Ecosurf trip

"We all come from the sea, but we are not all of the sea. Those of us who are, we children of the tides, must return to it again and again, until the day we don't come back leaving only that which was touched along the way."

-Chasing Mavericks

As cheesy as the previous quote may seem I continue to find it true, there must be a biological factor that makes the ocean so incredibly attractive despite its many dangers. That's probably the reason why I returned to the ecosurf trip (I went for the first time on sophomore year), and even though it was the same trip with the same guides, the experience was different. I returned with a much more serious vision of surf. The first time I was there to have fun with my friends but this time I decided to really put an effort into the sport, and it payed off. I definitely improved my skills and even won the surf competition at the end of the trip. 

Although, the most important thing I learned is the importance of taking a break. Despite the fact that half of the trip I was in physical pain (be it muscular pain, sunburns or bruises), I was relaxed the whole time; I didn't mind getting up at 8 in the morning, I would've woken up earlier if it had been necessary. There was no stress, my only worry was not falling of the board and trying to avoid waves crashing on me. Senior year is a stressful year, there's college applications, IB exams, and in general loads of life-changing decisions to be made. This trip helped me come back with a refreshed outlook and renewed priorities. Sure, getting into a good college is still important to me, but I realize that I want to have a good time while doing it. I plan to continue surfing and hopefully continue to improve, I'm glad to have found a sport that allows me to stray from my day to day routine and have some time off to relax. 

What it means to be "latin"

Growing up, ethnicity was never something I thought about, at least not my own ethnicity. I knew that some people where white and some people were black, and most people fell within a range. This didn't really matter though, spending all my life in an international school made me look past skin color or even accents, I became a third culture kid despite the fact I've spent my whole life in the country I was born in. The first time I was confronted with my own ethnicity was during a standardized test; I had to fill in a bubble according to which group I belonged to, as if being born in the southern hemisphere could somehow lower my abilities. Until then, I had never considered myself a "Latina," I was just a person. I didn't identify with the mental image I had of latin people. That was when I realized that my own ethnicity had been so stereotyped I could no longer see myself in it.
I am not mexican, I have never been to Mexico, and having tacos to me is as foreign as having sushi. I have lived a privileged life; I go to an expensive private school, I traveled to Europe on my fifteenth birthday and have an apple computer. Honestly, I identify much more with a rich white kid than I do with the typical latin woman stereotype. I am no where near close to the characters J Lo represents in her movies, I am not a struggling tan skinned woman who happens to meet a wealthy white man who will introduce me to a world of luxury, I do not suddenly switch to spanish rants when I get angry; I'm just as capable of being mad in english.

It's true that my life is very different from that of the majority, there is devastating poverty all over the continent and I am blessed to have been given so many opportunities, but ethnicity has become a matter of economic status rather than the color of my skin or even the culture I belong to. I take pride of my roots, of the mapuches who fought against the spaniards and then the mestizos who fought for their independence. All of them have shaped the way I see myself and the lens through which I view the world, but this runs far deeper than what is shown in TV. In that sense I suppose I do consider myself a latin woman, but the word has lost its original meaning and become the image of a victimized culture, the image of poverty and illegal immigrants. I am not a victim, like media tends to represent me, I am strong and independent despite the fact my country and continent have often been abused by others. I am resilient, and this is the Latin America I identify with.

Biodiversity in Punta de Choros

Chile's national reserve "Pingüino de Humboldt" is composed of three islands located in the regions of Atacama and Coquimbo: Isla Chañaral, Isla Choros, and Isla Dama. From the aforementioned, only Isla Damas is open for tourists to explore, and only with a restricted set of rules. This reserve is the home to approximately 80% of the world's Humboldt penguin population, along with other species such as the bottle-nosed dolphin, sea lions, and the occasional whale, or "cachalote". In other words, Punta de Choros is a national treasure when it comes to biodiversity. This is were I will be traveling for week without walls.
The ecosurf trip goes beyond teaching the basics of surfing, it allows us to learn about the environment while actually exploring it, rather than sitting in a classroom and having someone show pictures in a powerpoint. Aside from this, the trip also has a cultural focus, since we will also be sharing with the local people. Punta de Choros definitely presents a completely different reality than the one at school. Being able to share with the few people living in the town will surely be a humbling experience and a an opportunity to give something back to society.

