We often make assumptions about others. How could that be harmful?

By Valentina García (The World in English elective)

Making assumptions is something that we do on a daily basis because that is how our society and our life works. When you meet someone for the first time, when you see people fighting with each other, when you see someone cry or when you start to think about reasons why people are the way they are. In all of those scenarios we are making assumptions because we really do not know how the other person is feeling, or why are the acting or behaving that way, but we intend to give an explanation with whatever thoughts or ideas we have about that person.

The important thing about assumptions is that you do not stick to them because in that case, you will not be able to see how people really are. Sometimes we “marry” ourselves with that assumption or that single story, like Chimamanda Adichie explained on her Ted Talk of The Danger of a Single Story, and doing that is completely harmful because you are not only limiting yourself to discover new thing but also, you are identifying that person with just that version of yours that might or might not be true. In most of the cases, that single story is not the whole story of a person and we, as intelligent, reasonable and good human beings, should give ourselves the opportunity to get to know their whole story in order to have a most accurate opinion or point of view about a situation in particular.

So, how we stop making assumptions? Dr Marcia Sirota, a doctor who specializes in health and wellness, says that all we have to do is pause as we’re jumping to our conclusions and ask ourselves, “How do I know this?” If the answer to that question is anything other than “I learned it through observing the evidence or through obtaining factual information,” then we’re at risk of making an incorrect assumption. In that case we need to stop and do our “own fact-checking” before deciding that we know something, so we cannot be blind with some story that might not be true.

There are some basic questions we should ask ourselves, or some tips, as you want to take them:
- Stay open minded and put all your efforts in understanding the real story of other person.
- Try to find out as much as you can if you have some doubts or questions because if you do not ask, you will never know.
- And the most important one, try to learn new thing as much as you can because that is what keeps our lives going.

Led Zeppelin: one of the most important bands in history

By David Villalobos

“If the sun refused to shine I would still be loving you,” Led Zeppelin rain or shine is still on of the most iconic bands in rock music. They produced some of the most delightful lyrics of their genre, and brought to life a new sounds by mixing different genres. They composed songs of great length, filled with deep meaning, Jimmy Page, along with his fellow band members, John Bonham, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones founded the identity of the ‘magnificent rock band.’

I like being direct when I argue something, “cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.” Led Zeppelin is more than just a rock band: it had feelings. The band wisely took inspiration from the origins of rock and blues and mixed them with new sounds in order to make rock more progressive and fresh. Led Zeppelin combined roughly four different genres, folk, blues, hard rock and metal to make the sound that made them different in the music industry. 

It was mixing of sounds and genres that made Led Zeppelin so original, at the time when many other bands were famous and considered ‘the best,’ but nobody was doing what Zeppelin was doing. With his ability to reach extremely high notes and effortlessly create beautiful falls, Robert Plans was able to bring a special sound and quality to Zeppelin’s lyrics. Plant’s ability to tell a story in which every word, every noise that came out of his mouth was a story worth telling makes Led Zeppelin one of the legendary rock bands of all time.

 “There’s a feeling I get when I look to the west and my spirit is cryin’ for leaving”
These lyrics, from the song Stairway to Heaven are an example of the poetry and literary sophistication which not only gave Zeppelin fans, fame and fortune, but also gave them a a place in modern music that will never be forgotten.

Led Zeppelin is a band that revolutionised music forever. It introduced a new sounds and way of performing that is seen to this day, and will most likely be seen for many years to come. Their originality, creativity and innovation make them one of the most important bands in music history.

Pets as Therapy

By Danny Montañez (level 4 English)

The main objective of the contact among people and the animals is improving the emotional quality of the human being and at the same time,  increase the self-confidence in them, when the people have a pet, at the beginnig is right but it has lost the motivation when the pet becomes adult. Increasing the homeless animals  around our city, but some people do not know that they are used like a therapy have a dog reduced the heart attack, have a cat reduced the stress and anxiety,  more of them are used for the treatments of depressives or people with little interaction with others.

The main animals for human treatments are:
1. Dogs.
2. Cats.
3. Horses.
4. Dolphins.

The main word for this therapy is known as zooterapia where we can consider that people, especially children have more benefits because they perform activities, and games where they learn and change negative attitudes such as aggression, nervousness, anxiety. It strengthens communication, increases confidence and reduces fears.

The best benefits that our pets can provide scientifically proven are:
Greater Empathy, have a focus on what goes on around, Improve relationships with others, to accept others, to entertain, socialize, receive stimuli to the brain and enjoying physiological benefits.
If you have a cat or dog you will have a trustful friend, because they thank the pet food, your love, your cares, and tolerance, they pay those things with full loyalty.


This therapy allows us to strengthen the parts of our body like our arms, legs, exercise our memories, and above all we are going to feel companionship of a pleasant life partner, because it will always accompany you in every moment of your life. Being with our pets lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, increases sense of humor, reduces anxiety levels and diseases. It also avoids coronary affections and is very good for children in the early stages. It has been proven that just having a cat in a house enhances the health of people, relaxes them and removes depression. A cat serves to recover people in stroke cases, reduces anxiety in extensive treatments such as chemotherapy, prevents depression, makes people feel busy, allows children with hearing or speech problems.

Every day we see how there are more animals in this world, where we can take advantage of them to provide a home, love, because like us, they also need to take advantage of every resource that life has given us.

In conclusion, the animals besides being a companionship are those parts of our life that help us to improve our life. In this part is where we must take care of each one of them, because we see in the street many homeless dogs and cats, which we can provide food, a home, and so provide us with a mutual help to improve life and thus help people who you need it.

