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Newsletter Bulgarian-American Commission for Educational Exchange N39, October–December 2004 1 Sofia 1000, Al. Stamboliisky blvd., tel. (359 2) 981 85 67, 980 82 12, 981 68 30; fax (359 2) 988 45 17; E-mail: [email protected]; INTERNET http://www.fulbright-bg.org; http://fisi-bg.com FINAL NOMINATIONS FOR BULGARIAN FULBRIGHT GRANTEES IN AY 2005-2006 This year the Fulbright Commission received 45 valid applications from Bulgarian candidates for Fulbright scholarships in a variety of research and academic fields. Thirty-nine of them were recommended for interviews: twenty-two were in the graduate students category, fifteen – in the senior scholar category and two were for Hubert Humphrey fellowships. Twenty-three of the candidates were female and twenty-two male. Twenty-seven applicants were from Sofia and eighteen came from different parts of the country. The range of fields in ranked order was as follows: law, business administration, history, physics. In This Issue: Final Nominations for Bulgarian Fulbright Grantees in AY 2005-2006 1–2 Fulbright Impressions 3–9 Fulbright Office News 10–11 To Chicago and Back 12–13 Out of America 14–15 Fulbright Interview, October 18, 2004 Members of the nomination committee: (from left to right) Prof. Dr. Georgi Chobanov, Sofia University; Matthew R. Lussenhop, Counsellor for Public Affairs of the U.S. Embassy and member of the Fulbright Commission Board; Prof. Dr. Julia Stefanova, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Fulbright Commission and Dr. Chenchuramaiah Bathala, U.S. Fulbright lecturer.

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NewsletterBulgarian-American Commission for Educational Exchange

N39, October–December 2004 1

Sofia 1000, Al. Stamboliisky blvd., tel. (359 2) 981 85 67, 980 82 12, 981 68 30; fax (359 2) 988 45 17; E-mail: [email protected]; INTERNET http://www.fulbright-bg.org; http://fisi-bg.com

FINAL NOMINATIONS FOR BULGARIANFULBRIGHT GRANTEES

IN AY 2005-2006

This year the Fulbright Commission received 45 validapplications from Bulgarian candidates forFulbright scholarships in a variety of research andacademic fields. Thirty-nine of them wererecommended for interviews: twenty-two were inthe graduate students category, fifteen – in thesenior scholar category and two were for HubertHumphrey fellowships. Twenty-three of thecandidates were female and twenty-two male.Twenty-seven applicants were from Sofia andeighteen came from different parts of the country.The range of fields in ranked order was as follows:law, business administration, history, physics.

In This Issue:

Final Nominations for BulgarianFulbright Grantees in AY 2005-2006 1–2

Fulbright Impressions 3–9

Fulbright Office News 10–11

To Chicago and Back 12–13

Out of America 14–15

Fulbright Interview, October 18, 2004Members of the nomination committee: (from leftto right) Prof. Dr. Georgi Chobanov, Sofia University;Matthew R. Lussenhop, Counsellor for Public Affairsof the U.S. Embassy and member of the FulbrightCommission Board; Prof. Dr. Julia Stefanova, ExecutiveDirector of the Bulgarian Fulbright Commission andDr. Chenchuramaiah Bathala, U.S. Fulbright lecturer.

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BULGARIAN FULBRIGHT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP FORM

Full name .............................................................................................................................................................................

Home address ......................................................................................................................................................................

Field, Academic Rank and Degree .......................................................................................................................................

Present Place and Address of Employment ..........................................................................................................................

..............................................................................................................................................................................................

Phone, Fax ...........................................................................................................................................................................

Type, Year and Duration of Grant .........................................................................................................................................

Place and Name of Host Institution ......................................................................................................................................

Please complete and return to the Fulbright commission office address.

