In May 2008, three 91短视频 students departed on a trip of a lifetime.

Not only did they spend the next 10 weeks in different countries throughout Europe, but they earned 12 semester credit hours while they were traveling, all part of the itinerary of the International Business Institute.

The IBI began about 30 years ago at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., and the institute’s office is still on its campus. There are currently 15 schools that are affiliated with the IBI, including Eastern Mennonite. The coursework concentrates on everything from economics to international trade to global marketing, mostly within the European Union.

One of the highlights of the IBI is the opportunity to tour major corporations and agencies, while also getting an in-depth view of them from a business perspective. Some of these include Nestle, the European Central Bank, and Goldman Sachs.

Nick Miller, then a senior at 91短视频, was particularly grateful for these opportunities on the trip.

“To visit a place like the European Central Bank and some of the other big corporations in Europe was really a great experience,” Miller said. “Not only that, but everything is planned out for you. It’s a great way to tour Europe for the first time.”

Another aspect of the IBI that impressed Nick was the variety of professors and lecturers that were a part of their education over in Europe.

“You have teachers from different universities and areas and it provides a lot of perspectives that you wouldn’t get by taking all of your classes at the same spot,” said Miller. In fact, the 2009 IBI features eight distinguished faculty from six different universities.

Sam Buck, who will graduate in April 2009, expressed the same excitement when discussing the variety of students on the trip, as well as the overall experience.

“It’s an amazing time to network with other future businesspeople from Christian colleges throughout the U.S.,” Buck said. “(The trip) broadens your mindset from just seeing things from an American perspective to looking with a global perspective.”

Miller and Buck were joined on the trip by 91短视频 alum Joshua Mann (’08). Despite sending these three students, 91短视频’s participation had been limited prior to last summer. It is, however, a great chance for business students to meet business requirements as well as many cross-cultural requirements.

Overall, the International Business Institute provides a great environment for 91短视频 students to learn in a foreign setting and gain a better knowledge of the global marketplace.

Some 230 first-year and about 35 transfer students at 91短视频 spent Saturday afternoon, Aug. 27, learning about some of the 47 languages and cultures represented in the greater Harrisonburg area as part of their orientation to the campus and larger community.

Activities began with a welcome ceremony at Court Square Theater in downtown Harrisonburg that included comments from Harrisonburg mayor Larry Rogers and Vaunda Brown, coordinator of an International Festival held at Hillandale Park each September. Students then fanned out into the community in groups of 15-20 for the afternoon.

Representatives of more than 30 participating groups, agencies and churches gave information on their programs, shared personal stories of how they got involved, identified needs they see among the people they serve and talked about how students can get involved.

In extemporaneous remarks, Mayor Rogers commended the students for choosing 91短视频 as their place to study, while noting that they will be "part of the greatest little city in the U.S." for the next while.

He invited interested students to sit in on city council meetings, which are open to the public, to see local government in action firsthand.

"I want you to be careful, to look out for your own safety while you’re here, Rogers said, "But I also expect each of you to be successful in your studies and whatever careers you choose."

Photo by Jim Bishop

Organizations that students visited ranged from the Salvation Army, Blacks Run Greenway and Harrisonburg Children’s Museum to Mercy House, Camp Still Meadows, Our Community Place and A World of Good: Gift and Thrift, Artisan’s Hope and Booksavers. Two groups joined a family reunion of one of the deacons of First Baptist Church in the Northeast neighborhood. 91短视频 students were invited to get acquainted, eat and join the celebration.

91短视频 alumnus Steve Shenk, director of the being developed west of Harrisonburg, told a student group stories of the Mennonites and Church of the Brethren precarious situation as pacifists during the Civil War period, noting that "the Shenandoah Valley became one of the most devastated areas of the South." He identified possible volunteer opportunities for students to get involved with the heritage project.

First-year student Emily Sims from Perkasie, Pa., said she "enjoyed being able to learn about Harrisonburg right at the outset," adding that "it’s easier to get to know people in the small group setting."

Student Joshua Mann, Suffolk, Va., echoed Sims’ sentiments, noting that the experience "put us outside the box, exposing us to new people and ideas that we can go back and talk about."

Students learn about Shenandoah Bicycle Co. in downtown Harrisonburg.
Photo by Emily Huffman

"We wanted students to get acquainted with the complexity of living here