Special Edition: Cuba

SPECIAL EDITION: CUBA May 2, 2017

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SEMPER VERITAS The Voice of Chadron State College since 1920

Stories, photographs and design by

Jordyn Hulinsky

Stephanie Steele, 23, senior of Osceola, puffs a freshly-made Cuban cigar, lit by the maker at a tobacco farm in the Vinales mountains, Cuba, Jan. 4.

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Time stays still

A Cuban fisherman sits on the malecon with his fishing pole over the sea wall in the ocean in Havana, Jan. 4.

Eagle the

The Voice of Chadron State College since 1920

STAFF JORDYN HULINSKY........................................ ................WRITING, PHOTOGRAPHY, DESIGN MELANIE NELSON....................COPY EDITOR JAY FELTSON...........................COPY EDITOR

PRESTON GOEHRING...............COPY EDITOR JUSTINE STONE.......................COPY EDITOR BRIANNA WILSON....................COPY EDITOR STEPHANIE STEELE....................COLUMNIST

ADVISER MICHAEL D. KENNEDY....................................................................................FACULTY ADVISER

Sweet, salty smell of the ocean, so intense it has a taste; humid but comfortable weather; horns blare as 1950s-style cars whiz past; and scaffolds lean against buildings on almost every block, all describe an everyday scene from 2017 Cuba.

Occasionally described as a “place stuck in time,” Cuba has more to offer than one might expect.

Taxis are classic and vibrant colors, but Cubans also drive modern cars you would see on U.S. streets. And yes, the internet connections are a little behind the times, but like U.S. teenagers and younger 20-somethings can be found sitting on street corners staring at smart phone screens.

Havana, the country’s capitol, is located on the northern coast of Cuba, facing the Straits of Florida. It is in the Artemisa province, which was once the La Habana province, which was split into the two provinces in 2011.

Under Castro, Cuba became and remains a socialist country, which means the government controls the production and distribution of all goods. That is opposite the U.S. and most of the modern Western world, which are capitalist countries which means prices, production and distribution are determined mainly by a free market.

Because Cuba is a socialist country, the state or federal government employees are paid CUP $20 a month, which would be about the same as $20 American a month. Cuba has a dual-currency system with the national pesos, CUP, for Cubans to use, and the convertible peso, CUC, for tourists to use.

The types of jobs government employees hold range from hotel staff to musicians performing in bands at various restaurants to certain types of restaurant positions.

The government even employs people to sit in the city parks and talk baseball with each other and anyone else who will take a seat and chat.

Those who own private businesses can be taxed up to 90 percent of their profits, and their employees’ salaries can be taxed equally as high. The reasons for the high tax rate on private businesses and employees are to maintain the socialistic way of life and avoid creating a class system.

Cuban health care is government-operated, and doctors are paid slightly more than the standard $20 per month, usually between $30 and $50 per month. The health care and sexual education in the country is “an example for all countries of the world,” according to the UN’s World Health Organization.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, Cuba is now open to U.S. tourists, but only if their trip falls into one of 12 categories: visiting family; U.S., foreign, and intergovernmental organizations business; journalistic activity; professional research and meetings; academic activities; religious activities; public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions and exhibitions; support for Cuban people; humanitarian projects; private foundations, research or educational institutes activities; exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials; and authorized export transactions.

In January, CSC professor Thomas Smith took 14 CSC students on a study abroad trip to Cuba. The trip was after a fall 2016 semester-long class on the history and culture of Cuba. The trip served as a hands-on culmination of what was learned during the classroom setting.

EDITORIAL DISCLAIMER As a public forum, The Eagle encourages guest columns and letters to the editor. The opinions expressed in submissions belong solely to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Eagle staff, its adviser, or the students, staff, faculty or administration of Chadron State College.

The Eagle reserves the right to edit or reject submissions.

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SPECIAL EDITION: CUBA

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Cruisin’ A taxi-stand worker summons a group of CSC students to a taxi in downtown Havana, Jan. 3.

American classics from the 1950s and ‘60s share the road with modern vehicles Havana sits on the northern coast of Cuba, and without beaches between the city and the ocean, the malecon, or sea wall, was constructed as a barrier between land and sea. The malecon consists of a large wall, wide sidewalk, and four-lane road that runs along the coast for about 8 kilometers (4.8 miles).

Classic car owners can be found zooming around the malecon in their prized-possessions, enjoying the ocean breeze and showing off their cars.

Cuba is known for its love of classic cars, and while the majority of the cars on the streets are from the 1950s, and ‘60s, modern vehicles often travel alongside.

The Cubans are proud of their classic cars and use them as taxis for the tourists.

Often times, when getting into the taxi, the driver will explain the make and model of

the car they own, how many other classics they own, and all they have gone through to maintain the cars.

Most of the taxi drivers speak a little English, which is taught to all the Cubans in school. Most who work in close contact with English speaking tourists are fluent enough to make conversation, and become lost only amid slang.

When leaving the city, there were times when a vintage car would pass a tour bus, modern U.S. cars, and even horse drawn buggies.

Bicycle riders were common and rode on the same streets as the cars, whizzing in and out of traffic.

CoCo taxis are open-air, motorized tricycles with a dome extending from back-tofront, completely covering the two or three passengers they can carry, and partially cov-

ering the driver. These bright, banana-yellow taxis, decorated with equally bright red, orange, lime-green, or aqua trim, add to the color and variety seen on any given street at any time in Havana.

The malecon’s official name is the Avenida de Maceo. The original purpose was to protect Cuba from the water, but now the malecon is a place for the locals to hang out, spend time with each other, and for local fisherman to put some lines in.

During the day and evening, fisherman stand along the wall with poles in the water. On calm ocean days, fishermen can be found on the other side of the wall sitting on inner tubes in the ocean with their poles.