The Fulbright Commission Board nominated thefollowing applicants for Fulbright scholarships andHubert Humphrey fellowships in ranked order:

SENIOR SCHOLARS:

Principal candidates:

1. Diana Popova – applied linguistics(Bulgarian language)

2. Albert Krastanov – biotechnology3. Stanislav Lilov – physics4. Sonya Ilieva – chemistry5. Magdalena Elchinova – anthropology6. Nadya Boyadjieva – international relations

Alternate candidates:

1. Milcho Tzvetkov – astronomy2. Vesselin Alexandrov – meteorology3. Kiril Tenekedjiev – mathematics

GRADUATE STUDENTS:

Principal candidates:

1. Alexandra Baryakova – law2. Denitsa Beyazova – law

3. Traicho Traikov – BA (Oklahoma grant)4. Peter Petkanov – BA5. Nina Mocheva – law6. Radoslava Leseva – computer science7. Stoyan Stoyanov – international relations8. Adriana Hristova – law

Alternate candidates:

1. Nikolai Bebov – law2. Maria Hristova – economics3. Georgui Tzvetkov – law4. Dobrina Kavardjikova – international affairs

HUBERT HUMPHREY FELLOWSHIP

Proposed finalists:

1. Albena Bangieva – law/finance2. Teodora Krumova – law

TEACHER EXCHANGE PROGRAM

1. Silviya Draycheva2. Anastasiya Voyvodova

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Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar in Bulgaria, July 11–August 9, 2004

BULGARIA AND THE NEW CHALLENGESOF THE 21st CENTURY

Fulbright Impressions

Transition. Everybody’s in it. Nobody likes it. In fact,as I am preparing this article, I am constantlyfocused on the issue of transition. I am worried thatmy own transitions between paragraphs will be

awkward. I am apprehensive about how I willimplement the project effectively and appropriately.As I try to understand my personal transition back

into the U.S., I wonder if I am worthy of representingthe beauty of Bulgaria to my students and family.

Everyone I know is in a transition of some sort oranother. My older daughter is in transition in hermajor about to finish college and enter the “realworld.” My younger daughter is approaching herfinal years of high school wondering where she’llgo to college and what she will study. My husbandand I are about to enter a new decade of life, anothercategory on the demographic scale, an age whenthey start sending you magazines like Modern

TRANSITIONShelley Friend, Speech Communication Instructor,

Northwest Vista College, Texas

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Bulgarian-American Commission for Educational Exchange

Maturity, information on early retirement incentivesand burial plots. The good news is we may qualifyfor the “early bird special,” at restaurants anddiscounts at movie theaters. Even my grumpy olddog, Cocoa, is in transition, and that may be thetoughest one of all for our family. There’s nothinganyone can do about transitions, or is there?

Nothing I know lasts in perpetuity, except theBulgarian-American Fulbright Commission. In myopinion, it is one of the finest expenditures of theU.S. government, and I’m privileged to have beenconnected with the program over the summer.

When I first read about the Fulbright-Hays SummerInstitute in Bulgaria, I was fascinated. The wordingof the program piqued my curiosity about thecountry, the culture and the people. It soundedwelcoming and friendly. I believed the Bulgarianprogram and I would be a perfect match, andwe were.

As a speech communication instructor at one ofthe fastest growing community colleges in theUnited States, my areas of interest includeinterpersonal, organizational, family, andintercultural communication. While I’ve traveledquite a bit, I’ve rarely had the opportunity tobecome immersed in a culture for an extendedperiod of time. So, this was an extraordinaryopportunity. My hope was to share what I learnedwith the, literally, hundreds of students I work withevery year, and broaden their view of the world.

One of my key goals in applying for the Fulbrightwas to immediately bring the experience back intothe classroom. I met Antonya Hristova, a Bulgarianteacher, at the Teacher ’s Conference in July andinstantly started discussing the possibility ofcreating a classroom project. She teaches seniorsat the German Language High School and wasnot only open to, but enthusiastic about,designing a project together. The purpose was toestablish an intercultural interaction between ourstudents with the goal of supporting their corecurriculum objectives.

I teach a collaborative course at Northwest VistaCollege called Sociologically Speaking. It is a

combination of the introductory sociology andspeech communication courses. My Sociologycolleague, Kara Paige Lopez, and I developed thecurriculum for our course that would include apartnership with Antonya’s students. Each U.S.student has a Bulgarian “E-Pal,” and each groupof five students has a specific topic to explore viae-mail. They have been researching their issuefrom the U.S. perspective and intend to ask theirpartners about the Bulgarian perspective. Thebroader goal of the project is to enhanceintercultural exchange and learn aboutsociological issues in the U.S. and Bulgaria.

