Eileen reflects on time spent in Tucson, Nogales, El Paso, and Ciudad Juarez.

My name is Eileen Sanderson, and I am from Virginia, specifically a little peninsula on a slightly larger peninsula. I am a junior at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, studying Mathematics for Elementary Education and squeezing in Spanish classes where I can!

This semester is turning out to be one of the most challenging- emotionally, physically, and academically! BUT I am having great experiences, meeting some amazing people, and learning a lot.

In Tucson, my host family is a retired couple, Stan and Sally, who are incredibly loving and warm, doing everything in their power to make me feel at home (and they are succeeding!). We have great conversations all the time, and I tag along to their church, Southside Presbyterian, whenever I am here!

My field study is at Cesar Chavez Learning Community, a charter
school that caters to mostly Latino and Native American middle and high school students. I've been helping out in two middle school math classes, an English Language Learners class where I work individually with one student, and a handful of afternoon project-based learning sessions. This school has offered me some great (and tough) experiences that I know will help me when I start teaching on my own!

In Nogales, I lived with an amazing family, too! My mom, Noemí is a nurse; my dad, Reyes, works at the Instituto Tecnologia; my sister Leslie is studying psychology at university; my brother is a senior at the preparatorio/high school and plans to go to the Instituto Tecnologia next year; and my sister Mitzue is in secundaria/middle school. I also met a lot of relatives, but I don't think I have room to talk about all of them!

My field study in Nogales was at a primaria/elementary school. I only got to teach a couple of times before I left, but I got to sub in the English classes, and I started to teach computer classes. I had so much fun with these students, even when I struggled to understand what they were saying or to be understood! I definitely think elementary school teaching fits me better than middle school teaching, but who knows what I'll end up doing!?
With all the papers and projects that are due in the next few weeks, it is hard to think about everything we've already done! So, I'll just talk about right now. We have come to El Paso, Texas, which is especially exciting for me because my mom's family is from El Paso, and my grandma and aunt's family still live here. I got to visit them once!

Friday, we had a tour of the border, met with two professors from UTEP- Ben Saenz, creative writing, and Tony Payan, political science. Ben Saenz talked about the community and how it had changed and grown over the years, and Tony Payan explained a bit about the drug violence and its history.

Saturday, we got to go to Ciudad Juarez (honestly, a surprise for all the students…even though it was in the schedule). We spoke to Maricela Ortiz about the organization Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa and the femicides in Juarez. It was very interesting but difficult and sad to hear (of course). We also got to feed carrots to a giraffe named Modesto! We walked back to
the US in a 30 minute line, but Amy and Lily had a four hour wait to drive across! We had lunch at a church gym that also housed a thrift store, and few students made it out without buying anything. I bought *It's a Wonderful Life* Christmas cards and earrings! Then we spoke with a local artist who works with youth in El Paso. He also gave us a mini-walking tour of some murals in El Paso. There was a fantastic mural in (and out) of the public library. Then we went to Cinco Puntos Press Publishing House, where we learned a bit about the publishing process, and again, everyone left with bank accounts a bit emptier. After dinner on Saturday, some of us went to the movies! Most of us saw the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, while others watched W.

Sunday, we took a tour of Annunciation House, a shelter almost exclusively for undocumented migrants. I got to talk to a resident who gushed about her grandchildren, especially her nine-year-old granddaughter. We also played paper football with a young boy who was there. Then we headed off to Maternidad La Luz, a midwifery clinic that caters to mostly Mexicans. It was so interesting to hear about natural birth and everything that they do at the clinic and the school. We wandered around downtown El Paso, taking the opportunity to compare downtown El Paso to downtown Nogales, Arizona… (Well I did). We relaxed or tried to get work done.

Monday after we packed up the van, we went to UTEP for another meeting. This one was with a former maquila manager. We ate more danishes than is recommended, and as we were leaving, we got at least two free books (more if we found some we liked)! Then we loaded up again and headed back to Tucson…I will definitely miss El Paso!

Saludos from Sophie!

Saludos a todos! We've now been living in Nogales, Sonora for a little more than two weeks and yet so much has happened. In Tucson, time seemed to fly by, and that seems to be happening yet again. Here are some updates and thoughts on my time here in the borderlands so far:

First, a little about me...I´m one of the massive Oberlin crew here on the program. I´m a senior and will be graduating in May with a major in Comparative American Studies with minors in History and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. I´ll likely be returning to my homebase
in the San Francisco Bay Area after graduation, but my time here in Arizona and Sonora is definitely putting thoughts in my head about moving down here.

