april 13, 2012 o matter where you go in the world, youll find Lewis & Clark students, claims

Larry Meyers, Director of Overseas and Off-Campus Programs. Meyers proudly describes how Professor Ken Clifton ran across a group of LC students on the East Africa program during his post-doctoral field work in Kenya. Clifton was generous enough to guest lecture the students at the time, and when the opportunity arose, ended up applying for a teaching position here on campus where he now resides as Associate Professor of Biology. The office of Overseas and OffCampus Programs, which will celebrate its 50th year of sending students past Palatine Hill during the 2012-2013 academic year, has sustained a tradition of sending students to what would be considered non-traditional locations, Meyers explains. While other institutions offerings are heavily-rooted in Western Europe, LC pioneered programs to Chile, Japan, Mexico and Peru, as well as England, in 1962; they now offer programs to more than 30 countries annually. Dubach Professor Emeritus of Political Science Don Balmer has led programs to Victoria, Washington, D.C., and the first program to Mexico, which will be hosting its 50th anniversary reunion on campus in September. Balmer stresses the importance of language and communication in a students ability to truly learn in an off-campus program. Other emeriti, many of which remain in contact with the institution, their students and each other, discussed some of the issues inherent in earlier programs. While students are now able to register for the following semesters courses even from a rural farm in Southern India with the prevalence of mobile Internet, students on earlier trips had to share a single copy of the course catalog, of which the registrar used to authorize an early printing for professors to take on their programs. On a similar note, students studying in developing countries often went the entire length of their program without communication with home. Professor Emeritus Dell Smith, who led the 1985 program to Kenya, explained how difficult it was for students to only be able to send and possibly receive a single letter during their five months abroad. Now students are able to post Instagram photos, check Facebook and even call home, perhaps taking for granted todays technologies that can make time off-campus seem not so far away.

The Pioneer Log Features Roger Nelsen, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and leader of the 2003 program to Seville, Spain, utilized the new popularity of the internet to create a program website that features photographs, itineraries, journal entries and the program address for letters, money, packages, money, presents, money, MONEY. What is in store for the future of overseas and off-campus programs? Meyers says there will be more thematic offerings and programs that study specific topics, like gender or the environment. And, of course, students can expect increased digitalization. The office hopes to pilot projects in East Africa and Ecuador gathering data on land use and environmental degradation. Meyers even foresees the integration of iPads for better data documentation overseas. Watzek Library, in fact, has already partnered with the Overseas office to establish Lewis & Clark Around the World, a webpage that features photographs from students on overseas programs that are geotagged on Flickr. Students in the Fall 2011 India program piloted the site. Danielle Blechert (12) described her experience with the process: While the initial uploading process was a bit frustrating, all in all, the Flickr project was a fantastic way for our group to share the experiences and knowledge acquired throughout our India adventure with the Lewis & Clark Community and others who may happen upon the site. Currently, programs in Ecuador and New Zealand are adding their photos to the site. Meyers is very aware of LC students abilities to recognize challenges present in other countries, and describes the re-entry program now as not homecoming, but homemaking, where students ask, What am I going to do to make a difference in a way that has ethical implications? LC has been ranked in the top five of Peace Corps Top Colleges List in the past two years. More than 60% of undergraduates participate in an overseas or off-campus program, a figure that LC is and should be very proud of. As another graduation ceremony approaches, Meyers reflects on his offices impact on LC and describes the sight of hundreds of seniors filing down the aisle donning ribbons from the countries they studied in. Its absolutely stunning. Its gorgeous. Watzek Librarys Lewis & Clark Around the World webpage can be found at library.lclark.edu/overseas/
PHOTOS COURTESY OFFICE OF OVERSEAS & OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS ARCHIVES

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OF OVERSEAS & OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS A Lewis & Clark tradition

BY BEAU BROUGHTON
Features Editor

50 years

Top: The first participants in the 1963 program to Kyoto, Japan; Above: Students help push their tour bus on the 2002 East Africa program.

Its hard not to enjoy oneself at a Rajasthan camel fair during a program to India in the 1980s.

Countries represented since 1962: (from lclark.edu/~overseas/) Asia/Oceania: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam Africa/Middle East: Afghanistan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Israel, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Zimbabwe Western Europe: Austria, Belgium, Benelux, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Wales Central/East Europe: Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, The Former Yugoslavia Latin America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic North America: Canada, Mexico, United States

Students soak up some sun during their time on the Indonesia program in 1982.

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