Publicity and Revolution

A revolution by definition is a violent political and social change, often times accompanied by propaganda in order to incite the people to join the cause. Because of its inherent social qualities, it makes sense that nowadays, in the era of information, social media is used to promote revolutionary ideals. This was true both in the case of the student movement in Chile and ISIS in the middle east, as extreme as both examples may seem.

Two years ago, in the New York Times, an article talking about Camila Vallejo (the leader of the mobilization in Chile) was published, highlighting mostly how good-looking she is and even calling her  "the world's most glamorous revolutionary." As indignant as it may seem that a intelligent woman is once again reduced to her appearance, it is true that her good looks have helped Camila popularize the student mobilization. Her charisma, green eyes, and characteristic nose ring managed to awaken an entire country's revolutionary feelings, not only with regards to education, but also in other pressing matters such as Hydroaysén, a hydroelectric plant that was supposed to be installed in the south of Chile.
Social media was crucial when spreading the image of the young revolutionary, marches and "cacerolazos" were organized through Facebook, her opinion along with that of hundreds of others were spread through platforms like twitter, until there was no one in Chile who could say they hadn't heard about a girl named Camila Vallejo.
Even though in comparison to ISIS these protests were pacific, the presence of violence particularly towards the end of the marches was undeniable. Fourteen year-olds where gassed with tear gas and arrested, often just because they didn't leave before the "encapuchados" came out and started causing havoc.
Meanwhile, in the Middle East, jihadists from ISIS are also taking advantage of the widespread of social media. So far, four journalists have been murdered on tape. Anyone  with an internet connection can search ISIS on google, and a beheading is sure to be one of the first thing to show up. The way the Islamic State has managed its public affairs and spread their message is the proof that no publicity is bad publicity. And this negative public image is not all of it.
Vice news, in their documentary about the Islamic State, walk around the Syrian border with a sort of "public manager" who was in charge of handling the external image that is given of the IS. This appearance is the one that attracts new members, especially young children, nine year olds who vow to kill infidels and establish a muslim caliphate because they have been brainwashed by an incessant flow of media supporting those ideals.
Clearly the student mobilization has made a much more positive use of social media in order to spread their ideals, but there is no doubt that in both revolutions this form of communication has had a decisive role in the successful diffusion of revolutionary ideals.

Reflection: Obama's speech referring to ISIS

Previously I wrote about the United States’ obligation to intervene in the matters of the Middle East, seeing as they had direct involvement in the creation of these terrorists groups. President Obama, in his speech, has declared war on the Islamic State (which apparently is neither Islamic or a state), and has done this with the alleged support of the Iraqi government. This point, at least, coincides with what to me appeared to be one of the most important factors to be considered: that the countries where ISIS is actually spreading have an active participation when it comes to planning and deciding on when it's appropriate to use airstrikes. This is the case in Iraq, but the US' relationship with Syria is drastically different. 

This is what stood out to me the most. Obama's words make sense, why give weaponry to a government you do not trust? It is logical that the US government would refuse to work with Assad's regime, but financing the opposition while at the same time trying to tackle a terrorist group that's quickly spreading makes the chore even harder, not to add slightly reminiscent of the latin american dictatorships. Clearly there is no easy way to deal with ISIS, particularly in Syria, and it would appear that the government of the United States has chosen to tackle to problematic situations at the same time rather than choosing to ally with the lesser of two evils. 
Obama explicitly says that he will not hesitate to take action in Syria, but any attack should be considered carefully and in depth, since bombing Syrian land without their consent could mean creating new enemies for the United States. Unmeasured violence can only lead to more violence, which is why those involved in the conflicts of the Middle East should perhaps consider looking past their country's personal interests and think about what is best for everyone.

