Monthly Archives: December 2020

The arts prove to be vital throughout pandemic

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By Tristan Bennett
Delta Digital News Service

Jonesboro, Ark. — Hidden in the midst of the Delta lies an unexpectedly thriving arts scene with a goal to enrich the community in which it resides.

Even with the addition of masks, extra disinfecting and social distancing required by the new normal of the pandemic, arts organizations around Jonesboro remain open as a haven for local artists and lovers of the arts alike.

As the pandemic drags on, so does the anxiety surrounding the still-unknowns of the coronavirus. The arts are proven to alleviate stress and calm the brain. While it is impossible to see a Broadway show right now, local organizations continue to be an outlet for the community.

Learn

A quick temperature check, a mask, a squirt of hand sanitizer and an open mind is all it takes to learn a new craft in the age of COVID.

The Foundation of Arts operates in Jonesboro as a communal space for new and experienced artists to learn and perfect their craft. Kristi Pulliam, FOA executive director, said the arts are a vital part of life.

Kids participate in an FOA art class. Photo by Tristan Bennett

“The arts can improve your life in so many ways, Pulliam said. “The participation in the arts makes you better at almost every other thing you do. You’re a better communicator, you’re more self-confident, you’re more able to experiment and grow in all kinds of areas of life.”

The FOA offers classes in a wide range of arts disciplines. While learning an art may look different than in a pre-COVID world, Pulliam said the FOA staff strive for a safe environment for all their students. Enrollment numbers took a dive due to the pandemic, but classes are growing each week, and endorsement of the safety measures enacted by the Foundation.

As a space to learn, the FOA strives to improve the quality of life for everyone in Northeast Arkansas.

“The programming at the Foundation of Arts is really about people,” Pulliam said. “It starts with people, it ends with people, and it has arts all in between.”

Students of dance can learn to arabesque in ballet class, shuffle in tap or pirouette in jazz. After learning their new skills, they have the opportunity to showcase them in competitions across the region.

“It allows them to strut their stuff, and they’ll be judged against other dancers,” Pulliam said.

In addition to dance, students can train to be the next Broadway star in the FOA theatre arts classes or learn to paint like Picasso in their visual arts classes.

The FOA continues to provide opportunities for the general public to engage in the performing arts as well. Coming up, the FOA is hosting a House of Villains at their Forum theatre for Halloween, and their production of “Dreamgirls” hits the stage in November.

Immerse

   There is a certain calmness that can only be achieved by visiting an art museum. Jonesboro is fortunate to have one right at its heart on the Arkansas State University campus.

The artworks that grace the walls of the Bradbury Art Museum silently serve as a cultural steward to enhance the lives of Northeast Arkansas citizens.

Even in a pandemic, people of the community can immerse themselves within the quiet elegance of the museum. Garry Holstein, BAM director, said the art museum adjusted to the new protocols with relative ease.

“We’re a fortunate space in that we’re set up for people to come and enjoy artwork by themselves or with close friends, and not to touch,” Holstein said. “We’re kind of built for a going out safe experience.”

After a temporary closure, BAM reopened with a small, socially-distant reception and a brand new exhibit.

Currently, the museum houses an exhibition entitled “Radius 1.” It showcases artwork created by artists who live and work within a 180-mile radius of BAM. The show not only gives local artists a chance to showcase their work regionally, it gives the community the opportunity to see the talent growing in their own backyard.

Holstein said, “The amazing thing about this is you have so many talented artists here. A lot of people think you have to go to New York or somewhere far away to see amazing work, but we have people that have shown in Venice in this exhibition.”

The Delta is crawling with artistic talent, and through places like BAM, the residents of the community have the opportunity to dive into prestigious art right from home.

“Creative exploration of our shared cultural dialogue is what we do,” Holstein said. “It just reinforces our role in the community and our dedication to serve as a cultural steward and collaborate to create a shared sense of place.”

