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CMLL

The Foreign Language Building Renamed

The name of the Foreign Languages building has officially been changed to Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures. New signage will be added to the exterior of the building in the near future.

The Remaking of a Scholarly Place

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The former Instituto de Estudios Hispánicos, which currently holds a small Hispanic Studies library in the basement of the Foreign Languages Building, is launching a new beginning with the archival reclassification of three major collections, Boyd Carter Collection, Homero Castillo Collection, and the latest acquisition, Janet Perez Collection. The archive houses original documents and first edition volumes from the Hispanic Modernismo and scholarly research dealing with Manuel Gutierrez Najera and Ruben Dario.

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Under the supervision of Dr. Pereyra, student assistants Jessica Stoddard (left) and Tito Olaide (right) help protect the book collection.

The new Janet Perez Collection holds Dr. Janet Perez scholarly publications and unpublished material, along with the most significant volumes of her personal library (a collection of hundreds of books). Dr. Rodrigo Pereyra is in charge of organizing and classifying the material, which will also be digitized for easier access for scholars via the web. The project takes into account the preservation of original documents which are being classified and stored in proper protected areas.

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The new project promises to have the archives available for scholarly research, and a remodeling of the facility is currently taking place for this purpose. The space is divided in two large rooms; one of those rooms will be used for faculty and scholarly meetings. The other space will hold the most of the book and document collections.

CMLL Graduate Student Orientation

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Graduate students studying in the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures participated in the annual CMLL Graduate Orientation on August 25-26. New and veteran teaching assistants met with faculty and language program coordinators to prepare for the fall semester. During the two-day orientations students attended sessions regarding their teaching responsibilities and information about their respective graduate programs. Dr. Collopy welcomed everyone and gave the opening remarks.

CMLL Faculty & Staff Gatherings

CMLL Welcome Back Breakfast

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Faculty, staff, and graduate students gathered around the table on August 24 in the lobby of the 2nd floor of the Foreign Languages Building to share a cup of coffee, a delicious breakfast and great memories of summer adventures during the annual CMLL Welcome Back Breakfast.

2016 Faculty Staff Tailgate

Several CMLL faculty and staff members were spotted tailgating at the College of Arts & Sciences tailgate before the TTU vs. Louisiana Tech football game on September 17. Dr. W. Brent Lindquist, Dean of Arts and Sciences organized the private event on Boston Avenue near Holden Hall for Arts for faculty and staff in the College of Arts & Sciences. Event photos

Fall Party

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Drs. Collopy and Qualin opened their home to CMLL faculty & staff to enjoy an evening of light hearted conversation over a delicious meal on October 21.

Thanksgiving & Holiday Staff Parties

CMLL staffers jumped into the holiday spirit with a Thanksgiving potluck lunch on November 23, 2016. After having feasted on traditional Thanksgiving fair, a unanimous decision was made that CMLL has some great cooks!

The festivities continued on December 16, 2016 at which time the CMLL staff celebrated the holidays at the lively staff luncheon with a delicious Chinese meal and gift exchange!

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Faculty and staff shared a meal and good conversation at the CMLL holiday luncheon on December 8, 2016.

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Webinars to Promote Oral Skills in the Classroom

The Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures presented a 3-session webinar to promote oral skills in the classroom for faculty, graduate part-time instructors, and teaching assistants on October 13, 2016.

The three sessions topics included:

  • Beyond Grammar & Vocabulary: Learning about Conversation
  • It's Time to Talk ... We have Things to Do!
  • Priming the Pump for Maximum Engagement in the Classroom

Swing and big bands in the Cinema of the 40's and 50's

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Dr. Phil Powrie, Professor of Cinema Studies, University of Surrey, gave a talk entitled, "Swing and big bands in the Cinema of the 40's and 50's" on October 20, 2016 in the International Cultural Center. He is one of the world's leading experts in cinema studies, specializing in French film. One of his recent publications include Bicultural Literature and Film in French and English (co-edited with Peter I. Barta, 2016, Texas Tech University). The event was sponsored by the Office of International Affairs, Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, Department of Journalism & Electronic Media, Department of English, and the CH Foundation.

