Sally Rountree is an official CAPA blogger for summer 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Sociology major and Public Health minor at Simmons College, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires on a custom program this semester.

In this week's post, Sally tells us what she learned in her first class, and how she observes the city because of it.

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When I first walked into Universidad Austral in Buenos Aires I was amazed that I would be taking classes in such a beautiful building. As soon as you walk in there is a large round entrance way with gold trimmings around multiple paintings. The ceiling is a large dome that doesn’t look like it belongs in a school. Even though I have been here for a whole week I still stop to look at the entranceway every time I walk in. I am studying public health, so classes involve a lot of discussions about culture, economics, politics, history, and health structures. Our very first class at CAPA started off with a guest lecturer who spent three hours talking about Argentina’s history. The class was riveting and I took six pages of handwritten notes.

Argentina has a rather tumultuous history, with a series of dictatorships and military coupes. Europeans, especially from Spain and Italy, migrated to Argentina in huge numbers, especially in the 1800s. There was a large movement to eradicate indigenous populations, whether it be through absorbing them into European culture or killing them. While this history sounds very violent, it is extremely comparable to colonization of the United States. Native Americans were also eradicated and forced to assimilate or move. European conquest is a common history in the Americas. However, unlike some other Latin countries, there is very little sign of the indigenous population in Argentina.

Niah Humphrey is an official CAPA vlogger for spring 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A communication major with a minor in Spanish at Auburn University, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires this semester.

In this week's post, Niah heads home after her semester abroad, and shares with us how she's changed.

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Thanks, Niah!

Niah's journey continues every Thursday so stay tuned.

Elizabeth Withers is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A double major in English literature and history & philosophy of science at the University of Pittsburgh, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires this semester.

In this week's post, Elizabeth talks about how packing her bags to head home is a bit different than packing for her arrival in Buenos Aires.

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This was my last week in Buenos Aires, and although I’m excited to go home, I’m starting to miss just about everything about this city already.  Walking through the verdant plazas and winding, narrow, art-filled calles, I’ve had some time to reflect on what I’ve learned from my four months here in this enormous, dynamic, lively city.  Some of this is a little hard to put into words; it’s not always easy to realize the gradual changes that come with learning about new places, cultures, people, ideas, attitudes, and ways of living.  That said, I’m going to try, with this post, to take you once again through my packing process.  This time, though, I’ll be taking a lot more with me than clothes and toiletries and books, and leaving behind some things, too.

Photo: one of my favorite landmarks in Buenos Aires, Floralis Generica by the artist Eduardo Catalano.  This giant steel flower blooms everyday with the rising and setting sun.

Sally Rountree is an official CAPA blogger for summer 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Sociology major and Public Health minor at Simmons College, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires on a custom program this semester.

In this week's post, Sally tells us about a particular chance encounter after her arrival that reminded her of home.

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Yesterday morning, we landed in Argentina after thirteen hours of being in the air and made our way to the city of Buenos Aires. I already love this experience. These past 30 hours have been filled with confusion, surprise, amazement, and laughter. I feel like I have been with this group of students for far more than two days. I can tell time here is going to pass quickly.

So far we’ve spent most of our time walking around the city exploring and taking tours. On our various excursions, we’ve met several locals. The first local we talked to who wasn’t related to the program we are studying through here talked to us in a small convenience store. She was really sweet and was able to speak in English, which was good because I unfortunately do not speak Spanish. She was very willing to talk to us and let us ask questions about her home country.

Niah Humphrey is an official CAPA vlogger for spring 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A communication major with a minor in Spanish at Auburn University, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires this semester.

In this week's post, Niah shows us scenes from the farewell dinner and tells us what she's learned through her experience.

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Thanks, Niah!

Niah's journey continues every Thursday so stay tuned.

Elizabeth Withers is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A double major in English literature and history & philosophy of science at the University of Pittsburgh, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires this semester.