Responsibilities of having children

Children, whenever there seems to be trouble, turn to their parents for help. A hug from Mommy can scare away any nightmares, can assure hat everything will be alright and nothing is really worth worrying. Although, this need for safety burdens the parents, it is up to them to protect their child, to answer questions they might not always have an answer for, but above all stay calm, because when a problem is big enough to worry Daddy, things are really going wrong. This is presented in "Incarnations of Burned Children" by David Foster Wallace. A toddler is accidentally burned with boiling water and the Daddy moves around frantically trying to help its child while the Mommy is useless and only manages to pray. In the end it is unsure whether the baby dies or not, but one thing is clear, the parents failed their most important chore: assuring their child's wellbeing. It's not that they were completely reckless parents, it was a mere distraction, a few seconds looking away. The real responsibility comes in after the accident, when the Daddy have to be brave, ignore the screams and act efficiently, because Daddy's here and nothing truly bad can happen if he is, right? Regardless of how responsible Daddy could've been, sometimes things happen that just can't be handled or understood. This is why the Daddy would later be mad at himself for wanting to smoke a cigarette.
Perhaps his momentary distraction while trying to help his child is the only explanation he can offer for the death of his child, and having someone or something to blame makes dealing with the guilt easier.

"Hills Like White Elephants" written by Ernest Hemingway, presents another type of responsibility: choosing whether or not to bring a child into the world. The "American" and a girl sit at a train station in Spain, sipping on cold beer and awkwardly commenting the setting, the hills, according to the girl, look like white elephants. The American says that if she simply goes through with the operation, things will go back to the way they were before, they would be happy and unworried, they would have no responsibilities. The girl, though, is unsure, choosing to abort a baby is a huge decision to make, not to be taken lightly. In a way, both characters present opposite poles, the American rushes the decision and takes the easy way out while the girl ponders on the idea a lot more, maybe the course to take is to assume responsibility for her actions and keep the child, despite the fact that the American argues that an abortion would be the wisest choice. Nevertheless, there seems to be a certain submissiveness in the girl that overpowers her sense of responsibility and it would appear that the final decision won't be made by her. Clearly there are other factors to be taken into consideration, judging by the relationship the characters have it's safe to assume that they are close, but probably not socially accepted and maybe even an affair, which would add a sense of social responsibility (what is proper) and explain why the American is so anxious to have the operation done.

Both stories present two types of responsibility, in the first it's about taking care of a child and ensuring its safety, while in the second it's about deciding wether or not it is a good idea to have a child at all, taking into consideration all the economic and social implications. What's also interesting is the way women are portrayed in both stories. In both, women are shown as submissive and slightly less competent than their male counterparts, even though they share the same responsibilities. Parenthood is a complex matter, starting from the moment the baby is conceived to actually taking care of the child, and, in a way, these two stories show different kinds of responsibilities and conflicts that may appear through the different stages.

The Islamic State

The Islamic State is a Muslim extremist group that has rapidly spread through Iraq and Syria taking over a series of cities and imposing a law system called Sharia, characterized by its violent and somewhat archaic punishments. This, for obvious reasons, has raised international alarm because of ISIS' extremist views and violent ways. It is a highly complex problem, with varied causes such as religion, politics, and others. The countries fighting this attempt to re-establish a muslim caliphate are far from having a stable government and are already busy struggling with other internal quarrels. What should be done if those under attack do not have the means to defend themselves properly? It seems logical that someone needs to help.
The United States have had a history of getting involved in foreign politics, there was the dictatorships set up in Latin America, and more recently another series of interventions in the Middle East. Of course these interventions have also caused a whole new series of problems, one of which is the rise and spread of the Islamic State (Brumfield, Ben). For this reason, as reluctant as everyone is to see the US once again meddling in external affairs, it is their responsibility to at the very least help eliminate the threat that ISIS represents.
Of course, this help doesn't have to (and shouldn't be) carried out in the same way it has before. Syria has already warned Obama's government that any drone attacks performed without previous consent from Damascus will be taken as an aggression to the state, rather than directed to the jihadists (Lucas, Ryan). This exemplifies the attitude that the United States has adopted when dealing with potential threats to their own country, the attitude of an overprotective parent. While it is clear that governments in the middle east are currently undergoing a lot of conflict, it is not up to the US government to impose its views and practices on another country. After the cuban missile crisis in 1962, a series of democratically elected socialists governments in Latin America where thrown down (helped by the US) and replaced by dictatorships, which more often than not resulted in long years of suffering and fear for those living in said countries. Clearly this is not the way to follow in the Middle East. There is already enough suffering and it would only help the US' interests to continue this suffering but with a cooperating government.
Any kind of aid, coming from the United States or any other countries, should be coordinated beforehand with the countries being helped, even if these have opposing ideologies and a history of conflict, like in the case of Syria (Hearst, David). These differences can be dealt with later on, once the pressing problem (expansion of the Islamic State) is solved. It is unacceptable that any country launches any sort of military aid attack in another country without first communicating with the authorities of the land being bombed, even if the intention is to eradicate  an extremist group such as the Islamic State. 
It seems impossible at these moments to think of peace when journalists are being murdered on tape and nine year olds dream about killing "infidels" and establishing a caliphate all over the Middle East and possibly the world. Ideally, western countries, aside from contributing with military aid, will serve as guides for countries just coming out of decades of constant war. Hopefully, they will be more like an older sibling rather than an imposing father. In the end, the final goal is to help create functional governments, governments with religious tolerance, where minorities are respected and represented so that there is no need for extremist movements. History has proved that poor governments inevitably will lead to violence, and the only way to safeguard against the rise of new groups similar to the Islamic State is to have efficient authorities who work for the people, not for themselves.

