The Importance of Languages

By Sydney Berry 


If there was one theme that repeated out throughout our entire trip through Europe, it was the huge role language plays in each region, be it political, social, religious or within the media. Each city we visited has a certain representation that I took from it, and I’m going to explore the role language played in each. In Prague, it was social.  In Paris, it was the media.  In Brussels, it was political, and in Rome, religious.

Culture: A Small Word Makes a World of Difference

By Kaitlan Whitteberry 

Granola clinked into the porcelain bowl, piling itself into a small, staggered triangle. I splashed milk onto my cereal and took a seat for breakfast. The other 22 students on my study abroad slowly trickled into the room, a few frowning faces mirrored those still jet-lagged from our travels the day before. However, everyone seemed slightly giddy, as it was our first day in Prague! I smiled and took a bite of my granola thinking of the days ahead. But my thoughts were interrupted, and before I knew I was having a cultural experience.

You Don't Say...Censorship in the European Media

By Tayler Overschmidt

Our recent two-week adventure through Europe was an eye opening experience regarding European media practices and styles. As we toured Prague, Paris, Brussels and Rome, we also toured new perspectives regarding journalism ethics.

Prague's Astronomical Clock. (Tayler Overschmidt)

In Prague, we visited McCann-Erickson, where we saw some examples of some famous—or infamous—advertising campaigns in the Czech Republic. A representative from the company presented information for us regarding some of the most well known advertising campaigns in the country and other information on the “Czechness.”

During the presentation, I asked what campaign from McCann-Erickson made the representative the most proud. His answer was a commercial for a dessert called Fidorkas. In this commercial, a little girl hits a car with her doll and makes the airbags inflate. Then she steals the dessert right out of the car passenger’s hand. The thing is, this commercial had a very short time on the air because it was banned.