Music while studying: Good or bad?

By Stephania Apolinar (The World in English elective)

Nowadays people are very into music, especially since we have better technology and opportunities to access to all genres and singers. But when it comes to studying, there is a discussion of doing it with or without music. Some people say that is better to listen to music that you don’t like in order to be concentrated; others say that if you’re studying, you need to be 100% focused and music could interrupt concentration or make the learning tedious. While few insure that music is indifferent, and it doesn’t interrupt the learning process. So, in who should we believe?

An expert from Stanford University says that music with lyrics affects our memory when we are reading or writing.  However, the effects could be positive if we are doing mathematics because the brain needs to be more active to solve problems, and that could be a good point if you’re not that good in math or similar subjects. Besides, other studies say that background music is good for children between the ages of 10 to 12, as long as it is relaxing and calm because if the music is exciting or aggressive, it could cause bad behavior and bad academic performance.

As students, is very common not to find a quiet place to study or to read, so we see ourselves forced to put on headphones and listen to music, so we can aisle a little the noise, this is a good alternative, it is better to have music than a noisy environment. The answer to our question is not that hard, it depends on your skills, your personality, your capacity for concentration and the kind of subject or reading you’re doing.

Finally, I’ll give you some tips, in case that you like to study listening to music, first, change the kind of the music depending on the subject, if you need to be more active it will be better to listen to music that makes you want to move. Second, create a playlist with mute music, that will help you to concentrate and you won't sing or distract with the lyrics. And last but not least, is good to control the volume, in order to hear your own thoughts.

The Seven Sūtras of the Dīgha Nikāya

By: Gabriela Montiel Fuentes (undergraduate FIGRI student, the World in English elective)

Bogota can be considered as a stressful city even for those who were born here, the daily living is full of conflicts between citizens, both on public transport and in the streets, and there is not a single corner of the city that does not suffer from the evil of the intolerance and despair. Thinking about this I bought a book about Nirvana which speaks of the Buddhist peace and how to achieve the way of absolute peace even in the midst of daily conflict life of a city like this, here is what I learned about Buddhism and the importance of being in a superior essence.

Throughout his teaching Buddha developed varying degrees of meditation, which becomes the ideal way to achieve Nirvana, also understood as a State of lighting that gives the liberation of earthly and worldly ties that oppress man in the duality of body and soul. The stages that the man must be overcome if it wants to achieve this higher State of consciousness are, firstly, small moral discipline, i.e. overcome by the man of violence to their peers and other creatures that inhabit the world. Secondly, the median discipline morality, which consists of overcoming the frivolities and superficial distractions offered by the world like the drink, gambling, and other worldly pleasures. Finally, the great moral discipline which means that man must be beyond all banal religious superstition (Dragonetti & Tola, 2010).

The first stage of meditation is the detachment to the banalities of earthly as superstition, pain, disease, frivolity, war and violence. Then in the second phase of meditation man reaches the full unification of the mind through concentration to continue to the third stage of meditation which involves the disappearance of joy, understood as an attachment or conditioning, which allows man to live "indifferent, attentive and self-conscious". Finally, the man can reach the fourth phase of the meditation, i.e. the mind pure, accompanied by the abandonment of the happiness and suffering, which has reached completely intuitive knowledge that gives you access to nirvana.

For Buddha, any man can meet with these four stages of meditation and can achieve divinity, which is not unique to the gods, but they can be allowed to man through the discipline and the release of all physical and mental conditioning. Likewise, it is essential to stress the importance within the doctrine of the control of the senses, of the abandonment of obstacles, of satisfaction, mental and extraordinary powers; ear knowledge divine, of the thoughts of others, past existences, divine eye and the destruction of impurities (Dragonetti & Tola, 2010).

This current encourages the cultivation of virtues, focusing on discipline, knowledge, and benevolence; focusing on the individual in order to find the liberation of desire, through detachment and progressive meditation towards abstraction. Buddhist ethics is basically based on the principles of no damage and moderation, i.e. not repress or not cling to anything. Practitioners of Buddhism should, thus, determine its act through the evaluation of if a fact or if any action could have a harmful or detrimental consequence to oneself or to others, i.e., they should avoid all actions likely to cause suffering or remorse because of the effort. Buddhist ethics is based, then, in five precepts: not to take anyone's life, not take what not belongs to me, not having a harmful sexual behavior, not telling lies and not consume intoxicants (Dragonetti & Tola, 2010).

At first glance, Buddhism seems difficult to practice, but I realized that it is only about live harmoniously with myself and those around me without doing harm to anyone, and I think that it is something we all can do. Buddhism goes beyond simple yoga poses and nor is to believe in gods, is simply a lifestyle choice Pacific and healthy. I recommend to all the inhabitants of this city, learn about Buddha and nirvana because I believe that it is indeed useful to learn how to respect others.

Pregnancy and Drugs

By Lorena Correa (7th Semester Social Communication student, level 4 English)

Using drugs during pregnancy can cause serious problems for the baby, as they can be born with abnormalities or die before birth. In addition, this can cause damage to the baby in its formation in the uterus and its growth can cause addiction.

However, women should not be judged to be using toxic substances and may cause harm to themselves and their babies. Therefore, the mother should have a healthy gestation process, and avoid the use of drugs in pregnancy.

The damage that the baby can have through each toxic substance is severe, because at birth it appears to be healthy. Each substance produces a different reaction to the baby. The most common drugs babies are exposed to are marijuana, cocaine, heroin, alcohol, tobacco, and crack.

