University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Kennedy Putting the Student in Student-Athlete Even During the Summer with Study Abroad Trip to Europe
07.18.2017 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville volleyball sophomore Carter Kennedy kicked off her summer break with a study abroad trip through Europe to earn credit towards her degree in New Media. It was a fun and educational adventure that spanned 15 days and three cities that have been enriching the world with their art for centuries.
It was also a series of valuable learning experiences and interactions that she will undoubtedly remember and cherish for years to come.
The trip, which began on her birthday coincidentally enough, took the McKinney, Texas, native and 14 of her fellow UNC Asheville classmates across "the pond" to London, Paris and Berlin at the beginning of June. While spending roughly five days in each destination, Kennedy and her classmates immersed themselves in each individual city's local culture to learn more about each city's art, both past and present, as well as the artists who call those cities home.
"I was in Europe from June 1st to June 15th, and spent about five days in each of the three cities we went to: London, Paris, and Berlin," Kennedy said. "14 of my classmates and I stayed in hostels in each city and had planned excursions each day. The trip was worth credit hours for my major, New Media, so we went to a lot of art museums, galleries, and exhibitions and also met with local artists in each city. The purpose of the trip was to not only delve into the art of these three cities, but to submerse ourselves into the culture as well.
"We had several assignments while we were aboard in order to do just this, such as keeping 'media journals' of hidden gems that the typical tourist would not see, and were told to wander through the streets of Paris without any form of navigation or technology," Kennedy continued. "While I loved every city that I visited, I felt a strong connection to Berlin in particular. It was fascinating to see the WWII and Cold War history still prevalent in nearly all aspects of the city, and the art culture as well as the people reminded me of Asheville so I felt like I was home away from home. I had the experience of a lifetime learning about different cultures and comparing them to what I'm used to in the States, and I look forward to drawing inspiration from my trip as I work on my final project for the course that will be displayed in a gallery in Asheville in the fall."
Kennedy, who is a setter on the UNC Asheville volleyball team, has always had a passion for art. When researching universities to continue her education, UNC Asheville stood out most and the New Media major was part of her why she chose to become a Bulldog.
Aside from playing volleyball and her studies, Kennedy also helps out the UNC Asheville Athletic Communications department with design work, including designing the cover of the upcoming online 2017 Volleyball Media Guide and Record Book, and she also worked with game day management during the winter and spring seasons.
Read more about Kennedy's European trip this summer in the transcript of her interview with UNCABulldogs.com below:
AVL AC – What got you interested in doing New Media as your major here at UNC Asheville?
CK – "I've always been pretty artsy and creative, but as I matured, I fine-tuned my interests and took a liking to graphic design – advertising in particular. I decided to go the B.A. route instead of the B.S. route, which led to researching the New Media degree at UNC Asheville after Coach Santos initially contacted me about coming here."
AVL AC – What about New Media captures your imagination and has you excited to be in the industry?
CK – "The whole point about New Media is that it's always 'new.' If you were to ask anyone in the department to actually define what 'New Media' is, myself included, they would be stumped. It's exciting to be going into an ever-changing industry that has to adapt and change to suit the needs of a society that is constantly growing."
AVL AC – Tell the readers a little more about the trip.
CK – "A pretty consistent theme of the trip was to learn what defines a city. As the days of the trips passed, our daily morning discussions frequently referenced aspects of the city we were in and talked about how it related to somewhere we'd already been. We were given the option to hit the typical tourist attractions in each location, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, etc., and I did, but the main goal of the trip was to experience each city in a way that a typical tourist wouldn't.
"With that in mind, we went to local galleries and exhibitions in each city and met with local artists, sometimes in their homes, and learned about how their ideas came about and why they chose to do the things that they did. We even went to a local exhibition situated in a small building in the middle of a park in London that used to be a public restroom. Because it was a New Media trip, the art we focused on as a whole consisted mostly of newer art forms such as 3D printing and mixed media. We did, however, go to places that featured ancient artwork, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, in order to compare and contrast it to newer forms of media. Because I mainly focus on advertising, it was refreshing to be surrounded by fine art forms that I am not typically exposed to. I feel like I really expanded my knowledge of art as a whole, and gained inspiration to use as I move forward in my degree and in my career. "
AVL AC – What was the most inspirational thing (or things) you saw while on your trip?
CK – "The inspiration I found on my trip was in the little elements of each city that normally wouldn't be picked up on. For example: the rips and graffiti on the posters in the train stations in Paris. What particularly got me thinking, however, was the audio that played on the London Underground as the train doors opened: a British voice saying to 'Mind the gap' between the train and the platform. Because I was in London during the London Bridge terrorist attack, I really began thinking about what that 'gap' could really entail. I started noticing cultural 'gaps' between the cities I visited that sparked the inspiration for my final project in the course."
