The Benefits of Inline Skating

By Jessica Garcia Toro


Inline skating is about going fast in skates around an oval track with the purpose of getting to the finish line in the shortest possible time. This is a very complete sport that helps blood circulation and also helps to improve our health generally.

According to the Inline Skating Resource Centre, Dr Carl Foster says that skating is a sport as beneficial as running or cycling. In addition, in a study carried out, line skating was assessed in terms of aerobic benefit and calorie expenditure benefits as just as good a way to exercise along with running or cycling.

Another study showed that skating for 30 minutes burns 285 calories and generates a frequency of 148 beats per minute. Regarding its anaerobic benefits, the study mentions that inline skating offers more benefits since it's a sport that develops the muscles of the legs and the hip, making this a more helpful activity to try.

In addition, two studies carried out in the state university of St. Cloud in Minnesota demonstrated that this sport develops the muscles of the upper part of the legs, the hips, the lower part of the back, and also the shoulders and upper part of the arms, as these are used to swing while you are skating.

One other study shows that inline skating wears the joints 50% less compared to other sports. It also explains that this is one of the least harmful sports for the joints, compared to running for example.

According to Inline Skating for fitness, skating has many benefits such as helping the heart, giving you more energy, helping blood flow, improving muscle strength, flexibility, aiding the bones, internal organs, and developing stomach muscles. Also, the muscles that are used to breath benefit, as the lungs work more. Also, it helps to increase flexibility, especially in the inner muscles of the thighs, which also generates more strength.

In conclusion, skating offers many health benefits for your health. That is why I recommend this sport, because it helps to improve your quality of life.

The effects of Instagram addiction

By María Fernanda González M. (The World in English elective)

Nowadays, social networks have become a fundamental part of people’s lives. In order to put this in context, it is important to mention that the population of the world is approximately 7.5 billion people, and of those, 4.2 billion use at least one social network. One of the most famous and popular is Instagram, which has almost 800 million users. It was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, and it is an application in which people upload photos and videos, which can also be edited and shared in other social networks.

Instagram is a social network in which most people upload their best photos, their best videos and their best moments. It is a social network in which you can find different content: fashion, cars, food, culture, history, jokes, and places. People also use it to show what they have, buy, and eat. In fact, most of the posts are nice, beautiful, stylish and in “perfect”places. However, this can also make people feel bad about their lives. Many allow that vision of “perfection” of others' photos to make their days unhappy, because you stop valuing what you do or what you have.

In fact, the use of social media has effects for many young people's physical and mental health: there is a dark side to using Instagram. According to the newspaper "El Tiempo", Instagram is the social network which most affects the mental health of young people. It generates depression, lack of sleep or "fear of losing something". Dependence on this social network affects approximately 15% of the youth today. In addition, a large number of studies confirm this information. One  which was conducted in the UK by the Royal Society for Public Health, argues that it is a more serious addiction than cigarettes or alcohol. Hernán Cubillos who is a psychiatrist at the National University, said that “there comes a point at which this addiction becomes 100 percent of your life, and when something negative happens on social networks, such as not having enough 'likes' on a publication, this begins to generate symptoms of depression in young people."

Self-esteem can also be affected. According to María Victoria Pérez, a psychiatrist at Javeriana University, "in adolescence body image is always very important, as it is one of the factors that makes this period more vulnerable due to all the physical and emotional changes that occur.” As previously stated, the photos that are published are often focused on exposing the body, wearing the best clothes, or wearing swimwear. In several cases it is intended to show that everything is done well, and that a person has a perfect lifestyle with time to go to the gym, eat healthily and also time to enjoy life.

According to Pérez, this tendency makes young people constantly compare themselves to each other. There is also a psychological phenomenon known as 'salience'. This is the desire to get attention and learn everything quickly, according to Jaime Moreno, a psychologist at the University of La Sabana. It is a sign of impulsive behaviour in young people. It is important to notice that in the last 25 years, in England and the United States, anxiety has risen by up to 70%, which is linked to new technologies and especially social networks.

In my opinion, it is not bad if people use Instagram. The mistake is to forget that we are not perfect, that we all make mistakes, that we all have the right not to be happy all the time. In addition,  it is important to create strong self-esteem, believe in who we are and feel safe. 

Hooliganism: the English disease

By Mateo Sánchez (Interculturality elective)

The life of football fans in England has changed since the 60s. Although the word "hooligan" has a history going back to the nineteenth century, in the last half of the twentieth century this lifestyle became famous in the stadiums of England, as fanaticism and love for the team of preference led some fans to fight to the death.

David Stevens is from south London and a West Ham United fan. One day at 17 years old, after a match near Burnley Stadium he found himself in the middle of a fight between fans of Burnley and his team. As he was wearing the West Ham shirt, several fans of the other team started to attack him; the fight lasted about ten minutes, at the end of which he left without many blows thanks to the protection given to him by his own team's hooligans. From there, David felt like part of a family. His life changed and he found a way to live, that gave his life meaning and brought him close to other people who shared that feeling, that emotion. After he started his life as a hooligan, everything changed. His family life began to be absorbed by his friends, long trips to different stadiums consumed his time and his plans changed. He worked in a pub on weekdays to be able to pay for his different trips.

Fights, matches and large amounts of alcohol were his lifestyle for a long time, and constant broken noses and fractures remain as a mark on his body. Hooliganism is a way of life, which represents different psychological behaviour such as a feeling of anger. The people that are part of this group love violence, love the adrenaline that causes them to fight and love blood. It is an emotional disorder that makes people create the feeling that they belong to a club.

