I had my first class in la Universidad de Buenos Aires today, more commonly known as UBA. UBA is a college of 300,000 students that is completely free of charge. Immediately upon approaching one of the social science buildings, I could sense the political excitement. Vibrant neon signs covered the entrance of the building. They continued inside throughout all of the floors. They were advertising student rights organizations and strikes, and making political demands. Some of them provided awareness about various truths of the school system and society in general. There were clusters of students making posters, planning meetings, and handing out fliers. It was awesome to see this living, breathing entity completely run by student desires and motivation. It was a radical change from Universidad Católica, where there is a dress code and classes start relatively on time. In contrast, only a few subway stops away, is UBA, a school full of political organizations and teachers on strike. This is just one example of the diversity in Buenos Aires.
The lack of tuition at UBA is apparent in a few ways. The building is slightly worn down and roughed about and the acoustics in the classroom aren't the best, but it definitely has its charm. It doesn't need crisp wall paint and shiny stairwells to give it life; the students give it life. As I was sitting in my Latin American Film in 1968 class, the girl in front of me pulled out a mug carved out of a gord, a thermos of hot water, and a plastic bag filled with a plantlike substance. I knew immediately what was happening, and was very excited about it. I have heard a lot about the Argentine mate addiction and how people here need this highly caffeinated beverage to keep them going. Mate is a very bitter tea that takes some getting used to. I have also read about the part it plays in family and friend gatherings; this was immediately apparent as a student who the mate drinker did not previously know sat down next to her. Before I knew it, they were taking turns drinking the tea out of a traditional metal straw (bombilla). I hope that I get to take part in this tradition with family or friends while I'm here.
It was hard to understand the professor because of the poor sound quality in the classrooms, but I tried my best. Two times throughout the class, groups of students walked in unexpectedly. They talked extremely fast, handed out fliers, and then left after a "gracias." From reading their fliers, I gathered that one group was informing us of student scholarships available, while the other was informing us about class options and benefits for pregnant students. Apparently it's very common for student groups to make announcements in classes, and also for the professors to allow them to enter without needing an apology. When I finally started to understand my professor, I realized that he was talking a lot about political and historical backgrounds that I had no knowledge of (i.e. France in the 60's). While I know that I could do research on my own to reach the familiarity level of everyone else in the class, I think that a new class and the language barrier should be enough of an obstacle course without this extra catching up to meet a third criteria. The class was 3 hours long and during the break, I was considering leaving since I did not plan on continuing with the class. However, I inadvertently made friends with other students in my class when inquiring about the whereabouts of the bathroom. I soon found out that UBA being a free university means that it doesn't have funding for toilet paper. People are accustomed to bringing Kleenex with them in situations such as these. Good to know. When I commented on how strange this seemed to me, my new friend Taly laughed and said that I was lucky we had a roof above us and a floor under us. I walked to the cafeteria with her and Tomás for coffee and medialunas (croissants). They told me that 80% of the professors at UBA don't get paid. I had no idea it was such a strikingly high percentage. I guess that's why the professors sometimes have classes that run til midnight; they're at their other jobs during the day! After 15 or 20 minutes since our break started, I asked if we had to go back. They said it didn't matter too much; we're on Argentine time. So we came in after the professor started talking, and no harm done. Someone even came in 10 minutes later than us, and the professor acknowledged him with a cheery smile. I really hope I like the other classes I'm trying here, because I'm starting to feel that if there is a school out there that embodies the Argentine spirit, it's UBA.
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