Sources:
Brumfield, Ben. Why does the U.S. intervene militarily in Iraq but not in Syria?
Hearst, David. Islamic State: the monster Western intervention created
Lucas, Ryan. Syria warns Obama against intervention over Islamic State

"Primitive" tribes uncontacted in Brazil

Primitive: Anthropology. A person belonging to a nonindustrial, often tribal society, especially a society characterized by a low level of economic complexity.


According to the definition above, the previously uncontacted tribe found in the Amazon is, by all means, primitive. After all, it was a small tribe of hunters and gatherers and any agriculture present was probably not very developed. But the negative connotation of the word primitive is far from being the biggest issue. What do we do with these people? Protect them? Leave them on their own yet exposed to violent farmers who crave for their land?
Both in the documentary clips and in articles regarding the topic, it is mentioned that initial contact with modern society often results catastrophic for the native tribes, be it either because of new diseases or because the "white man" shot the whole tribe down. Obviously when hearing about half of a population dying from a cold a normal person's first though would be that they need some sort of protection. Yet this protection would mean continuing to isolate said tribes and take measures so that no one encounters them, similar to the way one would protect an endangered species. This to me raises another question, what is it that gives us our humanity? Could it be our level of development? Would this mean that these tribes are infrahuman?
These questions to me, as absurd as they may sound, are vital to deciding a course of action regarding these people. Protecting them the way you would protect an endangered species would at a first glimpse seem reasonable, allow them to continue living the way they do and enclose them in a circle where no one will bother them, something like zoo. Except after looking at it in more depth it seems wrong, as well as impossible to do this. Perhaps development has reached a point where it is unstoppable and farms and industry will continue to grow and inevitably reach this tribes and probably exterminate them through diseases and gunfire. Perhaps it is better for the first contact to be relatively pacific, be in good terms with these people, and prepare them for what's in their future.

Pitch Letter

Mr. Editor,

    A couple of months ago Santiago hosted for the first time ever the ODESUR games (Olympic games of the south), and I personally was fortunate enough to watch the swimming competition in the new aquatic center that was built in Estadio Nacional. For the first time in all of my life, and I say this as someone who has spent half of it swimming laps, I saw a pool filled to the brim with people cheering for their team, or at least the particularly famous member of the team. Even though, I was shocked by the ignorance of the people when it came to the sport, even in the news several mistakes were made by people who were supposedly well informed about it and were paid to share useful insight with those who maybe didn’t know as much.  

