Voces: el podcast de la U de M

You are listening to the fifty-nineth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, the Voc/zes team as you know it says goodbye! As we wrap up three seasons of podcasting, Steph and Liz reflect on what Voc/zes has been for them, highlighting some of their favorite moments and opportunities--from meeting interesting Spanish and Portuguese speakers from around the world to attending podcast conferences, to getting to know the U of M campus even better. Later in the podcast, Liz sits down for a final interview with special guest, Francisco Estévez Valencia, Director del Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos in Santiago, Chile. In the interview, Francisco talks about the museum and its permanent collection, the history of Chile--from dictatorship back to democracy--and the importance of remembering the past to better the present and the future. Thanks for joining us and we hope you enjoy our final episode! ¡Adiós! Tchau!

You are listening to the fifty-eighth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, we get to share Steph's interview with author and guest speaker at this year's Provost's Conversation Series, Francisco Cantú! Raised in the Southwest United States, Francisco developed an early fascination of the U.S.-Mexico border, later leading him to become a U.S. border patrol agent and an award-winning author of the book "The Line Becomes A River: Dispatches from the Border." In this episode, Steph and Francisco talk about Francisco's experiences as a border patrol agent, the reality of violence on both sides of the border, excerpts from the book, dehumanization, empathy, and more.

You are listening to the fifty-seventh episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. Brought to you by… Liz, all the way from Santiago, Chile! This week, Liz had a chance to sit down with English professor, Andrea Farías, a colleague/mentor-teacher of her’s at Duoc UC. Follow along as Andrea and Liz talk about how Andrea developed her love for English; how she learned the language; the students at Duoc UC; and last but not least, the nuances and tricks of Chilean Spanish. We hope you learn something new and enjoy this interview!

You are listening to the fifty-sixth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. On this week's pod, Steph and her colleague, Marilena Mattos, sit down with Ana Cláudia dos Santos São Bernardo, a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota and a fellow at the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change. Originally from Brazil, Ana Cláudia shares about her experience growing up in poverty in São Paulo, as well as her eventual decision to move to Minnesota. She also explains some of the factors that influenced her areas of study and discusses with Steph and Marilena past and present race relations in Brazil.

You are listening to the fifty-fifth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, Steph sat down with old friend, Kelly McDonough, an Associate Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Texas at Austin. Kelly is also a Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) Faculty Affiliate, and her research focuses on indigenous communities--specifically, the Nahuas in Mexico--and colonialism. Like Steph, we hope you learn something new and enjoy this conversation!

You are listening to the fifty-fourth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This past December, Steph had the incredible opportunity of sitting down with Daniel González and Matthew Hall, the keynote speakers at an Interdisciplinary Collaborative Workshop hosted by the College of Liberal Arts, titled “Migration and Migrants in Terrifying Times.” Daniel González is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter with the Arizona Republic. Traveling regularly to the U.S.-Mexico border and Mexico, González focuses his writing on Latino issues, minority communities, and immigration. Our other guest, Matt Hall, is an Associate Professor of Policy Analysis & Management at Cornell University. A social demographer, Hall’s research focuses on racial/ethnic inequality, immigration, and neighborhood change. Thanks for tuning in—enjoy!

You are listening to the fifty-third episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. On the pod this week, Liz sits down with special guest, Prof. Luis Ramos-Garcia, an associate professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese studies here at the U of M! From Prof. Ramos-Garcia's educational background to his work abroad helping with cultural exchange programs, to firefighting in Peru and life as an immigrant in the U.S., this episode is packed with funny, heartbreaking, and fascinating stories. Enjoy!

You are listening to the fifty-second episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. ¡Feliz año nuevo! Feliz Ano Novo! Welcome back, Voc/zes listeners, to the first episode of 2019. Over winter break, Liz was a member of the Learning Abroad Center Site Review Team and was able to travel to Cuernavaca, Mexico to visit the U of M's program at Cemanahuac. Liz and her team accompanied the U of M students on an excursion to Mexico City, where she was able to interview Julia Diaz, Zach Vanderwood and Alex Harrison during their visit. Follow along as these students chat about their host families, their classes at Cemanahuac, and their experiences abroad! ¡Hasta luego!

