Thursday, November 20, 2003

MEMORADUM

To: North Carolina Media

From: Christin Ingold, PR Intern

Five University of North Carolina at Wilmington professors will discuss their experiences in an intercultural program in Chile at 10 a.m. during the second annual College Day on Nov. 22. Speaking will be Gregory Bechtel, nursing, Paula Kamenish, English, Stephen Pullum, communication studies, Scott Simmons, anthropology, and Renée Vincent, theatre. The presenters will focus on their interactions with the people of Chile.

Ten faculty members from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and five from the University of North Carolina at Asheville traveled to Chile during the summer of 2003. Faculty members received $66,000 from the Fulbright Hays Group Projects Abroad Program to help fund the experience.

Additional UNCW faculty members involved were Susan Bullers, sociology; Susan K. Fletcher, sociology; Ed Graham, business; Patricia Jane Lerch, cultural anthropology; and Barbara Waxman, English. Through their teaching, research and service, the faculty plan to share their internationalization perspectives with several generations of students.

This project consisted of linguistic and cultural training during the fall and spring semesters of 2002-03, a five-week immersion program consisting of four weeks of classes at the Universidad Catolica in Valparaiso (UNV) and one week of travel to other parts of Chile. The objective of the trip was to make a connection not only with UNV, but within the Chilean people. The faculty lived in Chilean homes, immersing themselves in the Chilean culture and lifestyles allowing them to incorporate their experiences into their professional lives.

During the trip, faculty members participated in language and culture classes in the mornings on the campus of UNV. Afternoons were spent either taking scheduled trips to nearby areas of interest, meeting with colleagues in comparable fields, or exploring the Santiago area.



Chile panelists can address the following questions on College Day:

- How has the trip changed your outlook on your teaching?

- What were some of the specific locations you explored while in Chile?

- How have you introduced and applied what you learned into your classroom?

- How has your perspective of Chile changed since this experience?

- Prior to visiting Chile, did you have any stereotypes or visions of what to expect, and how did the trip change those views?

- What are the Chileans’ perceptions of the United States?

- What values do the Chileans uphold that are different from your own?

- What similar values?

- In what ways do you believe this trip to be a life-changing experience?

- Why is it important for North Carolinians to know about Chile or other cultures?

Members of the panel:

Gregory Bechtel is a professor in UNCW’s nursing school. His areas of interests focus on health beliefs and values, and how people react and what happens when values and economic realities collide. While in Chile, he focused on researching the quality of life and health outcome differences for the upper class and lower class, since there is a limited middle class. He found that healthcare plays a large part in Chileans’ frustrations and the absence among the lower class can lead to a sense of powerlessness and revolt.

Paula Kamenish of the UNCW English Department teaches comparative language, international manifestations of the avant-garde and takes great interests in women artists and writers.

Stephen Pullum, communication studies, teachings include communication theory, rhetorical criticism and non-verbal communication. In Chile, Pullum focused his research around the study of rhetoric faith healing and how it changes when it involves paranormal or supernatural beliefs. He studied to what extent the Chileans hold similar beliefs to Americans on this subject and in what ways the Chileans are committed to their beliefs.

Scott Simmons, anthropology, bases his research on coastal colonial archeological sites and pre-Columbian riverine and maritime commercial trade. Simmons has an interest in the Chileans and their cultures.

Renee Vincent, theatre, filmed the Fulbright Hays scholars throughout their trip for a documentary. Her focus in Chile was to investigate the incorporation of Augusto Boal’s theatrical techniques in contemporary productions and to make Chilean contacts with colleagues in the film and theatre industries.



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