Language & Culture Day

The Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures invited teachers of languages other than English and their students to Language & Culture Day on October 28, 2016. Approximately 150 high school students from the surrounding areas of West Texas celebrated the love of studying languages and cultures. Each participant had the opportunity to visit a language class of their choice, meet students and professors in CMLL, participate in one of four fun competitions, tour the TTU campus, to learn about how foreign languages can serve them in their future careers. Awards were given at the end of the day to deserving students in each of the category. Winners received a monetary gift awarded to their school's language teacher to be spent on supplies for language program at their school.

Language and Culture Day Coordinator - Dr. Allison Cattell, Assistant Director Language Learning Lab & Research Center

Moderator - David Villarreal, Director of the Language Laboratory & Research Center

Culture Competition

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Teams of two students each set up beautiful tabletop displays that elucidated an aspect of the target culture such as customs, food, holidays, history, religion, etc. Displays were accompanied by a 300-500 word description outlining what the project portrays, why it is important for the culture in which it manifests, why it is interesting to the group who created the display, and what insights they would like people to gain by interacting with their display.

Creative Competition

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Teams of 2-4 presented original works that included an element of target language, e.g. skits, dance routines, musical performances, etc.

Language Competition

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Teams of 2 members competed by asking and answering questions about a picture resulting in an oral picture description.

Literature Competition

Teams of 2-4 members gave oral presentations from memory of poetry or excerpts of prose or drama in the target language.

Panel Discussion – Languages, Cultures, and My Career

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Before concluding the event, students appreciated hearing 3 panelist, Drs. George Spoth (Executive Associate Dean of International Programs, Whitacre College of Engineering; Lars Winther Christensen (Professor, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, College of Arts & Sciences; Paul Pare (Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, College of Arts & Sciences) share how knowing one or more foreign languages have impacted their careers and personal lives.

CMLL Poets - The Tradition Carries On!

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Once again, the CMLL Live Poetry tradition came alive thanks to the coordination of Drs. Genaro Pérez and Rodrigo Pereyra. It's been a tradition that towards the end of every semester, faculty and graduate students come together to share and give a reading of their personal creative writing. On December 9, 2016, a group of enthusiastic graduate students presented their fictional writings, poetry, short story, and essay reflections.

The event concluded with a Book Giveaway where students were able to take free books shared by the CMLL department; students voluntarily donated a symbolic amount of money to be added to the Dr. Janet Perez Memorial Fund for the TTU Spanish Graduate Program.

CMLL Presenters:

  • Rolando Díaz: Más Pretty Que Las Rucas (short story), R&R (short story)
  • Isabel Ojeda: Lujuria, Desnudo, Nostalgia (poems)
  • David Arocho-Pérez: Tipos de amantes (creative essay)
  • Rocío Vargas: Una parodia del borracho enamorado (essay)
  • Cecilia Palacio-Ribón: ¿Un espacio en blanco o un hoyo negro? (essay)
  • Genaro Pérez: Three poems from his latest poetry book, Estelas en la mar

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Learning Language Lab and Research Center

Virtual Walking Tour of Sorrento, Italy

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The LL&RC hosted a virtual walking tour of Sorrento, Italy! The Qualia Room became the entrance to the virtual city where faculty and students participated in a live one-hour walking tour on November 8, 2016.

TTU Worldwide eLearning sponsored this virtual tour of Sorrento, Italy. During the one-hour tour, participants were immersed in Italian culture as Luca Genovese, Georama's expert tour guide, took them through the streets of this beautiful coastal town. From the starting point of Piazza Tasso, they headed through the "Valley of the Mills, " then through the city's main shopping center, Corso Italia, moving into the charming historic lanes of the Old Town Centre, and finally concluded in the Cloister of San Francesco, a medieval cloister dating from the 1300s. Participants were able to direct the guide and ask questions in real time! What a fantastic and authentic way to learn about history, art, architecture, and culture from a distance! Sponsored by Georama.

Online Movie Database

An online movie database has been established by the Language Learning Lab & Research Center for CMLL faculty, staff, and graduate students. Currently, the movie lists that are available are: Arabic, Chinese, Classics, English, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. Movies in Russian, French, ASL, and World Languages will be added to the database very soon.