Our students prepared a formal Poster Presentationwhich was shown at Northwest Vista College onOctober 20, 2004. The topics of exploration follow:

Bul-Tex: Partners in Learning

• Communicationo Language,o Nonverbal communication,o Slang terms,o Manners,o Contextual changes,o Evolution of communication patterns

since the transition in 1989.

• Cultureo food, fashion, fun,o traditions, beliefs, attitudes, values,o Popular culture and Art, musico Customs and rituals,o Influence of U.S. Culture on Bulgaria,o Influence of U.S. Media on Bulgaria.

••••• Educationo Schools,o Languageso Changes in system,o Funding,o Adult education,o Drop out rates,o Standards,o Accessibility,o Public v. private systems,o Styles of teaching.

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••••• Familyo Children,o Youth,o Family Identities,o Aged,o Women’s Rights and Roles,o Marriage & divorce,o Death,o Religion.

••••• Globalization issueso Population changes

(immigration/emigration),o Demography,o Urbanization,o Economic system since 1989

(transition to democracy),o Types of Jobs,o Wages,o Global Citizenship and migration

issues,o Security Studies,o Outsourcing and In-sourcing.

••••• Healtho Problems and concerns,o Life expectancy,o Medical system structure and issues,o Diseases,o Costs,o Ethical issues ( ex: euthanasia),o Environmental issues

(ex: smoking, pollution).

••••• Political structureo Government,o Political Parties,o Parliament,o European Union,o Legislation and Judicial System,o National and local entities; voter

turnout; military, war in Iraq;Palestinian/Israeli Conflict.

••••• Race and Ethnic Relations

o Minorities, Roma, Turks,o Special populations,o Volunteer efforts,o Citizenship and social responsibility,o Hate crimes against minorities.

In November, students will give an individualinformative speech on a specific topic related totheir roup issue. Each group will also present apersuasive appeal to the class linking a criticalissue in their topic area to how the U.S. isperceived in Bulgaria. We also hope to engage ina video-conference with Antonya’s class later onin the semester.

As my students face their own transitions tobecoming more educated adults, I am grateful tomy dear friends in Bulgaria who shared theirstruggles and stories, and to the Bulgarian studentswho so generously gave their ideas and opinions.

There has also been a physical transition betweenBulgaria and me. I shared a story with somestudents I met at the Fulbright InternationalSummer Institute. They were interested in hearingthat when my daughter, Sarah, was born inColorado twenty years ago, my father sent me abox of dirt from Texas. He instructed me to place itunder the birthing table because he wanted his firstgranddaughter to be “born on Texas soil.” Theyimmediately recognized the symbolism of such agesture and, as I left Pamparovo for Sofia on mylast day of the conference, they presented me witha precious container of Bulgarian soil. I intend tospread some of the soil on our campus, and in myown yard, so I will always have a piece of Bulgariagrowing in the land near me, and in my heart. Afterall, isn’t that what the Fulbright is all about?

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COLLECTED NOTES OF THE BULGARIAN EXPERIENCEJimmy Clark, Instructor,

El Paso Community College, Texas

The Fulbright travel program to Bulgaria turned outto be a very good non-linear adventure in that theunraveling of Bulgaria’s checkered past happened inlurches-some due to the history time-line and somedue to insertions of present philosophies-just as theRussians found themselves on top of Greek settlementsand the Romans on top of Thracian settlements.

These are some of the many realizations throughimmersion-encapsulated experiences as a series ofgestalts, holistic realizations. Epiphanies seemed toascend with me while climbing out of the cave ofOrpheus. The river Styx added shear slipperinessto the revelations. This was Greece, but Greece wasalso Thrace. The current political divisions are onlymomentary. The Bulgarian Fulbright-Hays programstructure allowed for a kind of fitting in,experiencing the connections but then suddenly(30 days) you’re out of there!

These encapsulating experiences started uponwitnessing a dog standing in a square hole-that wasa foundation for a small roadside building-lookingintently at an uninterested man sitting on a pile ofrubble. I never expected such a mental souvenir toexpress a viewpoint of a restructuring of what nowis my understanding to be Bulgaria. I can see the

viewpoint of Bulgaria’s national value system thathad so carefully constructed through time mostlyintact but the perspective of that national valuesystem is rapidly becoming much more pluralistic.And it keeps compounding under its own accordas would the unfolding of the lotus blossom.

