By Matthew Dooley Staff writer
On January 2, Susquehanna students will embark on a three-hour plane ride to Cuba.
Students who attend Susquehanna must participate in a Global Opportunities trip during their time at the university. Recently a trip to Cuba was added to the list of trips available to students.
In the past, Susquehanna students have had the choice to study abroad in Cuba through other organizations, but GO Cuba is the first official GO Short trip to Cuba directly through Susquehanna.
Any Susquehanna student is allowed to apply for the trip; however, it is advised students have finished a minimum of one year of Spanish.
Headed up by Maria Munoz, associate professor of history, and Scott Manning, dean of global programs, GO Cuba allows students to be immersed in Cuban culture. Students have a chance to learn what Cuba is like from the people living on the island.
“Outside of Canada and Mexico, Cuba is the closest country to the United States… Most people in the United States really don’t know anything about it,” Manning said. “It hasn’t been completely closed off to America, but it has been [disconnected from] the United States for so long that we have a lot of pre-conceptions and ideas about what Cuba is like, but they are actually not very accurate,” he added.
“This trip is not about showing Cuba and Cubans in a certain way,” Munoz said, “but rather trying to see and learn about the nuances of a country shrouded in mystery for most U.S. residents.”
Manning addressed some concerns students may have about visiting the country.
“I had the opportunity to visit Cuba with one of our study abroad providers last spring, and I was only there for four days, but I was completely blown away by what a perfect place it was for us. It’s beautiful and people are very friendly,” he said. “We met with students in Cuba and they told us they feel safe walking anywhere anytime. It is a very safe environment.”
According to a statement on Susquehanna’s website, “The GO Cuba program will explore the complex culture that melds Cuba’s Spanish colonial origins with a century of social, political, economic and cultural influence from the United States and the resulting 50 years of diplomatic cold war and tension after the 1959 revolution.”
According to Manning, “A lot of what [students] will experience is the homestay families, so the students are going to meet those families, all of those families’ friends, their kids, all of these extended network of people. All the homestays are all on the same block, so the [students] all spend a lot of time with Cuban people. But they will also have time to explore on their own.”
“Every student will have a different topic they are studying onsite, so they will be out in Havanna talking to people, asking people, learning from people on their topic whether it be sports or food, etc,” Manning added.
However, students will not remain exclusively in Havana.
“At the end of the program we are actually going to a small village that is about a five or six-hour ride away from Havana,” Manning said. “There we will be working for three or four days just with people in this village on different projects. They divide people up with topics such as food, environment, childcare, etc. Students will divide up into the topics they are most interested in. And then they would be part of the village.”
The GO Cuba trip runs from January 2 until January 18 of 2017. It is open to any major and costs $5,300. This price includes all activities and instructions, airfare, lodging and meals. Need-based financial aid is available for students who get into the program. The only prerequisite course that is needed to apply is Spanish 102 or an equivalent course