Applied Linguistics

Television-based English Conversation Groups

From September 14 to December 5, the Graduate Applied Linguistics Society, in conjunction with the ESL Program in CMLL, hosted English conversation groups based on popular television shows on Mondays and Wednesdays for anyone interested in participating in weekly in-depth conversation in English, based on popular television shows. Participants prepared for the group by watching the assigned episode of a television program and noting topics for discussion addressed in the episode.

Arabic

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2016-2017 Officers for the Arabic Language Student Organization

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Pictured left to right – Maegan O'Brien, Rebekah Dimas, Victor Moore, July Sosebee (member), Candace Smith (member), Saad Alamri (not pictured Bahij Atallah, Katie Berry, Naomi Chapman)

President – Victor Moore
External Vice-President – Bahij Atallah
Internal Vice President – Saad Alamri
Secretary – Maegan O-Brien
Treasurer – Katie Berry
Student Organization Representative - Naomi Chapman
Social Chair – Rebekah Dimas

SGA Awards Certificate of Appreciation

The Diversity committee of the Texas Tech Student Government Association awarded the Arabic Language Student Organization a Certificate of Appreciation to acknowledge their involvement on campus, their service, and hard work this fall.

Daily Toreador Features the Arabic Language Student Organization

The Arabic Language Student Organization was featured in an article entitled, "Club promotes Arabic language, diversity" by Arianna Avalle, Staff Writer for the Daily Toreador on October 31, 2016. Click here to read the article.

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Throughout the fall semester, the Arabic Language Student Organization met for conversation, short cultural presentations, activities, and of course food! The semester kicked off with a meeting on September 7 followed by a backyard barbeque on September 17. Meetings continued weekly at the campus Barnes & Noble Bookstore, in the Foreign Languages building, or at local restaurants specializing in Mediterranean cuisine.

Pre-semester Student Outreach

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Prior to the beginning of the fall semester on August 23, 2016, the Arabic Language Student Organization gave a Red Raider welcome to incoming students and information about the organization at the Student Organization Fair during the residence hall move-in period.

Study Abroad Fair

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Attendees at the TTU Study Abroad Fair gathered information about the new CMLL faculty-led study abroad opportunity in Morocco during the summer of 2017 under the direction of Rula Al-Hmoud, Instructor and Coordinator of the Texas Tech Arabic program.

Arabic Language Student Organization Awareness

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Enthusiastic members of the ALSO wanting to promote the ALSO set up a table in the Free Speech Area on October 24th.

Céfiro International Cultural Day – Arabic

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Members the Arabic Language Student Organization dressed in traditional attire, the smell of hot Arabian coffee, and delicious hummus with pita bread drew students to the Arabic table at the Céfiro International Cultural Day for an enriching introduction to Middle Eastern culture.

Middle Eastern Cuisine & Culture

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Immersion is one of the best ways to learn language and culture. The Arabic Club discovered a way to immerse themselves in Middle Eastern cuisine and culture in Lubbock, Texas at a local restaurant on November 9, 2016. A demonstration of Arabic style dancing added a new dimension to the students' cultural knowledge.

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ASL

Silent Raiders Club

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Silent Raiders Officers for AY 2016-2017

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President – Ben Perez
Vice-President – Kenna Dekle
Secretary – Alex-Marie Baez
Event Coordinator – Maddie Stephens
Student Advisor & Graphic Design Artist – Christopher Hernandez
Silent Raider Advisor – Zach Manning

Snapchat!

As of September 7th, the Silent Raiders is now on Snapchat at ttusilentraiders. For club updates, add them!

Silent Raiders Fundraiser

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Burgers for cash! Fuddruckers partnered with the Silent Raiders in a fundraiser on September 22nd. For each burger purchased, a portion of the proceeds were given to the Silent Raiders to use for the organization this fall.

Céfiro International Cultural Day

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The Silent Raiders signed a big "Guns Up!" during the Céfiro International Cultural Day. Students explored ASL through several hands on textile mediums during the event.

