{"id":18601,"date":"2014-12-04T12:38:58","date_gmt":"2014-12-04T17:38:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/?p=18601"},"modified":"2014-12-04T12:38:58","modified_gmt":"2014-12-04T17:38:58","slug":"parliamentary-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/2014\/12\/04\/parliamentary-predictions\/","title":{"rendered":"Parliamentary Predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Girard<\/a>
Girard Bucello stands in front of the Jet d’Eau in Geneva, Switzerland where he is conducting undergraduate research on parliamentary voting patterns.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The European Parliament always intrigued Girard Bucello, but the University of Mary Washington junior never thought he\u2019d be on the frontlines in Switzerland assisting with inaugural research about the European Union\u2019s governing body.<\/p>\n

This fall, he\u2019s spending the semester studying at the University of Geneva involved in cutting-edge research about the voting patterns of the organization of 28 countries. The topic has been virtually unaddressed since the Parliament has been in existence for only 50 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, we want to understand how the European Parliament works, but since it\u2019s such a new government body, there\u2019s not a lot of data. That\u2019s where we come in,\u201d Bucello said. \u201cLooking at how [members] cast their votes lets us predict what the outcome of any particular vote might be, but it also tells us a lot about what the European Union itself is going to look like in five or 10 years. It\u2019s very interesting to be involved in a field of research where there\u2019s actually not a whole lot that\u2019s known.\u201d<\/p>\n

An international affairs major<\/a>, Bucello is participating in the EuroScholars program in Geneva, a research-focused study abroad organization. The unique program gives students a chance to conduct ground-breaking international research in a professional environment. Most of the projects, Bucello said, are ongoing, yet students are able to jump in and lend a hand.<\/p>\n

Professor Simon Hug of the University of Geneva is leading the research, which is currently unfunded. That challenge for the project presents a bonus for Bucello who has taken on the duties of a senior researcher.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lack of funding means that Professor Hug can\u2019t hire staff who are dedicated to the project,\u201d Bucello said. \u201cThat means that there are no senior research assistants for me to turn to should I need help. Thankfully, that need hasn\u2019t presented itself. Plus, I get to do more of the work on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

This opportunity has allowed him to act independently and has influenced the path he wants to follow in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a part of this research has further convinced me that I want to go into policy \u2013 to join the people casting the votes, rather than counting them,\u201d Bucello said.<\/p>\n

Jose Sainz, director of UMW\u2019s Center for International Education<\/a>, said when he discovered the EuroScholars program he immediately thought the great opportunity would pair well with the university Honors Program. Currently, Bucello and fellow honors student Holly Aleksonis, who is assisting on a psychology research<\/a> project, are the first UMW students participating in the program.<\/p>\n

\"Bucello<\/a>
Bucello was able to get lots of travel in during his semester abroad, including visiting the Palais des Nations. Originally built for the League of Nations, it is now the meeting site for the United Nations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThis innovative program, hosted by a group of renowned research universities in Europe, is designed for advanced American students looking to gain international research experience,\u201d Sainz said. \u201cThe EuroScholars program aims to challenge students in conducting original research at the cutting edge of human knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Bucello said he\u2019s only one of two political scientists in this semester\u2019s EuroScholars program<\/a>, he joined 11 other undergraduates from the program in Munich to share their research and experiences. The students studying at nine European universities conducted research varying from neuropsychology to network engineering. Although their projects differed widely, similar experiences abroad united the group, he said.<\/p>\n

Bucello also found time to travel on his own, through Switzerland, France, the Czech Republican and Germany. Going abroad is an imperative step that everyone should take in life, he said.<\/p>\n

A sign he spotted in Berlin echoes his sentiment: \u201cThe most dangerous world view is of one who has not viewed the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of truth in that,\u201d Bucello said. \u201cI think that the ability to travel to another country, and to not just travel there but to really be there, gives you a perspective on the world and on your own culture and on yourself that you will never get if you remain in your home country.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Girard Bucello travels abroad to study the European Union. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":18641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4,81],"tags":[47,31,95,36,28],"class_list":{"0":"post-18601","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-show","8":"category-umw-home","9":"tag-alumni2016","10":"tag-honor","11":"tag-international-education","12":"tag-political","13":"tag-psychology","14":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nParliamentary Predictions - 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