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1 WCUSPANISH febrero 2016 WCU SPANISHnewsletter Every year, the World Languages Department invites high school students from across the region to compete in events in French and Spanish. The high schoolers compete by participating in skits, performing music, reciting poetry, speaking extemporaneously, explaining tasks (“how-to”), describing props (“show-and-tell”) and battling in quiz bowls, separated for native and non- native speakers. On March 15, WCU welcomed students and teachers from Robbinsville High, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, Henderson County Early College, Carolina Day, Asheville Middle, North Henderson High, and Franklin High. WCU faculty and students as well as volunteers from the local community worked to judge the students’ performances in their respective events and to help students stay on track when moving from event to event. World Language Department Hosts 34 th Annual Foreign Language Contest for Regional High Schoolers from top: WCUSpanish majors Valeria Bittner Kurth and Angelica Yanez wait to judge Spanish Extemporaneous Speaking; Dr. Santiago García-Castañón heads up the Native Speaker Quiz Bowl; attendees from the high schools hope to hear their names as Dr. Mark Couture announces winners.
Transcript of Western Carolina University - Western Carolina University | Home - … · 2016. 4. 4. ·...
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WCU
SPAN
ISH
febr
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2016
WCUSPANISHnewsletter
Every year, the World Languages Department invites high school students from across the region to compete in events in French and Spanish. The high schoolers compete by participating in skits, performing music, reciting poetry, speaking extemporaneously, explaining tasks (“how-to”), describing props (“show-and-tell”) and battling in quiz bowls, separated for native and non-native speakers. On March 15, WCU welcomed students and teachers from Robbinsville High, Thomas Jefferson Class ical Academy, Henderson County Early College, Carolina Day, Asheville Middle, North Henderson High, and Franklin High. WCU faculty and students as well as volunteers from the local community w o r k e d t o j u d g e t h e s t u d e n t s ’ performances in their respective events and to help students stay on track when moving from event to event.
World Language Department Hosts 34th Annual Foreign Language Contest for
Regional High Schoolers
fromtop:WCUSpanishmajors
ValeriaBittnerKurthandAngelicaYanezwaitto
judgeSpanishExtemporaneous
Speaking;Dr.SantiagoGarcía-CastañónheadsuptheNativeSpeakerQuizBowl;attendeesfromthehighschools
hopetoheartheirnamesasDr.MarkCoutureannounceswinners.
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Where are you from? IwasbornandraisedinBrunswickCounty,NC.WhenI’mnotat
college,IliveonOakIslandatthecoast. Where have you traveled?
Travelingissoimportanttome!Istartedseeingtheworldduringthesummerbetween9thand10thgradeswhenIwasastudentambassadorforPeopletoPeople–anorganizationstartedby
DwightD.Eisenhowerin1955thatpromotesworldpeacethroughunderstandingdifferentcultures.Atthattime,Iwasthe
firstpersonfrommyfamilytotraveloutsideofthecountry(beforeme,itwasmygreatgrandmotherwhenshetraveledtoAmericafromtheCzechRepublic)andittrulyopenedmyeyes.WithPeopletoPeople,IwenttoAustraliafortwoweeks.Afewyearslater,ItraveledtoMadrid,Spain.Ifellinlovewiththecity
andthecountry,whichinfluencedmetostudyinValenciaduringmyfirstsummerincollege.DuringafreeweekendinValencia,I
traveledtoParisandaftertheValenciatripended,IwenttoRomeforaweek.AfewyearslaterIwenttoEcuadorwitha
friendtomeethisfamily.Itwasbeautifulanddefinitelyoffthebeatenpath!ThemostrecenttripItookwaswithmysister
toReykjavik,Icelandforspringbreak,anditencouragedmetolivewiththeEarth,notagainstit.Throughoutmytravelingexperiences,I’verealizedsomethingveryimportantabout
myself:Icannotliveafulfillinglifewithouttraveling.Ibelievethattherealmotivationbehindeachofmytravelsistostaymentallyhealthywhileseeingtheworld.There’ssomethingpeacefulaboutmeetingnewpeopleandlearningdifferent
cultures,andIbelieveIleaveapieceofmyselfwhereverIgo.You study Mechanical Engineering and
Spanish. Why did you choose this combination? IamadoublemajorinMechanicalEngineeringandSpanishandI
alwaysgetaskedwhy.I’veknownI’vewantedtogointoengineeringsinceIwasinthirdgradewhenIvisitedtheNASA
spacestationinHouston.Iwanted(andstillwant)tobeanastronautandtheeasiestwaytodothatistobecomean
engineerandworkforNASA.Itwasn’tuntilmyfirsttriptoSpainthatIknewIwantedtolearnSpanish,andIdeclaredaminor.
