Lafayette’s interim abroad programs took students to five different travel and research destinations this winter.

The Geological Evolution of the Hawaiian Islands

Students got hands-on experience in studying volcanoes on their trip to the Hawaiian islands.

Led by geology professors Dru Germanoski and Lawrence Malinconico, students were tasked with investigating the different types of rocks, lava flows and sediment on Hawaii’s islands.

“We started on the Big Island in Hawaii, which is the youngest out of all of them and we were able to look at the volcanoes there and see how younger volcanoes look versus when we went to Maui and Oahu and how the older volcanoes looked,” Rebecca Capone ‘27 said. 

Along with morning lectures and day-long hikes across the islands, the class also went snorkeling and experienced a luau. 

“I love volcanism and all that jazz, but even if you weren’t into any of that and you just wanted to fulfill your natural science requirement, they still made it really interesting and really engaging,” Capone said.

Exploring Peru’s Indigenous Populations in the Modern Day 

Alongside music professor Jorge Torres and director of the Landis Center Chelsea Morrese, students explored Peru intimately by touring archaeological sites, staying with Peruvian families and volunteering to help rebuild a kindergarten.

“All of the opportunities we had to connect with the people really gave us a good taste of what at least that part of Peru is like, so I think that was really special and I’m really, really grateful for that experience,” Bria London ‘24 said. 

London said that the experience was very enlightening for her.

“Peru and the people that we met there showed me and reminded me that there is so much more to our world than we interact with on a regular basis,” London said. “I think it really gave me an appreciation for moving a little slower, for being a little more present and just looking around.”

Global Senegal: Alternative Modernities

Students immersed themselves in Senegalese culture on a trip led by Africana studies professor Wendy Wilson-Fall and dean of advising and co-curricular programs Tim Cox.

According to Katie Liu ‘25, students were able to truly embrace all that Senegal had to offer. Along with lessons about the history and language of Senegal, students were able to visit museums, markets and even a Senegalese wrestling tournament.

“I feel like we were so privileged because a lot of our learning was very hands-on … a lot of it we can relate to what we were learning in the lectures, or we would have discussions with professor Wilson-Fall and stuff like that,” Liu said. “I don’t think we did anything without realizing what it means in a big picture and a small picture.”

Liu said that the trip had a large impact on the worldview of all the students.

“I think my professor really wanted us to understand that Africa can’t be generalized and it’s harmful to think of it as just the same in the whole continent,” Liu said.

The World Runs on Processes (Portugal)

On a trip to Portugal, students got the chance to examine technology, culture and history.

“It was really interdisciplinary,” Maddy Horvath ‘26 said. “The course was about processes and looking at processes through a technical and a non-technical standpoint.” 

Guided by languages and literary studies professor Mathieu Perrot and chemical engineering professor Michael Senra, students experienced both technical processes from visits to numerous Portuguese factories and non-technical processes from translating Portuguese to English using artificial intelligence.

Students also got the opportunity to explore the culture and history of Portugal through visits to museums and palaces.

“You got to learn a lot of different aspects of Portugal, like seeing its technology and its industries and its culture and its history just all kind of together,” Horvath said.

Empire Strikes Back (London and Belfast)

Students took a critical look at how the British present their own history through site visits, museums and walking tours in London and Belfast alongside film and media studies professors Nandini Sikand and Andrew Smith.

According to Caitlin Mullooly ‘24, the course was centered around the rise and fall of the British Empire and Britain’s history of imperialism and colonialism in Africa, India and Ireland.

Along with sit-down discussions on course readings and films, the class got the opportunity to go to places like the Tower of London, the Tate Modern and the Peace Wall in Belfast.

“It was one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken and being able to learn not only in the classroom but by experience on the sites that events took place made it one of the most intellectually stimulating and academically enriching experiences I have had throughout my time at Lafayette,” Mullooly said. 

Correction 1/26/2024: A previous version of this article misspelled the surnames of Paige Mathieu ’24 and Melanie Carr ’24.