The consequences that babies have after their mothers consume toxic substances while they are pregnant, when the baby is exposed to marijuana or cocaine, the contraindications that occur are lack of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, this causes the child to be born with learning disabilities and attention disorders. Also, when they are born, they tend to be much smaller and lighter in weight and size than a healthy baby would be.

Other consequences that exist, is that with heroin the little ones develop the addiction since they are in the belly. These babies have withdrawal, irritability, tremors, abnormal movements, and poor self-control.

If we talk about the most common and legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, it can be said that the harms recorded in babies range from severe mental retardation, lack of concentration, delayed speech, hearing or seeing problems. It also decreases fetal respiratory movements, alters heart rate, and poses an increased risk of premature birth and miscarriage.

Link: English

By Alejandro Diaz Naranjo (The World in English elective)

Language is what set us apart from other living beings, allowing us to share information, knowledge and many other things. More than 7.000 languages are spoken in the world, it means that there are almost 7.000 cultures that have something to share (Tendencias Portafolio, 2013). As Wade Davis, and anthropologist at Harvard University, said: “There is other ways of living, other ways of thinking, other ways of orienting yourself in earth” (Davis, 2003), and every single culture is important to the earth because it gives the humanity the opportunity to learn and expand the knowledge.

Therefore, how we can communicate with other cultures and learn from them?

With many languages in the world, English has become the most learned language, the importance of English has been growing exponentially, more and more universities have adopted English as their second language, they give classes in English and motivate their students to do writing and research in English. Hence the importance of English, because it has become the link between cultures and knowledge. 

Let is imagine that everyone speaks a different language, how difficult would be the communication and the development? It would be difficult. Mark Pagel gives a good example saying that the European Union use a permanent staff of 2.500 employees just to translate the 24 official languages (Pagel, 2011). English has become the link between cultures, the importance of share knowledge is bigger than ever, and the Internet allows us to learn, communicate and share almost with every corner in the world.

In conclusion, the need to standardize a language for everybody is growing every single day. As well as the metric system or the sixty system to measure time, the humanity needs one language to communicate, as Pagel said, it is our destiny, and I personally believe that (Pagel, 2011). One language is our destiny without making disappear other languages.

Canada: A land full of adventure

By María José Plazas Sandoval (The World in English elective)

Last summer and for the second time, I traveled to Canada, specifically to Vancouver. The country of maple syrup and poutine is speechless. Both times I traveled there, I hardly wanted to come back because I found nothing but joy and pleasure. Canada, the world’s second largest country, is considered one of the most attractive places to travel and live thanks to its high quality of life, outstanding education, cultural diversity, but mostly for its natural wonders. From all the countries I have visited I must say this one is my favorite. That is why in this opportunity, I would like to share its wonders, my experience, and hopefully after you read this article, this country would be in your bucket list.

When I first got to Canada, I was pleasantly welcome by a nice-looking migration officer. He was friendly and polite, as all the Canadians I met during my trip. Canadians are characterized for being humble, respectful, and above all, because they apologize for everything. People from over the world, especially Americans, make fun of them for that, but for me, that was one of the most charming things I found in the Great White North. Besides this, you would find a multicultural environment. There are people from Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, especially the last one, or at least that’s what I perceived.

My multicultural experience began with my roommates from South Korea and Germany, Minji and Michelle. Minji, who didn’t talk too much was simply lovely and Michelle was my friend for all kind of adventures. Farther, in my Business classes I met people from Mexico, France, Switzerland, Vietnam, Sweden, Japan, between others. All of them, made my trip a more special one. 

I was also willing to visit all the places I could. Fortunately, in one day, you can go from a nature to an urban activity and both are promising. The combination of this two ‘worlds’ makes Canada a better place to stay. Places like these are all over Canada such as Banff National Park, where you can see the Aurora Borealis in winter. Also, in Vancouver you can go to Stanley Park, a 405-hectare natural urban free experience where you can ride a bike, jog, or have a picnic. At the north of the city, is one of my favorite places, the Quarry Rock at Deep Cove. The view is breathtaking; from the top, you can see the entrance of the sea -the Indian Arm-, mountains across it, and people in their sea kayaks and canoes. Since eco-tourism is getting popular these days, Canada becomes a striking destiny with amazing outdoor sights.

Cultural diversity makes Canada an inclusive country that seeks for equal opportunities for everyone. Moreover, being the second country with the purest air of the world turns nature into a priority. This is just a little sample of the country where most moose can be found. I could keep writing about Canada but I’m going to let you discover it by yourself. I promise, you will love it.

The bicycle is the best way to move

By Ana Lucía Rodríguez Gutiérrez (Level 5 English)

Riding your bike is the best way to move yourself to the places you want. It is helpful and healthy in so many aspects. It will improve your physical condition, help the environment and it’s cheaper than a car or a motorcycle.

When you are riding your bicycle, you are working out your muscles and getting your joints stronger. It’s a great way to make your heart healthier and to prevent a heart attack. And, if you want to lose weight, riding a bicycle can make you burn up even 300 calories!

Besides, it makes the planet a better place to live by helping the environment to get wholesome and cleaner. It is no fuel required so that helps to decrease the carbon monoxide and dioxide that contaminate the atmosphere. And if you’re tired of all the car’s noise, the bicycle is super quiet!

At the same time, buying a car or a motorcycle may cost a lot! But the bicycle is more than 150% cheaper. Also, the maintenance of these two is really expensive and helpless to the economy. Having your own bike will reduce your exes because you won’t need fuel, you won’t use the public transport, it will be your own vehicle and the upkeep isn’t that expensive.

