- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Gilman Scholar studies Latin American politics in once-in-a-lifetime trip to Cuba

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 13:36:39 +0000

When Ryan Bourgoin chose a location to study abroad, popular study abroad options for American college students like Italy, France, and Great Britain were the farthest thing from his mind.�� Instead, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock junior political science major was interested in studying Latin American politics and wanted to travel to a country where he would be immersed in a very different culture. “I’m glad that I went to Cuba of all places and not a western European country,” said Bourgoin, of Sherwood. “I wanted a study abroad experience that would be very different from what I was used to at home. There was a lot more to be learned in a country like Cuba that has only recently opened up relations with the U.S. and transitioned out of the Castro era.” Bourgoin, one of three ��Vlog��ý Little Rock recipients of the U.S. Department of State’s , spent seven weeks this summer living with a host family in Vedado, a neighborhood in Havana’s business district, through USAC’s La Habana (Havana) study abroad program. He took courses at The Instituto de Filosofia and studied government and politics in Latin American and Latin American social revolutions. “These classes really helped me get some needed credits to help complete my major,” Bourgoin said. “Latin American politics is an area where I was not very knowledgeable. I learned how interrelated the politics of the U.S. and Latin America are. You can’t talk about anything that happened in Latin America since the 19th century without talking about America.”�� Bourgoin said it was an interesting experience to be an American living in Cuba. Even though the U.S. and Cuba have different political ideologies, the people he met with friendly and caring, yet frank. “There is still a mentality that this a political problem between governments and not people, so Cubans can treat Americans well. They are a very generous people,” he said. “It’s a very strange paradox. Cuba tries to show that they are standing up to America, but they also are interested in American products and tourism for the economic boon.” Studying abroad in a non-English speaking country not only gave Bourgoin the opportunity to improve his Spanish skills, but he also gained a new perspective on life.��

Ryan Bourgoin (right) and his classmates travel around Cuba during a study abroad trip.

“It’s very interesting to be the minority in a country that conflicts with America in a lot of its core values,” he said. “Although I’ll never truly understand the struggles that people of color face in America, I think it helps me to see the perspective of what immigrants go through in this country and get a perspective on what it is like to not be in the majority.” As part of the program, he also took a one-week tour of southern Cuba to visit historic sites such as Playa Girón (one of two landing sites for seaborne forces of about 1,500 armed Cuban exiles during the Bay of Pigs Invasion), the colonial city of Trinidad, and the Ernesto “Che” Guevara Mausoleum, who was a major figure of the Cuban Revolution. “Che Guevara’s mausoleum is like visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in America,” Bourgain said. “They take it very seriously. A lot of the older people in Cuba are still big fans of Castro, but many of the younger people thought the Castro brothers were cowards.” His trip to Cuba has inspired some potential research projects. As a Donaghey Scholar, Bourgoin will complete a year-long final project next year before he graduates. He’s interested in studying the changes Cuba underwent after the Castros’ departure from power or the effects of the U.S. embargo against Cuba. After Bourgoin graduates in May 2021, he plans to continue to travel internationally, perhaps by working as an international teacher or joining the Peace Corps, and to continue to develop his career as a writer. In the end, Bourgoin said the opportunity to learn more about the residents of Cuba was the most rewarding part of his study abroad experience. “I also enjoyed meeting the Cubans and getting to know what they thought of their country, other countries, and life in general,” he said. “Several of the Cubans told me that the only good things about Cuba was the free healthcare and education, but even though they don’t have a lot, that they find enjoyment in being able to�� walk around without worrying much about violent crime. The streets are very safe. There was also another perspective: We don’t have a whole lot here, but we have enough to share, so how could you want more?”��

Record number of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students receive study abroad Gilman Scholarships

Janea Snyder — Mon, 06 May 2019 21:59:58 +0000

The U.S. Department of State’s has been awarded to three University of Arkansas at Little Rock students who will study or work abroad this summer. This is a record number of scholarship recipients for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in a single application cycle. The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, was the only other Arkansas college or university with Gilman Scholarship recipients. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student winners include:

Madeline (Maddie) Burke of Little Rock will work in Spain. She is an international studies major with a minor in legal studies and will graduate in December.
Ryan Bourgoin of Sherwood, a sophomore political science major, will study in Cuba. He serves as editor of The Forum and will graduate in 2021.
Solomon Ra’phael Davis will study abroad in the Netherlands. He is a junior double majoring in philosophy and international studies. He will graduate in May 2020.

