by Kristin Kradolfer
Miguel Pazos, 27 and program analyst from Sanicharro, comes home around 6pm. He goes directly to Karate class or to see his girlfriend Paola. He returns around 9 pm and has dinner. Miguel seems like a typical American 27 year old, he has a professional job and a great social life. The only difference is that he lives with his parents. When he comes home to eat, his dinner is already made for him, it is cooked and waiting for him on a plate, all he has to do is heat it up. After it is ready he usually sits in the living room talking with his parents or in his bedroom. When he is finished he puts his plate into the dishwasher and starts the dishwasher. It seems like Miguel has the perfect life, but does he see it that way?
"I'm not going to begin to develop as a person until I begin to take care of myself," he begins strongly, "I don't want anyone to take care of me except for me!"
The fact is that Spaniards do seem to feel a bit pulled between the convenience of living at home and leaving home to become independent. The average age in Spain to leave home is between 25 and 30, with a considerable amount of people living at home well into their thirties. It isn't only the economic difficulty of renting a flat or the convenience of living with their parents that keeps them at home, but there also seems to be a strong cultural process at work, a set of expectations that one should study first, find a job, become financially established and finally move out. This process can take many years and most Spaniards seem to be only half-way through the process.
The typical Spaniard may have a professional job, a boyfriend/girlfriend, a new car, an I-phone and live at home with their parents and siblings.
Ainhoa is a blond 25 year old Spanish woman who earns 1000 euros a month working for a multinational company. She lives with her parents but desperately wants to move in with her boyfriend. She highlights the challenges many Spaniards have with the economic logistics in finding their own apartment.
In addition to this she points out the fact that most Spaniards earn a low salary despite working a professional job.
"I tried to rent a flat, but it's too difficult," she complains, "The owner requires a guarantee from the bank, a contract for a long period of time, and a large deposit. That's a lot of things just to rent a flat". "If I moved in with my boyfriend, my entire salary would go to the flat. I will have to pay for the things I do for fun and for my flat. I would, of course, save money by living with my boyfriend but I think it would end up being a difficult situation".
For others it is an issue of feeling almost too comfortable at home. Cristina Fernandez Espinosa 17, likes living at home and doesn't plan to move out any time soon. She doesn't have a curfew, and although she doesn't drink much alcohol when she goes out she doesn't usually arrive home until 3.00 or 5.00 in the morning. She has freedom and not much responsibility at home.
"My mother cooks and cleans the clothes and my parents give me money," she says, "I'm not allowed to have parties at home, and boyfriends aren't allowed at home, but I think when I'm older if I have a serious relationship my boyfriend might be able to spend the night".
The cultural process of leaving home is famous for being a slow one. Not many Spaniards are fully independent until they are well into their thirties, often taking tiny steps the whole way. Andres Rodriguez, 27 a student from Tres Cantos studying to be an English teacher, is someone who felt the need to move out of his parents house, so he did, right into his 63 year old aunt's house.
"I think by living with my aunt I will feel less invaded," he supposes, "I need my space. I don't like having to give explanations anymore. I don't like those little things that they ask, where are you going, when will you be home?".
However, Pablo Espinar Plitt, 28, a digital manager from an advertising company who earns 1100 euros a month doesn't believe that living away from home makes you independent.
"Having independence is not that same as being independent," he states strongly. "Being independent is having your own car, buying your own clothes and paying your own mobile phone bill", he goes on to add, "it means knowing the value of these different aspects of life, of cleaning, of ironing, of knowing how much the electricity and water costs."
How much does Pablo's electricity cost? "273 euros," he says, quoting his last three-month electricity bill without hesitation.
June 17, 2011
Ale-Alejandro
by Kristin Kradolfer
Alejandro Enriquez leans confidently against the ice cream cooler behind the cash register in SLU's cafeteria on a Thursday morning. He looks more like a gym teacher than a chef. He has the build of a football star with a broad back stretching his blue polo, strong arms that whip out cafés con leche in an instant, and his checkered cotton pants seem more like a track suit than part of his chef's uniform. He can be heard from even outside the cafeteria as he calls out people's orders in his booming Argentinean accent. Alex's presence is big and undeniably the life of the SLU cafeteria.