Living and working in Ambos Nogales feels more like a study away experience than Tucson did, for a range of reasons with the most obvious being that we´re living in what is officially another country. Here in Nogales I´m also one of the two of us having the experience of crossing the border every single day for my field study--waiting in line, answering an ever-changing set of questions at the border checkpoint, and seeing on a daily basis the multiple and overlapping realms of life and culture on the border.

While Ambos Nogales is handsdown considered a border town, sometimes even called "one city in two countries," during our time in Tucson many of us found that opinions really vary on whether that city 60 miles away from the border is truly a border city. But especially for
those of us living on the Latino-predominant Southside of the city and commuting daily to the University and Dowtown business districts, the borders that exist within the city and the city´s proximity to the border were very apparent and felt on a daily basis. Class and race segregation
isn´t of course an exception in U.S. and other cities, but, for example, when you see on one side of town border patrol trucks patroling every few minutes along with every other stripe of law enforcement possible and they´re almost completely absent from the rest of the city, the reality of the border is not an abstract thought.

In Tucson I lived with an amazing family on the far southside of town in a full house of four daughters ages 5, 12, 17, and 21, their mom and dad, and Gucci, their white toy poodle. There were also often houseguests on weekends, mostly family visiting from Hermosillo, Sonora to go shopping and hang out. Getting to know all of the girls was really fun and I think they welcomed having an "older sister." My host parents were also super welcoming and understanding of our busy schedule, especially my host mom. She´s a socialworker who works at a local women´s shelter, and it was really interesting learning about her work and
the general scene of doing social work in the Tucson area. I also spent a lot of time with my "real famliy" at my grandmother´s house in Tucson and with some of my other many family members who live in the area. Although I´ve been going to Tucson my whole life to see family, I finally got the chance to really get to know the city and get a much wider view of the
region related to border issues.

For my field studies in both Tucson and Nogales, I´ve been working with ESL programs doing assistant teaching and helping with various projects. In Tucson, I worked at Literacy Volunteers of Tucson, a non-profit volunteer-based literacy program with both ESL and Basic Literacy classes for adults. With LVT I worked all over the city in several different
classes of various levels--often within one class there´s everyone from beginners to advanced--and helped the fulltime tutors with acitivities. My other main task at LVT was helping with preliminary assesment of students´English skills to place them in classes and for the tutors to get a sense of what should be covered in their material. These assesments and some of the classroom time provided a lot of one-on-one time with students, which I really enjoyed. The vast majority of students were Spanish speakers, but there were also a few Somali, Russian, and Chinese students in some of the classes as well. The morning classes were mostly stay at home moms who often said their main reason for wanting to learn more English is to help their kids with homework. Many of the students also cited work reasons and
wanting to communicate with younger family members who don´t speak Spanish
as their reasons for taking the classes.

In Nogales I´m working with Santa Cruz County Continuing Education, which is an adult education and workforce development program run by the county. Classes just started last week, so I don´t have a lot of experience there yet, but I´ve been getting to know the group of staff and teachers, all of whom have also been very welcoming and curious about the BSP program. Because the program is state-funded instead of by foundation and donations
like at LVT in Tucson, they have to conform their curriculum to very rigid state standards, which I'm learning all about. Also, because they receive federal and state money, as a result of Prop. 200 here in Arizona, students must prove their legal status to enroll in their programs. Here, instead of jumping around to a bunch of classes, I´m working with one class and one teacher here, in the beginning level class. In Nogales, Arizona, almost everyone speaks Spanish, and the city is bilingual everywhere you go. I´m looking forward to the rest of the next few weeks as I get to know the students better!

Like in Tucson,my host family here in Nogales is also really great and a good match for me. I'm living with a young couple who are both busy professionals in the city. My host mom Mercedes is a doctor of public health and works at the General Hospital here. She is also the housing
coordinator here in Nogales for the program and really awesome in general. My host dad, Ricardo, is a sociologist and professor at one of the universities here. A tried and true sociologist, he´s very inquisitive and loves discussing social issues here and elsewhere and asking me about U.S. politics and life. We also spend a lot of time talking about the music and
culture of his self'proclaimed ¨heyday¨in the 80´s, including groups such as ACDC, Metallica, Guns and Roses, NWA, TLC, Madonna, Converse Allstar sneakers, and hairstyles such as shaggy long hair pulled back into ponytails on men and flattops.