After naming all these reasons, we can say that riding a bicycle is great for our body-health, makes the planet nicer and pleasant to live, and will help to our economy situation when we decide to buy a vehicle. So, because of this, I just will affirm that, if you want to move to wherever place you like, the bicycle is the best option to choose.

The Link between Language and Identity

By Nicolás García Garzón (The World in English elective)

“Language is inextricably linked with identity and in order to save identity, we must attempt to save our language.” (Kaveh, 2011)

Since countries started thinking beyond their boundaries, the world has been become increasingly interconnected, forcing them to find ways of communicating a single language to exchange ideas and cultural beliefs. Implicitly, English was chosen as the United States became the world biggest power. However, the main issue that rose from globalisation is if there is a slight possibility that English learners lose their cultural identity for learning this language.

In the first place, a person’s identity is constructed from different elements, such as the place where they grew up, cultural beliefs and language. The latter is relevant as everything someone has learnt is almost due to it and it is involved in every single aspect of somebody’s life. This means that the influence and importance that a language can have in a person is linked with unique elements and roots of a human being.

In this order of ideas, English learners are at risk of losing part of their identity in the learning process. “After learning a new language, one's perception of his or her competence, communicative style, and value systems many undergo some changes” (Kaveh, 2011), this means that they start a process of reshaping who they are, based on the new knowledge received. On the other hand, it is possible to learn English without losing the identity, as long as the English learner is able to maintain the relationship with the environment and elements in which they have built up their identity.

In conclusion, the English process learning does not mean that the entire identity is going to be lost, but some aspects of other cultures are going to influence your previous identity, as they get involved in different environments with new ways of thinking.

The Tradition of Loving

By Laura Andrea Cifuentes Pereira (The World in English elective)

As the world globalizes, the meaning of the word love and how it is expressed have been changing. It is expected that at some point we will all have a unique meaning for the word. As love plays an important role in various cultures it is also important to understand how it has been expressed through history. It has not always been demonstrated as it is today. Some cultures as the Latin are so close to each other, and so because of it love is shown in a specific way. Society has created some actions to express feelings and what people want from others that have become traditional. But, because societies have been influenced one to another those traditions are at risk.

Today's generation is so distinct from others. It is clear that all of them cannot be the same but speaking of traditions about expressing love we can say that some of them have forgotten the good manners. For example, before, if a man wanted to have a date with a girl he had to woo her and win her love and the respect of her family. Nowadays, couples hang out together for years without even getting to know each other's families. Some of them do not even have an official relationship and still play roles as if they had it. Youth forgot those little and charming details of sending roses, giving chocolates, asking out for a date, those long phone conversations or even asking properly to be in a relationship. We have come to a point where we all make assumptions of every step that the relationship took or that it will take without getting involved for real.

Based on this, I do believe we must try to preserve those traditions of expressing love. Because we live in a world where people get to be with others without a bit of respect. Society has lost its ability to interact with each other, and this can become an important issue. It is time for parents to teach their kids how to interact with the opposite sex with respect and good manners. It is also determining that parents should be the ones who have to give a proper example of how to treat others. It is not bad to be sensible or to be well educated. People need to understand that at the end, it does not really matter what you believe or think about the world. Because at the end of the day we all want the same and that is to love and be loved so why we should not we keep those cute traditions of expressing love?

Vallenato's Dawn

By Álvaro Francisco Lleras Montoya (The World in English elective)

How to recognize a country is the challenge of creating an identity. Music is one of the most useful ways to create that identity. Mexicans have their mariachis, Spaniards have their flamenco and Brazilians have their samba. Do you know what Colombians have?

“Vallenato” is a musical genre that was born in Valledupar and spread throughout Colombia to become a symbol of identity. “El Vallenato” was born as an oral expression of the peasants who told their stories toned with a guitar. Later, vallenato became a musical genre with the arrival of the accordion to the Caribbean coast when a German ship that went to Argentina ran aground and its merchandise (the diatonic accordion) arrived in Colombia. The first accordion used in the vallenato was “BESAS” (international score) which in Spanish means kisses. However, it was not until 1960 that the first vallenato festival was created. This was promoted by Consuelo Araujo Noguera, known as “La Cacica”, minister of culture; Rafael Escalona, vallenato composer; and Alfonso Lopez Michelsen, president of Colombia at the time.

“Vallenato” is composed of six airs: “paseo, son, merengue, puya, cumbia and weeping vallenato”. These last two are not recognized in all the jugglers of the vallenato because only the first four are evaluated in the festival of La Leyenda Vallenata. The first air, the son, is recognized by his patience when interpreting it, since it is a slow and tasty air. The walk is the most played air in the vallenato, due to its ease for singing and accompaniment with percussion. The merengue was an adaptation to the Dominican merengue, that with speed and flavor, the interpretation is realized like a dance. Finally, the “puya” the fastest air of vallenato and represents the strong feeling, like the joy or the despair.


The main interpreters of this genre are: Diomedes Diaz, Poncho Zuleta, Los Betos, Jorge Oñate, among others. In the accordion, the main interpreters are: Nicolas "Colacho" Mendoza, Gonzalo Arturo "El Cocha" Molina, Hugo Carlos Granados, and Álvaro Lopez. Lastly, the vallenato underwent a change due to the need to innovate. The person in charge of it was Kaleth Morales, who opened the doors for the vallenato new wave. It was complemented with band, being before only box, “guacharaca” and accordion. Kaleth was recognized for innovating in the presentation of the vallenato, next to Silvestre Dangond.


Lastly, Vallenato has created Colombian identity since it became a musical genre. Wherever you go, you will feel proud of your country if you listen to a vallenato. It is a challenge for new interpreters to let on high level this genre. I hope you contribute to keep Vallenato as a Colombian identity.

