The most impactful assignment that I had to complete was a presentation on the testimony of Luz Arce in her book Inferno, a story of terror and survival. The task was to look at trauma and memory and it is experienced, portrayed, lived and how she is able to share her trauma through her testimony. My group and I had to read 12 chapters from her book and analyze her testimony by looking at the different themes, the way she narrated and her authorial voice and how they impact the way the reader receives the testimony of Luz Arce. How the history of this country and the connections that can be made to the history of other countries (USA, Europe, etc.). Also, looking at how the secrets that a country tries to hide in the past become the countries present. I would say that my study abroad and the academic experiences at Rollins connect in a lot of ways, both allow students to have an open dialog with each other and the professor and being able to express our self freely. I think that this is very indicative of the type of professors that both schools have and how they are able to engage students in tough topics like trauma and memory, which may be hard due to the intensity of something like trauma relating to Human Rights crimes that have been committed by those in power in the country. I would say that Rollins and Universidad de Belgrano are very similar in their approach to teaching students about controversial/ traumatic topics. This surpassed my thoughts on how professors in Argentina would be like, but I have to appreciate their methods. This assignment/class has exposed me to a different aspect of history through the eyes of another country. I have been able to learn about the trauma of the dictatorships within south America and the people who disappeared, were killed, the children who were taken and how some of those responsible for these Human Rights Violations have not been charged for the crimes that they committed. This class has shown me not to shy away from the sad, shameful or tragic parts of a country and to face them head on. I am happy that I was able to take this class and be able to learn about the things that has impacted so many people’s lives and have to opportunity to discuss ways that Human Rights can be improved in countries with this kind of history.
