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! 

ALO Newsletter
Thirteenth Edition: October 25, 2015

Featured Member: Ashleigh McGrath '16

Ahalan wa sahalan! My name is Ashleigh McGrath and I'm currently a senior at Elon. I am an International Studies major, concentration in the Middle East and minoring in Political Science and Economics. It was daunting to begin studying Arabic. Learning the language has been a large challenge, but the number of challenges has twice as many rewards. Last spring, I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. When people ask me how my experience was, I am unable to put my response in proper English, or Arabic for that matter. The only thing I can say is that, as St. Augustine once said, "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." Being fully immersed in Middle Eastern culture was immensely breathtaking. As my senior year draws to a close, I know I will take the lessons from being abroad in Jordan and apply them to my life, to seek new challenges and new heights every day.

ALO Newsletter
Twelfth Edition: October 24, 2015

Featured Member: Styrling Rohr '19

Hi! My name is Styrling Rohr and I am a first-year anthropology major. I signed up for every language organization at Org Fair before participating in ALO. I knew no Arabic and I am not focused regionally on the Middle East, but I was immediately blown away by the food, the people in this organization, and Middle Eastern culture, which I wouldn't have learned about otherwise. ALO has made me want to fall in love with Arabic and the people that speak it! I hope I can learn much more about this beautiful language and the culture that hosts it.

ALO Newsletter
Eleventh Edition: October 21, 2015

Featured Member: Maggie Liston '15

Ahlan wa sahlan! My name is Maggie Liston and I am a senior at Elon majoring in French and International Studies and minoring in Middle East Studies and Political Science. I spent two semesters abroad in Montpellier, France and Rabat, Morocco during my time at Elon. In Morocco, I was able to use my Arabic skills in everyday life to bargain for goods, gossip with my wonderful Moroccan family, or ask for directions when I was (frequently) lost. My region of interest in international affairs is the Middle East and North Africa and I can't wait to see where my Arabic skills take me next! As every Arabic student knows, there has never been a more beautiful, rewarding, and worthwhile challenge than learning to read, write and speak in Arabic.