Oracle Online

O: Are you planning on taking part in the Spanish siesta tradition?

LMT: I’m totally gung-ho siesta. The hardest thing when I get back from Spain is going to be not having a siesta.

Malin Ellstrom-Evarts, the Oracle’s Managing Editor, will study abroad in Sweden.

Oracle: You’re Swedish, right?

Ellstrom-Evarts: My grandfather was Swedish. He died when I was a baby, so I never knew him. I thought it would be nice to go to Sweden and see where my family is from. Plus, Sweden is really liberal and they have a lot of nice social policies.

O: Are you fluent in Swedish?

MEE: I don’t speak Swedish yet, but I’m not too worried. Most people learn English in grade school, and I’ll be taking a course in Swedish the whole time I’m there.

O: Since it’s so progressive, do you plan on really letting loose in Sweden?

MEE: Drug laws are pretty strict in Sweden, so I probably won’t get too crazy.

O: What’s been the hardest thing about preparing to study abroad?

MEE: So much paperwork. I hate the paperwork. It’s bureaucracy, always trying to bring us down.

, News Editor and Certificate in International Journalism student, is going to Belgium.

Oracle: What attracted you to Hamline’s Certificate in International Journalism Program?

Bailey: What attracted me most was the fact that I’d be getting a media internship abroad. which is sort of an advantage that you don’t get at a lot of other schools.

O: How will this trip aid you in your goals of becoming a journalist?

SB: As far as journalism goes, I’ll be immersed in another culture, and although it isn’t too different from my own, it will be a real-world cultural experience. It is particularly important in journalism to be exposed
to the workings of something like the European Union, which is a very global organization.

O: What’s your interest in Belgium?

SB: I chose Brussels because I have okay French skills. Hopefully, I can improve my French. Also, it’s the center of the European Union. Plus, I hear Belgian beer is really good.

, News Editor, is going to Spain.

Oracle: Where are you going to live in Spain?

Stigen: I’m going to sunny Sevilla, in southern Spain. I’m living with a host family. It’s run like a business. The [study abroad] programs pay the host families.

O: What kind of family are you expecting to be placed in?

CS :I’m not going into it expecting a nurturing mom in case I don’t get one. If I do, it will be cool though.

O: Are you nervous about eating Spanish food?

CS: I like to tell people that if I was an animal, I would be able to survive anywhere, because I will eat anything. I was reading some Spanish menus, and they had fish eggs and vinegar, and guts and mayonnaise and stuff. Good thing I like most seafood.

O: Are there any Spanish traditions you’re thinking about participating in?

CS: I’ll be an hour from Costa del Sol, which is like a typical European beach, nudity and all. I’d consider participating in that.

Matt Sveum Web Editor, is going to London.

Oracle: So you’ve been to London already. Why go back?

Sveum: I was there in January and absolutely loved the city. I don’t speak another language, so for me personally, I didn’t have a lot of choice when it came to where I was going to study abroad.

O: Will it be scary to live in such a big city?

MS: I’ve never been away from home a long amount of time, so that’s intimidating. I think that since I’ll be going to school, I’ll have a smaller base of people that I’ll be connected to, instead of just being thrown into a big city with no connections.

O: Where are you going to school?

MS: I will be at Queen Mary, which is part of the University of London.

O: What are London schools like?

MS: London schools are a lot more like graduate school. They are a lot more final-test based, where you’ve got a final at the end that determines your grade. It’s also heavily based on lecture.

Lauren Vikander, Associate. Editor, is going to use her German language skills in Trier, Germany.

Oracle: So you speak German?

Vikander: The German language is something I’ve been working on since I’ve was very young. It all started with my parents purchase of these tapes from the BBC that taught children German through a blue alien named Muzzy who ate clocks. It’s no where near perfect right now, but its the main thing I plan to work on.

O: What are you most excited about?

LV: Being submerged in a culture that is different from the one I’ve grown up in. Additionally, I’ve been working on a research project for over a year now studying the Turkish-German population in Germany. When I’m over there, I plan to continue my research through real-life observations and conversations.

O: Have you been to Europe before?

LV: I’ve never been to Europe, but last summer, I went to Israel and Turkey and I caught the travel bug.