Oaxaca, Mexico: International Programs: Academic Affairs: Indiana University South Bend

Oaxaca, Mexico 2024

Join us as we explore the city and state of Oaxaca (wuh-HA-cah), areas extremely rich in history and culture (and listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites). Our study will include Oaxaca’s deep indigenous origins, its fascinating eras of colonial conquest and revolutionary transformation, and its remarkable present-day social world full of vibrant and diverse cultures.

All the while, you will be intensively studying Spanish (and gaining language credit) on the grounds of the beautiful Becari Conzatti.

You will live in Oaxaca, voted #1 of the 25 cities in the world by Travel and Leisure (2020). When not in class, you will explore the 17th-century architecture of colonial courtyards and shaded zócalos, wander busy marketplaces, savor Oaxacan food, paint alebrijes, weave on a hand loom, dance, cook, visit pottery villages and museums. The goal is to immerse you in the culture of the area (past and present), while learning Spanish and developing connections with other students.

You will also explore other amazing locations, such as Teotitlan, Montalbán and Hierve el Agua. Every part of the trip will expose you to new perspectives. Furthermore, you will live with a local family, sharing meals and forming connections, while developing friendships with other students.

Summer Session I

May 13-June 24, 2024

Travel Dates

May 18-June 16, 2024

Julio F Hernando (Director)

Professor of Spanish
julherna@iusb.edu

Jake Mattox

Associate Professor of English
jdmattox@iusb.edu

Students will enroll in two IU South Bend courses during Summer Session I, gaining six credits toward their degrees.

Students will enroll in the appropriate 3-credit IU South Bend Spanish class (SPAN-S 102, SPAN-S 203, SPAN-S 204, or SPAN-S 317); contact director with questions about alternatives.
Students will take a course taught by Jake Mattox (Associate Professor of English) focusing on writing and the experience of travel. Students in both courses will read and write about Mexico and our travels, choosing different forms to experiment with: letters, journals, blogs, Facebook posts, etc. No writing experience or confidence is necessary–simply a willingness to try. We will reflect upon our travels and what we are learning about the rich cultures and histories of Oaxaca and Mexico, and we will also read examples of travel writing to understand how these accounts produce different “truths"–about nature, other cultures, and even ourselves. Course materials will also help us navigate the complexities of traveling and writing about travel, acts that are deeply rooted in identity, power, and the privileges of the traveler/observer. This is especially important given the complicated relationship between the United States and Mexico, a relationship that so troubled president Porfirio Díaz more than 120 years ago that he lamented that Mexico was “So far from God and so close to the United States."

Depending upon specific curricular needs, each student will sign up for either ENG-T 190 or ENG-W 350:
ENG-T 190 (3 cr.): Travel Literature and the Politics of Description
ENG-W 350 (3 cr.): Advanced Expository Writing: Travel Writing in Mexico.

$4,350 (plus tuition for six credit hours; does not include a small travel insurance fee plus other campus fees as appropriate).

Estimated cost includes airfare, all accommodations, entrance fees, breakfast and "comida," the main meal of the day. Supper is not included.

Applications are due February 1, 2024 and a non-refundable deposit of $300 is due February 15, 2024. Balance must be paid in full or by commitment from Financial Aid by May 15, 2024.