Que Pasa Autumn 2009

Volume XVII Number 1 Autumn 2009 An Independent, Community-Based Magazine About Latin@s at Ohio State

In This Issue: An Examination of the Mexican American Population in Lorain, Ohio and Their Contributions to World War II Get Your Latino Comics On Four Year Career Planner A Bit of Advice to New Students Illuminating the Andes: Indigenous and Mestizo Intellectuals in Colonial Peru

http://quepasa.osu.edu

With Fall Comes Change

Esquina del Editor

By Michael J. Alarid

Welcome to a new school year and to the Autumn 2009 edition of ¿Qué Pasa, OSU?! As the new Editor, I replace the very capable Carlos Castillo, who devoted two years of his career to servicing the Hispanic community with a quality publication full of information and human interest stories.

I join long time staff member and new Assistant Editor Giovana Covarrubias, who has dedicated three years of her college career to the development of ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? Additionally, we welcome Bruno Ribeiro and his many years of layout and design experience to our publication.

I come to this magazine from the Department of History here at Ohio State, where I have been teaching courses in Latin American and early American history for the last four years. Raised in Los Angeles, California, I earned my B.A. from the Department of History at the University of Oregon, my M.A. in American Studies from the University of Dallas, and advanced to candidacy in the Department of History here at OSU. Like many, I am a first generation college graduate from a close knit family who has been fortunate enough to find a measure of success through hard work and familial support. Now in the process of completing my dissertation, I am pleased to have this opportunity to serve the Hispanic community at both OSU and in the greater Columbus area. I sincerely hope to exceed your expectations in editions to come; I equally hope to meet many of you in the coming year and am delighted to provide you with this Autumn 2009 edition.

We begin with our cover, an illustration provided by Benjamin David Diehl focused

on the concept of heroes, which highlights two of our articles: “Get Your Latino Comics On” by Professor Frederick Aldama and “Answering the Call: An Examination of the Mexican American Population in Lorain, Ohio and Their Contributions to World War II,” written by myself. Professor Aldama’s article is a brief history of the representation of Latino superheroes through the medium of comic books and strips, which is one of the main subjects in his publication, Your Brain on Latino Comics: From Gus Arriola to Los Bros. Hernandez.

“Answering the Call” is a two part series that will continue next edition. Additionally, we introduce ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? readers to the world of Folklore Studies through the article, “From Puerto Rico to Ohio: Dynamic Culinary Traditions,” by Ph.D. Candidate Sheila Bock of OSU. In this issue, we also continue our tradition of highlighting outstanding faculty members and incoming freshmen. We begin with welcome messages from Executive Vice President and Provost Joseph Alutto and Vice Provost of Minority Affairs Mac Stewart. Our faculty profile is entitled “Illuminating the Andes” and highlights Professor Alcira Dueñas of OSU Newark, while our Incoming Freshmen Profiles introduce seven new promising faces now at OSU. Also included in this edition are lists of both student organizations and most recent graduates from the Hispanic community here at OSU, as well as an article introducing the new Student Union.

We also bring you advice from: the Associate Director of Career Connection Dr. Ana Berríos, in the form of a “Four Year

Editorial Board

Mauricio Espinoza

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Career Planner;” from Giovana Covarrubias on “Tips for Fall 2009” and “Dorm Life;” from Gina Palluconi on “Real-World Spanish Speaking Opportunities in Columbus;” and from Kevin Brown on “Why Greek Life Matters.” The “Four Year Career Planner” occupies our center spread and is meant for removal, so that you might utilize it as a guide and track your progress during your academic career. Finally, El Gringo and Giovana Covarrubias continue their tradition of restaurant reviews by recounting their most recent culinary experience in “Don Patron III Mexican Restaurant: Loud Colors, Loud Taste.”

With the coming year we hope to continue the tradition of keeping you informed on events, accomplishments, and opportunities available to students and members of the OSU community.

Additionally, we hope you will find our new emphasis on providing an academic element to the publication through Folklore Studies, History, and more to be both interesting and informative. We here at ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? wish you all the best in this academic year!

Kindest regards, M.J. Alarid

Staff

Monica Frías-Boson

Víctor Mora

Michael J. Alarid

Bruno Ribeiro

Giovana Covarrubias

Editor Michael J. Alarid Designer Bruno Ribeiro

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Volume XVII Number 1 Autumn 2009

Assistant Editor Giovana Covarrubias

Features

Editorial Board Mauricio Espinoza Monica Frías-Boson Víctor J. Mora

Welcome to the Home of the Buckeyes

The New Ohio Union Opening Spring 2010

By Kurtis Foriska A Guide to Internship Opportunities Gaining Experience Beyond the Classroom

By Giovana Covarrubias A Bit of Advice to New Students

By Giovana Covarrubias

When Your New Dorm Mate is From a Different Culture

By Giovana Covarrubias

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The Ohio Latino Outreach Team Wins the Bill Williams Diversity Award

By Marusela Anders Four Year Career Planner

By Ana Berríos-Allison, Associate Director, Career Connection Get Your Latino Comics On

By Fredrerick Aldama Real-World Spanish-Speaking Opportunities in Columbus

By Gina Palluconi

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Esquina del Editor With Fall Comes Change

By Michael J. Alarid Faculty Profile Professor Alcira Dueñas Illuminating the Andes: Indigenous and Mestizo Intellectuals in Colonial Peru

By Michael J. Alarid Student Profile Jose Delgado Medical School is Easy ... It Just Takes Dedication

By Giovana Covarrubias Another Academic Year: New Expectations, New Freshmen Welcoming new Latin@s to OSU

By Giovana Covarrubias Folklore Series From Puerto Rico to Ohio Dynamic Culinary Traditions

By Sheila Bock

http://quepasa.osu.edu

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Contributors Frederick Aldama Francesca Amigo Marusela Anders Ana Berríos-Allison Sheila Bock Nicholas Brown Lise Byars Mauricio Espinoza Kurtis Foriska Gina Palluconi Mercedes Sánchez Gretchen Turner Chip Wendell Yolanda Zepeda El Gringo

The Journey of Becoming a Brother: Why Greek life matters

By Nicholas Brown

Sections

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Executive Officer Víctor J. Mora

History Series Answering the Call An Examination of the Mexican American Population in Lorain, Ohio and Their Contributions to World War II

By Michael J. Alarid Summer 2009 Graduates Spring 2009 Graduates Getting Involved 101

By Adam Burden, Coordinator of Student involvement, and Matt Couch, Assistant Director of the Ohio Union Hispanic/Latin@ Organizations at OSU

By Giovana Covarrubias Food Review Don Patron III Mexican Restaurant

By Giovana Covarrubias and El Gringo

Please send all letters, press releases, and other materials to: Víctor J. Mora, Associate Director Office of Undergraduate Admissions and First Year Experience Fawcett Center, 8th Floor 2400 Olentangy River Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43210 e-mail: mora.1@osu.edu This publication is supported by The Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and First Year Experience, and the Office of Minority Affairs. This publication is funded through the Hispanic Oversight Committee.

The Ohio State University is not responsible for the content of this publication. This publication does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the staff or the editorial board. All submissions for publication must include name and phone number or e-mail of the person(s) responsible for the work. ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? reserves the right to refuse any and all submissions for publication at any time.

Note: We use “@” instead of “o/a” because we want all Latin@s, men and women, to feel included.

Cover: Illustration provided by Benjamin David Diehl.

Autumn Quarter 2009

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Photo Provided by Office of Executive Vice President and Provost

Welcome to the Home of the Buckeyes

Dr. Joseph A. Alutto Executive Vice President and Provost

Photo Provided by Office of Minority Affairs

Greetings to our new Hispanic/Latin@ students, and a warm welcome back to all of you who are returning for another — and, in some cases, a final — year.

I am deeply honored that you have chosen this institution as your university home. As Ohio State’s chief academic officer, I take pride in the incredible range of opportunities that we offer— from Arabic to agricultural economics; from printmaking to pediatrics; from number theory to nuclear engineering.

To enable you to best take advantage of these opportunities, we invite you to become involved with our large and diverse community of faculty, staff, and students; as you will learn, they provide a welcoming and supportive environment that I daresay is unmatched by any institution in the country.

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For those entering your post-OSU life this academic year, let me take this opportunity to say a special word to the soon-to-graduate students among you.

Your accomplishments in this final year will solidify your legacy; your uniqueness, experiences, and future perspectives will enrich the reputation of this university.

I have every confidence that your Ohio State education will take you beyond

Dr. Mac A. Stewart

Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Vice Provost for Minority Affairs Let me begin with very grateful THANK YOU to ¿Qué Pasa OSU? for this opportunity to extend a sincere message of “Bienvenido” ( welcome) to all of our new and returning OSU students. The Ohio State University is justifiably very proud of its extensive academic community and the enormous array of opportunities and support services we offer our ever increasingly diverse student community.

We are especially proud of being able to serve and support the growing needs of

the routine life and result in numerous exceptional accomplishments.

As this year begins, I hope both new and continuing students will dedicate themselves to the utmost to achieving their personal best and getting the most out of Ohio State’s signature academic experience. This experience will equip each of you with the tools to help shape the world of the future.

our Hispanic students. Ohio State’s commitment to student diversity continues to expand each year, and the results can clearly be seen in our rising Hispanic student enrollments, retention, and graduation rates.

Last year over 1,200 Hispanic students from throughout the United States and beyond claimed OSU as their institution of choice, making Ohio State their home away from home. We anticipate that this year will again witness a similar growth, as more Hispanic students choose to enroll at OSU. The Office of Minority Affairs is pleased to support the efforts of everyone contributing to ¿Qué Pasa OSU? especially our long-time administrator Victor Mora.

I wish you the very best as you begin your new academic year!

Professor Alcira Dueñas Illuminating the Andes: Indigenous and Mestizo Intellectuals in Colonial Peru

http://quepasa.osu.edu

OSU, I have met a select group of scholars with whom I have had a meaningful intellectual exchange,” Professor Dueñas explained. “I have been able to advance collaborative teaching and service projects with my colleagues in a friendly and supportive environment.” Taking full advantage of the opportunities she created, Professor Dueñas became an award winning graduate student at the OSU main campus and eventually a member of the OSU Newark faculty.“My teaching, research, and service experience at OSU Newark has been fundamental to create global awareness about Latin American history and culture in our campus,” Professor Dueñas remarked. “From this perspective, my work has contributed to enhance the diversity of the college experience of my students and colleagues.”

Professor Dueñas continues to feel indebted to OSU for her intellectual flowering, and through her OSU education she has infused an interdisciplinary approach into her historical methodology as well.

Her first book, which hits shelves in the spring of 2010, utilizes tools of literary criticism and ethnohistory to highlight the presence and practices of indigenous and mestizo intellectuals in colonial Peru. She develops a textual analysis of Andean manifestos, memoriales (petitions), reports, and letters to identify the rhetorical strategies these intellectuals utilized to reach out to the royal powers. Dueñas explains, “I place such analysis in the historical context of the major critical conjunctures of Spanish colonialism in the Andes, particularly the insurrections that intersected with some of the writings under study. I apply anthropological methods, as I examine issues of identity, religion, and Andean political culture.”

Professor Dueñas’ creative approach to research has resulted in her manuscript being picked up by a major academic press; the book is complete and in production with the University Press of Colorado.

Her book reconstructs the history of indigenous and mestizo intellectuals in mid and late colonial Peru, illuminating the writing practices and social agency of Andeans

in their quest for social change. Dueñas elucidates, “I conclude that Andean scholarship from mid-and-late colonial Peru reflects the cultural changes of the colonized ethnic elites at the outset of modernity in Latin America. Their intellectual and political struggles reveal them as autonomous subjects, moving forward to undo their colonial condition of "Indians," while expanding the intellectual sphere of colonial Peru to educated 'Indios ladinos.'

They used writing, Transatlantic traveling, legal action, and even subtle support to rebellions, as means to improve their social standing and foster their ethnic autonomy under Spanish rule.” Dueñas concludes, “They attempted to participate in the administration of justice for Indians and seized every opportunity to occupy positions in the ecclesiastical and state bureaucracy.”

With all of her accomplishments and a major publication looming, Professor Dueñas remains a dedicated educator.

“Throughout the years I have been able to develop a creative research and teaching portfolio. At OSU Newark I have found opportunities and support for my professional career, attendance to professional conferences nationally and internationally, and invaluable resources to develop research at the international level.”

Considering the interdisciplinary nature of both her research and teaching style, it is reasonable to assume that Professor Dueñas will remain at the cutting edge of both scholarship and education for years to come.

Photo by Giovana Covarrubias

A citizen of Colombia, Professor Alcira Dueñas is a historian who conducts research on the cultural and intellectual history of Amerindians and other subordinated groups of the Peruvian Andes during the colonial era. Professor Dueñas earned her Bachelor of Arts from Universidad de Bogotá, Jorge Tadeo Lozano in Economics, and her Master of Art and Doctorate in History from The Ohio State University, where she focused on the history of Latin America. For more than twenty years, professor Dueñas has taught courses on Colonial and Modern Latin America, Women's history of Latin America, and modern World History. Professor Dueñas has had a distinguished career: she is a Fulbright scholar, recipient of the OSU Graduate School Alumni Research Award, and, along with a group of faculty of color from the History Department, she has recently been honored with the Distinguished University Diversity Enhancement Award from the University Senate, as well as with an equivalent distinction from the College of Humanities.

