ALO Newsletter
Twentieth Edition: October 26, 2016

Featured Member: Derek Džinić '20

Hello everyone! My name is Derek Džinić and a recently arrived first year at Elon! I am from Juneau, Alaska, and am greatly enjoying the transition to warmer weather. I plan on majoring in International Relations and Political Science with a minor in Spanish and Peace and Conflict Studies. I am currently not enrolled in Arabic, but plan to start next semester! Regardless, I find Middle Eastern culture and history extremely fascinating and look forward to deepening my understanding of the region. Additionally, I am traveling to Morocco for January term 2016 and would like to pick up a few practical phrases for use there. So far I have loved ALO and look forward for what the rest of the year has in store.

ALO Newsletter
Nineteenth Edition: September 30, 2016

Featured Member: Natalie Omodt '20

Hello! My name is Natalie Omodt and I am in my first year at Elon. I am intending to double major in Internationl & Global Studies and Political Sciecne and Double minor in Peace & Conflict Studies and Spanish or Arabic. Although I have not started any Arabic classes, I will begin in the spring and could not be more excited. I have always had an interest in the Middle East and in learning Arabic, which made joining ALO and an obvious choice! I hope to study abroad this summer in Amman, Jordan, or elsewhere in the region to immerse myself in the culture and improve my language skills immensely. Overall, I am extremely excited to become more involved in ALO and see where this new area of study will take me!

ALO Newsletter
Eighteenth Edition: May 4, 2016

Featured Member: Lilly DeNunzio '19

Hello! My name is Lilly DeNunzio. I am a freshman intending to double major in International Studies and Political Science and double minor in Leadership Studies and History. I am not actually an Arabic student, but I’ve always had a strong interest in Middle Eastern culture and saw ALO as a good way to connect with it. I’ve enjoyed learning tidbits of the language, trying delicious Arabic food, and getting a more detailed understanding of Arabic culture!

ALO Newsletter
Seventeenth Edition: April 17, 2016

Featured Member: James Burnham '18

Hello everyone! My names in James Burnham and I am a sophomore majoring in Policy Studies with a minor in Political Science. I am currently studying abroad in Amman, Jordan, on an Arabic language and culture program, and having a blast! My interest in Arabic was, and to a large extent it, focused on learning a new language and improving my skills at something that I am not inherently good at. To anyone on the fence of traveling abroad to a country where you don't speak the language, I would highly encourage it! Speaking for myself, I have had so many amazing life experiences and I continue to examine myself and my own perceptions in new ways almost constantly. Learning a new language and then applying it is one of those journeys that challenge you, and push you to improve upon yourself and relate to others in a way you most likely haven't had to before. I can't wait to see what interesting places and people Arabic brings me to next!

ALO Newsletter
Sixteenth Edition: March 9, 2016

Featured Member: Kannon Hall '19

Hello, my name is Kannon M. Hall. I originally took Arabic because I thought that it was an advantageous language. The United States will always have economic and political relationship with Arabic-speaking countries, so I saw the language as a job security. While learning Arabic will still benefit my in my professional life, it has also become very important to me in my personal life. Learning Arabic has broadened my view of the world. It s like an addiction. I want to keep learning more and more, so that one day I can travel the world and develop relationships with people. Before learning the language, I was very ethnocentric. I didn't value cultural understanding. Now I know that language is just the first step in created a truly connected, globalized community. I cannot wait to continue enhancing my linguistic proficiency in Arabic!

ALO Newsletter
Fifteenth Edition: December 5, 2015

Featured Member: Johanna Krygsman '17

Ahalan wa sahalan! My name is Johanna Krygsman and I am currently a junior at Elon majoring in Public Health and a triple minor in Biology, Middle Eastern Studies, and Business Administration. I have taken three semesters of Arabic at Elon and it has been a difficult yet extremely rewarding experience learning the language! Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have lived in Saudi Arabia for 16 years of my life, and it has let me see all of the beautiful things the Middle East has to offer. The past summer, I was able to re-visit where I grew up and it was wonderful to be able to apply everything I had learned in the classroom with Shereen to real life situations! In the future, I hope to utilize Arabic in whatever field I go into! Ma'a Salama!

ALO Newsletter
Fourteenth Edition: November 10, 2015

Featured Member: Matt Semple '19

My name is Matt Semple and I am a first year here at Elon. I am an International Studies major with a concentration in the Middle East. I also am currently taking the first level Arabic course! I ave learned so much about Middle Eastern culture as well as the language of Arabic in my first semester here. I am excited to continue studying Arabic and hopefully study abroad in Jordan in the near future. I am fascinated with the politics of the Middle East and I am hopeful my studies there and in Arabic will lead to a career in this field! Ma'a Salama!