"Puerto Rico!" He hollers at a student as he rings up a customer and dashes to make a coffee for another. "Un sandwich mixto?" He asks, remembering the students regular order.
Next he rushes to fulfill a strange request by a math teacher to fill a plastic cup with garbanzo beans for her class to do an estimation project, all the while making coffee and handing out muffins. He never loses the smile on his face or stops making jokes with the students.
"Alex is a happy person," says Geraldo a 29 year-old Uruguayan who works on the maintenance crew at SLU." He gives life to the cafeteria, he's always laughing and joking with the students and besides being entertaining he does his job well."
Alejandro is a 38 -year-old international chef who hails from Argentina and has stumbled into gur cafeteria. Besides managing the chaos of the SLU cafeteria he is also a family man, a worldly entrepreneur jumping from country to country, and someone who has even served 8000 of the Queen of England's closest friends. While Alejandro appears to be an open book, there is a lot about him that most people don't know.
As far back as he can remember Alex has always wanted to be a chef. He got his big break as a chef during a camping trip at the age of 12 and since then he has been addicted.
After meeting his wife of 18 years they moved to Spain for better job opportunities. Since then his family has grown to seven and Alex has been all over the world for work. He attended culinary school in Switzerland and opened a restaurant in Hong Kong. In addition to his native Spanish he speaks Italian, English, French, and Portuguese and has lived in as many countries.
Five years ago Alex accepted a job working at Buckingham Palace as the Executive Sous-Chef for banquets and events. He was second in line in the kitchen; A huge responsibility which could be overwhelming as well as gratifying.
Splitting his time between Madrid and a flat in Covent Garden in London, he worked four to seven days a week and anywhere from eight to 20 hours a day.
The kitchen he used was of tremendous dimensions. Preparing events as large as 8000 people he used large equipment, called keepers. One keeper was a grill the size of a table and the other a giant pressure cooker that held up to 40 liters of liquid. He would throw 20 kilos of onions on the keeper and then 30 kilos of meat, some sauce and voila!
Between eight and 40 chefs worked in the kitchen depending on the event. Alex found the hardest part of his job was keeping the food hot.
"Serving cold dishes is no problem: you make it beforehand and take is directly to the table," he says. "But with a hot dish it has to be right there immediately and that can be difficult for an event of 3000 people."
An all day event for the last polo game of Prince Charles was one of the most challenging he managed. It consisted of breakfast, lunch and five o'clock tea. "Breakfast and tea were easy," he says, "coffee, croissants, pancakes and scones and tea, but lunch was hard."
They used 45 ovens and 250 cooks. Two waiters cleared and set each table while three waiters served the food. Alex served five courses including two complicated dishes. The first was a Salmon Terrine which consisted of three layers of different types of salmon: smoked, boiled and marinated salmon with a layer of cheese and herbs.
"You had to cut it just right, so that everything would layer perfectly," he explained, "it was good but very delicate and very difficult to do for 8000 people."
His next challenge was a sirloin steak with a layer of vegetable mousse, a layer of eggplant mousse, and a sprinkle of toasted bread crumbs.
"It took three to four hands to put each plate together," he recalls, "and for a minute we thought we had lost 25 portions. I went running to the refrigerator and in the end they were in the oven!"
If something went wrong the responsibility would be on his shoulders. "If ever there was a mistake they were going to cut off your head!" he laughs, " That was as clear as water!"
And who would be doing the cutting? The Queen of course! Alejandro even met the Queen during his time there although luckily not under such dire circumstances. When he accepted the position he was introduced to her as the new Sous-Chef. He snagged a picture with her and chatted for a few minutes.
So why did Alex leave such a glamorous job?
"My wife was pregnant with our last child and she was feeling bad," he said. "So I left the job four months before the birth and began working for the Palacio de Congresos in Madrid."
