COVID-19 has changed the plans of many throughout the world. This is especially true for one Bluffton University students who had to return home from other countries, ending their cross-cultural experiences earlier than anticipated.
Bender walking on a trail in New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Eric Bender.
Eric Bender, an exercise science and strength and conditioning double major, had to return from his cross-cultural experience in New Zealand almost three months earlier than planned. His study abroad program, BCA, shut down, meaning his funding for housing and tuition was cut off. While Bender reached out to faculty at Bluffton in an attempt to stay, the faculty members, along with his family, decided it would be best for him to return home.
“At first I was pretty upset because I put a lot of work, financially, mentally and academically, to be able to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity,” Bender said. “As time has gone on, I’ve been growing more content with it, as I was lucky enough to spend at least six weeks there exploring and experiencing the culture.”
A week after Bender got back to his home in Vermillion, Ohio, New Zealand closed its borders.
“If I didn’t come home when I did, I would have been stuck there,” Bender said.
Bender said that while getting his flight changed was “super stressful,” it was reasonably easy getting back. New Zealand was considered a level one country, and when he arrived in San Francisco he went through customs and security normally, without any health screenings. He didn’t have to be quarantined per his local health department and followed the same guidelines as all Ohioans upon his return.
While Bender said his experience will count as his cross-cultural credit, he had to drop the three classes he was taking through the University of Otago.
“Classes are online now, but when I had to make my decision they were still in session, like normal,” Bender said. “Some of my classes had no online lecture recordings so I would have had to be there in person to get the information.”
However, because he would have been able to graduate a semester early without this experience, he is still planning on graduating on time. Despite not getting credit for the classes, Bender said he’s glad he got to experience a learning environment that was so different than Bluffton’s.
“The University of Otago had about 30,000 students,” Bender said. “My biggest class had about 450 students, so that was obviously a lot different than Bluffton. That also meant they had more resources. For example, I had an exercise physiology lab that was very hands-on.”
Bender was able to experience New Zealand culture for almost a month and a half. Some of his highlights from that time were going to Tunnel Beach, Lake Tekapo, Mount Cook, Queenstown and many different tropical beaches.
“What I’m going to miss the most is probably just having some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in my backyard,” Bender said.
Editor’s note: Aubrey Bartel, the reporter for this story, is dating Eric Bender as of the time this story was published.
