Alumni & Study Abroad News

If you are currently studying abroad or are a graduate of MSUM Languages & Cultures Department and want to let us know where you are and the exciting things you are doing, please contact us!

Watch for more updates coming soon!

Angela Harmon
2006 Graduate in Spanish

September 2007

Bienvenidos Estudiantes y Maestros to a newschoolyear.

I'm writing you today to invite you all to compartir with me in my experience in the Republica Dominicana throughout this school year. For just beginning my 5th month as a volunteer in the Peace Corps, I have already been through a roller coaster of ups and downs, successes and failures, and laughs and heartbreaks.

Mi comunidad is a small little campo town called Las Uvas (which means grapes in English, but we have yet to find a single grape). In my four months here, I have become part of the pulse that runs this town day after day. My presence is known and missed while I'm away. It's like stepping into any small American town, where everyone knows your name. Kids yell, ?gAnhelaaaaaaa,?h from blocks away just so I turn around and give them a simple wave and see their smiling faces. The Donas sit under one of the many shady trees saludando the people as they pass by. Chatting, playing bingo, and cogiendo fresco, just trying to escape from the heat of the tropical sun that bakes this island. The muchachos ride up and down the streets, either in bike or motorcycle, popping wheelies, trying to show off for anyone who might be watching.

As for me, I'm here taking it all in, all the culture, the language, the friendships, and norms. At the same time, I've been assigned to this community to help them maintain their one and only computer lab. When I arrived last May, the lab was not open for students or the public. About 6 of the 10 computers were working properly, and only 2 of them had internet. In addition, the lab is a plant, so it only runs on gas, and without any incoming funds, you can buy gas to turn the plant on, so you can't offer any services to the community or schools. They were stuck in a rut, and I was assigned to help them get themselves out. Every month our situation in getting better and better. We've had various fund raisers to earn money for gas, the government donated 10 new computers to our lab, our internet is hooked back up on all of our computers, and the computer classes were full this summer. Right now our heads are barely above the water, but by the end of my two years here, I hope to leave this community with a completely self sustaining lab and trained youth to help assist and teach classes.

In addition to working with the community here, the Peace Corps would like us to work on some of its other goals. One of those goals is to teach other Americans about our work and the new culture in which we are living. Another goal, that is very similar, is for me, and possibly you all could help, to teach mi comunidad here about our American culture.

You all might be thinking, American culture? But what is American culture?

I know that it is very hard to define your own culture if you have never known or lived in a different one before. Culture is everything that can define you as an American. It's not just living between the Canadian and Mexican borders, it's the food you eat, the music you listen to, the way you treat children, adults and the elderly, how you relate to boys and girls the same age as you, what you do in your free time, your work ethic, your priorities in life, etc. Let me give you some examples of differences I've found in culturadominica and our American culture.

American	Dominican
Pizza, salads and hamburgers	La Bandera- chicken, platanos, rice, and habichuelas every day
Rock, hip hop, swing, jazz, tecno, rap	Merengue, bachata, regaton, salsa, Balada
It is acceptable to leave the house in sweats and flip-flops	It is acceptable to leave la casa with rollers in your hair
Only police, hunters, and gang members carry guns or knives, but there still are many shootings.	anyone and almost everyone (all men) carry guns or machetes, but there are hardly any shootings.
School goes from 8am-4pm, and the kids eat lunch at school.	Kids go to school either in the morning or the afternoon. All the family eats la comida in la casa from 12-2pm.
Families sit around the table for dinner and talk about their day.	Families only sit together for special events, usually they eat at different times and in different rooms, and you should never talk while you are eating- Bad manners.
Greeting with a simple hello is just fine	Always should greet with a hand shake or a kiss on the cheek. If you don't, they might think you are mad at them or maybe just being stuck up.
Being boyfriend/girlfriend and husband/wife are two completely different things.	the terms novios and esposos are interchangeable and anyone who would like to call themselves married can, without having had any sort of wedding.

Interesting, Eh?

I could go on and on, but you all need to get back to your school day. I hope you all decide to compartir this Peace Corps experience with me. I plan to send out a new story every month. All emails and feedback are welcome. Please let me know if you would like me to add your class to my mailing list.

Thanks for listening and Take care.

Check out my website for more stories and pictures. www.angeladr.blogspot.com

PCV Angela Harmon
harmon_angelaj@ yahoo.com

Here`s a culture note.
Many Dominicans think Menthol is a cure-all.
(I`m starting to use it more and more now)

Becky Johnson
2006 Graduate
Former President Spanish Club/Sigma Delta Pi

August 2007

I thought I would just let you know what I am up to and where I ended up going to school and what I am doing and all that good stuff. After a very long application process and some waiting, I decided to move to Pittsburgh and attend the Univ. of Pitt Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, which seems to have been a good choice thus far. I only moved here last week and I started class on Monday, so it's been a busy week so far. I am liking my classes and the people, it is so strange to be surrounded by 60 different people who all have the same interests as me, it's a crazy thing!

I am in the Masters of International Development program with a major in Human Security. I am also volunteering at the Ford Institute, a center here that concentrates on Human Security. I will be helping with research dealing with child soldiers and human trafficking, both of which are important to me. I am actually really excited about this research and the
opportunities that could come from it. There is a girl here that I am working under and through her research, which she started at this time last year, she got her summer internship working at an internally displaced persons camp in Ghana and working with the former child soldiers housed at the camp. I think that would be a great summer internship. So that is the next adventure in my life, at least for now. Guatemala was good and the 4 months I spent there were 4 of the best in my life. I do miss the speaking Spanish, however, but I found a group here that gets together once or twice a week and just talks. It's good too because most of the members of the group are native speakers, so it is really good practice for me. Please say hi to everyone for me, I would appreciate that, and best of luck in the new school year!

Hasta luego!

Becky

If you are currently studying abroad or are a graduate of MSUM Languages & Cultures Department and want to let us know where you are and the exciting things you are doing, please contact us!