In the evenings, locals sit and walk along the malecon listening to music, drinking a common Cuban alcoholic beverage and enjoying the company.

On calm nights, the music can be heard all night from the malecon.

But, when the ocean is wild with the waves splashing up over the malecon flooding the sidewalk and road next to the wall, the people are nowhere to be seen.

The roads leading up to the city from the wall are angled upward to keep the water from flooding into the city, but the water occasionally closes the road directly in front of the malecon when the ocean is wild.

CSC students had the opportunity to walk along the malecon themselves when CSC professor Thomas Smith took 14 CSC students on a study abroad trip to Cuba.

The January trip was after a fall 2016 semester-long class on the history and culture of Cuba. The trip served as a hands-on culmination of what was learned during the classroom setting.

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Despite limited connections in Havana, tourists and Cubans can be found on the streets staring at phone screens. Here, those with smart phones are using their phones just a block away from the University of Havana.

Socialist country offers different shopping, connection options for visitors Cuba is a socialist country, and not a capitalistic country like the U.S., so that creates a variety of differences between the two.

First, shopping malls and chain stores aren’t seen in Cuba. Havana markets are the replacements.

The markets typically have tourists’ gifts, as well as unique, local Cuban art pieces.

The markets are known as places to haggle and negotiate to ensure the lowest prices, and sometimes simply walking away from a booth is exactly what it takes for the seller to yell “Hey, lady!,” and come running behind with a lower price.

Second, phone connections are limited.

The internet and Wi-Fi connection is limited to those who have internet cards, which can be purchased at hotels. The internet works like dial-up, not the high-speed Wi-Fi U.S. citizens are used to. The internet access

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is also censored and limited to what sites can be accessed in Cuba.

The phone service in Cuba is limited as well. As of October 2016, Verizon and Sprint offer roaming charges for their users. Cubans have limited access to wireless phones, and are typically still charged by minute for voice calls, which tend to be expensive for the low wages Cubans receive.

But, teenagers and young adults can be seen on street corners and in parks using smart phones, playing games, much like in the U.S. CSC students experienced the differences first hand when CSC professor Thomas Smith took 14 CSC students on a study abroad trip to Cuba in January. The trip was after a fall 2016 semester-long class on the history and culture of Cuba. The trip served as a handson culmination of what was learned during the classroom setting.

Morell Alderman narrows distance between Cuba and Chadron State Silvia Morell Alderman was the daughter of Cuban exiles Jose and Rosy Morell Romero. Jose was a CSC Spanish professor from 1964-73.

Alderman visited CSC in October 2016 to speak about her experiences of living in Chadron when her parents fled Cuba and about her book, “The Front Row, The Life and Times of Rosa Maria Teresa de la Concepcion de Varona de Morell Romero,” which was published in 2014.

Jose was born in Cuba in 1906. Gerardo Machado became Cuba’s president in 1925. Jose joined the student-revolution group that was a force in driving Machado from power in 1933.

Jose was made the administrator of transportation systems in 1948, and Carlos Prio Socarras was named president the same year.

Jose was later the secretary of labor and was then appointed to the Cuban Supreme Court in 1950.

In 1952, Fulgencio Batista led a military coup and took over the government. Jose never approved of Batista and denounced his administration while calling for his impeachment.

In 1959, Fidel Castro deposed Batista, and Jose was one of three justices retained on the Supreme Court, but in 1960, Jose became the seventh Supreme Court Justice to resign after saying that many actions by Castro were unconstitutional. Jose left the country.

With Castro in control, there were warrant-less searches, harassment of citizens, and loss of freedom of the press.

In 1961, Jose was named the president of Cuba Judiciary in exile and the prime minister in exile. He and other judges began a U.S. sponsored Latin American tour to persuade national leaders to oppose Cuba’s communist regime. In 1963, he was named the Secretary of Foreign Relations for the exiled group of Cubans.

Jose was hired as a Spanish teacher at Chadron State in 1964 through a program to employ Cuban professionals as teachers. He continued working at CSC until 1973 when his family moved to Florida to be closer to other family members.

In 1995, Jose was sworn in as provisional president of Cuba in exile, until he died in office in 2002 at the age of 96.

Rosy Morell, Jose’s wife, was also part of the anti-Machado underground. She married Jose in 1934. But they were forced apart into exile by Machado’s successor; they were reunited in 1936 when the political situation changed. They had three children together.

Rosy lived on her own with their 9-year-old Silvia when Jose was traveling Latin America. The family struggled with money, which was made worse when the couple’s son Kiki was imprisoned after being captured during the Bay of Pigs invasion.

The three—Jose, Rosy, & Silvia—lived in Sparks Hall, which was at the time faculty residence, for three years before moving to a house on King Street.

Rosy was president of the Women’s Club in town. Rosy died in 2011, at the age of 97.

Silvia grew up and received her degree at CSC before the family moved to Florida; Silvia is now a lawyer and was honored as a Distinguished CSC Alumna in 2007. Silvia said she has no plans of returning to Cuba while a Castro is in charge, and not until democracy returns.

CSC students met with Silvia when she visited CSC in October 2016, before the students traveled to Cuba with CSC professor Thomas Smith on a study abroad trip to Cuba. The January trip was after a fall 2016 semester-long class on the history and culture of Cuba. The trip served as a hands-on culmination of what was learned during the classroom setting.

SPECIAL EDITION: CUBA

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A Havana Club mojito is the featured drink at the La Bodeguita del Medio bar in Havana, which is known as the birthplace of the mojito, and one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite bars.