As a neophyte to Eastern Europe, the experiencefelt like being launched out of a sling shot. Livingamong evidence of history (be it though theexperience was only 30, 29, 28, 27 …days) that is

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all around does not let that history so fleetingly passbut keeps it lingering in the mind as part of thesoul’s daily destiny. This is and was frontier. Thepeople and the settings reflect that. This includesthe remnants of not so worldly alliances gone awry.Their alliances may not have been fruitful butnonetheless are historical.

Travel through the country led me to feel like a tossedflat stone skipping across the surface of a deep poolof water. It was at first difficult to distinguish thingswell. The thirty day total immersion technique ofthe Bulgarian American Fulbright program beganto reveal the depth of the history of this region ofthe Balkan Peninsula. The range in the history ofBulgaria is as diverse as the faces of the many Orphito the locking in of the doctrine of the Ottoman forthe long term. Christian European states too hadembattled the region through soft power-languagefor controlling influence. The outlook was drivenby language with loftier intentions that did notforesee destiny. Why exact retribution for forceddecisions of the circumstance of location, location,location? Faced with national annihilation, survivalis the reward. To what depth of soul does thissustained objectivity penetrate?

The Bulgarian American Fulbright Commission isa very mature program in a country of a very longand tumultuous history. The Commission broughtin experts to talk to us about a wide array andenriching international topics (including the cult ofcooperation for national defense) extending beyondthe Balkan Peninsula. We attended close to40 lectures, seminars, presentations and in BGwords ‘and so on.’ Dr. Thomas Stapleton, aFulbrighter since 1949 did put it succinctly with “thevalue of interdisciplinary contact is the unconsciouseducation in other peoples’ disciplines.”

Panel presentations and discussions examined thecultural and social controversies of the era and theircontinued impact on their communities. Theprogram inadvertently uncovered the lifeexperiences of those who had to participate in theRegime and the effect that it had on fracturing ofcommunities. Lectures almost always took placebehind closed doors. Poets incanted their verses andexpressed the awareness of the standingunderground as a necessity of survival in an

oppressive era and recovery from a totalitarianstate. Prime Minister Lucanov’s Winter of 1990.Videnov’s banks of 1996–97.

All technologies have their time and place andas a consumer, one buys a product with certainexpectations of delivery. An automobile is clearlyunderstood in its intent and function. But whenone buys into an economic-philosophical system,especially one that is revolutionary, the fine printmay not match the delivery. Some technologieswork better and stand the greater chance ofsurvival. Part of that is a matter of timing. Thedrivers are new too and some may not be goodat driving anyway!

BG looks forward to EU inclusion in ’07 knowingthat like some of the previous alliances it is not thepanacea. But I thought it was worth going to liveamong the consequences of that history even if itwere only for 30 days. The process once again ofBulgarian nationalization is as a microcosm and amagnification of yet another national experience.Hope still lingers for wisdom in the oligarchies, thecultured ones (This is evidence of the distancedperspective of the long lived society). Bulgaria needsits extraordinary people, the best minds to directits headlong hurling into a contemporary destiny.

The counteracting agent to globalization is humannature. To make globalization work, thecommunication of fundamental human behaviorshould take front stage. Looking back to the hunter-gatherer states of social (survival mode) developmentone may find that hunting groups roamed out fromcommunities of say one hundred inhabitants. And ifRobert Wright in Nonzero is correct, his memicassumption is that the environmental setting in whichwe live gets encoded into our genes. That’s at least175 generations of directed social evolution!

The fight or flight limbic system is what helped us tosurvive at a certain time of our ‘progressive’development, but it influence too could keep groupsfrom collectively going where we need. Withoutcommunicating the understanding of its unconsciousinfluence upon our character and collectively as a‘human’ society, misunderstood progress may short-circuit future expectations no matter how wellwritten the descriptive contract may be.

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I now understand the de-connective nature withinus will fragment and separate the multifaceted livesof the global community as part of normal learnedevolutionary entropy. It is human nature to attemptto describe and distinguish things well to orderperceived chaos (including internationalization.)When you fight entropy, one keeps pumping inenergy into a closed system and the containmentbecomes overloaded.The affect of change is difficult to predict to someextent because not everything gets encoded. Eachgeneration has to relearn the experiences of theprevious generation. With the Fulbright program,the world really does have a chance to be a betterplace. It is easier to see objectively from afar. That’sthe hunter ’s encoding. That is a tool, part of ourheritage to be used to help one another towards apluralistic world order.