Silent Coffee Hour

On November 17th, the Silent Raiders gathered around the fire at a local coffee shop for silent coffee and tea as the last event for the semester.

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Chinese

Officers Planning Meeting

Liuye Chen, the new president of the TTU Chinese Club, presided over the first officers meeting on August 30th to plan the fall semester events for the Chinese Club.

President - Liuye Chen
Vice-President - Mark Albright
Secretary - Alec Harward
Faculty advisor - Dr. Yanlin Wang

Asian Day

On September 6th, the Chinese program set up a magnificent display in the Qualia Room of the Foreign Languages building from 11 am – 12 pm in order to showcase the Chinese and Japanese language programs offered in CMLL in collaboration with Texas Tech's Study Abroad Week. Students discovered the benefits of studying these languages and the possibility of minoring in them. Activities included: a mini concert with Xinwei Wu playing the Er Hu, Chinese traditional musical instrument; Chinese tea served by Liuye Chen, demonstration of Chinese calligraphy by Liuye Chen and an overview of the Chinese language program presented by Mark Albright and Alec Harward.

On September 13th, Liuye Chen hosted the first member meeting during which officer introductions were made. New positions and the fall schedule were announced. The meeting concluded with a celebration of the Chinese Middle-Autumn Festival. The Chinese Club met at a local Chinese restaurant as a fund raiser for the Chinese Club on September 27th. Dr. Yanlin Wang presented on Teaching English in China during which she shared with students about the various employment opportunities in China. Regular meetings during the semester included tutoring, conversation practice through games, preparation for mid-terms and finals.

Cultural Presentations

Several enriching cultural presentations took place throughout the semester with the first topic being, "Revolution of t=Traditional Chinese Women Dresses" presented by Liuye Chen on September 20, 2016. Students enjoyed a presentation on a variety of Chinese snacks during a presentation by instructor of Chinese, Jun-Yao Wu on October 4, then followed by Lo-An Liu, GPTI –Chinese, who gave an enlightening talk on the Chinese legends of ghosts on October 24th. On November 8th, Alec Harward presented an eye-opening talk on Chinese underground.

Chinese Day Culinary Competition and Talent Show

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The Texas Tech CMLL Chinese Program hosted Chinese Day on November 12th at a local city park where the Chinese Culinary Competition and Talent Show took place. In addition to singing, dancing, and Chinese games, guests tried mouth-watering Chinese cuisine after which they cast their vote on their favorite dish. Prizes and awards were presented to the winners.

Céfiro International Cultural Day - Chinese

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A beautifully decorated table welcomed guests to learn about Chinese culture, people, and food, and were presented information regarding the role of Chinese exports on the world economy.

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Classics

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The Classical Society invited all interested students to the first meeting of the semester on September 15th in the Foreign Language Qualia Room. New officer introductions were made and the 2016 t-shirt was available for purchase to promote club spirit.

AY 2016-2017 Classical Society Officers
President - Kristine Mallinson
Treasurer - Michael Boyles
SORC Representative - Jackson Vaughn
Social Media Chair - Hali Johnson

TTU Study Abroad Fair

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The thought of participation in an authentic archaeological dig in Italy enticed interested attendees at the TTU Study Abroad Fair on September 14, 2016. Faculty and graduate students of Classics were on hand to provide information on the 2017 Summer TTU CMLL Classics faculty-led study abroad program in Italy.

Ancient customs, foods, people, and languages intrigue all of us. Graduate students in the Classics program and members of the TTU Classical Society shared with guests their enthusiasm for ancient languages: Latin and Greek. Discussions took place on the impact these languages still have in modern times, on how archaeological digs during the faculty-led study abroad program open a peek into Greek and Roman culture, cuisine, and its rich ancient civilization.

AIA Fall 2016 Series

This fall three lectures sponsored by Departments of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures provided an intriguing glimpse into the Roman Empire for those who enjoy delving into past civilizations.

The first lecture was held on October 20th entitled, "Women, Children and Families in the Military Communities of the Western Roman Empire" presented by Elizabeth, M. Greene (University of Western Ontario).