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Pork, seafood, alcohol, it’s what’s for dinner in Havana tonight

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Coming from Nebraska, beef country, to a country of mainly seafood and pork was quite different for 14 CSC students and professor Thomas Smith. The class visited Cuba on educational visas in January after a fall 2016 semester-long class on the history and culture of Cuba. The trip served as a hands-on culmination of what was learned during the classroom setting.

Cuban meals are mainly combined of seafood and pork, a salad, baked beans and rice with nearly every meal, excluding breakfast.

The fillet fish was typically grilled or baked, and lobster was featured at one of our meals. The pork typically came in the form of pork chops.

A standard Cuban salad is not a typical U.S. salad with its lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers tossed together in a bowl and topped with croutons, and cheese. Instead, a typical Cuban salad primarily consists of cabbage, cucumbers, and tomatoes, served in a bowl, with each vegetable neatly organized into separate sections. The humid, tropical climate allows for a constant stream of fresh vegetables, even in mid-winter.

Pineapple, mangoes and bananas were offered at our hotel as part of breakfast, but fruits were not usually part of the daily meals.

It’s not unusual to have a drink with your afternoon meal in Cuba, and rum is to Cuba what apple pie is to America.

Cuba is the birthplace of a variety of different drinks, mainly concocted with rum. Havana Club brand is the most popular rum in Cuba. According to Havana-club.com, “Cuba has become known as the ‘isle of Rum.’” The website claims that Havana Club is the leading rum in Cuba and in the world.

Town and Country Magazine consulted two rum experts, Kenneth McCoy and Jack McGarry on Cuban rums. The No. 1 listed Cuban rum was Havana Club 7 Años and of the six Cuban rums listed, three were Havana Club brand.

Cuba is also home to Bacardi rum. The Bacardi building is one of the most beautiful art deco buildings in the city, and is the original home of Bacardi rum. The Bacardi brothers—Facundo, Jose, and Emilio—traveled to Cuba from Spain in about 1830 and they set up a distillery in 1862. In the original building, the brothers found bats in the rafters, which was a sign of good luck.

The brothers then created their logo after the bats.

Emilio Barcardi Moreau helped Cuba fight for independence from Spain. His reward for fighting for Cuba was being selected as the first freely-elected mayor of Santiago de Cuba.

In the 1960s, the Cuban revolutionary regime confiscated the company’s assets without compensation and forced the brothers to leave the country. Instead of throwing in the towel though, the Barcardis started over somewhere else.

Both the original Cuba Libre and the Daiquiri were reportedly created in Cuba using Bacardi rum.

A Cuba Libre is a drink made of cola, lime and either dark or light rum. It is known in the United States as Rum and Coke, but it originated in Cuba around 1901. Bacardi stated, “The world’s second most popular drink was born in a collision between the United States and Spain.”

According to Havana Club, “The Cuba Libre shared the mystery of its exact origin. The only certainty is that this cocktail was first sipped in Cuba.”

The daiquiri is made of rum, citrus juice, typically lime, and sugar. El Floridita is the bar that is noted as the birthplace of the daiquiri. The drink is claimed as a favorite of Ernest Hemingway, and former President John F. Kennedy. History says that a U.S. mining engineer, Jennings Cox, invented the daiquiri when he was in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Havana also claims the Mojito its drink.

A mojito is made of white rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water, and mint. The Mojito was noted as Ernest Hemingway’s drink of choice. The La Bodeguita del Medio bar is known as the birthplace of the mojito and it is claimed that Hemingway made the bar famous when he wrote “My mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita,” on the wall of the bar.

Each restaurant in Havana is equipped with a band to set the mood. Music in Cuba is largely influence by west Africa and Europe and popular genres include rhumba, Afro-Cuban jazz, salsa, and soukous. Some bars even have salsa or cha-cha dancers to accompany the bands. The dancers occasionally grab guests from

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Tobacco farmer Don Roberto carries a bundle of twigs and a lap table outside his tobacco barn with tobacco plants growing in his field.

World’s Finest Cigar A bundle of Cuban cigars

Students sample Cuba’s renowned cigars Cubans are known for their cigars and in the U.S. the cigars range from under $2 to more than $50, depending on where you get them.

In Cuba, the province of Pinar del Río is described as a tobacco-rich province. The tobacco farms sell cigars at $1 per cigar.

CSC students had the opportunity to visit a tobacco farm with fresh Cuban cigars. After watching tobacco farmer Don Roberto roll a cigar, students puffed a few.

In January, CSC professor Thomas Smith took students on a study abroad trip to Cuba. The trip was after a fall 2016 semester-long class. The trip served as a hands-on culmination of what was learned during in the classroom.

The Cuban tobacco farmers grow their own tobacco and because the farms are typically not state-owned, the farmers can be taxed up to 90 percent of their profits.

Cuba is a socialist country, so the Cubans strive for equality. To keep everyone equal, the government tax the farmers to attempt to keep the citizens

earning about the same amount.

The tobacco plants grow for about six months before they are hung to dry for three months. The plants are then put into bundles and hung to dry for three months, which creates a one-year process.

The tobacco is rolled into cigars. The barn where the tobacco is hung is covered in palm leaves, and the rolls of 10 cigars are also wrapped in palm leaves.

In 2016, former President Barack Obama lifted restrictions to allow U.S. citizens to bring in an unlimited amount of Cuban cigars, but that is only in affect when taking a direct flight from Cuba to the U.S. If taking an alternative route, beware of other countries’ customs and immigration rules on how many cigars can enter the country.

Many countries can sell cigars for nearly $20 per cigar. Countries restrict how many cigars can be brought in so individuals don’t sell them and profits on what would originally be country’s revenue.

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CSC students tour Cuba’s low-elevation mountains

Mackenzie Carroll, 23, alumnus of Sacramento, California, looks at flowers at the Soroa’s Orchid Garden, Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Jan. 4.