Three and half years ago he became the head of the SLU cafeteria. Now his days are quite different from those in London. The food is much simpler. He usually uses fresh and cheap food and prepares dishes such as chicken, meat, pizza and hamburgers. His kitchen is five times smaller than the one he had in London and his staff has dwindled to four.
Alex arrives at 7am and and leaves at 2.30pm. He orders the food, creates the menu, sets the hours for his staff and takes orders. He also takes time to chat and joke with the students. His favorite topic is football.
"He's a Barca fan, and an Argentina fan, and a Messi fan", Chris Travers a twenty-three year old Communication major at SLU says, "I started talking to Alex because he was always talking shit to my friend who is a Real Madrid fan, he just talks shit all day but he always does it with a smile."
Apparently Alex doesn't know Chris's real name. He calls him Francoise. Ruby, a Colombian woman who helps take orders in the cafeteria tells us why. "If he doesn't know someone's name, he calls them by their country....or their football team," she says laughingly as if she is divulging a secret. " He'll say Korea or Galacticos!"
Christina Petrevska admits that sometimes she has a hard time understanding his thick accent. "Petrevska!" She recalls him yelling one day, "When do you graduate, en Maysho?" Christina thought, "Maysho, maysho, what the hell is maysho?" Then after translating the accent in her head she realized he had been saying Mayo which is May in Spanish.
It may not be Buckingham palace, but Alex is happy working at SLU.
"I like the hours, the environment and the people," he says. "The two jobs are totally different, one was for my career and this one is so I can be in Madrid with my family. You can't compare them".
Alejandro Enriquez leans confidently against the ice cream cooler behind the cash register in SLU's cafeteria on a Thursday morning. He looks more like a gym teacher than a chef. He has the build of a football star with a broad back stretching his blue polo, strong arms that whip out cafés con leche in an instant, and his checkered cotton pants seem more like a track suit than part of his chef's uniform. He can be heard from even outside the cafeteria as he calls out people's orders in his booming Argentinean accent. Alex's presence is big and undeniably the life of the SLU cafeteria.
"Puerto Rico!" He hollers at a student as he rings up a customer and dashes to make a coffee for another. "Un sandwich mixto?" He asks, remembering the students regular order.
Next he rushes to fulfill a strange request by a math teacher to fill a plastic cup with garbanzo beans for her class to do an estimation project, all the while making coffee and handing out muffins. He never loses the smile on his face or stops making jokes with the students.
"Alex is a happy person," says Geraldo a 29 year-old Uruguayan who works on the maintenance crew at SLU." He gives life to the cafeteria, he's always laughing and joking with the students and besides being entertaining he does his job well."
Alejandro is a 38 -year-old international chef who hails from Argentina and has stumbled into gur cafeteria. Besides managing the chaos of the SLU cafeteria he is also a family man, a worldly entrepreneur jumping from country to country, and someone who has even served 8000 of the Queen of England's closest friends. While Alejandro appears to be an open book, there is a lot about him that most people don't know.
As far back as he can remember Alex has always wanted to be a chef. He got his big break as a chef during a camping trip at the age of 12 and since then he has been addicted.
After meeting his wife of 18 years they moved to Spain for better job opportunities. Since then his family has grown to seven and Alex has been all over the world for work. He attended culinary school in Switzerland and opened a restaurant in Hong Kong. In addition to his native Spanish he speaks Italian, English, French, and Portuguese and has lived in as many countries.
Five years ago Alex accepted a job working at Buckingham Palace as the Executive Sous-Chef for banquets and events. He was second in line in the kitchen; A huge responsibility which could be overwhelming as well as gratifying.
Splitting his time between Madrid and a flat in Covent Garden in London, he worked four to seven days a week and anywhere from eight to 20 hours a day.
The kitchen he used was of tremendous dimensions. Preparing events as large as 8000 people he used large equipment, called keepers. One keeper was a grill the size of a table and the other a giant pressure cooker that held up to 40 liters of liquid. He would throw 20 kilos of onions on the keeper and then 30 kilos of meat, some sauce and voila!