On November 3rd, the second lecture, "Piecing a Site Together: The Archaeology of the Roman Colony of Libarna" was presented by Hannah Friedman (CMLL Texas Tech University).

The third lecture and final lecture of the fall series co-sponsored by the Departments of Classical & Modern Languages & Literature, Sociology, Anthropology, & Social Work entitled, " Drought and its Demographic Effects in the Maya Lowlands" was presented by Julie A. Hoggarth, (Department of Anthropology, Baylor University) on November 14th. Her new project (funded by the National Science Foundation) focuses on developing a high-resolution radiocarbon chronology for the Belize Valley, based at the sites of Baking Pot and Cahal Pech. Ultimately, this project aims to identify chronological correlations (or lack thereof) between episodes of severe drought from the ninth to eleventh centuries with precisely dated archaeological evidence for political and demographic collapse.

International Archaeology Day

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October 13th was International Archaeology Day! Archaeologists from CMLL gave talks about their exciting experiences and discoveries during their respective summer field study abroad during. Speakers included: Dr. Hannah Friedman (Libama, Italy), Dr. Christopher Witmore (Greece and Norway), Kristine Mallinson (Kenchreai and Naxos, Greece), Jackson Vaughn (Mazi Plain, Greece), Michael Boyles (Libama, Italy), Hali Johnson (Sisi, Crete).

As a follow-up to questions stemming from the talks on October 13, the Classics program set up a table in the Foreign Languages building on October 14, 2016.

Q&A with Jessica Luther, Freelance Journalist and Writer

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Jessica Luther, author of Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Public of Rape, was the keynote speaker at the Gender and Gender Identity Colloquium 2016 hosted by the Texas Tech Women's Studies Program on October 21st. From one Classicist (BA in Classics, Florida State and a MA in Classics, University of Texas in Austin) to another, Luther agreed to a Q & A meeting on October 20 with students in Classics offering a great opportunity for student to learn about her current career in journalism, her most recent book, and to discover how her training in Classics & History has served her as a journalist because sports and culture are the main topics she covers.

Comic Books in Greco-Roman Antiquity

Professor Antonio Stramaglia (Università di Bari & the Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton) gave a talk entitled, "Comic Book" in Greco-Roman Antiquity" on October 24, 2016 in the Qualia Room. The lecture was sponsored by the Classics Excellence Fund and the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures.

Céfiro International Cultural Day - Classics

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Members of the Classical Society and students in the Classics program provided insight into the ancient languages of Greek and Latin and the impact these languages have still in the modern day, the archaeological dig opportunities during the faculty-led study abroad program, and Greek and Roman culture, cuisine, and people.

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French

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Texas Tech French Club Awarded France on Campus Award

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy awarded the "France on Campus Award" to the Texas Tech French Club.

AY 2016-2017 French Club Officers
President: Elizabeth Hammond
Vice President: Daniel Bass
Secretary: Raphinos Uragu
Treasurer: Jerry Cuellar

Conversation Hour

Practice, practice, practice is the old saying for improving oral skills. The French Club members met throughout the semester for French conversation. A creative array of activities added interest to the fall program.

Friday Art Trail

The French Club ventured out to the First Friday Art Trail located in the Lubbock Depot District on September 2, 2016 in anticipation of viewing French art, film, food, fashion, and music.

Tour de France Spin Class

On September 7, 2016, the Tech French Club, the Study Abroad Office, and the REC sponsored the "Tour de France Spin Class" held in the Recreation Center Spin Room. Participants cycled along the virtual French countryside, learned about study abroad opportunities in France and enjoyed croissants!

Crêpes Workshop

The French Club organized a Crêpe Workshop on September 14th. Participants were introduced to the highly esteemed art of crêpe making which includes: mixing batter, spreading it on the heated skillets and flipping them carefully, filling them with a variety of delicious savory or sweet toppings, and savoring each bite!

French Fashion Runway

The Qualia Room turned into a fashion runway on October 5th when members of the French Club joined together with Tech's own Hi-Tech Fashion Group to model original designs. Everyone was encouraged to come in their trendiest outfit or the French Club T-shirt to show off their French flair and marry American and French fashion in a delightful way.