Mountain Flowers

The Soroa’s Orchid Garden, Pinar del Rio, Cuba, has more than 700 species of orchids; the flower above is an ephiphytes, which means it grows on another plant, and the flower to the left is called the Butterfly Orchid.

Vinales is a small town in the Pinar del Río province, which is the most west of Cuba’s 15 provinces. Pinar del Río is described as tobacco-rich.

Vinales is at the base of the Cordillera de Guaniguanico mountain range. The town has an elevation of 443 feet, and the mountain’s elevation is 2,293.

CSC students and professor Thomas Smith took a journey to the mountains, which at the peak have a lower elevation than Chadron. The Cuba trip occurred in January after a semester-long class on the history and culture of Cuba. The trip served as a hands-on culmination of what was learned during the classroom setting.

Vinales was first settled in 1871 and established in 1878.

The area was named a national monument in October 1978 and a world heritage site in November 1999. A world heritage site is a site, area or structure that is recognized as an international importance and deserves special protection.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization names the world heritage sites.

There is a six-lane highway leaving Havana. The idea behind building it was to allow large equipment to travel quickly across the country in case of war.

Immediately outside the city limits of Havana, people will stand along the highway, typically too close for comfort compared to the U.S., waving money looking for rides.

The people are trying to catch a ride either into the city or to the next town to get to work or even to try to find a new job or home.

The public buses will be full of up to 300 people at any given time so people wait, possibly all day, at bus stops and on the side of the road for a ride from anyone to get into the city before heading back to their homes to try again the next day.

The houses outside the city have yards and more space between them, much like houses outside of large cities in the United States. The houses also appear sturdier in the country than in the city.

Soroa’s Orchid Garden, which is positioned 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) from Havana and 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) from the provincial capital of Pinar del Río, sits at 700 feet above sea level, near the Vinales Mountains.

The garden was created in 1943 when Tomas Felipe Camacho, a rich Spanish lawyer, wanted to create a garden to honor his daughter. Camacho hand-made each of the flowerpots.

There are both natural and imported plants in the garden. There are a variety of other plants and trees in the area that are not in pots, and 70 percent of all orchids are epiphytes, which means they grow on other plants.

The garden is in the Guaniguancio Mountains. The mountain humidity and abundant water supply allowed the garden to grow to more than 700 species of orchids.

In 1978, the garden was considered an addition of the Ministry of Higher Education. At that time researchers began experimenting to create new hybrids.

The garden is also home to a tourism center that has air-conditioned cabanas, a swimming pool, restaurants, bars, and a waterfall.

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A display of caricatures of former Cuban President Fulgencio Batista, former U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr. and George W. Bush with signs that read, “Thank you cretin for helped us TO MAKE SOCIALISM IRREVOCABLE” is a main feature on the bottom floor of the Museo de la Revolucion.

The Museo de la Revolucion is a main attraction for tourists to Cuba.

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Cuba Libre Billboards in Cuba promote the revolution instead of products and brands.

At the Plaza de la Revolucion, murals of Camilo Cienfuegos, left, and Che Guevara are displayed.

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Part of the beauty and pleasure of visiting Cuba is experiencing first-hand the passion the Cubans feel for their country. U.S. citizens are typically proud to be American and proud to be from “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” but Cubans have a different kind of love for the country.

Cubans fought hard to get the country to where they want it to be and the fight continues today. The revolution that started in the 1950s is thought of as still alive and thriving.

Fidel Castro was a big face that went along with the revolution. Castro kept the momentum going for the revolution and reminded Cubans that they are the revolution.

Now, after Castro’s death, the Cuban government is still reminding its citizens that the revolution is them. Cuban billboards do not promote products and brand names, but instead promote the revolution. Pictures of Castro can be found around Havana saying “Yo soy Fidel” spreading the message that Fidel is part of the Cubans and his revolution will continue to be part of the Cubans.

The love for country is ingrained in all the citizens and is taught in schools. The revolution remains alive because the Cubans still believe they have more to achieve.

The revolution in Cuba is what brings all the Cubans together. Cubans believe that the revolution should never die; everyone is constantly working to defend and promote it.

The Museo de la Revolución, Museum of the Revolution, is the home of the Cuban revolution, which shows the story of the 1959 Cuban Revolution in chronological order of the events, starting at the top floor and moving down.

The museum is in the former Cuban President Fulgencio Batista’s palace. Batista was the president at the end of the revolution. He was backed by the United States and he was overthrown during the revolution.

Behind the palace, the Pavillón Granma is in a bullet-proof case. The Granma is a yacht that carried Fidel Castro and 81 revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba in 1956. It is guarded 24 hours a day. There are other vehicles from the Revolution outside the palace but in a protective gate.

Inside, on the bottom floor, are items that deal with the present-day socialist regime. Notably, a display of caricatures of Batista and former U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr., and George W. Bush, with a sign next to each name that reads, “Thank you cretin for helped us TO MAKE SOCIALISM IRREVOCABLE.” The idea is that Batista and the presidents helped establish the socialist regime in Cuba because the presidents cut Cuba off from the U.S., which bonded the country and allowed the revolution to grow.

Each neighborhood also has its own

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Committee of the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) office to continue defending the revolution and report any anti-revolution activity to the government. The CDRs make sure everyone in their neighborhood is supporting and defending the revolution.

The CDRs are composed of people selected by the neighborhood. Their job is to maintain the socialist ideology and take care of everyone in their neighborhood.

They help their neighbors with rations, house issues, keeping the kids in school, and maintaining a neighborhood watch.

