Alexa Potter
  • History
  • Class of 2018
  • Torrington, CT

Eastern Student Alexa Potter Studies in the Middle East

2017 Mar 28

A group of history students from Eastern Connecticut State University took a week-long global field course (GFC) in the Middle East this March. The students visited sights throughout Israel, Jordan and the West Bank as they learned about the region's various conflicts and histories.

Among the students was Alexa Potter '17 of Torrington, who majors in History.

"I would recommend visiting the Middle East to anyone seeking to learn more about the world we live in," said Potter. "I believe as a student at Eastern I need to gain firsthand knowledge through visiting and experiencing other cultures. As a young adult, comprehending the idea that other cultures share a much longer collective memory of history, especially one tied to the land, is essential to developing a holistic view of the world outside of the United States."

The course abroad was designed to expose students to the modern Middle East; teach them the ancient and modern histories of the region; provide multiple perspectives on the Arab-Israeli conflict by visiting the Israeli-Lebanese border, the Israeli-Syrian border, Jordan and a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank; and provide students with an appreciation for the Holocaust by visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem.

"Visiting Israel and Jordan has definitely provided me with a different outlook on international relations and the global climate," said Potter. "The Arab-Israeli conflict is complex in so many ways and so is the world we live in. The more I seek to understand this situation, the more confused I find myself-and stressed to see that those who are quick to assume a solution are those who know the least about the conflict. Yet with this in mind, it is increasingly important to greet each side with understanding and tolerance to begin to discuss nonviolence.

"The most eye-opening talk we were given was from 'Combatants for Peace,' a grassroots organization striving to widen the gap for discussion and communication," added Potter. "The take away from this trip is learning that travel and education promotes peace through firsthand experience. It's easy to sit at home, consumed by social media and blindly accept a reality that is carefully fed to us. True knowledge of our world climate comes from combating ignorance with the curiosity generated through traveling."

"I teach courses on the Arab-Israeli conflict and the history of modern Israel," said History Professor Caitlin Carenen, supervisor of the trip. "This GFC was designed to supplement the classroom experience by providing field experience. While traveling, students kept travel journals and upon returning, students wrote long reflection papers assessing their experience."