The coronavirus forced BAM to limit its hours to noon to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays, but the artwork still waits in its regal silence for someone to come brood over the artist’s true intention.

Experience

As devastating as the pandemic could have been on the arts, it only brought more creativity into the delivery of artistic experiences. Before, no one could have ever imagined listening to a live symphony from the comfort of their couch, but current circumstances made it possible for fine music to be available outside of the auditorium.

The Delta Symphony Orchestra is rooted in heritage and strives to meet an underserved need in the community. Neale Bartee, music director and conductor, said the orchestra formed in 1975 to give professional musicians in the area a chance to perform.

“There were really strong band programs and choirs, but there were no orchestra programs, and that’s an entirely different thing with the string section,” Bartee said. “We were providing a need that had not been fulfilled at that time.”

45 years later, the music scene in Jonesboro has expanded greatly. However, orchestra music still lags behind. The Arkansas State music department focuses mainly on instruments commonly played in marching bands, but Bartee, during his time on faculty with the department, helped to create the university orchestra program. As far as professional orchestra music in the region, the Delta Symphony Orchestra still operates alone.

“There’s a whole heritage of orchestra music that goes back 300 years with Bach through Beethoven, and there is no other group that performs that,” Bartee said.

COVID-19 forced live orchestra performances to a grinding halt, but in a way, it is now easier than ever for everyone to experience symphony music. The Delta Symphony Orchestra began livestreaming their performances on Facebook, making it possible to listen to a live professional orchestra on a couch, at the dinner table or in a car.

Bartee and the orchestra even began digging through past, recorded performances in order to provide the community with music during this time.

Now, anyone in Jonesboro can experience the sounds of the orchestra on cable channel 24. Previously recorded performances are broadcast regularly on the City of Jonesboro’s channel as a service to the community.

The Delta Symphony Orchestra not only provides a historically rich music to the community, it invests in the next generation of artists.

“We’ve brought Broadway stars to Jonesboro,” Bartee said. “We brought those guest artists that did some great work coaching the kids on how to do musicals.”

Hearing the orchestra through a screen may not be the ideal experience, but it expands the opportunity to more of the community and provides a chance to the general public to broaden their horizons.

Grow

As Pulliam said, involvement in the arts is a pillar of any quality society. Whether it be learning a new craft, immersing in a visual art or experiencing an orchestra, all work to enhance the quality of life of all those who enjoy it. In the extra stressful era of COVID-19, art can serve as an escape. Many think great art lives in far off places, but Jonesboro is home to a thriving art scene just waiting for the community to join.

NOTE: Feature photo by Tristan Bennett.

Bakeries across the region cope with COVID-19

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By Krishnan Collins
Delta Digital News Service

Jonesboro, Ark. – When the pandemic started, locally owned bakeries around the region felt the blow of COVID-19 and those businesses in Northeast Arkansas have had to continually adapt to keep producing delicious sweets for the community.

Deep in the heart of downtown Paragould 

   Looking at cake decorating supplies at an overseas military base, Tracy Mothershed answered yes when a woman approached her and asked if she was a cake decorator. Although she did not have a shop at the time or much professional experience, Mothershed always had an artsy side and liked to decorate cakes for her children. 

   “I don’t know where that answer came from,” Mothershed said. “So she asked me to help her with her daughter’s birthday cake and it just started from there. I just started doing cakes for people and I feel in love with doing it. Gosh, that was almost 30 years ago.”

   Born and raised in Paragould, she swore she would never return home after she left. Mothershed did just that and eventually started her own bakery in 2011, Something Sweet, in downtown Paragould.

   “To me, downtown is the heart of your community,” Mothershed said. “You have to have a thriving downtown to create that community and I just always wanted to be a part of that.”

   When Mothershed returned from overseas with her husband, she made cakes for friends and family out of her home. Although she also worked full time, Mothershed’s cake production kept increasing. Eventually, her husband told her she had outgrown the house. 

