Knoebel News 2015

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From the Director I hope summer provided many opportunities to share special time with family and friends. The spring and summer seasons were filled with such occasions for the Knoebel team as we celebrated our seniors during graduation and two weddings: One of our faculty members, Amrik Singh, wed Pei Jou Kuo in late June and Jill Hartman’s (Knoebel’s Director of Career & Student Services) daughter Heather (’07) married Adrian Veideman in July.

The saddest of our milestones occurred in December when Chef Michael Duffy lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Duffy battled valiantly and worked until his body simply would not let him. He is missed. We had some bittersweet moments as well, bidding farewell and good luck to our colleague, Dr. Dan Connolly, who left Knoebel and Daniels to become Dean of the College of Business at Portland State University at the end of the spring quarter. My assistant, Janeen Todd, also moved on as she was promoted within Daniels and is now the College’s Enrollment Manager in the Office of Undergraduate Programs. The staff reorganization I proposed was approved by the College and by DU Human Resources, so we upgraded the Assistant to the Director position to Office Manager, and welcomed Carole Belfi to Knoebel in this role in early July. Approximately 70% of Carole’s duties are associated with the academic side of the shop with the other 30% in Knoebel Events. This arrangement will enable superior coordination and collaboration between the two subunits that comprise the school. By the time you read this we’ll have added a part-time administrative support person on the academic side to support the faculty, bringing us up to full strength. Knoebel Events welcomed Tim Downs to the management team in January.

Tim, who is our new Executive Chef, joined us from Yard House where he ran the kitchen at the downtown Denver store. He very quickly demonstrated a commitment to high quality and a passion for working with students. We also welcomed Scott Haddock as our new sous chef in August, and he’s already contributing to our success.

The reorganization noted above was made possible by a very successful fund raising year as we had to maintain a net neutral financial impact – the University and College provided no additional resources to make these moves possible. Other than the years of the building campaign and those in which we received the naming gift for the school and the Hilton Chair of Lodging, we set a record for fund raising in 2014–2015. The Knoebel School received gifts and pledges totaling over $1,000,000 this past year, several of which were highlighted in our last issue. I cannot stress enough how critical these resources are to the school. Gifts targeted at funding academic focus areas like lodging real estate and beverage management enable us to pursue niche areas of academic excellence and provide our students with extraordinary experiential learning opportunities. Those that support special resources, like the Ann and Dave Hoffman LEAD Mentorship Program, enable us to provide unparalleled professional development for our students. Finally, gifts to our scholarship endowments enable top quality students, regardless of need, to afford a DU education. This need area continues to grow: while our spendable scholarship resources increased 11% for the 2015–2016 academic year, demonstrated financial need grew by about 25%. We will continue our efforts to grow our resource base across all these areas in order to achieve our vision: Be bold. Do Good. Change lives. My deepest thanks to all those who contributed to the school this past year. You are living our vision as well.

I’m pleased to feature one of the distinctive elements of a Knoebel education in this issue of Knoebel News. When I meet with prospective students and their families I always note how important it is that we’re a school within a great College and how exceptionally we execute on experiential education. A third source of competitive advantage for Knoebel is that all our students have an immersive international experience that most satisfy via study abroad during fall of junior year. Our students are contributing mightily to DU’s number one ranking in study abroad among all US universities. In this issue you will hear directly from several of them, learning about the experiences they’ve had and how these experiences contributed to their personal and professional growth. You’ll also learn a bit about the school’s efforts to explore international partnerships in Cheri Young’s piece about our trip to Africa this summer.

I hope you take pride in our students’ accomplishments and in your affiliation with the school. We are certainly proud to count each of you among our alumni and friends.

In the spirit of hospitality, David L. Corsun, Ph.D. Director & Associate Professor

KNOEBEL NEWS | FALL 2015

Peter Morton Correction

Introduction to Study Abroad

Subsequent to the publication of our last issue, we learned of several errors included in the article highlighting Peter Morton’s participation in Knoebel’s Distinguished Lecture Series. The corrections appear below. Our sincerest apologies to Peter and the Morton family for the errors.

• Peter Morton’s father Arnie co-owned, with Hugh Hefner, and operated all the Playboy Clubs and Hotels.

• Peter Morton and his partner Isaac Tigrett opened the first Hard Rock Café in London in 1971, with the goal of creating an American roadside diner concept.

• Today there are more than 175 Hard Rock Cafés around the world.

One of the elements of our program that distinguishes us from competitors, attracts high quality, venturesome students, and makes them so appealing to industry is that we require an immersive international experience in order to graduate.

This requirement is most often satisfied via study abroad in the fall of junior year, though student-athletes, transfers and some others meet the requirement by completing an internship abroad. Students have done so in places like London, Costa Rica, Argentina, Nicaragua, Mexico and Trinidad (not Trinidad, Colorado). Knoebel students are major contributors to DU’s ranking as the #1 university in the US for study abroad. In this issue’s feature, you will meet students and alumni who share how impactful an immersive experience abroad is. We are happy to share their stories with you.

