Ich studiere hier in Puerto Rico Biologie. Das Studium dauert vier Jahre bis zum Bachelor, also ein Jahr länger als in der Schweiz. Danach könnte ich den Master auch hier machen, doch ich glaube, ich gehe eher woanders hin dann. Das Studium ist leider ziemlich verschult. In manchen Kursen ist es wirklich fast wie Schule, auch von der Unterrichtsmethode und Klassengrösse her. Zudem habe ich vielen Kursen Hausaufgaben und neben den Semesterprüfungen auch Prüfungen während des Semesters. Auch in der Auswahl der Kurse hat man hier nicht viel Freiheit. Erst in den letzten beiden Jahren kann man dann selbst ein bisschen entscheiden, was man belegen möchte. Ebenfalls muss ich während den ersten beiden Jahren Kurse belegen, die überhaupt nichts mit Biologie zu tun haben. Im Moment belege ich zum Beispiel „Amerikanische Literatur des frühen 20. Jahrhunderts“, und nächstes Semester werde ich wahrscheinlich Geschichte belegen.
Das Biologiedepartement hat zum Glück den Vorteil, dass es das größte Departement der Universität ist, und in einem brandneuen Gebäude ist. Das bedeutet, dass das Kursangebot relativ groß ist in Biologie, und dass die Infrastruktur gut ist.
Leider aber wollen viele der Studenten in Biologie gar nicht Biologen sein, sondern Ärzte. Das System hier ist eben so, dass man erst nach einem abgeschlossenen Bachelorstudium anfangen kann, Medizin zu studieren, und da liegt ein Biologiebachelor halt nahe. Einerseits ist das schade, weil so viele Mitstudenten in Biologie an einem Interessenmangel leiden. Andererseits ist es auch gut für mich, denn die Professoren, die ja alle selbst Biologen sind, freuen sich immer wenn sie Studenten wie mir begegnen, die tatsächlich auch Biologen sein möchten.
In der Schweiz könnte ich vielleicht auf einem etwas höheren Niveau in kürzerer Zeit ein Bachelorstudium in Biologie absolvieren. Doch auch hier stehen mir später alle Türen offen. Es hat zum Beispiel immer wieder Studenten von dieser Uni, die ihr Masterstudium dann an einer Top-Uni, wie zum Beispiel Harvard, machen. Und wenn ich nicht hier wäre, würde ich ganz viele andere Erfahrungen nicht machen, die es auf jeden Fall wert sind.
Samstag, 30. April 2011
Sonntag, 10. April 2011
Freitag, 1. April 2011
Grito de Lares
As well as boasting the world’s larges radio telescope and its youngest ever boxing champion, Puerto Rico also holds the dubious distinction of having the created the history’s shortest-lived republic. The independent republic of Puerto Rico, proclaimed during the abortive Grito de Lares (Cry of Lares) in 1868, lasted slightly less than 24 hours.
Worn down by slavery, high taxes and the asphyxiating grip of Spain’s militaristic rulers, independence advocates in the Caribbean colonies of Puerto Rico and Cuba were in the ascendancy throughout the 1850’s and 60’s. Ironically, it was the Puerto Ricans who acted first. Under the auspices of exiled intellectual and physician Dr. Ramon Emeterio Betances, an insurrection was planned in the western town of Lares for September 29, 1868. A ship carrying armed reinforcements from the Dominican Republic was supposed to act as backup but, due to an anonymous betrayal a few weeks beforehand, it was apprehended by the Spanish authorities along with various key rebel leaders. Flailing from the setback, the remaining rebels elected to bring the their planned revolt forward six days to September 23, a move that would ultimately cost them dearly.
Meeting at a farm, codenamed Centro Bravo, owned by Venezuelan-born rebel Manuel Rojas on the evening of September 23, over 600 men and women marched defiantly on the small town of Lares near Mayaguez, where they were met with minimal Spanish resistance. Declaring a Puerto Rican republic from the main square, the rebels placed a red, white and blue flag – designed by Betances – on the high altar of the main church and named Francisco Ramirez Medina head of a new provisional government. Fatefully, the glory wasn’t to last. Electing next to march on the nearby town of San Sebastian, the poorly armed liberation army walked into a classic Spanish military trap and were quickly seen off by superior firepower. A handful of the militia were killed by Spanish bullets while hundreds more – including Rojas and Medina – were taken prisoner.
While the Grito de Lares was decapitated swiftly and never won widespread grassroots support on the island, the action did lead to some long-term political concessions. In the years that followed, the colonial authorities passed liberal electoral reforms, granted Puerto Rico provincial status and offered Spanish citizenship to all criollos (island-born people of European descent). The biggest victory, however, came in 1873 with the abolition of slavery and granting of freedom to over 30,000 previously incarcerated slaves.
Aus: Lonely Planet Puerto Rico
Worn down by slavery, high taxes and the asphyxiating grip of Spain’s militaristic rulers, independence advocates in the Caribbean colonies of Puerto Rico and Cuba were in the ascendancy throughout the 1850’s and 60’s. Ironically, it was the Puerto Ricans who acted first. Under the auspices of exiled intellectual and physician Dr. Ramon Emeterio Betances, an insurrection was planned in the western town of Lares for September 29, 1868. A ship carrying armed reinforcements from the Dominican Republic was supposed to act as backup but, due to an anonymous betrayal a few weeks beforehand, it was apprehended by the Spanish authorities along with various key rebel leaders. Flailing from the setback, the remaining rebels elected to bring the their planned revolt forward six days to September 23, a move that would ultimately cost them dearly.
Meeting at a farm, codenamed Centro Bravo, owned by Venezuelan-born rebel Manuel Rojas on the evening of September 23, over 600 men and women marched defiantly on the small town of Lares near Mayaguez, where they were met with minimal Spanish resistance. Declaring a Puerto Rican republic from the main square, the rebels placed a red, white and blue flag – designed by Betances – on the high altar of the main church and named Francisco Ramirez Medina head of a new provisional government. Fatefully, the glory wasn’t to last. Electing next to march on the nearby town of San Sebastian, the poorly armed liberation army walked into a classic Spanish military trap and were quickly seen off by superior firepower. A handful of the militia were killed by Spanish bullets while hundreds more – including Rojas and Medina – were taken prisoner.
While the Grito de Lares was decapitated swiftly and never won widespread grassroots support on the island, the action did lead to some long-term political concessions. In the years that followed, the colonial authorities passed liberal electoral reforms, granted Puerto Rico provincial status and offered Spanish citizenship to all criollos (island-born people of European descent). The biggest victory, however, came in 1873 with the abolition of slavery and granting of freedom to over 30,000 previously incarcerated slaves.
Aus: Lonely Planet Puerto Rico
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