The Bulgarians are awesome, enduring people,steadfast in character. Their demeanor is a

consequence of surviving on the frontier. I enjoyedmeeting the young people-high school to university.They have an air of knowing living that is fittingthe global community. Young Bulgarians seethemselves first as world citizens. They deserve it;they have earned it.

The Fulbright notion of promoting universal humanunderstanding is quite a noble undertaking. I wouldlike to thank the Bulgarian American Commissionfor this opportunity. It has been an illuminatingexperience; however, the personal internal changeis still not completely comprehensible because it isdifficult to look into that reflective light. Thanksagain for sharing the dramatic life.

All 14 of us from across the U.S. had enough travelor experience at living on this planet to be able toget along 30, 29, 28, 27 days ...etc. Will our naturelet us reach ground 0 at which the theory ofGlobalization can benefit all?

RETURN TO U.S. FROM BULGARIALouisa Bradford, Social Studies Department Chair,

Birchwood High School, South Carolina

Participating in the Fulbright-Hays summerseminar has opened my eyes to the impact ofthe European Union on its newest aspiringmember. My group of 14 college and highschool educators expected to learn about thehistory and culture of Bulgaria. We hadlectures and presentations from some of theleading scholars of the country. However, Iwould have to say that learning aboutBulgaria’s struggles to meet the requirementsfor EU membership was the most revelatory.

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As one political analyst described it, “try toimagine building a civil society, with all theinstitutions and policies necessary, in a fewyears with people who have been oppressedfor much of their recent history”.

Since I am a social studies teacher, I wasintellectually aware of the strictures ofCommunist policies on politics and the economy.However, actually having conversations withteachers my age about growing up with thesestrictures deepened my understanding. Yet, noone expressed self-pity, only eagerness to getthings right, now that Bulgaria has the chanceto mold itself into a progressive republic. The onlytroubling aspect I saw was the migration of manyyoung people out of the country after 1989.Bulgaria has lost nearly a million people, largelydue to high unemployment rates.

My greatest enjoyment during our travels wasseeing the countryside. A deep feeling of peacecame over me as we were driven past acres ofsunflowers, herds of goats and sheep and

through the most beautiful villages I could haveimagined! I will never forget these impressions:

the grapevines which draped the fronts of thehouses, shading tiny front yards covered invegetables, roses and flowers; the innumerableroadside cafes, where there was almost alwaysa small group, sharing a coffee; and theoccasional horse-drawn wagon. I loved the senseof timelessness, the feeling that the ancestors ofthe people I saw had lived here for ages.

I could not conclude this narrative withoutmentioning the monasteries and churches wevisited. They were, of course, treasures. But morethan that, I saw a vision of Bulgaria’s spiritualpast. The numbers of reverent visitors to theseholy places surely is an indication of theBulgarian peoples’ devotion to orthodoxy. Theseare not just historical sites, these are places ofpilgrimage, faith and hope. What thesemonasteries represented to the Christian faith,and to the salvation of Bulgaria, is enormous andperhaps beyond secular explanation.

Corresponding with Bulgarian friends and withthe other members of my group has been joyous,but also a little sad. I miss these new friends, missthe excitement of discovering new places and thechallenges of travel. I have set myself the goal ofre-discovering my own state, with an idea for abook about historic churches here. Most happily,as a result of my first informal presentation aboutBulgaria and the Fulbright Commission, I amhelping two teachers research their applicationsfor exchange. I know in my heart that thisjourney has re-energized me as a teacher.

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Fulbright Office News

Meeting of the U.S. Fulright graduate students with Commission staff

After Two Months in Bulgaria

Cultural Enrichment Activities for U.S. Fulbright Grantees

One-day trip to the historic town of Koprivshtitsa

Community College FairThe Bulgarian Fulbright Commission assisted the AmericanAssociation of Community Colleges in promoting 22 U.S.community colleges at a Community College Fair held at theRadisson Hotel in Sofia on October 12, 2004.