When David's first son Matthew was born, he was really happy, as he'd fulfilled his dream of having a son, a member of his family who would share his same love for football and West Ham United, a son who would go with him to all the matches and who would follow his lifestyle. Matthew's first sixteen years were focused on football and West Ham, and David went with him to every single match. Every day that shared feeling of love for the team caused them to share a connection that is inexplicable. David became the leader of the West Ham hooligans, and for that reason their time and forces were dedicated to organising trips and fights in stadiums around the country.

One day close to Emirates stadium, a fight changed David's life. After a match between Arsenal and West Ham, a huge fight caused the death of fifteen people including Matthew. Five Arsenal fans attacked Matthew several times. This caused a a heart attack that would lead to his death. Despite the doctors' best efforts, he couldn't be saved. The hooligans, football, and fighting had caused Matthew's death.

After that, David started a different life. The feeling of love for the shirt was changed for a feeling of guilt and nostalgia that does not let him feel alive. He started to hate football, and everything that had ended his son's life. David started to recover from the English disease.

Hooliganism is not a way of life; it’s an atmosphere full of violence, rage and death. We hope that fans can enjoy football with peace and love, that they can watch a match with fans of another team, and that they can love a shirt without the need to fight. We hope that the English disease can be cured.

Cellphone: my invisible addiction

By Lina María Silvina Sánchez Rivas (The World in English elective)

“We already found our favourite landscape, the cell phone”

To write this article I decided to see how much time I spent using my cell phone last week. I realized that every day I'm on the phone for 2 to 3 hours, which means that during the week (Monday to Friday) I used the cell phone for on average 15 hours. The applications that I dedicated most time to were Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Up to this point, it seems that it is the common way that anyone uses his or her cell phone. However, with this mini-experiment I realized that I usually interrupt my activities by taking a look at the cell phone, or I feel the need to check in between classes, or while I'm on the bus, even if i don’t need to communicate with anyone. I just slide my finger on the screen and get lost in the sea of photos, videos and quotes found in these applications.

According to an investigation made by Dr. José Matías Delgado, addictions are "repetitive habits, lack of control of a pleasant behavior that compromises the person in all areas including health". With this definition I have begun to believe that I have some degree of addiction to the cell phone, which generates anxiety.

After the mini-experiment I spoke with family and friends to try to discover what makes us so aware of the cell phone, and we all agree that it is an easy way to communicate, to know about the lives of others without asking, to give our opinions, but above all It is a way of being in many places without even moving.

The reflection I make about all this is that the way we connect with the world has distanced us from ourselves, separates us from our activities and has taken a good percentage of our concentration. It has generated a dependency and addiction that we are hardly able to assume.

Beyond Stereotypes: Changing Perspectives after an Academic Exchange

Find the other testimonies from this article in the January 2019 issue of Ink Magazine!


Five students from Externado de Colombia University travelled to Detroit, Michigan, in the United States from July 7th to 15th 2018, as they got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a full scholarship to attend the Ralph Bunch Summer Institute at Wayne State University. This allowed them to enhance their knowledge about the challenges faced at community level concerning pressing issues such as high levels of poverty and racial division, among others, in this American Midwest city. Through the summer program Building Peace upon War, an initiative from the Faculty of Finance, Government, and International Relations, Externado de Colombia University won the highly competitive grant from the State Department - 100,000 Strong in the Americas - making this a reality. In exchange, seven students from our counterpart in the United States attended our summer program, likewise fully funded, and having the chance to know the dilemmas faced by Colombian society. They were able to see how the implementation of the peace agreement reached in La Habana is unfolding, amid deep political divisions. Their academic experience was complemented by a field visit to the Llanos Orientales. Here are the testimonies of students from Externado de Colombia University who attended Wayne State University and vice-versa. We couldn’t be prouder of them!

From left to right: J. Alexis Chacón Gallego, Daiyana Chaparro Pedraza, Jonathan Infante, Estefanía Gómez Guzmán and Cristian David Bastidas Correa, of the Summer program Building Peace Upon War. Photo Credit: Cristian David Bastidas Correa


Daiyana Chaparro Pedraza
Eighth semester FIGRI student
Universidad Externado de Colombia

I am really interested in the history of the civil rights movement and how it changed the way people think about each other. The opportunity to go to the United States, and while being there listen to Americans and attend conferences at the Ralph Bunch Summer Institute in Wayne State University, enabled me to get a better understanding of the way issues like racism, discrimination, and violence - physical as well as symbolic - are present not only in ‘developing countries’, as usually categorized, but also in ‘developed’ ones. For me, the main aspect I learned is that you gain a different perspective when you go to a community and talk to their residents, instead of reading about it in a book.



Marsalis Jolley
Fourth year Urban Studies and Psychology student
Wayne State University

Last summer I was fortunate enough to participate in a study abroad program alongside Dr. Sharon Lean and several others. We were to study the conflict and peace negotiations happening in Colombia. I enrolled in the course having no prior knowledge of the country and conditions but coming out, I feel that I gained a unique perspective. While abroad we met many unique characters, some of which included ex-rebel members, victims of conflict, government officials and students working to improve their community. While there, too, I was encouraged to pursue my own academic interests and compare knowledge. These experiences have made an everlasting impact on my work. I hope that others would seek out opportunities to study abroad.


Estefanía Gómez Guzmán
Eighth semester Tourism Management student
Universidad Externado de Colombia

I will define this amazing experience at the Ralph Bunch Summer Institute in Wayne State University with one word: Resilience. African Americans in the United States instilled in us a way to reconcile after being discriminated against and subjected to violence, by showing us the power of forgiveness. In Colombia many people have suffered in the context of the armed conflict, and we can see the human rights violations and International Humanitarian Law infractions that resulted from it. As a result, people lost confidence in their institutions, even including the government, which reached a peace agreement to end military confrontation. Societies face the issue of forgiveness, as we all do as individuals. After all, our values are put to the test in order to prove if we have what it takes to be peacemakers. At present, I would say, we need to foster the ability to create better relationships within society, otherwise we will repeat the same mistakes of the past.


