Global May Hungary-Alexander Imas

Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.

During May of 2018, I participated a study abroad program in Budapest, Hungary, named Global May Hungary run by Dr. Pratt. This fell under the Education Abroad category. It included the Slavic 2797 3-credit hour course and living in Hungary for a month, along with trips to Vienna, and Warsaw.

 

What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.

The primary objective of my project was to enlarge and enhance my worldview to become a better global citizen, provide cultural exposure for my future career in medicine where I will be interacting with many different people from vastly different cultures. I think this goal was fulfilled fully. I got to experience first-hand that there exists a world outside of the United States, and especially that our government’s policies can have rippling affects around the world.

The experience was very transformative since I learned a new culture first hand, not by simple reading about it in a textbook, but my living in and interacting with it non-stop for a month straight.

Upon my return to the United States I notice myself looking at everything in a new light. Regular interactions that I previously thought normal and didn’t think much of, now made me critically examine them. I noticed a significant amount of growth in myself in terms of how I think as well. I have a much more open-mind and understand that American culture is not the only one in the world. There is much to be discovered and appreciated in the world and this project has exposed me to the incredible effects of traveling.

 

What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.

The structure of the course along with the assignments we had most contributed to my personal change and transformation. The assignments were structured so that we would take an analytical approach to examining our interaction with Hungarian culture. In other words, we were asked to perform in depth analysis of certain aspects of life in Budapest, that I think otherwise could have been over-looked. Two of these assignments involved going out into the city and analyzing parks and monuments.

The monument I chose to focus on was Liberty Square, a monument celebrating the Soviet liberation of Budapest. The monument depicts Red Army soldiers, with their PPSH’s drawn, valiantly fighting (presumably against the Nazis) facing Westward (where Berlin is located). The “liberation” of Budapest from Nazi occupation is an interesting thing; although they no longer had Nazi troops in their streets, they did not have many political and civil liberties that a Westernized nation would have. But the monument is not concerned with this, it simply glorifies the work of the Soviets in their fight against the fascists. The monument reminded of many other communist monuments in which the viewer is meant to feel small or insignificant in comparison to the state. I think the layout of the monument itself is also significant. It shows the soviet soldiers fighting in a copper (now oxidized) image at the bottom, with the emblem of the USSR above it, and on the very top is the star of communism. Perhaps I am thinking too much into this, but I think this further represents how the work of the soldiers was for a greater good, which was the state itself, reminding the people viewing the monument that they must always think of the state no matter how difficult the work may be. The monument was erected during the Soviet occupation of Budapest and most likely with Soviet funding, so it was trying to further the ideals of the Soviet Union on to the Hungarian people. I think the monument is successful in its goal. The monument has modern-repercussions as well where Hungarians are forced to reconcile their identity with a not-so-pretty past of socialist rule, which echoes a similar dilemma in the American South.

Parks in Europe are starkly different than their American counterparts. They provide a place of gathering and independence for teens especially. For this assignment I decided to visit Deak Tér on Monday, May 7th, during the day, later that night and the following day as well. During my time in the park, I noticed it was quite different from its daytime version. For starters, it was much more populated, but also by a largely different population. Whereas in the day, it seemed like people that were already in the area would just stop in, at night people seemed to be traveling to the area with the park specifically in mind. There were groups all over the park, ranging in sizes between two people to groups of seven to ten. Young people were in the park pregaming for a night out, but mainly coming to the park to drink with no intentions of going elsewhere afterwards (note that this is also a Monday evening). I noticed some local girls meeting up for a chill night and having a few glasses of wine. There were also a few “couples” with their legs wrapped around each other/the girls legs were folded over his thighs and were showing a good deal of affection. Also, a local “couple” coming for what seemed like was one of their first nights hanging out in private like this. It was very cute actually, they were flirting but not being too touchy and she was showing him funny pictures/videos on her phone while having a few drinks. While leaving to go to the bathroom overheard a group of three Russian tourists walking into the park and saying, “look how cool this is.” The space was truly very cool. To have a place in the center of the city to coming a drink and hang out and be free in is very unique to Europe. As someone raised with a European culture and mentality, but born in America, it is quite nice to see spaces like this exist and be able to interact with them.

Upon returning the following day, May 9th, to meet with Dr. Pratt for a walking tour of Parliament and Freedom Square, I noticed a slightly different crowd gathered. There was a sleeping homeless man, new parents playing with their child, and people grabbing lunch from a local SPAR or take-away food place and eating it in the park. There were still a good amount of people coming there to drink, but it was no more than one to two beers/drinks per person, so the intentions were quite different than in the night prior

I found these assignments to be the greatest motivators for the change I experienced in my world view. Before embarking on this trip I would have never thought so critically about a park or a monument and would have walked right past them. The critical analyses I performed with the guidance of the professor showed me that there is so much more in the world to be appreciated than first meets the eye. This is what I took away from the experience and continue to apply it to my every day life, no matter how hectic it may be.

 

Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

I am currently a pre-med student, aspiring to become a doctor and I think it is very important for me to be able to interact with patients from a variety of cultural backgrounds, so I think being exposed to a new culture for a prolonged period of time will help me immensely for my future career. I believe that this STEP Project has personally challenged me by placing me out of my comfort zone and provided significant intellectual development.

Aside from the benefit the project provided me for my future career, its effects on my personal development cannot be overstated. The appreciation that I developed for the incredibly diverse and complex world we live in is something I will take with me for the rest of my life. Alongside the ability of looking through a critical lens to study the world, the personal growth I experienced will prove valuable throughout my life.