Faculty springs for Mexico

(From left) Dr. Roger Ghelf, professor of physics; Dr. Gerald Schlink, professor of biology; and Dr. Tom Simpson, professor of political science, spend time in Morelia during the Mexico trip. Twenty-four faculty members went on the trip.

Special toThe Chart

(From left) Dr. Roger Ghelf, professor of physics; Dr. Gerald Schlink, professor of biology; and Dr. Tom Simpson, professor of political science, spend time in Morelia during the Mexico trip. Twenty-four faculty members went on the trip.

During spring break, 24 faculty members traveled to Mexico to make plans for the Mexico Semester in the fall.

“It’s actually pretty cool,” said James Lile, assistant professor of theatre. “For me, it was kind of a neat bonus.”

The University sponsored the week-long trip and asked for faculty members in the departments.

A $25,000 grant was given to help pay for the trip.

“It just worked out I was the one available and got the opportunity,” Lile said. “I was able to go as a representative of our department.”

Leslie Parker, Spanish instructor, traveled with the group as a translator, but was also in charge of the student trip.

“We just sort of combined the two trips together, since I was going anyway,” Parker said.

The student trip to Mexico was originally planned for fall 2004. There is a five-week program in the summer, but some students are unable to afford to go for either financial or job reasons.

“Students had expressed interest in having a shorter trip,” Parker said. “We decided to revive the spring break trip to Mexico this year.”

She said the two groups went to the same places, but did different activities.

“We got to have the big city, modern experience, and we got to have the smaller town, ancient experience,” Lile said.

The two groups started in Mexico City, where a celebration for the first day of spring was being held.

For the students, they were there for four days. While there, they visited local museums like the famous anthropology museum, went to the pyramids at Teotihuacán and walked around the popular shopping area called Zona Rosa.

“We basically did all the things you absolutely have to do when you go to Mexico City,” Parker said.

Both groups then traveled to Morelia, which is a colonial city. Parker said the faculty and students were told the city is the “real Mexico.”

“That was kind of nice for them to see the difference,” she said.

During that time, the faculty members met with the faculty from another university. Lile said they talked about the educational system.

The last city on the trip was Guanajuato, three hours from Morelia. The students participated in a callejoneada, where a group goes through the streets singing traditional songs.

“That was a lot of fun,” Parker said.

Parker said the student trip would be offered again next spring.

After the faculty members gather information and meet with people, they must make a report or proposal for possible events that can be held during the Mexico Semester.

“When they come back, they would be able to submit something to their departments,” Parker said.

Lile said he is making a report Friday at the theatre department faculty meeting.

One of the events that will be taking place next semester is the theatre department will be putting on a play called Faena by Guillermo de Leon.

“Faena is kind of the centerpiece of the theatre’s contribution to the Mexico Semester,” Lile said.

Faena, the central character, is a matador.

“The play is about bullfighting,” Lile said. “It’s about family honor, [and] it’s about tradition.”

There are also plans to have the playwright come to campus to talk and have some workshops as well.

Parker said there is a possibility for some of the people they had met to visit the University’s campus during the semester. She also said one she knows of is having the group’s tour guide from Mexico City.

“Everyone was really impressed with her,” she said.

Lile said the Mexico Semester is good idea.

“I think one of the coolest things about this university is our international semesters,” he said. “We take Mexico for granted because it’s right there, and yet there is so much there to look at.”

He said they had a good time in Mexico. He thinks it is a “wonderful thing” Southern did.

“It’s a terrific opportunity; it was a great gift,” Lile said. “I think we brought a bunch of good ideas back and just had a lot of good experiences.”