More than 230 students, parents, high schools principals andteachers, educational advisors and journalists, as well asrepresentatives of the U.S. Embassy and the Consular Sectionvisited the fair and received invaluable information on the U.S.community college system, the application process and visaprocedures.

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11th AUBG Grad School Fair

Nearly 50 students attended the advising sessionconducted by Fulbright educational adviserSnezhana Teneva on graduate study in the USat the 11th AUBG Grad School Fair in the town ofBlagoevgrad, November 10, 2004. Thirty morevisitors stopped by the Fulbright booth.

International Education Week

This year the Bulgarian-American FulbrightCommission staff marked the International EducationWeek (November 15–19, 2004) with the opening ofits ninth local information center in the town of Vidinand the Fulbright Open Doors.

About 150 students, parents, teachers, lecturers andresearchers visited the Fulbright Advising Centerin Sofia during the IEW. They were consulted onthe educational system in the U.S. and theopportunities to study, do research and lecture atAmerican colleges and universities. Bulgarianstudents applying to U.S. universities and collegeswere given the opportunity to get in contact withU.S. Fulbright graduate students and teachers,members of the Fulbright Commission staff as wellas representatives of the U.S. Embassy and theConsular Section in Sofia.

Official opening of the ninth Fulbright information center in the town of Vidin

Carolina Ramos from the American Embassy in Sofia givinga talk on “Visas and F and J Procedures”

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�� Chicago and Back

Going to Kansas was the most wonderful experienceI had ever had in my life.

When I was fifteen I took a plane for the first timein my life to join my mother who worked in Medea,Algeria. It was magic to go to Africa, to visit suchexotic places, to be witness to such strange anddifferent from those I had been used to events.

Two years later I discovered another incredible life– western Europe-new technologies in real life,hypermarkets, urban places, historical castles, etc.It was magic again. When I went to Asia I foundthat the wonders on Earth never finish. During mytrips, in those foreign places you can imagine whatstrange, wonderful, funny, happy and confusingexperiences I had, can’t you? That is why I amwriting all this – just to make you understand howspecial and true my first statement is.

America is not another continent, it is anotherworld. Spread out areas, exotic nature, hightechnologies, people having unbelievable beliefsand behavior. But let’s start now from thebeginning. After 36 hours without sleeping,changing one plane after another I reachedWichita, Kansas, where the principal of HavenHigh School and his wife were expecting me atmidnight on that last airport. He was tall andsmiling, she was short and smiling too – Terryand Tanna Fehrenbach. As I soon understoodthey were incredibly kind, hospitable, open-minded, natural people, loving and supportingeach other, living in a large, cozy house with agarden and a back yard. Their two children weregone to live their own lives. Almost once a weekwe had parties in their house with many of theirfriends – Terry and Tanna cooking and smiling,preparing all salads of vegetables grown in their

Sylvia Draycheva (to the left) with her American landlady

Sylvia Draycheva is principal of the Language SchoolJoan Ekzarh in Vratsa. In AY 2003-2004 she was ona school administrator exchange at the Haven HighSchool in Haven, Kansas.

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own garden. The food was delicious andabundant but the drinks – missing – only waterand tea with a lot of ice.

Going to different meetings, working lunches;visiting other families even in other states I let goone of my predictions – Americans do not drinkalcohol. But they compensate eating – everywhere,all the time, except the time they work. And theywork hard – never counting the working hours –work with a smile on their faces. There were30 teachers in Haven High School – starting earlyin the morning (7–7:30 A.M.), teaching theirsubjects according to a permanent schedule everyday and often leaving at 10–10:30 P.M., trainingtheir students in different sports, after 7 periods.Sport is very important. In the American schools –every single student is involved in a team and theytrain hard to become winners in so manycompetitions, tournaments etc. At the same timeteachers and staff are very active and distractingthemselves; they travel a lot, belong to differentclubs and churches, invite friends to their place orgo to their friends’ place, play games, preparebarbecue parties… Most of them invited me to meettheir families, to taste their favorite homemade pie.

