One-Week Diary: A chronicle of a week in China

Seven students and three faculty members from the College of the Holy Cross embarked on a ten day study-tour to China over spring break.

Michael Ding ’08, James Haffner ’05, Nick Hahneman ’08, Emily Pereira ’05, Cara Sullivan ’07, Megan Tucker ’06 and Catherine Wauters ’08, shared their experiences during the trip, from their takeoff at Boston’s Logan International Airport on March 4 to their stroll in Tian’an Men Square to their return to Worcester on March 13.

Led by professors Thomas Gottschang, economics; Baozhang He, modern languages and literatures; and Claudia Ross, modern languages and literatures, the students explored the Chinese way of life as they split their time between Beijing and Shanghai.

Conceding that the "physical navigation isn’t as hard as the personal navigation," Gottschang, He and Ross assisted the students as they waded their way through the culture-rich third largest country in the world.

The trip will gave students the opportunity to see "the old" and "the new," and the professors helped them understand how dynamic growth and rapid social changes in China in the 21st century affected the country’s economy, environment and quality of life. The group also examined China’s importance for America’s national security, foreign relations, and trade, and witnessed the transformation of the cities of Beijing and Shanghai in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games.