Spring Break in Cuba 2016

“This is just the beginning of a future that promises to forge strong academic ties not only between students from Boston University and their counterparts in Cuba, but also with students in other parts of the Spanish, English, French, and Dutch speaking Caribbean.” – Dr. Linda Heywood

African American Studies. History and Pardee School-sponsored students were the advance guard for President Obama, beating him there by a week.

The Alternate Spring break course, an intense week-long encounter with today’s Cuba and Cuba’s past, got an eyeful and earful of the island as it prepared to meet the President, but also as a serious introduction to the country.  The group of 11 students and three professors heard lectures on Afro-Cuban religion, Cuba’s relations with Angola (from an all-star program of veterans of that struggle), China in Cuba, the Cuban medical system (which included a visit to a Cuban hospital/clinic), a fantastic tour of Cuba’s engagement with modern art and much more.

The students also managed to see important aspects of Cuban life in the flesh, for example the difficulty in using the internet and telephones, but more directly the way in which the long severed relations between the US and Cuba that seem to be coming to an end.  They learned from experience about its dual-currency system, and ambiguous feelings that many share about the future of a normalized relationship with the US.

They got the feel of Havana by walking along the Malecon (the harbor front boulevard) and through the squares of the Old city. We sampled Cuban cuisines from the coffee shops to the fancy Palladars (restaurants operated from homes). Some of us bought Cuban art at the largest craft store in Havana and others acquired exquisite cigars from stores in the Old City. One of the high points was visiting the famous Colón Cemetery where the Cuban wealthy from the 18th century to 1959 and revolutionary heroes lay in state. For one group, a unique experience was seeing a boxing match accompanied by  live music.

Group Pic

Group Pic 2

Check out the images below to see what the participants were up to in their Cuban journey:

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“Seeing the other side of American Cuban relations and the power of economics first-hand was one of the most enlightening experiences I’ve ever had.”                                    -Matthew Manarchy
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Learning about Cuba’s public health system by a team of medical experts at the Polyclinic
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“One week in Havana was enough to revive my Cuban roots and reinforce my desire to explore the progression of Cuba’s society and how I can contribute to that progression. My journey in Havana was truly a memorable and eye-opening experience that I will constantly reflect on in my scholarly endeavors and personal growth as a Cuban American.”                                   -Mariem Marquetti

 

 

 

 

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“Being a dual degree student in Hospitality Administration and Hispanic Language Literatures I was able to learn a lot from the International Relations students and our daily lectures on Cuba. I am very grateful to have had this wonderful opportunity to travel and experience Havana for a week.”                                                                             -Eric Jarmolowicz
Diplo Concert
The BU Spring Break 2016 group took part in the Major Lazer/Diplo concert which took place near the U.S. Embassy and represents the opening of relations between the United States and Cuba.
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Students and Faculty given a lecture on Cuba’s public health system by a team of medical experts at the Camilo Cienfuegos Polyclinic