effective when they visit the places mentioned in textbooks.
Kevin Galbasini, a double major in history and Spanish, was among the last group allowed to study at the BYU Jerusalem Center since riots broke out in September 2000.
'Jerusalem is the heart of the world because that''s where history began,' Galbasini said.
Emily Townsend traveled to Paris Winter Semester 2001. She said being immersed in the French culture and having hands-on experiences in their museums helped her remember the things she was studying.
'I wasn''t studying out of a textbook, I saw it first hand,' Townsend said of the art, music and historical sites she learned about and visited.
Jane Wilson, who also lived in a French-speaking country, said living with a French family and being immersed in the Tahitian culture strengthened her speaking skills.
She said she could also swim with sharks and stingrays and learned how to dry vanilla beans. These were educational experiences that could not be duplicated at BYU, Wilson said.
' add meaning, depth and spirit to the academic work on campus,' Boynton said.
Galbasini said one of the reasons he wanted to attend the Jerusalem Center was because of the spiritual aspect of the program.
'Everyone that I asked talked about how spiritual and how amazing it was,' Galbasini said. 'Studying the scriptures over there was amazing because you would read about things, and you were sitting right there where it happened. The Spirit was so strong.'
In addition to feeling the Spirit, studying abroad enriches students'' personal lives.
'Students who take advantage of international opportunities go beyond the classroom experience and experience a new country, people and culture first hand,' Boynton said.
Elizabeth Palmer traveled to London in the spring of 2000 to study theatre and literature.
While there, she attended London''s Hyde Park Ward and met people from all around the world.
'It made me aware of different cultures, I met people from all over the world -- South Africa, Australia and China. I realized how different people are, but within the church we are so similar,' Palmer said.
Palmer said she also learned more about herself.
She said she realized how independent and capable she was by traveling in a foreign country not knowing anyone.
Galbasini said his studies in Jerusalem opened his eyes to a new country, people and culture.
He said after making friends with many Arab and Jewish people, he is more understanding of them and their religious differences with each other.
Speaking of the events that happened Sept. 11, Galbasini said it was a sad, but because of his experiences in the Holy City, he has a different perspective on the situation than most people.
'I don''t take sides. I love the Jewish people, I love the Palestinians or the Arab people, and I don''t consider any of them my enemy,' Galbasini said.