Marangelis Rosado
Fourth year Political Science, minor in Latin American Studies, student
Wayne State University

My experience in Bogotá, Colombia, was one I will never forget. Before my trip, the only time I had heard of Colombia was in regards to Pablo Escobar, but I did not have much knowledge to offer to the conversation. Now, I am able to speak about the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration program that Colombia’s government has worked towards, in order to bring peace to the conflict that overwhelmed the country during and after the war. This is something I was able to witness with my own eyes in Meta, Colombia, where we met ex-combatants that had reintegrated into society.  Along with this, I now have knowledge of the history behind the growth of the drug trade and how its prosperity provoked a need among the government to intervene with peace instead of more conflict. Most importantly, my trip to Colombia taught me of the hospitable, humble, and intelligent students of Externado de Colombia, friends that I am forever grateful to. I wish you all and Colombia nothing but the best. 



Jonathan Infante Cardozo
Fourth year Law School student
Universidad Externado de Colombia

I used to think that the United States was a country where all the people were boring, serious, and classist. Soon after arriving there, I realized that the people at Wayne State University, while attending the Ralph Bunch Summer Institute, were extremely kind: professors, students, friends, and members of the community in general, as every day they were very helpful. I was able to learn about the contentious issue of race in Detroit, and how the community developed a neighborhood to overcome the problem of discrimination with parks, activities, and social work. I witnessed the problem of the police force within the community, and how they managed to deal with it through the inclusion and the participation of other actors.

Ashi Arora
Fourth year Science, major in Public Health, student, with an undergraduate certification in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Wayne State University


During the Spring/Summer semester of 2018, I came across the opportunity to study abroad in Colombia in a political science course comparing the challenges of peace and reconciliation in the Colombian conflict and the race conflict in Detroit. While in Colombia, after learning from government leaders and well-established researchers, we travelled to a rural part of the country to meet with victims and ex-combatants of the Colombian conflict. By understanding Colombian life in the context of war, we were equipped with a new understanding that traditional lectures and readings could not provide. In both Detroit and Colombia, after periods of high tension and violence, there still exists negative peace - the presence of structural violence in the absence of physical violence. Learning from Colombia’s peace accord in sustainably breaking down structural violence, I have taken away lessons to implement into my efforts within Detroit. From my experiences locally in Detroit and internationally, I have appreciated the value of direct interaction with the communities we serve. Drawing parallels between Detroit and Colombia’s turbulent history, I have learned how conflict among groups of people shape their identities for generations to come, subsequently shaping these groups of people’s access to quality healthcare. For the course, I constructed a final paper exploring the history of the conflicts in Detroit and Colombia, comparing Colombia’s reintegration program for ex-combatants to Detroit’s organizations that serve the homeless and impoverished, and outlining lessons from Colombia’s model that can be applied within Detroit. Throughout my medical career, I will share this sense of urgency in interacting with the community directly, understanding that the decisions patients make are constrained by the choices they have. 

Time to be a Fit Person!

By María Paula Vega Urrea (2nd semester Public Accountancy student, level 4 English)

Do you want to be fit? If that’s what you want, you should do it for your health, but not for fashion. Being a fit person means being well physically and spiritually. The first thing to do is to love yourself, and to want to be the best version that you can be.

This would be an excellent idea for Externado students, because at university, many students have a lot of stress and having a fitter life could help us not only to reduce our stress, but also to have a better body, have good health and be better students.

Here are some recommendations if you want to feel better:

1. You need to eat! Yes: eating six times a day is important, because if you don’t eat breakfast, for example, you will feel anxious about wanting to eat more. We should eat more vegetables and less fats and carbohydrates. Between class, you can eat some fruit.

2. Exercise is very important because it helps to reduce heart problems and obesity as well as treating stress. At university you can go to the gym, take part in different activities that Bienestar has, or go to Alcazar with your friends and do some sport.

3. Don’t forget to sleep. Your body needs rest because if you don’t sleep, you will have concentration problems, your physical appearance won’t be very good, and you’ll feel anxious. You can take advantage of your free time by sleeping in “El Solar” or in the university’s hammocks.

4. Invite friends to do these activities with you, so you have more fun and you can support and encourage each other.

5. Make a list of your goals so it’s easier to fulfil them and you can evaluate your own progress.
My most important recommendation is never give up; always be positive, and do the exercise that you like best. For example, you can dance, do yoga, go to the gym, or go for walks and you will see the results.

Are you looking for the best place to eat?

By Juan Felipe Álvarez (1st semester FIGRI student, level 4 English)

There are thousands of restaurants near the university: some of them are fast food restaurants, while others are traditional food restaurants. People think they can only eat fast food because that’s what the nearest places sell, and they need to eat somewhere close to the university so they won’t be late for class. But this isn´t healthy. A much better option is the “Saludable Restaurant”, which is in Mandolinas street.

People need to change their eating habits, and for that reason, I recommend this place. The owner is so kind with the customers, and she makes delicious parfaits and fruit juice. The best is that all these food is organic, which is healthier that eating fast food! It’s  close to the university, too. The fruit she uses is fresh and she makes all these with love. So, you really need to go there, not only for the service, but also because of the taste. The taste is excellent!

From my experience in this place, I’ve got to tell you: the first time I went there was in January, when I started my university life. I really liked the smoothies, parfaits and the fruit. All the food in that place is delicious and healthier than the food you find on the street.

