After years of student ambivalence and faculty frustration, Northwestern's Spanish Language Program is heading in a new direction.
Beginning this quarter, the program will offer a new Spanish Writing Center; Coloquios, an advanced conversation program; and a quarterly department newsletter. These programs will be offered in addition to the ongoing Spanish Language Table and recently modified CineClub film series and Tertulias conversation groups.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese currently enrolls 74 majors, 130 minors and more than 1,000 students in Spanish and Portuguese language classes.
"There's a lot going on here," Prof. Shannon Millikin said. "We have a lot of demand for Spanish. We have over 1,000 kids each quarter, so Spanish is obviously in demand."
The improvement of old programs and the addition of new programs resulted from a stronger demand for Spanish combined with the dedication of department instructors and the support of Spanish Language Program Acting Director Heather Colburn, said Prof. Elisa Baena.
"Heather Colburn has a more realistic way of seeing what the students need and gives us the opportunities to do it," Baena said. "Things are changing… If you want to do something, you can. So if you have an idea, now, there is a way to do it."
Two years ago, the former director of the Spanish Language Program, Sonia Garcia, approached Baena about the idea of a writing center similar to those offered by other language departments. Designed for 200- and 300-level students, the center will debut this quarter.
"I'm sure I'm going to have to change a lot of things," Baena said. "I have an idea in my head and it might be that nothing is going to happen the way I planned. Within a year, it's going to be the final, final version."
The Spanish Writing Center will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Kresge Hall 1-346. Students will be able to make 30-minute appointments with Baena, during which she will help the student work on the grammar and structure of his or her paper.
2008 Woodie Awards
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Miguel
posted 4/04/08 @ 4:40 PM CST
Wow, maybe Northwestern will actually realize one day that Chicago has the second largest number of Mexicans/Latinos in the U.S. and do something about hiring more Latino faculty and recruiting more Latino students that reflects the population of the the city. (Continued…)
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