For Professor Dueñas, the road to Ohio State was a long one that spanned the length of two sub-continents. She began her career in Latin America, and recalled, “I was born in Bogotá, where I completed my undergraduate education. I worked as a college teacher for about 20 years and then moved to the U.S. for my graduate studies.”

Professor Dueñas first came to Ohio on a Fulbright Fellowship from 1994-96, where she excelled in her graduate studies. Her decision to come later to OSU was logical, “OSU is one of the top public research and teaching institutions of the U.S.,” Professor Dueñas said. “It offers ample opportunities for professional development and supports the scholarly and teaching efforts of assistant professors to obtain tenure.

Academic freedom and the availability of a strong structure for research are among the key factors that influenced my decision to work at OSU.” Nearly 3,000 miles from her hometown, Professor Dueñas found more than a graduate education: she found a new home to foster her intellectual development. “At

Faculty Profile

By Michael J. Alarid

Autumn Quarter 2009

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Jose Delgado Medical School Is Easy … It Just Takes Dedication

Student Profile

By Giovana Covarrubias

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What is your role in the medical program at OSU? I have been at Ohio State since 2007 and will be entering my second year as a medical student. This last year I was vice president of my medical school class — a position voted upon by all my peers, so it was especially rewarding. During this time, I also helped my friend Adrian Huerta and Alberto Pereda start up SUR (Strength, Unity, and Respect — a male Latino support group) and LGPSA (Latino Graduate and Professional Student Association).

In March of 2009, at the United Nations in New York, I received one of 11 positions as a national officer of LMSA (Latino Medical Student Association). This is important because LMSA is the only national student group for Latino Medical students.

It was also a great honor, because medical students from all over the U.S. voted for me.

I am the first Ohio State Medical student to hold such a position.

What brought you to Ohio State? (How did you decide to attend Medical School?)

What are your hopes for your future in the field?

My experiences at Los Angeles County Hospital are what come to mind. When I was young, I witnessed how people without health care or even citizenship were being marginalized by the system, and this really pushed me towards a life in medicine. It was so disheartening to see people go without basic healthcare; it was even worse to see them treated without the dignity and respect they deserved.

My goal as a physician is two-fold: 1) to help underserved communities like that of East Los Angeles; and 2) to use my position as a physician to lobby for political gains related to health care. My personal goal is to reward the hard labor and sacrifices of my parents through my success.

Do you have a message for Hispanic/ Latin@ students who might be interested in attending grad school, pursuing a Ph.D., or attending medical school?

I would tell undergraduates to really reflect on why they want to pursue a career in medicine. It's a long and winding path, but if you have something that can motivate you (for me it’s my family and community) then it becomes a lot easier.

Also, there are so few Latinos in graduate/professional school today that anyone in these programs becomes, by default, a representative for the Latino community. Show the world what we are made of and that we can compete with the best of them by making sure everything you do is above and beyond what is required!

On a personal note, I am willing to help any student considering medical school with questions or concerns who might be interested in contacting me. Remember, by not contacting someone who has gone through the hoops for help, you're just adding one more barrier to your path … believe me, I know! (JoeyFDelgado@gmail.com).

Provided by Jose Delgado

Tell us about your background: I grew up mostly in southern California, specifically in the areas east of Los Angeles, where my high school was probably about 85-90 percent Latino. I was born to a mother and father who were both 16 years old, and because they were so young, my parents didn’t have the opportunity to attend college. This motivated me to work hard and earn my way as an undergrad at the University of California, Berkeley, where I majored in Integrative Biology — a degree that deals mostly with human anatomy and physiology.

It may come as a surprise to some that I received a scholarship for Taekwondo, but on the west coast, sports like wrestling and lacrosse take a backseat to martial arts! I was recruited by Berkeley during my senior year of high school and accepted their scholarship offer. While at Cal, I excelled as a member the Cal Taekwondo Team and eventually I was named team captain. I am proud to say that not only did I complete my B.S., but that during all 4 years of my college tenure we were Collegiate National Champions.

Two final points we would like you to touch upon: 1) What does medical school require of you? 2) What is the impact of your studies and why are they relevant to the Latino community?

Medical school is easy — it just requires you to turn off your cell phone, sign off of Facebook, and turn off the music you have on that you (and most students) swear they can listen to while studying. I hate studying just as much as the next person, that's why I try to get it done as quickly as possible! The key is not having ANY distractions — a formula that ALWAYS works!

Besides that, medical school requires you to be focused and that you have an interest in what you're studying.

My studies will help me ultimately reach my goal of becoming a successful physician who is able to remedy the many health problems dealt with by a sector of the Latino community. If I can do this and inspire young Latinos to believe that such a career ascension is possible, the Latino community as a whole will realize major progress in the area of health and wellness.

The New Ohio Union Opening Spring 2010

By Kurtis Foriska

http://quepasa.osu.edu

offering several sustainable initiatives. A few examples include a food pulper that recycles waste into fertilizer that will be used at a local farm; efficiency lighting; water conservation in the restrooms and for landscaping; a buy local program; and initiatives to support Ohio businesses.

Guests visiting the Ohio Union can learn about the past and enjoy the present. Permanent exhibits throughout the building tell the history of the student organizations on campus, Ohio State firsts in innovation and achievements in fields across disciplines, and the role the Ohio Union has played throughout Ohio State’s history. Art and literature by Ohio authors and artists will be displayed throughout the building so that guests can actually experience the art. Quiet study spaces and spacious lounges offer students a place to study. The Center for Student Leadership and Service’s 25,000 sq. foot space will offer students a chance to hone their leadership

skills and discover new opportunities to emerge as a leader.

Most of all, the new Ohio Union is full of Buckeye spirit. When the Ohio Union was in its planning stages, students overwhelmingly felt they wanted a building that met their needs but could not be set down on any other campus. The result is a union that boasts the tradition of the campus! Carmen Ohio limestone panels and the official university seal will greet guests as they enter the Great Hall. Visitors can even grab a picture with a bronzed Brutus Buckeye!

Throughout the rest of the building, subtle elements such as block “O” light fixtures and buckeye leafs remind guests where they are — The Ohio State University!

As the excitement to the new Ohio Union’s opening builds, you can get updated information as well as explore the new building through our construction photo gallery at www.ohiounion.osu.edu/ new. Get excited for spring 2010!

Provided by Kurtis Foriska

When the Ohio Union (now Enarson Hall) first opened its doors in 1909, it became the first student union on a public campus.

In 1950, a new union was opened at 1730 North High Street and was heralded as the premier student union on any college campus. The Ohio State University will rise to eminence once again with the opening of the much anticipated, new Ohio Union in spring 2010. The 320,000 sq. feet facility will provide students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members with unique meeting and event spaces, tempting dining locations to please anyone’s palate, and programs that will help inspire tomorrow’s leaders.

While small meeting room spaces are readily available throughout campus, the new Ohio Union will house several larger spaces, capable of accommodating events up to 1,700 people. At 18,000 sq. feet, the Ohio Union Ballrooms are the second largest ballrooms in central Ohio! The Performance Hall will provide the perfect venue for concerts, lectures, and comedians sponsored by the Ohio Union Activities Board. There are over 30 additional rooms that will host a variety of events, but these are not the average meeting rooms. Each tells a piece of Ohio State’s history and tradition, from the land grant mission of the institution to a room that celebrates Ohio State’s cartoon artists through the years.

The Ohio Union will offer seven meal swipe and cash locations. The Union Market showcases a variety of made-to-order options, including salads at the Across the Field station, fresh deli sandwiches from the Dough-HIO station, grilled sandwiches from the Fired Up station, and international cuisines at Buckeye Passports. A coffee shop, Espress-OH, serving hot and cold specialty coffees and homemade gelato is conveniently located by the Ohio Union bus stop. Woody’s Tavern features beer and wine from Ohio as well as pizza cooked in a wood fired oven. Sloopy’s will offer up classic diner favorites at almost all hours of the day, including a special latenight menu served until 4 a.m.

The Ohio Union will be the second LEED certified building on campus,

New Ohio Union 2nd floor lounge.

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A Guide to Internship Opportunities Gaining Experience Beyond the Classroom There are numerous opportunities for survey class and set herself the goal of Latin@ students to move beyond the class- getting into the program the following room experience and become engaged in fall. Catalina remembers, “Once you deterthe greater Ohio State community. In most mine the program is a fit for you, it’s easier cases, there are countless prospects within to give a little extra in everything you your field of interest. Though majors and do because you want it so much.” With a specialties vary from student to student, minimum 3.5 GPA requirement, Catalina the impetus each individual student feels realized that she had to remain fully comto excel in their field is an important factor mitted, follow a planned course schedule to their success; and to succeed one must for the rest of her undergraduate career, get active outside the classroom. Catalina and demonstrate leadership qualities Lizarralde, a Columbian student raised in among her peers and professors. Central Ecuador, is a good example of how utiliz- to this program are both leadership and ing mentorship and university resources communication skills, which a student can result in success. Catalina gained her must display through volunteer activities. experience beyond the classroom by The result of her experience through the participating in an internship program Fisher Honors Cohort was the prestigious through The Dow Chemical Company. By internship at The Dow Chemical Company recounting her journey, we hope to inform in Houston, Texas.

Every day Catalina realizes there is much OSU students on how they too may reap the benefits of internship programs, while she still needs to learn, but she has discovsimultaneously providing tips that will ered there is only so much a textbook can save valuable time for those interested in teach and that grades are not everything.

She has learned that proving yourself in the pursuing a career in business.

Catalina knew she wanted to study classroom is only the first step; knowing logistics and supply chain when she how to deal with people and networking realized she needed a career that would with them will open more doors once you allow her to balance tools and planning have proven yourself academically.

Calalina’s ultimate goal is to make a with people skills. Described as dynamic and outgoing, Catalina enjoyed problem difference in the community and she is solving and manipulating data to stream- determined to maintain her empathy for line processes and improve the quality those in need. She desires to succeed as of life for everyday workers. Identifying an Alumnae, employee, daughter, sister, her interests was pivotal in the process of girlfriend, friend, mom, and woman, finding an internship. Catalina believed and to continue inspiring those around that studying Logistics as a major would her through hard work and decisiveopen the door of employment in any ness. Above all, she wants to become an industry in any nation. She recalls, “I approachable mentor that is recognized for believe it is the backbone of any compa- fostering positive change. An interesting ny’s competency.” With this awareness of observation made by Catalina Lizarralde what she desired, crucial for any person’s about her experience at Ohio State is that success, Catalina proceeded to transform there were not many Latin@s participating her philosophy into a workable blueprint in the program at Fisher, especially considering that OSU is largest university in for achievement.

Her first step was to dedicate herself the United States. To those not involved, to the study of logistics, and she accom- Catalina stresses that anyone can have plished this by focusing her efforts on the success if they apply themselves and seek Fisher Honors Cohort program, a program guidance throughout their college career, within the Fisher School of Business that especially from professors. By sharing her applies academic education through ser- story, Catalina hopes to take the first steps vice-learning volunteer activities. During toward confronting the problem of underthe second week of school, she learned representation in programs such as these.

HBSA members during their yearly event HBSA’s Soccer Classic.

In keeping with her concerns for the about this program in her Business 100

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Provided by Catalina Lizarralde

By Giovana Covarrubias

Catalina Lizarralde in Ecuador.

Latin@ community, Catalina has never lost sight of the importance of her own identity as a Latina within the business community.

“As a Latina, or any minority, you have a unique asset that separates you from the average; moreover you do come with a unique background that can be enriched with your experiences at Ohio State and your interactions with others. As a Latina, I am determined to work hard to carry all of our flags up high, setting a good example and changing many wrong stereotypes,” Catalina explained. “I am encouraged to work even harder to keep on enriching and building myself to become a professional and a leader that is capable of exploiting every positive outcome of any situation I might encounter.”

This year, Catalina will graduate with a double-major in Logistics and Operations Management from the Fisher College of Business. Throughout her experiences, Catalina has continued to keep her family as a central part of her life; in the midst of her success, her parents remain her role models for success at work and home.

With a passion for traveling, Catalina has been exposed to everyday-life situations in foreign countries having spent a year after graduating from high school living in Salzburg-Austria then traveling around Europe for five months. With her future success seemingly inevitable, Catalina will no doubt have the opportunity to travel quite a bit more in the future.

A Bit of Advice to New Students

By Giovana Covarrubias

OSU is a big campus, both in size and in the number of people who study and work here every year. The key to an easier start is to make the campus a smaller place. To do this, you could join a club or organization where you can make friends and become involved within the university. ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? has also, over the years, collected tips and advise to help you get better aquainted with the university.

2. Safety First: It is better to prevent than regret: (http://www. ps.ohio-state.edu/): Do not walk alone at night.

Call Student Safety and Escort Services (614-292-2233) who can take you home for free. Just have your Buck ID.

