2008 Woodie Awards
Two students return from India
Charlotte Holman
Issue date: 2/23/07 Section: In the Spotlight
Seniors Abbi Villio and Tori Driscoll waded through flooded intersections and danced the night away during their six-month stay in Ahmedabad, India.
Villio, an Intercultural Studies and Sociology double major, and Driscoll, an Intercultural Studies major with an Accounting minor, left for India June 15 and returned to the United States Dec. 17.
As soon as they arrived, things started to stray from the original plan. The people who were to host Villio for the first month canceled immediately. Driscoll lived with their language teacher for two weeks until the teacher's depression resulted in Driscoll moving into the pairs' own apartment two weeks earlier than planned. Driscoll and Villio lived in the apartment for the rest of the six months.
"I loved it," said Driscoll. "We had awesome neighbors who would come cook for us."
The women of India traditionally stay home during the day, which allowed Driscoll and Villio to build relationships with their neighbors and their children.
The pairs' service project focused on helping students with their English at the international school in Ahmedabad. They also had the ability to stay with the Jain nuns, eating dinner with them, going to the temple and observing their daily tasks.
Villio and Driscoll had to adjust to a culture that is completely opposite of American culture. Because Indians do not eat meat, most meals were vegetables and spices, and Indians pickle everything. India is also a country that centers its culture on shame and honor.
People were often not straightforward with Villio and Driscoll, making it difficult to understand the native people and their feelings. The casual nature of the people and a different measurement of success often made it difficult for Villio and Driscoll to see they were making a difference.
"[Southwest Baptist University] does a good job not sugarcoating it," said Villio. "It is an amazing experience, but it is also one of the hardest experiences of your life."
Villio, an Intercultural Studies and Sociology double major, and Driscoll, an Intercultural Studies major with an Accounting minor, left for India June 15 and returned to the United States Dec. 17.
As soon as they arrived, things started to stray from the original plan. The people who were to host Villio for the first month canceled immediately. Driscoll lived with their language teacher for two weeks until the teacher's depression resulted in Driscoll moving into the pairs' own apartment two weeks earlier than planned. Driscoll and Villio lived in the apartment for the rest of the six months.
"I loved it," said Driscoll. "We had awesome neighbors who would come cook for us."
The women of India traditionally stay home during the day, which allowed Driscoll and Villio to build relationships with their neighbors and their children.
The pairs' service project focused on helping students with their English at the international school in Ahmedabad. They also had the ability to stay with the Jain nuns, eating dinner with them, going to the temple and observing their daily tasks.
Villio and Driscoll had to adjust to a culture that is completely opposite of American culture. Because Indians do not eat meat, most meals were vegetables and spices, and Indians pickle everything. India is also a country that centers its culture on shame and honor.
People were often not straightforward with Villio and Driscoll, making it difficult to understand the native people and their feelings. The casual nature of the people and a different measurement of success often made it difficult for Villio and Driscoll to see they were making a difference.
"[Southwest Baptist University] does a good job not sugarcoating it," said Villio. "It is an amazing experience, but it is also one of the hardest experiences of your life."
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