"The recurring theme for me on this trip really is bravery. Everyone who lives in this convoluted, confusing, complex and seemingly insane country, be they secular or orthodox Jews, Arabs or Bedouins all seem to personify bravery."
-Timothy Johns
"Secular Vs. Ultra-Orthodox Jews," Graduate student
"Every mile we drove across, ancient fights were still bubbling, sometimes beneath the surface and sometimes right on top. These countries hold their memories tight in their fists, letting the pain continue centuries later."
-Fortesa Latifi
"Women's balancing act: religion and work," Graduate student
"So far, I went swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, visited the Syrian and Lebanese borders, crossed into Jordan, talked with government officials from he Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority, touched the tomb of Jesus and entered the place he was born, visited a kibbutz and a settlement where a terrorist attack occurred, touched the Western Wall and the trip isn't anywhere close to being over." -Isaac Windes "Water's role in the plan for peace," Undergraduate student |
"Looking at the Syrian Israeli border made the realities of the Middle East hit me like a bus. It’s one thing to hear about what is happening while safely residing in the U.S., but it’s another thing to see the border in person. I couldn't help but visualize all the lives lost. And for what?" -Delia Johnson "Challenging the Orthodox community," Undergraduate student |
"We finished the day, where a warm family reminded me that wars aren’t remedied by borders at all, but by acts of altruism that put a limelight on the simple fact that, despite the ugliest of conflicts, we are all human. And I have to say that’s pretty beautiful." -Kianna Gardner "Necessity: the mother of innovation," Graduate student |
"It’s unfortunate to think something as artificial as a border could mean the
difference between a happy and safe life and a life of fear and danger."
-Tyler Fingert
"News Media in Israel," Graduate student
"This trip has been physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting, and today I finally cried because of it. All my frustrations with this region and its political conflicts literally hit me over the head this afternoon when I slipped on the slippery stone entrance of Church of the Nativity and bashed my head against the low door frame of the main entryway." -Grace Clark "Obstacles and opportunities of gender roles," Graduate student |
"Today, I had a taste of what it is like to report here, and after a day of literally running to make it to various interviews on time, I can tell you first-hand how trying it is to work here. We were sustained by iced coffee milkshakes and French fries. I am exhausted. I am completely depleted. But I learned more in 10 days than I ever thought possible." -Johanna Huckeba "Battle rages over women at the Western Wall," Undergraduate student |
"The challenge is that extremism creates screaming headlines, lots of clicks and thousands of shares. We, as journalists, need to find a way to make peaceful interactions, coexistence, and stories of everyday life interesting and worthy of reporting." -BrieAnna Frank "Everyday violence as a normal life in Israel," Undergraduate student |
"It's unbelievable to me how two sovereign nations can disagree on something as simple as their borders...but it is symbolic of the seemingly never-ending feud here in the Middle East: problems that seem easy to fix, but are severely nuanced and complex." -Tyler Paley "Living with danger in the settlements," Graduate student |
"It seems like the bigger issue within the conflicts of Israelis vs. Palestinians and secular vs. ultra-Orthodox religions is that there is zero communication. There’s no acknowledgment of past mistakes or interest in exploring a differing view than their own religion." Kassidy McDonald "Challenging the Orthodox community," Graduate student |
"I am walking away from this trip satisfied. Satisfied because I feel like I got everything I needed (for my video package.) Satisfied because I met a ton of great new friends. Satisfied because I never felt like a tourist. And mostly satisfied because this was the best trip of my entire life." -Craig Johnson "Israel's growing pains," Undergraduate student |
"Going back to the U.S. I know I will look at the news about the Middle East differently. I will look at the separation of church and state differently. I will look at issues between minority and majority groups differently. Ultimately, this trip has been transformative in many ways." -Claire Cleveland "Battle rages over women at the Western Wall," Undergraduate student |