MACKENZIE KINTIGH; Arts & Culture Editor; kintigmf@plu.edu
Now that summer has come to end and the new school year has begun for Pacific Lutheran University, it is a great time to look at the Lutes who had the opportunity to explore the world. Many had the chance to use their travels as a way to get class credit. Two Lutes in particular explored two very different cultures over the summer.
Junior Kait Dawson flew to Copenhagen, Denmark to study graphic arts during the summer. The program was a two month in-studio class where the students learned about Scandinavian graphic design. The group took a week long field trip to Sweden and Finland to see the differences of graphic arts in these countries. One of Dawson’s favorite school memories was working with 3D Printhuset, one of the biggest 3D printing companies in Scandinavia.
Dawson did much more than just graphic arts during her stay in Denmark. Dawson began to appreciate the city and embraced “Hygge,” which is the Danish concept of self care. “Self is more of a concept,” she says. “It’s just the overall feeling of being cozy and feeling at home.”
Alley cat in the streets of Copenhagen.
Senior Hilary Vo’s summer had a more personal touch to it as she went to Vietnam and Thailand to visit family members and friends. A memorable moment on her trip was when she got to meet all the family that she did not know about.
“I went with my mom and I went to visit family. It was family that I actually didn’t know,” says Vo. “It’s my grandpa’s sister who has seven daughters which I didn’t know about. We got to know each other.”
Vo says that she found a deeper meaning to life while she was on her trip. She began to understand who she is and learn that everyone has a different life experience. “What I got out of it was a deeper understanding of where I’m from,” Vo said. “There’s a deeper understanding of the world.”
Both Dawson and Vo expressed how their trip was an eye-opening experience that they will use in their remaining time at PLU. Understanding different cultural backgrounds helps brings cultural awareness. Both can bring their new experience into their academic and personal lives by building a more open and diverse community at PLU.
The Vietnam waterfront.
