Academic News
The past two weeks were full of social events that linked American and Mexican cultures. After a traditional Halloween, the students were introduced to Dia de los Muertos, or day of the dead. Our resident staff helped us understand the traditions of this holiday and they also helped prepare the students for their homestays. Students were paired up and joined with a family in town. Most of them spent the day at the beach or in town, practicing their Spanish and learning more about life here in Puerto San Carlos from an insider's perspective. Local cuisine made an impression on the students as they returned with stories of what they tried, from fresh oysters to traditional beef dishes. In the classroom, we had a guest lecturer from La Paz who came to discuss shifting baselines and the dwindling population of fish in our oceans. Development theory and Globalization were the order of the day for socio-econ class as we discussed how global issues are affecting the lives of people here in town. Finally, coastal ecology class focused on the importance of seagrass. Students went snorkeling to dig up seagrass and then analyzed it for crustaceans, bivalves, and gastropods. This is helpful in knowing the roll that seagrass plays in supporting the abundant life, including sea turtles, in the area. Overall, a busy week full of basketball games, Mexican cultural events, and of course, lots of information and food for the students to digest.
Dr. Rebekka Goodman, Lecturer in Economic Issues in Sustainable Development

Student Reflections
Last week we traveled to a fresh water oasis called La Purisima. The three-hour drive to get there was long, but in the end, well worth it. The group was able to do a small hike down to the water, where we had class on the boulders overlooking the glassy water. Several of the students mentioned that it looked like something they would expect to see in a dinosaur movie due to its beauty and lack of human presence. After class, a few brave people went swimming in the pool. The water, while beautiful and clean was also very cold. Some however, chose to lie in the sun and read a good book or skip rocks over the serene pond. It was a great day and a wonderful backdrop for our lecture.
Shannon Curtez, California State University/Sacramento

Halloween came out of nowhere this year, mostly because people here do not celebrate Halloween the way that we do in the States, and because the weather was still so warm that it just didn't feel like Halloween. But even here in Mexico, Halloween was not overlooked. Our awesome interns and staff put together a party not to be forgotten. Our museum was turned into the party places with both fake and real spider webs hanging, traditional Halloween food such as caramel apples and lots of candy, and even an area for bobbing for apples. As students and staff came out of their cabins dressed up, everyone was amazed by the costumes; we had a cheerleader, a scarecrow, a sea turtle, a zombie, a mermaid, the by-catch angel of death, angels, gypsies, and much more. As pictures were being taken, the dancing and laughing began. Some students announced that they had a skit they would like to show the group. In honor of our favorite ecology professor, students captured the sea turtle and preformed the turtle measurement procedure. With the cheerleader's help, the sea turtle was released back into the party and the fun continued. This Halloween proved to be one of the best for many people and will not be forgotten anytime soon.
Ashley Reynolds, University of Montana

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