Mexico Summer 2019 Page 1 Pre-Departure Guide Mexico Summer 2019 Return to Top Mexico Summer 2019 Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Academic Information E. Locale and Facilities A. Faculty and Staff in Mexico 1. Cuernavaca 2. Currency Exchange B. Who to Contact 3. Time C. Book List 4. Weather Conditions D. Registration and Course Information 5. Housing: Facilities and House Rules 1. Registration Information and Dead- G. Communication lines 1. Mailing Address 2. Guidelines and Recommendation for 2. Phones and Phone Numbers Course Registration 3. Computers, Email. Internet Access 3. Information regarding Registration 4. Library Resources for Spanish Courses 5. During Homestay 4. Class Schedule and Contact Hours H. Travel Information E. Related Components 1. Arrival in Cuernavaca 1. Orientation 2. Entry Requirement 2. Excursions 3. Travel within Mexico 3. Concurrent Programs 4. Visits from Family and Friends 4. Living/Learning Environment I. Extracurricular Activities in Cuernavaca 5. Homestays 1. Exercise Options, Sports and Hobbies F. Tentative Calendars and Schedule Infor- 2. Recommended Activities/Locations mation 3. Religious Life J. Money Matters II. General Information K. What To Bring A. Safety and Security 1. General Recommendations 1. Registration with U.S. Embassy 2. Suggested Packing Check List 2. Travel Alerts in Mexico 3. Security Measures at Augsburg Study Map of Mexico and U.S. State Department Center Country Information 5. Travel Advice D. Health Information Advice from Former Students 1. Pre-Departure Resources A. For Students of Color 2. Insurance B. For White Students 3. Common Health Concerns C. For Persons Identifying as Recovering 4. HIV/AIDS Alcoholics or Addicts 5. Dengue Fever D. For Students with Mental Health Issues 6. Zika Virus from Former Students 7. Other Health Concerns E. For LGBTQ Students 8. Health Care Providers F. For Straight Students 9. Alcohol and Drug Abuse G. The GSA (“Gay-Straight Alliance”) 10. Mental Health 11. Diarrhea, Cholera, Typhoid and Dys- Appendices entery Prevention A. Augsburg University Policies B. Education for Life C. Cultural Awareness Return to Top Mexico Summer 2019 Page 3 CGEE FACULTY AND STAFF Primary CGEE Faculty and Staff Working with the Mexico Summer Sessions Antonio Ortega, Instructor and Summer Pro- Dr. Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Mexico Site Direc- gram Coordinator or- tor and Instructor [email protected] lutter- Antonio has nearly [email protected] completed his doctor- In 2011, Ann earned ate in History, as he is her doctorate in in- currently in the process ternational feminist of writing his disserta- theologies from the tion. He earned his San Francisco Theo- Master’s degree in His- logical Seminary, tory at the Centro de which is affiliated with the Graduate Theologi- Investigación y Docen- cal Union at University of California- cia en Humanidades (CIDHEM) and his Licencia- Berkeley. She previously earned a Masters in tura (undergraduate degree + the equivalent of a Divinity (M.Div.), with a focus on Feminist The- one-year M.A.) in Accounting at La Salle Universi- ology and Latin American Liberation Theology ty in Mexico City. Antonio is a Certified Public from Yale University and her B.A. in Peace and Accountant who worked for several years in the Global Studies from Earlham College. In 2000, Mexican stock market. However, he wasn’t hap- she completed a certificate program in Inter- py wearing a suit and tie or living in Mexico City. cultural Communication. Prior to joining the He then went to Oxford, England, where he stud- CGEE-Mexico staff in 1993, Ann worked as a ied English, but after a year he felt homesick, so campus minister at Penn State University and he moved to Cuernavaca, where he has lived hap- in a refugee camp in El Salvador during the rev- pily ever after since 1990. Prior to joining CGEE in olution there. Her prior experience also in- January of 2003, Antonio spent several years cludes activism and volunteer work with HIV/ teaching English and working at CETLALIC Alter- AIDS patients, in homeless shelters, battered native Spanish School, where he promoted the women’s shelters, and a rape crisis center and school and coordinated the Gay and Lesbian hot-line. Her primary academic interests are in Studies Program. In 1999, Antonio received a the areas of intercultural communication, ex- Teaching Certificate from the Anglo American periential education, and religion, gender and School. He is also a founder and active member social change. She enjoys hiking, reading nov- of Grupo CD4, a non-profit organization devoted els, singing, playing piano, and participating in to fighting AIDS through sexual education. His community organizations that empower wom- primary academic interests are LGBT issues, liter- en. Ann is involved in the overall administration ature, and history. He enjoys traveling, movies, of the Mexico site, as well as teaching Religion reading, and writing. Antonio works with