Céfiro International Cultural Day - France

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Visitors experienced traditional French flair at all three French tables where délices français including cheese and baguettes, butter and jam, and croissants were served while learning facts about France, its people, customs, and traditions. Current members of the French Club provided information about the Texas Tech French Club to students interested in getting involved.

French Cheese Tasting

Cheese is truly a party of French identity and it would not be good to be a part of French Club without trying a few different varieties! In order to identify with the French, a French Cheese Tasting was the theme of the last meeting of the semester on . There are more than 300 kinds of cheese made in France divided between the soft and hard cheeses. Even former French Président Charles de Gaulle once said, « Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays qui a deux cent quarante-six variétés de fromage? » ("How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?") The popularity of cheese has earned its way to being a part of the meal, in between the main course and dessert. Typically it is served at room temperature with a nice glass of wine or brandy.

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German

2016-2017 German Club Officers
President – Allison Kowalczyk
Vice-President – Harrison Hawkins
SGA Representative – Kristen Haertling
Media – Heather Kneisel
Treasurer – Justin Blakely

Stammtisch & Kaffeeklatsch

Stammtisch and Kaffeeklatsch, two favorite weekly opportunities to engage in German conversation began in September and continued until the end of the semester. For Stammtisch, students enjoyed conversation over food and drinks at a local restaurant each Thursday, while a local coffee shop served up some piping hot coffee at Kaffeeklatsch.

Suicide Prevention Walk

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The German club supported the Suicide Prevention Walk in Urbanovsky Park on September 18th by lacing up their running shoes and participating in the run-walk event in hopes of bringing awareness to the Texas Tech student body.

Harald Leibrecht - Builder of Bridges between Partners

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CMLL had the pleasure of having Harald Leibrecht speak about current political issues Europe is facing today on October 3, 2016 in the Qualia Room. Leibrecht serves as the Coordinator of German-American Cooperation since July 6, 2011, a post created based on the large areas of shared challenges and values of the United States, Canada, and Germany. Leibrecht said, because "transatlantic relations do not thrive exclusively on cooperation at the political level" and because civil society dialogue between German and the countries of North America is vital, he supports the formation of personal networks between Germany and North America, thus he functions as a builder of bridges between partners.

Movie Nights

Always a favorite, a variety of German films were screened in the Qualia Room of the Foreign Languages building monthly throughout the fall semester.

Slaton Oktoberfest

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Some members of the German Club made their way to Slaton, Texas on October 16th for the 47th Annual Oktoberfest. Guests feasted on German sausage, chicken, homemade German potato salad, and cultural activities were enjoyed by all in attendance.

Presidential Lecture & Performance Series - Art Spiegelman Lecture

The Presidential Lecture & Performance Series provides engaging entertainment and learning opportunities for the Texas Tech campus and community. Some members of the German Club experienced first-hand a rich cultural offering at the first lecture for the fall 2016 events, "What the %@&*! Happened to Comics?" by Art Spiegelman (Pulitzer prize-winning author of the masterful Holocaust narrative Maus) in the Texas Tech Allen Theater on October 21st. The audience took part in a chronological tour of the evolution of comics, all while explaining the value of this medium and the fact that comics echo the way the brain works.

Céfiro International Cultural Day - Germany

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The eye-catching table covered with German cultural information made for a great introduction to Germany, the people, and its culture while sampling apple streusel and pretzels.

Fall Fundraisers - German Breakfast & Lebkuchen & Kaffee

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The annual German Club fundraisers began with the sale of German breakfast treats, breads, and coffee in the lobby of the Foreign Languages Building throughout the morning of November 8, 2016.

Delicious gingerbread dipped in icing or chocolate drew passer-byers to the second fundraiser held during the afternoon of December 2, 2016. Students, faculty and staff savored the German goodies and a hot cup of coffee.

Weihnachtsfest: German Christmas Traditions

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Marlene Selker, Ph.D., (Instructor of German and Coordinator of the lower level German program) organized Weihnachtsfest. Texas Tech's Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures partnered with K-12 GEO to present the highly popular annual German Weihnachtsfest. The event, geared for K-5th grades, introduces German customs and language through cultural activities and crafts, singing German Christmas carols and watching a Puppenspiel (puppet show) performed by German students.