• Peter Morton served as Chairman of Hard Rock Hotel Holdings, LLC and Hard Rock Hotel and Casino beginning in 1995. He developed the first Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which he ran until its sale in 2008.

KNOEBEL EXECUTIVE ADVISORY BOARD Debbie Brown, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Vice President of Human Resources, The Americas Geoff Davis, HREC, President & Senior Principal Richard Dusseau, Trilogy Spa Ventures, Vice Chair Doug Fryett, Fryett Consulting, Principal Steve Hennis, STR Analytics, Director Leigh Hitz, Stout Street Hospitality, CEO Aik Hong Tan, Greenwood Hospitality Group, Principal

David Johnstone, Mcwhinney, LLC, Chief Investment Officer – Hotels

David Sjolander, Hotel Technology Next Generation, Chief Operating Officer

Marc Magazine, Savills, Executive Managing Director, Hospitality Group

Jim Smith, Republic National Distributing of Colorado, President

Carl Mittleman, ARAMARK Sports & Entertainment, President

Ted Souder, Google, Head of Industry, Retail

Corey Nyman, The Nyman Group, Director of Operations Jon Schlegel, Snooze, Owner Bernie Siegel, KSL Capital Partners, Principal Bill Sipple, HVS Capital, Executive Managing Director

Herb Tobin, Tobin Properties, President & CEO Brad Weiser, Continental Companies, President & CEO Elisa Whaler, Bray Whaler International, President & CEO Randall Williams, Hyatt Deerfield, General Manager

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Project Hospitality Africa..............................................................................................................................................................................

Student Letters – Juniors................................................................................................................................................................................

Student Letters – Sophomores.......................................................................................................................................................................

Advice From Past Explorers...........................................................................................................................................................................

Alumni Stories...............................................................................................................................................................................................

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Project Hospitality Africa Since we are on the topic of how our students travel all over the world, we would like to introduce you to the new initiative we call Project Hospitality Africa. In our pursuit of excellence, we realized the needs for a program that develops more meaningful relationships between the school and a satellite program. We also felt the need to help our students gain a better global perspective of the hospitality industry.

Three years of partnership with the African Community Center in Denver earned Knoebel two international awards and a recognition from the U.S. Department of State. It also allowed the establishment of partnerships in Ethiopia and Uganda.

Dr. David Corsun and Dr. Cheri Young have been hard at work trying to get funding for this project. The first step included a visit to the partners at Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) in Ethiopia, and the Global Livingston Institute (GLI) in Uganda.

During these visits, the parties involved discussed the details of the partnership opportunities and collaborations required to execute on them.

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Some of the expected outcomes from these partnerships include opportunities for faculty to travel to Africa and engage in teaching and research.

Students will also benefit by having opportunities to complete their internships, international experience and work experience requirements in Africa. On a larger level, having this type of partnership improves the quality of human capital Knoebel will be able to offer to global hotel companies, mainly those seeking to develop in the African market. It is worth noting that the hotel industry in Africa, particularly East Africa, is currently booming, with the North American based chains all growing rapidly.

The partnerships we are currently developing will have a positive impact on how prospective students and the industry view Knoebel, elevating the program’s competitive position among other hospitality programs in the country and the rest of the world. •

Student Letters - Juniors ABREANA BARDOSSAS Destination: University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand I chose to study abroad in New Zealand primarily for its hospitable, laid back ‘Kiwi’ culture, as well as the stunning landscape and world-class hiking opportunities.

My decision to study in this location may have also been swayed by the fact that I am an avid fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy! While enrolled at the University of Otago, I took courses in tourism, sociology, and dance. I lived in a complex with other very active international students, so I spent most of my free time with them. We often went 'tramping", also known as hiking, in the local area, and would go dancing and sing karaoke on the weekends. Every once in a while we would get together and make ‘family’ meals. I successfully binge watched the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy–twice–and read the book trilogy series, which took up a fair amount of my free time! I also took some additional classes that were offered through the Student’s Union, such as yoga, kickboxing, bone carving, and flax weaving.

One of the biggest challenges that I faced while studying abroad was having to overcome the shame that I felt just for having an American accent. New Zealanders have a lot of ‘Kiwi’ pride, and even though

we speak the same language, my accent made it very obvious that I was a foreigner. Kiwis are very hospitable towards tourists, but they are certainly less inclined to embrace a tourist as one of their own. Even though I was a student there like many others my age and lived in New Zealand much longer than the average tourist typically visits, I was never able to feel and experience the same sense of belonging that all the locals seemed to possess. However, I feel like I might have gone into the whole experience with really high expectations because I had heard so many DU students who had studied abroad return to the States and talk about their ‘home’ and ‘family.’

tell me that outright instead of the very roundabout way that she did!

So, my personal value of up-front honesty left me frustrated at times.

Another challenge I faced while abroad was in the area of communication. My American culture taught me that it’s okay to be confrontational with people, and I grew up being very comfortable with raw, in-your-face honesty.

