Dutch student likes Logan but longs to stock his home fridge with beer

By Ross Davis

December 11, 2007 | Pascal Coenen, an international student, said the first thing he will do when he returns home, after a semester at Utah State University, is "fill the refrigerator with beer."

Coenen arrived in August 2007 and enrolled in international business management at USU. He said he witnessed a definite "clash of cultures" between conservative Utah and his liberal home country, the Netherlands.

He said he prefers the liberal Netherlands, saying "I strongly believe in the individual freedom that we have; you choose what is wrong or right."

He compared it with Utah and said he feels the state government is more constricting to personal freedoms. He used the example of alcohol consumption -- in the Netherlands the legal drinking age is 18, and he said drinking is not such a big issue at home. People drink and it's part of their culture, but in Utah if you drink you are a "special case," he added.

He said living on campus was both rewarding and frustrating at times -- frustrating because of the lack of personal freedom, and rewarding because his roommates were Mormon and learning about their religion and its effects on the local community was interesting.

Dan Ainsworth, one of Coenen's roommates, said living with an international student has given him a "great perspective" on life outside Utah, and it has been most fascinating because of the huge difference in morals and values.

He said, "Pascal has accompanied me to the Latter-day Saints Church on a number of occasions," and has always seemed keen to emerge himself in the culture in Logan. He has been especially interested in the Mormon faith and the way it affects everyday life.

During his stay, Coenen has learned about a different American culture than he would have if he had gone elsewhere in the U.S., and for this he said he was grateful. To live in an environment such as Logan's was like living in a "parallel universe" because it is the exact opposite of the Netherlands. Not in a bad way, though. "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here," he said.

He said living in Logan was pleasant, especially because he got to experience the lifestyles and the values of American people. He said he could not live here now, but in the future he sees it as a feasible option, primarily because of the good environment for raising children.

While on his exchange, Coenen has had the chance to go to the Yellowstone National Park, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, Nev. He said Las Vegas was his favorite and described it as a "mad house of entertainment." Many international students take the opportunity to explore their chosen country's best tourist attractions, especially when only on a short exchange. This way they can learn more about the culture and history of the country.

After a few weeks into the semester Coenen created a blog. He used it to recount his thoughts, feelings and adventures in America. He recommends the idea to future exchange students; it is a good way to keep a record of what they have done and how they have felt during their experiences. Coenen's blog is at http://www.pascalsamericanadventures.blogspot.com

The opportunity to travel, experience different cultures, and to study at a great university has meant the exchange has been most enjoyable, he added. Coenen said he would recommend USU and Utah to future exchange students at his home university. His advice to anyone thinking of studying abroad is, "Prepare well in advance of your trip, research the place you are going, be open-minded, and prepare to see a new perspective on things." He said don't be too judgmental on others values just see them as being different not good or bad.

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