   “I had cakes on the kitchen bar, had them on the kitchen table, had them on the dining room table,” Mothershed said. “He was like, ‘We can’t even sit down and have dinner because it’s everywhere.’ (I was) getting over the fear of opening your own place and just jumping in with both feet and (I) haven’t ever looked back.” 

   In the first year Something Sweet opened, sales were so good they shocked Mothershed’s accountant. The business grew every year since opening, but when the coronavirus hit in March, things got a little rough. 

   “Up until this year, it has grown every year since. I’m not going to lie, this year has been rough,” Mothershed said. “You know, we’re doing enough to keep the doors open and doing OK. I haven’t had the nerve to look at all my numbers. My accountant just sent me my quarterly reports and I haven’t even looked at them yet.” 

   Throughout the pandemic, Mothershed said she’s had plenty of low morale moments. Although she is someone that usually does not stress, the pandemic definitely produced some harrowing days. 

   “I was just telling my girls this morning I’m mentally and physically just exhausted,” Mothershed said. “In August my mom passed away. Not from COVID, she had a stroke and didn’t recover. Just all of this, I’m physically and mentally exhausted. So those low points, yeah I’ve had those.”

   Despite those low points, Mothershed said she’s too stubborn to throw in the towel and give it all up. Although the store folding crossed her mind, Something Sweet is her baby and her stubbornness persisted. 

   “My husband just says they’re going to have my funeral in here,” Mothershed said. “I’ve always been of the mindset as long as the bakery is paying for itself, I don’t have to pay myself. As long as everything is paid for and taken care of then no, I’m not shutting the doors. I’m not going to lie, there’s been a few times the past couple of months I’ve been like, ‘How much longer can we keep going?’ Right now, we seem to be at a good point.”

   Something Sweet misses the income that came from wedding cakes. With many weddings canceled and postponed due to the pandemic, one of the shop’s biggest income sources has not been as prolific as it was in a pre-pandemic world. 

   However, it’s not just weddings that the store lost potential income from during the pandemic. 

   “Life events are postponed,” Mothershed said. “Birthday parties have been canceled. Custom designed cakes are the biggest portion of our profit. That’s where our profit margin is. That side of it has taken a big hit.”

   The store also lost income from walk-in traffic. The store’s lobby remained closed throughout the pandemic but reopened in November. Before reopening, those non-regular customers who would have stopped by just for a look and happened to leave with a dozen cupcakes did not get the opportunity to do so from March through October. However, the store did allow curbside delivery and customers could call ahead to order.

   With walk-in customers not allowed into the store and the baking business being such a visual thing, Mothershed said advertising increased across social media, the store’s website, print and radio to keep the brand of the store going strong since the start of the pandemic.  

   The store made many preparations before reopening its lobby, including hand sanitizing stations, social distancing dots on the floor, multiple tongs, gloves and other measures to make sure the reopening is safe. 

   “I really wanted to be open for the holiday season,” Mothershed said. 

Right off campus in Jonesboro 

   Just a seconds drive away from Arkansas State University, right in the reach of students, Bliss Cupcake Cafe on Red Wolf Boulevard actually got its start in another part of the state. Bliss originally opened in Fayetteville in 2009, but Pocahontas native Breanna Walton wanted to bring something that gave her so much joy in college at the University of Arkansas back home with her. 

   “My roommate and I, we loved Bliss,” Walton said. “We would go there on a good day, go there on a bad day. It was like, ‘Hey we need a cupcake to feel better’ or ‘Let’s celebrate and eat a cupcake.’” 

   Walton, a nurse, ran down to the Fayetteville store before college graduation in hopes of winning a giveaway and the owner of Bliss happened to be there. Walton told him she was moving back home and that he should open a store in Jonesboro. He responded by telling Walton she should open it herself. 