This was not the case while I was in New Zealand, as I had to learn that there is a subtler way to tell someone when you feel like something is wrong. For example, when my Kiwi host suggested nearby hostels for me to stay during spring break, I had to recognize that it was her subtle way of telling me I couldn’t stay with her family over spring break anymore, which was my original plan. Personally, I would have prefered for her to just

though we speak the

While my personal values were challenged in my time abroad, my experience in New Zealand also made me realize things that I took for granted growing up in America. I have always loved nature, but I had never experienced a spiritual connection with the earth until I was immersed in the New Zealand culture. The indigenous Maori people have had a huge influence on New Zealanders’ deep love and appreciation for their land, an attitude that

"New Zealanders have a lot of ‘Kiwi’ pride, and even same language, my accent made it very obvious

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that I was a foreigner.

was filtered into the country’s modernized Western culture. The Maori people believe that all objects, both living and nonliving, have been created by an essence of life (hauora) and therefore have a life force (mauri), meaning all things are sacred to some degree (tapu) and warrant respect. The environment is no exception. All Maori identify themselves with their significant (or sacred) mountain, river, lake, or other landmark–the place they believe their ancestors came from. One never walks on

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or around the tribe’s sacred mountain because it is so sacred. In other words, respect for the environment is inherently embedded in the Maori culture, and even though New Zealand is highly westernized from the arrival of Europeans in the 18th century, the traditional Maori concepts, attitudes, and beliefs help to inform the mainstream culture’s ways of appreciating and interacting with the environment.

Being immersed in this culture, in addition to exploring New Zealand’s utterly stunning landscape, certainly sparked my love and newfound appreciation for the Earth. This experience profoundly changed me and I consider it New Zealand’s greatest gift to me.

Towards the end of my time in New Zealand, I wrote in my journal after tramping one of my favorite trails: “Skipping through the mud. Laughing down hills. Kissing a wet, soft, mossy tree. Washing my feet and calves in the cool river. Heart pumping, lungs expanding. Living, for a couple of hours, in a space where nothing else mattered except the birds, trees, and river. I lifted my arms to the cliffs and to the sky and to the tree tops and I laughed.” This was my New Zealand experience. I even came home and decided that I wanted to minor in sustainability. It came from a sincere desire to devote myself and my career to making tourism and hospitality environmentally sustainable. I recognize that my work in sustainability will probably come secondary to my primary career in the hotel industry, but I cannot wait to see where this new passion takes me! •

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TELLICO SHPALL Destination: University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand I chose to study in New Zealand, specifically Otago, because my father actually studied abroad there when he was my age. I hate city life and I need wide open spaces, so New Zealand was perfect. In my time at the University of Otago, I studied history and tourism.

History is one of my all time favorite subjects, and I had some amazing professors and absolutely loved my classes. I took two classes studying globalization of the world from the year 1400–present day; it was fascinating! The flat that I stayed in while living abroad was very close to some of the other students I knew, so we all hung out together most of the time. Every evening we held family dinner, and since there were six of us, each of us cooked one night during the week. The two guys in our group didn’t really know how to cook or shop for food, so I helped them prepare their meals. I ended up spending a lot of my free time in the kitchen.

I have to say, it was incredibly fun. I think cooking is a great bonding experience, and it is such a fun and easy way to connect with people. We created so many inside jokes, many nicknames and stories on these memorable nights. It was awesome! Besides cooking, we went hiking regularly and took weekend trips all around the island. It’s difficult to even find words to describe the beauty of New Zealand.

I took plenty of photos, but it was almost impossible to catch its beauty on film. Untouched land, stretched for miles along the pristine coastline, acres upon acres of ancient forests…it was utterly breathtaking. The Kiwis are such a

"We created so many inside jokes, many nicknames and stories on these

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memorable nights.

friendly people, and New Zealand is so culturally diverse that it never seemed like my being American was ever a big deal. Honestly, the biggest challenges that I faced studying abroad are quite silly when I look back on it. For instance, all of their grocery stores

close at 9 p.m., so whenever we wanted or needed to get something late at night, all of us American students would be frustrated that there weren’t any stores open 24/7. All of my roommates were also American (5 total: 2 guys, 1 female, and then our two female Kiwi hosts). So our flat definitely had an American-feel to it, and that really helped us as we adjusted to the overall culture shock of living in a different country. However, I feel like American values and Kiwi values are very similar in a lot of ways. I personally never had a problem with adjusting to their culture, and my personal values remained unchanged for the most part once I returned to the States.

I think the most important lesson that I learned from my experience studying abroad in New Zealand was how much I take for granted here in the States. Living abroad for five months really made me see things that I previously didn’t notice back home. For instance, JIF Reduced Fat Peanut Butter was one thing I took for granted until I moved to New Zealand where I discovered it doesn’t exist.

