Lundquist Fellow fulfills dream of experiencing Africa
 Dr. Richard Lundquist and Katherine Peterson spent time together talking about Africa at the annual Scholars' Breakfast this fall. |
Creating opportunities for students to have first-hand experiences in distant countries that they would not otherwise encounter is the primary mission of the Fellowship, established in the 1990s by SUNY Fredonia Emeritus Professor Richard Lundquist, a former member of the School of Business.
“The vision is to try to impact the life of undergraduates who will, in turn, return to the campus and spread their enthusiasm about the experience, and also give them an international experience based in Third World countries,” said Dr. Lundquist, a prolific traveler who has visited more than 80 countries. He wanted SUNY Fredonia students to experience culture shock.
The best way to experience a foreign land is to be immersed into the culture and live among the people, thus seeing how dramatically different life can be outside of the United States, Dr. Lundquist said. And such an experience, he believes, can change one’s perspective on life. That was the case with this year’s recipient, a 2005 Gowanda Central School graduate.
“I’ve definitely changed my priority in life,” said Ms. Peterson, daughter of Patricia Petersen and Francis Petersen. “I feel I have more of an obligation to humanity, of helping out people who have nothing, and just working with children who need role models.”
In fulfilling that objective, the vocal performance major has broadened post-graduation plans – formerly centered on attending graduate school – to possibly include working in orphanages in Ghana, serving in inner-city music programs in the United States or pursuing a career in music therapy.
That Ms. Petersen picked a sub-Saharan country to spend the summer came as no surprise to Dr. Paul Murphy, chair of the Lundquist Fellowship selection committee. “She’s a wonderfully independent person, open minded and has a great sense of adventure. She briefed us on what happened during her stay there, and she truly had a live-changing experience,” he explained. Ms. Petersen experienced Ghana’s rich drumming and dance heritage and became interested in ethnomusicology – the study of music in other cultures.
“It was clear she really wanted to do this,” Dr. Murphy concluded.
For as long as she can remember, Ms. Petersen has been intrigued by Africa. “The pictures that we see in the States are always beautiful and the music is captivating and always makes me want to dance.”
Her first exposure at SUNY Fredonia to Ghanaian culture occurred in her freshman year as a member of the African Drumming Ensemble. Its director, adjunct faculty member Bernard Woma, introduced the students to the Dagara Music Center, a school of traditional African music and culture that he founded. Ms. Petersen made a promise to herself back then that she would visit the center before graduation. Three of her eight weeks in Ghana were spent at the center and with Mr. Woma’s family.
Michelle Deierlein, a 2006 SUNY Fredonia graduate who also went to Ghana as a Lundquist Fellowship recipient, also spoke highly of the country, Ms. Petersen added. “Michelle talked to me about her experience and how much fun she had.” Both Ms. Deierlein and Mr. Woma insisted the country was safe and that its people were friendly. The country became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence in 1957.
Its terrain varied widely, from beautiful mountains and lush rain forests in the south to arid conditions in the northern region to a Fredonia-like topography, with hills, plateaus, rich farmland and sunsets that were the most beautiful Ms. Petersen has ever seen.
“I did a lot with dancing and drumming, and learning to play the gyill,” she said of the instrument, which Mr. Woma has played nearly his entire life. More widely known as the Dagara xylophone, the gyill is made of tropical rosewood and dried gourds.
Ms. Petersen also learned about shea butter, a variation of which is marketed as a lotion in the United States. She experienced how the fruit and nuts that go into its production are grown and harvested. The production process is extremely labor-intensive, she discovered, typically taking two or three days to complete and, for the most part, it is performed by women.
Shea butter and the nuts that are exported to other countries for processing into other lotions are a vital component of the Ghanaian economy, she learned.
Ms. Petersen also experienced Ghana’s dark side as a staging area for slaves bound for North and South America and Europe. She visited two palaces where slaves were assembled and held until being carted away to waiting ships. “The outside of the castles were beautifully constructed and the captain’s quarters and the other living quarters for the whites were grandiose and certainly made living comfortable. The slave chambers that we were shown were the exact opposite.” She recalled becoming physically sick by that experience.
Ms. Petersen lived with three different families and encountered seven tribes during her stay. English is widely spoken, though the country is filled with numerous dialects. Living accommodations varied, from modern, with flushing toilets and running water, to primitive, with mud-and-stick dwellings and no electricity. Cell phones are the primary means of communication. She also saw termite hills, which “are taller than people” and swarm like bees when it rains.
Ms. Petersen also went on a “canopy walk” on a rope bridge that enabled her to “walk amongst the tree tops” and view the rain forest canopy. “It is hard to tell how far up you are and sometimes you cannot actually see the forest floor because the canopy is so thick and you are so high.”
She was impressed by the way Ghanaian people organize their lives. “I felt an obligation to learn while I was there, and from what I saw, their way of life is much more efficient, and I wanted to learn that and bring that sort of natural lifestyle back to America,” she said. “They learn to live with what they have. They have more efficient ways to farm and do other things.” People she encountered were, for the most part, friendly and helpful.
“I was most touched by the positivity of the people there, and how they were always interested in helping me. And I feel like Americans could use a lot more of that.”
Ms. Petersen admits that her parents were not thrilled with her destination; after all, the furthest she had been away from home was Texas, and the flight from JFK Airport to Ghana went over 10 hours. She was definitely a long way from home.
“My mom got nervous if she did not hear from me every few days, but she was really excited to see me go out and do something this adventurous,” Ms. Petersen said.
The Lundquist Fellowship, which began in the International Studies Department, is currently administered by the School of Music. Each recipient engages in detailed study of his/her country in a three-credit Independent Study during the spring semester, learning about culture, history and geography of the country they wish to visit. The recipient keeps a diary of the experiences and, upon returning to SUNY Fredonia, gives presentations to various student groups on campus and to civic organizations in the area.
SUNY Fredonia students wishing to apply for a Lundquist Fellowship must complete an application form available at the School of Music office. The deadline for applications is Dec. 1, 2008. Applicants must be majors or minors in the School of Music and have at least three semesters remaining in residence at SUNY Fredonia, including the spring 2009 term.
