Traveling abroad as an American is an emotionally complex affair. On one hand, your passport is associated with cultural and political power and, accordingly, the shame of past mistakes—in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan (to name just a few). On the other, the popular imagination of an American traveler is an overweight, loud, inconsiderate tourist and I live in fear of reaffirming the worst stereotypes. Traveling as an American is thus both easy (185 countries and territories with visa-free travel) and uneasy. When I arrived at the North University Centre of Baia Mare in January, I had no idea what to expect. What I found was a warm welcome from the students and faculty of the university.
Russell Grant Guertin
Fulbright scholarship
Home University: Georgetown University, DC
Faculty of Humanities- North University Center in Baia Mare
Period 27.02.2023-30.06.2023
Field: English Teaching Assistantship
The first thing a visitor notices about campus is the artwork on the walls from past students of the painting program. A jolly mix of impressionist, surrealist, modernist, and hyper-realistic elements, the artwork enlivens the building. More than that though, the art symbolizes the approach to teaching and learning that I would come to appreciate in the coming months: That ideas from the humanities mix freely and creatively through the faculty of letters. That when students achieve something, the school values and displays it. That this was a space where students were free to take risks and make mistakes as to grow as learners.
When not admiring the paintings, one of my favorite times of the day is at the transition between classes. Ten minutes before the top of the hour, the university undergoes a transformation. The university halls evolve from quiet monastic corridors—where each click of a shoe sole reverberates off the walls—to tunnels of noise and color as students rush to grab a quick smoke next to the two campus dogs lazily sunbathing, small impromptu faculty meetings occur in passing, and administrators close their office doors with a smile to block out the hubbub. Then, five minutes later, the quiet has re-descended as classes begin anew. As I bundle my things into a classroom, leaving the calm quiet behind, I can only think how lucky I am to be here.