Between eight and 40 chefs worked in the kitchen depending on the event. Alex found the hardest part of his job was keeping the food hot.
"Serving cold dishes is no problem: you make it beforehand and take is directly to the table," he says. "But with a hot dish it has to be right there immediately and that can be difficult for an event of 3000 people."
An all day event for the last polo game of Prince Charles was one of the most challenging he managed. It consisted of breakfast, lunch and five o'clock tea. "Breakfast and tea were easy," he says, "coffee, croissants, pancakes and scones and tea, but lunch was hard."
They used 45 ovens and 250 cooks. Two waiters cleared and set each table while three waiters served the food. Alex served five courses including two complicated dishes. The first was a Salmon Terrine which consisted of three layers of different types of salmon: smoked, boiled and marinated salmon with a layer of cheese and herbs.
"You had to cut it just right, so that everything would layer perfectly," he explained, "it was good but very delicate and very difficult to do for 8000 people."
His next challenge was a sirloin steak with a layer of vegetable mousse, a layer of eggplant mousse, and a sprinkle of toasted bread crumbs.
"It took three to four hands to put each plate together," he recalls, "and for a minute we thought we had lost 25 portions. I went running to the refrigerator and in the end they were in the oven!"
If something went wrong the responsibility would be on his shoulders. "If ever there was a mistake they were going to cut off your head!" he laughs, " That was as clear as water!"
And who would be doing the cutting? The Queen of course! Alejandro even met the Queen during his time there although luckily not under such dire circumstances. When he accepted the position he was introduced to her as the new Sous-Chef. He snagged a picture with her and chatted for a few minutes.
So why did Alex leave such a glamorous job?
"My wife was pregnant with our last child and she was feeling bad," he said. "So I left the job four months before the birth and began working for the Palacio de Congresos in Madrid."
Three and half years ago he became the head of the SLU cafeteria. Now his days are quite different from those in London. The food is much simpler. He usually uses fresh and cheap food and prepares dishes such as chicken, meat, pizza and hamburgers. His kitchen is five times smaller than the one he had in London and his staff has dwindled to four.
Alex arrives at 7am and and leaves at 2.30pm. He orders the food, creates the menu, sets the hours for his staff and takes orders. He also takes time to chat and joke with the students. His favorite topic is football.
"He's a Barca fan, and an Argentina fan, and a Messi fan", Chris Travers a twenty-three year old Communication major at SLU says, "I started talking to Alex because he was always talking shit to my friend who is a Real Madrid fan, he just talks shit all day but he always does it with a smile."
Apparently Alex doesn't know Chris's real name. He calls him Francoise. Ruby, a Colombian woman who helps take orders in the cafeteria tells us why. "If he doesn't know someone's name, he calls them by their country....or their football team," she says laughingly as if she is divulging a secret. " He'll say Korea or Galacticos!"
Christina Petrevska admits that sometimes she has a hard time understanding his thick accent. "Petrevska!" She recalls him yelling one day, "When do you graduate, en Maysho?" Christina thought, "Maysho, maysho, what the hell is maysho?" Then after translating the accent in her head she realized he had been saying Mayo which is May in Spanish.
It may not be Buckingham palace, but Alex is happy working at SLU.
"I like the hours, the environment and the people," he says. "The two jobs are totally different, one was for my career and this one is so I can be in Madrid with my family. You can't compare them".
First Spanish Symposium
By Liz Rush
The Spanish Department called for papers from students to prepare for the First Annual Spanish Symposium, focusing on topics related to language and culture in Spanish-speaking countries, that took place Friday, Nov. 26 2010 at the SLU Madrid campus.
“This is an initiative that parallels symposia in St. Louis and it makes sense to have one here,” said Paul Vita, the Academic Dean who oversees the language departments at SLU Madrid. The symposium took place on campus from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m in various classrooms.
While the school has held symposiums about other topics in the past, this was the first organized by the Spanish Department in hopes of receiving abstracts about cinema, art, literature, linguistics, and pedagogy from both undergraduate and graduate students.