The Plaza de la Revolucion, or Revolution Square, was finished in 1959 and is the 31st largest city square in the world and measures 72,000 square meters. It is notable as being used for political rallies and where Castro and other political figures address Cubans. Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis also had mass at the square. There is a Jose Marti Memorial in the square, which features a 358-foot tower and 59-foot statue.

Marti, sometimes called the Apostle of the Cuban Revolution, is considered a national hero in Cuba. He fought for Cuba’s independence and died on the battlefield.

Castro named him an important influence in his revolution decades after Marti fought.

Behind the memorial is the Palace of the Revolution, or the seat of the Cuban government and Communist Party. The Ministries of the Interior and Communications is on the opposite site of the square as the Palace of the Revolution. The Ministries’ buildings feature matching steel memorials of two of the most important deceased heroes of the Cuban Revolution: Che Guevara with the quote, “Hasta la Victoria Siempre” or “Until the Everlasting Victory, Always,” and Camilo Cienfuegos with the quote, “Vas bien, Fidel” or “You’re doing fine, Fidel.” Cienfuegos’ memorial is often mistaken for Castro.

Guevara met Fidel and Raul Castro in Mexico in 1955 when they were planning to overthrow Cuba’s government. Guevara served as a primary adviser to Fidel and helped lead the guerrilla forces against Batista’s regime.

Guevara was in charge of La Cabana prison after Fidel took control of Cuba.

There are claims that Guevara executed hundreds of people on extra-judicial orders.

He was the president of the national bank and minister of industry. He served as ambassador for Cuba and was a notable player in the Bay of Pigs invasion and Cuban Missile Crisis.

Cienfuegos was also a key player in the revolution and was well-known as one of the four big promoters of the revolution, which includes Fidel and Raul Castro and Guevara.

The Marti monument and the square construction began during Fulgencio Batista’s presidency.

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The bright, sky-blue Hotel Deauville sits along the malecon.

Jose Fuster’s decorated his home with tiles and mosaics.

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The Ballet Nacional de Cuba was recently renovated and reopened Jan. 1, 2016.

With color and flare, Cuba’s art and architecture unveil its artists’ talents Havana is a history lesson and art museum in itself, which worked great with the hands-on semester-long class on the history and culture of Cuba that 14 CSC students enrolled in in fall 2016. CSC professor Thomas Smith and the students traveled to Cuba on educational visas in January.

Vibrant colors, art deco, scaffolding, and neoclassicism designs the architecture in Havana.

Most of the buildings in Havana were constructed before the 1950s under Spanish influence, which fits with Cuba’s reputation for being stuck in time. The buildings typically fall into neoclassic, art nouveau, art deco or eclectic design.

The buildings are old and rundown, but instead of tearing down buildings when they are getting old, the government restores them, one building at a time.

Meanwhile, some buildings collapse, and before that happens, government officials evacuate before the crash.

The government then works to find a new place for those people to live because being homeless is illegal in Cuba.

The hotels in Cuba fit in with the rest of the building in terms of design. They are painted bright colors.

The Hotel Deauville, where the CSC group stayed, is a bright, sky-blue color, which makes it easy to find on a map and anywhere along the malecon, or sea wall that runs along the northern edge of Havana and the northern coast of Cuba.

Almost every hotel houses a restaurant, a bar, or a combination of both. Some sport night clubs in the basements.

In each neighborhood, about every fourto-six blocks, there is a rations store and a fresh-fruit stand. Each Cuban is issued a rations book that they redeem for groceries and health care products at the rations store.

There also is a Committee of the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) office in each neighborhood. The CDRs are composed of people selected by the neighborhood. Their job is to maintain the socialist ideology and take care of everyone in their neighborhood.

They help the neighbors with rations, housing issues, keeping the kids in school, and maintaining a neighborhood watch.

The CDRs also defend the Cuban Revolution and report any anti-revolution activity to the government.

A notable building in Cuba is Havana’s Grand Theater, one of the most extravagant buildings in the city.

The building was first opened April 15, 1838, and was later renovated and reopened in 1915. The building was again closed in 2013 for renovation and was reopened Jan. 1, 2016.

Alicia Alonso, a former Cuban prima ballerina and choreographer, founded the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1955, and opened a ballet academy in Havana. At the Grand Theater said that Alonso is Cuba’s most popular ballerina.

Ballet, considered by many to be a prominent art in Cuba is not the only art the country produces.

Painters such as Carlos Enriquez, Amelia Pelaez, Mariano Rodriguez, Servando Cabrera Moreno, are Cuban artists featured at the museum of Modern Cuban Art. Enriquez was born in 1900 and died in Havana in 1957. He lived in New York from 1927-30 and in Paris and Madrid from 1930-33. He returned to Cuba in 1934 and his paintings represented the Cuban countryside, its inhabitants, and folklore. His art was inspired by popular myths and social realities.

Pelaez’s work is described as experimental or unorthodox; Rodriguez was also a Cuban painter, but his technique resembled

Mexican art because he studied in Mexico in his early years.

Moreno is known as the artist of the revolution. He was aware of history and Cuban events. He was the first Cuban artist to show the Cuban epic. He painted social changes during the revolution. The main theme in Servando’s work is the human figure. He is one of the pioneers of erotic and homoerotic art in Cuba.

Jose Fuster is a Cuban artist whose work can be seen not only indoors, but on the streets, too. Fuster was born in 1946 and is still alive. He studied art in Havana after growing up on the country’s north coast of the country. He started working as a professional artist in 1966. According to the Havana Culture website, Fuster has more than 100 personal exhibitions and more than 500 exhibits around the world.

Fusterlandia is his canvas, which is a neighborhood in the northwestern edge of Havana.

For more than 30 years, Fuster has been covering houses, walls, doorways, and benches with brightly colored sculptures and mosaics. He uses his own money from selling his paintings and sculptures to redecorate his neighbors’ houses.

