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January 2014
 Cinque Terre village, Italian Riviera. Photo taken by Danny Walters, Class of 2015, on his 2013 Magellan.  
MagellanMessenger

Welcome to the seventh issue of the Magellan Messenger, the e-newsletter that strives to connect the W&J community and friends of the College with the Magellan Project. Each issue features articles written by Magellan recipients as well as updates on events related to the program. 

 

 

    Learning to Expect the Unexpected     
Ronnie Thomas-Smith, Class of 2016

 

   

Ronnie Thomas-Smith in Baltimore, MD.
 

Anxious to begin my Magellan, I loaded up my sister's Suzuki two days before my departure date. I began my journey to Maryland on June 30 driving down I-99 with excitement splattered all over my face. The traffic seemed to be in a rush heading for a purpose, but I knew none of them would have the experience I was looking forward to having.

 

The reason for my trip was to define the differences between medical doctors and medical researchers. In order to study this topic, I had been in contact with multiple doctors, researchers, medical students and people of many other career fields since April of 2013. I had shadowing set up with Dr. Eisner for the first week and a half, a few trips to some major museums, and some interviews. I also had scheduled a meeting with Ms. Robin Hunt (a current student) to be paired with a researching mentor. For the first time ever I was due to meet my mentor and see what kind of work she does. Nothing seemed to be wrong with this month of action-packed education.

 

Arriving in Baltimore, I did not know what to expect. I had never lived with someone whom I had never met. I had a hard time finding a place to stay, so when I asked my mentor for help she simply asked a woman with whom she worked and the lady was elated to open up her home to me. However, she had never done this before, so I was worried that she might have agreed to something she did not truly understand. My fears were whisked away, though, when she met me at the door with a smiling face and assisted me with my bags. We discussed some ground rules, she showed me to my room, and I made myself comfortable. I just knew this whole trip would work in my favor.

 

The most memorable thing I took away from our Magellan Departure Dinner back in May was that we must learn to expect the unexpected, and within a very short time of arriving in Baltimore, the unexpected did indeed occur. Dr. Eisner sent me an email stating that she could no longer accommodate me in allowing me to shadow her. Something about rules and regulations not being able to bend. (Though she did feel terrible about finding this out at the last minute and agreed to spend the day with me at the FDA to show me around.) Now I had to find things to do for a week and a half to make up for the gap. Since everything was pre-planned I had to get up early and start researching other programs and places willing to let me shadow doctors. I missed all of the deadlines for any shadowing programs, so I spent the day sight-seeing. The next day, I received an email from Ms. Hunt saying she needed to reschedule as well. Then one of my contacts completely stopped responding to my emails and another doctor never confirmed until after the date of the scheduled visit had passed. My Magellan seemed like it was unfolding right before my eyes without me! I had no clue what I should do to compensate for the loss of all my contacts.

 

I spent a few days moping unsure of how to make the best of the situation until my mentor called me for a lunch date the next day. Sitting with her and her husband I revealed all that had happened over these first few days. Immediately she began thinking of more contacts, and I just knew she would save the day. She set up an interview with Dr. Sachin Sharma to coincide with a visit to her place of employment: The Department of Energy District of Columbia Headquarters (DOE). This day was one of the most relaxing, yet educational days of my program. I was also able to meet with Ms. Hunt who scheduled a meeting with the Radiology Administrator of Johns Hopkins Hospital. The meeting was very insightful. He talked to me about multiple career options. The next day was dedicated to the National Museum of Health and Medicine, a museum that focuses on military health and how it has developed over the years. Then, I visited the Smithsonian, which was so big I could not see it all in one day. The Maryland Science Center, however, was very exciting with its different levels of multiple fields of science. Though this museum appealed to a younger audience, I enjoyed myself. Then came my tour of the FDA with Dr. Eisner. Similar to the Smithsonian, one day was not enough, but it was all she could afford. We visited multiple laboratories where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted experiments on devices used in the medical field, certain foods, medicines, etc. This day was the highlight of my program. I met so many people and students and even learned about their internship programs and open jobs. The last day of my program, I toured the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during the morning and took the shuttle to the very end of the building to meet with Dr. Sherry Mills. I interviewed her for an hour and learned a lot about her career and life. The best part of the interview was the end where she offered me a reference to the NIH internship program!

 

Granted, I did not do exactly what I had intended to do for my Magellan, but I did what I could and learned more than I had expected. The contacts I made were just the right ones, two of which offered to be a mentor to me. I could not have done this without the help of the Magellan Project. The most important thing that I learned from this project is to plan extensively and research as much as you can about people and places. I basically jumped in head first and stumbled a bit, but ultimately I landed feet first on the ground ready for anything. Magellan seems to do that to you. I would not have traded this month for anything. I have grown and learned from my project in so many ways. I am now more organized, independent, intelligent, and prepared. Thank you to the Magellan Project and to those who help fund this program!

