What direction of the leadership compass are you?

After a first daunting, confusing, amazingly overwhelming, and pleasantly surprising first day, our second full day with the Ecuador program arrived with an almost unexpected ease. We've now known each other for roughly forty-eight hours and already we've almost completely lost that signature awkwardness and timidity that surrounds most strangers. Today, we learned who leads, who invents, who nurtures, and who plans as we were led by a speaker from DePauw. We ran and jumped and fought the wind in a head-to-head battle of ultimate frisbee. We simultaneously realized we all LOVE Sandro Barros. We attempted and succeeded in leading each other, blindfolded, through an obstacle course in Leis Hall and took baby steps in order to avoid cups in the obstacle course in Montgomery Hall. We stumbled over beds, climbed under chairs, and even ran into doors (I'll admit to that one!). Overall, we learned that we're learning to trust each other, and that we're all here to help each other. I can tell you first-hand.. it's an amazing feeling. ¡Qué chevre! 

-Kenzie Weeks

Here it is... Day one!

Alright, time for the first blog posts! I take it I am writing to a bunch of anxious parents, worried for their little blossom's lives. Well so far everyone is alive... physically. But mentally and spiritually everyone is striving as well! I am taken back on how much my peers love to speak in Spanish. Everyone seems to be excited to talk in a different language as well as be in a new surroundings. Last night, everyone signed away their right to speak English. Everyone has really bought into the system and we are all simutaneously learning mucho. Today was (for almost everyone, I assume) the first day of nothing but Spanish. It was the longest duration of Spanish speaking in my life. I had fun, but my mind is still getting used to thinking in a new language. On top of complete immersion, we played a game of soccer and had our first Spanish class. It should only get better from here.

-Paul Fesenmeier

Tip of the Day

"Always be aware of time; especially when or if you're allowed to be in

groups on your own."

-Nadya Reusche

Ecuador '08

Tip of the Day

"Tell everyone to take advantage of every opportunity that is offered to them. This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can learn a lot, make a ton of good friends, and see and do things you may never get the opportunity to do again. 

Also, I wish I knew that although speaking Spanish for five weeks is a challenge, I knew more than I thought I did. And it's really not that bad to take chances and make mistakes. In fact, that's the way you learn a lot of the things you wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn otherwise."

-Katherine Janowski

Ecuador '08

Tip of the Day

" If you're thinking of not doing something, do it."

-Sam Holley-Kline

Ecuador '08

Meet another student leader!

Name: Jon Funston

Major: Religion, Spanish Minor

Graduation Year: 2009

College Activities: Two-year soccer captain, College Mentors for Kids, Founder/ President of Best Buddies at Wabash

Countries Visited: Spain, Ecuador, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Montenegro, Serbia, and Germany

What you are looking forward to most for the Ecuador 2009 program: I am looking forward to helping kids make the transition into college and share with them the country and culture that I have learned to appreciate and love.  

Answer about shorts in Ecuador

We've been getting a lot of questions asking about why on the packing list does it say that shorts are not appropriate for women in Ecuador. I thought I would make a post so that everyone can read the answer.

In Ecuador, people don’t really wear shorts. Even if people are going to work on a farm, they wear a button up shirt and pants. Women especially don’t wear shorts. We tell you to not bring shorts because when we are in Ecuador and we don’t want to call attention to ourselves as Americans. However, I bring a few pairs of gym shorts and like one pair of regular shorts. To be honest, you really won’t get the chance to wear them. It is cool during the day in Quito and real cold during the night so jeans are the way to go. In the other places we are going, you’ll find yourself wanting to wear pants there too because it stays cold, especially at night.

Tip of the Day

"Accept and embrace your discomforts. I did not have toilet paper. I ran out of Germ-X. I lost my suitcase in the airport. None of this mattered in the end! You are in Ecuador to learn from these people, listen to their stories, take in the atmosphere, and dance heart out with future college friends, the bus driver, even strangers! It is such a waste to dwell on petty American discomforts. I challenge you to be uncomfortable! This trip will become what you make of it. Live it up, my friends!"

-Jenna Buehler

Ecuador '08

Meet your next leader

Name: Emma Minx

Major: Kinesiology, Spanish Minor

College Activities: Panhellenic Director of Philanthropy and Service, Vice President of Kinesiology Club, Bonner Scholar, Softball

Countries Visited: Costa Rica, Ecuador

What I'm most looking forward to for the Ecuador 2009 program: Showing the new students how awesome DePauw is and exposing them to the opportunities DePauw has to offer. Oh, and having the best tribe ever, woo woo!

Tip of the Day

"One thing I would recommend is to bring more warm clothes! I only brought one jacket and one sweatshirt. I really wish I would have brought more. Oh, and definitely bring a water bottle to use." 

-Kelly Weber

Ecuador '08

Tip of the Day

"Tell everyone to really take advantage of the whole Spanish Immersion aspect of the program. In those five weeks of the program, my fluidity in speaking Spanish improved ten-fold. "

-Phil Pascua

Ecuador '08

Meet your first student leader!

Name: Carolyn Latta

Major: Undeclared, possibly history

Graduation Year: 2012

College Activities: Honor Scholar, WGRE, The Cauldron

Countries Visited: Countries in Asia and Europe, Australia, Mexico, Canada, Ecuador

What are looking forward to for the 2009 Ecuador program: Spending time with and getting to know 21 new awesome DePauw students.

Welcome!

We are in the third year of the DePauw in Ecuador program. We are looking forward to another great year! Throughout the course of the program, you may use this blog to follow the progress of the program. In the next few weeks, you will be able to read blog posts featuring the biographies of each student leader and even some tips from past participants. Please continue to check your emails and send us any questions you have. See you all soon!