    This is the reason why I want to write this article, so that people learn about a sport other than football. At the same time, I want to show the hardships of the life of a high competition athlete, it is never easy to choose this path. I plan on showing this mostly through interviews with members of the new generation of chilean swimmers, those who are just beginning their journey into professional sports and can still hope for greatness, focusing particularly on the members in the national team for the past ODESUR and those who were forced to leave the country in search of better conditions. In the end, what I wish to do is to set an example through this particular sport and open the door for a more open and varied coverage of sports in Chile.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Josefina Sandoval

Mission Statement

Being a chilean athlete, it has always come to my attention the lack of coverage in sports other than soccer. Unless something truly extraordinary happens, it is almost as if other sports didn’t exist, and even then, it is only a few select athletes who are mentioned. You can ask anyone in the street about any football player and they probably know their whole life story, you can ask anyone in the street about any other sport and they might not even know it exists. Sure, soccer is the “popular” sport, all you really need is a ball, but this doesn’t mean other sports are not relevant. Choosing to devote one’s life to a sport is not an easy decision, it comes with many sacrifices, especially in a country like Chile, with little or no culture regarding the support that a high competition athlete needs, or even the importance of sports. This is why coverage is so important, unless people see all the efforts and all the tears that come together to win or even come close to an olympic medal, athletes will remain unsupported. If this doesn’t change, chilean sports will continue suffering from a vicious cycle, where athletes receive no support because there are no immediate results and apparently no one has enough insight to see that the rewards come at the long run.

Chile: Tierra de campeones

“You are not allowed to go out except for the weekends, and when you do you must return before eight, otherwise, your expulsion from the team will be considered.” This was one of the things told to the national swimming team by Daniel Garimaldi, the head coach, when they entered the CAR, which in english would stand for high performance center (Centro de alto rendimiento). At that moment, a group of approximately 15 swimmers, all of them under 18 years old, where entering a sort of voluntary prison where their only activity would be swimming. They were to stay there for four months in preparation for the ODESUR, most of them would not able to see their parents since a great percentage of them came from towns far from Santiago, and couldn’t make it back on time to the CAR.

    The basic routine went something like this: wake up at five in the morning, pull on a swimming suit, and jump into the pool for the next two hours. Afterwards, head to the gym for another hour, and once done with the morning workout head to the cafeteria to eat breakfast. At eleven there was “mental training” where they were taught how to focus properly in stressful situations, such as an important competition. Immediately after this, they would return to their rooms and sleep until lunchtime, eat something, and then go back to sleep. At five they woke up again and got into the pool for another two hours. At eight they had dinner and by nine everyone was in bed sleeping. This was repeated every day.

    One of the oldest members of the team is Benjamín Quintanilla. He is 17 years old and comes from Chillan, a small city approximately five hours away from Santiago. He began swimming only three years ago, which is a surprisingly short time when considering his many achievements. He is, literally, the best backstroke swimmer in Chile at the moment and holds various national records. Before swimming, he was involved in many other sports but because of an injury, he ended up in a pool and has never stopped since.

    Perhaps for him the four months with virtually no direct contact with his family were not as hard as they were in the case of other swimmers, he was probably already used to it. He has been living on his own since June 2013, and not in Santiago where he is only a bus ticket away from visiting his family and friends in Chillan. Benjamin left at the age of 16 to live in Brazil, more specifically in a city called Blumeanu, nearby Florianopolis. There he finished school and plans on going to university. Of course in a country like Brazil, where sports are attributed a much greater importance, it is easier to set high goals, such as continuing on his athletic career while at the same time earning a degree. There, swim teams work in a similar way to football teams; swimmers get paid for practicing the sport competitively. Aside from this, he receives a pension from the state to be used for feeding and a scholarship in the local university to study whichever career he chooses.

    The above are just a few examples of the advantages that practicing a sport at a high level in Brazil. In Chile, meanwhile, the benefits are next to none. Normal schools are not flexible enough to allow for the amount of training an athlete needs, so many are forced to either give up on their high aspirations or switch to a special school, where they get a diploma saying they finished school, but at the same time get a very low level of education. More often than not, students graduating these schools are not able to get into good universities. Even if an athlete manages to get into a good college, the workload and schedules are almost impossible to coordinate with training, and there are no monetary scholarships meaning that those with limited resources are forced to choose between continuing their education or chasing their dreams.   