The Rules for Happiness According to Epicurus

By María Paula Baquero Rey (The World in English elective)

Have you ever wondered how you can get to be truly happy? That is a question that most people ask themselves at some point throughout their lives. After all, human beings are constantly looking for the purpose of life, and we have come to the conclusion that one of those purposes is happiness. However, this is not an easy question to answer, in fact, if you were to ask several people for it, they would probably come up with very different responses and even hesitate on giving you one. We cannot deny it, the key to happiness is one difficult challenge to solve.

A couple of days ago I found myself wandering around this very specific topic, and I came to realize that I felt frustrated for not finding the “golden ticket” to a perfect answer. I have seen movies, talks, and books about it, but no one ever really has given us a perfect formula to feel truly happy. But then it hit me, if the modern form of what we called humans have been on earth for approximately 200.000 years, how come no one has found that secret ingredient. That is how my journey began, a journey of research and curiosity, which led me to bump into one great answer: there is indeed a magical formula, and Epicurus talks about it.

If you are wondering who Epicurus is, well I can solve that doubt for you. Essentially, Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher who had great influence in the study of practical Philosophy for the everyday life. He dedicated many years of his work to prove that the main purpose of human beings was to find happiness and avoid suffering. I know you could be thinking how clique this sounds, but if you are willing to take a risk then you should pay close attention to what he called “The rules for happiness”.

Epicurus listed four rules that will guarantee your happiness once you follow them: 1. Seek the pleasure that does not generate pain, for example, do not seek pleasure on drinking or smoking, because this will create pain eventually 2. Accepting a pain that will prevent you from a greater pain, for example, getting vaccinated to prevent future illnesses (it is a small pain that will prevent you from a greater pain later on) 3. Seek spiritual pleasures, such as music and friendship, and lastly 4. do not fear death. Reinventing our own standards of life, and following these simple steps could be our golden formula to happiness. I share this because I believe it is worth the try, I personally Know I will, and I hope many of you also take your chances on trying.  

Trump’s measures in his recent days of government

By Laura Camila Morón Herrera (1^st semester FIGRI student, level 3 English)

Recently, the world has to come to terms with a new American president who makes controversial decisions that have global consequences. One such example is the Immigration reform, introduced last Monday, which forbids entry to the USA to people coming from seven majority Muslim countries, Yemen, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Somalia; this legislation also reduces the number of permitted refugees and Green Card holders from these countries.

In the first place, this topic has been of great shock for the world because it clearly exposes an order which is prepared to attack fundamental human rights.  It also ends up being unconstitutional; the federal demands have been multiple; however, it is the majority republican congress that makes decisions.

Nevertheless, the most important part of this case are the refugees and immigrants that have been affected by this policy, and the deplorable situation they have been put into. Aside for being a war on refugees, migrating to western countries often results in discomfort and a feeling of unworthiness as a result of culture clash and bigotry, added to this, there is the the process of adopting a new model of society. Looking at it from the point of view of these people, and not forgetting the immigrants that have a green card or even nationality, we are looking at a constitutional problem that violates the rights of the American population and also breaks international treaties such as the Geneva Convention.

Trump has sought to change the image of the USA in front of the world, closing its doors to those he considers an imminent danger to the nation, with his measures being completely the opposite to those his nation professes in its constitution. His objective of fulfilling his campaign promises, and his promise to “make America great again”, have turned into a declaration of war against the vulnerable, but at the same time, this might be an effective fight against terrorism that could possibly lead to Trump becoming an American hero.  

If I had a lot of money

By Harold Andrés Moyano Niño (Level 4 English student)

If I had a lot of money, I would buy a huge house surrounded by tall shrubs. The house would be on the outskirts of the city. Maybe, it could be in Holland. The house wouldn't be located in the city centre because of the traffic and the parking spots, but it wouldn't be situated far from downtown.

My dream house would have two floors with a terrace, a big garage and a blue swimming pool bordered by a garden full of plants and trees, and a path of pebbles that would lead from the main gate to the main door of the house.

Inside the house, there would be huge French windows with long curtains and stylish furniture. On the first floor, there would be four bedrooms with huge beds and spacious wardrobes, and two bathrooms (one of them with a jacuzzi). The kitchen would have a two-door fridge and a stove with an oven. Also, there would be a living room where friends could visit. This would have big sofas and a giant TV where we could watch movies.

On the second floor, there would be a games room where I could play with my friends and my family. There would also be another bathroom, and office where I could work and study, and finally a little room where I could do exercise. This would have several machines and a good stereo to listen to music while I work out.

The terrace would be on top of the house, with shade from the sun and a tanning area.

It would not be a house just for me, but also for my wife and our children.

13 Going on 30

By Estefanía Vargas Galvis (level 4 English)

This film, 13 Going on #0, was directed by Gary Winick. The film has won important nominations and three interesting awards: a Teen Choice Award, a People's Choice Award, and an MTV Movie Award in different categories.

It's a romantic comedy fantasy film. The film was produced by Revolution Studios for Columbia Pictures. It was released in 2003 and the location was LA, California.

Jenna Rink, a girl who wants to be popular, invites the most important people in her school to a party. She promises to do their homework if they all attend. However, they set a trap for her and she feels disappointed with her life.

She wishes to be 30 years old and her dream comes true. In this moment, she starts to return to get back her past life and her best friend.

I strongly recommend 13 Going on 30 because it has an amazing soundtrack and can make you feel that mistakes aren't bad for your life. You need to learn about them!

Why do you have to visit Villavicencio?

