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Show C.amtnis Chfezus Cuernavaca Was Again The Place May Term Spanish Students by Blessing Yearn Forum staff writer ... To Be tory and culture and then actually going to see the places on excursions, said Lake. Although partying at Sefior Frogs in Acapulco wasnt bad either. The students from Westminster, Bahoric, and students they met from the University of Utah, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland, decided to stay 20 minutes outside of Acapulco in a small town called Pie de la Cuesta (which means foot of the hill). Pie de la Cuesta was my favorite part of the trip, said Hampsten. It had beautiful sunsets, huge waves, and solitary - , While most Westminster students took advantage of the 1992 May term on campus, five students spent their May term studying Spanish in Cuernavaca, Mexico, at the Center for BilinguarMulticultural Studies. y 4 On May 1, Spanish Professor John Bahoric, along with Westminster students i r Larissa Lake, Rhonda Turner, Heather x' sry- q Hampsten, and Blessing Ream, and one "s ? Drew of student from the University Utah, i Schembre, M.D., arrived in Cuernavaca 4 bus ride from Mexico City. after a two-ho4 t Upon arriving in Cuernavaca, their Mexican mamas took them into their W their of homes, where they became part $ f families. For the second consecutive year, '4 I Bahoric stayed in the residency owned by i A r the Center for Bilingual Multicultural Studies. t " I loved going back and staying at the J Residency again, said Bahoric. I really V I had a sense of family they even gave me i a car when I wanted to drive around the city. The students were in school five days a week from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with optional classes available from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Each day the students had two sections of classes to attend. One section gave students the portunity. The Mexican way of life is not like ours, choice of attending history, music, art or other types of cultural classes, while the and experiencing their culture firsthand is required second conversation section dealt incredible. You learn their language, culentirely with the Spanish language. The ture, history, philosophy, and psychology. language classes had a very small student It is an opportunity to experience life difto teacher ratio. ferently, he said. I liked the studying environment of very The students were introduced to Mexican culture the first day of their trip. All small classes and getting the help, said Hampsten. You really got to meals were provided by the host families. know the faculty and meet people from all Breakfast was served at 7:30 a.m., and the main meal of the day, usually considered over the world. According to Bahoric, the variety of dinner in the United States, was served at experiences and the chance to study six 2:30 p.m. A nap, or siesta, a traditional hours per day without the clutter of strucpractice in Mexico, took place following the main meal. At 8 p.m. a small snxk was ture makes the trip a valuable learning op I 5 ( ' Vr. ur $ 5 X one-on-o- ne & ,, ii ' f 4t W' w si " $. 5 I For 4 , served. I liked eating in the middle of the day and then sleeping during the rainstorms which came almost every afternoon at 3 :00, said Hampsten. Although the school campus was beautiful and educational, the students agreed that the excursions were the best part of the trip. In the month they were there, the students visited the silver mining town of Taxco, the pyramids of Teotihuacan, the Hacienda de Cortez, the small gypsy town of Tepoztlan, the Zocalo, or center, of Cuernavaca, Mexico City, and the resort town of Acapulco. I enjoyed learning about Mexican his beaches. Bahoric agreed Pie de la Cuesta was an incredible part of the trip. The women that ran the small informal hotel where we stayed were wonderful and very sweet When we first arrived I asked one woman if she was the owner and she replied, No, you are. The May term trip to Cuernavaca will be offered again next May. Bahoric said the only advertising he plans for the next trip is by word of mouth. Students will have the option of staying for either three or four weeks. The month spent in Mexico is a fivefold experience the language, the travel in itself, learning about the Mexican identity, interacting with the family and the night life, said Bahoric. The night life in Mexico is different than American night life, he added. Mexican night life only means more people are out late at night doing more. Some clubs dont even open until midnight According to Bahoric, May is the perfect time to study in Cuernavaca because the school is not yet crowded with the summer students. Also, it is only the beginning of the rainy season, so it rains only enough to cool things down. But he does wish the trip was longer. I would like to discuss with the Westminster administration the possibility of an entire spring semester in a Spanish-speakin- g country, said Bahoric. Youths at Risk Find Support in Colors of Success April 1992 at Whittier Elementary. We also have hopes of implementing programs at Lincoln Elementary and Glendale Intermediate School in the very near future, said by TinaMarie Corey Forum staff writer Westminster marketing student Shari Bailey is using her education to help Bourdeaux,- Thus far the program has provided such brighten the future for others. marketservices as reducing and intervening in gang Bailey volunteers her acquired ing skills to Colors of Success, a unique involvement and working with parents, prevention program designed to keep youths school staff and students to promote imat risk in school and provide them with a proved academics and attendance. Colors of Success also aids students and parents positive and successful school experience. crisis number. Its imporwith a Working with available community rethe committed to stoptant that students and parents know we are sources, program is here for them and that somebody cares, said ping gang problems and the tragic drop-orate in schools. Bourdeaux. The program was founded in 1989 by Students have been extremely responsive Duane Bourdeaux, former assistant basketto Colors of Success, said Bourdeaux. In a ball coach and alumni of West High School, volunteer questionnaire given to students, who noticed a lot of youths failing in aca100 percent replied that the program is demics, joining gangs, and on the verge of needed at West High School and other schools in the state. dropping out of school. After extensive research and investigation of different proColors of Success has helped me get deacross the Bourdeaux on track so I can graduate, said Pat back grams country, veloped the Colors of Success program. Archibeque, a group member. The program was implemented in March Bailey has been working together with 1991 at West High School and initiated in Continued on pg. 11 , 24-ho- ur ut Dino Hernandez, Francisco Ortiz, Amy Brown and Pat Archibegue are members of West High's Colors of Success program. Page 8 fforum September 22, 1992 |