by Nicolette Good, Communications Coordinator and Lucha Ramey, Media Relations Director

A handful of St.Mary's professors and students spent the summer months on the coast, in the mountains, and in the idyllic countryside. But hardly taking the summer "off," this group spent the summer "on." Their excursions took them to Central America and New England in the name of artistic expression, social justice, and the Marianist charism.

Indigenous Development: Bolivia as a Case Study
For a group of 11 graduate and undergraduate students majoring in international relations, the task at hand for summer vacation was an up-close-and-personal study of Bolivia's oppressed indigenous people and their rise to power.

International Relations and Political Science Professor Larry Hufford, Ph.D., and Accounting Department Chair Tom Madison, Ph.D., arranged for students to meet with various Bolivian government and community organizations.

Evo Morales, elected in 2005, is Bolivia's first fully indigenous president in the 470 years since the Spanish Conquest. The majority of Bolivia's population is indigenous, but until recently, racism has kept the country's native Indians from having full citizenship.

Hufford, who has organized 21 immersion trips over the past 15 years, selects poor countries in transition to expose students to the complexities of developing nations.

As a Bill Greehey School of Business faculty member, Madison's participation helped students understand economic development and how the market system can work to benefit the world's poorest people. But Madison says these trips also benefit him when he returns to the classroom at St. Mary's.

"These trips have made St. Mary's mission statement come alive for me," said Madison. "It makes it easier to discuss the topics of business ethics and corporate responsibility in a more realistic and meaningful manner."

Criminal Justice and Criminology Professor Milo Colton, Ph.D., was able to add his insight during the trip as a Cherokee Indian. He felt a deep connection and had a tremendous amount of pride. "It was like reconnecting with my people," he said. "To see them in a position of power was something I've never experienced in my life."

However, at least one student felt that Bolivians remain fragmented. Graduate international relations student Mercedes Lopez (B.A. '04) felt that even though Morales is president, she didn't sense that the indigenous people "have accepted that they have come into power." Lopez says there's a strong feeling among other tribes that Morales only represents this group.

Senior international relations, economics and math major Alfonso de la Torre-Navarte's native country is Peru, which also has a large indigenous population. "Peru is more advanced when it comes to recognizing the indigenous in the law," he said, "but it is behind socially in accepting indigenous culture, which, in Peru, is seen as backward."

These various viewpoints crystallize the complexity of Bolivia and developing countries, says Hufford, giving students invaluable real life experiences.

"It is a good, short, intense experience," said Hufford, "that lets students know whether or not they are cut out for careers in foreign service, intelligence, development or conflict resolution."

Marianist Charism Abroad
University Ministry and the Service Learning Center gave eight students a first-hand look at the Marianist charism in action and the daily struggles of Peru's poor indigenous peoples and communities in need last May.

The trip was organized by Brother Brian Halderman, S.M., university minister of social justice, along with Lynette Bernot, minister for spiritual development. Both Halderman and Bernot lived and worked with Marianist outreach groups in Peru at different times, and when they discovered their common bond, plans for an immersion trip took root.

During the 11-day trip, students traveled to Lima, coastal Callao, and Marianist institutions in mountainous Otuzco. They also worked with Marianist outreach organizations, including an elderly day center and a center for middle-aged males with psychological and behavioral problems.

The students lived with families in homes without heat, running water or indoor plumbing. But they also experienced the beauty of Peru's culture.

"The people really blew me away with how kind and generous they were," said public administration graduate student Gabe Hernandez (B.S. '09). "When we lived with the families, they didn't have much, but they tried to give us the best that they could. We learned a lot from what they told us."

There, Hernandez was able to apply his biochemistry major to real world environmental problems when he aided the Asociación Marianista de Acción Social (AMAS), a group that educates villagers on the disastrous ecological impact that nearby silver mines have on their water supply.

AMAS teaches villagers how to sanitize water using chlorine, monitor pH balances, measure oxygen levels, and check for bacteria in the watercapturing tanks.

"I got a big sense of what it is to be a Marianist," said Hernandez. "There are other ways to use what you've learned. It's not just about getting a job or raising money for a cause. You can get involved, use your education and what you've learned to teach others, which better enhances their lives."

This is just what Halderman hoped would happen. He looks for opportunities to help students make real and practical connections to Catholic social teachings.

Bernot said she wanted students to come away with a deeper understanding of Marianist values.

"Despite the language and cultural differences," said Bernot, "our students felt the Marianist spirit in Peru just as they do in San Antonio. It transcends cultures; it is consistent throughout the world."

Halderman and Bernot plan to lead annual immersion trips to other developing countries and expose students to the real-life implementation of the Marianist way of life.

Art of the Matter
Artist and Assistant Professor Brian St. John is accustomed to painting all summer long, but this year he set up painting shop inside a 154-year-old Vermont church. The church was just one of the draws listed in a brochure for the Vermont Studio Center—the country's largest artists' and writers' residency program. Others included one-on-one talks with internationally lauded artists and the relative isolation of the Green Mountain State.

"Typically during my summers," says St. John, "I'm in San Antonio working in the studio and occasionally teaching a class." He never takes summers off entirely, but he was particularly prolific during his three week residency in Vermont. "In 11 days, I completed 25 paintings and about 10 watercolor drawings."

St. John explored the terrain on long walks and then painted from memory. "The paintings become tangible objects of the impressions I have and the way I feel when I see something striking," he explains.

For most, one summer break perk is sleeping in late. But when painting night time scenes, St. John sometimes stayed awake until 2:30 in the morning to complete a piece. "The sun rose between 4:30 and 5 a.m. there, so even if I went to bed by 2:30 a.m., I was up by 6 a.m."

St. John looked forward to practicing new techniques during his residency—painting with less tension, producing pieces more quickly, and using broader strokes. But the Vermont Studio Center had another exercise for St. John.

"One of the missions there was to rewire the way we live in the world," he says. "Instead of turning on the TV when we were bored, we spent time with one another, went for long walks, and went to the studio to work."

Without a car or a television, St. John was able to focus solely on his art.

" I hope to bring to the classroom a renewed enthusiasm for making art," says the artist. "That's what I always try to bring, but now I will be reinvigorated."

St. John found one of the greatest rewards not in the brochure, but at the dinner table. "They made us think about what we eat," he explained. "At home I'd eat fried corn chips and salsa, but there was no fried food there." The abundance of fresh vegetarian fare earned him mental and physical clarity that he channeled toward his work.

"I'm going to really think about how I eat when I come back to the world."