Before the symposium graduate student Caralyn Harmon, who is organizing the symposium, had announced "we don't know how many abstracts students might submit, but because it's the first symposium we will be excited with however many decide to participate." "People should give it a shot," said Harmon. "I don't think any paper will be rejected."
"The symposium is designed to provide an opportunity for students of all levels to share the work they've written for classes", said Anne McCabe, the Chair of Languages and Literature. According to McCabe, the symposium allows undergraduates to get experience if they are considering graduate programs. For students at the graduate level, participation provides an opportunity to present their work in front of a panel.
Prior to the symposium, a workshop was given about how to prepare for and participate in the symposium on Oct. 21 2010.
"We hope it will grow each year," said Harmon.
The Spanish Department called for papers from students to prepare for the First Annual Spanish Symposium, focusing on topics related to language and culture in Spanish-speaking countries, that took place Friday, Nov. 26 2010 at the SLU Madrid campus.
“This is an initiative that parallels symposia in St. Louis and it makes sense to have one here,” said Paul Vita, the Academic Dean who oversees the language departments at SLU Madrid. The symposium took place on campus from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m in various classrooms.
While the school has held symposiums about other topics in the past, this was the first organized by the Spanish Department in hopes of receiving abstracts about cinema, art, literature, linguistics, and pedagogy from both undergraduate and graduate students.
Before the symposium graduate student Caralyn Harmon, who is organizing the symposium, had announced "we don't know how many abstracts students might submit, but because it's the first symposium we will be excited with however many decide to participate." "People should give it a shot," said Harmon. "I don't think any paper will be rejected."
"The symposium is designed to provide an opportunity for students of all levels to share the work they've written for classes", said Anne McCabe, the Chair of Languages and Literature. According to McCabe, the symposium allows undergraduates to get experience if they are considering graduate programs. For students at the graduate level, participation provides an opportunity to present their work in front of a panel.
Prior to the symposium, a workshop was given about how to prepare for and participate in the symposium on Oct. 21 2010.
"We hope it will grow each year," said Harmon.
December 24, 2010
MTV EMA’s @ Madrid’s Caja Magica
by Nada Eldib
Our beloved city of Madrid had the honor of hosting one of MTV’s wildest award shows this year on Sunday, November 7th. And no better place to do so than in the high-tech Caja Mágica. This event encompassed the entire city for weeks on end—we know this as many of our SLU colleagues were working day and night to make this happen. The EMAs was more than just that one night of filling up the square arena with celebrities and screaming fans. It was days of extravaganza, having concerts the day before at the historic Puerta de Alcalá, and more madness the day-of, with Katie Perry, 30 Seconds to Mars and a surprise appearance my non-other than Mr. Kanye West, all giving the heart of the city a beat to bounce to.
The arena was full of positive energy and excitement. People lined up outside for hours until they got their "golden ticket" into the bar-filled, snack-bar brimming lobby area to chow-down and buzz up before pumping their firsts with the likes of DJ Pauley D and Snookie from MTV’s hit show Jersey Shore. The opening performance of Shakira pumped up the whole crowd (you could even see men in suits and women in cocktail dresses jumping around the VIP area). "Wakka Wakka" not only got everyone dancing the little routine, but it also sparked up Spanish pride, as they are the reigning Football World Champions (VIVA LA ROJA). "Loca" featuring UK’s Dizzee Rascal followed to set the mood of a crazy night which included performances by Kings of Leon, Plan B, a seductive routine by Miley Cyrus, a fire filled piece by Kid Rock, a neon glow-in-the dark extravaganza by Ke$ha and not to forget a flower filled Rihanna act—which had a random, non-wanted guest pop on stage attempting to be part of the act bringing a bouquet of roses (sure security got the wrong end of the stick for that slip). And nothing better to top off the night than a legendary performance by Bon Jovi.