Why is it healthy? Because the ingredients that they use to prepare the food are organic, so it´s better for you. Also, all the juice has different purposes like detox, anti-flu, antioxidants, refreshing and energizing. This place doesn’t just offer you what I already told you, but they also offer a healthy lunch for a low price, healthy cookies, and more. I recommend everything there, so you need to try it now!

You can recognize the restaurant because it’s a small orange house in front of the Mandolinas university building. They have small chairs next to a white door, and the healthy restaurant is divided into two parts. At the front, you can see the place where they prepare juices, parfaits, smoothies and sandwiches and at the back, there’s the place where they prepare the lunches.

Near to the university you can find many restaurants that offer you fast food and many of them are not healthy, but this one offers you the possibility to eat healthily for a good price. The service is also pleasant and it’s a good option when you’re deciding where to have lunch.

The Legalisation of Drugs

By Mónica Vasquez & Gabriela Useche (1^st semester FIGRI students, level 3 English)

Drugs have been legalised in some countries in Europe. For example, in Portugal, which was the first country to formally decriminalise them. In these countries drug trafficking and drugs use have decreased drastically. On the other hand, drug use and drug trafficking in the United States have increased because the illegality of drugs make it more expensive and good business for drug dealers.

We agree with the legalisation of drugs because if drugs are legal their cost will be lower and the rate of consumption will be reduced as happened in Portugal. This is now the European country with the lowest rate of drug consumption.

Whiplash

By Jean Carlo (3^rd semester Economy student, level 4 English) and Carolina Mora (5^th semester Social Communication student, level 3 English)

Whiplash is an amazing film. It was directed by Damien Chazelle and it was released at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014.

The plot is about a guy called Andrew who decides to get into the Shaffer Conservatory in New York. He starts to play drums in an amateur jazz band, but one day Mr Terence Fletcher, the head of the conservatory’s official jazz band, hears him play and invites him to play in his jazz band.

Andrew couldn’t imagine the discipline that he would have to develop, and all the pain that he would have to feel.

This movie has a wonderful soundtrack, so it’s recommended for jazz lovers who want to know about the day-to-day life of a jazz artist’s life.

My volleyball experience

By Sara Baez (1st semester FIGRI student, level 4 English)

Volleyball is the sport that has changed my way of thinking, and since I started to play this sport I started to have a different perspective about my life. This is a story about when I learnt an important lesson.

In 2016, I was part of my school’s volleyball team. At that time, we were in a competition between all the schools in Bucaramanga, and after a lot of sacrifice my team managed to arrive to the game that would decide third place. When the match date arrived we were so nervous because this was our last game together as a team. At the same time, we were so excited because in this game we would have a chance to show all the things that we had learnt during the year.

We had the game on August 26, 2016, in a school located in Florida Blanca Santander, a town that is only a few minutes away from Bucaramanga. In the school’s coliseum, the temperature was very high and the roof was made of metal, which just concentrated the heat.

The game began and we started to lose. We were all too distracted and our coach was angry with us because we were not showing our true potential. Two sets went by like that, until only one was left to lose the whole match, and suddenly we managed to focus, and we started to play well. We all made our best effort that we could in that set, and so we won: not just that set, but also the fourth one (in finals the matches are of five sets, so to win you have to lead three of them). Only one final set was left for us to win the match, and in that set all the girls played in the best possible way. In that set each player made her best shot, serve, reset, etc. We made an impact. We all entered a state where the game was the only important thing: we no longer needed water, or were bothered by the terrible heat that there was in that place. Finally, after all that effort, we won, and all of us felt a deep happiness and we started to cry and hug each other while our coach congratulated us. That day I realized that with sacrifice and dedication you can get what you want.

The Daily Life within a Man

By Andrés Rengifo (3rd semester Economics student, level 4 English)

On a cloudy day like any other, a man lies tired after a calamitous work day where now his only wish is to reach his sweet home to rest peacefully. The man walks on the sidewalks of the city carefree and immersed in his insatiable thoughts, accompanied by the chaotic sounds of the cars and an immense crowd that together create a cold and dark environment that brings with it the spiritual desolation of each man.

As time passes a small drop of water falls onto the dry pavement. It is the arrival of rain. A feeling of freshness and tranquillity floods the city, as people run hastily to avoid getting wet but the man without any concern walks slower, trying to think that the rain will only get his clothes wet anyway, forgetting that the rain will also make his skin wet. Given his level of unconsciousness though, he has forgotten the pleasure of feeling the rain touching his skin and it makes him feel closer and closer to nature, reflecting at last on the loss of sensitivity of a man who once enjoyed getting wet in the rain.

Happiness guiding a welfare society

By Laura Puerta (5th semester FIGRI student, the World in English elective)

Human beings are complicated. We are full of different thoughts, feelings, senses and many situations that affect not just our mind, but also our body. Haven’t you noticed that when you feel sad, your body starts weakening, and that you start moving at a lower speed? Have you felt that when you are happy, your body feels strong and your mind is clear? Those effects on your body are not imaginary.  One of those feelings is “Happiness”, which according to Osho, an Indian guru, “is when the burden has been dropped and the mirror is found again; your mirror can again reflect the trees and the sun and the sand and the sea and the stars.” It expresses calm and harmony between mind and body. It reflects not only an optimism after a fall, but a wellness of the body.

