by Jacob Wilbanks, features staff writer
A free screening of the documentary film “Crossing Borders,” followed by a Q & A with Guru Ghosh, will take place at 7 p.m. in Squires Colonial Hall.
“Crossing Borders,” filmed by German filmmaker Arnd Wachter, is a documentary following four American and four Moroccan students as they travel and live together for a week in Morocco. Jenny Sax, interim director for Education Abroad, praised the openness of the film.
“In that brief, one-week window, you see huge cultural differences emerge and you see the students wrestle with those differences,” Sax said. “I think it’s really interesting to see how they work them out. There’s some moments of real tension in the film, but there are also moments of real reconciliation.”
There are hopes this event will bring cultural awareness to Virginia Tech’s campus, and incite cross-cultural dialogue between domestic and international students.
“The main topic that the film brings to light is intercultural communication, cultural competency, and what that could mean for us as we move forward societally and globally,” Sax said.
“Crossing Borders” isn’t afraid to ask difficult questions about the presuppositions different cultures hold over one another. The film looks at these questions from the perspectives of the eight students featured in the film in hopes of breaking down barriers between different cultures.
“All kinds of really important questions, I think, percolate up through this film,” Sax said. “That’s why I think the conversation with Dr. Ghosh, who will be a truly good moderator for this type of event, will be really enriching for the students who go.”
She is hoping the film will inspire students to address these difficult questions with a newfound appreciation.
“I think at the end of the day, it’s a movie that inspires people who might or might not have thought about these topics — but who don’t really know how they would feel if faced with them themselves — to start thinking about how they might do that,” Sax said. “and to know that there are ways to do it that can be supportive of real pedagogical value. The learning involved is enriching for everybody involved.”
Ghosh, an associate vice president for international affairs, will moderate a discussion with attendees after the screening of the film. Those overseeing the event hope the film will help bring cross-cultural dialogue to Tech.
Betty Watts, administrative assistant at the office of international research, education, and development, is excited about the open format of the Q & A.
“It’s really going to be generated by the questions from the audience,” Watts said. “Dr. Ghosh is also very good at drawing questions out of people.”
Sax had high hopes for the discussion and high praises for Ghosh as well.
“I imagine there will be a really rich discussion afterwards,” Sax said. “He’s got a lot of experience within the field of international education. His own background will inform the discussion really well.”
Sax and Watts were excited about the direction of Tech’s recent strategic plan, which strongly supports the integration of international students into the student body while also pushing strongly for more education abroad.
“There need to be opportunities to internationalize everybody on campus — not just those who go abroad — by taking advantage of the international resources that we have here on campus,” Watts said.
Sax and the Education Abroad office have been working hard to debunk the myth that studying abroad is only for privileged students who can afford it. She believes that there are plenty of opportunities to get financial help and that the benefits of studying in another country are immeasurable.
“I would argue that study abroad is not a luxury anymore, it’s a necessity,” Sax said. “It can really make the difference for students on the job market. As our world becomes increasingly interdependent, it really is almost a prerequisite to becoming successful out there in any field.”
The screening of “Crossing Borders” was set up to try and get students at the university thinking about other cultures, and to raise awareness about the benefits of studying abroad and being fully immersed into another culture. This event is preceding the Education Abroad Fair by exactly two weeks.
“We thought it would be a great precursor to that event where people might start mulling over what it could mean for them to have a cross-cultural experience and then to go to that fair,” Sax said.
Students interested in study abroad, or those wanting to learn more about other cultures and hidden stereotypes, will have the opportunity to learn more at the discussion and screening of this film.
“I think one of the big successes of the film is showing where these presuppositions come from and how to let some of them go,” Sax said.
Find this article at: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/20287/crossing-borders-aims-to-educate-students-about-other-cultures.