This was not possible without the impeccable presentation skills of Eva Longoria who looked stunning in all 10 outfits she flaunted—even the ham made the crowd WooH with excitement—you can never go wrong with Spaniards and jamón. That’s not all! Many more famous faces filled the crowed. From the crazy crew of Jackass, who flashed all of Europe when presenting an award, to Spain’s favorite curly haired singer, David Bisbal. All the flavors of Europe and the US came to collide on this "magical" night –kind of like an international paella with a side of ketchup (yellow and red, of course).
From the pre-parties at the posh bar Ramses, and after-parties at Madrid’s hotspots Pacha and Kudéta (which we all know as Buddha) kept the city on its feet for days—and props to the organizers who were competing with one of football’s greatest games, the Madrid derby of Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid which was on the same night at the same time! Once again our city of Madrid handled parties like a king, with class, character and MAD-ness.
Bravo Madrid, you are truly a great host to us all.
Our beloved city of Madrid had the honor of hosting one of MTV’s wildest award shows this year on Sunday, November 7th. And no better place to do so than in the high-tech Caja Mágica. This event encompassed the entire city for weeks on end—we know this as many of our SLU colleagues were working day and night to make this happen. The EMAs was more than just that one night of filling up the square arena with celebrities and screaming fans. It was days of extravaganza, having concerts the day before at the historic Puerta de Alcalá, and more madness the day-of, with Katie Perry, 30 Seconds to Mars and a surprise appearance my non-other than Mr. Kanye West, all giving the heart of the city a beat to bounce to.
The arena was full of positive energy and excitement. People lined up outside for hours until they got their "golden ticket" into the bar-filled, snack-bar brimming lobby area to chow-down and buzz up before pumping their firsts with the likes of DJ Pauley D and Snookie from MTV’s hit show Jersey Shore. The opening performance of Shakira pumped up the whole crowd (you could even see men in suits and women in cocktail dresses jumping around the VIP area). "Wakka Wakka" not only got everyone dancing the little routine, but it also sparked up Spanish pride, as they are the reigning Football World Champions (VIVA LA ROJA). "Loca" featuring UK’s Dizzee Rascal followed to set the mood of a crazy night which included performances by Kings of Leon, Plan B, a seductive routine by Miley Cyrus, a fire filled piece by Kid Rock, a neon glow-in-the dark extravaganza by Ke$ha and not to forget a flower filled Rihanna act—which had a random, non-wanted guest pop on stage attempting to be part of the act bringing a bouquet of roses (sure security got the wrong end of the stick for that slip). And nothing better to top off the night than a legendary performance by Bon Jovi.
This was not possible without the impeccable presentation skills of Eva Longoria who looked stunning in all 10 outfits she flaunted—even the ham made the crowd WooH with excitement—you can never go wrong with Spaniards and jamón. That’s not all! Many more famous faces filled the crowed. From the crazy crew of Jackass, who flashed all of Europe when presenting an award, to Spain’s favorite curly haired singer, David Bisbal. All the flavors of Europe and the US came to collide on this "magical" night –kind of like an international paella with a side of ketchup (yellow and red, of course).
From the pre-parties at the posh bar Ramses, and after-parties at Madrid’s hotspots Pacha and Kudéta (which we all know as Buddha) kept the city on its feet for days—and props to the organizers who were competing with one of football’s greatest games, the Madrid derby of Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid which was on the same night at the same time! Once again our city of Madrid handled parties like a king, with class, character and MAD-ness.
Bravo Madrid, you are truly a great host to us all.
December 6, 2010
SLUpdates!!
GARAGE SALE!!!!!!
You want to get rid of some stuff? This the perfect opportunity for you to sell anything you want!
Clothes, bags, small furniture, pillows---ANYTHING (well, preferably not your tooth brush..)
Come to the CAFETERIA (location has changed!!!) December 18th from 12pm until 7pm.
BUY AND SELL!!!
Vid Kuret and Basma Gaber will be there helping you!
The money and whatever does not get sold goes to
CHARITY
Plus free hot drinks and food from the American Baked Goods will be served!