All three of this year’s recipients are Donaghey Scholars. “This is the first time that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has had three Gilman winners in one term, which is amazing, considering the competitive nature of the scholarship,” said Emily Bell, Director of Study Abroad. “This summer cycle, there were 5,000 students who applied and only 1,000 were given scholarships, so that speaks to the quality of the scholarship essays these three students produced.” Including this summer’s recipients, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has had 17 winners in the past five years who have received $61,000 in scholarship funding for study abroad programs. Burke leaves for Spain on May 19 and will intern at Attittud, a business consultant firm, where she will assist in the management and organization of consulting projects. She will return July 27. “This will be my first internship, so I want to use this opportunity to gain a better sense of what sort of career I want after graduation,” she said. “I also want to use this opportunity to network with other people around the world and further develop my professional skills.” Burke also has intermediate Spanish-speaking skills and hopes to improve her skills while she is in Spain. “I chose to intern abroad in Spain to learn more about the history and culture. Several people I know have studied abroad in Spain and told me about their experiences, so my decision was also slightly influenced by their stories,” she said. Bourgoin leaves for Cuba on June 2 and returns July 20. He will take two courses – one in Latin American politics and another in Latin American social revolutions – at the Instituto de Filosofia in Havana. “I wanted a study abroad experience that would be radically different from what I was used to at home, and given Cuba’s political situation and the nation’s prevailing values, I thought that this would be the best place to go,” Bourgoin said. “Also, as a student of political science, I figured that such an insular and idiosyncratic state would be the most interesting destination, especially since Cuba has only recently opened up relations with the U.S. and transitioned out of the Castro era. Also, I wanted to immerse myself in the Spanish language and decided that Cuba’s alienation from the English-speaking world would make it a good place to do this.” Bourgoin will stay in Vedado, a student neighborhood in Havana’s business district. While he’s there, he plans to tour southern Cuba to visit historic sites such as Playa Girón (a major landing site for the Bay of Pigs Invasion) and the Terrazas, a nature reserve reserve and reclamation of nature. “My main career interest is writing novels, essays, and short stories about philosophy and politics, so I think experience abroad is invaluable,” he said. “Receiving the Gilman award will open up new opportunities for experience abroad by connecting me to an extensive alumni network and making me more competitive for programs hosted by Fulbright and the Peace Corps, a factor that also might play into getting my work noticed.” “Additionally, the Gilman award has helped make it possible for me to explore the unique political climate of an insular socialist nation and allow me to study at one of its institutions of learning,” he said. “Both of these are great opportunities to step outside the assumptions of the given place and time in which I happened to be born and broaden my perspective of the world. It’s not every day you get to go to Cuba, so I think the Gilman award will help me develop a unique voice and worldview.” Davis leaves June 20 for a seven-week stay in the Netherlands where he will take classes in law and politics at Maastricht University. “I wanted to spend time in the Netherlands to learn the language and learn about law and politics at the hub of international law,” he said. “This opportunity plays into my career path by making me a more competitive applicant for law school and Ph.D. in political science programs. It also helps prepare me to work in the internationally connected world that we live in. It will also connect me with diplomats that may do the kind of work I am interested in professionally.” In addition to being a Donaghey Scholar, Davis is president of the the International��Honor Society of Philosophy; president of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s International Studies Association for Undergrads; and president of the Ethics Bowl Debate Team. The Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship is a congressionally funded program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. State Department. The award was named after the late congressman Benjamin A. Gilman, who served 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. The scholarship’s mission is to broaden and diversify the student population that studies and interns abroad. “I am very excited that the time and effort Maddie, Ra’phael, and Ryan dedicated to applying for the scholarship paid off,” Bell added. “They spent extensive time planning for their unique study abroad experiences, and I know with the help of the Gilman scholarship, their time abroad will be even more meaningful. I’m proud that these three will be representing our campus internationally, and we look forward to hearing about their experiences upon their return to campus in the fall.” Photo top right: Maddie Burke,��Ra’phael Davis, and Ryan Bourgoin received Gilman Scholarships to study or work abroad this summer. Photo by Benjamin Krain