Now it´s just about getting more settled in Nogales, yet, as we´ve talked about in the group a lot, when you´re on the border and constantly moving back and forth and in-between languages, political perspectives, countries, cities, getting settled isn´t necesarily the name of the game. With the election coming up and the economic meltdown, it´s such a wild
time to be out of the country. Both the election and the economy are big topics here....and with the Mexican national economy and the local border economies so intimately tied to their respective ¨other side¨, the effects of the economic woes are super apparent, most obviously with the sudden devaulation of the peso to around 12 or 13 to the U.S. dollar now.

What else? I´m really excited about the upcoming Dia de los Muertos altar-making and celebrations. I´ve been to celebrations in San Francisco and have always loved this day, and I¨m really exicted to see how big it is both here in Nogales and in Tucson. The trip to Mexico City was really fascinating and fun--a definite valuable addition to our understanding of the "bigger picture" of the economic, political, and social of Mexico and globalization. The talk by Frida Gaytan about the student movement of 99-00 was especially interesting and inspiring.

That's all for now!
Sophie

Week 8: Eric's update

So the week of the 6th through the 12th was our first week with our host families in Nogales, Sonora. On Tuesday evening we had a party dinner downtown and met our families. Eva Gonzalez is my mom, and she's really nice and very involved in border issues in Nogales. Today it came out that she makes strife in the house by bringing female migrants home to bathe every so often. Eva's husband Victor is an electrician and a secret master analyst of the US presidential election, so it's really entertaining to hang out with them. Their son Victor is 10 years old and a really sweet kid who loves his pet chihuahua named Puppy.

Wednesday we visited the border artists Alberto Morackis & Guadelupe Serrano in their shop and split up into groups in order to complete some tasks overthe next week gathering materials for our Day of the Dead altar. The artists are very cool and open with us, which is really nice. Alberto did get very sidetracked talking about typical mexican meals though, I think it may have been dinner time for him.

Thursday we had Amy's and Paty Barron's classes at the Pedagogical University of Nogales. Amy's class is now starting into the Human Rights section, and Paty's class is about interculturality and historical formation of Ambos Nogales. Friday was Heather Craigie's Identities, Myths & Realities in the Borderlands class, which is a really great space for reflection and development every week.

Things are pretty good here in Nogales, we'll see how our families pan out in the next couple weeks.

Best to all,
Eric Holman

Week 7: Saludos from Itzel

Saludos a todos! My name is Itzel Garcia-Mejia. I am a junior at Oberlin College where I am pursuing a double major in History and Latin American Studies with a minor in Politics. We have just completed our first week living in Nogales, Sonora. The week before that we were in Mexico City. We drove down in Hermosillo after a sad goodbye to our wonderful host families in Tucson and caught a plane to Mexico City. After a few changes to our itinerary as a result of the manifestations taking place in the Zocalo, we spent three full days sightseeing and conversing with various people about Mexico´s political and migratory history. Our guide was Frida Gaytan who participated in the 1999 student protests at the UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) –in addition to showing us around the city she spoke to us about her experiences during the 1999 student movement as we sat on the grass at the UNAM.
We went to the Frida Kahlo museum in Coyoacan and to the top of La Torre Latinoamericana and looked out over the city. We spoke to anthropologist Percy Betanzos who gave a lecture on migration patterns within Mexico and how it has changed as a result of NAFTA (el Tratado de Libre Commercio). We also spoke to lawyers from PRODESC (Proyecto de Derechos Economicos, Sociales, y Culturales) who discussed the role of multinationals in workers’ rights violations.
The excursion to Mexico City fed straight into our four day Fall Break in which most of the students stayed in the city. Then we flew back to Hermosillo, drove back to Nogales, and arrived at La Casa de la Misericordia, which we visited during our Tucson Orientation Week, for our Nogales Orientation. This two day orientation included a very brief contrast tour where the coordinators pointed out the various maquilas and neighborhoods, a safety talk by the coordinator of our Nogales housing, and a tour of the new UA facilities in Nogales, AZ where we´ll be having class every Friday. The orientation wrapped up with a reception at a salon de fiestas in Nogales where we met our host families. The following day we had our first meeting with Alberto Morackis and Guadalupe Serrano about the altar that we will help design and build for el Dia de los Muertos.
The program has exposed us all to a number of influential groups and individuals related to the effects of NAFTA on Mexico—hopefully at the end of the semester, our Policy Proposal papers (which we just found out will be presented to students at UPN and to an ESL class in Cochise County) will spark substantive discourse about what can be done in the areas of international trade and immigration. As the elections and the term of a new president approach, dialoguing about these very issues becomes even more important. I can´t think of a better timing for this material.