Different studies have shown the significance of feelings in both mental and physical health. According to Josep María Serra-Grabulosa, doctor and professor of the Psychiatry and Psychobiology department at Barcelona University, “being more optimistic affects the nervous, neuroendocrine and immunological systems. For this reason, people who are happier, in general, experience fewer cardio and cerebrovascular problems, and as their immune system is strengthened, the possibility of illness decreases.” That is why happiness and public health are on the agenda of governments and international organizations. However, health is not a new topic when it comes to the government. As Bellahsen explained, “public health implementation [...] corresponds to a shift in the forms of government that Foucault describes as the step of a disciplinary sovereignty to a society centered in security mechanism”.

Nowadays, from a national and worldwide perspective, the increasing cases of social unrest and altered epidemiological indicators, such as anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder are disturbing. These illnesses increment the demand for not only psychologists but also other medical professionals, and sometimes push people to take non-prescribed medications that will noticeably affect their physical health and the medical system in each country.

Today, I believe, there is no doubt of the huge importance that happiness has in our world, in our everyday routines and welfare. There is no secret as to why the United Nations decreed, in 2012, March 20^th as the “International Day of Happiness” in order for governments to contemplate “happiness” as part of their management and administration.

Cultural arrangements: Are Colombians truly different from other Latin Americans?

By Vanessa Osses Jaramillo (7th semester FIGRI student, the World in English elective)

It is undeniable that each Latin American country has its very own identity: every society has its own experiences, history, people and organization. But, at the same time, it is impossible to ignore that countries from this part of the world are characterized by a strong multicultural component: besides their uniqueness, countries from this region are not so different from each other.

First of all, it is pertinent to talk about Colombians. The term ‘Colombian’ includes many communities that are really different from each other: some people assume that we are, as a society, a mix of regions that sometimes can’t agree or even understand the other’s position. People also think that maybe we are a sort of Yugoslavia of our continent, a country full of misunderstandings and stereotypes.

Colombia has a large biodiversity and also has an enormous human diversity. The main question at this point is if that condition makes us different from the rest of Latin America. 

Let’s stop here for an instant. It is relevant to emphasize that the case of Colombia is not isolated from the respective cases of other Latin American countries. Is this statement true? Well, let’s build it up.

The construction of Latin American societies has been a process based on very particular cultural mixes. This cultural diversity makes Latin Americans what we are: yes! Including Colombians.

We are not so different because, in essence, we are the mixture of the ‘continental’ (better called European) cultures that traveled to the ‘New World’ and the ancient native civilizations that were present in the territory when the colonists arrived. We are the final product that was born between two distant cultures: the indigenous and the European. Our ‘Mestizaje’ was not a choice: It was the only option that those explorers of the late 15^th century gave to our predecessors. Even exceeding our ancestor’s will, the imposition of ‘correct’ ways of developing countries labeled our beginning as one that was full of abuse, discrimination and violence.

Latin American Countries were built with a Spanish, British, French, Portuguese and also an unexpectedly Dutch point of view. This obviously excludes the aboriginal context. That’s how societies like Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Surinam, Paraguay, Uruguay, Panamá, Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Peru, etc. appeared on the world map.

In my opinion, this fact is truly relevant as a reminder. Latin America is known around the globe as a region that paradoxically is very racist and abundant in discrimination. And Colombia is not an exception. Sometimes, in our region, we forget that our history is similar and extremely correlated, and that makes us stereotype others. We have built an absurd competition in Latin America of discovering who is the best and which nationality is better. Our problems are increasing the distance between us, and our problems are fed by forgetting that we all are truly similar.

“We are only as blind as we want to be” – Maya Angelou

By Gabriela Moreno Roa (8th semester FIGRI student, Interculturality elective)

When I turned 15, my uncles and my grandma invited me to Cancun, Mexico. It was a big surprise for me, as I thought I wasn’t going to do anything for my birthday, and besides that, I got the chance to travel with both of my favorite cousins in the world: Maquita and Daniela. Although it was amazing, and it would be nice to talk about the incredible things I did there, this piece is not quite about that.

One sunny day, we were at the pool of the hotel when we saw this girl about our age joking with her mom. There was something particular about her that made me stare at her. She had a special face, but I couldn’t tell why, so I tried not to be too obvious. The day continued normally, until the hotel entertainers made an announcement: “it’s time for the dancing contest”, one of them said.  

The next thing that happened was that this particular girl stood up and went to the dance floor, but whenever she tried to get out of the pool she needed the help of her mom and the entertainer. That was when I understood that she was a blind girl. Her name is Macarena Dealesandro, she lives in Argentina with her mom, dad and dog, she has a big sister named Pamela and apparently, they love each other a lot.

Macu became our friend after that, as my cousins and I also went to the dancing contest, where of course we all felt embarrassed, yet we had a great time. At this point of the story, I want to say I felt bad for Macu because of her condition. She once told us she dreamed of taking her bicycle and riding it through all her neighborhood, not telling anyone and not needing anyone’s help, so I felt awful as I understood there were little details of life that maybe she wouldn’t be able to experience.

That night, we were having dinner with my family and next to our table were Macu’s mom and dad. They asked us in a very polite way if we could spend some time after dinner with Macu, as they wanted some time alone to have a romantic evening (after Macu’s birth there had been few occasions where they had time for themselves and the relationship). My uncles and my grandma agreed, so we spent some time in Macu’s room.

Well, the sleepover started and our friend began to talk about how she got a new computer from her family: a special one for blind people. The computer talked to her, so she could give it instructions about what she wanted to do. The interesting thing about it, besides the fact that none of us had a computer that talked to us, was when she showed us a video where she got to sing with this incredible Argentine singer named Soledad Pastorutti in one of her concerts!

Even though I’m not blind, I haven’t had the chance to sing with my favorite singer, so it was amazing that Macu could! It was like a big bucket of cold water for me at that moment. I didn’t feel bad any more for Macu; I figured out that despite being blind, that didn’t stop her from achieving her dreams. It was shocking for me to see that blind people have a wide range of possibilities and that their destiny is not only to be at home and be cared for by everyone. That’s why they say, “We are only as blind as we want to be”.