The most fascinating person I met there was myhost – Dixie Schoepp. She offered her beautifulhouse to me to live better than at home andprepared a list of places “compulsory” to visit. Weorganized American parties, Bulgarian parties; shetook me to Blackwell and Bartlesville in Oklahomastate (4 hours of driving) to meet her daughter ’sfamily. She even introduced me to her ex-husband,a very famous local businessman, selling Shevies(Shevrolette) because she wanted to show meeverything as if the image of the U.S.A. dependedon me! Americans are proud of themselves. Everymorning after a special signal they stand up andsay a vow with a hand on the heart. The Americanstudents are the most disciplined in the world. Theymove in their huge and well-equipped school

without making any noise or throwing litter. Theyfollow the rhythm of their daily routine trying tobe as good as possible in the subjects they havechosen for the current school year. Speaking tothem in the corridors or in the classrooms or in theauditorium another one of my predictions towardsAmericans fell down – most of them are interestedin science, languages, politics, cultures, etc.

It could not be other way when adults as Mr. andMrs. Humphrys from Great Bend exist.Mr. Humphrys – an attorney who belongs to aspecial club in his town invited me to presentBulgaria and the Bulgarian educational system.When I arrived there I could not reach the seat Iwas supposed to in front of the audience – I saw ahuge Bulgarian flag hanging and words ofwelcome in Bulgarian. Imagine my feelings at thatmoment at about 10000 km from home, on theother side of the globe, those unknown people whorespected me, who cared about me, who wereinterested in me… I just cried.

The Americans are well – raised. They try to makeyou feel valuable and happy. A boy from Havenschool made specially for me cornbread just becausehe knew I had not tasted it before.

The Americans are not afraid – during my stay inTopeca – the capital of Kansas (and it was a littletime after the big blackout in the eastern part ofAmerica) Terry and I felt absolutely free to enterany room in Capitol building, to sit in the chairs ofthe state representatives and even in the Governor’schair. Nobody checked us.

I can go on and on to share unforgettableimpressions of that huge country and wonderfulpeople although I saw just a small part of it. But Iam sure I made you interested in going there. It isworth taking any opportunity to visit new places.I like this: The world is a book. When you stay inone country you read only one page. Turn the pages.

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Out of America

I recently completed what I consider to be anexcellent administrative Fulbright Exchange withthe Language School in Vratsa, Bulgaria. Myexchange was the second half of the projectwhich saw Mrs. Sylvia Draycheva spending sixweeks working with me in Haven, Kansas. Ibelieve her experience in America was also a verysuccessful exchange.The success of the program is based on several keypoints. The selection process of exchange partnerswas very extensive and very effective. BothMrs. Draycheva and I had to step outside of ourcomfort zone. It is a big leap of faith to leave a schoolfor six weeks and travel to the other side of theworld to explore an unknown system. The Fulbrightscreening process was able to match two peoplefrom divergent cultures and backgrounds andcreate a wonderful professional experience.

I believe it is also important that the two schoolsystems were progressive in their willingness toallow two principals to undertake such a project.Allowing the chief administrator to be absent froma building for an extended period of time placed aburden on each school but it was a burden worthbearing. The value of the exchange will be felt formany years to come as the lessons learned by eachadministrator are shared in their home schools andcountries. I have personally had the opportunityto visit with many professionals about the programand have additional presentations scheduled forthe future. I will be giving a presentation at theKansas summer conference for secondary schoolprincipals. In excess of 150 current administratorswill have an opportunity to hear of the exchangeprogram and what I consider to be the reasons forconsidering applying for an exchange program.

Terry Fehrenbach (first from right to left) at a friendly dinner.

Terry Fehrenbach is principal of the Haven High Schoolin Haven, Kansas. In AY 2003–2004 he was on a schooladministrator exchange at the Language School JoanEkzarh in Vratsa.

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My original intention for participating in theprogram was to find educational ideas in Vratsathat could be applied in my school. After fourweeks in Vratsa, it became apparent thateducational requirements would make it difficultto use many of the concepts used in Bulgaria. Theirnational curriculum is different from Kansas. Thestructure of teacher training and studentrequirements was different from Kansas. The realvalue of the program became more evident as Iexamined the culture of Bulgaria. I have been ableto bring back much of that culture and share withmy school, community, and state. The exchangegave my students an opportunity to experience theway of life in a foreign country in a way that is notpossible in a traditional classroom setting.