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SPECIAL EDITION: CUBA

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The Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro dominates the port entrance and was built in 1589.

the

FOUNDATION

The lighthouse at the Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro was built in 1844.

A statue of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes sits in the plaza de armas garden square.

Fort, Plaza de Armas mark Havana’s origins

The Plaza de Armas was the original foundation of the Havana, which was laid out in the early 1520s. The original name of the square was Plaza de Iglesia, and was called the Plaza de Armas, or square of arms, wasn’t adopted until the late 16th century.

Most of the buildings around the plaza date from the 1700s. There’s a garden full of royal palms and a statue of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes in the center of the square. His statue replaced one of the unpopular Spanish King Ferdinand VII in 1955.

Cespedes was a Cuban planter who worked to free his slaves. He helped start the Ten Years’ War when he made the declaration of Cuban independence in 1868.

The first fort built in Havana was the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, or the Castle of the Royal Force, which is bordering the Plaza de Armas. This fort was ineffective though, because it was built too far inside the bay.

It is considered the oldest stone fort in the Americas and is listed as a World Heritage site. A World Heritage site is a site, area or structure that is recognized as an international importance and deserves special protection. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization names the world heritage sites.

Another highly visited site is the Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro or the Morro Castle, which was built in 1589. It is named after the three biblical Magi. The fort is visible by the sea and serves as a navigational landmark. It dominates the port entrance and can be viewed for miles.

CSC professor Thomas Smith and 14 CSC students visited the plazas in Havana while on a trip to Cuba on educational visas. The trip was in January after a semester-long class on the history and culture of Cuba. The trip served as a hands-on culmination

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SPECIAL EDITION: CUBA

May 2, 2017 | The Eagle | csceagle.com

Santerias going through their year of purification are easily spotted wearing all white.

A Santeria dancer representing Yemaya, Orisha of the sea with mothering characteristics, hugs Kira Fish, 24, senior of Gering, Jan. 6.

saint OR

orisha

Santeria dancers act as specific Orishas for a traditional Santeria dance.

From left: Yemaya, in blue, is the Orisha of the sea and salt water and has mothering characteristic; Ochun, in yellow, has feminine qualities and is sensual and musical; Elegua, in red and black, is known for pranks and mischief and has playful characteristics; and Oya, in the multicolored clothing, represents the wind and lightening.

Catholicism, out; Santeria, in When Christopher Columbus traveled to Cuba from Spain in 1492, he brought Catholicism with him, but by the end of the 19th century, Cubans started turning away from the Roman Catholic Church because of its connection to the Spanish crown.

After Fidel Castro took over the government, he shut down more than 400 Catholic schools in 1962 because he was scared they were spreading dangerous beliefs. Christmas, and other religious holidays, were banned from being recognized from 1969-97.

In 1991, the Communist Party lifted its prohibition against religion and amended the constitution to characterize the state as secular instead of atheist.

Before the revolution, 90 percent of the Cubans were Catholic, and now there is less than 10 percent who are practicing Catholics. But, there are still beautiful, extravagant cathedrals and churches in Havana. The churches are open during the day for tourists to visit and explore, and remain open during the mass ceremony.

Now, a popular religion in Cuba is Santeria, which a practicing Santeria guide described as a mix between traditional African religions and Catholicism.

People from all over the world travel to Cuba to go through the Santeria purification year.

CSC students and professor Thomas Smith learned about Santeria from a practicing guide while on a trip in Cuba.

Smith took 14 students to Cuba on edu-

cational visas. The trip was in January after a semester-long class on the history and culture of Cuba. The trip served as a hands-on culmination of what was learned during the classroom setting.

To join the religion, one must be at least 18 years old and go through a purification year to discover who the Orisha of your life is.

During that year, the Santeria wears all white, except for colorful necklaces that you can receive through the year that match the characteristics of the Orisha in your head.

During that year, the Santeria is not allowed to use his or her first name, shake hands with anyone, or be photographed.

Santeria temples can be any home of any practicing Santeria.

The guide explained that each Santeria has an “Orisha,” who is the “god of their heads.” Each Orisha shares characteristics with a Catholic saint.

Each temple has an alter in the house with a display of Catholic saint statues on one side and matching symbols of the Santeria Orishas on the opposite side of the alter.

The Santerias also use Kapok trees in their practices. They leave money, jewelry, or food at the base of the trees. The Santerias believe that bringing an offering to leave at the tree would please the Orishas, who would then return what the Santerias need back to the believer.

The Santeria also worship with traditional dances to please and honor the Orishas.

May 2, 2017 | The Eagle | csceagle.com

honoring the dead

SPECIAL EDITION: CUBA

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Extravagant monuments mark final home of passed loved ones

The Cubans are proud of their history and of their heritage, so as odd as it is to U.S. citizens, El Cemeterio de Cristobal Colon, or in English, the Colon Cemetery, is a common tourist attraction in Havana.

CSC students and professor Thomas Smith took a tour of the cemetery while on a trip to Cuba on educational visas. The trip was in January after a semester-long class on the history and culture of Cuba. The trip served as a hands-on culmination of what was learned during the classroom setting.

The cemetery was founded in 1876. It is named after Christopher Columbus and is known for its elaborate sculpted memorials. The cemetery has more than 500 major mausoleums, chapels, and family vaults. It is claimed to be one of the most important historical cemeteries in Latin American. Before the cemetery opened, the dead were buried in the church catacombs.

One of the main attractions in the cemetery is a 75-foot monument for a group of firefighters who lost their lives in a fire in 1890.

The fire was at a home of a wealthy man who hid the fact that he had explosives in his home.

