Spring Break
Peace Corps members share experiences
Geoff Rands
Issue date: 10/30/06 Section: News
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A group of nearly 20 faculty, students and non-students met at the Alumni House Saturday night over a potluck of dishes to hear first-hand accounts from members of the Peace Corps regarding their experiences in the field.
Speakers spent time in Albania, Kyrgyzstan and Zambia and regaled attendees with stories of gender roles, rural/urban divide and the position of minorities in these countries.
The presentations, though scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., did not commence until nearly 7:30 p.m., with speakers and attendees mingling over food and drinks with laughter and polite conversation while stragglers wandered in.
The dishes brought by guests to the free event included pastas and pumpkin pie, with beverages from Diet Coke to Chardonnay provided by the co-chairs of the Cultural Diversity Cadre, Guada Cabedo-Timmons and Maria L. Kuthy.
The CDC hosts these potlucks "to get students, faculty and staff together with some kind of theme regarding cultural diversity," said Cabedo-Timmons.
"We always want to cover issues of national and international importance," added Kuthy, "though sometimes the national side isn't there."
"It's nice to get a perspective on parts of the world I don't know a lot about," said Abby Kashiyama, senior social work major.
David Weaver, graduate student in the economics program, spoke of his time in Albania, calling the residents there "the warmest people with one of the most corrupt governments."
He said that the Albanian government at one time advised its people to put all their money into a now-defunct pyramid scheme. The Albanian economy suffered a great deal, and in order to survive, massive deforestation began with timber being sold to keep the country going.
A photo of an elderly woman who had been through five styles of government in Albania was shown, highlighting the political instability in the country and associated economic problems.
Weaver also briefly spoke of the existence of human trafficking in Albania, a point which the other presenters seemed aware of in their own countries of service.
Speakers spent time in Albania, Kyrgyzstan and Zambia and regaled attendees with stories of gender roles, rural/urban divide and the position of minorities in these countries.
The presentations, though scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., did not commence until nearly 7:30 p.m., with speakers and attendees mingling over food and drinks with laughter and polite conversation while stragglers wandered in.
The dishes brought by guests to the free event included pastas and pumpkin pie, with beverages from Diet Coke to Chardonnay provided by the co-chairs of the Cultural Diversity Cadre, Guada Cabedo-Timmons and Maria L. Kuthy.
The CDC hosts these potlucks "to get students, faculty and staff together with some kind of theme regarding cultural diversity," said Cabedo-Timmons.
"We always want to cover issues of national and international importance," added Kuthy, "though sometimes the national side isn't there."
"It's nice to get a perspective on parts of the world I don't know a lot about," said Abby Kashiyama, senior social work major.
David Weaver, graduate student in the economics program, spoke of his time in Albania, calling the residents there "the warmest people with one of the most corrupt governments."
He said that the Albanian government at one time advised its people to put all their money into a now-defunct pyramid scheme. The Albanian economy suffered a great deal, and in order to survive, massive deforestation began with timber being sold to keep the country going.
A photo of an elderly woman who had been through five styles of government in Albania was shown, highlighting the political instability in the country and associated economic problems.
Weaver also briefly spoke of the existence of human trafficking in Albania, a point which the other presenters seemed aware of in their own countries of service.
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