Siena College offers its students opportunities to experience other cultures and expand their world views. Students in all majors have the opportunity to study abroad in more than 50 countries, pursue international internships, do original research and engage in meaningful service learning.
Students often share those experiences with members of Siena’s faculty. Over the summer, Assistant Professor of Spanish Marcela T. Garcés, Ph.D., taught in a course on 21st century culture and politics in Spain at the University of Deusto in Bilbao and Siena student Valerie Zeffiro ’16 took her class. As she explains below, Garcés and her students were immersed in Spanish culture and shared a variety of learning experiences.
Summer in Spain: Reflections from Marcela T. Garcés, Ph.D.
Siena College has a partnership with the University of Deusto in Bilbao through the Center for International Programs, and many of our students have studied there over the last several years. Valerie Zeffiro ’16, was a student in my course, and along with students from many places, we enjoyed talking about contemporary Spain and experiencing events like the coronation of a new king, Felipe VI, interviewing local people about their connection to the Basque language and culture and learning about efforts to recycle and conserve water and energy.
Located in the Basque country in north-central Spain, Bilbao has experienced a renaissance in the last 20 years due in part to the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in 1997. It was designed by Canadian architect Frank Gehry. The Guggenheim is just across the river from the University of Deusto. Not only did the students visit the museum, but also marveled each day at this architectural gem on the Nervión River. The Cantabrian Sea is close by, and Valerie and I met there to try some very tasty pintxos, the more elaborate Basque version of tapas. In addition to these cultural activities, we also learned a lot about the historical significance of this area of Spain.
The students made a number of excursions, and I accompanied them to Gernika (Guernica) a city that is the heart of Basque culture and the inspiration for one of Pablo Picasso’s most important works, Guernica. He created it as a reaction to the devastating bombing that took place there in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, and its depiction of the horrors of war continues to be relevant today. Visiting the Gernika Peace Museum to learn more about this period and peace initiatives across the globe was particularly compelling. During the month we spent studying and traveling, we were reminded of how visiting other countries gives us an international perspective on how much we can learn from one another, from our diverse culinary offerings to our architecture and history.
Garces is sharing her experience with the Capital Region community as she leads a tasting and class on traditional Spanish tapas next week at the Albany restaurant Cheese Traveler.
Learn More about International Experiences
Visit the Center for International Programs webpage to find out about the many cultural immersion options available at Siena College. To learn about studying Spanish and other languages, visit the Modern Languages and Classics webpage.