AVL AC – What was the hardest part about the trip and being overseas?
CK – "Language was not an issue for me in the slightest. I was lucky enough to visit two predominantly English speaking cities (London and Berlin) and to have taken three years of French in high school. The French appreciate attempts to speak their language, and I knew enough to order at restaurants and navigate my way around the city.
"The hardest part about being in Europe was probably being in London during the terrorist attack. I wasn't afraid for myself because I didn't even know that it happened until after the fact – the one time a lack of cell service was actually a good thing – but I felt bad for my friends and family that were unable to reach me until a later time."
AVL AC – Looking back at the trip, how do you think this prepared you for your future classes and then the career you wish to pursue?
CK – "It's been over a month since I've been back in the states and I still find myself making daily comparisons to my experience abroad. I've found so much inspiration that I will be able to use in future projects that I can add to my portfolio as I begin to apply for jobs and/or internships."
AVL AC – You also started helping out with the Athletic Communications department last year. Why did you want to help us out and what do you feel you bring to the group?
CK – "I initially wanted to help the Athletic Communications department to gain experience in my field, but I quickly learned that there are so many other areas of media that I had never even looked into. Since I began working, not only have I had the privilege to design graphics to promote games, but I've learned how to operate music, game-time cameras, etc., and had the opportunity to see behind the scenes of multiple live sports broadcasting productions.
"Because I'm a part of a sport that has less national recognition than many others, I understand what it's like to feel underrepresented within the national athletic community. I want to be able to bring attention to not just volleyball, but all sports that work just as hard at what they do as the sports that dominate the industry. I believe working in the Athletic Communication department, while also being able to gain various skill sets and experience, will give me the opportunity to do just that. I'm extremely blessed to be at a small school with a tight-knit athletic department that has been more than willing to show me the ropes and be patient with me as I grow in all areas of my intended field."
Kennedy and the UNC Asheville volleyball team will kick off the 2017 season with 10 straight road matches, beginning Friday, Aug. 25, at the University of Georgia's Benson Invitational in Athens, Ga. The Bulldogs' first home match of the year will be on Tuesday, Sept. 19, against Big South opponent Gardner-Webb.
Below are some pictures shared by Carter Kennedy from her trip.
To learn more about UNC Asheville volleyball, please visit uncabulldogs.com. You can also follow UNC Asheville volleyball on Twitter (@UNCA_Volleyball) and Instagram (uncasheville_volleyball).
It was also a series of valuable learning experiences and interactions that she will undoubtedly remember and cherish for years to come.
The trip, which began on her birthday coincidentally enough, took the McKinney, Texas, native and 14 of her fellow UNC Asheville classmates across "the pond" to London, Paris and Berlin at the beginning of June. While spending roughly five days in each destination, Kennedy and her classmates immersed themselves in each individual city's local culture to learn more about each city's art, both past and present, as well as the artists who call those cities home.
"I was in Europe from June 1st to June 15th, and spent about five days in each of the three cities we went to: London, Paris, and Berlin," Kennedy said. "14 of my classmates and I stayed in hostels in each city and had planned excursions each day. The trip was worth credit hours for my major, New Media, so we went to a lot of art museums, galleries, and exhibitions and also met with local artists in each city. The purpose of the trip was to not only delve into the art of these three cities, but to submerse ourselves into the culture as well.
"We had several assignments while we were aboard in order to do just this, such as keeping 'media journals' of hidden gems that the typical tourist would not see, and were told to wander through the streets of Paris without any form of navigation or technology," Kennedy continued. "While I loved every city that I visited, I felt a strong connection to Berlin in particular. It was fascinating to see the WWII and Cold War history still prevalent in nearly all aspects of the city, and the art culture as well as the people reminded me of Asheville so I felt like I was home away from home. I had the experience of a lifetime learning about different cultures and comparing them to what I'm used to in the States, and I look forward to drawing inspiration from my trip as I work on my final project for the course that will be displayed in a gallery in Asheville in the fall."
Kennedy, who is a setter on the UNC Asheville volleyball team, has always had a passion for art. When researching universities to continue her education, UNC Asheville stood out most and the New Media major was part of her why she chose to become a Bulldog.
Aside from playing volleyball and her studies, Kennedy also helps out the UNC Asheville Athletic Communications department with design work, including designing the cover of the upcoming online 2017 Volleyball Media Guide and Record Book, and she also worked with game day management during the winter and spring seasons.
Read more about Kennedy's European trip this summer in the transcript of her interview with UNCABulldogs.com below:
AVL AC – What got you interested in doing New Media as your major here at UNC Asheville?