Lisanne and Women’s studies courses. During the sum- to set up the internships and facilitate the intern- mer, Ann will serve as the local registrar and ship seminar. liaison with the UNIVERSAL Spanish language school. Ann is proudly a dual citizen of Mexico and the U.S.A. Return to Top Mexico Summer 2019 Page 4 Lisanne Morgan, Homestay Coordinator, Intern- Additional CGEE Staff in Cuernavaca ship Co-Coordinator and Program Coordinator [email protected] Laura Castro, cook. Lisanne earned an Laura started working at CGEE in 2018. She lives Honorary B.A. in in the Nahua indigenous village of Amatlan de Latin American and Quetzalcoatl and has previously cooked in hotels Caribbean Studies and with European families. She has one daugh- and Spanish from ter Ximena in College now. York University in Toronto. Before she Moisés (“Moi”) Aguilar Vargas, Grounds and began consulting for Maintenance Manager CGEE in 2002, she Moisés started working at CGEE in June of 2007, worked as a Program Director for the Cuernavaca just a week before he and his wife Monica had Centre for Intercultural Dialogue on Development their first child, Jatniel. He enjoys learning new (CCIDD) from 1995-2001. There she led groups things, dancing, and music. from the U.S. and Canada, facilitating a program for those interested in developing an understand- Ismael Canul, Driver ing of the political, social, cultural, and economic Ismael was born in Cuernavaca. He is married (to realities of Mexico through experiential learning. Lupita) and has three children: Felipe, Paco and After leaving CCIDD, Lisanne worked as a free- Erika.He is a taxi driver and has been working lance translator and consultant. She has also co- with CGEE since 1996. Ismael likes to listen to all ordinated and facilitated exposure programs to types of music, watch movies, and read the news- the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Cuba, paper. Chiapas, and Mexico City. Although she had pre- viously worked as a consultant with CGEE, she Victor Colin, Cook joined the CGEE team more formally in January of Don Victor has helped out in the kitchen off and 2003. During her time with CGEE, she has spent on for several years. one semester in Cuba and another in Namibia, although most of her work has been in Mexico, Javier Resendiz, Night Watchman and Driver which has been her home since 1995. Lisanne is Javier started working for CGEE as a driver in responsible for coordinating students’ homestays 2010 and is currently one of our night watchmen. with Mexican host families and setting up, facili- He is from Cuernavaca but has also lived in the tating, and translating many of the experiential U.S. Javier has two sons. He enjoys driving and components of the program. She also sets up the practicing his English with students. internship placements and facilitates the intern- ship seminar in coordination with Antonio Orte- Moisés Rios, Night Watchman and Driver ga. She also assists in teaching courses, particu- Born in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Moisés (who is larly as they relate to homestays and other expe- married to Isabel) works as one of the night riences in Mexico. In addition, Lisanne works with watchmen at CGEE. In addition to his job at CGEE, short-term courses that come to Mexico and Moisés drives a taxi for the local radio taxi com- travel to other countries. pany, Monarca, and thus also serves as one of the drivers on the students’ many excursions in and around Cuernavaca. As a result of his job, Moisés enjoys meeting the students and practic- ing his English with them. Return to Top Mexico Summer 2019 Page 5 Natividad(“ Naty”) Rosas, Office Manager Registration for Courses, including any potential Naty was born in Mexico City and has worked at changes: [email protected] and cc orte- CGEE since 1991. Presently, she does administra- [email protected] and cgeemexi- tive work and oversees payroll and daily, weekly [email protected] and monthly budgets. She has two daughters and three granddaughters. Naty would love to Roommate Assignments and other pre-semester practice her English with participants. She has surveys: [email protected] lived in Puebla, Mexico, D.F., Cuernavaca and Los Angeles, California. Naty likes to cook, to dance, Travel Information (your arrival and departure sing Kareoke, and get to know people. times): [email protected] and cc ander- [email protected] Isabel Sanchez, Cleaning Staff Born in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Isabel has lived Travel Information II (your independent travel here her entire life. Isabel originally worked at within Mexico while on the pro- CGEE in the 90s, and returned in 2006. Isabel has gram): [email protected] and cc lutter- five children and four grandchildren. She works [email protected] hard at home and loves taking care of her chil- dren. She is married to Moises Rios. WHO TO CONTACT The following pages are filled with lots of im- portant information as you prepare for the pro- gram.