Course gives a glimpse of life across the border
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Teresa Bigelow, Contributor
When the words Tijuana and Spring Break are mentioned in the same sentence, many San Diego State students may think of a slightly dangerous place to go for underage drinking.
But students who were enrolled in General Studies 350 this semester might have alternative thoughts.
The course, applied international health and human services, focuses on global health, poverty and other challenges faced by countries worldwide. The class allows students to apply what they learn in class lectures to an international setting.
Students enrolled in the course this semester took a nine-day trip to Tijuana during Spring Break, with a purpose that is a far cry from cheap margaritas.
The class bunked up, four to a room, at a facility called The Posada, which is owned and operated by Esperanza Mexico, the non-profit organization the class worked with while staying south of the border. The first few days were spent helping to build the home of a family in need. The 17 undergraduate students, accompanied by graduate teaching assistants, Jennifer Smith and Noe Crespo, enjoyed home-cooked meals prepared by local members of the community, hauled bricks and set up walls for a family living in poverty. “It is easy to believe the stereotypes about Mexico, but it takes experience to understand the truth,” Marvic David, a student on the trip, said. “People made us feel at home”.
The remainder of the week was focused on creating a broad understanding of various issues in Tijuana concerning health and human services. In addition to lectures from multiple guest speakers throughout the week, the class visited various clinics and agencies in Tijuana, such as an AIDS clinic and an orphanage.
“It really opened my eyes to the poverty that exists only 20 minutes south of my comfy home,” Micaleen Fulkerson said. “I felt so proud to have helped a small part of such an important organization.”
There was also some time for fun. Students were treated to movies, mariachi bands, piñatas and more during their stay in Mexico. “A great strength of this program was in the relationships that students formed with each other, Esperanza staff, and the local community,” Smith said. However, the fun and practical learning environment the course offers is not limited to Tijuana. Those who enroll in the same course this summer, beginning on May 28, will have the opportunity to travel to Thailand from June 5 to 17. Students can expect an experience similar to the Tijuana trip, with a focus on issues such as HIV/AIDS, poverty, substance abuse and child welfare.
Many students said the program had a significant impact on their attitudes and perceptions of places outside the United States. There are those experiences like what we had in México that are rare and forever impacting, and are what make me feel more in touch with the world,” Rosanne Edu, a nother student on the trip, said. “Too often do we get caught up in ourselves and our own lives, turning our cheek on the realities of others, especially our neighbors.”
For students who are interested in registering for the summer session, there is a $1,500 fee, which includes SDSU registrations fees, as well as housing, transportation and activities in Thailand. Students are also required to be in good academic standing at an upper-division level, and must have a valid passport. Information sessions concerning the summer course and trip to Thailand will be held at 3 p.m. this Thursday in Storm Hall, Room 142; and at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 7 in Hepner Hall, Room 222. For more information, contact Loring Jones at ljones@mail.sdsu.edu.