LIBERAL ARTS NEWSLETTER / SPRING 18 / ISSUE II

GREETINGS FROM SEVILLA!

On Saturday, the Feria starts, this date marks the official kickoff for the Spring season in Sevilla. During the entire week, students will witness one of the most important traditional events in our city.

ACADEMICS

Students took their midterms exams in March and they are about to enjoy our second spring break before their final exams.

One of the strengths of our academic program is the out-of-class component. For instance, in the course COMM3301CSC Intercultural Communication and Leadership, students put in practice some of the concepts studied in class reflecting about one of the most controversial “fiestas” in Spain, bullfighting. Students did previous readings exposing arguments in favor and against bullfighting and completed their study with a visit to the bullring, where they learned the origins and the functioning of this activity. Also, several classes, including Women Writers and Gender, Gender, Identities and the Quest for Equality in Spain, focused some of their out-of-class activities on the celebration of the International Women Day on March 8.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Students have extensively traveled in Andalusia with CIEE. They have already visited Granada, Córdoba and Aracena among other Andalusian cities, thus getting to know our culture through cultural activities and trips.

INTEREST GROUPS (IGS)

Starting Spring 2018, we are trying to give IGs a greater focus on the local community. Thus, we are offering six IGs leaded by six of our professors who are specialists in the topics of their groups, which are the following: Ecology and Sustainability, Tourism and Counter-Tourism, Culture and Gastronomy, Urban Music, Flamenco and Contemporary Art. The Interest Groups, which according to students are one of the main elements that connect them to the Spanish culture, have organized very interesting activities. For instance, the Ecology and Sustainability IG organized a visit to Santa Cleta, a cooperative store focused on bikes. They learned about sustainable transport and did a bike tour. 

Students on the Contemporary Art IG participated in a stencil workshop at the Montana Colors store. Students had a good time designing the stencils and practising with sprays.  

Students in the Tourism and Counter-Tourism IG visited the wine shop “Flor de Sal”, where a sommelier gave an introduction about wine mass production and its consequences, such as the closing of small wine producers and winemakers. Afterwards, students tasted some wines from small craft productions from several Spanish towns.

Please, follow the experiences of your students in Sevilla in our Facebook page and in our blogThere will be much to come…

All the best from Sevilla,

Sergio and Olga