Caitlin Kennedy, MHS’15 and Kenyon College Junior, studying at DIS in Copenhagen sends us a video postcard on her commute from her apartment to campus.
Caitlin Kennedy, a Montclair High School class of 2015 Alum and current Kenyon College Junior is studying abroad this fall semester at ‘Study Abroad in Scandinavia’, also known as DIS, in Copenhagen in Denmark. Caitlin is studying Environmental Studies at Kenyon College in Ohio. Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and a city of just over half a million residents and is a leader in Europe on sustainable design.
The DIS student population is housed in a diverse set of accommodations spread out across Copenhagen. Caitlin landed by choice into a Living and Learning Community, LLC, apartment about 20 minutes by bus to her DIS campus. Caitlin can ride the city bus, paid for by DIS, or she can ride her bike. Copenhagen has very few hills so most people commute by bike. There are 560,000 bikes in Copenhagen but only a population of 520,000 people, says the office Denmark site, so the other 40,000 bikes are for tourists? Regardless Caitlin feels right at home on her bike.
We interviewed Caitlin via email who made the video with Steve Hassey from Duke University in the USA about the inspiration for the video.
Q: For many students around the globe who are heading off to DIS, as well as for their parents, your video will be a big help so that they can visualize the trip from your apartment to the campus. Was that your intention?
A: -Yes, but while the video was an assignment for my Sustainable by Design course, the other students in my class also shared their commute to DIS. Students live in various places within the city, and some in Homestays live just outside Copenhagen. Prospective DIS students should know that the commute to class varies widely depending on the student’s housing. To get an idea of other students commutes, you can search ‘Commute to DIS’ on Youtube.
Q: The video must have taken a lot of work to put together, how long did it take you from concept to posting?
A: -Between planning the scenes, filming, editing, and uploading the video to Youtube, the entire project took me about two weeks to produce.
Q: Where did you get the bicycle?
A: -I rented my bike from Copenhagen Bicycles ( https://copenhagenbicycles.dk/ ). DIS, the program I am studying abroad with, has informal partnerships with a few bike companies around Copenhagen where students can rent bikes for the semester at a discounted price.
Q: What percentage of the time did you bike versus bus to campus?
A: -I biked a lot more in the beginning of the semester when it was a bit warmer and the days were longer. I would say I bike to class about 40% of the time now.
Q: Are you planning any other videos? Can we suggest a video on where to grab a cup of coffee or a beer?
A: -I’ll be making a video of my LLC, the housing option I am living in this semester. It is the Outdoor Living and Learning Community, a themed housing option offered by DIS, where 20 students live together with communal living and kitchen spaces. We participate in weekly activities related to the theme of the LLC coordinated by DIS and our LLC coordinator, employed by DIS.
In all weather, fully 50% of citizens commute by bike earning Copenhagen the coveted title of “Bike City” in Europe.
The soundtrack chosen for the video is by Milky Chance, Flashed Junk Mind.
The Montclair Dispatch is thankfully supported by subscribers and advertisers. Please join us.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login