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Volume 75, Issue 9
SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935
Nov. 6, 2009
BC students serving in Costa Rica
Three Brevard students participating in a semester abroad write
back to BC about their experiences
by Cole Altizer, Lucy Matthews, and
Lindsay Shaeffer
Contributors
PURA VIDA YALL! This phrase has
become one of our favorite expressions- a
perfect blend of the Costa Rican culture and
our southern roots. Costa Rica is a tropical
country steeped in a rich history of coffee
plantations and banana exportation, as
weU as a tremendous tourism industry that
drives the economy. The weather is warm
and rainy- perfect for the luscious green
terrain that envelops this place and the
abundance of wildlife that it’s famous for
We arrived here in August with the
concept of the Spanish language, and
will leave with it as a part of who we are.
Studying Spanish abroad is more than
just speaking and writing- it’s submersing
In this issue...
NEWS:
Immersion departs
?
Interview with a senator
?
IVIore from Costa Rica
3
Dr. Chamlee to recite poetry
3
Aramark apology
4
Gas prices on the rise
4
Football victorious
5
ARTS & LIFE:
5 Dollar word
fi
Comic
fi
‘Little Shop' review
7
ODDS AND ENDS:
American Hero
R
Your Horoscope
8
ourselves into an entirely different culture
that has captivated our minds, and our
hearts. After more than two months in
this beautiful place, we have grown
exponentially and have developed a strong
foundation in the language- the academic
goal of our semester here. Living with host
families, eating new food, learning new
traditions and adapting to a new way of life
have challenged and changed us. It is safe
to say that coming home at the end of this
journey won’t be easy!
The ultimate Costa Rican experience
is culminated in the hours we spend with
our Tico families, forming unbreakable
relationships and growing our knowledge
of the Spanish language through loving the
people we live with everyday. This is an
incredible and unique time, because we as
we grow our speaking skills in our classes,
we are also experiencing the culture and
the country though learning traditional
dance, latino cooking, volunteer work
and weekly adventures. We each have a
weekly volunteer project- Cole works in the
Canopy, Lindsay at the elementary school,
and Lucy at a home for the elderly. This
opportunity abroad is deepened by the work
we are able to do in the community of Barrio
Jesus. Serving others creates abridge where
languages and cultural differences interfere,
and will leave a lasting bond here for the
generations of students that travel to Costa
Rica after us.
And as for our adventures... to date
we have Bungee jumped, watched a man
almost get eaten by a crocodile, visited
beautiful beaches, seen ancient ruins, and
zip hned through the rain forest. There is
no shortage of fun to be had!
Thank you all for your support and for
sharing this experience with us! We look
forward to the future students that will be
a part of this awesome opportunity and to
sharing our love for Costa Rica with all
of you!
Lucy Matthews
(left), Cole Altizer
(center), and
Lindsay Shaeffer
(right) during
their semester in
Costa Rica. This
semester is part
of a program in
which the students
will immerse
themselves in the
culture, lifestyle and
language of Costa
Rica. It will also
help to earn them
a minor in Spanish
Language and
Culture.
photo courtesy L.