WCC offers opportunities to Study AbroadStarting this summer, WCC will offer students opportunities to study in more than a dozen foreign countries. The effort is a partnership between WCC and AHA International, an academ-ic program of the University of Oregon.

WCC students can study in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Eng-land, France, Ghana, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, and Spain. The foreign programs typically offer classes in languages, literature, history, political science, and economics, among other subjects. Students will receive WCC credit for the classes.

Faculty members from American and foreign colleges and universities teach the classes. “What you are getting is real college courses taught by real college instructors,” said Nancy Ferrario, a Spanish instructor who’s coordinating the program at WCC.

Students get total immersion into a country’s culture, espe-cially since most stay with host families, Ferrario said. “There’s no doubt that this is a potentially life changing experience,” she said. “Students open their hearts to the world in ways they never have before.”

Participation in the program offers students first-hand experi-ence with other cultures resulting in valuable new insight into themselves and the world around them. We offer short-term, quarter, semester, and year-long programs, as well as intern-ships in some locations. Tailor your study abroad experience to your personal needs.

The deadline for the fall session, which lasts four to five weeks, is July 1. Students can apply online at the AHA Internation-al website. The programs cost $3,000 to $4,000, which in-cludes tuition, class materials, housing, meals, excursions, a transportation pass, and health insurance. Students must pay their own airfare and personal expenses.

Ferrario said students can use financial aid to help pay for the classes. Students also should check books and online for spe-cial grants and scholarships for studying abroad, she said.

More information is available at the AHA website or by con-tacting Ferrario at nferrario@wccnet.edu. Put “study abroad” in the subject line.

WCC HIGHLIGHTS Volume 22, Issue 3, March 2012

• Broaden and deepen your experiences• Learn about new possibilities and options in life• Prepare yourself for a career in our increas-ingly interconnected world and economy• Show potential employers that you are motivated and interested in taking on new challenges• Make friends and meet people from a completely different background• Learn to adapt and succeed in a new environment• Take one of the few opportunities most people ever have to live in a different country• See places first-hand that most people will only ever see in movies, TV, or online

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Volume 22, Issue 3, March 2012WCC HIGHLIGHTS Page 2

Volume 22, Issue 3, March 2012WCC HIGHLIGHTS Page 2

WCC shines the spotlight on commercial art March 3-28 when the vision and creativity of WCC graphic design students goes on display in the College’s Gallery One. An artist reception will be held March 12, at 5:30 PM in the Gallery, which is located on the first floor of the Student Center building.“The exhibit features a huge variety of selected stu-dent work, the best of the best,” said Kristine Wil-limann, graphic design instructor and curator of the exhibit.

“Unfortunately, there was more great work than we had space to hang it. So in addi-tion to the 30 framed pieces we will have hung throughout the Gallery, we will be showing a video of the other designs we couldn’t fit on the walls.”Willimann said that samples of reworked product packaging will be showcased on pedestals through-out the room. “Everything requires some visual ele-ment, whether it is a corporate identity or a package illustration,” she said. “Students were asked to pick a Michigan product and rethink it, from its logo and packaging to its pour spout. Companies like Ver-nors, Faygo, Jiffy, and Saunders were chosen by students and will be featured in the exhibit.”

Gallery One is open Monday and Tuesday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Wednesday and Thursday 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM, and Friday 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM.The exhibit and the artist reception on May 12 are free and open to the public. For more infor-mation please call 734-477-8512.Additional work from the exhibit is available to see on WCC’s Flickr stream.

WCC Art Gallery Showcases Student Designs

Volume 22, Issue 3, March 2012WCC HIGHLIGHTS Page 3

Volume 22, Issue 3, March 2012WCC HIGHLIGHTS Page 3

WCC will celebrate the diversity of its stu-dents and the Ann Arbor area with a day of music, fashion, food, and dance on Saturday, March 10. The “World Cultural Celebration” runs from 2:00pm to 8:00pm in the Morris Lawrence building.The celebration will feature performers and participants of all ages. Students and their families will share their cultures through au-thentic costumes, flavorful food, and elabo-rate and colorful handicrafts and demonstra-tions. The demonstrations will include a tea ceremony from Japan, calligraphy from China, henna application from India, capoeira arts from Brazil, and belly dancing from Egypt, among several others.The World Cultural Celebration will include stu-dents, family members, and friends from over 60 countries, including Iran, Yemen, Ghana, Ukraine, Romania, and Venezuela.

A $3 donation is requested at the door, and food tickets cost 50 cents. Proceeds from the event will help international stu-dents through the International Scholar-ship Fund. The event is sponsored by WCC’s International Student Association and International Student Center.For more information, please call: 734-677-5128 or email intl@wccnet.edu.

World Cultures

Volume 22, Issue 3, March 2012WCC HIGHLIGHTS Page 4

Volume 22, Issue 3, March 2012WCC HIGHLIGHTS Page 4

Summertime is one of the best times to enjoy the WCC campus, and you don’t have to be a stu-

dent to participate in a number of fun activities.Bike From Border to BorderThe Washtenaw County Border-to-Border Trail con-nects east Ann Arbor to Wayne County. One spur or loop of the route crosses behind the WCC Health and Fitness Center on Huron River Drive and ends at McAuley Drive. Bicyclists and joggers have a trail that, when completed, will comprise more than 35 miles of paved pathways across Washtenaw Coun-ty. Rest a few minutes at the scenic overlook on the edge of the Huron River. You’ll find it adjacent to the softball field.Count the FossilsSee how many unique varieties of fossils you can find on the largest fossil-filled rock in Washtenaw County. The 55-ton boulder sits between the Crane Liberal Arts and Science and Family Education buildings. Estimated to be 400 million years old, it was carried to Ann Arbor from northeast Michigan by ice known as the Saginaw Lobe about 50,000 years ago. Once you’ve had your fill of fossils, step inside the Crane building and touch the rocks indig-enous to the Great Lakes State at the one-of-a-kind Michigan rock wall on the first floor west hallway.Enjoy a ConcertWCC and the Ypsilanti Community Band have come together to form the Washtenaw Commu-nity Concert Band. Its summer concert series be-gins Thursday, June 27, in WCC’s Towsley Audito-rium with guest conductor Max Plank, a longtime Eastern Michigan University band director. The curtain goes up at 7:30pm. The performances move outdoors to the WCC community park June 24 and July 29 at 7:30pm, weather permitting. The whole family will enjoy these free musical events. For more information visit www.ypsicommband.org.

Find the TreasureGeocaching is a high-tech outdoor treasure hunt us-ing GPS devices to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, often in public parks and nature areas. WCC is home to one such cache. Find it and tell us about your hunt on our Facebook page—but don’t give the location away!Toss a Few Three-PointersThere’s nothing like fresh air and a little athletic competition. Bring your basketball and shoot a few hoops on one of the two side-by-side courts at the new outdoor athletic complex adjacent to the WCC Fitness Center. Gather together some friends for lobs and spikes on the new volleyball court. There’s also outdoor tennis on elevated platforms to the west of the Fitness Center. If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the court.

Summertime is Outdoor Time at WCC