Meghan Scanlon

International Experience Country:
Italy
Cohort Year:
2015
Home Institution:

Chatham University

Heinz Programming Area:
Education
International Experience Summary:

Meg spent the summer taking classes and immersing in art history in Italy. At the University of Tuscia, a public university for Italian students, Meg befriended Italian students her own age that introduced her to their lifestyles, history and pride. Meg learned about Italian heritage and how art historical education is passed down through generations of Italian families. In her free time, Meg volunteered in a local artist’s studio located in the original medieval quarter of the city, helping with basic tasks to fill orders. Through this volunteer experience, she was able to see how one man carried his artistic trade from his generations of family members in the studio that his ancestors used in 1200. Meg developed her knowledge of the Italian language, becoming conversationally fluent. This helped her to do communicative research to help her reach her goals and action plans. On weekends and days off, Meg took advantage of the transportation system in Italy and visited numerous villages and towns, always experiencing art museums and cathedrals and the roles they played in their communities. 

Community Engagement Experience Summary:

CEE Title: Gender Issues from Around the World

Gender Issues from Around the World was a panelist event hosted by Chatham 2015 cohort members Meg Scanlon and Tahmina Tursonzadah on Monday, November 30th. In an effort to assist in the ongoing debate about gender roles in the newly coeducational Chatham University campus environment, Tahmina and Meg decided to host an event that brought international perspective to the gender discussion. The evening consisted of a panelist discussion, which featured three international Chatham students. The students represented Saudi Arabia, Iran and India and acted as experts on gender roles within these different cultures. Students ask questions about their cultures in comparison with US American experiences. A slideshow of five images was displayed and audience members were asked to record what gender they immediately associated with each object. The results were tallied and discussed as a group. Objects that have a deliberate gender, for example a truck, were used as well as objects that are more ambiguous, in order to create complex dialogue. Meg and Tahmina introduced the connection between international gender roles and their immersive cultural experiences by speaking about their time abroad. In addition, everyone enjoyed Italian meat and cheese as well as German strudel. Over 60 Chatham community members attended and the information projected was well received.