Something like missing my favorite peanut butter brand seems trivial, but it was something I missed so much! I also came to the realization that Colorado is where I want to live after I graduate. I loved New Zealand, but it really made me realize how much I love my home in Colorado and how badly I want to stay here–I will no longer take it for granted. •

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BROOKE SEIBERT Destination: Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand I viewed this study abroad opportunity as a chance to really become immersed in a culture completely different than the United States and a chance to explore a location I have never been to before. As I had never been to Asia, I did some research and Thailand in particular caught my attention! At Mahidol University I only took three classes, so I had a lot of free time, which I filled up with many adventures. The local friends that I made in Thailand had so much fun showing me around. In Bangkok we went to their favorite amusement parks, Muay Thai boxing, a haunted house, moonshine bars, local markets, concerts, and much more. I tried my hand at some Muay Thai boxing classes at this little fishing village, which ended up being some old, run down boxing ring with a roof over it. One great way to learn their language is when you get beat up because you respond incorrectly to the Thai directions they give you…ouch. Good thing Thai massages are only $10 an hour!

Almost every weekend I would travel with locals, other exchange students, or go on field trips for class. A few experiences that I will never forget are when I got to ride elephants in Chiang Mai, swimming in the waterfalls at Kanchanburi, renting a motorcycle to road trip to Pai, jumping off the rough of a private ferry boat during a field trip to Koh Sak, scuba diving in Koh Lanta, getting a bamboo style tattoo on Koh Phi Phi… I could honestly go on forever!

After the semester ended, I actually stayed in Asia and spent a month traveling to Laos, Cambodia and all around Vietnam. I will never forget staying on a junk overnight in Halong Bay or trying to cross the street in Hanoi City. One of my favorite islands was Koh Samed; my local friend Molly and I would catch a bus right after class, followed by a quick boat ride, and be lounging on the beautiful white sand beaches within hours. As it

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is a small island and we went multiple times, we ended up making so many friends. We especially enjoyed hanging out with this fun group of fire dancers that had a show every night at this local restaurant.

During the days we enjoyed swimming or helping them hand out event flyers while walking along the beaches.

Then, at night, the fire dancers loved trying to get us to participate in certain stunts with them to shock the audience. I remember one day we borrowed one of the fire dancer’s ATV and explored every inch of that island. Apparently, while I was driving the ATV I splashed one of the dancers named Ta with mud, and later that night Molly and I happened to walk by the end of the fire show. There was fire limbo set up no more than two feet off the ground, and no one would give it a try! So Ta ran up to me and dragged me to the limbo and told me I had to do it because I splashed him with mud. I turned around to make a quick escape, but it was not quick enough–he lifted me up and carried me through the fire limbo!

I think the biggest challenge about living in Thailand was the language As it is a small island barrier. I really and we went multiple enjoyed living times, we ended up outside of Bangkok making so in Salaya because it many friends. was not nearly as touristy, and the only farang (foreigners) present were the exchange students. This experience really allowed us to embrace the Thai culture firsthand. However, this also meant that it was rare to find a local around who spoke English and could translate. Taking a Thai language class is what saved me! The most challenging thing about studying abroad at the university was finding courses that the University of Denver will accept credits for.

Originally I was going to go to a different university in Thailand that was unaffiliated with DU. After being accepted and getting DU’s approval, I then found out that DU would not accept any credits from that

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specific university–so I switched to Mahidol University instead. Even though this was affiliated with DU, only one hospitality course would be accepted for credit. Luckily, my sustainability minor accepted credit from this school, so I ended up taking courses in sustainability development, natural resources and a course in Thai language. Though I enjoyed my Thai language course, DU did not accept it for credit, as Thai is not offered at the University; therefore, if I could go back, I would've added a different course to my curriculum instead.

While abroad I learned that I truly enjoy the ways of Thai culture, a

lot more than I expected I would when I originally signed up to go.

In terms of personal value, I am a firm believer of the saying, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’

Value differences were never really an issue while I was in Thailand, but it was more of something I focused hard on trying to be aware of. I was glad that the major differences were taught in my Thai language class and through the CISAbroad orientation. I feel like a lot of the personal value differences in Thailand are related to the popularity of Buddhism. I found myself wanting to learn more about the religion, and I wanted to expand my foundation of personal

values. After living in Thailand, I now more strongly believe in the importance of forgiving and the importance of finding a balance in life through relaxation. Upon returning to the United States, I realized Americans put so much unnecessary stress in their lives that can be truly detrimental to our beings. I enjoyed and miss my study abroad experience so much that I will be returning to Thailand this June and will be staying there until January for an internship at the Grand Hyatt in Bangkok, and I plan on moving to Thailand upon graduation from DU next spring. •

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IAN BRESNAHAN Destination: Lund, Sweden I chose to study abroad in Lund, Sweden because I wanted to go somewhere that was accessible to a lot of Europe. I had heard a lot of good things about Scandinavia and always wanted to visit, plus I didn’t really want to do the whole typical ‘Spain’ thing. I wanted to go somewhere a little different than everyone else, so that’s how I settled on going to Sweden. I just wanted to take a variety of classes that piqued my curiosity.