The Year of Nairo Quintana

By Juan Camilo Jiménez (1st semester Social Communication student, level 4 English)

Nairo Quintana, the Colombian cyclist, was born in Cómbita, Boyacá in 1990. After Lucho Herrera, Nairo was the second Colombian to win La Vuelta a España. In the last couple of years, Nairo has been honored as the best Colombian cyclist taking part in the world tour. He also won the Giro d’Italia in 2014.

Nairo is currently considered one of the best climbers worldwide because of his resistance on routes with high slopes. He has always been considered as one of the favorites, and has won some of the hardest laps.

Cycling has been one of the most important sports in Colombia since the 1980s when Colombian cyclists were given the nickname escarabajos due to their great ability to climb. During that period, great cyclists like Lucho Herrera, Fabio Parra, Patrocinio Jimenez and more won in Europe. That's how Colombians began to get excited about every race and radio broadcast about cycling.

When Nairo and all the other Colombian cyclists take part in a race, people feel excited and anxious about what may happen. They get up in the morning to see the stages and when we are victorious, the country becomes one, manifesting joy and support from the streets of its cities and towns. In my case I am a big fan of cycling, so every victory awakens pride in me. For example on 20th July 2013 when Nairo won the mythical stage of the French Alps on Colombian Independence Day, I have to admit that tears of happiness rolled down my face.

In 2014 when Nairo went to the Giro d’Italia, he won and was proclaimed the first Latin American cyclist to take first place in this race. This caused euphoria in Colombians who came out to celebrate the victory and to give him a magnificent welcome on his return to the country.Then, he went to Spain, but he didn’t have a good experience because despite being first in the classification, he fell and had to quit the competition.

After that, in 2015 Nairo went to Tour de France. He came second in the general classification, and in La Vuelta he came fourth. 2016 is until now the best year for Nairo Quintana, because he won different races like Tour de Romandie, Volta a Catalunya and last, but not least, La vuelta a España. In the Tour de France, Nairo once again was the main figure in the race. He came third in the general classification, getting his third podium in three races. Nairo’s success in 2016 brought back the love for cycling in Colombia and was the reason for joy and celebration for all Colombians.

In 2017 Nairo finished in second place in the Giro d’Italia. He lost first place in the last stage, but took his place on the podium of this great race. After that, he went to the Tour de France but this time he could not take a place on the podium because he didn’t have time to rest between one race and the next.

In 2018, after six years of accumulating experience, Nairo only has the Tour de France in mind. Therefore, he will only run one of the three great races, and before the Tour he will have a very light schedule.

All Colombians hope that 2018 will be the year when Nairo finally gets the Triple Crown in cycling, and achieves the best, which will turn 2018 into the best year of his career.

Home is where the heart is: I beg to differ

By Juanita Botero (7th semester FIGRI student, Interculturality elective)

When I first decided to pack my bags and move to a different city for my undergraduate degree, I didn’t think much about the differences between the place and people that I’d meet and interact with for the following 5 years of my life. Of course, I had thought about washing my clothes, cooking, doing groceries, for that was what was expected about moving alone.

Throughout my life, I had always heard about how different “rolos”, or people from Bogotá, were from “paisas” or people from Medellín or Antioquia. But I hadn’t paid a lot of attention to those stereotypes; in the end we were all Colombians. How different could we be?

It turns out, we were different, even if we did share a lot of common ground as well. The first difference I noticed was how reserved they were. In Medellín, especially in my family and the school where I studied for 14 years, people were loud and outgoing. Even if you didn’t know them, they treated you like lifelong friends; there was a sense of belonging even if you didn’t belong.

When I arrived in Bogotá, I noticed that this was somehow different.  It was not that they were rude, like some people had warned me, but they did have a way about them, not loud, not instantly friendly, just guarded. It was strange, because I was used to the warmness of my people, but I didn’t dislike that distance either. 

When I moved to Bogotá, it was a time of rapid changes for me. I had graduated high school and started university in a different city, away from my family, my pets, and my lifelong friends and yet, I got used to this a little bit too fast. When I realized all the changes that I had gone through, it was already too late to back up.

I remember perfectly the day I moved. I didn’t feel nervous, I didn’t have those butterflies in the pit of my stomach that used to visit me when something new and exciting was happening. But they did come, exactly one year after I first moved. I started noticing more differences between rolos and paisas. And I started missing my old home; I started questioning myself. Had I made the right decision? I started missing the flavor of the food I had eaten for 19 years of my life. Here it just wasn’t right. I started missing all the green I was used to seeing every day on my commute. Here it just wasn’t enough. I started missing the warmness and tough skin of my people. For me, here, it was just too cold and people were just too touchy-feely.

But, as I had been before, I was wrong. It wasn’t too cold, they weren’t touchy-feely, the food wasn’t bad; I was just homesick, as I hadn’t been back for a year. I got the sudden urge to be back in Medellín, and I did go back. But as soon as I was bored back home, I started missing a lot of things that I had back here in Bogotá: friends I’d made, the cold weather and the freedom I had gained.

When people ask me if I love Bogotá, I will always answer the same “I love Bogotá, it’s my home, but my heart will always be in Medellín”

And I guess I now have two homes; the first is the one that built me, that saw me grow. The second is the one that I made for myself, in a completely different city.