CK – "I've always been pretty artsy and creative, but as I matured, I fine-tuned my interests and took a liking to graphic design – advertising in particular. I decided to go the B.A. route instead of the B.S. route, which led to researching the New Media degree at UNC Asheville after Coach Santos initially contacted me about coming here."
AVL AC – What about New Media captures your imagination and has you excited to be in the industry?
CK – "The whole point about New Media is that it's always 'new.' If you were to ask anyone in the department to actually define what 'New Media' is, myself included, they would be stumped. It's exciting to be going into an ever-changing industry that has to adapt and change to suit the needs of a society that is constantly growing."
AVL AC – Tell the readers a little more about the trip.
CK – "A pretty consistent theme of the trip was to learn what defines a city. As the days of the trips passed, our daily morning discussions frequently referenced aspects of the city we were in and talked about how it related to somewhere we'd already been. We were given the option to hit the typical tourist attractions in each location, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, etc., and I did, but the main goal of the trip was to experience each city in a way that a typical tourist wouldn't.
"With that in mind, we went to local galleries and exhibitions in each city and met with local artists, sometimes in their homes, and learned about how their ideas came about and why they chose to do the things that they did. We even went to a local exhibition situated in a small building in the middle of a park in London that used to be a public restroom. Because it was a New Media trip, the art we focused on as a whole consisted mostly of newer art forms such as 3D printing and mixed media. We did, however, go to places that featured ancient artwork, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, in order to compare and contrast it to newer forms of media. Because I mainly focus on advertising, it was refreshing to be surrounded by fine art forms that I am not typically exposed to. I feel like I really expanded my knowledge of art as a whole, and gained inspiration to use as I move forward in my degree and in my career. "
AVL AC – What was the most inspirational thing (or things) you saw while on your trip?
CK – "The inspiration I found on my trip was in the little elements of each city that normally wouldn't be picked up on. For example: the rips and graffiti on the posters in the train stations in Paris. What particularly got me thinking, however, was the audio that played on the London Underground as the train doors opened: a British voice saying to 'Mind the gap' between the train and the platform. Because I was in London during the London Bridge terrorist attack, I really began thinking about what that 'gap' could really entail. I started noticing cultural 'gaps' between the cities I visited that sparked the inspiration for my final project in the course."
AVL AC – What was the hardest part about the trip and being overseas?
CK – "Language was not an issue for me in the slightest. I was lucky enough to visit two predominantly English speaking cities (London and Berlin) and to have taken three years of French in high school. The French appreciate attempts to speak their language, and I knew enough to order at restaurants and navigate my way around the city.
"The hardest part about being in Europe was probably being in London during the terrorist attack. I wasn't afraid for myself because I didn't even know that it happened until after the fact – the one time a lack of cell service was actually a good thing – but I felt bad for my friends and family that were unable to reach me until a later time."
AVL AC – Looking back at the trip, how do you think this prepared you for your future classes and then the career you wish to pursue?
CK – "It's been over a month since I've been back in the states and I still find myself making daily comparisons to my experience abroad. I've found so much inspiration that I will be able to use in future projects that I can add to my portfolio as I begin to apply for jobs and/or internships."
AVL AC – You also started helping out with the Athletic Communications department last year. Why did you want to help us out and what do you feel you bring to the group?
CK – "I initially wanted to help the Athletic Communications department to gain experience in my field, but I quickly learned that there are so many other areas of media that I had never even looked into. Since I began working, not only have I had the privilege to design graphics to promote games, but I've learned how to operate music, game-time cameras, etc., and had the opportunity to see behind the scenes of multiple live sports broadcasting productions.
"Because I'm a part of a sport that has less national recognition than many others, I understand what it's like to feel underrepresented within the national athletic community. I want to be able to bring attention to not just volleyball, but all sports that work just as hard at what they do as the sports that dominate the industry. I believe working in the Athletic Communication department, while also being able to gain various skill sets and experience, will give me the opportunity to do just that. I'm extremely blessed to be at a small school with a tight-knit athletic department that has been more than willing to show me the ropes and be patient with me as I grow in all areas of my intended field."
Kennedy and the UNC Asheville volleyball team will kick off the 2017 season with 10 straight road matches, beginning Friday, Aug. 25, at the University of Georgia's Benson Invitational in Athens, Ga. The Bulldogs' first home match of the year will be on Tuesday, Sept. 19, against Big South opponent Gardner-Webb.
Below are some pictures shared by Carter Kennedy from her trip.
To learn more about UNC Asheville volleyball, please visit uncabulldogs.com. You can also follow UNC Asheville volleyball on Twitter (@UNCA_Volleyball) and Instagram (uncasheville_volleyball).
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