December 1, 2010
SLU art department production
"Dancing to Romeo and Juliet -
(And Acting and Singing too)"
by Daphne Binioris
Rehearsals are underway to choreograph the story of Romeo & Juliet and to welcome all the campus arts departments on stage for this year´s SLU Madrid Dance Performance scheduled for Thursday, December 2nd at 7pm.
"This will be the first time that they are going to incorporate theater, music and choir, all into the performance. Every other year they were separate, but this year they are going to sing while students dance. They are going to raise dead Juliet while the choir sings," said Susi Peces-Barbara, the head of the dance department.
In addition to complimenting the story of Romeo & Juliet, mixing instrument, voice and theater into the dance performance promotes SLU Madrid´s range of arts programs.
"I like the idea of bringing together the different performing arts groups because I think there´s a general lack of awareness. It seems students are into what they are doing and they don´t seem to reach out to see the other opportunities," said Cathie Smith, a permanent student participating in the theater department.
Also, for those who are visiting the Madrid Campus, the collaboration between the arts departments helps to unify students.
"It´s such a small campus with a revolving door, people come in and out all the time. Bringing all the different departments together for one show helps us to see what´s going on, even for me who’s a part of that revolving door, it helps to feel a part of something that’s not just the dance class," said Mike Studer, a visiting student taking Beginners Latin Rhythms.
Currently the beginner dance classes are fuller than ever, getting ready to salsa on stage for all of SLU. Plus, the advanced dance classes are scheming to add an element of surprise to the event.
Although the dancers have yet to cross paths with the other departments, as rehearsals unfold, when the semester is over and students are ready to showcase their work, everyone comes to support their friends and see what SLU has to offer.
(And Acting and Singing too)"
by Daphne Binioris
Rehearsals are underway to choreograph the story of Romeo & Juliet and to welcome all the campus arts departments on stage for this year´s SLU Madrid Dance Performance scheduled for Thursday, December 2nd at 7pm.
"This will be the first time that they are going to incorporate theater, music and choir, all into the performance. Every other year they were separate, but this year they are going to sing while students dance. They are going to raise dead Juliet while the choir sings," said Susi Peces-Barbara, the head of the dance department.
In addition to complimenting the story of Romeo & Juliet, mixing instrument, voice and theater into the dance performance promotes SLU Madrid´s range of arts programs.
"I like the idea of bringing together the different performing arts groups because I think there´s a general lack of awareness. It seems students are into what they are doing and they don´t seem to reach out to see the other opportunities," said Cathie Smith, a permanent student participating in the theater department.
Also, for those who are visiting the Madrid Campus, the collaboration between the arts departments helps to unify students.
"It´s such a small campus with a revolving door, people come in and out all the time. Bringing all the different departments together for one show helps us to see what´s going on, even for me who’s a part of that revolving door, it helps to feel a part of something that’s not just the dance class," said Mike Studer, a visiting student taking Beginners Latin Rhythms.
Currently the beginner dance classes are fuller than ever, getting ready to salsa on stage for all of SLU. Plus, the advanced dance classes are scheming to add an element of surprise to the event.
Although the dancers have yet to cross paths with the other departments, as rehearsals unfold, when the semester is over and students are ready to showcase their work, everyone comes to support their friends and see what SLU has to offer.
November 22, 2010
The end is near...
"Anxieties of a Senior"
By Pamela Gutierrez
He looked out, legs outstretched and deep in thought. My roommate, Ian, looked especially flustered after a game of his mother’s new favorite pastime—Let´s Guess Ian’s Future. She might be more fearful of playing if she could only see what Skype so conveniently hid. "This is disgusting," said Ian from his personal pool of candy wrappers. Moving his feet from their strategic place between the hamster cage and ashtray, he was careful not to push any of the six or so glasses, the sole survivors of our dwindling collection, off the battered coffee table.
Some things can be avoided. You learn to dodge the beer spills and avoid the broken end of the couch but the ash is inescapable and the mess is practically chronic.
“Our parents would kill us if they knew we lived this way.” A declaration my roommates and I frequently make when our living room is looking especially dismal. Even worse is, “We have to clean this up before my parents come visit.”
