Those University students who travelled to Cuba during this year's winter break may have physically left the island, but they have not left the memories of the trip behind them. In hopes of increasing people's understanding of Cuban society and culture, the students, who gained a deep appreciation of Cuba while visiting there, are creating a website sharing their experiences.
From the beginning, those who went on the trip -- 19 undergraduates, seven graduate students, and two faculty members -- planned to publish material that would reflect what they witnessed in Cuba. "On the questionnaire to apply to the trip to Cuba, we were already asked how we thought we could share our experiences back at Tufts," sophomore Kirit Radia said.
"It was a preoccupation for everybody during the trip," Radia added. "We kept telling people to think about a topic they would like to develop. After the trip we set up a deadline, and everybody came up with one of several articles."
The students, led by junior Laura Irizarry, initially planned to publish their material in magazine format. Because of financial troubles, however, they decided instead to create a website. At that point, Radia became the project's coordinator.
While in Cuba, the students visited an elementary school, a secondary school, a family clinic, and a day care center. This direct access was completely new; last year, students had less access to Cuban institutions.
During the trip, the students also listened to several speakers on political and social issues. They visited the Museum of the Revolution and interacted with students from la Universidad de La Habana (University of Havana). Additionally, they spent time on a small farm in the Cuban countryside and set up several community service projects.
"We went out there and listened to everybody," Radia said. "We would get in the streets and talk to people. They are really educated people -- most of them speak two to four languages -- so it was easy to converse with them."
The website, which is organized into three main parts, aims to convey the students' varied experiences and impressions in a way that will educate people about the realities of Cuban society. The first section of the website is composed of several profiles of unique individuals that the students met on the trip.
The second section is dedicated to essays and articles on economic and political issues. Topics include Fidel Castro, the American influence on Cuba, the effects of the American embargo, agrarian reform, and the living situation of Cuban farmers.
A last section of the website provides a venue for those students from the group who would like to share a souvenir, an experience, or even a feeling from their trip. Some students will express themselves by posting poetry or pictorial art; others will post essays or an article.
Even though it has been almost a semester since the students returned from Cuba, their memories -- kept sharp by their involvement in creating the website -- remain intact and passionate. "I would definitely do it again," Radia said. Prior to going on the trip, he, like many of his fellow travellers, was curious about Cuba and sought to educate himself regarding its culture. Radia and the other students on the trip were also motivated to visit Cuba by the "once-in-a-lifetime" nature of the trip.
Their motivations may have been similar, but the backgrounds and ages of those on the trip were very diverse. The group's spectrum ran from undergraduate freshmen to graduate students. "It was really interesting having grad student with us," Radia said, adding that the diversity of trip participants will be reflected in the diversity of thought presented on the website.
In creating the website, Radia and his fellow travellers hope to promote next year's trip to Cuba as well as to correct people's misconceptions about Cuban life.
"I actually first thought about going to Cuba, when one day my Spanish teacher listened to me making a comment about Cuba and then said jokingly, 'You don't know anything about Cuba; you should go!'" Radia said, illustrating the necessity of increased awareness regarding the trip.
"I had so many misconceptions broken thanks to this trip," Radia said. Even though he had previously travelled to other regions of Latin America, the Cuban trip was a unique experience due in part to the embargo and American influence there, Radia said. Also, he said, public service systems such as healthcare and education are different in Cuba, making time spent there very different from time spent in other Latin American countries.
The link to the site, which will open within the next several weeks, will be posted at the Latino Center's website,http://ase.tufts.edu/latinocenter/.
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