By Ana Lucía Jiménez Cañón (1st semester FIGRI student, level 4 English)

Many people that live in Bogotá have visited Villavicencio yet, but they don’t know how is the importance of visit Villavicencio. First I should say that Villavicencio is so near to Bogotá, the weather is hot, but sometimes it’s cold, it’s delicious. Also, Villavicencio is a place that have the commodities of a city, like malls, and the rural commodities too, like ride horses, bathe in rivers and others.

Why Villavicencio is an important city? Villavicencio is known like the plaid door, with many cultural riches, in landscapes and traditions. The importance to visit Villavicencio is to know the culture, learn about to dance Joropo, a beautiful dance of which we do the international Joropo tournament. It riches includes the food, a delicious meet better known as mamona and a soup call sancocho. 

The best experience that Villavicencio can offer you is that is so near to Caño Cristales, the most beautiful river in the world, which has 5 colors, yellow, blue, green, red and black. There you will see plants, rocks and sand. But you must visit it in the appropriate season to enjoy this wonderful place that only offers you the “Llano”.

My invitation to you is to go there, know about the culture and the important places, but also to know that is a city of lovely people that works for you to take the best of our land. 

Never Give Up

By Ricardo Díaz (8^th semester FIGRI student, English through Multimedia student)

“So thank you for choosing our futures in your present”. As Michelle concluded, the crowd roars with a big round of applause after such a moving speech. She smiles and wipes the tears off her eyes as she steps down from the podium, reaches her table and sits down after hugging her mother.

Michelle is a 22-year-old girl who had to deal with a traumatic event that changed her life forever: seeing how her family was slowly torn apart by an unjust and broken system. To confront such tragedy, she has taken it upon herself to stop such disgrace to befall others in her situation, the deportation of immigrants from The United States.

She was 13 years old when that fateful event happened. As Michelle was in her English class taking the SRI test, a runner came into her classroom saying that she was needed at the main office. It was weird to her since it was Wednesday morning and the only thing out of the ordinary that she had done was to arrive 40 minutes late to school that day.

“As I arrived to the main office, I saw my aunt standing there with a pale face. She looked at me sternly and said, “I do not know how to say this, but… your family has been taken by immigration and want to pick you up too.” As my aunt finished, I started crying uncontrollably while she hugged me. It was all so fast and hard to take in.”

ICE arrived and picked her up to take her and her family to Miami to be processed. “We were treated like criminals the whole time we were under custody. We were not allowed to go to the bathroom alone and were constantly watched by somebody. It was humiliating and horrible.”

At the end of the day Michelle’s family was released under two conditions: Every member of the family was forced to sign a document saying they had to eventually leave the country and one of the members had to stay with the immigration police to be deported immediately. “My father offered himself for our sake. That was the first member I saw being taken from me. I was heartbroken.” she said, as calmly as she could muster.

Michelle’s family lived in fear and constant hiding for years after that until the time arrived for another member of her family to be taken from her: it was her two older brothers who made the choice to leave. “They had both graduated already and with no opportunity to progress as people because of the document they signed years earlier, they did not see the point of lingering any longer. I was fortunate to be young enough during the signing of the papers that I was not forced to sign them.”

As only her mother and Elizabeth remained, feelings of sadness and depression began creeping in. “It was awful because I continued on with my life being known as a loner trying to get by when my whole life I had been associated with two other individuals who were always there for me.”

Although Michelle dealt with a rough teenage, she did not let these hard times get to her. As a matter of fact, she turned these into strengths. She eventually got a job and kept going from there where she made it possible to juggle 3 jobs while at the same time paving her way to college. “It was really hard to deal with all 4 things at once, but I did the best I could. Still, I felt that there was more I could do.”

During her college application process, Michelle met an individual who was part of a group called “Global Education”. “Due to my circumstances as an immigrant and everything I was doing I was offered a scholarship to reward my hard work. This person was also a member of a club called EQUAL, who gets involved in dealing with and making awareness of issues that plague our community on a daily basis.”

Among the many topics that EQUAL dealt with, there was the one about immigration. They delve into the subject from basic human rights being violated to immigrant families being torn apart because of a fragmented U.S. political system. “When I saw that this club was involved in this matter, something deep within me urged me to join. I knew I could not do anything for my family, but I could try to give a voice to those that are currently going through what I was going through and lend them a hand in some way.”

With this conviction fueling her, Michelle joined EQUAL and has been going around different states where a good portion of the population are immigrants to share her story in conferences set up by the club and let them know that they are not alone, they should not give up, that they matter and above all else that it is possible to triumph even if the world seems to be against you. “This journey has not been easy. However, knowing that there are others with a story similar to mine out there that could use a few words of encouragement and guidance to keep going is something I cannot deny them. If someone would have done the same for me, to inform me of what I can do and what I can become, my family would still be together today.”

Yoga + Body + Mind

By María Jose Barón Valverde (3^rd semester Hotel administration student, level 4 English)

Currently, more than a simple trend, practicing yoga has become a lifestyle that can be seen as mystical, maybe because it belongs to a far-away traditional culture very different from our current western world. Nonetheless, with the diverse types of yoga that exist today, anyone can do it.

Doing yoga can be a good idea since it has been shown to bring both physical and emotional benefits. One can say that doing yoga improves people’s brain skills, given that it encourages mental relaxation and changes our feelings. Besides, yoga methods generate positive effects for health problems, so it lets people achieve a necessary balance between soul and body. Each semester at Externado brings you a lot of work and stress, and yoga can help you to survive university life. It is important to dedicate time to yourself, so you can do some exercises at home or, if you prefer, at the university. If you are a beginner, you can follow these steps to enjoy the experience.