Week 5: Reflections from Penina

My name is Penina Eilberg-Schwartz, and I'm a senior at Oberlin College. I study history and have been interested in border regions for a long time, but this is my first real experience at the Mexico-U.S. border itself.

I have been working with the Pima County Interfaith Council, a child of Saul Alinsky's Industrial Areas Foundation. With them I've been doing a lot of voter registration stuff and organizing in churches with large Spanish-speaking and immigrant populations.

When we get to Nogales, I will start working with En Común, a microfinance organization there. I cannot wait.

Today I was wandering around in Tucson's downtown with some friends, doing interviews for a mapping project we were assigned in our Globalization, Migration, and Human Rights course. We were asking whether people thought of Tucson as a border town, and we got a pretty wide variety of answers, but I knew what I thought by the end of the first week here.

This is what I wrote then:
"Tucson is most definitely a border city. I have evidence!
There is El Tiradito, a little shrine on a small corner to those who have died in the desert. There is a vigil that meets there every week.
There is, of course, all the Spanish you hear walking around, and the bright colors and the Sonoran hotdog stands.
There is the story that my friend told me about when she first went to find her field study site. She walked into the office and there was a man there, tired-looking with a huge gash on his leg. It was from a cactus. He had been abandoned by his coyote in the desert.
There is the story of Reverend John Fife and the Sanctuary movement that was located here and hid Central American refugees from the Dirty Wars who the U.S. was deporting (in violation of its own refugee law.)
And there is the drive down to Nogales and the way the wall appears, cutting through a hill. And the art you see on the wall when you get to the Nogales side.
Finally, there is the conclusion that many people, of diverse voices, have presented to us: the U.S. fence-building policy has funneled migrant traffic into the Sonoran desert, a dangerous place that is known to kill. In fact, in the document starting this policy, deterrence was acknowledged as part of the "hold the line" strategy. They will die, and then they will stop coming. The thing is, they have not stopped coming."

Last night Michael (my host father who is a photographer and involved member of several local humanitarian aid organizations) took me to a dinner with a filmmaker who is working on a documentary about deaths in the desert. When we asked him how he got started with this, his answer was long, but eventually he said, "America is asleep." Parts of Tucson are asleep too, but people are dying very near here, at least in part because of U.S. policy. And people are living here too, and it is hard. The militarization of the border and the U.S. owned companies in Mexico create seriously contaminated air and water, making the border area the highest incidence of cancer in the country, of floods that have broken through parts of the wall that are built like dams in the desert. But of course, there is also vibrancy here and someone who we talked to today on the first day of classes who studies border culture and folklife reminded us that there is beauty here too. There are Santos and Milagros and prayers.

It is strange to see beauty here, though. When we were in Nogales, everyone who lived there talked about how ugly it was. We thought it was kind of beautiful. I think maybe because we find it honest—this is the place (one of the places) that makes the lives we lead possible. This is a true place, a behind-the-scenes place.

So coming to the end of my time in Tucson, I'm looking forward to a place where the border will make itself even more clearly seen, and I will continue to struggle to find my place in all of it.

Week 4: Update from Lou

¡Bienvenidos a Tucson! Me llamo Luís y soy un estudiante de La Programa de Estudios Fronterizos, 2008. I am a junior at Albion College and a History and Spanish double major. I grew up in Ann Arbor and work at the University of Michigan Hospital during summer breaks.

Choosing to study abroad with the Border Studies Program was a difficult decision for me. I often imagined my off campus experience taking place in Spain, not within the US. Although, when it came time to decide, I chose what I felt would be the most challenging experience. The Border Studies Program focuses on immigration issues, border policy, and the effects of that policy. That means when we go out and experience the border reality, we are not backpacking, sightseeing, or partying. On the contrary, we “rough” it for the benefit of a new perspective. That principle of challenging students rings especially true for my experience so far.