1. Your Buck ID has perks:

Discounted tickets at The Ohio Union to events in Columbus.

Unlimited rides on the COTA buses. Just show your Buck ID to the driver.

A debit account that allows you to make purchases at stores near and on campus, just look for the Buck ID sign at the door or by the register. Also, do not forget to look at saver magazines for deals.

Access to authorized academic buildings, dorms, sport facilities and computer labs.

You are given $5 or 50 printed pages to use at any of the oncampus printers found in libraries or computer labs.

Meal swipes can be used at any oncampus dining services, just choose the number you want and present your Buck ID at the register.

4. Make use of the sport facilities on campus, especially as cooler weather approaches.

Keep both mind and body alert, fit and healthy. Intramural sports can also help you make friends if you don’t like working-out alone (http://recsports.osu.edu/intra. asp).

5. Working can be tricky when your priority is your academic standing, so look for jobs on campus. These can be more flexible in accommodating your schedule to fit your school work load. For job postings visit http:// jobs.osu.edu/.

For more information about your Buck ID, visit https://buckid.osu.edu/.

http://quepasa.osu.edu

Bike safety: i. For free bike registration contact University Police at 901 Woody Hayes Dr. ii. Lock both wheels and frame to the bike rack. Two locks are better than one — U-bolt locks are highly recommended. iii. Report theft to The Ohio State University Police Division at (614) 292-2121 as soon as it is detected.

3. Talk to professors during their office hours. They can help you understand concepts and theories much better if you talk to them one-on-one. By building a relationship with them you could also benefit from their experience and reputation as your career progresses — they could write influential recommendation letters.

6. The Counseling and Consultation Service located on the 4th floor at the Younkin Center offers help for all enrolled students with personal, academic and career issues (http://www. ccs.ohio-state.edu/).

7. Beware of seasonal disorders. The lack of sunlight as days get shorter towards winter can make people depressed so make sure to have extra lighting, get out of bed, study outside of your dorm.

Autumn Quarter 2009

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When Your New Dorm Mate is From a Different Culture

Photo by Giovana Covarrubias

By Giovana Covarrubias

Once a Holiday Inn, the Lane Avenue Rasidence Hall will open to students living on campus in autumn quarter of 2009. It includes a Campus Dining Service and a pool.

Think of the experience as a precursor to marriage: you are living side by side with a person whose needs you must accommodate, who is entitled to half of the space in your room, whose unpredictable emotions will affect you, and who you will find it difficult to leave. Now imagine that you have never met this person and that they are from a different cultural background!

Indeed, moving in with a new dorm mate can be stressful, challenging, and even downright terrifying; still, every year OSU freshmen willingly accept the challenge of acclimating to a complete stranger in the interest of developing new friendships and cementing their membership in the Buckeye Nation. For students who have never roomed with a non-family member, sharing a space can be stressful, especially when the person is from another culture.

The risk is clear, but the rewards one can reap through this experience may benefit more than just the individuals involved; they may benefit society as a whole.

In a July 7, 2009 article published in The New York Times, OSU Professor of Psychology Russell H. Fazio discussed his research that suggests that pairing interracial roommates can ultimately reduce

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prejudice, diversify friendships, and even improve the academic performance of a multicultural student. In essence, the article speculates that persons from underrepresented ethnicities actually benefit from being paired with students from majority groups. Fazio’s research hypothesizes, “Perhaps having a white roommate helps academically prepared black students adjust to a predominantly white university.” Fazio’s study is based on data accrued over two years of studying OSU students and his statistics suggest that the GPA at the end of the first academic quarter tended to be better for minority students in interracial living situations, while a white students' academic success was not affected by roommate race.

This research also revealed a large amount of risk that accompanies this seemingly unintended social experiment.

According to recent studies at OSU and other academic institutions, relationships between interracial roommates can be more stressful and more likely to break up than same-race pairings. This is logical, considering that people from different cultural backgrounds have differing interpretations of what is acceptable behavior

for a roommate and what might constitute disrespect. The result is often an initial friction between interracial roommates and ultimately an inclination to move from one’s dormitory. In fact, three times as many interracial roommates no longer wished to continue cohabitating at the conclusion of the first term, as compared to non-interracial dorm mates. The New York Times recounts, “The interracial roommates spent less time together, had fewer joint activities and were less involved with each other’s friends than the white pairs.”

Fazio’s study attributed this rate of attrition to the preconceived racial biases of white students, a factor Fazio claims predicted failure from the beginning.

But at Ohio State, changing roommates is often not an option. As Fazio told the New York Times, “At Indiana University, where housing was not so tight, more interracial roommates split up. Here at Ohio State, where there was a housing crunch, they were told to work it out. The most interesting thing we found was that if the relationship managed to continue for just 10 weeks, we could see an improvement in racial attitudes.” Therein lies the question for many who initially struggle in

freshman roommate and good friend and we realized not only how risky the venture was, but also how much we learned about ourselves and each other during those first months. Being randomly placed in a quad — a small dorm for four people — was a real challenge, especially considering that we all came from different social and racial backgrounds. We quelled our egos as best we could, divided our space, set house rules, and tried hard to balance our own needs with those of our roommates. Most importantly, we understood that we were all from different backgrounds and we made a concerted effort to make it work!

In keeping with this message, something important to keep in mind as you adjust to your new roommates is your

The Ohio Latino Outreach Team Wins the Bill Williams Diversity Award

attitude: be understanding and positive.

Remember, learn to recognize your differences and settle your disputes from the beginning. As Ohio State senior Carlos Alfredo Flores counsels, “I would advise to be proactive about problem solving and not one-sided.” For those entering this new world, be prepared for an experience that allows you to learn about yourself and your capabilities by learning from individuals who are very different from you.

Stay dedicated to making this relationship work; doing so can only enrich the Ohio State community.

If things do run awry, don’t be afraid to seek help. Contact the Student Wellness Center by email (wellness@osu.edu) or phone (614-292-4527).

Happy Living!

Provided by Marusela Anders

their new relationship; can enduring this challenge really better your situation at OSU? The research seems to suggest that it certainly can.

Other factors seem to support the notion that giving up on your interracial roommate can lead to dire consequences: specifically, the temptation to culturally isolate oneself. According to Claudia Buchmann, an associate professor of sociology at Ohio State, “Minority students in a predominantly white environment often cocoon themselves by clustering together.”

While maintaining contact with one’s roots is essential for success, it is equally important to integrate into the university community and feel comfortable among the predominantly white student body.

I recently had a conversation with my

By Marusela Anders

The Ohio Latino Outreach Team (formerly the Ohio Latino Work Force) has received the 2009 College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences’ Bill Williams Award for Diversity in the faculty/staff category. This honor was presented in recognition of the organization’s commitment to the support of diversity and inclusion in the CFAES. The Bill Williams Diversity Award was established in 2006 to recognize the outstanding efforts and accomplishments of individuals, groups, or teams who have contributed to diversity and inclusion efforts within the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). William F. (Bill) Williams, was co-founder of Glory Foods, Inc. a company whose product lines began in the Department of Food Science and Technology. From 1992 until his death in 2001, Williams contributed financial support annually to minority students in CFAES and his company continues this support today.

http://quepasa.osu.edu

Originally formed in 2006, The Ohio Latino Outreach Team was created in response to the increasing numbers of migrant and permanent Latino residents.

The allure of Ohio for these new citizens has been the labor needs of local industries, such as the dairy industry, the nursery industry, and agricultural industries with niche crops like fruits and vegetables. The Ohio Latino Outreach Team identified the need to assist Ohio State faculty and staff who work with industry, businesses, and communities in support of Latino populations. Since then, the group’s mission has been to serve Ohio communities in their relationships with the ever growing Hispanic/Latino population by supporting educational programming across OSU Extension's four areas: Family and Consumer Sciences, 4-H Youth Development, Community Development, and Agriculture and Natural Resources.

To realize their objectives, The Ohio Latino Outreach Team actively participates in research and analysis while

Candace Pollock (CommTech), Marusela Anders (CommTech) and Francisco Espinoza (OSU Extension).

simultaneously providing a variety of resources that include workshops, conferences, academic programs, and educational materials. Through these efforts, the organization helps foster understanding and acceptance of Latinos in Ohio rural communities while promoting the collaboration of CFAES faculty and staff from different backgrounds and ethnicities.

Candace Pollock and Marusela Anders of Communications and Technology and Francisco Espinoza of OSU Extension accepted the award on behalf of the group at the 56th CFAES Recognition Banquet on May 7 at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe.

Autumn Quarter 2009

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Another Academic Year: New Expectations, New Freshmen Welcoming new Latin@s to OSU

Photo by Egder Dominguez

By Giovana Covarrubias

Egder Dominguez

Photo by Amber Seira

Chicago, Ill. Mexican/ American

Amber Seira

Photo by Jaime Bravo

Santa Rosa, Calif. Mexican

Jaime Bravo Hato Rey, Puerto Rico / Fla. Puerto Rican

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Every year, ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? magazine introduces a few members of the incoming Freshman class to the greater Ohio State community, with the hope that all might recognize both the excellence and potential of our ever growing Latin@ population. As the 2009-2010 academic year ensues, we wish these promising new students

nothing but success during the upcoming year. For both these students and the larger student body, we impart our kindest regards and highest expectations for your upcoming year. May your heart be true, your passion run deep, and your experiences be filled with great accomplishments and lasting memories here at OSU.

Anticipating, “Nothing less than the time of my life,” Egder Dominguez enters OSU with very high expectations. Egder is enthusiastic about the opportunity for both a great college experience and challenging academic programs, which were the factors that contributed to his decision to attend Ohio State. After graduating from Metropolitan High School, Edger has enrolled at Ohio State and plans to major in Business, with the ultimate goal of pursuing a career in Finance.

Edger already has family at OSU, which has acted to guide him toward the pursuance of higher education. Egder remains confident as the school year approaches, contending that any obstacle he may

face can be overcome by dedication and hard work.

His goal is to not only graduate as a student who will be remembered by his teachers for his dedication, but also to be well-known around campus by other OSU students as an outgoing person. Egder’s mental toughness will serve him well, a disposition he honed in the boxing ring. “I find this unique because most people will never step into the ring,” Egder told ¿Qué Pasa, OSU?. “I have already had 20 amateur bouts.”

With a fighter’s mentality, Egder will no doubt prove himself as a formidable student.

A graduate of Montgomery High School in California, Amber Seira faced resistance from many when she decided to move away from home. Driven by a desire to establish her independence, Amber made the decision to enroll at OSU, where she plans to major in pre-design with a specialization in Visual Communications Design.

Amber chose Ohio State because she believes it can provide her with great personal support, leadership, and volunteer opportunities. Having excelled as a student, Amber enters a renowned program with significant financial support from OSU. Amber is driven by her desire to become the first college graduate in her family and is determined to make her mark here at OSU.

Amber told us that she welcomes the challenges she will no doubt face here at OSU, as she believes such adversity will stimulate a greater sense of self awareness and confidence. To alleviate home-sickness and potential feelings of cultural estrangement, Amber plans to join groups or organizations and meet people with whom she can speak in Spanish.

Amber’s friends describe her as energetic, optimistic, and mischievous. She has a strong interest in poetry, a passion that earned her county honors for writing. After becoming regional champion, Amber participated as one of 24 finalists in a state level competition called Poetry Out Loud 2009.

After graduating from the largest high school class in the nation with 1,270 students in Florida, Jaime Bravo is proud to be a Buckeye. Having been told on numerous occasions that he is a “fun nerd,” Jaime takes pride in his time-management skills; not only did he graduate at the top of his class, but he also maintained both an active social life and numerous hobbies. Here at OSU, Jaime plans to major in Biomedical Engineering, with the ultimate goal of attending medical school.

When asked about his vision for the next four years, Jaime explained, “I really do not have a lot of expectations for my college life because it is what I make it … OSU is very highly ranked amongst other public

schools so I do expect to receive an excellent education and the option to do undergraduate research or internships.” The challenges awaiting Jaime will no doubt result in equally great rewards.

Jaime’s friends describe him as hard-working, honest, and trustworthy. Jaime’s concerns are developing adequate study habits and making friends, especially since he is traditionally very shy around new people. He hopes that by the time he graduates he can demonstrate how well Hispanic students can adjust to Ohio State and succeed in academia.

A graduate of Hamilton High School, Katherine Paguero decided to attend OSU because she believes the institution is a place where her goals and expectations can be satisfied. With the support of her calculus teacher, Mr. Larry Rose, Katherine became convinced that her goals of receiving a great education, meeting new people, and achieving independence could all be realized at Ohio State. Katherine believes OSU offers numerous exciting opportunities, and she told ¿Qué Pasa, OSU?, “I want to make a difference, even if it is very small.”

Katherine has been described by her friends as honest, outgoing, and original. At this point, she plans

to challenge herself by registering with a double-major in International Business and French respectively.

Aside from her personality, what makes Katherine unique is her willingness to try new things at least once; still, safety and health are always her primary concerns. Her extroverted personality and consistent sound judgment will no doubt serve her well at OSU for years to come.