During my time in Bulgaria, Mrs. Draychevaand I talked many times about ways to increasethe impact of the exchange program. From thediscussions, we developed the proposal to havestudents and teachers involved in such an

exchange. I am one person spreading theinformation concerning the culture of EasternEurope. I examined the school system and theculture from an administrative point of view.How valuable would it be to have a similarprogram where students and teachers couldexplore the education system from theirviewpoint. Not a day goes by that a studentdoesn’t ask me something about my experienceand the same students ask about a studentexchange program. Those students would bewonderful ambassadors for the United States andI know that many of the students from Vratsawould be great representatives from Bulgaria.

The proposal that was presented to Dr. Stefanovain March outlines the purpose and rationale forsuch a student exchange. I believe this could be avery valuable program as it opens newopportunities for my students. It has the potentialof opening up borders between our two countriesand cultures that have never been opened.

BULGARIAN-AMERICAN COMMISSION FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE"FULBRIGHT"

PROVIDESYEAR-ROUND ADMINISTRATION OF COMPUTER-BASED TOEFL, GRE, GMAT TESTS

AT THOMSON PROMETRIC TESTING CENTERTest Center Number: 8007

Test Center Address: Sofia 1000, 17 Al. Stamboliiski Blvd., Floor I, Room 14

TESTING DAYS AND TIME INFORMATIONMondays  9.00 am – 1.30 pm, 1.30 pm – 6.00 pm Call: (02) 980-49-85, (02) 981-22-15Wednesdays  9.00 am – 1.30 pm Monday – Friday, 10.00 am – noon, 2.00 – 4.00 pmEvery 1st, 3rd and 4th Friday  9.00 am – 1.30 pmEvery 2nd Friday  1.30 pm – 6.00 pm Visit: Monday – Friday 2.00 – 4.00 pmEvery 3rd Saturday  9.00 am – 1.30 pm Sofia 1000, 17 Al. Stamboliiski Blvd., Floor I, Room 14A

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Bulgarian-American Commission for Educational Exchange

The Bulgarian Fulbright Newsletter is publishedby the Bulgarian-American Commission for Educational Exchange

Please send contributions and comments to:Bulgarian-American Fulbright Commission17, Al. Stamboliiski Blvd. • Sofia 1000, Bulgariatel: +359 (2) 981-85-67 • fax: +359 (2) 988-45-17e-mail: [email protected] • http: //www.fulbright-bg.org

Printed by NEXT Ltd.Sofia, Bulgaria

tel. +359 (02) 9813548, 9811947E-mail: [email protected]

PLOVDIV 4000, 42 Knyaz Alexander I Str.Tel. +359 (32) 652 866Cheresha Chelebieva, CoordinatorE-mail: [email protected]

VELIKO TARNOVO 5000, University of VelikoTarnovo, Rectorate, Office 524Tel. +359 (62) 639 929Emilia Mezeva, CoordinatorE-mail: [email protected]

STARA ZAGORA 6010, Trakiiski University,9 Armeiska Str., DIPKU, office 121Tel. +359 (42) 601 563Nedyalka Turnovska, CoordinatorE-mail: [email protected]

ROUSSE 7013, University of Rousse, 38 Riga Str.,Pedagogical Faculty, Room 510-511/ATel. +359 (82) 846 106Assistant-Prof. Roumyana Petrova, CoordinatorE-mail: [email protected]

VARNA 9000, VARNA UNIVERSITYOF ECONOMICS - 2nd Building24 Evlogi Georgiev Str., Office 105ATel: +359 (052) 303 265 ext. 132Kaloyan Kolev, CoordinatorEmail: [email protected]

BOURGAS 8000, 58 Slivnitza Str., 4th Floor, LeftTel. +359 (56) 842 453Sabina Nedkova, CoordinatorE-mail: [email protected]

SLIVEN 8800, TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY -Sliven, 59 Bourgasko shosse Blvd.Tel. 359 (44) 667 545Petia Kopankova, CoordinatorEmail: [email protected]

VIDIN 3700, Tsar Simeon Veliki High School,6 Targovska Str.Tel: +359 (94) 606 734Dilyana Stefanova, CoordinatorE-mail: [email protected]

SMOLYAN 4700, 85 Bulgaria Blvd., Office 101Tel. +359 (301) 63 680Ludmila Gospodinova Teneva, CoordinatorE-mail: [email protected]

FULBRIGHT INFORMATION CENTERS IN BULGARIA