My initial host family placement has been amazing! I’ve found that almost everyone I talk to really enjoys who they are staying with. A great example of this is food. For at least half of the participants, what type of food they eat matters. My host family is well-suited to my needs: my host dad is a great chef, and what he cannot cook, he takes me out to a restaurant to try new things. The best example I can think of is our weekly trips for Sonora style hot dogs. Not only do we all enjoy delicious hot dogs wrapped in bacon, but my host family takes 90 minutes out of their day to ask me about school, life, and what is stressing me out. They even offer great advice: skip school more and they’ll take me on random trips to Phoenix to unwind. I didn’t take their advice (lol!), but I always feel too full, and that makes for a happy kid.

If I’m not in class or at home, I’m probably working on my field internship with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). This internship is worth 5 credit hours and requires 15 hours per week. At my internship, I work closely with conducting surveys on the new E-verify law. I’ve conducted at least 25 interviews and have heard a wide range of opinions on the issue of immigration. This internship has given me the opportunity to get real, hands on experience with the immigration issue on the border. What more could I ask for?

This last week was very challenging. The Altar trip pushed everyone, and we needed a weekend for some R&R. I was able to catch up on my homework and celebrate Mexican Independence Day on Saturday. I even participated in specific events to celebrate on Sunday by dancing and eating traditional foods. You are what you eat! And I am happy!

With all the events I was able to participate in this weekend, I almost forgot I was abroad! I am excited for the Mexico City trip in a couple of weeks, and I hope that this weekend was taken advantage of by everyone here. I can’t wait to get up early tomorrow and start working out again. Life is good.

Lou

Weekend in Altar

Madeleine Fierstein
9/5-9/8
Hola desde Tucson. Soy Madeleine Fierstein (Maddie). I am in my third-year at Oberlin College and am a politics major with a concentration in international relations. Enough about me, and on with this past weekend. I had a slightly different weekend then the rest of the group because I started out Friday night with a Quinceañera in Caborca, México. I am living with a truly fabulous family of 4 women in Tucson who are originally from Caborca. I have become a quick member of this family and therefore was invited to attend the Quinceañera of a cousin. I had never been to a Quince, but an accurate description involves hundreds of people (many family members), 100° temperatures, lots of dancing and music and staying up until well past 2 a.m.
The next day I made a quick change of modes and met the rest of the BSP group in Altar, México. Altar is the resting spot/beginning spot of migrants who want to cross into the U.S. This is the place where migrants rest up before crossing the desert, find coyotes, buy water, backpacks and all other goods they believe necessary for their journey. When we arrived Saturday afternoon we went to CCAMYN (Centro Comunitario de Atención al Migrante y Necesitado), which is an organization that feeds and houses migrants in Altar. The plaza in Altar is where many migrants and coyotes hang out, and this is where we spent our Sunday morning. Sunday morning we broke up into small groups and interviewed/chatted with migrants on the street. We did this for about 2 hours, and I can’t speak for everyone, but this was one of the most heart-wrenching and best learning experiences I have ever had. To hear the stories of migrants first hand and the reasons why they cross (out of desperation and for family) makes one really question the reason certain policies exist.
Saturday afternoon we drove to the No More Deaths camp, which is a camp in the desert near Arivaca. On our way we stopped and spoke with a Mexican governmental organization Grupo Beta, which explains to migrants the risks of crossing the desert into the U.S. We also spent some time with the Mexican army who stopped us twice (sorry to any parents who are reading this) and checked our vans. “No More Deaths is an organization whose mission is to end death and suffering on the U.S./Mexico border through civil initiative: the conviction that people of conscience must work openly in community to uphold fundamental human rights.” The purpose of this camp is to offer medical aid, food and water to migrants as well as send out patrols to look for migrants in need of food, water and medical attention. We spent the night at the camp with some people sleeping outside and most in tents.
Monday morning we woke up at the crack of dawn and got ready to go out on a patrol in the desert. We piled into the back of pickup trucks with gallons and gallons of water and headed off into the desert. After about a 45-minute drive we stopped and hiked for a couple of hours to drop off water on migrant trails. Along the way we visited the memorial to a 14-year-old girl from El Salvador who passed away when crossing the desert this February. Although a tough experience, I think that this was really powerful for the group to see the actual conditions that people cross the desert through. Along the migrant trails we found many signs of the use of these trails including clothing, water bottles, backpacks and more. The temperatures in the desert are really unbelievable.
After our morning hike we headed home. Needless to say I had many different learning experiences this weekend. This weekend made me learn and question a lot, and I look forward to the many challenges ahead of us. ¡Les vaya bien!

