Students experience international Interterm

by Beatriz Mendoza
Staff Writer

Imagine traveling through the Amazon by riverboat, visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa, snorkeling in the bluest waters of Hawaii or camping on the beach or desert of Baja California – and all of this for academic credit.

During January interterm, four groups of University of La Verne students and professors experienced what many are not able to experience in a lifetime while visiting Brazil, Italy, Hawaii and Mexico.

They packed their bags for a two-to-three week learning experience.

“It was an opportunity to take learning outside the classroom and into a real world setting,” said Fred Yaffe, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Students stayed in the Amazon for five days, visited Rio de Janeiro and went to the Iguacu Falls in Argentina.

“I got sick because I tried exotic foods,” said senior Dorothy Enriquez. “I ate apples for three meals a day and lost a lot of weight.”

For some, the hardship came with adapting to a new environment.

“It was mentally difficult because poverty and AIDS is such a big issue in Brazil,” said sophomore Maritza Alvarado.

While students in Brazil were having their adventures in the Amazon, students in Italy were busy learning about the Italian culture and visiting such places as the Sistine Chapel and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

“I got to see everything I only see in books,” said sophomore liberal studies major Nancy Reyes. “I also got to experience the culture.”

After being in Rome for six days students took a train to Florence, Italy and visited as many cities as they could.

The Students in Hawaii traveled around the island of Oahu. They learned about politics, media and the culture of Hawaii despite their busy schedule, which included lectures at the University of Hawaii in the morning, visiting museums in the afternoon, attending a traditional Hawaiian feast in the evening and snorkeling early the next morning.

“I remember one University of Hawaii professor expressing her frustration about how the Hawaiian culture is being exploited and changed to bring in revenue,” said Julia Shin, freshman communications major. “I never knew that.”

Don Pollock, professor of communications, enjoyed sharing his knowledge about Hawaii with his students.

“It is a good chance to look at Hawaii in a big perspective, and the students got a peek of what life is really like in Hawaii,” Pollock said.

Although becoming culturally aware was an important part of the syllabus for most classes, the curriculum for the students in Baja California was different.

“Students spend time collecting and identified animals from the marine community, surveying the mammal population and comparing different vegetation around the area,” said Jeff Burkhart, Fletcher Jones professor of biology.

Their trip was physically demanding. They slept in tents and took a three day trip to the bottom of a rugged canyon with only mules and burros that carried their bags, but the students enjoyed their visit. Taking the financial effort into account, Burkhart still believes that traveling is something every student should experience.

“Trips like these require financial sacrifices,” Burkhart said. “But it’s worth it because you will learn much more than the material covered by the course, and it will alter the way you look at the world.”