On Tuesday, November 29th, the CRE (Centro de Redacción en Espanol) or the Spanish Writing Center, hosted its first ever exposition, the CRE Expo, at one of the hallways of MUSA, the University’s art museum, in a space where light streamed in from the large windows surrounding it.
Adriana Hernández, coordinator of the CRE Expo, speaking. (Photo credit: CRE-UPRM)
Adriana Hernández Barreto, the coordinator of the CRE Expo, explained that her initiative for creating the CRE Expo was “to give more exposure to the Journalism and Short Story workshops offered on a semester basis, courtesy of the CRE and open a window for the public to get acquainted with what they’re about.” For this same reason, she decided it would be wise to host the event it in MuSA.
Hernández had met up with Dr. Zorali de Feria, director of the MuSA, during the beginning of the semester to ask for permission to host one of the short story narrative workshops at the museum, as well as the closing activity, both ideas which de Feria graciously welcomed.
Previously, at the end of the semester, a certain amount of students received certificates if they accumulated a certain amount of hours of the weekly workshops; typically, there would be an activity hosted in a classroom to award the amount of hours they worked during the workshops.
The CRE Expo consisted of students from the CRE awarding the certificates to the students who won them, followed by an Open Mic, which the ALC moderated. Additionally, courtesy of the CRE, food and beverages were available to the entire community.
The table brimming with food (Photo credit: CRE-UPRM)
The ALC (Asociación de Literatura Comparada) or the Comparative Literature Association collaborated with the CRE on this event, because in addition to three students who were awarded the certificate from the ALC, both the CRE and the ALC coincide in their idea that “It’s a question of promoting literature at UPRM.” Nicole González Díaz, the treasurer of the ALC, who was in charge of the table which sold used and donated books, commented that these books “were donated by members of the ALC or just about anyone who wanted to cooperate with the organization”, for instance, local English graduate student Fernando E. E. Correa González, who donated several of his published books of poetry.
As students were handed their certificates, some, like Chemistry major Wanda Berríos, expressed their reasons for taking the workshops: “Despite my fascination with the sciences, I cannot detach myself from the humanities.”
The event, which was modestly attended by people of many majors, was successful, because it marked the closing of a fruitful semester for individuals who chose to explore their worlds through words.