You are listening to the fifty-first episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. You made it to the last interview of fall semester and 2018! This week, we had the opportunity to sit down with several representatives from the Latino International Student Association (LISA) here at the U of M! Our guests included Diego Díaz-Rivero, President; Randy Quinde, Vice President; María Montero, Event Co-coordinator; and Sebastián Alfonzo, Community Outreach Coordinator. Follow along as LISA's leaders explain what the group is / does, discuss the diverse cultural heritages of its members, and tell us about their vision for the future and the marks they want to leave on the campus as they graduate.

You are listening to the fiftieth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M! Thanks for tuning into our 50th episode! Or as Steph calls it, Voc/zes' 50th podiversary! We're so glad you're here. This week Liz and Steph recorded a conversation with Marilena Mattos (Portuguese/Spanish Instructor at the U of M), Clarice Gomes (Marilena's daughter, a marriage / family therapist and medical device salesperson), Letícia Mattos de Souza Dantas (Marilena's niece and Assistant Professor of Veterinary Biosciences And Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Georgia), and Marcus Brasileiro (Associate Professor in the Department of Languages, Philosophy and Communications Studies at Utah State University, and U of MN alum and former Portuguese Instructor).  The episode is titled "Festa brasileira" because Steph, Liz and this week's "interviewees" all had dinner before they sat down to talk. What you hear is really just a kitchen table conversation in which Marilena, Clarice, Letícia and Marcus discuss why they came to the U.S., why they stayed, the struggles they've faced, what they've discovered about their Brazilian culture and identity as a result of living in the U.S, and much, much more. We love it, and hope you do too!

You are listening to the forty-nineth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M Jorge Troisi Meleán, Professor of World Economic History at the Universidad Nacional de la Plata and Professor with the U of M's study abroad program in Buenos Aires, visited the U of M last week to both promote the U's study abroad program and to give a lecture entitled "The Jesuit Economy in Spanish America: A Slave System". In an interview ranging from moving to self-effacing and lighthearted, Liz and Steph sat down with Professor Troisi Meleán to talk about the Buenos Aires program, the Guerra Sucia in Argentina, Eva Perón, Immigration in Argentina and much more on this week's pod! Enjoy!

You are listening to the forty-eighth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, Liz and Steph each had the opportunity to interview a special guest for this episode! In our first interview this week, Liz sat down with Gerardo Cajamarca Alarcón, a union activist with the SEIU Local 26. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Cajamarca Alarcón has now been in living in the U.S. for over fourteen years and is an active member of the Misión Internacional del Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores del Sistema Agroalimentario (SINALTRAINAL) of Colombia and the Colectivo de Exiliados y Comité de Derechos Humanos. Currently, he fights for social justice and workers' rights with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) here in the Twin Cities. For the second half of this episode, Stephanie spoke with Dr. Miguel Fiol of the Neurology Department here at the U of M. A native of Puerto Rico, Dr. Fiol has led four medical missions to Puerto Rico to aide in the Island's recovery from Hurricane Maria on September 26, 2017. Not only are these missions providing desperately needed medical expertise and supplies, they are also providing mental health support for the Island's survivors still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Maria. We hope you enjoy this week's episode! Thanks for tuning in!

You are listening to the forty-seventh episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. Two weeks ago, over 500 U of M Spanish 1004 students and their instructors took advantage of the Northrop Across Campus program to attend the Ballet Hispánico's (NYC) performance on October 4, 2018. So, naturally, Liz & Steph brought their faithful recorders to the performance and spoke with students and instructors as they made their way into the theater. The show was ¡espectacular! ótimo! The following day Steph and our Brazilian colleague, Marilena Mattos, returned to Northrop to interview two of the company's dancers, Lyvan Verdecia, originally from Cuba, and Dandara Veiga of Brazil. Follow along to hear more!