Andrea De Leon brings both her caring nature and her strong faith in God to OSU this fall. A graduate of Port Clinton High School, Andrea aspires to be a Public Relations Director for a non-profit organization. Her desire is to serve her community and make the world a better place. She joins numerous fellow Buckojos this fall who are beginning the program in Communications and Marketing, and she is considering a minor in Spanish.

Central to her character is her deep faith in God, who she credits for her opportunities. Andrea has received a tremendous amount of support of both financial and personal from the Offices of UA & FYE and Minority Affairs, a large factor in her choosing OSU.

Described by her best friend as bubbly, yet organized and sociable, Andrea hopes to build new friendships with both her fellow students and OSU faculty and staff. Like many, Andrea brings her share of concerns, especially when it comes to excelling academically in a major research institution like OSU. Still, she plans to overcome these fears with hard work and an active volunteer agenda. Andrea hopes to leave a mark that will inspire others from similar backgrounds.

Her plan: be prepared, follow through, create and nurture relationships, value individuals, and maintain her willingness to teach and inspire others. OSU can only benefit from individuals who are so interested in community wellness, and we are certainly fortunate to have Andrea among us.

Stephen Rodriguez has long dreamt of the day that he would become a Buckeye; that dream is now reality.

A graduate of Sachem North High School, Stephen is now starting his career at Ohio State with the goal of attaining a degree in Business.

The move from New York to Ohio is difficult for many reasons: the lack of family in everyday life, the shift in culture, and the need to create new social networks are an array of challenging adversities. Still, Stephen relies on the support of his mother, with whom he is very close, and remains driven by great expectations. Stephen has heard many great stories about life at OSU; he now seeks

to create some of his own.

Stephen’s greatest asset is his flexibility in the face of intense change. While he is also described by friends and family as a good listener, intelligent, and funny, it is his willingness to try new things and his ability to adapt to new settings that will no doubt lead him to a standout career here at OSU.

http://quepasa.osu.edu

Photo by Joseph Bedich

Wars aficionado.” Despite his fun loving demeanor, Joe remains determined to never lose focus of his studies, despite the many distractions a social life at OSU can present. He believes that college can be both fun and challenging, and that his years at OSU will allow him to grow rich in knowledge and life experiences. His greatest concern is ruining his clothes while trying to do laundry, a quirk that betrays his overall good humor and confidence.

However the road may turn, Joe remains optimistic about his future and wants nothing more than to be remembered for doing something positive here at Ohio State. His positive thinking and dedication to education will no doubt enrich the greater OSU community.

Joseph Bedich Warren, Ohio Mexican/American

Photo by Katherine Paguero

Joseph Bedich comes to us as a legacy, his father having graduated from OSU some years back. As the second Buckeye in his family, Joe is in the Honors Program and plans to double major in Math and Astronomy. His goals are as high as his resémé is impressive: Joe hopes to one day work for NASA. Joe chose OSU not only because of the social atmosphere, but also for the numerous opportunities offered to a student with his interests. Joe is especially excited by the strength of the Math Department, which rivals that of nearly any private university.

Joe has been described as optimistic, funny, and smart. Joe told ¿Qué Pasa, OSU?, “I am a scuba diving, guitar playing, shotokan karate student who is a Star

Katherine Paguero

Photo by Andrea DeLeon

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic / New Jersey, N.J. / Hamilton, Ohio Dominican

Andrea De Leon

Photo by Stephen Rodriguez

Port Clinton, Ohio Mexican-American

Stephen Rodriguez Lake Grove, N.Y. Puerto Rican

Autumn Quarter 2009

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Four Year Career Planner

By Dr. Ana C. BerrĂ­os-Allison, Associate Director, Career Connection Listed below are some suggested activities you can do each year to help with your career search. Please know this timeline is a suggestion only and that it represents the ideal process. Please remember that career counselors and/or academic advisors are always available to assist you each step of the way.

Your first priority is to adjust to campus life.

Learn how to balance academic requirements with campus activities and a social life.

Explore your academic major options. With the assistance of an academic adviser, choose GECs that will help you to explore different majors.

Become acquainted with your career services offices on campus (http://www. careers.osu.edu/).

Attend OSU Spring Career Day during spring quarter (http:// www.ascadvising.osu.edu/springevent/) and the OMA Job Fair during winter quarter (http:// www.oma.osu.edu/spprogs/ jobfair/index.htm).

Second Year

Try to choose your major and actively pursue co-op or internship opportunities. If you are uncertain about your major, plan to enroll in Edu Paes 270.02 to explore different majors and careers or work with the Exploration Program.

Review the Career Exploration Model and begin to define your interests, skills, and values. Make a list of career or graduate school possibilities and learn more about the most interesting options.

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Visit your Career Services Office and ask about registering with them through their web registration and resume database service.

Attend career information events throughout the year, including a government career fair. For more information visit http://www. careers.osu.edu/.

First Year Look for part-time and summer jobs.

Start looking at all places that have internship information. Check-in with your college career services office to find out if you are eligible to use their services (some require you to have a certain number of credit hours). You can find out where your college career services is at the OSU Career Navigator (www.careers. osu.edu) Also, there are links to places at the Career Connection website (www. careerconnection.osu.edu).

Talk to alumni and others who either majored in what you plan to major in or who are doing what you hope to be doing. Ask your academic adviser or career counselor about The Senior Bank and/or Partners in Education programs.

2

Continue developing the qualities that brought you to OSU such as leadership, analytical thinking, communication, and interpersonal skills. Campus activities, department clubs, and professional societies are a great ways to develop these skills.

These are some of the same skills employers are looking for.

Learn how to interview successfully and how to write a really good cover letter.

Update your resume. If necessary, attend a resume-writing workshop. Have it critiqued by a career professional.

Start collecting letters of recommendation.

Strengthen transferable skills by obtaining either a part-time job, summer job, or volunteer experience. See a career advisor to find job listings and attend the OSU Career Day (April) and the Annual Career and Job Fair (January).

If you are considering either medical school, law school, or other graduate school options, attend an "Applying to Graduate or Professional School" workshop.

Third Year Continue to obtain experience that will position you well for graduate school or employment after graduation, such as volunteer work, part-time jobs, summer internships, and leadership positions in campus activities.

Make an appointment to see a career counselor to ensure you are on target to achieve your career and educational goals.

Thoroughly investigate your favorite career options. Use informational interviewing to learn more about those options. Contact OSU alumni for conducting educational and career informational interviews.

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If you need to obtain experience in your chosen field, search for internships or part-time jobs through your college career services. As you get closer to graduation, search the full-time job listings.

Regardless of your graduation quarter, be ready to conduct your full-time job search during fall quarter.

Companies conduct approximately 75% of all full-time jobs recruiting in fall quarter alone.

Go to Employer Information Sessions.

http://quepasa.osu.edu

Continue identifying graduate school programs that are compatible with your educational and career goals.

Begin obtaining letters of recommendation from faculty for your graduate school applications.

Attend Graduate & Professional School Expo during autumn quarter (http://www.ccs.ohiostate.edu/gradexpo/).

Become familiar with admissions procedures.

Find out if you will need to take a standardized test for admission and plan to take it at an optimal time.

Update your resume and brush up on your interviewing skills.

Network with potential employers as much as possible during your final year at OSU.

Go to Career Fairs held throughout the year.

Polish your resume, job search letters, and interview skills.

Employers expect more of you now.

Fourth Year

Have your resume critiqued by a career professional.

Meet with a career counselor to determine which strategies will be optimal for you and to learn more about career resources that you can use during your search.

Participate in a mock interview.

Participate in on-campus recruiting.

If you plan to attend graduate or professional school after graduation:

Join a Professional Association.

Special Memories: "One memory that is a part of me for life is becoming a member of Alpha Psi Lambda. When I became a member I became a part of something that was much bigger than me. I was a part of a Latino interest fraternity based on the support of a Familia. My involvement helped me grow academically and as a leader. Although I have only been a member for a year, Alpha Psi Lambda has been in my life since I was a freshman. They were very welcoming and offered to help me out in my adjustment to college classes by inviting me to study tables. They also helped me meet some very special people in my life by just inviting me to hang out with them. They will continue to be a big part of my life and memory at The Ohio State University.”

3

Attend Employer Information Sessions in your field of interest.

Begin to do in-depth research into companies you will target for full-time employment next year.

Keep an eye on their financial status to gauge stability.

If graduate or professional school is your next step after graduation, meet with a career or academic advisor to plan your application process this year. *If you haven’t already done so, find out if standardized tests are required to apply to your target programs and plan to take them as soon as possible. *Have your application and statement of purpose reviewed by a career/academic advisor or faculty member. *Attend the Graduate & Professional School Expo during autumn quarter.

Obtain a copy of a job search guide and review it thoroughly.

Interview for positions before you graduate (4-6 months prior to graduation).

You can find us on the second floor of the Younkin Success Center (1640 Neil Avenue). Career counselors/consultants are available by appointment or during walk-in hours. To schedule an appointment, call (614) 688-3898. Bilingual services offered. Our appointment hours are from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Walk-in hours are Monday & Wednesday from 2–4 p.m., Tuesday & Thursday from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and Friday 9–11 a.m.

Autumn Quarter 2009

15

Get Your Latino Comics On

By Frederick Aldama

"El Muerto" comic book was released as a motion

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as distributor giants like Diamond. Judge Garza invented the Latino superhero comic Relampago in 1977 that inspired many, including Richard Dominguez’s creating of the public defendant, youth-of-color mentor Francisco Guerrero as the martial arts expert El Gato Negro, who busts drug cartels along the U.S./Mexico border.

Additionally, there was the rag-tag cast of Latino (Afro-Hispanic) superheroes that made up Ivan Velez’s Blood Syndicate; as well as Laura Molina’s politicized and kickbigot-butt, The Jaguar; Carlos Saldaña's bulletproof serape-wearing, time-traveling, Burrito; Javier Hernandez’s goth-horror superhero El Muerto; Steve Ross’ anticapitalist luchador Chesty Sanchez; Frank Espinosa’s futuristic mapper, Rocketo; and Rafael Navarro’s luchador-detective Sonambulo, to name but a few.

This is just to speak of the comic books.

In regards to comic strips, the first Latino author-artist Gus Arriola creating his nationally syndicated, Gordo in the 1950s.

During its thirty-plus year run, readerviewers followed the satirical adventures of Gordo in his various professional incarnations (bandit, farmer, and tour guide) all while Arriola educated his reader-viewers of the nuances of Mexican culture and of deep social prejudice in the U.S. mainstream. The legacy of Gordo produced biting satires, such as those by Lalo Alcaraz that appear regularly in the LA Weekly, as well as those of Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos’ in Baldo, to name a few.

Readers can be moved by comic books for a variety of reasons; what’s important to keep in mind, like any cultural phenomena, is that Latino comics (books and strips) can be more (or less) interesting in their creating of story, theme, and character as well as in the way they tell their stories. I call this their “will to style” in the book. Basically, it’s how much work the author-artist does to create comic books (and strips) that are engaging at the level of the telling (genre, form, technique) and content (character, event, plot). This corresponds to the intensity of the “Aha” or “Wow” we feel as our brains process the visual and verbal stimuli of any given Latino comic book (strip) story. The feeling we get when we’re reading-viewing, then, is not

picture in 2007 featuring Wilmer Valderrama as "The Dead One."

just that supra-cortical response to the appearance of an over-sized, animal-like villain (or the close-up of a panicked face or tragic turn of events). It occurs when a given Latino comic book author-artist defies certain conventions: sometimes omitting gutters, using an elongated page (Rocketo), drawing the same character but with a different style. Such play with convention activates our social memory of how the rules of the comic book (strip) convention and how it works in relation to the author-artist’s current modification — all this also elicit an “Aha” or a “Wow” emotional response.

It was this impulse to simultaneously make visible the history of Latinos in comics, to illuminate the mechanics of this storytelling medium, and also how comics move us emotionally and cognitively that led to the research and writing of Your Brain on Latino Comics: From Gus Arriola to Los Bros. Hernandez. It also spins out of the fact that I teach comic books in the classroom more than novels these days. In a course on, say, U.S. ethnic fiction, the good comic books can tell us just as much about race, ethnicity, class, gender and sexuality as a good novel. So why not research and teach Latino comics? They too have the power to teach us much about ourselves, others, and the world we all live in.

Photo by Giovana Covarrubias

I was asked in a recent interview if there were any Latino superheroes appearing in films. With the exception of Brian Cox’s film adaptation of El Muerto with Wilmer Valderrama playing the eponymous hero, none came to mind. That’s because there aren’t any. This is not for a lack of Latino superheroes appearing in comic books.

Latino superheroes do appear in mainstream (DC and Marvel) and independent comics — and have done so for quite some time. Making visible the vast array of Latino superheroes — and regular Josés — in comics (books and strips) is one of the main goals of my book, Your Brain on Latino Comics: From Gus Arriola to Los Bros.

Hernandez. In this article, I focus on the history of Latino representation in comic books, an important aspect of my book. In addition, I examine why we as readers (and viewers) are even interested in and moved by stories told in this uniquely visual and textual way.