WhenIwenttoValencia,wewerehavinglunchatacastlewhenwelearnedthattheSpanishprogramwasindangerofbeingcut.
IdecidedtoshowmysupportfortheSpanishprogrambychangingmyminorinSpanishtoamajor.I
don’tbelievethatthis
combinationofmajorswasoneIreallymeanttomake,butinsteaditchoseme.I’mmoreorlessjustchasingmydreamstoonedayliveinaSpanish-speakingcountryandalsogoontheultimatetriptoouterspace.Tell us about your role in on-campus organizations. I’mamemberoftheco-edNationalHonorsFraternityPhiSigmaPi.IalsoconductundergraduateresearchinengineeringwiththeSPIRITprogram.IalsoworkforresidentiallivingasaResidentialAssistantinScottHall.How do you spend your time when you’re not doing school-related stuff? I’matotalfoodie.WhenIamnotdoinghomeworkorresearch,I’mtravelingtoAshevilleandlearningmoreabouttheirfoodscene.IfeellikeIhaven’tevencrackedthesurface,butIknowwheresomegreatplacestoeatare.Tell us about your motivation to study Spanish. ItstartedinMadrid.IstartedoffhatingSpanishinhighschool,anditwasn’tuntilIwitnessedthelanguageoutsideofaclassroomthatIinstantlyfellinlovewithit.NowIammotivatedtocommunicateinSpanishbecauseIrealizewhereitcantakemeandIamreadytorevelinthepossibilities.How do you use your Spanish most now? IusemySpanishwhenItravel,inclass,withfriendsandironicallyjobinterviews.IamnotfluentbutI’mconstantlytakingsmallstepsanddoingmybesttoexposemyselftothelanguageinordertolearnnewvocabularyandpracticespeaking.InthefutureIwanttoretireinEcuador(hopefully)andopenapizzashop.
Anything else? I’dalsoliketosharealittlepieceofadvice(especiallyforfirst-yearstudents):travelandtakeyourliberalstudiescoursesseriously.Isaythisbecauseit’seasyforstudentstogetstressedout.Ibecamesoanxietyproneincollegeandtheonlywayformetoescapewastotravelandseetheworld.IthinktheonlythingIwillregretisnottakingthetimetostudyabroadandtravelmore.ThereasonIsaytakeliberalstudiesseriouslyisbecausethroughmytravels,I’vebeenabletowitnesshowwellroundedpeopleinothercountriesare.Learningaboutsomethingyou’renotnecessarilyinterestedin(atfirst)givesyouanewperspective.Mysecondpieceofadviceistonevergiveuponyourdreams.Ifyoutrulywantsomething,youwon’ttakenoasanoption,butatthesametime,don’tgetfrustratedifyourplansdon’tworkout;there’smorethanonepathtowhereyou’reheaded.Mythirdandlastpieceofadviceisarecycledone.Asafreshman,SpanishoverwhelmedmeimmenselyandIbasicallyhadameltdowninDr.Oxford’soffice.ShegavemeapieceofadviceIhaveheldontoforfouryears:Ifyou’restressedout,stepawayfromyourworkandgetyourfavoritesnackanddrinkandrelax.Whenyou’renolongerstressed,finishyourwork.ThisadviceisonethatIalwayssharewithothersandIamforevergratefulforit.
STUDENT PROFILES: DARIÉN HEWETT
fromleft:withasheepinAustraliaonDarién’sfirsttripabroad;inelParquedelRetiroinMadrid(shesayssherealizedhowawfulshewasatrowingaboat);roastingcuioverafireinEcuador.
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Santiago García-Castañónwill present a paper on “La iconicidad enDon Quijote de laMancha:representaciones plásticas de lo monstruoso” at the International Conference on ComparativeLiterature(April5-8)inSanJosé,CostaRica. Inadditiontohisconferencepresentation,hewillalsogive two invited poetry readings of his own works at the main Auditorium of the College ofHumanitiesoftheUniversidaddeCostaRicaandthePoetryLoungeofElLoboEstepario. He recently finishedhis Spanish translationof the complete sonnets by JohnMilton, the firsttimetheyaretranslatedintoSpanishmaintainingtherigidmetricstructureofthesonnet.Hereisthemostfamousone,“OnHisBlindness”…
WCUSPANISH ALUMNI CORNER WCUSpanish recognizes achievements of WCU alumni with a major or minor in Spanish.
TREVOR McKERNIE (BA, International Studies and BA, Political Science
with Spanish minor, ’14) In 2015, Trevor completed the Graduate Gateway Program for International Affairs at American University in Washington, DC. He now works as an Orientation Coordinator at Youth For Understanding USA, where he organizes and leads orientation events for American students going abroad for an educational exchange experience. In this position, Trevor also works with Culture Language Camps for student placement, as well as overseeing local orientations for international students in the Great Lakes region.
at left: Trevor with Dr. Lori Oxford in front of the José Martí Memorial in the Plaza de la Revolución in Havana, Cuba when
Trevor participated in WCU en Cuba 2013.
Alumni: share what you’ve been up to with the rest of the WCUSPANISH community! Send your info to Dr. Lori Oxford ([email protected]) and be sure to pass the newsletter along to your family and friends so they can celebrate your achievements along with the rest of us.
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When I consider how my light is spent,Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,And that one talent which is death to hideLodged with me useless, though my soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and presentMy true account, lest He returning chide;“Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?”I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not needEither man’s work or His own gifts. Who bestBear His mild yoke, they serve Him best. His state Is kingly: thousands at His bidding speed,And post o’er land and ocean without rest;They also serve who only stand and wait.”
Cuando pienso cómo mi luz se ha ido,media existencia en este mundo oscuroy mi talento que en mi muerte apuro,inútil soy; mi espíritu abatido sirviendo al Creador, dando sentidoa mi vida, de toda culpa abjuro,Dios me niega la luz, que es trance duro,y le inquiero con tono compungido: “¿Qué puedo hacer sin luz?” Y me responde:“Dios no precisa dones jactanciosos;quien mejor lleva el yugo, menos tarda.” Su causa es justa y miles corren dondepor tierra y mar lo buscan presurosos,mas le sirve también quien solo aguarda.
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In February 2015, Garrett Fisher organized WCU’s first Romance Languages poetry reading in observance of Valentine’s Day. This year, Fisher expanded the event, sponsored by the Department of World Languages, to include poetry in any language of the WCU community. Students and faculty read works of well known poets as well as some original compositions in Spanish, Japanese, Persian, and Catalan.
Pictured below are students and faculty at the World Language Poetry Event 2016.
Languages, Poetry, and WCU
WaLC to Offer Spanish Refreshers and Reviews - Now on a Drop-In Basis
TheWritingandLearningCommonswillofferanewservicethismonth:drop-intutoring,specificallydesignedforgeneralreviewforstudentsinlevels300andup,pluslanguagepreparationforstudentsplanningtoparticipateinanupcomingSpanishstudyabroad.SeasonedtutorsSaraClarkandAshleighGaywillofferreviewsofverbtenses,conjugations,vocabularyreview,andotherissuesasneeded.Theywillalsoprovideconversationpracticeforstudentswhoneedit.
Thesespecialdrop-insessionswilltakeplace:•Monday,April11thfrom7pmto8pm•Thursday,April21stfrom5pmto6pm
Questions?Contacteitherofthetutors(emailsintheabovelink)orclickheretoscheduleanappointmentintheWaLC.
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Do you know a student in the Spanish program or an alumnus/alumna with an interesting story? Is there an event of interest to Spanish study that we should announce here? Let us
know! Contact Lori Oxford with your news. vvv
“Like” us on facebook: WCU Spanish Follow us on twitter: @SpanishWCU
Come by and talk to us in McKee or check us out on the WCU Spanish program’s webpage.
¡Muchas gracias!
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COME PRACTICE AT TERTULIA Anyone in the WCU community is welcome to come practice speaking Spanish with us at our weekly conversation hour at Tuck’s Tap & Grille: • Monday, Apr. 4 at 5:30 • Tuesday, Apr. 12 at 5:00 • Thursday, Apr. 21 at 4:30 • Monday, Apr. 25 at 4:30
UPPER-LEVEL SPANISH OFFERINGS FOR FALL 2016: SPAN 301 - Conversation and Composition I (García-Castañón) SPAN 310 - Intro to Hispanic Literature (García-Castañón) SPAN 321 - Hispanic Cultures and Civilizations I (García-Castañón) SPAN 432 - North American and Caribbean Literature (Couture) SPAN 462 - Spanish Syntax and Morphology (Centeno-Pulido) SPAN 471 - Translation and Interpretation (Fisher)
ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING EVENTS WCUSPANISH
