Scenes from 2006 Orientation

Program Update August 26
Greetings from El Paso –Ciudad Juárez, where the Border Studies Program has completed two full weeks. The first week involved an extensive orientation program, while the second featured the start of courses with three different academic institutions, as well as getting students situated with their field studies. Needless to say, these first two weeks have been full of activities, and packed with new experiences and challenges.

As Resident Director, I am pleased to report that all of the students have made an exceptional effort to get the most out of everything offered. I was already deeply impressed with the students from their applications and phone interviews, but I have been even more taken by their intelligence, capacity to adapt, and willingness to undertake the challenges offered by the Border Studies Program.

Orientation week focused on building the foundations for the semester. We focused on several key areas. First, students participated in activities designed to orientate them within the divided urban geography of Ciudad Juárez and El Paso. They learned how to get around on public transportation, cross the international bridge, as well as get around campus with confidence at both University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) and Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez (UACJ). A key contribution to the student’s getting familiar with the environment was the local knowledge of Cristina Sanchez, coordinator of host families. Cristina is a fantastic resource for the students as they learn about Ciudad Juárez. In addition to guiding students into their host families and attending several orientation events, Cristina made a special presentation about “Three Things You Need to Know About Living in Ciudad Juárez.”

Students were with living with their host families by the second evening of the program. Next, we worked to prepare students for their academic experience, which involved discussions about what it is like to be at student at UTEP and UACJ. This preparation also engaged in overview material about how the entire Border Studies experience comes together in a deliberate fashion to provide students with an intensive opportunity to learn about the border reality, Mexico, migration, and how common folk organize their communities to contend with significant social problems.

Orientation also involved familiarizing students with their field study projects, which involved visiting several organizations. Time was also spent reflecting on the challenges that each student had undertaken when deciding to do the Border Studies Program, as well as the challenges that lay ahead this semester.

The first week of classes was a hectic time for all. Our students did exceptionally well navigating UTEP and UACJ, and adjusting to higher education at the big state school. We have already had several interesting discussions about the differences between being on liberal arts campus and the UTEP-UACJ experience. We also started two courses all the students are taking with me. One focuses on the topic of globalization, and provides students with a framework for thinking about their experiences on the border. The second, Socrates Café, is a two-credit course designed to help students process their experience and think more deliberately about their field study experience.

Finally, the program associates, Rachel Lord and Aliza Frame, have been working hard to assist students with their introductory meetings at the organizations where they are doing their field studies.

As you can tell we have covered an amazing amount of territory in just two weeks. I am not sure if the students can step back at this point and see how far they have traveled, but I have already noted how much more confident, comfortable, and at ease they are with the journey ahead. They are a great group of people, each with a wide range of skills and experiences that are contributing to a solid learning community and a group strong in its ability to undertake the learning and individual challenges that are inherent to our program.

Glen David Kuecker
Associate Professor of Latin American History
DePauw University
Resident Director, Border Studies Program Fall 2006
Earlham College

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