You are listening to the forty-sixth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, we had the pleasure of sitting down for not just one, but TWO, great interviews! First up, we interviewed Chloe Vraney from the Aurora Center, along with Jun Takahira, a grad student in our SPPT department and volunteer at Aurora Center. Follow along as they discuss their roles at the Aurora Center, as well as some of the important resources the center provides! Our second interview this week was with Corey Stadick, another one of our majors in the department. For three years now, Corey has been on staff at the Bell Museum on campus. In this episode, her and Steph sit down and chat about the museum, her different responsibilities with the exhibits, the NEW Bell Museum on the St. Paul campus, and some of her favorite parts of the job! Enjoy!

You are listening to the forty-fifth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. Welcome back, Voc/zes listeners!! This episode is the first official episode of the 2018-2019 Academic Year and Voc/zes' third season. We are so excited you're joining us! This week, we sat down with Xavier Tavera, Professor of Photography and Moving Images in the Department of Art here at the U of M. A photographer and artist himself, Tavera's work explores identity and the Latinx experience, in Minnesota, nationally, and internationally, frequently through portraiture. Last week, the exhibition On Purpose: Portrait of the Liberal Arts, a series of portraits that Tavera shot to celebrate CLA's 150th Anniversary opened at the Nash Gallery in the Regis Center for Art on the West Bank. In this week's interview, Tavera discusses his work, the function of art in today's world, the democratization of photography, the artistic process, among other engaging topics! Follow along and enjoy Season 3 with us!

You are listening to the forty-fourth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. Welcome back, everyone, to another season of Voc/zes! Thanks for tuning in to our kick-off episode of the year: The MN State Fair Special! This week, follow along as Steph and Liz join their colleagues from the Department of Spanish & Portuguese Studies at the CLA booth and U of M building mainstage on the first day of the Fair! The musical accompaniment during our stage time was provided by our colleague, Lecturer Michael Arnold, and Profe Sophia Beal conducted several of our interviews in Portuguese. We were surprised and very pleased by the number of Portuguese speakers we found! Steph showed her skills in Portuguese and Liz gave it her college best in Portuguese. We interviewed a variety of Spanish and Portuguese speakers, native speakers, native-like speakers, and learners and they ranged in age from 10 years old to 70 years old. ¡Fue una experiencia fenomenal! Foi ótimo! Voc/zes can’t wait for another great year!

You are listening to the forty-third episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This is the final episode of the 2017-2018 Academic Year! Thank you so much for joining us. We are so grateful to be able to capture so many voices in our Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Twin Cities community. Our special guests and listeners make it possible! To wrap up the semester, we decided to make Episode 43 our all-Portuguese episode with not only one, but THREE interviews! Steph and her colleague, Marilena, sat down and chatted with Portuguese-speaking special guests: João Pedro Esteves Castro, Victoria Weimholt and Ana Paula Ferreira. João is from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and is currently an undergrad here at the U of M in the Carlson School of Management and is a student in one of Marilena's classes; Victoria is also an undergrad here at the U, and spent 11 months as a Rotary Exchange Student in Mato Grasso, Brazil; and last but not least, Ana is a Professor of Portuguese in our department! Follow along for great conversation -- from life at the University to life in Brazil to many things in between -- and head to our Facebook page for more updates as the school year ends and summer begins! We hope you enjoy this last episode. Gracias por escuchar. Obrigada por escutar!

You are listening to the forty-second episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. We are officially at the penultimate episode of the 2017-2018 Academic Year! ¡El tiempo ha pasado volando! This week, Steph sat down with Carlos Barrera, Associate Professor of Media and Politics at the University of Navarra’s School of Communication in Spain, and a visiting scholar at the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University. Professor Barrera is the author of a number of books and articles related to the mass media in contemporary Spain. He has also been a visiting scholar in American and British universities such as Northwestern (Illinois), Rutgers (New Jersey), and Sheffield. In this episode, Steph and Professor Barrera talk about the recent and resurgent political crisis in Spain as a result of Cataluña's attempts to gain independence. Follow along for more! ¡Gracias por escuchar!