For decades now, Latinos of all shades and types have appeared in comic books and comic strips. In the mainstream world, during the 1970s and 1980s Marvel Comics introduced the Aztec solar calendar wearing and Spanglish talking El Dorado, as well as the Catholic social worker by day Bonita Juarez as Firebird. Their main purpose: to round up and fight villains, but only until the white superheroes arrived on the scene to finish the business. DC Comics also created Latino superheroes, including the Puerto Rican break-dancing character Paco Ramone as "Vibe" as well as the gay Peruvian identified, Gregorio de la Vega.

Recently, with Latino editor in chief at the helm of Marvel, we’ve seen the introduction of a Tejano Blue Beetle, the superhero team “The Santerians”, Araña, and Bronx born-and-raised, Angela Del Toro (niece to Hector Ayala) as the hot tempered "White Tiger." Mostly, Latino superheroes hit a revolving door with Marvel and DC, appearing for several issues (or at best a mini-series) and were then wiped from the face of the earth.

This is only part of the story, however.

During this period Latino author-artists were creating their own Latino superheroes — and this notwithstanding the gatekeeping forces of Marvel and DC, as well

Fredrick Aldama reading from his book "Your Brain on Latino Comics" at the Wexner Center for the Arts.

From Puerto Rico to Ohio Folklorists study a range of beliefs, practices, and expressions that communicate community and individual values, and one focus area within Folklore Studies is foodways. In their book Ethnic and Regional Foodways in the United States: The Performance of Group Identity, Linda Brown and Kay Mussell explain that “Foodways bind individuals together, define the limits of the group’s outreach and identity, distinguish in-group from out-group, serve as a medium of 'inter-group' communication, celebrate cultural cohesion, and provide a context for performance of group rituals.”

Even though food is such a basic element of daily life, or perhaps because it is, the foods we grow, prepare, consume, and share with others provide significant symbolic value as well as physical sustenance.

In summer 2006, folklore field researchers traveled across Ohio collecting interviews, taking notes, and documenting various foodways as part of the Key Ingredients project sponsored by the Ohio Humanities Council and the American Folklore Society. Their study included a stop in Montgomery County, where they specifically sought an interview with Dolores Quiñones, owner of Las Americas Specialty Foods. Visitors to the National City 2nd Street Public Market (located at 600 East 2nd Street in Dayton) have a chance to sample some unique elements of Puerto Rican foods at Las Americas.

Born in Puerto Rico, Dolores Quiñones grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and settled in Dayton in 1960. She established Las Americas originally as a merchandising shop on 1st Street until a friend encouraged her to join the downtown farmer’s market called The Cannery. Beth Duke, who worked on development for the market, asked her to come up with something for people to eat that they could carry around as they shopped. Dolores agreed and started selling empañadas, (described on the menu as "High quality beef, vegetables, Spanish and aromatic traditional seasonings make our signature dish a unique and delectable treat — NOT spicy, fried in canola oil, robust in flavor").

She explains that in Puerto Rico, these are called empañadigas, but since there are so many people from South America

http://quepasa.osu.edu

By Sheila Bock

in the area, she decided to label them as empañadas because that is a name more people would recognize. Soon after, she began selling rice and beans, a Puerto Rican staple. When Las Americas moved to the 2nd Street Public Market, she began to focus more on the food than on the merchandise.

In naming her business Las Americas Specialty Foods, Dolores intentionally did not attribute the foods she makes to a specific country. In fact, one of her goals is to educate people about many different Latin American cuisines — Cooking for Las Americas, Dolores recognizes the hybridity of her creations as she incorporates elements of Spanish, Cuban, Mexican, and Puerto Rican culinary traditions in her dishes. For example, the black beans she serves at Las Americas are typically recognized to be a Cuban dish, but she fixes it with a Puerto Rican flair.

Combining onions and tomatoes sautéed in a savory base made of Sazon (a commercially produced Spanish seasoning), oregano, basil, and bay leaves, she creates a delicious sofrito or sauce to accompany her beans. According to Dolores, "The seasoning in my mouth is Puerto Rican, so that is how I'm going to cook."

The dishes sold at Las Americas Specialty Foods demonstrate clearly how as people move, their cultural practices and traditions do as well, and how both people

and their customs change along the way.

According to folklorist Barre Toelken in The Dynamics of Folklore, cultural traditions have both conservative and dynamic features. The conservative features keep traditions consistent with group expectations and conventions of genre, maintaining a sense of continuity across time and space. This continuity keeps a bit of the “old way” or the “homeland” alive for the group who has moved and underscores ethnic origins. The dynamic features may stem from individual creativity, where an individual may alter a custom or tradition in order to personalize it according to his or her own tastes. Also, as traditions move to new geographic locations or come into contact with new groups of people, they are adapted to these changing contexts and availability of raw materials. Sometimes, as in the case of the foods Dolores serves, individuals may self-consciously adapt their traditions so that they appeal to a more diverse audience. Places such as Las Americas Specialty Foods are valuable sites for exploring how emergent forms of expressive culture can render visible cultural interactions in Ohio.

Fieldwork materials from this project are housed in the OSU Folklore Archives and are available on the FolkOhio website. For more information about this project, please visit https://folklorearchives.osu.edu/.

Autumn Quarter 2009

Folklore Series

Dynamic Culinary Traditions

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Answering the Call An Examination of the Mexican American Population in Lorain, Ohio and Their Contributions to World War II

By Michael J. Alarid

“They served and fought and died, So that we might be safe and free; Grace them, O Lord, eternal peace And give them victory.”

History Series

—Poem Written for the Lorain Memorial

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Introduction The thud of heavy artillery shattered the silence of the Western Front on Dec. 6, 1944; in a major counteroffensive Hitler’s forces rained artillery and rockets on the American positions, rupturing the lines and creating a bulge along the Allied front.

Thus began the Battle of the Bulge, the largest land engagement of World War II, in which 500,000 Americans, 55,000 British, and 600,000 Germans participated.

German forces retreated Jan. 28, 1945, crippled by 100,000 casualties; American losses were also horrific at 81,000 casualties with 19,000 killed in action. Among the dead was seemingly an anomaly: Private First Class Francisco Dominguez, of Lorain, Ohio.

The city of Lorain had been a hidden pocket of Mexican culture since World War I and although the Hispanic population had dwindled from more than 1,300 in 1920 to 218 by the 1940 census, 34 Hispanics answered the call to military service in World War II. Of these participants, both Dominguez and Frederick Rios lost their lives. Numerous other Hispanics from Lorain County also participated, of whom at least two others were killed in action; but these numbers include only those with Hispanic surnames. Because the military did not discern between Hispanic and white soldiers, tracking those who are of Hispanic descent has always been a challenge. The best estimates contend that between 200,000 and 500,000 Hispanics participated in World War II nationally, but such a wide margin makes it difficult to make an accurate approximation.

Regardless, even lower estimates betray the great extent to which Hispanics both volunteered and conceded to service; few communities volunteered in greater proportions than Lorain, Ohio.

According to a 1985 report based on the 1979 census, 22.3 percent of the eligible Hispanic male populations were veterans of foreign wars. Involvement was highest among the Mexican population, which sent a staggering 25.2 percent, just over one quarter of its eligible population, to war during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The Puerto Rican population, which arrived at Lorain in large numbers after World War II, sent 18.1 percent, Cubans 15.1 percent, and individuals categorized as Other Spanish sent an impressive 22.8 percent of its population into harm’s way. It becomes easier to understand how Private Dominguez ended up sacrificing his life at the Battle of the Bulge when considering these numbers. As one citizen of Lorain notes, “Although they comprised less than .004 percent of the population of Lorain, almost 10 percent of the Mexican community fought in the war.” This 10 percent rate is nearly identical to the proportion (11 percent) of Ohio residents overall who fought in WWII. I - Early Immigration to Lorain, Ohio The first Mexicans reached Lorain via the B&O Railroad Company in 1921; evidence of railroad line’s influence on population dispersal is even displayed by today’s population distribution, which follows the lines from Pennsylvania to Chicago. A recent newspaper article noted, “Mexicans

were sought to work on railroad lines and in steel mills as early as 1914 but came to the Midwest in greater numbers after the war started.” The steel mill recruited and brought 1,300 Mexican males to Lorain in 1924, which caused a major spike in the Ohio Mexican population. This singular migration of 1,300 more than doubled the Mexican population in the state of Ohio.

Socially, the Mexican community in Lorain did encounter resistance during the days of early settlement. One Mexicano remembered, “When we started to date, some of my friends who dated Anglos denied they were Mexican and said they were Italian. The parents of Anglo girls would not let them date Mexicans.” Another Mexicana recalled, “I joined a group at the Y.M.C.A. and got along very well with the other girls for about two weeks. One day my new 'friend' asked me what nationality I was, when I told her ‘Mexican’ she said, ‘Oh, I thought you were something else.’

Within the next few weeks I got the feeling I was somehow different from the other girls.” Economically, Mexicans remained employed as general laborers before WWII, with but a few gaining promotions.

Still, public histories maintain that the level of discrimination in Lorain was relatively low, compared to other areas in the nation, and available literature supports this contention. Many attribute this to the international makeup of the county, which housed some 30 different ethnic groups, but really the discrimination was only mild for Hispanics when compared to the racism African Americans were experiencing.

Comparatively, the Mexican community in

II - The Call to Arms The original Mexican colony was brought to Lorain for the purpose of accommodating a post-WWI industrial boom, but in World War II the United States would utilize more than just the labor of the Mexican American population. Before WWII, “We were placed in the categories of: cheap labor, thriftiness, lazy, unorganized, lacking in leadership, unkempt, and uneducated. This naturally made for discriminatory practices against us, no

http://quepasa.osu.edu

matter where we hailed from.” Despite the oppression and mistreatment of the early 30’s, Mexicans still answered the call to arms. Even in the Midwest, where forced emigration was rampant, Mexicans willingly answered the call to war.

Many of the Mexican communities that endured Depression era discrimination had long considered themselves American.

For Mexican Americans, it was an affront that they had been accused of draft dodging in WWI. “Even with the constant discrimination and the continued denial of equal opportunities, when war came to the United States this time no one could accuse us of draft dodging or fleeing to Mexico to avoid military service as charged in World War I.” But the reasons Mexicans fought in WWII went far beyond the desire to vindicate the pride of a people.

One theory proposes that Mexican Americans had a special motivation. “Prior to Pearl Harbor, the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery units of the New Mexico National Guard had been sent to the Philippines, largely because the troops in these units spoke Spanish. That so large a percentage of the American troops captured or killed at Bataan were Mexican Americans merely served to stress the intensity with which the Spanish-speaking willingly participated in the Allied cause.” There is certainly merit to the notion that Bataan served as a rallying cry for Mexican American support, but it is unlikely that vengeance superseded the Mexican motivation to be assimilated into American society."

For some soldiers from Lorain, the motivation was more simple. “I was drafted,” remembered Gutierrez. “When you are drafted, you fight. I was under 18 at the time, but they didn’t care. I fought because they needed me. Lots of my friends were drafted, and they went. That’s what you do.” Gutierrez was a member of the 11th Armored Division and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, where he lost two of his friends from Lorain. “It was a terrible thing,” he commented.

As in Ohio, the military treated Mexican American soldiers better than they did other ethnic peoples during the World War II era. “Service in the armed forces afforded an easy means of naturalization for the foreign born. Hispanics, unlike blacks at the time, were not segregated in the fighting forces. Military service, especially in such fighting units as the paratroopers, marines, and tank corps, satisfied both the Spanish-speaking soldier’s sense of pride and his desire to counter calumny.” Gutierrez, who served from 1943-1946, concurs with this notion and maintains that when the battles began, cultural differences were subordinated. “In my unit, we were all treated that same. This was a war, and you don’t care if the guy next to you is another color.

When people are shooting, everyone is your friend.”

To be continued next edition. For a version with full citations, please visit our website at http://quepasa.osu.edu.

Photo by Michael J. Alarid

Lorain was nominally well-off.

For World War II veteran Jesse Gutierrez, it seemed foolish to think that discrimination could be avoided: “It is normal for people to disagree, they are from different colors. We had all sorts of cultures here. Not everyone can get along with everyone.”

Whatever the nature of discrimination in Lorain may have been early on, the coming of The Great Depression led to resentment against Mexican people, who were thought to be taking jobs from Americans throughout the United States. Nationally, Mexicans immigration collapsed from an average 100,000 annually between 1920 and 1930 to an anemic 2,500 a year from 1930 to 1941. National resentment, much like that in America today, resulted in a national campaign to force the emigration of Mexicans from the United States. “The Depression struck Mexican Americans, especially the farm workers, with great severity. Enforced repatriation rested on the assumption that Mexicans sent back to Mexico were unassimilable (sic) foreigners.” Estimates state that as many as 32,000 Mexicans were forced to depart from Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio between 1930 and 1932.