In this week's post, Elizabeth interviews her roommate, Alejandra, discussing various cultures and art.

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During my stay in Buenos Aires I’ve met students, travelers, and expatriates from all over the world.  Coming from Pittsburgh, a fairly small, provincial city, I’ve been amazed by this city’s diverse, cosmopolitan population. Walking down the Av. 9th of July or sitting in a cafe I’ve heard people speaking French, English, German, Russian, Mandarin, and much more. Attending an international school like Austral has opened my eyes to new perspectives, and has taught me a little about how the US differs from and is perceived by other parts of the world.

Photo:  Alejandra in front of her University, holding El Salvador’s flag.

In my homestay, I’ve been lucky enough to meet many travelers and students who stayed with my host. As of the past few months, my roommate Alejandra and I have been the only boarders, and we’ve had a great time going out dancing, studying (okay, maybe not a "great time" studying), and watching netflix at home. So without further introduction, meet Alejandra! (A little more about her- Alejandra is 21 years old and is from El Salvador).

Sally Rountree is an official CAPA blogger for summer 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Sociology major and Public Health minor at Simmons College, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires on a custom program this semester.

In her first post, Sally tells us about getting accepted to her program and what she's most looking forward to in Buenos Aires.

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Before I came to college it was my dream to study abroad. I imagined myself spending a semester in Paris walking down cobblestone streets and buying fresh made bread every morning in the bakery. I imagined becoming fluent in French and returning in the years to come. I imagined walking down the streets of London or Cardiff and going to the theater. Traveling abroad was one of my ultimate goals during college, and I picked a school that I thought would help me accomplish that goal. Originally, I went to Ithaca College, but I transferred to Simmons at the beginning of my junior year – this year. Since I was transferring I figured my chances of studying abroad were lost.

Then, during orientation, we were encouraged to go around to all of the offices on campus and learn about their programs. I went to the study abroad office and stayed there for a while, looking at what they offered. After talking to Joseph Stanley, the director, I realized that Simmons offered summer study abroad options. If I found something I liked, it would still be possible for me to study abroad and finish all the necessary credits to graduate on time!

Niah Humphrey is an official CAPA vlogger for spring 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A communication major with a minor in Spanish at Auburn University, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires this semester.

In this week's post, Niah gives us a lesson in fashion before giving back to the local community.

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Thanks, Niah!

Niah's journey continues every Thursday so stay tuned.

Elizabeth Withers is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A double major in English literature and history & philosophy of science at the University of Pittsburgh, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires this semester.

In this week's post, Elizabeth interviews professor Erwin Luchtenberg, who teaches a class about ways to conduct sociological research.

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This week I interviewed Erwin Luchtenberg, one of my favorite professors here at Austral University in Buenos Aires.  The interview is below, but I’ll first give some background information about the University and the nature of the course Erwin teaches together with Paola Salgado.

The course is called Qualitative and Quantitative Social Research Methodology, and it provides an overview of the different ways of thinking about and conducting sociological research.  The class has been really informative, and also one of the most fun classes I’ve ever taken!  Our coursework involves a research project about tango, and so Erwin and Paola have taken students on trips to Milongas for fieldwork.

Photo: here's one of the Milonga's we attended as a part of my sociology class.  It was in a community center far away from the downtown are where I live, and it was nice to see one of the city's quieter, less bustling neighborhoods. 

Austral University is a private university, with a large main campus in Pilar, 45 minutes outside of Buenos Aires.  I attend a small branch campus in the city center, where many classes are taught in English, and most of the students are international.  With that said, below is a condensed version of my interview with Erwin. 

Niah Humphrey is an official CAPA vlogger for spring 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A communication major with a minor in Spanish at Auburn University, she is studying abroad in Buenos Aires this semester.

In this week's post, Niah Humphrey takes a trip to the impressive Iguazu Falls, Paraguay, and Brazil.

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Thanks, Niah!

Niah's journey continues every Thursday so stay tuned.