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An informational meeting will be held noon Wednesday in Acopian Engineering Center room 239 about the faculty-led semester-abroad program to be held in spring 2006 at International University-Bremen in Germany.
Faculty and students who participated last semester will discuss the program. Free food and drinks will be provided.
International University Bremen is an English-language institution that emphasizes interdisciplinary studies in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. Founded in 1999 by University of Bremen and Rice University, it is accredited by both European and American agencies.
Thirteen Lafayette students participated last semester, including Carina Fritsche ’07, a double major in chemical engineering and international studies, and Kristin Rhebergen ’06 (Hopewell, N.J.), a double major in international affairs and German.
Rhebergen took International Law, two German classes, and two courses taught by Rado Pribic, Edwin Williams Professor of Languages and chair of the international affairs and Russian and Eastern European studies programs: 20th Century European Dictators and German Culture & Civilization. She valued studying with students from all over the world.
“I attended a class on dictators with kids from Romania, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslavia, Pakistan, Nepal, and so forth, and all of these students had some kind of experience with dictators, or had heard stories from their parents about them,” Rhebergen explains. “It is the type of class where one does not want to speak, but only listen because of the vast knowledge that the people in the class have and use in their comments.”
Her favorite part of the semester was the ability to travel to many interesting, significant locations, both with the Lafayette group and on her own.
“I literally was able to hop on a train or grab a plane any day that I liked,” says Rhebergen, who visited Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, London, Dublin, Cork, Edinburgh, Munich, and Prague. “Another perk was the Semester Train ticket that all students at IUB get. It took us to Bremen, Hamburg, Hannover, Osnabrueck, Bremerhafen, Kuxhafen, and many more smaller places.”
She urges students to take advantage of the “amazing” experience offered by Lafayette’s program at IUB.
“Germany is a beautiful county, and Bremen is simply gorgeous in the spring. You learn an incredible amount not just about the world, but also (and somewhat even more valuable I believe) a lot about yourself,” she says. “The 12 other people that I was lucky enough to share this experience with are amazing people. I am so happy that I came on the trip.”
Rhebergen is a member of Crew Club and Alpha Phi sorority and has served as an admissions tour guide. She is one of several family members to attend Lafayette, including parents Paul Rhebergen ’73 and Marianne Okkema Rhebergen ’75, aunt Julie Okkema ’76, and sister Debbie Rhebergen ’03, assistant director of the annual fund.