It is known that in nearby Lucas County, Ohio, repatriation was being forced on inhabitants. “In March 1934 the State of Ohio paid an average of fifteen dollars per person to repatriate about three hundred Mexicans from Lucas County.” After the Depression abated, there was an influx of Mexicans from Texas who came to work in the Lorain steel mill; the production of war material demanded more workers. It is reported that the Mexican community in Lorain did not initially welcome the TexasMexicans to the community, the Anglo community concluding that the Texans were not American citizens. Still, U.S. Steel continued to utilize Mexican labor and the community likely grew to around 340 Mexican inhabitants.

The Memorial to the American soldiers at Omaha Beach.

Autumn Quarter 2009

19

Summer 2009 Graduates

20

Doctoral Degrees

Name

Citizen

Major

Degree

College

Name

Major

Degree

College

Ackerman, Nicole Bennett

USA

COMM

BA

SBS

Barquero-Romero, Jose Pablo Costa Rica

AEDECON

PHD

AGR

Barcena, Melissa Marie

USA

ENGLISH

BA

HUM

Blanco, Fernando

Chile

SPANPOR

PHD

HUM

De Leon, Christopher Michael USA

MUSEDU

BCMUSED

MUS

Bruce, Gonzalo Raul

Chile

EDUPL

PHD

EHE

Dehoyos, Andrew Steven

CRIMINO

BA

SBS

Da Cunha, Luis

Brazil

HCS

PHD

AGR

Fernandez, Christopher Joseph USA

AGMSYS

BSAGR

AGR

Garcia, Lisette Marie

USA

SOCIOL

PHD

SBS

Lima, Samuel Arthur

USA

POLSCI

BA

SBS

Gonzalez, Maria

Spain

ECENG

PHD

ENG

Lugo, Joshua Adam

USA

ASSOC

AA

ASC

Hernandez, Emilio

Nicaragua AEDECON

PHD

AGR

Mason, Jessica L.

USA

ENGLISH

BA

HUM

Padilla, Roberto Ramon

USA

HISTORY

PHD

HUM

Mccaul, Edward Baldwin

USA

HISOTRY

BA

HUM

Prieto, Jose Luis

Chile

ASTRON

PHD

MPS

Neidig, Eric Charles

USA

CHEMENG

BSCHMENG

ENG

Sabag-Daigle, Anice

USA

MICRBIO

PHD

BIO

Pies, Jennifer E

USA

SPANISH

BA

HUM

Skillin, Larry A

USA

HISTORY

PHD

HUM

Roig, Vanessa Lee

USA

ENGLISH

BA

HUM

Sanchez, David F

USA

CONSYSM

BSAGR

AGR

Soga, Jared Edward

USA

FMRESM

BSHEC

EHE

Spears, Elizabeth Marie

USA

FFW

BSENR

ENR

Villacres, Heather Marie

USA

PSYCH

BA

SBS

USA

Citizen

Master's Degrees Name

Citizen

Major

Degree

College

Bernal, Fernando

Mexico

INDENG

MS

ENG

Bock, Nicolas

Colombia

PHYSICS

MS

MPS

Bruce, Gonzalo Raul

Chile

EDUPL

MA

EHE

Camacho, Sara Rose

USA

AGREDUC

MSTEDU

AGR

Garcia, Celina Marie

USA

SPLPATH

MA

SBS

Gomez, German

USA

EDUPAES

MA

EHE

Kanayet, Frank Joseph

Colombia

PSYCH

MA

SBS

Kappes, Mariano Alberto

Argentina

MATSENG

MS

ENG

Lioi, Iuri Lobo Da Cunha

Brazil

DESIGN

MFA

ART

Moran, Lisa Marie Tonik

USA

PSYCH

MA

SBS

Oliver Harbaugh, Odile Maria Argentina

PTMBA

MBA

BUS

Pietri, Evava Smith

USA

PSYCH

MA

SBS

Sanchez, Daniel Abdon

USA

SOCIOL

MA

SBS

Smith, Rachell Killilea

USA

EDUTL

MSTEDU

EHE

Svarch, Malena

Mexico

AEDECON

MS

AGR

Torres, Carlos Alexandre

Brazil

BIOPHYS

MS

BIO

Photo by Giovana Covarrubias

Summer 2009 Graduates

Bachelor's Degrees

Spring 2009 Graduates Bachelor’s Degrees Citizen

Major

Degree

College

Name

Citizen

Major

US

POLIT SC

B.A.

SBS

Herzog, Meredith Ann

US

MATSC&EN B.S.Mat.Sc.Eng. ENG

Adams, William Alexander US

COMM

B.A.

SBS

Holomuzki, Marlina E

US

LINGUIST

B.A.

HUM

Aguila, Leticia M

US

NURSING

B.S.Nurs.

NUR

Holter, Jacob Cozean

US

PHYSICS

B.S.

MPS

Alghothani, Lana

US

MEDICINE

B.S.

BIO

Hunt, James Nelson

US

MECH ENG

B.S.M.E.

ENG

Alvarado, Troy Devan

US

POLIT SC

B.A.

SBS

Iacovone, Filomena M

US

RESPTHER

B.S.Al.Hth.Prof AMP

Arbulu, Carleta Marie

US

FM RES M

B.S.H.E.

EHE

Krivan, Kaitlyn Ashley

US

ARCH

B.S.Arch.

AHR

Arroyo, Matthew Charles

US

NUTRTION

B.S.Nutrition

EHE

Lapuz, Ashley Lynne

US

PSYCH

B.S.

SBS

Baez, Javier Antonio

US

BIOLOGY

B.S.

BIO

Leach, Nicholas Scott

US

ACCTING

B.S.Bus.Adm.

BUS

Bellville, Jennifer Marie

US

ANTHROP

B.A.

SBS

Letellier, Liza Lorena

Ecuador

SPANISH

B.A.

HUM

Benites Galvez, Monica

Peru

ZOOLOGY

B.A.

BIO

Lopez, Eric Luis-Amado

US

BIOLOGY

B.S.

BIO

Bermudez, Jennifer Lynn

US

ART

B.F.A.

ART

Lopez, Justin Matthew

US

POLIT SC

B.A.

SBS

Berry, Jordanna I

US

SPANISH

B.A.

HUM

Lopez, Michelle Lindsay

US

BIOLOGY

B.S.

BIO

Bidwell, Aricka Layne

US

MUSIC ED

B.Mus.Ed.

MUS

Madrid, Martha Leticia

Mexico

CONSYSMT B.S.Agr.

AGR

Bonanno, Liana Nicole

US

PHYSICS

B.S.

MPS

Madril, Peter Andrew

US

FD SC&NU

B.S.Nutrition

AGR

Bonilla, Diana C

Colombia

CIR TECH

B.S.Al.Hth.Prof AMP

Magana, Andrea Danielle

US

HDFS

B.S.H.E.

EHE

Boss Bonilla, Vanessa

US

PHARMSCI

B.S.P.S.

PHR

Malone, Charles Anthony

US

ECON

B.A.

SBS

Brown, Matthew Aaron

US

POLIT SC

B.A.

SBS

Marquez, Amanda M

US

INT STDS

B.A.

ASC

Brown, Nicholas Anthony

US

MARKETNG B.S.Bus.Adm.

BUS

Matic, George Thomas Jr

US

MED TECH

B.S.Al.Hth.Prof AMP

Bush, Catrina Alana

US

THEATRE

B.A.

ART

Mccaul, Edward Baldwin

US

HISTORY

B.A.

HUM

Cannon, Cortney Mishell

US

FM RES M

B.S.H.E.

EHE

Mcclary, Berae Marie

US

PSYCH

B.A.

SBS

Cantu, Sarah

US

H S PROG

B.S.Al.Hth.Prof AMP

Menendez, Joseph C

US

HUMN NTR B.S.H.E.

EHE

Carabajal, Matthew R

US

SPT&LESR

B.S.Ed.

EHE

Mericle, Courtney Karen

US

COMP STD

B.A.

HUM

Carranza, Elizabeth Nicole US

INT STDS

B.A.

ASC

Moese, Jessica Anne

US

PHILOS

B.A.

HUM

Carrasquillo, Angel G

US

MATSC&EN B.S.Mat.Sc.Eng. ENG

Montiel-Ishino, Francisco

Mexico

ANTH SCI

B.S.

SBS

Castellanos, Joel P

US

NUTRTION

B.S.Nutrition

EHE

Morell, Monica Monique

US

COMM

B.A.

SBS

Corral, Jason Anthoney

US

SPT&LESR

B.S.Ed.

EHE

Mosca, Ashley Nichole

US

PSYCH

B.A.

SBS

Costilla, Mario Alberto

US

TXTL&CLO

B.S.H.E.

EHE

Mount, Jennifer Renee

US

ANIM SCI

B.S.Agr.

AGR

Cozzarelli, Monica Marie

US

TXTL&CLO

B.S.H.E.

EHE

Nickler, Joshua Rivera

US

PSYCH

B.A.

SBS

Cruz, Marissa

US

COMM

B.A.

SBS

Novak, Daniel

Brazil

MARKETNG B.S.Bus.Adm.

BUS

Cruz, Michael G

US

HISTORY

B.A.

HUM

O'Connell, Mary Colleen

US

SOC WORK

B.S.Soc.Work

SWK

De Leon, Christopher M

US

MUSIC ED

B.Mus.Ed.

MUS

Olivera, Marley A

US

HDFS

B.S.H.E.

EHE

Dejesus, Roberto

US

FM RES M

B.S.H.E.

EHE

Olson, Vanessa Shae

US

COMM

B.A.

SBS

Deleon, Nathanial Eric

US

AERO ENG

B.S.A.A.E.

ENG

Otero, Etienne Raynaldo

US

ARCH

B.S.Arch.

AHR

Diaz, Adrian Perfecto

US

MECH ENG

B.S.M.E.

ENG

Ozminski, Sarah Christine

US

LARCH

B.S.Land.Arch. AHR

Doig, Jorge E

US

CS&E

B.S.C.S.E.

ENG

Pages, Enrique A

US

SPT&LESR

B.S.Ed.

EHE

Duque, Rachel Ann

US

HUMN NTR B.S.H.E.

EHE

Pandey, Mia Pryanka

US

PSYCH

B.A.

SBS

Early, Maria Elisabeth

US

WOM STDS B.A.

HUM

Peguero, Lorena

US

POLIT SC

B.A.

SBS

Ebert, Joseph Anthony

US

ARCH

B.S.Arch.

AHR

Peterson, Carl Michael

US

INT STDS

B.A.

ASC

Elswick, Laura Rebeca

US

ANTHROP

B.A.

SBS

Pike, Sarah Elizabeth

US

HISTORY

B.A.

HUM

Esmurria, Jessica

US

CRIMINOL

B.A.

SBS

Pineda, Colleen Alejandra

US

BIOLOGY

B.S.

BIO

Farfan, Rafael Antonio

US

MECH ENG

B.S.M.E.

ENG

Pineda, Pedro Iii

US

BIOLOGY

B.S.

BIO

Feliciano, William Gerardo US

TURF SCI

B.S.Agr.

AGR

Polsky, Analise

US

ANTHROP

B.A.

SBS

Figueroamelo, Jennifer M

Peru

TECHOLED

B.S.Ed.

EHE

Post, Jordon R

US

PSYCH

B.A.

SBS

Flores, Carlos Alfredo

US

HISTORY

B.A.

HUM

Potts, Jennifer Denise

US

SOCIOL

B.A.

SBS

Flores Mendizaba, Anais

Mexico

SOCIOL

B.A.

SBS

Resendez, Andrea

US

SPANISH

B.A.

HUM

Francis, Warren James

US

CPTR/INF

B.S.

MPS

Reynolds-Parra, Michelle

US

SPANISH

B.A.

HUM

Gabriel, Annie

US

SOC WORK

B.S.Soc.Work

SWK

Rezaian, Michelle F

US

PSYCH

B.S.

SBS

Gaona, Daisy

US

INT STDS

B.A.

ASC

Riolo, Joseph Scott

US

ECE

B.S.E.C.E.

ENG

Gomez, Christ

US

AGBUS&AE B.S.Agr.

AGR

Rivera, Ethan Tyler

US

PSYCH

B.A.

SBS

Gomez, Patrick Shane

US

ART

B.F.A.

ART

Rodriguez, Elsa Josephine US

HOSP MGT

B.S.Hosp.Mgt. EHE

Gomez-Rivera, Jonathan

Mexico

CIVIL EN

B.S.C.E.

ENG

Rodriguez, Gia Martine

US

INT STDS

B.A.

ASC

CS&E

B.S.C.S.E.

ENG

Rodriguez, J.F. Antonio Iii

US

PSYCH

B.S.

SBS

Gonzalez, Matthew Daniel US

http://quepasa.osu.edu

Degree

College

Autumn Quarter 2009

Spring 2009 Graduates

Name Acosta, Jennifer

21

Spring 2009 Graduates 22

Name

Citizen

Major

Degree

College

Name

Citizen

Major

Degree

College

Rodriguez, Robert A

US

HISTORY

B.A.

HUM

Marshall, Adrienne Marie

US

MUSIC

M.Mus.

GRD

Rogers, Shanon Isaac

US

CHEM ENG

B.S.Ch.E.

