Pictured above, Laurie Patton, the new dean of arts and sciences, talks with Russian master's degree students at Tuesday's Foreign Language and Area Studies reception at Old Trinity Room in the West Union Building. Speaking with Patton are, from left, Katherine Mohrig, William Evans, Eunice Kim, Hillary Richards and Danielle Guillette.
By Camille Jackson
If it weren't for Wednesday night's event in Old Trinity Room on West Campus, many of Duke's foreign language and area studies fellows would not cross paths.
The fellows, both undergraduate and graduate, have chosen to study less common languages such as Turkish, Creole, Japanese, Persian and Arabic, to complement research in history, the environment, global health and other disciplines.
A couple dozen fellows, all new Duke students, gathered with program directors in the university's area studies departments and others for a reception to acknowledge the importance of learning a foreign language in an increasingly global curriculum.
"I love gatherings like this because I had no idea who the others were until now," said graduate student Sarah Guest, a Pittsburgh native who is studying Japanese. "I feel like the university is showing it really values your work."
Gil Merkx, the director of international and area studies, joined Laurie Patton, the dean of arts and sciences, to offer remarks underlining the importance of cultural understanding.
Patton said language-learning gives students access to the world, and also helps them appreciate other cultures.
"Language helps you understand the workings of your own mind," which is at the core of university life, Patton said. "It is the key to both the inner and outer realities of globalization and gives us a very different view of interdependence. We need difference. It is central to human thriving."
Kelly Schwehm, the program coordinator for Duke's Middle East Studies Center, organized the event to bring awareness to the prestige of the fellowship.
"Not enough people know what a FLAS fellowship is," Schwehm said, adding that "Duke has more fellows than most of its peer institutions and yet the program has gone virtually unnoticed."
The showing of support impressed Katherine Farley, who is studying Japanese.
"I didn't realize how wide-ranging the program is and how many languages are a part of the program," Farley said.
There are five area studies centers: the Asian/Pacific Studies Institute, Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies, and Center for International Studies and Middle East Studies Center.
Some examples of why students have chosen to learn foreign languages at Duke include:
- Terrence Molinari, a student at the Nicholas School of the Environment who is studying Polish, said the event was great for networking. He hopes to use his language skills to help develop sustainable resources in Eastern Europe;
- Nicole Georggi, a global health student of Egyptian descent, hopes to use her Arabic skills for a summer program overseas;
- and Nicholas Enz, a graduate student at the Sanford School of Public Policy, plans to use his language skills for development work in Turkish-speaking countries.
"It is interesting that this event is taking place the week after the 10th anniversary of 9/11, which awoke us to understanding other cultures," said Miriam Cooke, a professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. She said the tragedy "created a new generation of students who understand culture but who also want to delve deep into them linguistically."