College introduces first Latino Studies underclassman seminar

After three years on the Latino Coalition board, chairwoman Wendy De La Rosa will finally see her plans materialize.

In spring 2011, the College will launch its first-ever underclassman seminar on Latino Studies: “Introduction to Latin American and Latino Studies.”

“It was a great feeling.” said De La Rosa, a Wharton senior. “Because not only am I effecting change, but I am effecting change in an educational sense.”

But the course launching was not a singular initiative. “There has been an interest in the students for a class like that for years,” Latin American and Latino Studies Director Ann Farnsworth-Alvear said.

In fact, student demands to create new classes are often met by deans and department heads.

“In the 18 years I’ve been at Penn, I’ve seen many examples of faculty developing courses in response to student interest,” Farnsworth-Alvear said. “I would encourage students at Penn to approach faculty about starting new courses.”

Although it is not officially categorized as a freshman seminar, Farnsworth-Alvear, who will teach the class this spring, describes it as “freshman-friendly.” Hopefully, she says, the class will introduce students to the Latin American and Latino Studies major, and will further academic possibilities in the field.

“I want to introduce freshmen to some of the researches on Latino Studies that are done at Penn,” Farnsworth-Alvear said. Although the course syllabus will be developed in tandem with the Latino Coalition, Farnsworth-Alvear plans to cover anthropological, historical, literary and sociological topics, as well as some material in the romance languages.

“You need to be exposed to something before you can know that you can like it,” said De La Rosa, who also hopes that the seminar will lead students to take more classes in the department.

According to Farnsworth-Alvear, student demand for courses will be high across the board. “I think there will be a high level of interest for students who are Latino, and for students who are not Latino,” she said.

College freshman Grace Conway expressed interest in taking a course on Latino culture. “I’ve never really been exposed to anything like that,” she said.

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