 


The Easy Way Is No Fun      

Morgan Mattingly, Class of 2014      

 

       

   Morgan Mattingly in Morocco. 

     

"That direction is the easy way, but that is not where we are going. The easy way is no fun." This phrase, repeated several times by the guide Raquel, grew to become a type of mantra for my time in Spain and Morocco. There are easy ways to get around, but that isn't the way you are going. Immediately after Raquel said those words, she passed headlamps out to the group and began instructing us that the next part of our journey was much like the typical horror film. If we just stuck together and ignored any strange noises, we would be fine. If we didn't...well...you know how horror films end. Thus began one of many unexpected journeys on my Magellan. This one I like to call "The Time I Climbed a Mountain in the Dark."

 

From the moment I arrived at the Pittsburgh Airport, my journey took me to unexpected places. My flight to JFK was delayed, so I flew to Madrid via Paris. I was able to see a tiny Eiffel Tower from my plane window. That was a pleasant surprise, but my checked luggage remaining in Paris: not so much. I set out to find my apartment without said luggage, and got off at the wrong bus stop. I had to inquire for directions six times. Once at the apartment, no one answered the buzz, and I discovered I had the wrong phone number. Fortunately, each time something appeared to go wrong, there was a silver lining. If I had wandered around Madrid with my fifty pound back-pack, it would have been much more tiring than it was. Being flexible was an essential part of my journey. Though I may not have always gone the easy way, the misadventures are much more amusing to tell.

 

Through all these adventures, I was still able accomplish my original goals. There were several parts to my project, the foremost being an exploration of the cultural influences of Spain and Morocco in their literature. As I traveled, I carried with me seven large novels, a three-subject notebook, and a journal. I had read several of these texts before I began my journey, but I saved the daunting 1161-page Don Quixote for my time in Madrid. His misadventures were at the forefront of my time in Spain. The apartment I was staying at was located in the Bario de Letras (Spain's traditional literary district) and was only two streets over from his house. Every day as I would set out to experience Spanish culture firsthand, I would pass Calle de Cervantes. There were so many monuments, statues, and exhibits dedicated to Spain's most famous work, I felt positively surrounded by Quixote. I was even able to go to Toledo in the region Castilla La Mancha, the place where his journey supposedly began. In Don Quixote we find the most famous examples of "Moors," the Moroccans living in Spain. Though written in a time when the Moors were being expelled in droves, it was interesting to discover that in between all the insults and jibes there were a few positive portrayals of the Moorish people. The most positive, being that of Cide Hamete Benengeli, the supposed writer of Don Quixote. In many of the texts I read, (Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, The Sand Child, Layla and Manjun, The Improvement of Human Reason, The Ring of the Dove, and Concerning the Angels) the storyteller is the one who finds the greatest happiness and fulfillment. After reading these novels and seeing firsthand the settings, I would have to conclude that Moroccan literature and culture has a far greater impact in Spain than Spanish literature and culture have in Morocco. Everything from the architecture to the language has subtle clues of the Moroccan past. Even the creeping vine, known as "Carmen," in Spanish gardens is rooted in Moroccan tradition and words.

 

The other part of my project was to explore the modern culture and news, and sadly this part of my Magellan was all too easy, as tragedy struck within a day of my arrival. The Santiago Train accident, where 74 people were killed due to human error, was a topic on the tip of everyone's tongue. No matter where I was, for weeks Spain was rocking from the news. In my discussions with locals and other visiting foreigners I found repulsion for the actions of the conductor and a disbelief that Renfe was on the phone the moment the train left the tracks. Beyond the train accident, there were also the Gibraltar border issues and many discussions regarding the way Europeans view Morocco. I was surprised to learn that many think of all Moroccans as money hungry hustlers. I heard this from people from all across Europe: Poland, Spain, France, England, and Holland. The "Moors" still have a terrible reputation, and unfortunately the mindset across the continent is still very similar to the one in Don Quixote.

 

My own time in Morocco was marked with several interesting experiences. My plans in Morocco of course changed. After two British women had acid thrown at them in Zanzibar during Ramadan, I postponed my arrival in Morocco until after Ramadan was over. This meant I had a week to travel there and discover the culture for myself. I did experience a bit of the hustling. As soon as I got off a train or bus, taxi drivers would harass me into going with them. At first, the actions seemed helpful -- as a young female who was traveling alone and who barely spoke French any taxi driver who spoke English and knew where I was going was a godsend in my eyes. But once I reached the hostels and met other travelers, I would learn how much extra I had paid. It really wasn't too much considering the conversion rate of Euros to Dirham, but I learned to haggle with the driver beforehand. Though I never got the rates locals receive, I wasn't paying five times as much. Morocco is dependent upon the tourists, so I grew to accept that I would pay a little bit more.

