Seven Tufts seniors shared reflections and anecdotes from their four-month stay at the University of Havana in Cuba on Tuesday, discussing topics ranging from socialist policies to gay nightlife.
"This experience [makes] you realize how complex the world really is," panelist Lynda Turet said.
Turet expressed distress at the recent restrictions the Bush administration has imposed on academic travel to Cuba. "Prohibition [of student exchange] is the greatest danger," she said.
Since they took effect in June, the new regulations have forced the cancellation of many exchange programs.
One unique feature of studying in Cuba is living under a socialist government. "I was disenchanted with the capitalist system and drawn to socialism," panelist Juliette Lizeray said.
Panelist Rachael Merola was impressed by the socialist educational system. "I consider education to be one of the greatest contributions [of socialism] to Cuban culture."
In contrast with many other resource-deprived countries, education is viewed as a right, not a privilege, in Cuba, Merola said. Cuban students are "given the resources to continue their education," she said.
But panelists didn't just see Cuban socialism through rose-colored glasses. Cubans "were frustrated but apathetic" about their low standard of living, Rachael Hereford said.
All seven panelists agreed that the apathy of the average Cuban worker could be due to their less than stimulating jobs and the difficulty of acquiring "a few extra dollars," as panelist Caitlin Key said.
Hereford and Merola also expressed concern about the indoctrination of Cuban youth and the limited political discourse in schools. "There were signs reading 'Socialism or Death,'" Hereford said.
Having studied in Santiago, Chile just prior to her stay in Havana, Turet was able to directly compare Latin American socialist and capitalist systems. Compared to Cuba, there were "such huge disparities [in Chile] between people who have and people who don't," she said.
Students remained conflicted about the issue. "I love and hate socialism so much," Key said. The slow pace of life and the country's organic beauty made Key "so happy this country is antiquated and inefficient," she said.
Panelist Caitlin McDonnell said the relaxed atmosphere was a source of culture shock for her. "There is a huge lack of resources, so there was a lot of waiting," she said. The panelists recounted stories of public transportation delays and long food lines.
On a lighter note, "sexuality is seeping out of the culture," Turet said. "Soon all interactions were reduced to flirting," she said, adding that she adopted the "Cuban swagger" and wore increasingly skimpier clothing.
Senior Shannon Karam gave a unique account of being homosexual in Cuba, including a humorous recounting of her quest to find the gay scene - la fiesta gay - in Havana.
"We'd call and say 'We're gay Americans. Can we party with you?'" Karam said. This kind of networking in Havana "felt like a community in the middle of this big city," she said.
Lizeray also who presented a slide show highlighting Cuban culture through Cuban music, street life, and real people so as not to "romanticize or vilify life in Cuba."
"I wanted something to believe in," Lizeray said of her experience. "I wanted an impartial understanding of Cuban reality to demystify this island [called] Cuba."
