Spring Classes

Hello everyone! I have an extremely exciting mix of classes this semester. Here’s a short description of what I get to learn!

Anthropology: Politics and Culture of Latin America

After taking Anthropology 101 last semester, I decided to declare an Anthropology minor. This class also counts towards a Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) concentration, which I am considering. In this course we’ll be looking at the rise and fall of the Incan and Spanish Empires and how this influences South America today – from the treatment of indigenous peoples to drug trafficking.

History: U.S. – Mexican Border

This course also counts towards the LALS concentration. Borderlands are often a fascinating mixture of cultures – and my inner anthropologist is thrilled to study the historical relationships between Mexicans, Americans, Comanches, Apaches, and other peoples. What were the tensions between these diverse peoples? How did Mexican governmental policy affect the American side of the border and vice versa? How did the geography affect all of this? I am most excited for this course because it will help me understand the history behind the politics and tension surrounding current U.S. immigration policy.

Spanish: Phonetics and Phonology

I have always had a deep love for words so I am perhaps most excited for this course on phonetics and phonology. After 7 years of studying Spanish I’m realizing just how little I know about the language and how it is pronounced in different parts of the Spanish-speaking world. ¡Qué difícil es hablar el español! Or, phonetically (at least what I’ve learned so far), ¡[ké.di.fí.sil.e.sá.blar.el.es.pa.ñól]!

Spanish: Landscapes of Spain

My second Spanish class is a Readings course focused on analyzing Spanish literature and learning how to work with secondary scholarly articles. We will be reading famous works like “Cantar del Mío Cid” and “Don Quijote.” Much of the reading is in an older form of Spanish so it will be difficult, but I’m excited to finally study these classics.

Between the old dialects of Spanish and the phonetic spelling of modern Spanish, I feel like I’m learning a completely different language from my major. And I love it!

Political Science: Intro to Comparative Politics

This semester I decided to give up my extremely precious Netflix time and take a fifth class. At Holy Cross 4 courses counts as full-time but students are able to take a fifth course pass/fail and uncover the letter grade at the end of the semester if they so desire. The workload for 4 courses is already difficult to manage, but there are so many classes I would like to take at Holy Cross, I realized I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. Intro to Comparative Politics doesn’t cover any of my common, major, or minor requirements, but I’ve never taken a PoliSci course before and wanted to add to my educational experience with this new set of skills.

Well that’s all for now. I need to get back to all of that work!

Have a wonderful week!

Ali

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