Elon Winter Term in the 21st Century

We talk a lot about globalization. We talk about Tom Friedman’s theory that the world is flat. But Winter Term at Elon is better than any theory about our shrinking world. Yes, we have gone to five countries in a little more than one week. Other Elon study abroad trips are working at a similar pace. And yes, we see The Gap and other American chains in every city and we can see bad American television dubbed into a variety of tongues. But it is truly an Elon Winter Term in the 21st Century when the best—and free—Internet connection is not in Western Europe but in the east. And when the first message received via email in this former third world country once dominated by the Soviet Union comes from a student on another study abroad who is traveling through China, Singapore and Australia. Despite vast distance and unfathomable time zones, we can keep in touch in real time. The world doesn’t get much flatter than that.