1-     Find a calm and well-lit place

2-     Turn off all gadgets

3-     Make sure you have time

4-     Be in a quiet place

5-     Wear comfortable clothes and get a mat

Here are some “asanas” (special postures) to practice yoga.

Goat: with your face down, stretch out your legs. Fold your arms and rest them on the floor. Raising your chest, keep your legs on the floor and lift your chin (for 30 secs).

Tree: stand up with straight legs and put your hands together over your head, folding your elbows. Lift up one leg and rest your sole on the opposite thigh (for 30 secs).

Triangle: spread your legs and raise your arms to shoulder-level. Inhale and forward until you can touch your feet with your fingers. Then repeat on the other side (for 30 secs).

Wild Magic in the Amazon

By Jhon Milton Arévalo Locarno (3rd semester Economics student, Level 4 English)

If you are Colombian or a foreigner with plans to visit this incredible country, you cannot say that you have been to Colombia if you have not visited this charming place.

Colombia has grown in recent years, and now its cities, towns and villages have a personality that attracts more and more tourists. Nevertheless, sometimes not even Colombian people know many wonderful places in the country.

Now the star is Leticia, an unexplored place with strange and delicious food, extreme activities for everyone and many secrets for adventurers. If you like to dance and you always wanted to learn how to do the “samba” maybe this small city could be the best place in Colombia to learn.

Leticia is amazing but the real charm of the Amazon is its river, its skies and its people. Just because of these things, I am sure that Leticia will leave you speechless, particularly if you are young because every night the music, food, dance and a magical show of stars take over the streets and bridges. On the other hand, if you enjoy something more mature and easy-going, the city also offers some places to learn more about the culture.

You can enjoy the beautiful landscapes in the morning, eat delicious traditional food for lunch and go to look at the sky at night. You can be sure of one thing: Leticia always has something for you.

In this paradise, you can always visit the river and see piranhas and pink dolphins but if you want something more extreme, I recommend you pay for a tour of Monkey Island. This is an incredible island with thousands of monkeys. Take care though, because they can steal everything you carry!

This city is not always on the top lists of places in Colombia, but you are invited to swim with dolphins, drink carambola juice and live the first great day of the rest of your life here!

I am sure that if you take my advice you will experience a great moment in your life. Just give this city a chance, and try other flavours, other experiences, and another life.

The origin of music in Colombia

By Camila Valencia (1^st semester FIGRI student, level 4 English)

Nowadays, music is something that transcends in societies. It is a medium that transmits our thoughts and feelings, but also lets us know a bit more about other cultures. Colombia is a multicultural country, which makes our musical genres very diverse. Every department is characterized by having different musical genres to other departments.

However, many of us don’t know where all this music which represents us as Colombians came from! It dates back centuries, when the Spanish conquered us. They brought two new cultures that mixed with our indigenous culture. The first came because of the Africans, who were brought as slaves. They had a big influence in the Pacific Coast, where they mixed their culture with the religious songs and prayers that the Spanish had taught them. This, added to instruments like "marimbas de chonta" and "guases" created currulao.

Vallenato originated from old songs from the livestock areas of Valledupar. It was played with drums with a single lid or "cajas" and the songs were aimed at social criticism, or told stories about the people from the town. Years after the creation of this musical genre, the Spanish brought us the accordion, the instrument that finally completed it. 

These are just a few examples about where our music has come from. It has had different influences since the conquest of Colombia, but now it's our representation to the world.

However, nowadays music in Colombia has changed, and our culture isn’t as representative as it was before. The arrival of technology has brought a wave of new music that is replacing traditional music like San Juanero or currulao. This means that the vast majority of young people from our country don’t even know these genres. Of course, some genres, like vallenato, are better recognized than others, and likewise some singers, like Shakira, Carlos Vives, J Balvin, and Cabas, are representative of our country, even if the music they play isn’t from our region.

It’s necessary to recognize that with the passing of time, customs are changing, and that’s okay. Receiving new cultures is rewarding for our country, but it’s also necessary we show the world our culture too. Every country has things which represent it, like dances, food, landscapes, tourist areas, and even the people. Music has an important role too, and so it's our duty as Colombians to highlight our own music, and have a balance between the things that come from other countries and the things that are born in our land.

THE BEST EXPERIENCE EVER!

By Laura Heredia (1st semester Social Communication student, level 4 English)

I want to share an incredible experience that I had on the 10^th of September last year!

That day, I went to Flandes, Tolima, and I was ready for the most amazing experience of my life. I was so excited, because it was the first time I was going to try parachuting.

I went with a friend so that I wouldn’t feel lonely. I was with him when I said goodbye to my parents, who were really nervous and even more excited than me!

After about half an hour, the plane was ready. In the plane, there were four of us: the pilot, my friend, the instructor and me.

We had been flying for an hour when the moment to jump arrived. My friend was at the door, so he went first and then it was my turn. We said goodbye to the pilot and we jumped! I felt a lot of adrenaline, and we were in freefall for more or less 1 minute. Before I landed I enjoyed all the views while we did a lot of spins for around 3 minutes. For most of the time, I was watching the camera that the instructor had on his wrist, which was filming everything, from when we were at the airport until we landed. When we arrived to the ground I landed standing up but there are different ways to land, because when I saw my friend, I saw that he had landed sitting down. I asked the instructor and he told me that he thought that I could do it standing up so I felt really good. I felt like a professional!

I really recommend this experience, because I think that it is something that everybody needs to do. It is so emotional and full of adrenaline, that it gives you the energy to do anything – it’s incredible! I would absolutely do it again without thinking twice!