   “It was just kind of a real nonchalant conversation that turned into a reality,” Walton said. 

   Bliss opened its doors in Jonesboro July 12, 2014.

   When the pandemic hit in March, Walton said the hardest thing initially was dealing with the uncertainty of the situation. In the beginning, Walton and her mother, who was also instrumental in bringing Bliss to Jonesboro, decided they would not take a paycheck from Bliss to ensure Bliss’ employees could continue to work and be paid. 

   In terms of social distancing, Bliss’ very wide cupcake case made social distancing almost automatic in the store between the person behind the counter and the customer. Bliss was already mostly a takeout business anyway, so the store was naturally acclimated to pandemic procedures.

   Despite the pandemic, Bliss found ways to maintain its brand and give the community fun options. 

   “For Easter this year one of the fun things we did was we delivered boxes from the Easter bunny to people’s doorsteps just so they didn’t have to get out,” Walton said. “So early Sunday Easter morning my mom and I got up at 3 a.m. and literally drove all over Jonesboro to deliver treats on people’s doorsteps. It was pouring rain that morning so that was interesting.”

   The store also made cookie decorating kits that people could use at home so they did not have to get out to have fun. 

   Walton said Bliss has always placed a pretty big importance on giving back to the community. The community reciprocates that energy. 

   Back in May, a customer ordered a large custom cake ahead of time but did not want to pay until she could pay with cash in person, Walton said. The customer never appeared to pick up the cake, but when Bliss posted the situation on social media many people reached out to the store saying they would purchase it despite its very custom nature. 

   “Without their support, we wouldn’t have made it through the last three months,” Walton said. “I think people realize that especially now more than ever, with the tornado and the timing of it all, that kind of all we have is each other. We’re local people owning local businesses. So if we don’t support each other, then our community doesn’t rise as a whole.”

   A-State alum Drew Roberson liked Bliss from the first time he tried their products.

   “I first went to Bliss Cupcake Cafe because I just wanted to visit my friend who worked there,” Roberson said. “I left with two cupcakes and a coke in my hands and loved every bit of it. After that, if I ever wanted to surprise a friend with something sweet, I would go to Bliss because I knew their cupcakes, and presentations of them, were always impressive. They’re really good and I don’t even like sweets.”

   The pandemic came at a terrible time for the store. Bliss saw a decline in sales initially, and the pandemic happened during what would usually be one of Bliss’ busiest seasons around Easter and Mother’s Day. Also, just like Something Sweet, Bliss lost a lot of income from canceled weddings. Despite those tough times, just like Something Sweet, the idea of going out of business never gained much traction. 

   “It was never a thought that was given any kind of fuel or action,” Walton said. “As soon as that crossed our minds, it’s not going to happen. We’re not going to let it happen.”

   The baking community 

   Mothershed said she knows she cannot bake enough cakes for everyone in Northeast Arkansas no matter how much she wants to, she has to sleep. 

   Even with a good amount of bakeries across the region, Mothershed said there is room for more bakeries in the region. 

   “Everybody loves sweets,” Mothershed said. “They make you happy. (Bakeries) just create part of your community, part of that family feeling.”

   Walton emphasized how Jonesboro is a hub for all the small surrounding towns in the area, so there are plenty of customers to go around for all the bakeries. 

   “My favorite thing to say is, ‘We’re a mouth full of happy,’” Walton said. “Just for the same reason I fell in love with Bliss, is what I want to provide for other people.”

The Greensborough Village provides high end luxury living

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By Yu Bai
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – A new village is coming to Jonesboro and will offer a  high quality of life experiences for local residents.

The Greensborough Village, which occupies 200-acres, master plan is to establish a “city within a city.” The village envisions an integrated development project that includes opportunities for retail and food. In addition, the village also provides high-end apartments and brings in some potential companies.

JTown’s Grill, a chain restaurant company, is one of the restaurant complex construction owners in the village.