You are listening to the forty-first episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, Steph interviewed special guest, Faustina Cuevas. In the episode, you'll hear Faustina and Steph talk about Faustina's work as Student Services Advisor in the College of Education and Human Development (here at the U), her identification with and connection to her Dominican identity and heritage, her favorite Dominican dishes and more! ¡Gracias por escuchar! Obrigada por escutar.

You are listening to the fortieth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week we sat down with Benjamin Narvaez, a History Professor at the University of Minnesota Morris with a specialization in Latin American history. Follow along to hear Benjamin inform us on Chinese Immigration in Costa Rica and listen to him and Steph chat about delicious Latin American foods! ¡Gracias por escuchar!

You are listening to the thirty-nineth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, Steph had the pleasure of sitting down with Alejandro Baer, a Sociology professor here at the U of M in the College of Liberal Arts. Alejandro is the Stephen C. Feinstein Chair and Director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and has authored a number of books and articles addressing issues of genocide, survivor testimony, and antisemitism, with specific focus on Germany, Spain and the Spanish-speaking world. Follow along to hear more about Professor Baer and his incredible work!

You are listening to the thirty-eighth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, we sat down with Héctor Fuentes (Colombia), Fátima Isamara del Puerto (Paraguay), David Rosero Armas (Ecuador), Daniel Guzmán Durán (Colombia) and Jorge Moreno (Colombia), all international students studying at the Minnesota English Learning Program (MELP) here on campus. Follow along as they discuss why they decided to study at the U, the political environment in the U.S., the impact that political and economic events in the U.S. have on Latin American countries, coffee and cacao from an economic perspective, and much, much more!

You are listening to the thirty-seventh episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, we sat down with Adriana Zabala, a U of M music professor, professional opera singer, and heritage Spanish-speaker! Tune in as Stephanie and Adriana discuss opera, language learning, Adriana's work at the U, and doing it all in a foreign language. Enjoy!

¡Hola oyentes! You are listening to the thirty-sixth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, our special guest is Marta Fendrich, a College in the Schools (CIS) teacher from Rosemount High School. Marta is originally from Paraguay, a beautiful, bilingual country located between Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. Tune in as she tells us more about her work through CIS and gives us a taste of the different languages of Paraguay (Spanish and Paraguayan Guaraní)! Enjoy!

You are listening to the thirty-fifth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. Welcome back! This week's episode is the FIRST episode of the spring semester and of 2018! Our interviewee for this special episode is Patricia Izek, U of M Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter. Patricia works in the Twin Cities community to identify potential job candidates to apply for academic and administrative positions at the U of M. She also works with U of M departments to help them reflect on their hiring practices to make sure they are equitable and inclusive. Follow along to hear more!

Hola oyentes! Episode 34, the FINAL Voc/zes episode for the Fall semester of 2017, is now on SoundCloud! In our last interview of the season, we’ll hear from an alumni of the University of Minnesota, Robert Everest. Everest is a local musician, and specializes in Brazilian music. Learn about his experience as a student of Español y Português, and com a música e a cultura brasileira! Thank you for tuning in this semester, and we look forward to returning on January 25th, 2018. Que tengan un muy buen descanso de invierno! E que tenham uma folga muito relaxante!

Hola oyentes! Listos para nuestro penúltimo episodio del semestre? Ya está en Soundcloud! This week, we’ll hear a conversation between Steph and Guillermo Narvaez, a research associate at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. His research focuses on public policy and sustainability. Learn more about Guillermo Narvaez by checking out the link below, or just listen on Soundcloud! Later, in Current Events, learn about some great opportunities to engage with Latin American culture! You won’t want to miss this episode, gracias e obrigada por escuchar!