The explosives went off and killed the firefighters. The man then had to pay for the monument for the firefighters, and to truly punish the man, they created the most extravagant grave they could, full of symbolic details.

Another popular gravesite in the cemetery is that of Amelia and her baby. This is the grave of Amelia Goyri de la Hoz, who is also known as “La Milagrosa” or The Miraculous Woman. She died in 1903 at age 23. Her baby died at that time. She was buried with the baby at her feet in the grave, and legend says when the grave was opened sometime later, the child was in the mother’s arms.

Her husband, Jose Vicente Adot, was out of his mind with their death, so he went to the gravestone and knocked on the bronze knocker everyday, yelling, “Wake up Amelia!

Wake up Amelia!”

Now, Cubans go to her grave and visit to ask for miracles. There have also been reports of Amelia granting what the Cubans ask for and she is known as an unofficial saint. The grave now features a bronze knocker. The Cubans knock three times, touch the statues of Amelia and of her baby, ask for a wish, and then walk out backward to avoid turning their back on Amelia.

There are also two monuments to baseball players from the Cuban League.

The bodies of United States Navy sailors were buried in the cemetery in 1898 but were unburied and moved to the U.S. for burial at the Arlington National Cemetery a year later.

There is limited space at the cemetery, so the bodies are buried in the tombs and after Joel Milos, 19, sophomore of Bellevue, walks away backward from the grave of Amelia and her baby. Cubans visit her grave, knock three times, three years, they are boxed and placed in touch the statues of Amelia and of her baby, ask for a wish, and then walk out backward to avoid turning their back on Amelia in the hope that storage buildings.

Amelia will perform a miracle for the visitor.

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SPECIAL EDITION: CUBA

H

emingway’s

May 2, 2017 | The Eagle | csceagle.com

H

appiness

CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: A portrait of Ernest Hemingway and his kill is hanging on a wall in his home in San Francisco de Paula, Cuba.

Hemingway’s typewriter is still sitting on his desk in his lookout tower.

A stuffed lion head sits on one of Hemingway’s desks in his house.

Half-full, still-open liquor bottles from the 1960s sit on a side table in Hemingway’s living room.

Hemingway finds his happiness in Cuba, Cubans keep his place preserved Ernest Hemingway, a U.S. novelist, short-story writer, and journalist, lived in Cuba from 1936-60. He loved his time in Cuba and loved the Cuban people, which is known through his service to the Cubans.

He won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954 for one of his most popular works, “The Old Man and the Sea,” which he wrote while in Cuba. Hemingway gave his prize money and the medallion to the Cuban people.

The 24-karat-gold medallion was given to Cuba’s Catholic Church, which is in a small town, El Cobre.

But, in1980 the medallion was stolen. The police recovered it a few days later and then the church decided to no longer display the medallion, but the church kept the medallion locked away, where it remains today.

Hemingway enjoyed the fishing in Cuba. He docked his boat, The Pilar, in Cojimar, which is about three

miles east of Havana. Cojimar is also the setting for “The Old Man and the Sea.” The dock that Hemingway used is still there. A bust dedicated to Hemingway is next to the dock.

Hemingway was a U.S. citizen but traveled the globe, living in many different countries before making his home in Cuba.

Hemingway spent time staying in the Hotel Ambos Mundos in Havana during the 1930s on his many trips to Cuba, before his third wife Martha Gellhom bought a house in San Francisco de Paula, 10 miles east of Havana.

The house was called Finca Vigia, which means lookout house. Hemingway lived with his third wife there until their divorce in 1945. Hemingway remained in that house when he married his fourth and final wife Mary Welsh in 1946. That house is described as a time cap-

sule because it is in its original state, meaning no one has been allowed inside since Hemingway left.

But, people are allowed to come visit and look through the open windows and doors to see how Hemingway lived when he was there. The pictures featured above are shot through the windows because people are not allowed inside, with the exception of the typewriter.

The typewriter was shot by an attendant who was stationed inside a lookout tower where Hemingway did a lot of his writing.

The lookout tower’s original purpose was to house Hemingway’s cats. Welsh said he had too many cats so she had a tower built to keep the cats out of the house.

Hemingway enjoyed sitting and writing in the tower, and he had a telescope that overlooked the dock miles away to see if the waters were calm for fishing.

May 2, 2017 | The Eagle | csceagle.com

SPECIAL EDITION: CUBA

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The Estrellas de Gigi’s practice at the field in Hemingway’s yard, Jan. 5.

Joel Milos, 19, sophomore of Bellevue, is coached by the current Estrellas de GiGi’s coach during a practice at Hemingway’s house in Cuba, Jan. 5.

LEFT: Current coach of the Estrellas de Gigi’s invites CSC students into the yard to play with his team, Jan. 5.

Hemingway still connects people through his work

Photo by Todd Roenfeldt

The Gigi’s baseball coach hugs Jordyn Hulinsky, 22, senior of St. Paul, during a practice at Hemingway’s house, Jan. 5.

In 1940, Ernest Hemingway’s two sons from his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer, visited Hemingway in the summer. Hemingway did not know what to do with a 12-year-old Patrick and an 8-year-old Gregory, also known as Gigi, so he rounded up some boys in the neighborhood to play baseball.

“Papa Hemingway,” as the boys called him, played along with the boys as the pitcher.

The team found a special place in Hemingway’s heart and after some time, he bought new balls, bats, and gloves for the boys and made them a field in his yard. The boys were poor and did not have their own equipment and they played barefoot. Hemingway eventually named the team Estrellas de Gigi, or the Gigi Stars, after his son. He would drive the boys to play each Wednesday and Sunday against other teams.

Hemingway bought the boys jerseys and caps to play in. Hemingway was close with the boys and

he hired some of them do to random tasks around his house and treated them like his own family.

