Students, Holt connect to Cairo via videophone

By Jess Decina

In a time when college-aged students are poised to become the great leaders of tomorrow, a program through the department of Global and Multinational Studies allows them to communicate with students from another country on a weekly basis.

The Student Global Village, joined this week by Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ), is now in its second semester. The program holds a weekly 90-minute video conference between students at Rider and students at the American University at Cairo, Egypt. According to Dr. Roberta Fiske-Rusciano, of the Political Science Department, the program allows students to glance at a world that is completely unfamiliar to them.

“It’s about learning about different cultures [and] international studies,” she said. “[The students are] learning how to survive in a multinational world.”

Participants of the student global village begin by getting to know each other, then move on to discussing a variety of topics. On Monday, Oct. 24, the students discussed the roots of terrorism and the different ways of dealing with it, Fiske-Rusciano said, noting that it was a “very heated discussion.”

Holt took questions from the Egyptian students regarding his stance on issues that affect Israel and Palestine.

Susan Campbell, one of just three freshman involved in the program, realized she and the Egyptian students were not so dissimilar. The Egyptian students often surprised their American brethren with their extensive knowledge of popular sitcoms, familiarity with fast-food restaurants and Western-inspired fashion style.

“This experience has been absolutely amazing,” she said. “It has opened my eyes to a world and culture that I thought I knew about. Any prior thoughts I had on the Arab world were blown out of the water.”

Fiske-Rusciano said the program greatly influences students’ opinions on international affairs, particularly their desire to get involved with the world around them. Her husband, Dr. Frank Rusciano of the Political Science Department, agrees. Through these sessions, the students have learned from each other, he said.

“They end up coming to [an agreement] on a lot of things in the end,” he said.

Both faculty advisers hope to see the Student Global Village become a part of the University’s curriculum in the next few years. Students may be able to attend the sessions and earn credits toward a Global and Multinational Studies major.

“This is truly an experience that every student at Rider should have,” Campbell said. “All it takes is an open mind and a diplomatic mouth and maybe this generation can do away with prejudices forever.