Eastern Student Janessa Soucy of Milford Studies in the Middle East

 

A group of history students from Eastern Connecticut State University took a week-long global field course (GFC) in the Middle East this March. The students visited sights throughout Israel, Jordan and the West Bank as they learned about the region's various conflicts and histories.

Among the students was Janessa Soucy '17 of Milford, who majors in History and Social Science.

The course abroad was designed to expose students to the modern Middle East; teach them the ancient and modern histories of the region; provide multiple perspectives on the Arab-Israeli conflict by visiting the Israeli-Lebanese border, the Israeli-Syrian border, Jordan and a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank; and provide students with an appreciation for the Holocaust by visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem.

"I teach courses on the Arab-Israeli conflict and the history of modern Israel," said History Professor Caitlin Carenen, supervisor of the trip. "This GFC was designed to supplement the classroom experience by providing field experience. While traveling, students kept travel journals and upon returning, students wrote long reflection papers assessing their experience."

Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving more than 5,300 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations.

In addition to attracting students from 158 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 24 other states and 23 other countries. A residential campus offering 39 majors and 58 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked the 26th top public university in the North Region, by U.S. News and World Report in its 2016 Best College ratings, Eastern has also been awarded "Green Campus" status by the U.S. Green Building Council seven years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.