Forum staff takes 13 awards in Arkansas college media contest

Janea Snyder — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 20:00:10 +0000

Five staff members of The Forum, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s student newspaper, won awards Friday, April 5, in the 90th annual Arkansas College Media Association awards ceremony in Russellville. The ACMA is composed of private and public colleges and universities throughout the state, including Arkansas State University, Harding University, Henderson State University, Ouachita Baptist University, and the University of Central Arkansas. Competing in the ACMA’s online division, The Forum staff brought home 13 awards. The staff members, places they finished, and categories include the following: Ryan Bourgoin 1st Place – Meeting/Speech Coverage 2nd Place – Meeting/Speech Coverage 2nd Place – In-Depth Reporting 2nd Place – Breaking News (within 24 hours) 3rd Place – Newswriting Christine Kemper 1st Place – Newswriting 3rd Place – Meeting/Speech Coverage Nick Popowitch 1st Place – News Photo Kolton Rutherford 2nd Place – Sports Writing 3rd Place – Sports Writing Honorable Mention – Feature Writing Jordan Woodson 1st Place – Election/Political Coverage 1st Place – In-Depth Reporting

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student journalists win Diamond Journalism Awards

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 14:04:46 +0000

Three University of Arkansas at Little Rock student journalists were recognized for their outstanding work with Diamond Journalism Awards, a regional competition sponsored by the.�� The awards, which were presented Oct. 25 at Little Rock’s Flying Saucer, recognize outstanding journalism by professionals and students from Arkansas and bordering media markets in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. The awards honor work published or broadcast between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018. Student reporter Ryan Bourgoin of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s newspaper, The Forum, took home first place in the student journalism news category for his story, “eStem walks out in memory of Parkland shooting victims.” Judge Robert Bohler, a Texas-based communications specialist and former student media adviser, described the story as “timely, well-developed, nuanced, and clearly written story on the walkout.” Also winning an award in the same category, Christine Kemper of The Forum won third place for her story, “Little Rock participates in nationwide women’s march.” “This is very good coverage of the women’s march,” Bohler said. A third reporter from The Forum took first place in the student journalism sports category. Kolton Rutherford won the award for his story about the women’s basketball team, “LR women looking to make their own postseason magic.” “The advance story on LR’s NCAA tournament opener is an example of good storytelling that reflects LR’s recent ups and downs as well as is historical tournament accomplishments,” Bohler commented.

Forum reporters win awards from Arkansas College Media Association

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 17:37:22 +0000

Staff members of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s newspaper The Forum took home nine awards from the annual conference April 6 at Henderson State University.�� Nicholas Popowitch, executive editor of The Forum, won three awards with a first place in Online News Photo, second place in Online Newswriting, and second place in Online Sports Photo. “I think this was a great reward for the Forum writers who have been working hard all year,” Popowitch said. “I’m looking forward to next year. We’re going back to a print newspaper and exploring new multimedia options.” Additional winners and their awards include:

��Christopher Bailey, second place, Online News Photo, “DACA supporters protest in front of the state Capitol”
��Ryan Bourgoin, first place, Online Newswriting, “Dreamers March on State Capitol”
��Alicia Harp, second place, Online Feature Writing, “Life with a Disability”
��Christine Rivera-Kemper, third place, Online Newswriting, “The Clintons Come Home to Celebrate 25th ��ԲԾ��”
��Kolton Rutherford, honorable mention, Online Sports Writing, “Little Rock Start and End Hot in Exhibition Game”
�� Jordan Woodson, second place, Online Sports Writing, “9-Year-Old Joins Trojan Swim Team”

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock