UNIVERSITY
January 19,2000 • theSeahawk
Students learn and take pilgrimage
with a new study abroad program
by HEIDI BING
News Editor
The university will be offering a new
study abroad opportunity to students
during the Summer Session I, which will
allow them to learn about the Spanish
language and culture while taking a pil
grimage across northern Spain to the
revered city of Santiago de Compostela.
Spanish 294-10: Intermediate Span
ish for Travelers will be instructed by
Valerie Rider. The class will spend one
week at UNCW in classroom instruction
concentrating on traveling in Spain then
depart for a month in Spain.
“For that week students will be learn
ing Spanish that is heavy on traveling
vocabulary,” Rider said, noting that stu
dents will be concentrating on vocabu
lary pertaining to travel, nature, and hik
ing and they will study the history and
culture of the route they will be jour
neying.
The class will then fly to Madrid and
take a train in to the Pyrenees Moun
tains and cross Xhe boarder into St. Jean
Pied-de-Port, France where they will
begin a backpacking pilgrimage west
ward to Santiago de Compostela.
“Along the way, we’ll travel through
big cities such as Bilbao and Leon which
have some of the most beautiful cathe
drals in the world,” Rider said. “Stu
dents are going to get a real cultural
experience from visiting these big cit
ies and the smaller towns.”
The journey to Santiago de
Compostela is a pilgrimage that has
been traveled for over 1,000 years. The
journey is called “el Camino” which
means “the road” or “the way” and Rider
explained that the term refers to both the
way to the city of Santiago de
Compostela or “the way to enlighten
ment.” The city’s name means “St.
James of the field of stars” and it is re
puted that the remains of the patron saint
James who was one of Jesus’ apostles
are buried in the city.
“There is an absolutely exquisite ca
thedral there which houses what are re
puted to be the relics of St. James,”
Rider said.
During their travels, students will
stay in “refugios” which are simplistic
shelters erected for travelers on the pil
grimage. These refugios are located in
various locations, and some of them are
located in monasteries run by monks.
Students will visit the towns they stay
in during the day to observe the vary
ing cultures and interact with Spanish
citizens.
“The people who live along the route
have for centuries treated the pilgrims
that pass their way with total hospital
ity,” Rider said. “There is a mentality
that the people have that stresses hospi
tality toward the pilgrims because of the
idea that travelers could be angels or the
Lord himself and the people wouldn’t
know it...so they have always extended
the hand of friendship.”
Pilgrims who have walked over 60
miles to reach Santiago de Compostela,
are issued a “compostela” from the city,
which is a Latin document commemo
rating their achievement.
“This document is the most meaning
ful memento you could get,” said Rider,
whose class will journey far more than
60 miles during their month of travel.
“It basically certifies that you have done
the pilgrimage just like the pilgrims of
old did...its something people really
strive for.”
Rider believes it is important for stu
dents to not only study a culture, but to
also experience it firsthand.
“Classroom instruction is great...but
with the way our classes go, there is
only so much language, culture and his
tory you can soak up,” Rider said.
“When you finally leave the confines of
the four-wall classroom and go some
place else where you are living and
breathing it, your ability with the lan
guage is going to [increase] along with
your appreciation for other people and
their way of life...its priceless.”
The estimated cost for the trip is
$2,850 which includes tuition and fees
for three credit hours of study, round-
trip airfare, transportation while in
Spain, lodging, meals, insurance, and
the cost of an international student ID
card. A $200 deposit/application fee is
due on Monday, February 14.
Students can get information and ap
plications by contacting Rider at 962-
3341 or by e-mail at riderv@uncwil.edu.
Students can also go by Rider’s office
in room 235 of Morton Hall during her
office hours on Wednesdays from 12-2
p.m. Brochures describing the trip are
posted outside of Rider’s office. Appli
cations are also available at the Office
of International Programs in room 103 A
of the University Union.
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Past UNC presidents oppos
proposed tuition, fee hi ices
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Opposition to
a proposed tuition increase and a new capital
projects fee to be paid by all University of
North Carolina students has drawn opposi
tion fiom two former UNC system presidents.
Past president C.D. “Dick” Spangler said
the money needed for faculty salaries and
building improvements should come from
taxpayers instead of students.
Former president Bill Friday also has op
posed tuition hikes.
Spangler’s comments were published Sat
urday in The Charlotte Observer after the
UNC Board of Governors indicated approval
for the proposals during a Friday meeting in
Wilmington.
“The state can afford a first-class univer
sity, and I believe it’s wrong to tax the stu
dents,” Spangler said.
“I’ve never heard a poor person ask for
tuition to be increased. I’ve had numerous
members of country clubs say we could
charge more, which I translated as meaning
they would have to pay less taxes. And many
of them benefited from low tuition. ... You
just can’t get around the fact that what has
been done has worked.”
Spangler vigorously resisted efforts while
he was president of the 16-campus univer
sity system to raise tuition.
Residents of North Carolina pay soj
the lowest tuition in the nation to attends
colleges. Low tuition is a principle coaj
in the state Constitution and has guidd
university system for two centuries.
But without more money for buildi
faculty and academics, the system’s ii{
ger of losing its edge and national repm
university system President Molly Bnali
the Board of Governors.
Many members of the board saidi
didn’t know what else to do becausej
funds have been cut already to pay fomj
efforts after Hurricane Floyd.
“The money has to come from s]
where. I don’t think we have a choice,'i
Addison Bell, a Charlotte businessnai
board member.
The board is scheduled to vote nextm
on the plan.
Mrs. Broad is seeking to raise tuilij
2.1 percent next year for all students.!
also pay a new student fee of $100nes]i
which would grow to $275 in three yet
N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill slit
also would pay an extra $200 in tuitionii
Broad wants to ask legislators to i
the money, so the university system ii
finance up to $750 milUon in high prii
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