Hola oyentes! Episodio 32 of Voc/zes is now on SoundCloud! For our first interview of the week, Stephanie spoke with Marisa Paizenczewski, a Spaniard living in the Twin Cities who founded Casa de España en Minnesota. Casa de Espana was a non-profit that celebrated Spanish and Latin American culture and organized events, concerts, cooking classes, film screenings, and conversational hours for Spanish expats and all those interested in Spanish and Latin American culture. However, the organization disbanded in March 2017. Missed last week’s episode and didn’t get to hear from our College in the Schools heritage speakers? No te preocupes! On this episode, we’ll hear some additional interviews with these students, and have the opportunity to hear about their experiences as latinos and heritage speakers in Minnesota. Looking for fun things to do this weekend? Look no further! In this episode, we’ll hear Liz and Steph discuss exhibits, film festivals and other events relevant to the hispanohablante community, happening this weekend both on campus and in the Twin Cities area.

You are listening to the thirty-first episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la Universidad de Minnesota. This week, Voc/zes has not one, but TWO feature interviews! The first interview features two seniors from Eagan High School. Both students participate in the College in the Schools program, and take spanish classes at the University of Minnesota. As Mexican Americans, they discuss the Latino community, their cultural heritage, and American privilege. Next, we’ll hear from our very own Dr. Ana Forcinito, una profesora de español aquí en el departamento de español y portugués! She discusses her research related to post-dictatorship society in the Southern Cone (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and parts of Brazil). She talks about how she hopes to find justice, in response to the forced disappearance of people during the dictatorships that rocked these regions in the 20th century. Be sure to tune in to hear about an upcoming exhibit coming to the Regis Center for Art from November 8-18 by Argentine photographer, Gustavo Germano. His exhibit, Ausencias, features side by side photos comparing pre-dictatorship society in the Southern Cone with photos taken in the present day. You won’t want to miss this episode! Thanks for tuning in!

You are listening to the twenty-ninth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la Universidad de Minnesota. This week, our episode features an interview with Teresa Hermodson-Olsen, the Sponsorship Coordinator of Common Hope! Before we begin the interview, Liz discusses the crisis in Puerto Rico, and how you can help. Liz had the opportunity to sit down with Teresa Hermodson-Olsen of Common Hope, an NGO that works with Guatemalans to improve access to education, healthcare, and housing. Learn about the efforts of Twin Cities-based organizations to help communities around the Spanish speaking world! Thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy this episode!

You are listening to the thirtieth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la Universidad de Minnesota. This week's episode features an interview with Tim Kehoe, an economics professor here on the Twin Cities campus. Much of Tim's research is focused on the economy in and around Latin America, and he is well known for his work relating to NAFTA. In this interview, however, Steph had the opportunity to hear about Professor Kehoe's work in Venezuela. Tune in to learn more! We hope you enjoy this episode!

You are listening to the twenty eighth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This is our FIRST episode of the 2017/18 school year! To kick off this year of Voc/zes, we'll hear from some of our amazing faculty here at the University of Minnesota! First, we'll hear how some of our Spanish and Portuguese professors spent their summers. Later on, Steph had the chance to sit down with Marissa Hill-Dongre, J.D., Director of the Immigrant Response Team, to discuss what the change in the DACA legislation could mean for the students and faculty in our community. Thank you for tuning in, we hope you enjoy the episode!

You are listening to the twenty-seventh episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This is our LAST episode of the 2016-2017 academic school year! For our final episode, we decided to wrap up the year with both a Portuguese and a Spanish interview. Our Portuguese-speaking guest is Ivan Jucá, a PoliSci grad student whose dissertation is on political corruption in Brazil; and our Spanish interview is with our very own podcast editor, Ellie Sjordal! We hope you enjoy this episode and we thank you for following along with our podcast! Enjoy.