“The infrastructure of the restaurant has been basically completed, and is expected to open in May of next year,” said construction worker Dave Jibson.

Malco Theatre announced it will build its newest VIP Theatre in Greensborough Village. According to Malco Executive Vice-President Jimmy Tashie, Jonesboro is a “Malco town” and has been a rich part of its company’s success.

The new state-of- the-art lifestyle theatre will feature 80-inch full leather reclining seats, a cinema grille with an expanded food menu and beverages, and the latest advanced digital sound and laser technology.

The Greenborough Village will also provide a broad array of home styles that will appeal to residents looking for a private escape.

The Landing at Greensborough Village are luxury apartments that has started leasing out. There are a total of 264 units, and four buildings are open for residents so far.

“As the newest luxury apartment in Jonesboro, it’s exciting because the village is growing out here, and we’re seeing a lot of different variety people coming into Jonesboro,” said Dana Farguhar, the property manager of The Landing at Greensborough Village.

Traffic has always been a concern for some nearby residents and business owners. But with the help of the Arkansas Department of Transportation and city planners, a transportation plan has been developed to create a system that minimizes traffic congestion in that part of the city.

Once the village is completed, it’s estimated that there will be 2,500 people live in.

NOTE: Featured photos by Yu Bai.

Bubble tea shop opens amidst pandemic

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By Krishnan Collins
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO- While some businesses struggle to survive during the coronavirus pandemic, a specialty shop serving bubble tea opened in August and business boomed from day one. 

   Tucked away in a suite of stores at 3800 S. Caraway Road over the I-555 bridge sits Bubblee, a shop started by owner Elna June, that serves bubble tea. Bubble tea is also sometimes referred to as boba. 

   Bubble tea’s name comes from the chewy tapioca balls that sit on the bottom of every cup of boba. The tea surrounding the tapioca comes in a variety of flavors ranging from the traditional just plain milk tea to even more exciting flavors like brown sugar milk tea, taro milk tea and many more.

   “I have been watching what has been missing in Jonesboro,” June said.

Instant success

   June moved to the United States around six to seven years ago from the Philippines. Although she has other businesses overseas in Asia, Bubblee marks her first business in the United States. 

   June’s friends in the Philippines opened bubble tea shops of their own and they flourished, so June conversed with them to see how to best start her bubble tea shop in the States. 

   “I did my research,” June said. “I did test market research here and the response was overwhelming. I didn’t expect it because I thought people from Jonesboro didn’t know what it is. But they do.”

   June started a website and tested out a delivery system at the end of August. Bubblee received so many orders the store had to move orders from one day to another just to be able to fulfill those requests. After the impressive test run with delivery, the shop opened its brick and mortar store Sept. 21. 

   Opening during a pandemic did not phase June. 

   “I don’t really consider it as the time of having the pandemic,” June said. “I always go by numbers. I’m a numbers girl. Numbers never lie. I watched my research, I saw how people reacted and I have data. So, I decided, ‘Hey, it is a good time. People are responding, so why not?’” 

Crafting the culture

   Social media played a big part in spreading Bubblee’s brand. June said without spending a single dollar, she sent out a post saying bubble tea is coming to Jonesboro and the post reached 24,000 people in Jonesboro alone. 

   June said one of the biggest challenges in opening the store came in the same form of challenges she faced in her businesses in the Philippines: That is finding the right people to work at the store with her. 

   “Finding people who are in the same culture,” June said. “We want fun, we want Bubblee. You know, that’s our name. It’s hard to find people who always want to come to work happy, enjoying life. That’s definitely the biggest challenge is finding the right people. Once you find the key people, your business can go on.”

   One of those key people June found, Chloe Barker, played an integral part in getting the store going. 

   One of the first to inquire about the job, Barker contacted June as soon as she saw a job offer. Barker worked in the food industry at Skinny J’s and at The Parsonage but decided she wanted to get out of the food industry and transition to the drink industry. 