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Italian

Chiacchere with Arianna Avalle

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Chiacchere, or Italian Conversation hour, offers a place where students learning Italian can practice their language skills. The Italian program hosted the first Chicchere on September 30th with guest speaker, Ariana Avalle, President of the Italian Club. Avalle, a junior Marketing major and International Studies minor from Verzuolo, Italy. The region where she comes from is called "Piemonte" which means at the feet of the mountain. Through her personal stories, students were delighted to learn cultural aspects from an Italian native.

2016-17 AY Italian Club Officers
President – Arianna Avalle

Céfiro International Cultural Day - Italy

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Ciao to all who stopped by the Italian Club's table for literally a taste of Italy with fresh Italian bread dipped in delicious olive oil. Visitors enjoyed discussing the Italian program at Texas Tech with TTU students.

Japanese

2016-2017 Genki (Japanese) Club Officers
President: Allison Baker
Treasurer: Emily Martinez
SORC Representative: Ben Miculob

Céfiro International Cultural Day

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The Japanese Club set up a table with information on Japan, its people, customs, and culture. A selection of crafts including origami and tradition Japanese hand held games were available for hands-on attempts at mastery of them.

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Russian

The TTU Russian Club wrecked 'em from the first club meeting on September 7 until the last one on December 3, 2016 resulting in being awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Diversity committee of the Student Government Association in acknowledgement of their involvement on campus through service and hard work!

Russian Club Officers Elected for AY 2016-2017
President: Joseph Jeffrey
Vice President: Megan Grimes
Treasurer: Benjamin Craddock

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L to R: Craddock, Jeffrey, Grimes

Fall Picnic

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October 1st, a gorgeous fall day in Wagner Park, lots faculty and students, a grill, delicious Russian food, Russian music, and games, made for a great fall picnic for the Russian Club!

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Bolshoi Ballet's "The Golden Age"

The Honors College invited the Russian Club to a performance of the Bolshoi Ballet's, "The Golden Age", a Soviet Era ballet with music by Dmitri Shostakovich. In preparation of the screening, students attended a lecture presented by Professor Nicole McClam (Texas Tech Dance Program).

Russian Documentary Screening at the International Cultural Center

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Members of the Russian Club trekked over to the International Cultural Center on October 19 to view the screening of the Russian documentary, "My friend Boris Nemstov", directed by Zosya Rodkevich (2016 Russia: Marx Film), DVD. Sponsors: Russian Cultural Center our Texas, TTU Dept. of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, Office of International Affairs, The CH Foundation, TTU Department of History, and the Russian Club.

Old Fashioned Russian Sing Along

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The Russian Club decided to host a sing along in order to learn some of the most popular Russian songs on October 21, 2016. The first one was so popular among the students that a second one took place in November.

Halloween Special Lecture "Baba Yaga. Dossier. The Villain You Love to Hate"

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Halloween is a great day to learn about the spiritual influences in Slavic folklore. This year's lecture by Irina Drigalenko was on Baba Yaga, one of the most popular folkloric characters, and is said to be a guardian spirit of the fountain of the Waters of Life and of Death. Baba Yaga is the Arch-Crone, the Goddess of Wisdom and Death, the Bone Mother. Wild and untamable, she is a nature spirit bringing wisdom and death of ego, and through death, rebirth. Living in the forest in a hut on chicken legs, brought intrigue as Drigalenko pointed out the incessant mission of Baba Yaga was to find and eat as many unsuspecting passersby!

Bringing Smiles to the Lubbock Children's Home

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Volunteers from each section of Russian program collected food, non-food items, and money for the Lubbock Children's Home in the Free Speech area near the Student Union Building. On November 17th, the Russian Club members delivered the items collected to the Children's Home and shared a delicious traditional Thanksgiving meal with them bring smiles to both receivers and givers.

Winter Party

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Members of the Russian club gathered together on December 3, 2016 to begin celebrating the holidays in Russian style. Joint preparation of the traditional winter salad whet everyone's appetite for the delicious feast that followed. The evening was chocked full of fun with Russian games, music, stories of Russian winter holiday traditions and customs.

