This is the first installment of a monthly feature on the PACS website. This monthly profile of PACS and MPACS students will give a small snapshot into the pursuits and experiences of our PACS students.
On a balmy Sunday morning in Georgia, a large crowd of people slowly walk in a circle holding crosses, each with a unique name. When the name is called, the cross is raised and the bearer declares “presente!” These crosses are placed one by one in the fence, creating an impactful memorial. Name after name is called as the vigil continues and the people march on.
For Rachel, the past year involved many new crazy and stretching cultural experiences. Even just taking public transportation every day became a funny anecdote, between being squished into a minibus like sardines, being pecked by a chicken the entire way home from work, creating a make shift window out of an umbrella to protect passengers from getting wet during a monsoon, and not being entirely sure if the bus was dropping her off at the right destination. These are just some of the crazy things that can happen on a PACS field study.
By Emily Mininger, Peace and Conflict Studies student
Photo Credit: Hannah Yoon