I ended up doing a lot of traveling while in Sweden; I tried to explore as much as I could. The buses and trains have an extensive system, and you can literally go anywhere! I visited the coast, went to Copenhagen, and found out just how much there is to do. Traveling, school and meeting new people were my main priorities while living abroad. I ended up visiting eight other countries. They have a really great social experience that they call Nations, which any students can become a part of. They are basically sororities or fraternities that they have combined to make large social groups, and they do so many fun things.

In Nations, the clubs organize and plan different activities, like hosting barbecue's and organizing trips. These groups are present throughout the whole University, so most of the students that actually went to the University lived together as a part of these social groups; it is extremely expensive to live in Scandinavia, so it seemed like the most economical option. It really adds up to go out to eat a lot, so it was really nice that these groups would host different dinner events and club nights that we could go to instead. Also, everything was discounted because you have to pay these student dues in order to be in these groups, so that was nice as well.

One interesting lesson that I learned while living abroad, from conversing with my international friends, is about the amount that they pay to go to school in

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their countries versus the amount that I pay to go to school in America. I learned that the United States is one of the only countries that has these crazy tuition rates! In Sweden they are actually paid to go to school. They get a stipend every two months from the government to attend universities. One of my friends from Australia said it was the same way for them as well. Everybody is encouraged to attend a university, but it's not the same as in America, where you are buried in debt after attending college. They explained that paying them to go to school gives them even more of a reason to go and finish. I thought that was incredibly interesting, and the more people I talked to, they were all amazed when I told them that I pay college tuition. They thought it was the craziest thing they had ever heard, especially when they heard how much we pay for tuition in the United States!

I think one of the most challenging things about living abroad was the difference in currency, because eight Swedish Crowns are worth approximately one U.S. dollar. When you get that first bill at the restaurant you went to for dinner and it says ‘500.00’, you freak out at first, but then you just have to do the math and it’s a bit more reasonable.

One of my favorite The Swedish things about Sweden is language is also that the sustainability very difficult to learn, over there is incredible. but almost everyone speaks English over there. So when I was at the grocery store, everything was labeled with pictures for me because there is absolutely no correlation between English and Swedish words–all you read is very long words with dots everywhere! Public transportation was actually an easier experience than I thought it was going to be. In Lund, where I attended school, my classes were a 45-minute walk from where I was staying. They also have buses, and the train system in Sweden is very good, so I could get to Malmö (the next closest city) or go from Denmark to Copenhagen in just 25 minutes; it was super easy and convenient. I also

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learned that Swedes are much shyer than Americans, so you have to start the conversation with them most of the time, and sustain it.

Once they get used to you, however, the conversation will become much more fluid. This difference in communication could've occurred because I was American, but I'm not sure–I think they are self-conscious about their English. A few of my friends abroad said the Swedes sometimes have syntax issues, even though they speak English really well.

One of my favorite things about Sweden is that the sustainability over there is incredible. They recycle everything! You use the trash can as little as possible. I also love the way their social system works. They are a socialist country with many different

programs, and one of them is to provide healthcare for everyone, no matter what. Their food is also way fresher than most of what you see in the United States since they stay away from using chemicals and hormones. I also thought it was very interesting to learn that while America was having the whole Ebola virus scare, it was barely even mentioned in Sweden.

The media didn’t make it into a huge deal, and their rationale was geared more towards ‘let’s not scare the entire country unless it’s a national threat,’ very much unlike the U.S. and how we handle things. I really enjoyed my time in Sweden, and I'm glad I was able to experience a culture outside of the U.S. in this study abroad. •

JOO YOUNG KIM Destination: Aix-en-Provence, France As an international student at DU, I didn't plan on going abroad, but after talking to Dr. Corsun and some other students and faculty, I figured ‘Why not?’ Now, I am so glad that I listened to them because it was such a different experience to study in Europe than I would have had anywhere else. I knew I wanted to go to France from the beginning. I was looking at different places based on my major, just to see what programs they had. Originally I really wanted to go to Paris, because…it’s Paris.

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and I found a wine program in Aix-en-Provence! I took a few basic French classes, and a few electives like Muslims in Present Europe and photography, as well as three wine culture classes. Before studying abroad, I honestly didn’t know anything about wine, but being a hospitality major I knew it would be in my best interest to learn more about it. Wine was a large part of my abroad experience, and my professors were awesome!

I was able to develop a strong educational foundation in wine culture, and I learned what my favorite types of wine are! I still prefer white wine over red, but it depends on the origin of the wine. I found out that I really enjoy wine from Bordeaux vineyards. I have a sweet tooth, so I really enjoy sweet wines like Moscato.

On the weekends I traveled through France with my friends from other countries. My program at the university would also organize road trips to go visit different regions of the country. On any given day, during my spare time you would find me at local café drinking French coffee, or hanging out with other French college students at different random places. Aix-enProvence is actually a college town, so there were lots of local cafes where students would hang out and do schoolwork. I didn’t go too crazy due to my traveling budget, but I still went to a bunch of different places in Europe like Paris, Rome, Belgium, Barcelona, and other French regions. I know that Europe is a huge place for

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DU students to go, because it’s extremely easy to travel everywhere across Europe. Since I was born and raised in Asia, I know the ins–and–outs of those cultures.

