Topic for the Semester

Dana and me are particularly interested in posting about the political situation in Latin America, which is so hot right now given the ammount of emerging progressive-leftist governments. The main issue here is how some of those governments are somewhere beyond simple progressive countries and are somewhat socialist (some countries even appear to be somewhere beyon socialism). A clear example of this is the role Venezuela and his spokesman/president Hugo Chavez. How does this affect International Relations?
Just some days ago Hugo Chavez called for the union of some Caribean countries ( Venezuela included) to become a block anti U.S. How does this affect International Relations? I’ll let it speak for itself!

Not to get caught up only with what Chavez says about “Mr. Danger” (as he calls President Bush) I also want to clarify that Venezuela’s brief example was no more than that, and example . This semester we will not only try to keep you updated and informed about the situation in Latin America if not that we will try, after an objective presentation of the situation, to convey our personal opinions, both from my Latin American and Dana’s North American perspectives, as I.R. students.

Blog Topic

The topic that we will be focusing on throughout the semester will be the current political situation in Latin America considering the recent emergence of progressive and leftist governments.

I affect International Relations…everyday

When I watch TV, drive my car, accidentally leave the lights on in my room, fail to recycle, drink non fair trade coffee, and buy clothes not made in the United States, I am affecting International Relations. The seemingly normal everyday actions I take affect people across the globe. How you ask? Well the answer to that is simple. The world is increasingly becoming a globalized market. My t-shirts and ipod were made in China, some of the video games I play were designed and produced in Japan, some of the what should be out of season fruits and vegetables I eat are shipped in from South American countries. By driving my car everyday I am literally fueling international competition over oil and am part of the cause of gas prices going up because of the laws of supply and demand. In this simple action I am also doing my part to increase greenhouse gas emissions and deplete natural resources so that I can drive to Ukrops which is less than a mile away. My actions have reprecussions on a global scale and contribute to international policy and problems.

International relations also affect me everyday as well. Because of a group of terrorists and a few militant extremist dictators and political groups halfway across the world, I have a relation who was shipped to Iraq to help fight the war to supposedly make this world a better place. On a lighter note, the internet, which I am on for a good part of each day, allows me to listen to the latest rock bands out of Russia, or talk to my friends that are studying in different countries. In a way, I am part of a virtual global community because of the internet and I am relating to my peers in different areas of the world. When drought, famine or disease occurs in parts of the world I am also affected. Certain products that may have been readily and cheaply available previously would then become more pricey or less readily available.

Although I may feel that I am insignificant on a global scale most of the time, when I think about it, I realize I have a big role in international relations and vice versa.

honestly! think about how many cups of coffee college students go through everyday

Red Cross Nordic United World College

In April of 2004 when I was in my last year of high school I came across an organization like no other I had heard of before. United World Colleges is a group of several colleges around the globe with a particular perspective and mission statement. The different campuses were located in more than ten different countries: Canada, USA, Venezuela, Wales, Norway, Italy, Swaziland, India, Hong Kong, and Singapur. As I became more interested in them I contacted the Uruguayan “UWC” National Comitee and applied for a scholarship. After a selection process I was told I had a spot in the UWC in Norway, which was the one I had picked as my first choice. My family and I couldn’t believe the opportunity I had received. Obviously excited, I ventured on and found out that what was waiting in Norway for me was way beyond any of my expectations. For a start, I can say that in my first year, out of two, I had four roomates from the most varied backgrounds; such us: Kazakhstan, Bosnia, India, and Sierra Leone. Sharing the room with them permited me to get to know them pretty well and get an insight to their lives. If the whole school is to be considered diversity would be the first word to appear in my mind; over 200 staff and students from more than 90 different countries.
I was seventeen years old when I started in RCNUWC. It was not an easy task to leave everything behind but the riches of the novelty more than compensated for the absence of what was left behind.
Definitely, it was the inflection point that determined a before and an after. Without it I would have missed the greatest experiences. Because of it, I am here.

Choosing Russian

A month or so before I entered my first year at University of Richmond I was told to pick the courses that I would take in my first semester. Doesn’t sound very significant, right? At the time it didn’t seem very significant to me either. However, looking back I can honestly say that it is at this moment that I can divide my life into two halves: the pre-significant and the post-significant. Why? Because it is at this moment where I decided to take Russian Language 101. Previously, I had never really given thought to learning the Russian language. But, because I enrolled myself in this course I found my true passion for Russian and Slavic language and culture. All I can say is thank you Richmond for having a language requirement for graduation.

In the first few weeks of classes, Russian easily became my favorite subject. I had previously always been a fan of languages but never before have I been so enthralled in the culture, politics, and background that came along with the languages I studied. My totally random decision to take Russian helped me a lot in a very significant period of self evaluation and discovery, also known as choosing a major. In my period of pre-significance, before that fateful day I enrolled in classes, I, like many other freshmen in college, had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, or even what I wanted to study. Now, in my self-proclaimed era of post-significance I know my passion and my life is mapped out as far as it needs to be for the time being. Choosing Russian led me to obtain a confidence in my choice of double major: International Studies with a concentration in Modern Europe and Russian studies. For the first time, I am interested in every course I am taking. If I hadn’t made the random decision to take Russian, I never would have thought to study abroad in Russia, like I plan to do over the summer and then again in Fall 08. I believe every little decision I make has the ability to guide the direction my life is going in. If I hadn’t chose Russian, my life would have taken a far different course, and for that reason, choosing Russian is my moment of significance.

-dana geraghty

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