 

Overall, the most interesting part for me was that no matter what language I was speaking, people found ways to communicate. The stories and places I explored all brought this point home. Because I never went the easy way, I was often lost and had to ask for directions. But I would get so much more. As soon as someone found out I was American they would try to tell me some place better to go or their own story. I once had a conversation with a Moroccan shopkeeper who had met Henry Kissinger that involved English, French, and miming. I suppose the beauty of my experiences was that the paths I took taught me something. They may not have been easy, but they were well worth it.

 

    Lasting Impressions of Africa        

LeQuira Hutson, Class of 2014  

 

       

   LeQuira Hutson in The Gambia. 

     

Last summer, I was privileged enough to have the opportunity to travel to The Gambia for five weeks with assistance from the Magellan Project. I have always wanted to visit the continent of Africa; the fact that I can now say I have leaves me nothing less than thankful. No matter how many workshops or meetings that I participated in before the trip, I could have never prepared myself for the experiences and situations that were soon to come, and this is a good thing. I knew the intention of my trip was to delve into the social issue of colorism in The Gambia and further understand the phenomenon that equates a fair complexion with a high status in society. With this objective in mind, I never imagined the different encounters with people that I would have and how they would contribute to my lasting impressions of Africa.

 

When I first stepped on the beautiful African soil, I smiled uncontrollably. For whatever reason, people quickly identify me as an American and then seemed enthusiastic in wanting to help me get situated through customs. Unknown to me, it was at a cost. I surely had the conversion rates in my head (1USD to 35 Dalasi), and I immediately knew that a $20 tip that was asked of me was very much out of the ordinary. Learning how to not stick out as a foreigner and try to avoid being taken advantage of as a tourist was a challenge, but I made progress quickly. Once I finally got through security, I was met by my host dad, Mr. Mohommed, who welcomed me with open arms. From then on, I tried to embody being Gambian. Once my passport was stowed away, and my camera removed from hanging around my wrist, I suddenly was constantly mistaken for being Gambian. And when the Gambians heard me speak English because I didn't know the local language, they thought I was Gambian-American. It was an honor and privilege to be accepted and welcomed as distant family. I think this made my research and interview process much smoother.  

 

Mr. Mohommed introduced me to a friend who took me under his wing and helped me connect with people who were interested in discussing colorism. I spoke with students, young people from the village, elderly folks, professors, and even medical workers. I had many realizations as to why colorism may be so prevalent and how women react to this issue. One important factor is that The Gambia is an Islamic country. Within Islam, men are allowed up to four wives, as long as the wives will be treated equally in every capacity by the husband. The majority of Gambians are Muslim, so the pressure to be the most beautiful of the women is multiplied by three in these situations. The idea is that the lighter one is the more exotic and European. This is the ideal image for some women, so they engage in activities that are harmful towards their health. I learned that many women in The Gambia use chemicals in lotions and creams, essentially like bleach, that they apply on their skin daily in order to significantly alter their complexion. Of course using such chemicals on the skin could hardly be beneficial for anyone's health, but "beauty" is more of a priority to them. It was quite interesting to learn that a certain population of woman is looking to be "beautiful" in the eyes of men, yet many of the men I interviewed said altered skin is nowhere near the ultimate attraction. The overall sentiment that I got from interviewing men was that they easily defined beauty as something that was "natural and sent by God." And to change the image of how God intended a woman to look is considered blasphemy.

 

Not only did I learn about the dynamics of this complicated social issue, but I also found myself being led through a spiritual journey that I believe only could have been experienced in Africa. I was invited to a youth Christian camp by a friend that I unexpectedly met in The Gambia. During my time at this camp, I met people who varied in age from early 20s to early 30s. Many of the men and women shared my faith but with a much stronger sentiment. There was a bishop at this seven-day long retreat for reverends and pastors, all of whom reached out to me in hopes of giving me words of wisdom to consider, and I grew to really appreciate the spiritual strength that many Africans have. It was a beautiful experience. While in the camp, I was also able to interview people my age and get a more candid reaction about the issues I was exploring.  

 

Overall my trip to The Gambia was absolutely amazing. I saw many great sights and met many great people. I was even able to travel to Senegal for a weekend, which was not a part of the plan, but in the interest of writing my own story, I often felt myself going outside of my comfort zone and taking advantage of unexpected opportunities. As I reflect on my experience, I certainly wish I would have done a Magellan sooner, but in the end, I am very enthused to know that I overcame my apprehensions and tackled the application process because the result was one of the greatest experiences I've had so far.

