Student reflections
“Unforgettable”
By Eric Wall (UD 2012)
The experiences I have had this semester through the Global Agenda program have been truly life changing. The foundation for this class was the series of speakers who shed light on the United States intelligence community, and opened my mind to a number of career possibilities. I now feel more certain than ever that I will pursue a career in public service. But my most transformational experiences resulted from the personal connections I made through the Honors section of this course. Between the teleconference discussions with the class from Dubai, as well as privately sponsored travel to Dubai, I have been exposed to a completely different cultural perspective and another way of life. I want to thank all those who were involved in sponsoring this program for your generous assistance, and I would like to shed some light on what this experience was like from my eyes.
I entered this class with a number of misconceptions regarding the peoples of the Middle East, and Arab women in particular. I thought of Arab females as subdued and oppressed, confined to the black garb that their societies require them to wear. The opening moments of our first teleconference seemed to solidify this perception. I saw a room of quiet young women, impossible to distinguish as they were wearing what appeared to be the same draping black outfit. But once our discussion began, I was surprised by the enthusiastic and informed participation of the Dubai students. Listening to their insightful remarks, I was exposed to a whole different perspective on Arab society and on my own society. I saw that these young women had just as vibrant personalities and opinions as any American student. I knew that I had much to learn from these Emirati students, and Spring Break travel to Dubai provided an excellent opportunity to do so.
My week in Dubai was one of the most unforgettable times of my life. A semester of discussions with Emirati students could not prepare me for the experience of actually being among the Emiratis. The peculiar nature of Dubai was apparent to me from the outset. Dubai is an oasis of globalization, trendy construction projects and boundless optimism. The tiny country of the United Arab Emirates has existed for less than a half century, and yet the Emirati people have unshakable dreams of the future of their society. These ambitions are embodied by their revered founder, and the namesake of the Emirati University we partner with, Sheik Zayed. Indeed this historical figure is the hero of the UAE. Even foreign workers residing within the UAE, who often feel detached from Emirati society, speak of Sheik Zayed in glowing terms.
The Emirati students served as our tour guides through this wonderful and strange place. Over the course of long bus rides and late night dinners we had a chance to get to know the girls very well. I had a chance to understand what it was like being a young Emirati. On the surface level we could bond on similar music tastes, similar movie interests, and all of the other pop culture items that I did not associate with the Middle East. I was baffled by how every Emirati student had both an iPhone and a Blackberry, to facilitate texting with all of their friends. Upon deeper discussion, I learned of taboo subjects like flirting, dating, homosexuality and the cultural acceptance of polygamy. I had a feel of the nature of a society dominated by social norms and family values. While my attachments to freedom and individuality are offended by what I had learned, I know that I would behave very much the same way as the Emiratis if I was raised in such a culture.
At this point in the semester I have had some time to gather my thoughts and reflect on my experiences. I could see how my perspective had changed during our first meeting with the Emirati students via teleconference after the trip to Dubai. I no longer saw a room of quiet, repressed young women draped in identical black garb. I saw a row of girls whose faces and voices I recognized intimately, and whose opinions I listened to attentively. They are a group of individuals striving to establish themselves in a male dominated society satisfied with the status quo. Indeed the young women I have gotten to know are the true drivers of social change in the United Arab Emirates, and the Middle East as a whole. Getting to know this important truth alone was worth the experience.
I owe everything I have experienced to the sponsors who provided the funding behind this ambitious project. You have been a big part of the amazing things the University of Delaware has accomplished. I hope that your generosity will allow the University to continue this program, as well as other programs of this kind.
Andi Diorio and Eric Wall at the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi
Photos: Ralph Begleiter
