Monday, January 19, 2009

bring the funk

We’ve reached the end of our orientation week, and today is the first day of real classes. Here in the Latin American Studies Program they have quite a bit different idea of what orientation looks like than you would think. Let me explain.

Orientation week means that during the first morning, with all of us students in a big room, our professors ask us what type of cultural questions we have before we meet and leave with our families. After about 20 questions are asked, like what is the proper way to greet someone, is it rude if I do this or that, Don Trevor (one of our profs) says, “Great, these are all great questions that show that you’re thinking about the various differences, so why don’t you work on finding those answers this week?” Yep, that was it. Then we drew the names of our family in a lottery system. An hour later we were on our separate ways with our new families.

The next day we rode the buses from our various neighborhoods into the center of San Jose, La Plaza de Cultura. My mom told me it would be important for me to memorize the various bus routes, because I will be taking it to my various classes every day. Once all the students were gathered in the Plaza, we were given a list of things to do before 5pm (we met at 7am) and were let loose in the city in our groups of three students. It was quite the adventure.

Friday, the last day of orientation, we met in the LASP offices where we will be having our Base Seminar class. After the previous days of hasty orientation filled with important information, Don Trevor told us there was one other important aspect of the program…we like to “bring the funk” and have lots of fun.

So, in the words of Don Trevor, it is time to bring the funk and get into the routine of classes.

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