My first time in the United Nations Models world: crazy yet fascinating

By Natalia Castiblanco (7th semester FIGRI student, Interculturality elective)

It was Friday, April 28 when I set foot for the first time in Universidad del Bosque, headquarters of the 2017 version of COLMUN (United Nations Model of Colombia). Little did I know that it would be the beginning of a crazy yet fascinating process I adore even today. However, United Nations Models are no fairy tale, and the culture shock will inevitably get to you.

The training

The preparation started in February 2017, approximately three months before the real model, and included earning the actual quota to participate in it. Once I was part of the attending delegation, I started talking to a lot of people —including students and professors, reading thousands of articles written by the NGO/press agent I was representing (The Cato Institute) and thinking about all the possible scenarios in which The Cato could get involved. The most entertaining part was attempting to think like The Cato, trying to give advice, talk and write just as if I was one of their executive writers. 

Throughout this entire process, it was as though I had to forget about Natalia Castiblanco. That is how I understood one of the main products of the MUN world: delegates instead of people.

The dress code and the parliamentary procedure

My comprehension of this phenomena got deeper when the model started, on Saturday —which is usually the longest and toughest day. I was meant to arrive 30 minutes early, dress according to a very specific code and speak as stated in the COLMUN handbook (which I had already read). The handling of all these MUN practices was not always a dreamy experience; on the first day, I forgot my name tag, which not only identified me during the entire model but was my main resource to communicate during committee sessions. That day, I had to go back home and bring it back with me… Obviously, that took a while and I arrived late to my first press release - so convenient, right?

The fellowship

After two full work days, Sunday night was designated to host the MET Gala Ball (the official COLMUN party). Even though I was not really in the mood to attend it, my entire delegation gave some details about it and my conclusion is: partying in the MUN world is a mixture between the Latin Grammys and the Project X movie. That means fancy clothing, lots of pictures and tons of cheap alcohol… A charming experience for every 20 year old, but surely not for an introvert trying to survive their first MUN.

What warmed my heart during those four intense days wasn’t the understanding of my colleagues during Sunday night, but the entire model. Three days before COLMUN 2017 began, my brother was diagnosed with severe depression and hospitalized in a psychiatric clinic in Bogotá. The silence and sadness that surrounded my heart during those days was overcome by all the love and support from my entire delegation, especially from my directive board of the moment… Then, I understood the meaning of the fellowship perspective of the MUN world. 

The awards

Less expected than ever, I won the ‘outstanding delegate’ award from among my entire committee. The feeling of walking down the hall with a full auditorium with their eyes on me was overwhelming, but in the end, it truly pleased me. The personal growth I accomplished during COLMUN is just impossible to really tell, so, for those of you who are doubting whether to attend one of these enigmatic models or not: go ahead! Doing it will change your world.

Avatar: human reality

By Martha Rincón & Anamaría Zambrano

Avatar was directed by James Cameron. It was produced in the United States in 2009. It last 162 minutes. The cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, MIchelle Rodríguez, and Giovanni Ribisi. It is an action, adventure and science fiction film that shows our reality as human beings.

Jake Sully is an ex-marine that is handicapped due to the war. A long time ago, he was trying to get better, or recover his mobility, and Sully is selected to participate in the Avatar program, taking the place of his deceased brother. So, Jake is transferred to Pandora, a moon which not only has a totally new atmosphere, but also an amazing biodiversity.

Avatar is a scientific program which pursues the creation of a new body, one of the community members of Pandora. They create this, by mixing both human and native DNA.

The main idea of the movie is the conflict between humans and the native species, because humans want to extract unobtainium, which is a very expensive mineral.

On the other hand, Avatar could be interpreted in various ways. From a political perspective, we can analyse the relationships of power and the desire to colonise and command.

Finally, we totally recommend this movie, because it makes people think about the reality of our planet and its environment. It's so thought-provoking.

How to lose weight

By Daniela Amaya & Ana Taborda

For the people who want to lose weight, there are two things that are important to do.

The first piece of advice is that you have to have a good diet. During the day people need to eat at least five different meals. The main meals like breakfast, lunch and dinner are important, and between these, you have to eat some snacks like yoghurt, fruit, or healthy cookies.

The main kind of food for your diet in the main meals needs to be protein, like meat or fish, etc., with one carb like potatoes, yucca, bread or other things. Also, it is healthy to add vegetables and water to drink. All of these need to be low in sugar and salt.

The second piece of advice is that it is important to have an active life, doing sports or exercise, because our bodies need to be active to help our muscles and cardiovascular capacity as well as your self-esteem. You have to consider that all of this is going to be achieved with discipline, because if you don't do this, it isn't going to work.

Healthy Diets for University Students

By Andrea Garzón Garzón & Juan Villalba Muriel

Nowadays university students have bad health routines, because stress, academic burdens, heavy traffic, and so on, are causing bad life habits. For this reason, many students suffer from illnesses related to the academic system that is implemented through bad time management.

As we mentioned before, this terrible practice is the cause of serious health problems, such as cancer, diabetes, stress, stomach flu, gastritis, headaches and mental health disorders.

For this reason, a good management of healthy life routines accompanied by exercise, calm, and frequent medical checks, guarantees a long life with a healthy and perfect daily routine.

Finally, it's important to implement this life habit in our daily lives to have good health and avoid future problems that could compromise your life.

Chinese: More than a language, a tool for business and life

By Andrés Ferrans

In recent years and since China has become one of the biggest commercial powers, Mandarin has become particularly important, primarily in the world of business. Because of this, many people who are interested in working in the area of trade have started learning this complex language, in order to have an advantage over their competitors.

Why Mandarin?

Even without this being planned, Mandarin – commonly known as Chinese – has become a fundamental tool for international trade: even more so than English. Carlos Aguirre, Strategic Planning Manager at INCAE Business School, suggests that due to China’s relevance, it is necessary for businesspeople to adapt and learn Chinese. In the same way, according to Universia Chile, learning this language opens many doors for people in the world of work and more and more national and international companies see the importance of job candidates working on this language in order to be able to create and formalise trade agreements with China.