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Spanish & Portuguese

Dr. G. Javier Cabrera Trimiño Lecture - Interdisciplinarity and the Culture of Sustainability

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Dr. G. Javier Cabrera Trimiño, writer and humanist, presented a lecture titled, "Cultura De La Sostenibilidad, Población, Medio Ambiente e Interdisciplinaridad" on September 6th in the Foreign Language, Qualia Room. Cabrera Trimiño, Vice President of International University Network, Professor at the Public Administration Studies Center (University of Habana, Cuba) specializes in studies of Population, Environment, Development, and the relationship of culture, environment, heritage management and sustainable development. Cabrera's results of international research at the International University Network shed light on the need to integrate culture studies, literature, population, environment and development to build a base from which to face the opportunities and challenges for sustainable human development and provoked us to think about the implications of our interdisciplinary language and literature studies in his field of research.

TTU Spanish & Portuguese Clubs

Spanish Club

Brown bag lunches and conversation in Spanish drew faculty and students to the TTU Spanish Club's first meeting of the semester, September 18. Information was dispersed about the club entails, election of officers, and the events for the semester.

Portuguese Table

Each Friday throughout the semester the SUB dining area transformed into the Portuguese Table at 3 PM. Learners of Portuguese benefited from interesting conversations on a variety of topics with Dr. Lavigne and graduate part-time instructors.

Spanish & Portuguese Club Movie Nights

Throughout the fall semester, the Spanish Club hosted screenings of a variety of genres of Spanish films from Spain, Argentina, Chili, Puerto Rica, and Cuba. Learners of Spanish enjoyed watching films while earning extra credit for their respective Spanish course.
In addition to Spanish film screenings, Brazilian Movie Nights during October offered learners of Portuguese the experience of watching films in Portuguese.

Texas Tech Study Abroad Fair

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Spanish faculty, Spanish graduate students, and Donna Wright (Study Abroad Office) provided helpful information about the TTU Seville Center and the Mexico Field Course study abroad faculty-led programs offered by Texas Tech on September 14th in the Student Union Ballroom. Students were delighted by the fact that Spanish credits earned abroad will apply to the Foreign Language Core, and majors and minors in Spanish.

Mexico Informational Session

Drs. Zamora and Corbett gave two informational sessions regarding the Mexico Field Course which will be during Summer I, 2017. Interested students gathered information about the benefits of the program, fees, scholarships, coursework, home-stays, excursions, and the application process. The inclusion of a number of participants in the 2016 MFC who shared their personal experiences and answered questions accentuated the TTU motto, "From here, it's possible."

Second Annual Spanglish Day/Breakfast Social

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On November 3rd, the Spanish Heritage Language Program hosted its annual Breakfast Social and Spanglish Day. The event began with an informative introduction and overview of the program including the courses offered and a presentation of the director and instructors. Children from the Service Learning Program at Harwell Elementary read their own creative works. In addition, selected Texas Tech students read their creative works. A total of 5 awards were given to the most engaged students in the program this semester. The recipients were:

  • Nayad Barbery
  • Tamara Bayegan
  • Itzalina Córtez
  • Pricilla Flores
  • Alejandra Loya

The event culminated with a presentation for El Día de los Muertos, a display of altars, and some refreshments.

Embracing Heritage Spanish and Its Place in the US Language Education: Where to Now?

Diego Pascual, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Spanish, examined the impact that ongoing demographic changes will have on the teaching of Spanish as a heritage language in the years to come in a presentation on November 14, 2016 in the Qualia Room. Pascual highlighted insights gained through research and collaboration and provided a visionary discussion that places Spanish as a heritage language in a much more prominent role across all institutional levels. Attendees were invited to think critically about their own current teaching ideas and practices in order to engage all students more effectively in the learning process.

Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Conversation Table

Sigma Delta Pi hosted the Spanish conversation table on weekly on Wednesdays in the Student Union cafeteria dining area. The conversation table provides a great opportunity for student to practice Spanish conversation skills in a relaxed setting over lunch.

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Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures

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    806.742.3145