You are listening to the twenty-sixth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, Liz and Steph split up the podcast into two University of Minnesota interviews! The first interview is with Gopher Volleyball player, Dalianliz Rosado. Originally from Puerto Rico, Dalianliz is interested in studying biology and is a junior at the U of M. She held the team best with 511 digs and plays as the Libero on the team -- we can't wait to see what she does this fall! The second interview is with Rodrigo Aybar and Andrés Cuadrado, two Fellows from the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program at the U of M. Rodrigo is from Argentina and is affiliated with 'Fundación Contemporánea', and Andrés is from Ecuador and works with 'Fundación Esquel' -- both organizations are based in their home countries and are committed to public service. We hope you enjoy this unique episode! From volleyball culture to public service, and a lot in between!

You are listening to the twenty-fifth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. After the popularity of last week’s interactive episode, we’ve put together another episode 1000-level language students can use to practice their listening skills in Spanish. In today’s rebroadcast, we will feature previously aired interviews with: Deyanira Rojas Sosa, a former U of M PhD student and professor at SUNY New Paltz in upstate New York, Jorge Garrido Mantilla, a current PhD student in Veterinary and Livestock Medicine, and Lilliam Gutierrez, a College In the Schools Spanish teacher at Roseville High School. The interviews are between 12 – 30 minutes and all have accompanying auto-graded quizzes. Our recommendation is that you listen to one of the episodes (or all three) and take notes on the topics and main ideas the interviewee talks about. Take notes in English. Also, jot down any other interesting details that you hear along the way. Here are the links to the auto-graded quizzes: Deyanira Rojas Sosa Interview Quiz (3:05 - 10:40): testmoz.com/1215791 Jorge Mantilla Garrido Interview Quiz (10:44 - 22:13): testmoz.com/1215821 Lilliam Gutierrez Hoerr Interview Quiz (22:17 - 54:55): testmoz.com/1214937

You are listening to the twenty-fourth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, follow along as we sit down with special guest, Diego de Bedout! An international student from Costa Rica, Diego is in the College of Science and Engineering, studying Civil Engineering.

You are listening to the twenty-third episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week is the third and final week of our three-part series dedicated to the sciences here at the University of Minnesota. Our special guest this episode is Sandra Montezuma, Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences. Not only an Assistant Professor at the U, researching retina prosthesis, age related macula degeneration and retina imaging, BUT Montezuma is also a Doctor of Medicine with subspecialty expertise in providing medical/surgical care for all retina disease in adults and children. WOW, right?! We hope you enjoy learning even more about our special guest this week. We sure did!

You are listening to the twenty-second episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week is the second part of a three-week series dedicated to the sciences here at the University of Minnesota. Our special guest for this episode is Alfonso Araque! A neuroscientist at the University, Alfonso sat down with Voc/zes to discuss his research, the Beautiful Brain exhibit at the Weisman, and of course, astrocyte-neuron signaling! Follow along and learn more about Dr. Araque, a must-see exhibit at WAM, and science… Enjoy!

You are listening to the twenty-first episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week is the first week of a three-week series dedicated to the sciences here at the University of Minnesota. Our special guest for this episode is Elisbet Ampudia Mesia! Originally from Colombia, Elisbet is now a doctoral student of Comparative and Molecular Biosciences, as well as an assistant cancer researcher at the U. Follow along to learn more about Elisabet’s experience as a doctoral student and cancer researcher. We hope you enjoy!

You are listening to the twentieth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, we had the privilege of sitting down with Fernando Meza, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Music. Since 1993, Fernando has been the Director of Percussion Studies, where he has established one of the most comprehensive centers of percussion studies in the U.S. Originally from Costa Rica, Fernando now lives in the Twin Cities, but continues to travel around the world, teaching and performing music! We hope you enjoy this interview with our special and talented guest!

You are listening to the nineteenth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. We are so excited to present you with the first Portuguese episode of year! This week, Stephanie had the opportunity to sit down with Instructor Coruja, an Instructor at Omulu Capoeira of Minnesota, a martial art training academy in the Twin Cities. Follow along as Instructor Coruja shares a little bit about himself, the art of Capoeira, and the story/history of his academy. Enjoy the episode! Desfrute do episódio!