Students selling at Externado: a need?

By Juan Piñarete (3^rd semester Social Communication student, level 4 English)

Students selling things at the Externado is becoming more common. The reasons why they sell are because they need to be able to continue studying, or simply that they want to save and so be able to buy something they want.

There are university students who need to sell sweets, sandwiches, potato chips and cigarettes, among other things, to make money. Almost always, these people live alone and don’t have a stable job, so they see the need for this “prohibited” work at the university.

Although selling at the university is prohibited, the faculties and administration have accepted that it happens, and understand the needs of the students. However, everything has a limit, because many times selling becomes a compulsive action. We can see this when students are selling during classes, during a speech, or in places where eating is prohibited.

Generally, the students who sell things make our lives easier. They are always at our side offering us their products and being kind to us. Recognising and supporting them would be an important step for the university.

Secrets of La Candelaria

By Laura Santamaría (3rd semester FIGRI student, level 4 English)

La Candelaria is the place that receives the most tourists in Bogotá. Both foreigners and people from all over Colombia feel a great attraction towards this place due to its colonial architecture and because it is the place where, in 1538, Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada founded Bogotá in the heart of La Candelaria, the Chorro de Quevedo square.

However, there are fascinating stories that most people don’t know about, and the truth is that La Candelaria’s ghosts have been present in this area for more than 400 years. They are a traditional part of the neighbourhood, and accepted by the area’s inhabitants.

La Candelaria’s ghost stories start in the block of flats, Calle del Sol, which hides the walls and foundations of the infamous Colombian Intelligence Service (CIS). There, as its inhabitants report, at night it is possible to hear moans and the lamentations of souls in pain, which belong to people who were tortured to death to force them to confess their crimes. “Late at night, we hear shouting and moans and also blows like lashes and guffaws,” says one resident of the area.

Just one block from there, in the square that today occupies the place of a colonial house, the ghost of a blond boy with blue eyes appears early in the morning, carrying breadcrumbs to feed to the pigeons. The legend says that this child believed himself to be the prince of the pigeons. He fed them every day and did not allow anyone to harm them. Even now, the neighbours say that anyone who annoys the pigeons, throws stones at them, or is cruel to them, “has a very bad night,” because the ghost does not let them sleep.

On calle 11, no. 3-90 is the home of the famous painter Gregario Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos whose figure, covered by a black cape, runs through the inner courtyard, where he has also been seen mashing flowers to extract the vegetable paints that he used to make his religiously-themed paintings.

There is also a place in La Candelaria, known for centuries as “the bandit’s house”. This was the house of Dr. José Raimundo Russi, who was shot in 1851 for the murder of Manuelito Ferro, stabbed at the entrance to this house. Ferro’s cries of horror and the sound of his murder are still heard in the dawn in La Candelaria.

But the most awful and horrible of La Candelaria’s ghosts appears in Carrera 4, no. 10-14. This is the home of Viceroy Sámano, who was historically hated because of his anger when facing the Colombian patriots. The lame and humble figure of the old viceroy, his unpleasant spitting and above all the clacking sound of his heels, continues to shock unprepared bystanders who dare to walk on the sidewalk in the wee hours of the morning.

All these stories are part of the history of La Candelaria that few people know. Exploring them is an adventure for all who want to experience the horror of these stories in Bogotá’s icy nights.

My Dream House

By Juliana Guerrero Mejía (1^st semester Hotel Management student, level 4 English)

My dream house would be in Italy. I’d have a vineyard and make some wine to sell in town. I’d probably live with my husband, two dogs and three cats. It’d be a small house, but luxurious, with all the necessary stuff for living.

We would have two cars to go to town because we’d live far away from there. I’d travel all around Europe selling wine and visiting friends.

The house would have a wonderful kitchen. I love to drink some wine while I’m cooking. Our living room would have a big TV and a great sound system to watch our favourite movies. Also, the house would have a pool for the summer and a BBQ. It would have two bedrooms: one for us, and another one for guests.

I really love to cook, so that’s why I’d invest more in my kitchen. I’d buy all the new high-tech appliances for the kitchen and the best and most beautiful tools that are on the market. It would also have all the utilities, plus internet and cable TV.

Level 1 Student Shorts

We’re very lucky for this 20^th issue of Ink to have some great pieces from level 1 English students. Remember that Ink magazine is open to all levels of English, and we’re always happy to receive your ideas!

The everyday life of a bad freshman
By Camilo Andres Cortes Beltran (1^st semester Accountancy student, level 1 English)

The freshman gets up early and sad. He takes a shower and then gets dressed. He leaves at half past five and takes the bus at six o' clock. He arrives at the university at seven fifteen. He usually arrives late to his first class. He sleeps in the first class for two hours, then gets up and goes to the hammocks. He sleeps two more hours and then he wakes up happy and goes to the antenna to spend time with his friends until one o' clock. Then he goes to lunch because he is hungry. He does not attend English class and he goes home at two o' clock.

His absence

By Daysa L. Camargo Peñaranda (1st semester Economics student, level 1 English)

I get up every day with the illusion of seeing you, but you aren't here. I want to hold you, kiss you, see your smile, your eyes and feel safe in your arms; I can’t help living without you. I'm waiting for your arrival and the day my soul finally feels complete.

When Streets Speak

By Angie Melisa Reyes Betancur (2nd semester Social Communication student, level 1 student)

These photos were taken in La Candelaria. This is a beautiful colonial place that sends you into the history of old Bogotá. The streets speak about love, passion and happiness. In every photo that is taken in this place, the photographer tries to show every feeling that these streets keep in their walls.