My life mapped out on Hello Kitty stationary, I was sure of everything. Step one: Go to College. This was easy enough, I had been prepped and primed for this my entire life, and it seemed only natural when the time came. Step 2: Graduate Top of My Class With a Bazillion Internships Under My Belt and My Dream Job Lined Up. This is still a work in progress but the forecast is less than sunny.
For us, and many new seniors, it’s all about maintaining the image. The fearless, all-knowing, all-accomplishing image we created for ourselves when we were too young to know better. The image parents, former teachers, and friends back home now come to expect every Christmas and summer vacation. The one that we can barely make out among the pessimism, bad news, and reality checks that gradually transform us from those naïve but hopeful little selves.
A parent visiting is always the trigger. We quickly snap back into the fairy tale we promised ourselves and them. On the dean’s list, president of the student body, and the only student ever allowed to teach astrophysics. Yes, we were supposed to be perfect little college students, hold the grime. For now, and for the next 200 or so days until we officially graduate from college, we can still snap back, feigning the confidence of our younger, pre-“enlightened” days.
But at the precipice of the real world, I feel as if I’ve been hit by a bus. My injuries include the sudden realization that, no, things won’t just figure themselves out. My time as a sheltered student where inaction means little more than a C average is quickly ending.
I’d always assumed the life I dreamed of would just happen, much like the need for a training bra or the weird “About Your Body” book by mother insisted I read.
I just knew my career as a famous and respected journalist would come. I would write out of my San Francisco Victorian home from ten to three, then have lunch with my equally fabulous friends. Later I would go home, write a bit more, and have dinner with my loving, brilliant, six-pack wielding husband. Wonderfully behaved children would follow and I would be sublimely and unconditionally happy and secure.
Of course I would have these things. If puberty came, why not success?
But then, just when things might actually start happening, nothing happens. I’d spent the last three years perfecting my FAFSA only to be told that real grown-ups worry about their 401K and that no one cares that I’m trained in iambic pentameter. If Matt Denson, graduating senior and bona fide sonnet connoisseur is having trouble finding a job, I can only imagine my own fate in a year’s time. Unlike failing to get the lead in the school play where my free time is more of a blessing than a curse, not finding a job means living with my parents—a true curse for anyone once having lived in Madrid. But how exactly does one find their dream career when their idea of job hunting is circling the mall?
My Victorian house has a two million dollar price tag and I can barely tear myself away from Facebook long enough to finish my homework, much less write my award-winning novel.
My days as a student are numbered. No more checking Facebook in class or idly practicing my name in cursive instead of paying attention. No more sliding by. If I’m mediocre now, people will start to notice.
So here I am. Twenty-one years old and suddenly having to walk the walk I’ve talked about for years. I live these final months in a mixture of anxious anticipation and nausea, a feeling I’ve grown to find strangely comforting. My apartment, which I stumble out of each day after sufficient snoozing and some degree of procrastination, is anything but what my parents envision from their California home across the world. Sure, my description of four rooms, two bathrooms, and a “nice” kitchen doesn’t quite capture the grunge of the situation but I’ve learned that assessing its condition as an absolute failure would be inaccurate also.
We always pay the rent eventually and usually have electricity, but more importantly we’ve turned an empty apartment in a foreign city into an environment that feels more like home than my parent’s house ever really could. In trading in the safety and security of our childhood homes and lifestyles for an “interesting” flat in Madrid, we also gained the freedom to become something more than just residents of someone else’s home. If the plastic sword mounted in the hall is any indication, we’ve transitioned from simple sons and daughters to individuals with thinking and knowledge as diverse as our decorating senses.
Graduating from college, much like leaving the nest, will doubtless be a little sticky and uncomfortable, but the exchange could bring possibilities far beyond the reach of even the most thrilling textbook. More than just the freedom to hang ridiculously tacky posters in the living room, this time we’re earning the right to break a lifelong routine and actually be the men and women that we’d always dreamed of becoming. So bring on the anxiety, bring on those 400-level classes, and bring on the future… Just don’t forget the barf bag.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)