Europe was a completely different experience for me!

The French people were so sophisticated, and incredibly cultured. I lived with a French family while I was there, and I didn’t know anything about their culture, their etiquette in the classroom or anything. So one of the biggest challenges for me studying abroad was being faced with a totally new perspective on everything, and being introduced to new ways of thinking. Another challenge was obviously learning "It was my first time living with a roommate the language, but I had taken a few and she was very French classes before different from me." so I wasn’t completely unfamiliar with it. The French people were also incredibly intellectual in their conversations with each other, like they would casually discuss the economy, politics, and culture. So that really made me wish that I took more time in my own everyday life to learn about what is going on in the world, or about a lot of different things so that I could have had better conversations with people.

Being an international student at DU, I was already

used to living in a different culture with different types of people and I felt like it was pretty easy to adjust when I got to France.

I do wish that I had been in a program at a French institution with more native French students, instead of being at an American institution with lots of American people. Even though the school did their best to have French and American students interact with each other, there were still a lot of boundaries between the student populations. It was more conflicted than I would have liked, but it worked out for me for the most part. It was also my first time living with a roommate, and she was very different from me.

We had different backgrounds, different values; and I’m a bit more outgoing whereas she was very introverted. It was definitely weird sitting in a room together and never talking, but that experience gave me a whole new perspective than I would have gained otherwise. I learned that ways of communication aren’t just about what you say, but how you say it, and that includes body language.

It really made me think about how I communicate with others, and now I am much more aware of it being back in America! •

HENRY WAGNER Destination: Semester at Sea I chose this program because of the vast amount of traveling, exploring, and learning that the program offers via the floating university, the MV Explorer. I was able to choose from over 60 classes to take while on the ship. I decided to choose classes that engaged as much as possible with the countries that we visited. I took International "All I used was a map, a notebook, and a pen."

Management, Entrepreneurship and Global Development exploring microfinance and social businesses, Global Ecology, and Politics of Energy. The special thing about Semester at Sea is that you never really get into a weekly routine.

You can spend anywhere from 2 to 8 days in a country, or anywhere

from 1 to 14 days on the boat.

There are no days of the week, only ship days and shore days. In my spare time on the ship I would do my homework, exercise in the gym, and play board games or watch movies with friends at night. On the other hand, while in port, there was no down time. We were constantly on the move and doing our best to make the most out of our limited time in each country. Hostels became home at night and the days were full of museums, parks, markets, beaches, and the occasional bar for a cold beer.

I believe that the majority of life’s lessons cannot be taught in the classroom. While abroad I traveled to over 20 different cities with absolutely no technology. All I used was a map, a notebook, and a pen. I can now confidently use any form of public transportation and navigate cities with ease. This

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was not the case for all students on Semester at Sea, who relied on their phone and computer for just about everything they did. I was very torn about whether or not to go to one country and fully immerse myself in the culture for 4 months or to do Semester at Sea and see and do as much as possible. I think that this decision really depends on who you are as a person. Semester at Sea is go go go all the time with the occasional downtime on the ship. It was absolutely perfect for me because of my love for traveling, meeting new people, and trying new things. Another great part about Semester at Sea is the life long friendships that are formed with other students on the ship. Instead of going abroad in a program with all DU students, Semester at Sea is made up of over 650 students from around the world. It’s your decision in the end but you know what my recommendation would be! •

Student Letters - Sophomores CARAH FREDERICS Destination: Masarky University in Brno, Czech Republic I chose to study in the Czech Republic because I knew that I wanted to travel across Central Europe, and the study abroad program of which I will be part has the best travel "I hope to develop accommodations valuable career skills like in this location.

Something else that critical thinking..." drew me to this location is the fact that my ancestral roots started in that area, and I thought it only fitting for my first experience traveling abroad to be where my family tree originated.

While at Masarky University, I will be studying Czech culture, photography, and studio art in hopes of completing my art minor. My academic expectations and goals consist of academic development, intellectual as well as personal growth, professional development,

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and learning skills for engaging with culturally different others. I am most looking forward to experiencing a new culture and the other side of the world. This is my first trip outside of the United States and I cannot wait to learn about different cultures and the history of Europe.

As a Hospitality and Finance double major, I believe studying abroad will compliment my future career goals through the development of new perspectives on academic subjects and real-world issues. I hope to develop valuable career skills like critical thinking and problem solving, independence, self-confidence, team leadership and communication, flexibility, adaptability, as well as an expanded world view and multicultural perspective. I believe these specific skills are important to develop in order to achieve my future goal of being the most successful business woman that I can be. •

DANIELLE PASTIER Destination: University of Economics in Prague, Czech Republic As a second generation SlovakianAmerican who has never traveled outside of the United States, I knew that I wanted to go to Eastern Europe to experience the culture about which my grandparents still speak so fondly. I also loved the convenience of Prague when I was considering traveling to other places in Europe. Since the Czech Republic is very centrally located, it tends to be more affordable to live there in comparison to many other European cities. I have never been outside of the country, so this will be an entirely new experience for me!