You are listening to the eighteenth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, we sat down with María José Méndez Gutierrez, a political science graduate student at the U of M, who's originally from Honduras. Listen along and learn more about María's life in Honduras, in the U.S., and in politics. Enjoy!

You are listening to the seventeenth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, we had the opportunity to sit down with special guests Cecilio Olivier and Gerardo Ruiz, to talk about the environment and renewable energy! As the COO of Emmons & Olivier Resources, Inc. (a water resource-based engineering and consulting firm) and the CEO of a Solarflow Energy (a St. Paul-based solar power installation company), Olivier and Ruiz had a lot to share with us about these two important topics. We hope you enjoy their interviews as much as we do!

You are listening to the sixteenth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This is the second week of our two-week series celebrating and highlighting fierce Latina women in our Twin Cities community. This episode, our special guests are Lilliam Gutiérrez and Veronica Menaldi. Originally from Cuba, Lilliam is now a Spanish teacher at Roseville High School. And hailing from Michigan, Veronica is currently a graduate student in the Spanish and Portuguese Department at the U of M. We hope you enjoy hearing both of their unique stories!

You are listening to the fifteenth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This is week one of our two week series celebrating and highlighting fierce Latina women in our Twin Cities community. For Episode 15, we had the honor of sitting down with Clementina Serna, co-owner of El Norteño Restaurant, and Deyanira Rojas Sosa, former grad student of the U of M and current Linguistics Professor at SUNY New Paltz in New York. We hope you enjoy these interviews and feel empowered by these strong, accomplished, Latina women!

You are listening to the fourteenth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, Liz sat down with artist and special guest, Ernesto de la Peña Folch, in his hometown San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Ernesto's work is featured in the Lección preliminary of Conexiones and is described by himself as "expresionismo lúdico", or playful expressionism. We hope you enjoy our first episode of 2017 and learn more about Ernesto's work, evolution as a painter, and life in San Miguel de Allende!

You are listening to the thirteenth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week we have three special guests: Aurelio Curbelo, director of the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence at the U of M, Emmy Rodriguez, former U of M student, and Ellie Sjordal, our very own Voc/zes podcast editor and U of M undergraduate. Also! Episode 13 of Voc/zes is the last episode of Fall 2016. Enjoy your winters, stay warm, and see you in the spring! . ¡Hasta la próxima!

You are listening to the twelfth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, we sat down with University of Minnesota professors, Ofelia Ferran and Lisa Hilbin, as well as Francisco Ferrándiz from the Spanish National Research Council, to talk about the Spanish Civil War. Follow along as we reflect on this pivotal moment in Spain's history, discuss the mass graves that occurred as a result of executions on both the Republican and Nationalist sides, and attempt to understand what it all means for today. Enjoy!

You are listening to the eleventh episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week, Stephanie sat down with Mark Pineda, Community Health Specialist and Partner Services Contact at Red Door Clinic in Minneapolis, to discuss AIDS/HIV in light of World AIDS Day. Follow along Mark shares more about this virus, that affects millions of people around the world today, and how the medical community and our own communities are fighting it!

You are listening to the tenth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. Our special guests this week are: Roberto de la Riva and Anain Gonzales of Inquilinxs Unidxs por la Justicia, a community organization in the Lyndale Neighborhood of Minneapolis! Roberto, Anain, and their team of community members work to address problems and injustices faced by tenants in Minneapolis, and then strategize and organize around those problems to create affordable, dignified living spaces in the city. We hope you enjoy this awesome interview!

You are listening to the ninth episode of Voc/zes: el podcast de la U de M. This week's episode Steph and Liz sat down with two special guests: Eduardo Escobar, baseball player from the Minnesota Twins, and Mia Lopez, curator of the Weisman Art Museum's Pan-American Modernism Exhibit. We hope you enjoy this week's fusion of Twin Cities sports and art! We do!