Cultural experience – Journalism, Technology & Democracy

The entrance lobby and sign with the name of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Visiting the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is one of the most exquisite, explicit and accurate museums about Black history & culture. Standing in line to visit this huge brown building evoked all kinds of expectations. “This will be…

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“Imagine all the people, sharing all the world…”

There could not have been a better excursion than this for the 2023 SUSI scholars visiting Arizona’s Valley of the Sun, before their departure in three days for Los Angeles. The scholars stood before a harsh political reality on the…

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A collage of international musical instrument displays

From Takeo to Arizona: Discovering Khmer and World Instruments at the Musical Instrument Museum

During our SUSI Scholars visit to the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix on Saturday, I had an impressive moment when I spotted a musical instrument from my hometown. The museum houses a vast collection of musical instruments from around…

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Chase Field

Take Us Out to the Ballgame!

June 14th was a busy day. Felicity wrote about our first technology sessions with Retha Hill; now, let’s delve into the evening activities of the scholars. While Felicity was back in Gordon Commons drafting her blog post, 16 other scholars…

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Heard Museum docent Matthews contextualizes Indigenous art for the scholars

Remember us the SUSI way!

The past four weeks were very productive, indeed! The melodramas ingrained with action, comedy, thriller, romance, and suspense made every session and activity colorful and exciting. It is no accident that we, the 15 scholars coming from around the world,…

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SUSI Scholars and Student Leaders from Europe in the stands at Chase Field

It’s a Party in the USA

Let me just say that I am not a sports person. I thought I should lead off this blog post with that statement. But I also think that this statement is for me first and foremost, and not so much…

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Rodeo Day!

Who could miss it? Not me! I woke up from my sleep at 7:38 AM. We were supposed to leave at 8:00 AM. I don’t know why I slept so long! Alam Asraful, my roommate, knocked at my door. “Louis,…

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Gathering rainclouds over the Tonto National Forest, where the scholars went on a Jeep tour

Wild Forest

“It was an amazing day. We fed wild animals, explored the hidden beauty of the forest and met with some of the native people of Arizona…” No, it didn’t happen like that. This is all my wild imagination. I and…

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A classic Arizona desert scene: blue sky, saguaro cacti, and sagebrush

From Historic Flagstaff to Symbolic Cacti: A Sublime Beauty

Sunday morning, 11:00, in front of a hotel in Flagstaff. Sunny weather with a blue sky, 74°F, fresh with a gentle breeze. The green tree leaves are swaying softly. Mountain views in the near distance with fluffy white clouds draw…

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The End of SUSI 2023: Celebrating Freedom, Diversity and Friendship

Eighteen scholars of journalism, communication and the media, researchers and journalists from eighteen different countries entered the Cronkite School of Journalism, at Arizona State University in Phoenix on June 4, 2023. It was a hot day in Phoenix and the…

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You Know What’s Beautiful? A Real Conversation

One of the greatest experiences I will treasure from the 2023 SUSI program are deep meaningful conversations. The ability to sit back and talk about life, love, goals and dreams. The ability to articulate our deepest fears, desires and at…

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Visiting the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is one of the most exquisite, explicit and accurate museums about Black history & culture. Standing in line to visit this huge brown building evoked all kinds of expectations. “This will be…

Continue reading…

L.A.: The SUSI Bridge Between Phoenix and Washington

July 8, 2023, the 18 SUSI musketeers are having their last morning in downtown Los Angeles (L.A.). Everyone is finishing packing and getting ready to depart for Washington, D.C., which will take all day. After four weeks in Phoenix, Arizona and with…

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Teaching Communication in the 21st Century

Teaching communication in the 21st century requires changing our minds, our budgets and of course our universities. Students aspire to be successful in the labor market for the next 40 years with new knowledge and skills. A step in that…

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