   June wanted Barker to work for the store because of how tight knit the Jonesboro community is and Barker fits the bill perfectly: she was born and raised in Jonesboro. 

   “The first question I asked (Barker) was, ‘Are you local?’” June said. 

   Barker knew what bubble tea was before she worked at Bubblee and now she gets to experience the joy of watching new customers try boba for the first time. 

   “They never have experienced anything like that before,” Barker said. “My favorite is to interview the men. They’re like, ‘What’s a boba?’ I get to watch their reaction as they try it and they’re amazed and overwhelmed with what they expected to what they got. It’s just really happy, it makes me happy.”

Destination location

   June said sales have been great so far and called Bubblee a destination location. Since the store is tucked away on South Caraway, the store isn’t always easy to see. Customers come to the store because they know it’s there. 

   “Because we’re fairly new, we have about 70% new customers but about 30% returning all the time,” June said. “So 30% is a high number for returning customers for a new business.”

   One of those returning customers, Michaela Partridge, said she has been a bubble tea fan since the first time she tried it when she was 17. However, growing up in the small town of Sheridan made it hard for her to find bubble tea.

   Since coming to Jonesboro as a college student, Partridge found bubble tea easier and originally purchased her bubble tea from Chin Chin Express on East Johnson. Once she found out about Bubblee and its wide variety of options, she decided to try it.  

   “The people there are really nice and they make all of the drinks to order,” Partridge said. “You can customize however much boba you want, how sweet you want it, that kind of stuff, which I really like.”

   The first drink Partridge ever bought was the winter melon tea and said her first reaction to the tea was that it tasted exactly like Christmas. 

   Partridge goes to Bubblee about once a week, sometimes twice a week if it’s been a bad week and she needs a pick me up. 

   “I keep going because the prices really aren’t that bad,” Partridge said. “It’s really decent prices, there’s two different sizes and there’s all different kinds of flavors. They even have the popping boba, which I recently tried and I really love. It’s hard to find that at other boba places in town.” 

   Partridge said the only thing she thinks Bubblee could improve on is sometimes it takes a long time to get an order. However, she said she understands because they are new and really popular, it makes sense orders might take a little longer to be prepared. 

A sense of home

   Bubble tea represents a niche product and for June this resonates with a diverse group of people around Jonesboro. 

   “It provides a sense of being for some people that are implants, that have been implanted in Jonesboro,” June said. “Believe it or not, yes, Jonesboro is a small town, but it’s growing and not because people are having babies, but because people are being implanted into the community from different cultures, different backgrounds and different countries.”

   June said the Asian community has grown a lot in Jonesboro. When she moved to Jonesboro around six years ago, she said she only knew around 10 Filipino families and now she knows over 100. The owner also mentioned how Asian students in the community come to Bubblee and get a piece of home.

Expansion plans

   June holds plans to expand to a second location where the store will gain customers as people simply walk by the storefront. This changes Bubblee from a destination location to a location where casuals can buy bubble tea as well. 

   By December, June wants to have her location open on Main Street. 

   “Over here we’re a destination; over there we will not be a destination branch,” June said. “It will be a visible branch where people walk and say, ‘Hey, I want to stop there.’ In marketing they call the concept clustering. So I think I am clustered very well if we are on Main Street.”

The rich brown sugar milk tea

   Brown sugar milk tea reigns supreme on the menu as the most popular item. Brown sugar milk tea started in Taiwan and June found a way to bring that authentic Taiwanese taste to Jonesboro. 

   “In Taiwan people would line up all the way down the street, like hundreds of people, to have a brown sugar milk tea,” June said. “So I found a supplier who is from Taiwan and they’ve supplied us with all of our ingredients to make that very famous brown sugar milk tea.”

   Whether someone moved to Jonesboro from a bigger city around the world or someone came to Jonesboro from a small Arkansas town, Bubblee finds its way into the hearts of customers all around the tightly knit community of Jonesboro. 

   “I think it’s really cool because Jonesboro for me is a bigger town,” Partridge said. “The town I grew up in has like 500 people and I had to drive 30 minutes to go to school. It always felt weird there weren’t more options for bubble tea and then Bubblee opened and I fell in love with it. I really am happy we now have another option. It feels like it’s a little more inclusive.”

COLUMN: An International Student’s Choice — Is Studying Abroad Worth It?

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By Yu Bai
Delta Digital News Service

Yu Bai/Delta Digital News Service

At the end of this year, I will graduate from college and end my four years of life as an international student in the United States. Looking back on the four years of college, I gained valuable experiences and unforgettable memories. It is a courageous decision to give up your familiar environment in your homeland along with family and all of your friends to study abroad in an unknown country. However, when most people discuss becoming an international student, they all ask the same question, “Is it worth the high tuition to study abroad?” As for me, my answer is “YES.”

The exchange rate of the Chinese Yuan (monetary currency) to USD is 1:7, and I cannot calculate how much money my parents paid for my entire college career in the United States during these four years. But I think the things I learned and experienced in the past few years cannot be measured by money. They are far more precious than money.

The first thing that I feel is the most significant difference in my scholarly life is the difference between Chinese and Western education models in college. In Chinese’ college, students’ grades are mainly composed of mid-term exams and final exams, while attendance and homework only account for a small percentage. However, in the United States, in addition to exams and homework assignments, quizzes, class discussions, and presentations will all affect a student’s final grade. It means that if a students decide to study abroad, they need to allocate their time more reasonably and attach importance to each requirement on their syllabus. In addition, the syllabus is a unique thing in the western education system. In China, students will not receive all the course requirements that they need to complete at the beginning of the semester. The content and method of their homework depends on various professors. Professors will hand out assignments from time to time according to the progress of courses, and the deadline is also flexible.

While I studying in the United States these past years, I have learned to arrange my study time reasonably. I can clearly see the tasks of each course from the syllabus, and it helps me a lot to design my study plan based on different deadlines. I have developed the habit of writing down the assignments that I need to compete during each week in my notebook and give priority to the assignments with earlier deadlines. It’s one of the most effective ways to improve learning efficiency because you know which tasks are most important.

However, when you start a new life in an unfamiliar country with a non-native language, you will also encounter many difficulties. The past few years of studying abroad have exercised my perseverance and ability to deal with problems. As a student, the biggest problem for me is the language. For example, you don’t understand what the professor said during class, and you cannot communicate with other people due to your poor oral English. It means that if you want to keep up with the class, you have to work harder than native students. Unlike a large number of calculations in business majors, my journalism major requires a higher level for reading, writing, and oral skills. In order to better understand the content of the class, I need to look through the reading lists posted by the professor before class. The large number of unfamiliar vocabulary words and syntax is a huge challenge for me. Thus, I usually spend a lot of extra time to completing tasks. Although the process is arduous, I am grateful for these experiences because they made me an outstanding pupil. Compared to when I had just arrived at the United States four years ago, my English ability has improved a lot in all aspects.

Finally, the experiences of studying abroad made me feel the importance cultural diversity, which helps me look at different things with an inclusive attitude. In college, I take classes with students of different skin color. When we are communicating with each other, it’s the best way to learn new things about a different culture. Before we meet each other, we might have some stereotypes about people from different countries. However, it’s these years of my American life which make me more aware of the importance of racial equality. I like the freedom of speech on campus where you can talk about racism at any time. Although racism is the main contradiction and problem in American society, fortunately, I have never suffered unequal treatment during these years.

In general, studying abroad is a worthwhile thing for me. I have been learned about different cultures and training myself to deal with difficulties at the same time. These precious experiences cannot be measured by money.

Note: Featured photo by Claudia Wolff on Unsplash