ADVENTURES AT FRANKLIN

February is an exciting time to be on Franklin's beautiful campus, not too far from the historic city of Bellinzona,  the capital of the canton Ticino in Switzerland, famous for its three castles (Castelgrande, Montebello, Sasso Corbaro) that have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2000 . Yes, it is always nice to be within a 20 minute train ride of a beautiful medieval city full of castles, and February is a particularly exciting time because of the city's carnival festivities.    Every year, the capital of Ticino practically shuts down and welcomes its "doors" to 150,000 guests from other parts of Switzerland and Italy.  Friends and I at Bellinzona's Castelgrande during the Street Food Festival last semester Most people have heard of the carnival festivals in Venice and Rio de Janeiro, and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The celebration in Bellinzona is similar to these events; however, it simply has not acquired the same international fame. This par...

Hi there! Welcome (or welcome back) to  Adventures at Franklin , a blog for sharing everything there is to know about living and learning at Franklin University Switzerland.  A new semester just began, full of the numerous activities that are a necessary part of getting settled in at the start of the academic year. There were clothes to unpack, friends to reconnect with, and groceries to purchase — not to mention a whole group of new faces to welcome to campus! Weary travelers came from far and wide to be greeted by our beautiful campus. New students arrived in Lugano this August for a week-long Orientation program, designed to help them get to know one another, adjust to life abroad, and conquer jet lag before school began (if necessary). These students were also introduced to their Orientation Mentors (OMs), Academic Mentors (AMs), and Resident Assistants (RAs), who were trained to guide and inform the new students about navigating both life on...

This semester has flown by, filled with a myriad of fun events which have been packing Franklin students' schedule tight. Holi: Festival of Colors My absolute favorite Franklin event is Holi, the Indian celebration of colors, meant to ring in spring and celebrate life. This year's festivities were no exception -- it was an incredible event which a majority of the student body turned out for!    Franklin Seniors and best friends, celebrating Holi one last time! Lovely ladies representing Switzerland, Brazil, the U.S., Greece, and Saudi Arabia! TedX Lugano Another recent successful spring event was the third annual TEDx Lugano , which attracted a host of Franklin faces, as well as local Lugano residents. This TEDx event focused was themed "Future Wealth" and some of Franklin's very own professors were speakers at this amazing event on campus. The speakers at the event included medical visionaries, designers, international explorers, in...

Hello everyone! The past two weeks encompassed several of the most beautiful moments of my life so far. I had the great fortune to travel to South Africa with 22 seniors who I feel so grateful to know. Professor Zanecchia gave us the gift of a lifetime by sharing his time, energy and love of South Africa with our class. It's really difficult to put into words how incredible of an Academic Travel it was, but I will try! The theme of our travel course was Culture and Resource Conservation  where we focused on the challenges of economic and political development and the ties to wildlife and natural resource conservation. We were lucky enough to partner with a fantastic organization,  Conservation Global  and were led by Franklin alumna, Ellie Leaning '14, around the Cape Town region. Ellie worked in Boston before moving to South Africa to join Conservation Global. The organization was founded in 2011 with the motive to provide students within the facult...

Hello there! We thought it would be fruitful for prospective students, parents, and possibly even current underclassmen to do a post on how we chose our majors. As we are both senior students, we can lend a unique perspective to this dialogue and explain a bit of our thoughts on the academic paths available here at Franklin. Morgan : I am an International Management and Finance major, graduating in May 2016. I had always believed I would study international business here at Franklin, and declared my major during my sophomore spring, which is when students tend to formally declare. One of the deciding factors in choosing Franklin was the ability to truly experience the international aspect of an international business degree. I felt strongly I would be better prepared for an international career and management role if I had the opportunity to study with fellow students from all around the world and glean their intercultural perspectives as related to international business. ...

Photo courtesy of delapaix.ch Hi everyone! I hope you all had lovely and productive weeks. This past weekend we celebrated Carnevale here in Ticino , which meant Franklin students had the opportunity to dress up and participate in the ample festivities in the region. Rabadan , the carnival which takes place in Bellinzona each February, is one of the largest carnevale celebrations in Switzerland, along with the events that take place in Basel and Luzern around this time. During this time you can find many Franklin students heading to Bellinzona, about 30 minutes away by train, to celebrate. Carnevale in Bellinzona was founded in 1800s, but has gained in popularity immensely in the hundred-plus years since its initiation. This year was the 153rd celebration of Carnevale, which involves local bands performances, children's parades, costumes, and traditional foods and drinks. There is actually even a Rabadan committee - each year a King and Queen are appointed to pre...

Hello Lugano! Senior year has been a time of reflection as I navigate through these last months here at Franklin. There are countless lessons I've learned over these past four years, but I thought it would be fun to narrow it down to 10 key lessons to share with prospective students. Exploring Ponte Tresa, a nearby town across the border in 2012 1. Home becomes the people you love-- not a place. I have found more than ever I do not identify as much with Boston being my home, but home is the family that makes me happy, both here and in the United States. Lugano is my second home because of the students and members of the community who make it joyful, comforting, and exciting. 2. Office hours are REALLY important. During my first semester, I was too nervous to visit the office of several of my professors, and man, what a mistake that was. Our professors are such a huge resource Franklin offers, whether it is for academic support or just talking through a bad day, ...