The field is still used at Hemingway’s house and the Gigi’s still practice and play at the field.

While in Cuba, Joel Milos, 19, sophomore of Bellevue, and I were given the opportunity to practice with the Gigi’s. The current coach invited us to play while visiting Hemingway’s house.

The coach spoke no English, but having played softball for the majority of my life, we found a common bond between the love of the game. The coach tossed Milos and I a few balls to hit, before handing me a glove to play catch. The coach was happy and excited to play with us and showed his appreciation through a hug , since we couldn’t converse easily.

CSC professor Thomas Smith traveled with 14 CSC students on a trip to Cuba on educational visas.

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SPECIAL EDITION: CUBA

The

struggle is real

May 2, 2017 | The Eagle | csceagle.com column

Traveling: a struggle, but worth it

Man, the struggle is real…

Traveling to Cuba is a struggle. The U.S. shut off relations to Cuba years ago and just recently opened travel to the country.

Cuba was amazing and wonderful in many different aspects and I truly enjoyed my trip and am more than ready to head back. But that does not mean the experience was easy.

While in Cuba, it is a struggle to stay in touch with those back in the states. Wi-Fi is limited and slow, and phone charges will drain your wallet. Internet access is also restricted and censored for both tourists and natives.

Having a small bladder in Cuba is a struggle. The bathrooms are low quality, typically with no toilet paper and no toilet seats, and the bathrooms can also drain your wallet, as you have to pay an attendant each time you need to use a public bathroom.

Also, make sure you take care of your smelly-bathroom-business at your hotel, or the attendant will yell at you in angry Spanish.

There’s a HUGE struggle when you travel to Cuba via Mexico. The U.S. has its own set of rules and regulations for traveling to Cuba and those are strict enough, but going through Mexico changes things. The U.S. may let you bring in as many Cuban items as you want on an educational visa, but your educational visa has no pull in Mexico so those

rules can get you into some trouble. my love of baseball with the Cubans. They Traveling to Cuba, or anywhere, can are proud of their baseball and I was raised to also be a struggle because the people love and play the greatest game in the world: you travel with can be a pain. Going baseball. So I found a connection with a few to Cuba requires an open-mind and a Cubans through their sport, despite lanstress-free attitude, and when you travel guage barriers. I even played with one of the with people who are uptight and think little league teams during a practice, which they are superior to others, it can put a was a highlight of the trip. But, I saw all the damper on the whole trip. But, if you are young boys playing baseball and not a lot of able to ignore and stay away from those girls, which was disappointing until I got to kinds of people, life will be great. take my shoes off and play with the boys.

There’s also a struggle with that CuI felt the most Cuban when I was playban alcohol. As someone who has only ing baseball barefoot with the Gigi’s like the drank three drinks besides Cuba, the original team played, with Cuban braids Students ride in two CoCo taxis on our alcohol in Cuba can really get to you. in my hair, after consuming one of those Cubans are not skimpy on their alcohol way back to our hotel from the market. strong mojitos. in their drinks and the Cuba Libre (rum Plus, the cars are so fun and exciting! and coke), the mojito, and the daquari were all invented in From the classic 1950s cars to the CoCo taxis, each taxi ride Cuba, and man, are they strong! was an experience. Seeing the ocean and walking along the My trip to Cuba was a struggle, but the country is a malecon in the morning was one of the most relaxing and history lesson in itself, which is actually exciting despite peaceful things I’ve experienced in my life, and the Catholic me hating history classes. The country is beautiful, bright, Churches are simply beautiful. and fun, and I recommend everyone take a trip if you can So, yes, the Cuban struggle is definitely real, but so is swing it. chocolate, and Cuba has some of the greatest chocolate and One of the best parts of the trip was being able to share a dessert with almost every meal, so life is still sweet.

Cuba is a beautiful country with a diverse population. Traveling to the island offers unique experiences you cannot get anywhere else. Here are a few helpful tips to make a more enjoyable trip when traveling to Cuba.

A Travel Column for College Students

By Stephanie Steele

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1

Don’t drink the water

Like Mexico, the water in Cuba should not be consumed. Cuban natives do not typically drink the water either. Due to the lack of water sanitation all ice is made from purified water, so ice in your drinks won’t make you

3

Bring your own toilet paper

Cuban public restrooms are vastly different from the U.S. Take your own toilet paper to Cuba. Most Cuban public restrooms do not have toilet paper, but most have a bathroom attendant who will offer toilet paper after you pay at least 25 cents.

Typically, attendants will not let you use the bathroom until you have paid them.

Cuban toilets also don’t have toilet seats. Some travelers would blame the patriarchy, but in reality, toilet seats are viewed as a luxury in Cuba.

4

Learn to haggle

Many Cuban markets, especially art markets, expect haggling. Many items have a 200 percent markup. When haggling, don’t be the first one to name a price. Let the seller name the first price, then counter with a lower price, typically half or less.

sick. A common water mistake in Cuba is brushing teeth with tap water. Use bottled water when brushing your teeth and keep your mouth closed in the shower to make sure you don’t accidentally swallow tap water.

Bring extra toiletries

The average Cuban employed by the government earns 20 Cuban National Pesos monthly with a minimal ration card, so purchasing commodities like toiletries can be difficult on that income. Bringing extra toiletries, regardless of the size, helps the Cubans. Leaving the toiletries for housekeeping, allows them to disperse whatever you bring to other people. Little acts of kindness go a long way.

While you’re haggling, do not take out any money until you’re done. Sometimes the best way to get your price is to walk away. Negotiating a lower price takes patience but it’s worth it.

Editor’s note: These columns are weekly columns in The Eagle and are included in this special edition due to their relevance.