"Mystical Music of the Middle East"

Last week, I was able to attend a really awesome event on campus. Every year, Susquehanna has a lecture or presentation on campus concerning religion, called the Alice Pope Shade lecture. This year was the presentation “Mystical Music of the Middle East,” a performance by the Yuval Ron Ensemble. The ensemble performed music from Jewish, Christian and Muslim (particularly Sufi) traditions and included performers of Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. The Yuval Ron Ensemble was very passionate about bridging divides through music. They applied this to their audience, as well, as they encouraged us to sing or dance along to certain songs.

It was very interesting to hear spiritual music from another part of the world. This semester I am taking a course called Music in Christian Rituals, so the idea of worship music has been on my mind a lot. It was really fascinating to hear Yuval Ron talk about how, in the Hasidic Jewish tradition, they will sometimes just sing songs on a certain syllable, instead of any meaningful words, to connect with God. This is so counter-intuitive to me because I’m used to thinking very seriously about the words of a worship song. Often times, I think the lyrics are the point.

Watching the ensemble then sing in that manner, though, I definitely came to see how that could be a way of connecting with God. There are some situations where words just fail to capture the immensity or complexity of something, and worship certainly seems like a situation that fits the bill.

The best part of the performance was definitely the whirling dervish. “Whirling dervish” is a term I had heard about before, but it's a completely different experience to see one. Basically, a whirling dervish is a Sufi mystic who does a spinning dance that is meant to bring the mystic into a religious state. This description or any description cannot really capture how enchanting that whirling is. The dervish spun with such speed, ease, and grace that it almost seemed physically impossible. While I am not about to become a dervish myself anytime soon, I can definitely see how that would be a transcendent, spiritual experience for the whirling dervish--especially since I think even those watching get a little taste of that.

In addition to promoting cross-cultural experiences through it GO program and study abroad opportunity, Susquehanna is delivering those breathtaking encounters with other cultures right on campus. I was a bit tired the night of this event, and I easily could not have gone. In retrospect, I am very glad that I did. 

Where to GO? Looking at Study Abroad Options

A unique part of Susquehanna’s Central Curriculum is the Cross-Cultural Experience requirement, which is generally fulfilled through a semester or a few weeks abroad.  In Susquehanna lingo, these are called GO long programs and GO short programs.  GO stands for Global Opportunities.

I thought it might be interesting to record how I might be interested in fulfilling this requirement as a freshman and see if any of these are what I end up doing later on in my SU career.  Right now, I am leaning towards going away for a full semester, though shorter, service-oriented trips have also intrigued me.  One of the things I must keep in mind when choosing a location is affordability.  I should also consider that I might not have the chance—or quite such a convenient chance, at least—to travel in the future as I do now as a college student.   My older brother often cites not doing a semester abroad as one of his college regrets.  Right now, however, the thought of going away for a semester is frightening, especially when I’m still adjusting to life here. 

One program that’s listed as a “low-cost semester program” is in Budapest, Hungary.  I really would like to go someplace in Europe, and the idea of going somewhere in Central Europe, rather than more typical destinations like Paris or London, is intriguing.   What I also like about the possibility of studying abroad in Europe is that you can basically get to anywhere else in Europe once you’re there. 

However, when people ask me where I might want to go, my usual answer is Prague.  The city in the Czech Republic has somehow captured my imagination, though I need to do much more research on it.  I suppose it’s really a superficial fascination—I’m just struck by the beautiful pictures I’ve seen of it.  I also find the course options a bit more intriguing than those in Budapest; they include Script Analysis, Czech Short Stories, East European Cinema, and Contemporary Czech Culture: Alternative Literature, Music, and Lifestyles.  Still, it’s more expensive than Budapest and a bigger program. 

Then I start wondering if it’s a mistake to focus on Europe.  Places like Stellenbosch, South Africa are also plenty intriguing, as are schools in New Zealand. 

A different option altogether would be doing the Washington, D.C. Internship Semester.  It would be affordable and wouldn’t provide much of a culture shock, but it would still provide me with an experience of city living.  It would also provide internship experience.  I would classify it as one of my more practical options.   

Another issue with studying abroad is where I’d like to stay: in a homestay, apartment, or a dormitory.  I have heard homestays provide a more authentic experience, but I’d already be out of my comfort zone enough; immersing myself in a family of another culture might be too immersive.

All in all, there’s an awful lot to consider.  As someone who seems to relish opportunities to stress out, this requirement can be a source of worry.  When I actually get to have this cross cultural experience, though, I think I’ll have a much different perspective.