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FPC cancels two Balkan trips
by Alma Bjelic
Exchange Correspondent

     Since Franklin Pierce cancelled the trip to Belgrade and postponed the Bosnian documentary last semester due to late preparation and lack of student involvement, the school is now looking into starting a graduate center in the Balkans.  

     The Belgrade abroad study was canceled before thanksgiving. FPC decided not to collect passports from the dozen students who attended the meeting at the beginning of the fall semester. The Bosnian documentary was postponed in December when the student’s involved were leaving school. Both programs were very late in getting started and the school didn’t have enough time to market it according to Dr. Jean F. Blacketor, assistant dean of professional studies. The Belgrade trip was overseen by William Costa while the documentary was organized by Dr. Kristen Nevious, Director of Fitzwater Center, and Dr. Jason Little of the Business Administration department.

     Dr. Raymond Van der Riet, dean of professional studies, helped out with both projects and is now working with local partners in Belgrade to develop a graduate education center as well as an economy center where only FPC graduate students will attend. Working with Riet is Ron Biron, director of professional studies, and Costa. This future option will replace the Belgrade abroad study that was scheduled for this year.

     FPC’s six satellite campuses have donated used schoolbooks to start a library at the graduate center in Belgrade.

     “These are very expensive books and we are pleased with the kind response from the students,” Blacketor said. “The graduate center is more of a reality than undergraduates going to Belgrade to study. Also we have more time to spread the word and have more students involved. Last semester both projects were unorganized. They didn’t raise enough money on time and not a lot of students knew about the projects to get involved. Dr. Riet feels very strongly about quality and didn’t think the projects would have done so well due to lack of preparation.”

     Justin Freidland, a sophomore, who was in charge of the documentary had left in January for the spring Vienna trip. The spring Vienna trip has been expanded two weeks so the students still have the opportunity to visit Belgrade.

     “I am glad they canceled the documentary,” Friedland said. “We really weren’t prepared yet and it was too much for me to handle. Even though the documentary is canceled I am still able to see Belgrade as a tourist and maybe make my own home made documentary.

     Jessie Gagnon, a sophomore, was interested in the Belgrade abroad study and was upset to hear that the project had been canceled.

     “They didn’t even explain why they canceled it, they just said we are not going,” Gagnon said. “I was pretty mad.”

     The documentary is indefinitely postponed. Another trip to Belgrade will take place during the fall Vienna trip, and according to Blacketor, this one will be better planned and have more student involvement.