Week 2: Adjusting to life on the border

Saludos desde la frontera. My name is Laura Guzman. I am a third-year political science and Hispanic studies major from St. Olaf College. I am originally from Eagan, MN. I was inspired to come on this trip because of my interest in immigrant rights and immigration policy reform. I also look forward to using my Spanish once we are in Nogales, Sonora and exploring the distinct and rich culture of the borderlands.
So far, Tucson has been a great experience. My home stay family is welcoming and makes an effort to include me in meal times and other family rituals, such as sharing highs and lows each day. They live in a community house with two other independent households in the same house and several others on shared property. It is inspiring to see how families make choices to use resources and land in a more functional and sustainable manner while simultaneously strengthening the fabric of communities.
While learning to appreciate and learn from a new family with different customs and norms, I have learned to navigate a new city. Tucson is a beautiful desert city encircled by four distinct mountain ranges that can help orient lost travelers. Thankfully, I have not needed to rely on this tool to get around. My home is centrally located which is really convenient for getting to school, work, and downtown. My only constant struggles are to learn the bus routes and to be patient with others and myself as we all adjust to our new circumstances and surroundings.
I recently began my field study internship at Border Action Network (BAN), an organization seeking to ensure the rights of immigrants and border communities are respected using grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and litigation. I will be serving as a research intern on their state legislative policy campaign. They are preparing possible legislation that meets their 12-point political principles in order to make recommendations to the state legislature in the next session.
Life on the border provides opportunities for constant growth and learning. While the formal coursework is challenging and engaging, the experiences outside the classroom provide fertile ground to learn more about border issues, community building, and our own limitations and gifts. It is sure to be a memorable semester for each of us!

Week 1 (August 16 -23): Orientation

The Border Studies Program commenced on Saturday, August 16 with the arrival of all the students into Tucson. Some arrived wide-eyed, others were simply exhausted from the flight. They all, however, arrived excited and eager to begin the first week of the program, which is dedicated to program orientation. During the week, the students embarked on a number of adventures – the week felt like summer camp at times and like an intense delegation at others. The students got to know each other very well throughout the week as they lived together at the Border Links dorms in Tucson, Arizona and at La Casa de Misericordia in Nogales, Sonora. The week allowed the students to spend an amount of time together that they will not have again for the rest of the semester. It also enabled them to build their support networks.

The week of orientation was divided between time in Tucson, AZ and time in ambos ("both") Nogales. Orientation began with a number of the students going on a desert hike. The “official” events kicked off with a very special, detailed tour of the city by Bruce Bedeman and Carlos Lozano of the Tucson Historical Society. Other activities included a tour of the University of Arizona, meetings at the school of Public Health and the Center for Latin American Studies at U of A, a Tucson bus scavenger hunt, team building activities with a BSP alum, a pitch-in dinner hosted by our new friends in Tucson, and a number of great breakfasts, lunches, and dinners shared over great conversation.

Mid-week we packed our bags and headed to ambos Nogales. As we drove into Nogales, AZ we were met by a wall that divides two cities of the same name and two nations. Most of us were introduced to the wall for the first time that day, and that introduction sparked conversations about, among many other things, new awakenings and new realizations, freedom of movement, and the relationship between the United States and Mexico.

Activities in Nogales included a number of important meetings. We first met with Teresa Leal, a border activist from the Pimería Alta Historical Society and then headed across the border to meet with Alberto Morakis and Guadalupe Serrano, internationally known artists and sculptors. Morakis and Serrano talked to the students about how living in the borderlands affects their art and how they use their art to explain the borderlands, the politics of the borderlands, and borderlands culture. Other activities included heading to the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional and meeting the professors and students who the BSPers will be working with during the second-block of the program, touring a colonia and being introduced to a number of environmental sustainability projects, and yes, eating more delicious meals. Time in Nogales culminated with a comparative shopping experience, in which the students compared the prices of consumer goods in a variety of tiendas and supermarkets in both ambos Nogales and Tucson. They made their way back to Tucson on their own and returned well-oriented and ready to embark on what will be, for most, a very influential life experience and one of the most challenging semesters of college.

The grand finale of the week was meeting the host families. We finished the week with a beautiful pitch-in dinner hosted by one of the mothers. The students got to know their new families, eat some great food, and we also celebrated Rachel’s (Earlham) 20th birthday as her host mother brought her a birthday cake. The night ended with each student going their separate ways with their host families.

Orientation went off without a hitch, and the first week ended with a great group of well-prepared students, happy families, and excited staff!