AP HuGe Field Trip

 

We had a big week for Global Education.  The AP Human Geography class took a field trip around Milwaukee to view the religious landscape of southeast Wisconsin.  Along the trip we stopped at St. Josaphat Basilica to learn a little bit about the Catholic faith, Polish immigrant history in Wisconsin and how the building was a repurposed post office from Chicago that was purchased, torn apart and then built in Milwaukee as the Basilica.

  Our second stop was at the Congregation Shalom Synagogue in Fox Point.  The synagogue is a Reform Jewish Synagogue which was very interesting.  The building was beautiful, the artifacts were fascinating, and Rabbi Noah gave a great presentation on 3,000 years of history in about 20 minutes.  The students also loved this history of one of the Torah Scrolls they were shown which survived the Holocaust in Poland when it was hidden by a member of the Jewish community.  After the member was liberated from Auschwitz Death Camp by allied soldiers he found the Torah Scrolls and eventually they made their way to this Synagogue in Fox Point.  

We had a quick lunch at Cafe India Bar and Grill where many students had their first taste of Indian Food.  It was a hit with many positive comments and many students going up for a second or third plate of food.  

After lunch we visited the Masjid Al Noor Mosque in Brookfield.  The Mosque member and community volunteer who spoke with us did an excellent job.  Many of the students were able to push through the threat of a food coma after lunch and were very engaged as she spoke.  She related well with the students and was able to answer a wide range of questions about the Islamic Faith.  Before departure students were able to stop in to the Mosque worship space for a closer look and a few pictures.

Finally we stopped at the Haksa Buddhist Temple outside of Waukesha.  The Buddhist Temple is of the Theravada Buddhist tradition which is common in south east Asia in countries like Thailand and Laos.  Once again our presenter was able to relate a lot of the Buddhist concepts and beliefs to the students in a way that was easier for them to understand, and his humor was able to keep the kids attention during our visit.  

In the Time of Butterflies: Book Review

 Author Julia Alvarez has peeked my interest of history in the Dominican Republic ever since reading her book Before We Were Free.  After reading that novel I was intrigued and wanted to read her book In the Time of the Butterflies which I was finally able to do.  

When looking at the book list for Global Scholars, a title like In the Time of the Butterflies never got my interest, until I learned these "Butterflies" were not cute, fluttery insects, but the code name used for a group of women who helped plan a revolution and plot to assassinate the Dominican Republic's dictator, Raphael Trujillo.  Suddenly there was much more I wanted to know.

In the Time of the Butterflies is a historical fiction novel.  The main characters, the Mirabal sisters, are real historical figures in history.  However the experiences and dialogue in the book is Julia Alvarez's fictional imagination.  But the novel serves its purpose.  To tell the story of the Mirabal sisters to North American readers in a way that gets us interested in the history and experiences of people in the Dominican Republic.  The novel takes you through their childhood, years as revolutionary conspirators, time in prison and finally up to their murders, orchestrated by the government to try and silence their revolutionary influence.  In the Latin American world, the date of their murder, November 25th marks the International Day Against Violence Towards Women.

These books by Julia Alvarez are also interesting in consideration of her own experience.  Julia's family escaped from the Dominican Republic four months before the murder of the actual Mirabal sisters.  Her father was involved in revolutionary activities and after a group was arrested and interrogated he took his family to the United States for their safety.  This experience has seemed to impact Julia Alvarez by recognizing how lucky she may have been to escape to the United States, but also a feeling of guilt in regards to all of the people who did not leave the country.  In the Time of the Butterflies she tells the story of revolutionaries, and in Before We Were Free she tells the story of a girl who's father participated in revolutionary activities but did not flee for the United States, so she can predict what her life may have been like if they stayed.

     For students in the Global Scholars program who are interested in learning more about this story and the Dominican Republic, I would recommend this book for juniors and seniors.  If a Freshman or Sophomore is interested I would recommend Before We Were Free.  Before We Were Free is a faster read and easier to tackle.  It triggers an interest in the history just was much as In the Time of the Butterflies.  I recommend the age difference for readers because In the Time of the Butterflies, Alvarez spends more time talking about the Mirabal sister's lives growing up and the development of their relationships with the men that become their revolutionary husbands. I was not as interested in these relationships and it may not hold the interest of a younger reader.  However I enjoy the change in writing style throughout the book.  Each chapter is written from the perspective of a different sister, one of which is only through the lense of her journal that she wrote while growing up and while in prison, and the different views helped keep my interest in a 300+ page novel that could have otherwise gotten "long."

I encourage you to read one these novels by Julia Alvarez and leave your own comment in regards to how well you liked her books.