I am extremely excited to study at the University of Economics, as it is one of Europe’s select accredited business schools. I will have the option to take both classes that could fill general education requirements, as well as courses within my business major.

In addition to these fundamental business courses, I am excited to also take the required Czech language course! I grew up listening to and admiring the Slavic language, and I was always somewhat resentful of the fact that my family never taught me how to speak Slovak. I am most certainly looking forward to learning some Czech while I am abroad! Also, as you might have guessed, as a

Hospitality Management major, I am also looking forward to the local food and drink.

My expectations for this study abroad experience are that it will be scary, uncomfortable, and lonely at times. Nevertheless, I expect that the majority of the time I will be immersed in new culture, gaining insight on life outside of the United States, challenging myself with a new language, and making new domestic and international friends.

My goals for this trip are to be able to order a full meal in Czech and use public transportation comfortably alone. Academically, I hope to gain an understanding of how marketing and business are conducted globally.

Above all, I want to complete these small goals in order to achieve

true immersion in a foreign country.

As a Hospitality Management major, studying abroad will help me empathize with future foreign guests and employees. Hotels tend to be hubs of diversity for both staff and guests. My employees and guests, potentially working or traveling to a new place for the first time, may experience challenges associated "Above all, I want to complete these small goals in order to achieve true immersion in a foreign country." with cultural adjustment. In order for me to be an effective manager or demonstrate the best possible customer service, it is necessary that I understand how uncomfortable it is to be in a new place with different cultural norms. •

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Advice from Past Explorers

“Embrace uncertainty and don’t be afraid to make mistakes!”

“NEW ZEALAND IS THE IDEAL PLAYGROUND FOR AN OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST OR ADRENALINE JUNKIE!”

ENGLAND DENVER

“Get out of your bubble, make as many local/native friends as possible, learn more about the different perspectives and values of everyone you meet.”

“Don’t be opposed to touristy activities, but make sure you spend a lot of time in the country you’re studying in and actually learn about their culture instead of just visiting iconic monuments and places.”

BRAZIL CHILE

“When you’re abroad, soak it all up and take advantage of every opportunity you can! If you can pet a sheep–or better yet, hold one–DO IT.”

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“GO ON ADVENTURES AND JUST SAY YES, EVEN TO THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE ORIGINALLY WANTED TO DO!”

“GO SEE A RUGBY GAME!” “TRULY PUT IN THE EFFORT TO LEARN THE CULTURE, LANGUAGE, AND GET TO KNOW THE LOCALS!” “Save as much money as you can before you go, because you don’t realize how expensive living abroad is going to be until you actually get there.”

THAILAND

[Thailand] “It’s called the ‘Land of Smiles’ for a reason! The Thai people are extremely welcoming, and what better way to explore an unfamiliar country than with those who know it best!”

NEW ZEALAND

“Don’t go abroad just to sit in your room in your spare time. Don’t sit on FB all day. Why go abroad to do that?

Go meet new people, go have new experiences, make some great memories, and try to make the most of your trip because a lot of people can’t do this!”

[New Zealand] “Try Hokey Pokey ice cream, Tim Tam Slams, and Flat Whites.”

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Alumni Stories JORDAN POLIMENI Destination: Tuscany, Italy All my life, I've always been looking ahead and asking myself 'What's next?' But when it came time to study abroad, all I could really think about is 'Where did my roots start?' One of the reasons I chose Italy is because I'm half-Italian on my dad's side but another reason was so I could take courses in Italian to go towards my Italian minor. Primarily though, I chose Italy because I wanted to immerse myself in the culture that my father speaks of fondly, in his childhood memories. During the summer of 2011, I was offered an internship with Inspirato in Tuscany.

Because I was working for the internship, and not taking any college classes, I felt this was a better fit for me to give me that true local experience.

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This was my favorite part; experiencing Tuscany more as a local rather than a college student. All of the community gatherings, the local cafes, and the beautiful countryside are all of my favorite memories of living in Italy.

This was my first time "My advice to the traveling outside the U.S. students who are and I feel that I am now considering study more open and willing abroad is to do it." to travel whether it is for work or leisure. This experience pushed me outside of my comfort zone and I can only thank the people at DU for pushing me out there. Being pushed outside of my comfort zone left me vulnerable to the unknown, but gave me the opportunity to learn, grow, and continue to grow.�

My advice to the students who are considering study abroad is to do it. Wherever you choose to go, keep pushing yourself to be uncomfortable. You never know until you can say you have. •

KATIE RING Destination: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia I chose to study in Brisbane, Australia; I wanted to go there because I didn't want to worry about having to adjust to living in a new country and learn a new language! I also wanted to go somewhere other than Europe and I wanted to visit all the beautiful sites and see the unique animals in Australia. Also, I picked Brisbane because I liked that it was central Eastern Australia (so not too cold like in Sydney), and I liked the programs offered at University of Queensland.

and have created my own business with this in mind.

