Being in college often means that traveling to different parts of the world is difficult.
If you are a student at Sinclair Community College that wants to travel to different countries without leaving campus, the International Series may be of interest to you.
“The International Series is a series of monthly presentations that covers just about any country,” Paul Carbonaro, coordinator for the English as a Second Language Program, said. “As long as the presenter has a great interest in presenting that country, it’s fine. There is no set agenda — it’s who would like to do a presentation and when would they like to present.”
With encouragement from a previous director of student services, The International series was started by Carbonaro nearly nine years ago.
“The main purpose is to spread cultural and geographic awareness and appreciation,” Carbonaro said.
Carbonaro said he hopes those who attend will enjoy what they see while also learning something new.
“It’s nicely informal, it’s not just a lecture,” he said. “People get free food according to the country that is being presented, because food is a reflection on the country and its culture and is an important part.”
One thing that Carbonaro enjoys is when a presentation goes well.
“I like when a presentation goes successfully,” he said. “All I can hope is that it does go successfully, that people show up, that all the food is eaten, that the presentation is good and that people have improved their geographical and cultural knowledge and appreciation by attending.”
He also said that the presentations can be whatever the presenter desires. He encourages whoever is presenting to find something that they find interesting about the country and share it with the audience.
“I always tell the presenters it can be whatever they want it to be,” Carbonaro said. “These should be presentations where anything can happen — they aren’t predictable,”
International Series
Presents Kenya
On Oct. 9, English Professor Vicki Stalbird will take part in the International Series by presenting Kenya.
“I want to give those who attend a taste of what it’s like to live like a Kenyan,” Stalbird said.
Stalbird traveled to Kenya, where she spent a week with a host family in the city of Nairobi, the capitol and largest city in Kenya.
“My host was a single woman with one grown child away at college,” she said.
She also went to three different national parks, where she was able to explore the landscape.
“When most people think of Kenya, they think of savannahs, lions and zebras,” Stalbird said. “But they also have lush tropical forests.”
Stalbird was able to visit the house of author Karen Blixen, best known for her memoir “Out of Africa,” where she recounts her 17 years spent in Kenya.
“Blixen was different for her time, she did things on her own terms,” Stalbird said. “Being able to share parts of that book from my own experiences is wonderful.”
In her presentation, Stalbird said she may include what everyday life in Nairobi was like, talk about the different parks that she visited, show pictures and maps and discuss the differences in culture with television and language.
“Kenya has a lot of diversity I wasn’t aware of until I went there,” Stalbird said. “I hope those that attend have a better understanding of the people and a greater appreciation of the culture.”
Student Worker Katy Vultee wrote an article about Stalbird’s trip to Kenya, stating: “Stalbird said that despite what she observed as tough conditions, the people within the city were gracious, kind and hospitable toward me, making me feel welcome in their city.”
Stalbird said she came back with a greater understanding of the culture and the way Kenyans lived, while also discovering a greater understanding and appreciation of herself.
“Traveling to another country gives you a new understanding and an appreciation of living in the United States,” she said. “Being able to add my own experiences and share what I learned — it was just a wonderful trip.”
The presentation on Kenya will take place on Oct. 9 at noon in the Building 8 stage area.