Students spend winter in Prague studying leadership qualities
Susan Springstead
Issue date: 3/27/03 Section: Features
Walking through the foreign streets of Prague, one would never think that it's likely to run into a familiar face. But for Jennifer Holdsworth and Ryan Harty it proved to be a small world after all.
Both Holdsworth and Harty were selected from a large array of applicants around the world to attend the International Youth Leadership Conference in Prague, Czech Republic over winter break. The conference is semiannual and began in 2000. Approximately 200 students were in attendance and 53 countries were represented. Coca-Cola, Civic Concepts and Czech Airlines sponsored the conference.
The fundamental purpose of the conference was to bring a diverse population of today's young leaders together to exchange ideas on world political views.
The forum consisted of three simulations where the students got a chance to act out a variety of governmental positions. It gave students an opportunity to see outside their own views and get a peek into others perspectives on politics.
Holdsworth and Harty went into the trip not knowing that they would encounter a fellow N.J. resident, let alone a fellow Rowan student. Both heard through others that another person from South Jersey was in attendance at the conference, but it was just a matter of time before they met. Holdsworth recalled, "We just sort of ran into each other randomly, it was really weird. You don't think you're going to run into someone from Rowan in the middle of Prague."
Stepping onto the grounds of Prague seemed somewhat like a "fantasy land," said Harty.
He described the architecture and the ancient castles that he got a chance to view while sightseeing. "The castles were kind of like what you see in the movies. I'm used to seeing skyscrapers and heavy traffic. In Prague there are no street lights in the city and the streets are made of cobblestone, it's nothing like here."
Harty also thought it was interesting how Prague was one of the few cities never touched by World War II. "It was so weird because it was still in its original form, it was kind of like walking through the 1930s."
Both Holdsworth and Harty were selected from a large array of applicants around the world to attend the International Youth Leadership Conference in Prague, Czech Republic over winter break. The conference is semiannual and began in 2000. Approximately 200 students were in attendance and 53 countries were represented. Coca-Cola, Civic Concepts and Czech Airlines sponsored the conference.
The fundamental purpose of the conference was to bring a diverse population of today's young leaders together to exchange ideas on world political views.
The forum consisted of three simulations where the students got a chance to act out a variety of governmental positions. It gave students an opportunity to see outside their own views and get a peek into others perspectives on politics.
Holdsworth and Harty went into the trip not knowing that they would encounter a fellow N.J. resident, let alone a fellow Rowan student. Both heard through others that another person from South Jersey was in attendance at the conference, but it was just a matter of time before they met. Holdsworth recalled, "We just sort of ran into each other randomly, it was really weird. You don't think you're going to run into someone from Rowan in the middle of Prague."
Stepping onto the grounds of Prague seemed somewhat like a "fantasy land," said Harty.
He described the architecture and the ancient castles that he got a chance to view while sightseeing. "The castles were kind of like what you see in the movies. I'm used to seeing skyscrapers and heavy traffic. In Prague there are no street lights in the city and the streets are made of cobblestone, it's nothing like here."
Harty also thought it was interesting how Prague was one of the few cities never touched by World War II. "It was so weird because it was still in its original form, it was kind of like walking through the 1930s."