ENG

Martinez-Toro, Nestor M

US

MECH ENG

M.S.

GRD

Roman, Natasha Eduvigis

US

SPANISH

B.A.

HUM

Mazon, Christopher

US

EDU T&L

M.Ed.

GRD

Rosario, Michelle Lynn

US

COMM

B.A.

SBS

Merea, Franco Fernando

Peru

MBA

M.B.A.

GRD

Royle, Alyssa Megan

US

FM RES M

B.S.H.E.

EHE

Morales, Johamy A

US

THEATRE

M.F.A.

GRD

Sabater, Stephanie

US

EXER SCI

B.S.Ed.

EHE

Patterson, Cassie Rosita

US

ENGLISH

M.A.

GRD

Sabaturski, Monique F

US

HDFS

B.S.H.E.

EHE

Petrarca, Raul Daniel

Venezuela CIVIL EN

M.S.

GRD

Salazar, Natalie Renee

US

ACCTING

B.S.Bus.Adm.

BUS

Polit, Maria Fernanda

Ecuador

FD SC&NU

M.S.

GRD

Samaniego, Janelle V

US

SPANISH

B.A.

HUM

Rocha, Samuel David

US

EDU P&L

M.A.

GRD

Saneda, Keshia M

US

HDFS

B.S.H.E.

EHE

Sanabria, Arturo Francisco US

WPMBA

M.B.A.

GRD

Santiago, Samantha Lei

US

ENGLISH

B.A.

HUM

Sanchez, Daniel Abdon

US

SOCIOL

M.A.

GRD

Santolalla, Maria F

PERU

MARKETNG B.S.Bus.Adm.

BUS

Sandoval, Juana Rachel

US

CIVIL EN

M.S.

GRD

Schuyler, Tamara Annette

US

BIOLOGY

B.S.

BIO

Schaerer, Arturo Oscar

Paraguay

MBA

M.B.A.

GRD

Seguil, Paola Esther

US

NUTRTION

B.S.Nutrition

EHE

Spears, David A

US

EMBA

M.B.A.

GRD

Segura, Juan Carlos

US

CRIMINOL

B.A.

SBS

Svarch, Malena

Mexico

AED ECON

M.S.

GRD

Theobold, Katherine Ann

US

ENGLISH

B.A.

HUM

Teran, Wolfgang E

US

C&R PLAN

M.C.R.P.

GRD

Torres, Josue Luis

US

HOSP MGT

B.S.Hosp.Mgt. EHE

Vazquez, Magaly Ivette

US

EDU PAES

M.A.

GRD

Torrez, Mark Anthony

US

COMM

B.A.

SBS

Victory, Marisa Helena

US

MSOCWORK M.S.W.

GRD

Vallejos, Cristina Isabel

US

SPANISH

B.A.

HUM

Wancier, Danielle

US

DANCE

M.F.A.

GRD

Vargas, Natalia L

US

MARKETNG B.S.Bus.Adm.

BUS

Woeste, Erick James

US

EDU PAES

M.A.

GRD

Vega, Maria Gabriela

Nicaragua INT STDS

B.A.

ASC

Yuzva, Aubrey R

US

MBA

M.B.A.

GRD

Wendt, Benjamin James

US

MOL GEN

B.S.

BIO

Yamaguchi Torres, Jaime

Mexico

COMP

B.Mus.

MUS

Yniguez, Wesley Michael

US

COMM

B.A.

SBS

Zaccai, Diego Sebastian

Argentina

CS&E

B.S.C.S.E.

ENG

Master’s Degrees Name

Citizen

Doctoral Degrees Name

Citizen

Major

Degree

College

Acuna, Alejandra

CHILE

H&CS

Ph.D.

GRD

Avila, Michele Rena

US

OPTOMTRY O.D.

OPT

Bennett, Natalie Ann

US

LAW

J.D.

LAW

Burns, Thomas Joseph

US

LAW

J.D.

LAW

Major

Degree

College

Canahuate, Guadalupe M

Domin. Rep. CS&E

Ph.D.

GRD

Abbondati, Matias Federico Argentina

MBA

M.B.A.

GRD

Cervantes, Carlos M

Colombia

EDU PAES

Ph.D.

GRD

Abejon Orzaez, Jorge

Spain

NUCLR EN

M.S.

GRD

Crist, William Edward

US

LAW

J.D.

LAW

Aguilera, Maria Isabel

Argentina

ISE

M.S.

GRD

Da Cunha, Daise Nunes Q

Brazil

VET BIOS

Ph.D.

GRD

Aguirre, Gilberto

Mexico

EDU T&L

M.Ed.

GRD

Da Cunha, Luis C V

Brazil

H&CS

Ph.D.

GRD

Atiles Acevedo, Jose R

US

MECH ENG

M.S.

GRD

Hammond, Tatiana Carolina US

OPTOMTRY O.D.

OPT

Benavente Arias, Diego

Chile

MBA

M.B.A.

GRD

Hernandez, Jessica

US

LAW

J.D.

LAW

Berdugo, Claudia Ines

Colombia

CHEM ENG

M.S.

GRD

Loersch, Christopher A

US

PSYCH

Ph.D.

GRD

Byars, Lise Elsu

US

ANTHROP

M.A.

GRD

Lopez, Anthony Raul

US

MEDICINE

M.D.

MED

Canter, Dylan Andrew

US

ENGLISH

M.A.

GRD

Manay, Renato Fidel

US

LAW

J.D.

LAW

Castillo, Carlos Eduardo

Ecuador

BUS LOG

M.Bus.Log.Eng. GRD

Mason, Stephanie Mirjana US

VM COLL

D.V.M.

VME

Defaria, Marcela Siqueira

US

MUSIC

M.Mus.

GRD

Medina, Mario Andrew

US

LAW

J.D.

LAW

Denegri, Diego Lopez-C

Costa Rica MLHR

M.L.H.R.

GRD

Mendoza, Natasha S

US

SOC WORK

Ph.D.

GRD

Ferreira Fadul, Carlos Omar Brazil

MUSIC

M.Mus.

GRD

Molina, Isela

US

MEDICINE

M.D.

MED

Fry, Elizabeth Brondos

US

STAT

M.S.

GRD

Montes, Andre Gilbert

US

PHARM D

Pharm.D.

PHP

Gallegos, Jason Scott

US

ART

M.F.A.

GRD

Podlecki, Kimberly Sue

US

VM COLL

D.V.M.

VME

Gonzalez, Humberto

Mexico

FREN&ITA

M.A.

GRD

Poole, Kristi Michelle

US

AUD

Au.D.

GRD

Guzman, Lorraine R

US

MBA

M.B.A.

GRD

Relling, Alejandro Enrique Argentina

OSUN

Ph.D.

GRD

Huerta, Adrian Hernandez US

EDU P&L

M.A.

GRD

Rincon, Maria Ester

Spain

SPAN&POR

Ph.D.

GRD

Kanayet, Frank J

Colombia

PSYCH

M.A.

GRD

Romero, Lizzette

US

LAW

J.D.

LAW

Kotnik, Donald Allan

US

EDU T&L

M.Ed.

GRD

Ruiz, Clara Marina

US

MEDICINE

M.D.

MED

Laios, Beverly B

US

EMBA

M.B.A.

GRD

Saenz, Javier

US

LAW

J.D.

LAW

Lautar, Kathleen Elizabeth US

OCC THER

M.Occ.Ther.

GRD

Shaw, Andrew Brian

US

MEDICINE

M.D.

MED

Luna, Alberto

US

MECH ENG

M.S.

GRD

Vales, Iris Del Carmen

US

VM COLL

D.V.M.

VME

Mallik, Gunwant Singh

US

EMBA

M.B.A.

GRD

Welsh, Sara Luzgarda

US

MEDICINE

M.D.

MED

Real-World Spanish-Speaking Opportunities in Columbus

By Gina Palluconi

http://quepasa.osu.edu

helped a lot, I still felt I needed more.

Seeking a greater challenge, I contacted former Ohio State professor Tonya Tiggett and started teaching Spanish to elementary school children once a week through her company Speak Our Language. With this experience on my résumé, I was able to secure an internship at the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus for the summer and was finally satisfied with how much Spanish I was using.

Now, after a month of interning for the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus, I feel as though I’m really putting my training into practice. I have already translated documents, held conversations by phone and face-to-face — all in Spanish. Additionally, while planning our upcoming event, Sabor de Columbus, I have come to realize how lucky I am to know the language.

When sending out information to restaurants attending Sabor de Columbus I made sure to have letters in both English and Spanish. While making phone calls, I have seen a marked difference in peoples’ comfort levels when I say, “Yes, I can speak Spanish.” Immediately I can tell how much more confident they are speaking their own language instead of piecing together sentences in English. The relief in their voices makes me wonder how difficult it must be for some of them to communicate everyday situations here in Ohio.

Working as an intern has enabled me to

continue my goal of using Spanish as much as possible outside of the classroom and in a business setting. The entire purpose of the chamber is to help build networks and promote community identity, and Hispanic people are an important part of this. My internship has already opened so many doors for me and demonstrated that there are many people in the business world who are searching for Spanish-speakers, giving me hope for a future job where I can use the language I love so much. As I have learned, there are professions for Spanish majors outside of teaching in the classroom and such positions can be equally as rewarding as education.

Thinking back, I realize that a large part of the reason I decided to explore Spanishspeaking opportunities in Columbus was because of my teachers and their constant support and advice. Just as my professors told me all along, teaching is rewarding but it is not the only option; Spanish can be applied to any career because there is a constant need for it. While I will forever be grateful to the TAs and professors at Ohio State, I am more thankful for their encouragement to do things outside of the classroom.

Although I am no longer in Spain, my experiences at the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus have helped me realize that one need not be in Spain to be immersed in Hispanic culture.

The opportunities are here: one simply has to look to find them.

Provided by Gina Palluconi

With rapid increases in the Latino population in Ohio, opportunities to utilize the Spanish language in everyday life are increasing dramatically. Still, before I studied abroad in Granada, Spain, the only outlet for the practice of Spanish that I was aware of was in the classroom, where my love of Spanish as a major was minimally satisfied by basic grammar lessons and daily quizzes. After four months of studying abroad and being fully immersed in the Hispanic culture, simply being a Spanish major could no longer quench my greater thirst to learn everything I could about the language and the culture. Living in Spain made me realize that culture goes hand in hand with how people express themselves through body and verbal language. This realization inspired me to seek new outlets for speaking Spanish in Columbus, and I am pleased to say that that I discovered numerous opportunities to help satisfy my passion for both the Spanish language and the culture.

At first it wasn’t easy: when I returned to the United States this past December, I was shocked by the difference I felt in the classroom. Even in the highest level Spanish class, I simply did not feel the everyday challenges I faced in Spain. As winter quarter wore on, I increasingly began to realize how my Spanish conversations of three to four hours per day had dwindled to less than an hour a week. Although this was how it was before going to Spain, the sudden transition from speaking Spanish all the time to only speaking English was a jolt to my psyche. I was no longer trying to find my way through a foreign city by talking to strangers in Spanish; I was back in Columbus, a place I had come to know well in the past three years. It was at this point that I decided that the classroom was no longer enough for me. If I wanted to retain the valuable knowledge that I had learned in Spain, I would have to find a new venue for study.

I began to attend the conversation club that I had gotten emails about since my freshman year and discovered that there were people like me who were not majors, but realized the importance of knowing another language and actually putting it to use. Although the conversation club

Gina Palluconi, OSU student, and Maria, Gina’s host mom in Spain.

Autumn Quarter 2009

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Getting Involved 101

By Adam Burden, Coordinator of Student Involvement and Matt Couch, Assistant Director of the Ohio Union

One of the greatest opportunities to make your mark at The Ohio State University is to get involved with activities outside of the classroom. The best place to help you get involved is the Ohio Union. The Student Organization Resource Center (SOURCE) at the Ohio Union has an online directory of more than 900 student organizations at OSU, along with resources and funding to make your organization successful. Other good ways to find out about student organizations are to attend the Involvement Fair during Welcome Week, go to a meeting with a friend, and pay attention to flyers, emails, and listserv announcements. If you cannot find an organization that meets your interests, we will help you start one!

Every student’s experience is unique, so there is no best organization to join. Finding the balance among studying, attending class, work, personal life, and getting involved can be challenging. Your professor, your boss, your resident advisor, or your friend can all

be mentors and good resources to ask for advice. However, every Ohio State student should have the time to get involved in at least one activity outside of class.

Student organizations offer important developmental opportunities for all members to prepare themselves for life after Ohio State. Students learn leadership skills, how to work with other members of a group, how to prioritize, and how to run meetings and plan events. This skill set will help set you apart from others when applying for your first job or graduate/professional school. Plus, student organizations can be an outlet for stress and a way to have fun and meet new people!

The benefits of getting involved are significant. Research shows that students who join student organizations tend to get better grades, have better time management skills, and feel more connected to their institution! The challenge is to not say yes to everything and become too

overwhelmed or over-committed. Student organizations can be a support system for students both academically and socially, by organizing study groups or having a new circle of friends with whom you already share common interests.

