temblores, salsa lessons, national strikes

National Strike

So there is a student strike here in Chile at the moment. The students are protesting and striking all across the country.  However, since my school is semi-private, our students are not on strike. I do pass a public school everyday when I walk to school and they are on strike.

From the left: Education is a privilege, An education of quality not the amount. Large poster in the back, A better education.

So the students want a better quality education in their public school system. I was speaking with my host parents about this, they were saying that about 25-30 years ago Universities were free.  I have a problem with this.  I don't really think that College/University is for everyone, I learned this from my first college course at my university.  College has changed in the US from being a school/place of higher education for everyone, to a place where it pays better to have a degree. Granted I understand that it is harder to get a 'professional' job without a degree,, but not everyone should be a professional and in my opinion has dumbed down our higher education/universities.  People only want to get a higher paying job and don't really care for learning.  We do need cooks, mechanics, plumbers, electricians... Most of these kinds of people should be going to technical schools, granted most do, but some choose to go to college as well.  And I believe our system of higher education has turned into a 'technical' school/education.  This is the reason why I am very glad I chose to go to a liberal arts school, where you just don't take classes of your major, but of a broad selection of humanistic classes...

In the high school level the public school system in the US is pretty good. But there is a HUGE debate on whether a private/catholic school is worth the money(especially with teachers in the public school system).  In Chicagoland area there are many catholic high schools. I did go to one and firm believer in them.  In my experience, my high school was a college preparatory, yet having a high grading scale is not why I think it is the better option.  I believe having theology/a basis for faith is a very important part in the catholic schools.. I think it relates back to a liberal arts university. I don't think learning just the basics in high school and college is enough for a 'higher' education.  Receiving a education with a wide base of humanistic learning is far superior, because you can take different ways/methods of thinking to solve problems.

Off that tangent, here in Chile, the public school system is not even near the public school system in the US. Which is easily understandable, Chile isn't a third world country by any means, however it is expensive and their average salary is quite low to live like a way close to the US.  At least their public school system isn't close to the suburbs of Chicago.  It is closer to the CPS or Chicago Public School, spectrum(not exactly, but closer). And I can understand why the students would want a better education.  However, in my opinion, a better education is something you must pay for. I am behind the students here in Chile, but I don't think they will accomplish much.

In relating this to the private/public debate in chicago, better facilities doesn't always mean a better education.  I have found it deals with the teachers and students ability to want to teach/learn.  And in my experience my high school's facilities were not even near the facilities of the near public school I could have gone to. But relating this to sports, because I think it is a good analogy, my high school won multiple state championships in different sports, yet our weight room was a good 10 years behind. Again, it is not the place, but the attitude and want of the coaches/teachers/students/players.  Here in Chile the students don't have any outlets for sports, there are soccer teams, and a band.  But overall the lessons learned from being an athlete are far more important life lessons than just going to school.  Here in chile they are absent of this.  In sports you learn that sometimes your not the best, and you must work harder.  You learn that winning isn't always everything, but something your always striving for, but that hard work is more important and some even learn never to quit... You learn that without good coaching/hard work talent is meaningless.  I think that hits a big point here in Chile.  The students may have the ability/intellegence/talent to learn a great deal, but it's the want to do it, and this want is shown through their strike.

I don't know if that makes well enough sense, and I am sorry for kind  of 'preaching', but it is what I believe.

Salsa lessons

Going to salsa lessons every Tuesday and Thursday night for the next month, and may continue for the next couple of months. It is quite fun, especially learning in spanish. We really aren't taught the steps at first, just watch and copy.  I go dancing with the other two girl volunteers here and one of their co-teachers.  Us gringos don't have that latin flare, and even with my background of a few ballroom dancing clases, salsa is completely different.  Shaking hips, short steps, a big difference from ballroom.(or in my case, my 'recollection' of ballroom dancing)

Temblores

I think that translates to aftershocks. There have been about 4 or 5 here in Arica.  All around 2's on the ritcher scale.  There have been a few earthquakes in central chile(reason we receive the temblores), and those have been around 5 or 6's on the ritcher scale. I am quite upset, because I have yet to feel a temblor yet. Although I am kinda happy about that as well. I am somewhat scared of earthquakes/temblores because we don't have any in Chicago.