In every dish, there are a mix of ingredients blending together to create a certain smell and taste. Individually, each ingredient has its own scent and flavor, but combine it with multiple or even just one more thing, and the recipe becomes something completely different.
About half way through our UTC communications study abroad trip, we took a cooking class. Our group of 10 plus our professor and resident director met with a chef to make tapas and empanadas. We were split into groups to contribute to making different parts of the meal, where we sliced bread and peppers, fried omelets, folded empanadas, stirred sauces and mixed everything to produce a strange variety of options that went surprisingly well together.
We left the cooking class with full bellies and smiles on our faces, but before that, our professor, Dr. Anthony Cepak, was teaching us how cooking relates to design. He said, “You take things that don’t seem like they would go together and you find ways to blend them.”
While he was referring to cooking and design, I thought about our group and the trip as a whole. We’re all very different and every workshop and assignment has been very different, but it’s all come together to create one perfect mixture.
Cepak spent years planning our Barcelona study abroad trip. He scouted for locations and made connections before the coronavirus pandemic hit, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2023 that the trip happened. Cepak specifically looked for ways to get students out into the city to explore its culture and heritage while connecting the role design plays in Barcelona’s make-up.
Looking at the itinerary for the first time was overwhelming, but by the end of the trip, I could see how each creative element we touched, from film photography to cooking, all tied back to design in some form or fashion. In the broad scope of design, everything can be connected, it’s just a matter of how.
In the process of assembling the unique mash-up of activities that made the itinerary, Cepak taught us the process of making design elements connect while bringing a small group of vastly different students together to do it.
Calista Bellar is always ready for an adventure. She’s a fun, fast-talking girl full of energy and passion with a great sense of humor.
Emily Redden is such a sweet friend to have. From her constant love and support to her feisty, can-do attitude, she brings a dependable and contagious amount of energy to the group.
Jaheim Williams can befriend anyone and do whatever he sets his mind to. He can always make you laugh and help you realize that no matter what you’re doing, you can find a way to have fun.
Jordan Harris radiates and inspires confidence. Acting like no one is watching, she is always enthusiastic and independent with a smile on her face.
Kate Hodge will have your back no matter what. Whether you need chewing gum or a shoulder to cry on, you can always count on her to be there for you.
Kinslee Green stays optimistic and genuine even when the going gets tough. She’s a go-getter working to make the most of every moment while staying true to herself.
Mason Eagle is a bit of a mystery and it takes time to get to know him. However, when needed, he’s sure to step up and he’s always ready to eat.
Oliver Lampley is always ready to have a good time and not afraid to fly solo. He’s a goofball and a sweetheart who’s always striving to learn and try something new.
Trevor Rogers is also known as the shepherd of our group because there is no way we would have made it anywhere in Barcelona without him. He’s quiet, protective, and a good listener who always knows what to do.
And then there is me: Bethany Cothran- a creative introvert always trying to keep up and make sure no one gets left behind.
Our group is as different as each item in a recipe, but when we come together, we’re always smiling and laughing. Separately we couldn’t be more far apart, but put us in the same room and the rest of the world disappears.
This study abroad trip is called The Creative Journey. We’re constantly looking for how things connect and how they impact our journey, but the biggest design element influencing not just us but every human being is ourselves. As Trevor put it, it’s all a little overwhelming, but it’s also wonderful. We are our best friends and our worst enemies, but when put in the right place with the right people, we become a perfectly imperfect mixture of ingredients.