    Marianne Sphur was also part of the ODESUR team, and like Benjamin, she is also one of the oldest and swims backstroke. She was 19 at the time of the games, which is still considerably young knowing that the average age of the competitors was 27. Despite being one of the best female swimmers in Chile, she was not integrated to the team by Daniel Garimaldi until the very last moment, the reason being she was “too old.” Even though, what is worthy of mentioning about her is not her athletic achievements, but rather her ability to cope with both swimming and university.

Mane, as her friends call her, studies psychology in Universidad Católica, one of the most prestigious and demanding universities in Chile. Most would’ve expected her to quit, or at the very least abandon competition and do sports as a hobby, but she didn’t. She is one of the few, perhaps the only one, who has managed to fully cope with all the responsibilities. Of course it hasn’t been easy. She, too, has to get up early in the morning, but after that she doesn’t get to sleep until lunchtime, she goes straight to classes. Her life, just like the lives of those inside the CAR, is filled with sacrifices, and many times these don’t even pay off as they should. Stress can really take a toll on people, and that’s what happened to Mane when the ODESUR finally arrived, her results were not at all what she expected. Even though, she says she is happy to have had the opportunity to participate, after all, in a country like Chile, reaching such an important level and being able to compete against olympic champions seems like an unreachable goal (for many it is).

Garimaldi’s evident favoritism when selecting swimmers for the national team ended up causing him to be removed from the coaching team once the ODESUR where over. After all, he did cause an immense money shortage and a widespread division between those who practice the sport. Add to this that a day before the beginning of the competition, he announced that four of the people who had been integrated to the team would not be participating anymore. Four teenagers who had spent the last four months locked inside the CAR in preparation for this specific competition would not be allowed to be part of it. This sparked up quite a controversy regarding the amount of power was to be given to the head coach. It was unacceptable for anyone to do this and get away with it. Eventually, the tension that arose between the FECHIDA (the chilean federation in charge of aquatic sports, basically, Garimaldi’s bosses) and Garimaldi led to him to lose his position as head coach. His future within the national sphere is uncertain, officially he is supposed to return to Cordoba, his native city, along with Chile’s star swimmer, Kristel Köbrich, to resume training. The rest of the team will probably remain here, with the exception of Benjamin and a few others who return to other countries in order to continue with the pursuit of their dreams. Some rumour that he will be founding a new club with all of his “favorites” in Santiago.
Swimming, much like other high level sports in the country, is far from being developed and organized, which is why people like Garimaldi can get away with an almost dictator-like attitude. There is barely any media coverage and even less funding available. For many, the final objective isn’t worth all the effort, which is why every year a great number of talented swimmer choose to abandon the sport. Perhaps if people got informed, a 17 year old just beginning his journey would not be criticized after losing to a 27 year old man who already has a collection of olympic medals and records. Perhaps, if information was available, people would know that being able to participate in the olympics is a huge achievement for an athlete with as little support as national athletes do. It is illogical and unfair for an entire community to leave their athletes aside and when a time comes for competition expect golden medals. It is this selfishness coming from the community that leads people like Benjamin to leave the country he grew up in. It is, in the end, a vicious circle, and unless serious changes are made, the country will continue to slowly spiral into a society where no one gives support yet everyone expects results.

La ciudad de los ríos

During my vacations I travelled through the south of Chile and Argentina, I discovered many new places but the one that stood out to me the most was Valdivia. Everything about this city attracted me.
It began with the german heritage, everything in the city had some sort of german influence, everything from houses to food. The architectural mix resulted in a beautiful city different from all the other places I visited and the fact that it was just beside the river gave it a special touch.
However, what enchanted me most about this city was its cultural factor. Valdivia is the home to Universidad Austral, which is the most renowned scientific university in Chile. Not only does Valdivia have a rich cultural heritage coming form germany, it is also the place where the biggest scientists from Chile and also the world come together to form an amazing scientific community.
Just as an example, beside the river there is a foucault pendulum which is used to prove the rotation of the earth. There was also the museum of contemporary art, which happened to be located in a former beer factory belonging to one of the first german immigrants to arrive.
I guess in the end what attracted me the most to this city was its enormous cultural blend how alive it seemed. Everywhere I went, something seemed to be happening, but it wasn't rushed like it is in Santiago, things just moved naturally at a fast pace. I could definitely picture myself living in a place like that.