OIP Rejects Study Proposal for Northern Idaho Tech
In this season of study abroad applications and deadlines many students are pushed beyond the normal stress load of the academically rigorous Georgetown curriculum. Juniors have compared the study abroad application process to that of applying to Georgetown just three short years ago. An OIP representative warns, “Just because you got in to Georgetown, doesn’t mean you get to go abroad. All bets are off!” The competition for the few coveted spots is fierce and many students are simply turned away.
This proved to be the tragic fate for one GU student, Elmer Rictor (MSB ‘05). Elmer’s harrowing story began, he says, when he was a young boy in the Catoctin Mountains, just north of Frederick, Maryland. For a school project, the 51 students in Elmer’s second grade class each chose a U.S. state (including Puerto Rico) from the teacher’s straw hat. Each student would do a 1-page report on the state he chose. On that fateful day, Elmer remembers the glorious feeling that overcame his body as he realized he had chosen the potato powerhouse, Idaho. “From that day forward I dreamt of nothing but elk, bull trout, and hay bails!” recounts Elmer. By his senior year of high school, Elmer’s 1-page report had turned into a 250-page thesis, winning several awards including the IEC’s (Idaho Existence Commission) essay contest.
When it came time for Elmer to apply to his abroad school of choice, there really was no choice. It was Northern Idaho Tech (NIT) all the way. Elmer turned his application in to the OIP resource center with eight passport photos in a zip lock back, leaving the office with a smile. His high spirits were short lived. Elmer was soon informed, through email, that although his application was appreciated, he was not getting a bid to NIT. “I was crushed,” recalls Elmer, “Everything I had worked for was for nothing. NOTHING!”
An OIP advisor maintained that this was the correct decision. “Elmer’s a good kid. But for starters, his format was all wrong, he only had one teacher recommendation, and the passport photos were taken with an I-Zone camera. Secondly, he didn’t understand what it means to study abroad. We send kids to other countries, not other states. I don’t quite understand why Elmer doesn’t just transfer.” OIP would like to remind students that all decisions are final.
