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April 2007
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ALUMNI NEWS |
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Ah, spring break. For most of us this week-long escape from the winter doldrums conjures up memories of beaches, bathing suits, and beer. While many AU alumni share these types of experiences, an increasing number are embarking on alternative breaks – opportunities to travel to global and domestic locations where social injustice is prevalent, submersing themselves into the culture, politics, and people. For Anthony Elmo, SIS/BA '05, SIS/MA '06, a research assistant in the Office of International Affairs, it was an upcoming spring break destination of Venezuela that got his mind thinking alternatively. As a staff member, Elmo realized he was eligible to participate in the alternative break and quickly signed up. “The trip’s main focus was to compare and contrast our observations and research of the country against the picture that our media portrays. It was an opportunity that I didn’t want to miss.” As one of 18 group members, and one of only several who were fluent in Spanish, Elmo dove head-first into an experience that had his group spending five full days in Caracas; the country’s capital and site of two fairly recent coup d’etats (1992, 2002), and two days in Barlovento. Days in Venezuela’s capital were filled with highly anticipated visits to places such as the PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.), the country’s national oil company, and the UCV or Universidad Central de Venezuela. With approximately 70,000 commuter students, Elmo found student opinions of the “beautiful” Caracas-based university to be in line with those of others they met throughout the week. In the small, rural town of Barlovento, where they visited a high school, Elmo says they felt like “rock stars” due to the stares and star-struck looks that students displayed upon their arrival. “It became obvious that 99 percent of Barlovento, who are people of Afro-Venezuelan heritage, had never seen a large group of Caucasians. The reception was warm and definitely eye-opening,” he adds.
Elmo also says it was very common to hear Venezuelans refer to themselves as Americanos, or Americans, while groups such as his were referred to as Norte Americanos. “In general, Venezuelans were caring, sweet, and very willing to engage in political conversations everywhere we went,” says Elmo. “A common reaction when speaking to someone was very much along the lines of, ‘we do not like your president and government, but we like the American people. After all, we’re all Americans!’” The alternative break experience not only produced a week-long trip where Elmo and others were able to form their own personal opinions through interaction about a country that has garnered a great deal of negative press, but also the study of Venezuela and its history in depth. Elmo and his fellow travelers met once a week for two months prior to departing for South America, researching and sharing knowledge with each other about the foreign land. In the process, Elmo also received permission from his department to complete a research project about Venezuela, with the trip obviously producing much of the project’s content. Elmo and his research partner, Shoshanna Sumka, conducted qualitative interviews with fellow participants both before and after the trip. Run through AU’s Office of Campus Life, the alternative break program provides the opportunity for students and faculty to engage in hands-on research by speaking with local residents, government officials, and business leaders of a select location. Past trips have focused on lending a hand in the construction or rebuilding of destroyed homes, and taking groups to destinations such as Zambia, Vietnam, and Appalachia. When asked if there seemed to be a general consensus of opinion from the group following their visit, Elmo had this to say: “Our groups most important concensus is that what is happening in Venezuela should be left up to the Venezuelans. It's their country and they know what they're doing. We disagreed with each other on some level each evening during our debriefing sessions, but also agreed that the Venezuelans’ friendliness and keen interest in political debate provided us with more than enough research to form our own, educated opinions." -David Ferraris | |||
SIS Alum Explores Venezuela on Alternative Break