Many students seek campus involvement as a way to fill out their resume, and while a resume bullet may look good and be helpful in getting an interview, it is the experiences you gain, the connections you make with faculty and staff members, and your ability to learn from your involvement that will set you apart. So be sure to take an active role in your organizations and activities. It’s never too early or too late to start to get involved!

For more information on getting involved and student organizations visit www.ohiounion.osu.edu or contact the SOURCE at source@osu.edu or 292-8763 or visit the Ohio Union at Ohio Stadium in between gates 22 & 24 of the Stadium.

Hispanic/ Latin@ Organizations at OSU

By Giovana Covarrubias Among the organizations registered at the Ohio Union, students can find numerous that concern Hispanic/ Latin@ interests: The University-wide Council of Hispanic Organizations (UCHO) UCHO is the umbrella organization for all Hispanic organizations at The Ohio State University. Its main goals are to foster communications among various social, professional, and educational Latin@/ Hispanic organizations and to advocate for the continuing developmental, social, and cultural programming for Latino/ Hispanic students, faculty, and staff at The Ohio State University.

Alpha Psi Lambda, Inc. - Alpha Chapter Alpha Psi Lambda is the nation’s first and largest co-ed Latino interest fraternity. We pride ourselves in being active members in the Latino community at the Ohio State and promoting and advocating for Latino interests. Our purpose at Ohio State and throughout the nation is to enrich the lives of anyone interested in the Latino cultures throughout their undergraduate

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career and on and to provide a family away from home, something that can't be found in just any organization. At Ohio State, Alpha Psi Lambda is known for its annual programs, such as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Unas Palabritas (a poetry session which has featured student, local, and famous poets such as Saul Williams and La Bruja), and César Chávez’ week.

Latino Law Students Association (LLSA) The Latino Law Student Association (LLSA) is an organization dedicated to preparing its members for their professional roles in society and to promoting awareness of Latino and minority interests in the legal profession. LLSA objectives include advancing the interests and welfare of its members, the law school, and community as a whole.

LLSA strives to join Latino students with lawyers to build awareness and promote community activism related to legal and social issues that minority groups face. The organization promotes scholarship among Latino students, provides leadership by sponsoring conferences related to Latino and minority legal and policy issues, and organizes community projects benefiting minority communities. LLSA actively collaborates with other organizations in the Moritz College of Law, the Ohio State University, as well as other minority organizations within the state and nation.

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)

Miguel Guevara, President Sophomore majoring in Political Science and Philosophy

“It is quite a daunting task to move 1,200 miles from home to start your own life and become a successful student, but Lambda Theta Phi welcomed me with open arms familiar to the ‘familia’ ideals that I am so accustomed to back in Houston, Texas and made the transition much smoother.

Needless to say my first year of brotherhood has provided me with opportunity, excitement, and triumph … En La Union Está La Fuerza.”

SHPE welcomes students who are majoring in engineering and science and who are interested in learning what takes place beyond the classroom.

Each year, several guest speakers from various companies share their knowledge at our meetings to help members gain insight into the engineering workplace and the options that are available after graduation. During the fall quarter SHPE attends a national convention that includes multiple educational seminars and a career fair.

The career fair provides students with interviews with all types of companies throughout America and is a great opportunity to find an internship. The goals of SHPE are best embodied by its mission statement, “SHPE promotes the development of Hispanics in engineering, science and other technical professions to achieve educational excellence, economic opportunity and social equity.”

http://quepasa.osu.edu

Hispanic Business Student Association (HBSA) HBSA is an organization that targets students who embrace Hispanic culture within Fisher College of Business, or with a general interest in business. The organization seeks to help students hone business skills, increase professionalism, and create a competitive advantage when entering the workforce.

Throughout the year, HBSA hosts a number of events that help students acquire leadership and teambuilding skills, which will be essential to their success. Businesses such as Abbott Laboratories, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Greetings, and Limited Brands present internship and full-time employment opportunities to members at and teach students the importance of networking skills. HBSA also presents a university-wide event called, “Thanksgiving Dinner with a Salsa Twist,” as well as the HBSA Soccer Classic.

Strength, Unity, & Respect Latino Group The purpose of Strength, Unity, & Respect (SUR) is to increase retention and graduation rates among Latino males in higher education. The tenets of SUR are to create a network of students, staff, and faculty that share a philosophy of support and brotherhood. Their goals are to challenge the status quo of apathy and disconnect, establish an academic community, provide support to promote Latino academic success, and to use mentorship to promote community.

Phi Iota Alpha Latino Fraternity, Inc. “I was intrigued by its vast history: being the oldest Latino fraternity in existence (1931), with Latin American presidents from Panama, Colombia, and Honduras.

I was also attracted to its main vision: La Unión De La Patria Latino Americana. Lastly, I was impressed by the fraternity following revolutionary pillars, which had fought for Latin American independence throughout the 1700s and 1800s.”

Provided by Nick Brown

Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. Provided by Miguel Guevara

Hispanic Oversight Committee (HOC) Appointed by the Provost, the primary function of the HOC is to serve as a voice for the OSU Hispanic/Latin@ community to the university administration. The HOC focuses its energies on the recruitment and retention of Latin@ faculty, staff, and students while seeking to promote Hispanic/Latin@ cultural and academic enrichment.

Among the surrent initiatives that the HOC is currently promoting are the continued development of the Latino/a Studies program, enhancing graduate student recruitment, and obtaining increased funds for Hispanics related activities.

Nicholas Anthony Brown, President Ohio State Alumnus, graduated with B.S. in Business Administration, specialization in Marketing, minor in Design

This is just a small sampling of the different organizations available at Ohio State. For more information about other Hispanic/Lati@ organizations, (including Folclor Hispano, College Assistant Migrant Program Alumni Association (CAMPAA), Canto Latino, Puerto Rican Students Association (PRSA), Oi Brasil!, Asociación de Estudiantes Mexicanos (AEM), and Club Tropical) please visit our website at http://quepasa.osu.edu/organizations

Autumn Quarter 2009

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The Journey of Becoming a Brother Why Greek Life Matters

Photo provided by Nick Brown

My name is Nick Brown and I graduated in the spring of 2009 from Ohio State with a degree in marketing and a minor in design. Though my father is a native Ohioan, my mother is from Colombia, a place where my grandfather spent much of his life as an active community member and an advocate of education. During my time at OSU, I became part of the Hispanic Business Student Association and Phi Iota Alpha Latino Fraternity.

As I approached my senior year, I realized that something was missing from both my résumé and my personal life. I remembered an organization that my friend Julian Valencia told me about back in 2006. Through him, I was introduced to Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity and a member by the name of Francisco Lugo.

Lugo told me about the power of the Latino community and of the importance of utilizing the Greek system as a tool for advancement. I knew the fraternity had a Colombian-themed flag (which caught my attention), that their fraternity pillars were five of the most well known revolutionary leaders in Latin America during the 1900s, and that they shared a PanAmerican ideology. Though I didn’t know much about what the membership entailed, I recognized that this was an opportunity to develop both my leadership and organizational skills.

As a founding member on Ohio State’s campus, I helped establish the FIAT Club (Fuerza e Integridad A Todos) for membership exploration. Our first FIAT

The brothers of Phi Iota Alpha participating in one of many charity events.

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Photo provided by Nick Brown

By Nicholas Brown

Members of Phi Iota Alpha celebrate spring 2009 graduation with members of the Hispanic community at OSU.

Meeting took place with advisors Frank Robison and Dr. Raul Herrera. Robison and Herrera displayed a passion for autism awareness, a love for education, and were pillars of extensive wisdom and guidance. To help earn incorporation at the Ohio State campus, we were advised

by Greek Advisor Ryan Lovell to plan three events: a community service event, a diversity event, and a risk management event. We held an Autism Donation Drive, volunteered to pass out flyers at the Japan Spring Festival, and had a speaker from the Student Wellness Center discuss financial cleanliness. We eventually presented ourselves for membership to the Multicultural Greek Council and were accepted.

So why did I join Greek life? I could have joined a regular organization that was devoted to community service and ended it there, but after I learned about of the history of the fraternity, whose roots stem back to the late 1800s, I thought that this experience could be a good foundation to build my future upon. Today, my passion for

our fraternity remains overwhelming.

My narrow view of Hispanic identity has changed. I now appreciate Mexican music and have embraced the ideal of Pan-Americanism: the hope for the unity of all Latin American peoples. I now think of Don Simon Bolivar and wonder if I can be as arduously passionate as he was. I consider my business major and think of it differently; I wonder how I can get involved, politically and within the community, in the fight for Latino advancement. Still, I see many of my friends have yet to find a passion for something and can only hope that my enthusiasm for Pan-American unity rubs-off on them.

Unity must begin at the community level, which for us starts at the university level. To those who are looking to see change on campus, join a group and help us fight for more representation at Ohio State. Start writing to OSU administrators and demand better Latinos representation at Ohio State, where we remain underrepresented. Get involved in the cause, and consider Greek life as a vehicle for becoming active!

Don Patron III Mexican Restaurant Loud Colors, Loud Taste

Photo by Giovana Covarrubias

By Giovana Covarrubias and El Gringo

There are an increasing number of Mexican restaurants near the main Ohio State campus and Don Patron III — a restaurant that El Gringo recalls as Talita’s three decades ago and as Fiesta Time more recently, though let’s not emphasize El Gringo’s age — continues the Latino flavor streak. Don Patron III is the third installment of the restaurant, which has two other branches in New Albany and Pickerington, and is easily accessible to students living on-campus who wish to expand their culinary horizons by simply hopping on a number two COTA bus towards North High Street. The restaurant is located in between a Mediterranean café and adjacent to a car maintenance shop, and as of the time of this writing there is still a “Fiesta Time” sign along High Street.

You will not find this location on the restaurant’s website as of yet, but you will be able to find the taste of “authentic” Mexican dishes within its doors. Once in, you are welcomed by the folk decorations that adorn not only the walls with their loud colors, but also the tables and chairs, giving the diner a glimpse of the vibrant Mexican personality that is etched into the culture and is melted into the dinning experience. El Gringo was especially interested in the chairs, which were brightly painted in many designs. Don Patron III

http://quepasa.osu.edu

serves many of the typical dishes you would expect from a Mexican restaurant such as burritos, tacos, carne asada, and enchiladas. Though the menu is typical and there are not very many surprising dishes, the food has the right combinations and portions to satiate the appetite; most importantly, it tastes very good!

Though at the time of the review the restaurant was out of many of the classic Mexican drinks, such as the infamous Jarritos, numerous are typically offered at Don Patron III. Most notably, the restaurant offers a guava smoothie: a blend of guava and ice blended into a refreshing drink that will sweeten your meal and bring back memories of biting into fresh fruit at an open market.

When it comes to main dishes: Cielo, Mar y Tierra (Sky, Sea and Land) ($12.50) harmoniously brings together the meat from each animal the dish’s name implies.

You may be familiar with an aptly named “surf & turf” dish, but the addition of “sky” intrigued El Gringo, who had to think about what cielo actually means. For the record, it is not ceiling! What type of food would come off of a ceiling? Though chickens do not fly high in the sky, the grilled chicken breast cooked to tenderness represents the feathered meat; the grilled steak accompanies the chicken

smoothly transitioning from the white meat to red meat with the taste of the same grill and seasonings; and the six tiger shrimp, cooked with a sauce made of white wine, lime, a bit of garlic, and tomatoes, certainly adds some zest to the dish. Accompanying the meat is a serving of red rice and a separate small bowl with black beans with melted cheese that are truly part of the taste of Mexico. El Gringo must say that these were some of the best tasting black beans that he has ever sampled. Cielo, Mar y Tierra is a very delicious dish, reasonably priced, and a nice change from the typical taco or burrito often associated with Mexican dining.

For those who are interested in a more typical Mexican (American) dish, the enchiladas suizas ($9.50) can be the optimum choice. One of the most popular dishes on the menu, the three flour tortillas filled with chicken are covered with a green sauce, which is then topped with melted cheese and accompanied by red rice and refried beans. The flavors of these enchiladas are a delight and the portion is more than adequate.

Don Patron III is everything you’d expect from a typical Mexican restaurant in the Midwest and can provide students with the right amount of food to fill those hungry tummies. The Latino flavor is there: well-cooked, well-seasoned, well‑served.

Don Patron Mexican Restaurant 2977 N. High St. Columbus, OH 43202 (614) 447-9820

Mon. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

����� Rating System:

5 chiles = Exceptional 4 chiles = Very good 3 chiles = Average 2 chiles = Poor 1 chile = Very poor

Autumn Quarter 2009

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NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

c/o Office of Undergraduate Admissions and First Year Experience Attn: Victor Mora, Associate Director Fawcett Center, 8th Floor 2400 Olentangy River Rd. Columbus, OH 43210

COLUMBUS, OHIO PERMIT NO. 711

Share your creativity!

For past creative works by Latin@s visit http://quepasa.osu.edu.

Composition: Bruno Ribeiro, over a FlAvio Takemoto (SXC) image.

Submit your art – poetry, short stories or any creative work – to quepasa3@esue.ohio-state.edu for a chance to be featured in our magazine.