I was introduced to yoga while abroad, and since then it has become a key part of my overall wellbeing and health!

This experience has changed me in so many ways. I became much more accepting and open to learning about other cultures. I learned so many wonderful things abroad. But the two main things I learned were, first, there is so much beauty on this earth and so much to be grateful for. The second lesson I learned is that life is meant to be enjoyed. I find that enjoyment through travel and "I felt free I chose to take electives while I was abroad. I wanted and excited!" connection with people. I've also to take science classes that allowed me to go on field realized that I was spoiled at DU; trips to the Great Barrier Reef and Fraser Island. I was we are really nurtured and given so many opportunities, able to experience all the beauty Australia had to unlike being at the University of Queensland (UQ). UQ offer by traveling solely within my country. My friends was so HUGE in comparison to DU, and I had to go who studied in Europe were lucky to travel to so many out and make my own opportunities. I had to make a neighboring countries so easily; however, I feel that I was bigger effort, and I realized that there are so many other able to fully immerse myself in Australian culture. wonderful people who work really hard to get where I felt free and excited! I tried sailing, surfing, kayaking, they want to be too. That it's not easy for everyone, but salsa-dancing, karaoke, swimming with sharks and when there is a will, there is a way. turtles, and went to crazy costume parties. I slept in a You definitely have to study abroad, no matter where Tee-pee, wiggled my toes in soft white sand, shopped you go! Push yourself to do it, because you will never local farmers markets, ate native emu and alligator, get an opportunity like this again. It will change your life. and visited funky museums and bars. The food abroad Yes, you will spend a lot of money, but you are spending was generally not very healthy, but because of that, I've it on experiences, not on a physical object. • learned the importance of eating healthfully,

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Alumni Updates • Stephen Nostrand (BSBA HRM 1967) recently joined world renowned commercial real estate firm NAI Miami as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer.

• Jane D. Fisher (BSBA HRM 1974) retired from University of Montana in January 2015 and now lives in Nevada.

Jane is the former GM/Executive Chef of Montana Island Lodge (Seeley Lake MT).

• Cathy Switzer, (HRM 1979), retired in February 2015. Cathy and her husband reside in Sunnyvale, CA. • Steve Fraser (HRM 1980) joined Blue Star Resort & Lodging in 2014. The company’s president is also a DU hospitality alum, Tim Steckbeck (HRTM 1983).

• Timothy Benolken (HRM 1981), Senior Vice President of Operations – Western North America, Hilton Worldwide, received the J. Patrick Leahy Lifetime Achievement Award from The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association in the spring of 2015.

• Angelo Stambules (HRM 1981) joined Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. as the VP - Hotel Investments & Capital Markets.

• David Flom (BSBA HRTM 1995), proprietor of Chicago Cut Steakhouse, opened seafood concept C Chicago in April 2015, which has earned rave reviews since opening. DU parent, Mark Knauer, spearheaded the design of the restaurant.

• Corey Nyman (BSBA HRTM 1999) has founded Grazing Pig Food Group and is currently developing two concepts, Harvest & Larder and Grazing Pig Charcuterie in Las Vegas, opening this fall.

• Kokee Coscina (HRTM 2009) joined Mountain Apple Company as General Manager and is now based in Honolulu, HI. • Sean Adair (HRTM 2010) works for the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts as the Director of Banquets in Whistler, Canada • Matt Lane (BSBA HRTM 2009) is now the Director of Front Office Operations at Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii.

• Claudia Alvarado (BSBA HRTM 2012) recently graduated from Daniels with a Master’s of Science in Business Analytics, and is now working as Project Manager for STR Analytics in Denver.

• Grace Carpenter (BSBA HRTM 2012) is general manager of LYFE Kitchen in Boulder, CO. • Diane Lian Duan (BSBA HRTM 2012) is now a lifestyle consultant for American Express in Shanghai, China.

• Kirsten Reinhart (BSBA HRTM 2012) is now Online Sales Manager, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.

• Anna Alvarez (BSBA HRTM 2013) was promoted to Assistant Housekeeping Manager at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara.

• Zach Gart (BSBA HRTM 2014) is kitchen manager at LYFE Kitchen in Boulder, CO. • Spencer Hebert (BSBA HRTM 2014) is housekeeping manager at the Arizona Biltmore.

• Hayley Lynne Zulkoski (BSBA HRTM 2015) is now interning as Restaurant Operations Specialist for OpenTable in Denver.

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Special Thanks Avosuahi Aliyu David Corsun Claudia Alvarado Cruz Jill Hartman Aimee Mandolini Janeen Todd The opinions expressed in Knoebel News are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent official positions of the Daniels College of Business or the University of Denver.

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