Mandarin is not only used in traditional business, but it is also a truly useful tool when doing business via the Internet. There are businesses – and more than a few – which obtain the majority of their income through the Internet. This means that being able to communicate in Chinese guarantees access to a larger amount of potential customers, as well as giving these companies the opportunity to promote their products and services to a much wider population.

Bearing this in mind and due to growing demand, many universities, business schools and language institutes have opted to teach this language, with the aim of helping their students to be successful professionals. At the same time that these institutions give more and more importance to this activity, they are not the only ones. Many companies have also started to hire teachers who can teach Mandarin to their employees. We can also see that various schools have taken the initiative to start teaching this language to their pupils starting from primary school.

However, it’s also important to remember that as much as Chinese is a great tool for online business, English still is and will continue to be the most established language for both Internet-based and more traditional forms of business. Carlos Aguirre asserts that English is the international language for business, and points to how the majority of websites, including Chinese sites, have English translations. This shows that English is still the global language and that it would currently be difficult for Chinese to overtake it. All the same, Aguirre restates that Mandarin is important to learn.
Not just good for business

Even if you’re not interested in business, Mandarin can be very useful for anyone willing to learn it. One vital reason to learn it is that it’s a very effective way to stimulate and train your brain, given the amount of symbols that are part of the language and that studying it means that you are developing both hemispheres of your brain. It has also been shown that people who start to study Mandarin from an early age become skilled at mathematics, due to calculus being part of this language. Another positive effect of learning Mandarin is the possibility to learn more about Asian culture. Learning a new language means learning about its literature, philosophy, films and music. Starting to learn Chinese can be seen as a challenge, as for Spanish speakers this sort of language, with so many symbols and different interpretations, can be difficult to study, but with time and dedication it’s possible to master the language.

Finally, I’ll leave you with your first challenge to start to learn one of the world’s most important languages: 千  里  之  行 ，始  于  足  下

There is Hope behind ‘Colombia Humana’

By Cristhian Leonardo Moya Prieto

Most Colombian people have had enough. Corruption, injustice, terrible management and wrong governments have made this country an unhappy place that is currently getting worse. However, we have always chosen the same fake and dishonest politicians every year and then we complain about how they have destroyed our nation. In addition, we often judge what seems to be different and believe that alternatives will never bring something good. Nevertheless, one of those alternatives that is getting stronger this year is Gustavo Petro. I believe that his proposals promise a revolutionary change for Colombia. What he wants to do has never been done in our country before. He plans to improve the nation by having a full vision and is sure about what he will do for education, environment, transport, security and economy. He possesses a confidence that no other candidate has right now. 

Firstly, all of his ideas revolve around one objective, which is to fight against inequality. Colombia has historically been a place with lots of people whose needs are not covered and who have limited chances to advance through their lives. To achieve this goal, his government will prioritize the services for early childhood. These services will encompass health, education, and the most important, affection. I agree with the importance Petro has given to education in his plan. With Petro, education will not be a privilege anymore. He will make education a free right and will guarantee its access to everyone. In addition, education will start with giving teachers more job guaranties, and with giving students more spaces for sports, arts and culture. Furthermore, Petro believes health and access to it should not be a business, which is why he will make the health system free again. I strongly believe these ideas are enough to make Colombian people worthy. Education will make us reach freedom and wealth, and the access to health will improve our quality of life.

Secondly, he wants to reform the economic system that has ruled our nation and that evidently has not been good at all. However, this is a difficult challenge to implement. Firstly, because he is going to implement a productive economy, and the economy that currently exists is an extractive economy. I personally think this is a large step to recognise something that identifies Colombia, which is its agriculture. The deforestation and extractive model executed in the whole territory has affected our progress economically, industrially and environmentally. Making Colombia an agricultural nation will allow its industrialisation, the protection of ecosystems, the improvement of strategic sectors (such as the sector of services or the textile sector) and the importance to rural people who currently sustain millions of inhabitants. In conclusion, Colombia has not known how to take advantage of its almost unique natural and social resources to produce and be a strong economy, and this is what Petro wants to take advantage of.

Finally, one of the most important points that will make us live better together, is the recognition of diversity. Gustavo Petro will emphasize his government and his policies for those who have almost always been excluded from the rest of the nation. This diversity consists in giving power to women in all aspects of public life and in providing them the same opportunities men have. Children, teenagers, disabled people and older adults will also benefit from the proposals that Petro has made. Something that most of Colombians have not even recognized or given importance to is the impressing diversity in culture and origins this country has and what Petro specifically wants to achieve is to make them more visible and more participative. I can say that many people in this nation do not feel represented and are sadly quiet. Petro wants to remove this. He explains that diversity and pluralism are wealth, and I believe that making people own their values is going to be the first step to eradicate inequality, poverty and inequality.

Finally, these arguments show the real purpose of Gustavo Petro, and the goals he aspires to achieve. I believe he is the candidate with the most potential, and the most honest of all the campaigners. He has been specific and knows exactly what he is going to do, and how he will do it. Petro has seen the reality of the people. Traveling around his country has permitted him to become the candidate of the people.

What I most value from his plan is the interest he has in recovering the essence of Colombia, by reviving agriculture, industry and culture. Gustavo Petro will be a person who will fight for a better quality of life, will improve education and health and will try to recover the confidence people have lost in the state. I trust he will do it well and that he will be different. Colombia needs an urgent change today, more than ever. Colombia Humana gives us hope in dreaming of a much better country.