   

Putting Animals First       

Katelyn Vannoy, Class of 2014    

 

       

Katelyn Vannoy at an animal clinic in the Cook Islands.   
     

During the summer of 2013 I had the amazing opportunity to travel abroad to look at how veterinary medicine is applied overseas, as well as study it internally within the United States. The first part of my Magellan took place in the Cook Islands, where I worked for two weeks with a free veterinary clinic called the Esther Honey Foundation Clinic. The experience I got there was absolutely amazing. Not only was it a free spay and neuter clinic, but they also did absolutely every procedure for free, including regular vet check-ups. While I was there, I did a lot of the grunt work that comes with working with animals in any environment. I was in charge of several clinic duties including: cleaning cages every morning and night, feeding all of the patients and housed animals twice a day, walking the dogs up and down the beach every day and swimming in the ocean with them, washing the dishes after meal time, doing the laundry after cleaning out the cages, cleaning the clinic, performing animal restraint for appointments as well as surgery, drawing up and administering vaccines, preparing patients for surgery, inserting catheters, answering the phone, bottle feeding puppies every four hours, and recovering patients from anesthesia. What really made this experience unique was that I was able to assist in a lot of surgeries, which is not allowed in the United States. While in surgery I was able to intubate patients, which involved slipping a plastic tube down an animal's throat to aid their breathing during surgery, observe and help with both spaying and neutering, and participate in leg stabilizations, a femoral head ostectomy, an ex-fix, femoral pinning, and bite wound repairs.

 

There were so many specific animals that I know I will never forget. We had locals bring in an extremely pregnant dog named Nala on the back of a truck. They dropped her off right in front of the building and told us that they wanted her to whelp here because she got extremely aggressive when she had puppies previously. We did not know how to respond right away, but then the owner added in that after she had puppies they wanted her to get spayed so she could not have puppies anymore. That is exactly what we wanted to hear, so we told the owners we would be more than happy to whelp the puppies. However, we had to be the ones who would adopt them out. Nala ended up having nine puppies. It was amazing when we woke up in the morning and they were there. However, just like the owner said, Nala became highly aggressive. Eventually we were able to coax her with some food and actually won her over, so we were able to bond with her and the puppies. Unfortunately over the next few days, three of the puppies died, but the other six thrived.

 

We also had a dog brought in that was tragically hit by a car. His owners were distraught, and we thought we might be able to save him. It wasn't looking good the first night, but in the end he pulled through. As the days went on, his spirit got brighter, he seemed to be doing better, and his family was hopeful. Unfortunately, after a few days when we did a recheck on all his reflexes, we realized he had sustained a spinal cord injury that paralyzed him from half way down his back to his tail. We told the owner this was a very bad situation, and he would need to say his good-byes. It was at that point he said he would love to adopt a puppy from us, so we showed him the twenty-two puppies we had. Immediately he picked one of Nala's! It was one of those bittersweet moments, but he was one of the best owners that I saw there.

 

Even though most of my experience was hands-on with the animals, I also interacted a lot with the locals and learned about culture in the Cook Islands. I would visit the local weekly fruit market that was for the entire island. They had a lot of touristy items there, but over half of the items that were sold at the market were fresh food items that the locals grew themselves. However, the market was only held on Saturday mornings because the rest of the weekends were strictly reserved for relaxation and work around the house. All of the stores on the island, including all tourist attractions, shut down from two on Saturday until Monday. It was a huge difference from what I am used to in the United States where at least one store within a few miles of where I live is open twenty-four seven. Personally, I liked this approach because it really does seem to slow time down. I feel that everything that we do in the United States is so rushed, that we never truly get to appreciate the beauty in life.

 

After returning home from the Cook Islands I volunteered at the Animal Rescue League in Pittsburgh where they also do low-cost spay and neuter programs and a trap-neuter-release program. It was a lot different from the one in the Cook Islands, firstly because it wasn't free. They also had more rules and regulations at the Animal Rescue League. In the Cook Islands I was actually able to assist in surgery as well as do a few prepping techniques, but in the United States all I can do is shadow and learn from watching.

 

From what I saw in the Cook Islands I definitely want to try to bring that to my veterinary practice in the future. I think it will really help with education about animals as well as help with the animal population in a specific area. It was absolutely amazing to get this opportunity to work with a clinic that seriously puts the animals first. Those who work at the Cook Island clinic really just want to help the island in general and strongly believe in the value of educating people about animals. After my Magellan, so do I.

 
Issue 7     



In This Issue
Learning to Expect the Unexpected
The Easy Way Is No Fun
Lasting Impressions of Africa
Putting Animals First
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