martes, 19 de marzo de 2013

Música y periodismo

By Raechel Presner


One optional part of the Granada program I decided to try is taking classes at the music Conservatory. Along with getting to be in an all-music environment, my Converatory class has given me my main opportunity to interact with Spanish students. While the social opportunities are a huge plus, taking a class in which you are the only American can be scary. My first day at the Conservatory, I barely found my class, and my profesor has an 'granaíno' accent, so I understood maybe half of what he said. (If you've overhead Dominican or Puerto Rican Spanish in the streets of the Bronx you can relate –the 'granaíno' accent sounds nothing like them, but can be equally confusing.) The key, of course, was to get to know other students in the class, who I can check in with after class to make sure I don't miss anything. The final project for the class is a minimum 12 page academic paper with a 20-minute presentation/defense in class – an assignment which would feel totally doable in a class at Fordham taught in English, but I know is going to be a challenge.
I'm also doing an internship with an online newspaper, Granadimedia, and I suggested for my first article I write about the study abroad experience. Something I'd been wondering was why there is a majority of American students at the Centro de Lenguas Modernas (CLM) where we study. After interviewing one of my professors, I found out that Europeans who study abroad tend to enroll directly in the university in the foreign city. Many European universities are linked through the Erasmus program, so that students can easily exchange and count their study abroad credits toward their degrees back home. This sort of thing is easier to arrange here, since in many countries University-level education is subsidized by the government, so that it is free or nearly so for students, and for-profit private insitutions are in the minority. The CLM is affiliated with University of Granada, but has an independent status, so the tuition coverage that Spanish and European students receive doesn't apply, making it a relatively expensive option, but more convenient for American universities, which aren't included in the Erasmus network. While the story originated as an exploration of differences in approaches to study abroad, it turns out these differences are rooted in the educational systems of the States and Europe.

domingo, 17 de marzo de 2013

viernes, 15 de marzo de 2013

Retiro espiritual en Granada

By Megan Langston

This past weekend, I decided to go on a spiritual retreat with the Colegio Mayor de Jesus Maria. I didn't exactly know what to expect since my only experience with college retreats was with Fordham's Campus Ministry. However, I was in for quite a surprise. I was able to meet so many new Spanish friends and, at the same time, experience spirituality in a new and beautiful way. The retreat house was absolutely beautiful and completely made me feel at home and comfortable with my new friends.
It’s something very special to be able to experience this type of retreat in another language. Something about it makes it feel much more beautiful and it’s very difficult to explain in English. Our word to focus on during the retreat was "encuentro". We looked at this word and various other forms of the word such as "encontrarme", "encontrarnos" and many others and we had to apply this word to what we felt like we were getting out of this retreat. I was especially nervous when it came time to explain my feelings to the whole group since I felt as though I was at a disadvantage since I'm not a native Spanish speaker. However, it made the experience all the more special being able to try to communicate with everyone and having everyone be so hospitable.

We also got the chance to talk to people one-on-one. Each person chose someone that they knew the least to get to know. These one-on-one experiences were the best part of the retreat. Even after the retreat, I have made lifetime friends. It would definitely be something I would try again.

 

Un neoyorquino en Granada

Por Sean Lemkey
 
Granada es un lugar realmente especial. Después de estar aquí casi dos meses, todavía no ha disminuido su misterio, su encanto y su belleza, sino ha crecido.
Es toda una experiencia caminar sólo veinte minutos para ir a la clase por calles que tienen casi dos veces los años de mi país y sentir toda la historia que te rodea. Después de haber tenido ya la oportunidad de viajar a otras partes de España y de la comunidad andaluza, puedo decir que nada delo que he visto puede compararse con Granada. Si miras a un lado te encuentras con las altas montañas de Sierra Nevada, cubiertas de nieve; al otro lado la Alhambra, majestuosa, encaramada en una colina y enfrente las casitas blancas del barrio Albaicín.
En la ciudad, florece una cultura vibrante y diversa. Como corresponde a uno de los lugares cuna del flamenco, siempre hay un espectáculo que ver. Y las tapas…! Sigo probando la gran variedad de las tapitas que se dan gratis con cada bebida en Granada, un “perk” económico muy afortunado para la gran población de estudiantes aquí. Cada día sigue siendo una aventura nueva aquí en Granada ¡y estoy dispuesto a disfrutar los meses que todavía nos quedan!

 
 

lunes, 11 de marzo de 2013

EN EL BALCÓN DE EUROPA

 

 
Por Jennifer Rivera
Nerja fue el destino del primer viaje que hemos hecho el grupo de Fordham en Granada y no podría haber sido mejor. A pesar de ser Enero, el sol brillaba  y después de meses de frío en Nueva York ¡todo el mundo pudo finalmente quitarse las chaquetas y disfrutar del clima!
 
Primero visitamos las hermosas cuevas de Nerja. La entrada era muy pequeña y, por eso, cuando llegamos al interior, estaba muy sorprendida por lo grandes y hermosas que eran. La luz era muy tenue y trasmitían paz, me sentía muy tranquila mientras caminaba en el interior de las cuevas y me gustó mucho la experiencia.
 
Nuestra siguiente parada fue el llamado Balcón de Europa, que ofrece una de las vistas más fantásticas de Nerja. Después de tomar unas fotos, todos nos fuimos a la playa.  ¡Ahí es donde comenzó la verdadera diversión! Todos estábamos muy nerviosos y emocionados con la idea de bañarnos en pleno invierno, nos pusimos los bañadores y corrimos hacia el Mar Mediterráneo. Todos estábamos de acuerdo en que era algo que ya podíamos tachar de nuestra "bucket lists". Nuestro viaje a Nerja fue muy divertido y espero que podamos volver todos juntos cuando haga más calor.