UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- What’s the “craic” with Marissa Russo? Well, the Penn State New Kensington senior spent last semester in Ireland, earning 15 credits at the University of Limerick, making new friends and traveling around the Emerald Isle and Europe.
Craic, pronounced “crack,” is an Irish slang term that is used as a greeting. It is equivalent to American catchphrases such as “what’s happening” and “how are you.”
“It means fun in Irish, so you're just asking ‘what's fun’ or ‘what's up,’" said Russo, a junior in the Information Sciences and Technology program.
Russo, 20, enjoyed four months of fun and learning abroad as a part of the campus’ Global Programs initiative. The program provides students with a variety of opportunities to study in foreign lands for varying periods of time — a week, summer, semester or year. The objective is to offer students a broader education than can be obtained through classroom experiences alone.
When she was not in class — Spanish, chemistry, geoscience, women’s writing and art — Russo was experiencing the Celtic culture. A native friend took her to the Limerick “underground,” places that most tourists never get a chance to see.
“There is so much history that you run into unexpectedly, like burial grounds in the middle of nowhere and abandoned castles,” said Russo, a graduate of Plum High School. “A lot of international students don't get that kind of experience.”
Traveling is Russo’s passion. She has twice been to Kent, England, to visit a longtime friend. When the love of another “across the pond” adventure descended upon her, she could not let it go unrequited. Heeding the siren call to study abroad, she chose Ireland because of its people and history.
“I have always had a thing for traveling, and I first went abroad alone when I was 18,” said Russo, who will earn a bachelor’s degree in May 2016. “So going to another country to stay for a while seemed like the perfect option. Ireland is small, but rich in culture, and the people are so welcoming.”
The Plum Borough native lived on campus, which is located in the city of Limerick in the midwest region of Ireland. The city is believed to be the origin of the iconic limerick, a humorous and sometimes bawdy style of poetry. Despite the history of the limerick, which dates back to the 13th century, Russo says that the city doesn’t celebrate its infamous namesake. There is no Gaelic Punxsutawney Phil being rousted from his underground abode and forced to babble a five-line poem with a rhyming scheme of “AABBA,” such as
“Learning abroad was the goal of Marissa Russo,So she set sail for Ireland to do so,Five classes, she was ready,Her GPA, it stayed steady,After studying more notes than Caruso.”
“I don't even think they know what limericks are,” said Russo with a laugh. “Although Limerick was Europe's ‘City of Culture’ for 2014, I don't think it was based on being the home of the limerick.”
Russo's five roommates were an eclectic collection of women from Switzerland, France, Wisconsin and California. They did many activities as a group, such as nightclubbing, traveling and shopping.
“My roommates were some of the best people I've ever met,” Russo said. “I learned so much about France and Switzerland. Although the Wisconsinites’ lifestyle is similar to ours in western Pennsylvania, California might as well be a different country.”
The blending of different cultures and mannerisms bonded the students, and each took away a better understanding of foreign customs and lifestyles. They even celebrated the American holiday of Thanksgiving together.
“The Swedish and French students knew about it, and they were so excited to join us,” Russo said. “Everyone contributed a dish, and we celebrated just like a Thanksgiving at home.”
Outside of Ireland, Russo’s European adventures included journeys to Paris and Rome. The dorm mates stayed at the home of the French student’s parents in the City of Light. The parents took them to the city’s famous landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower and Cathedral of Notre Dame.
Russo’s American roommates accompanied her to Rome. They went to St. Peter’s Square, which was designed by Bernini, and visited St. Peter’s Basilica, home to the sculptures of Michelangelo. Unfortunately, a chance to see the Pope was not forthcoming.
“Visiting the Vatican was my favorite part of the trip, and the Pieta was breathtaking” Russo said. “I did not see the Pope, and that was disappointing.”
In between the “Great Cities of the World” tour, Russo continued with her academics at the University of Limerick, known as UL to the indigenous populace. She experienced the contrasts in learning environments between the American and Irish higher education systems. Languages are taught at a faster pace in Europe. Her Spanish course provided an example of the divergence in learning styles.
“European professors assume that students already know three languages by the time they get to college,” Russo said. “By your fourth language, you should know how to learn it, so it’s a very fast pace. I took a Spanish 1 course, which would have counted as Spanish 1 and 2 at American universities.”
Besides being exposed to a spectrum of learning, Russo experienced the gamut of extracurricular activities. At Penn State New Kensington, she participated in two student clubs — Student Government Association, which advocates for campus students, and Lion Ambassadors, which promotes the campus to prospective students. Hooking up with one of UL’s 35 student clubs was a logical choice. So she joined... the rowing club.
Rowing was an excellent cardiovascular activity, and it gave her an appreciation of teamwork. In addition, she had an epiphany regarding swans in their natural environment. The novice sculler soon learned that swans are not docile creatures.
“I rowed a lot, and being on the water in Ireland, where everything is so green, made the experience worth it,” Russo said. “Rowing also taught me that swans are super mean. Walking on the river path on the way to practice, they would chase me and try to bite me.”
Finding time to do extracurricular activities wasn’t hard because Russo didn’t do any homework during the entire semester. Not because she was remiss — she carries a 3.3 grade-point average — but because outside-the-classroom tasks were not expected of students. This little-known fact made Russo grateful for her homework assignments at her American campus.
“I pretty much had a paper or two and final exams,” Russo said. “It made me really appreciate what we have at Penn State New Kensington. Information sticks easier when you do homework.”
Russo’s semester in Ireland completes the “Triple Crown” of studying abroad. In the past four years, New Kensington students have journeyed internationally for a summer, a semester and a year. Tansey Ochs, an administration of justice major, spent the summer of 2011 in the Netherlands studying the Dutch criminal justice system. Gabriel Gardiner, an organizational leadership major, studied Portuguese in Mozambique during the 2012-13 academic year.
In addition, more than 160 students have participated in international trips for a week. Since 2004, students have traveled to Spain, France, Italy, China, Greece, Peru, the Galapagos Islands and Ireland. In conjunction with the trips, students are required to take a related course that enriches their understanding of the destination and its culture.
This summer, the campus’ International Trip committee is organizing a two-week summer excursion to the Kingdom of Thailand in Southeast Asia.For Russo, a return trip to Ireland is in the offing.
“I told my Irish friends I would come back when they get married,” Russo said. “I hope it's soon.”
For more about Global programs, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Academics/InternationalPrograms/intlprograms.htm