¡Hola Collegiettes™! My name is Catherine Coppinger and I’m a rising junior at Harvard, where I study history of science, computer science, and Spanish. In a few weeks time, I take off and head to Barcelona as a way to supplement my ongoing language studies in college.
Once in Spain, I, along with around 20 of my peers, will participate in an eight-week Harvard Summer School course—taught entirely in Spanish—that focuses on Barcelona’s journey as a city toward modernity through the lenses of art and literature. The course would be interesting regardless of its location, but I especially love that it uses a hands-on learning style, with the curriculum centered on a dozen or so student-led excursions to relevant places in the city. This summer, I hope to improve upon my current language skills and learn more about the history of beautiful Barcelona, while having the pleasure of residing in the city itself with ample time for exploration.
It doesn’t hurt that I’m a huge ‘fútbol’ fan: between F. C. Barcelona and, of course, the Spanish national team, the city is currently home to the best professional soccer team in the country with the highest level of soccer prowess in the world.
Although my international travel experience is limited, this will be my second trip across the Atlantic in as many years. My only other excursion overseas came during spring break of my freshman year in college. As a member of the varsity soccer team at my school, I was very fortunate to be able to journey with my teammates to Northern Italy, marking my first ever steps on European soil. The trip, centered on soccer and various excursions, was easily one of my most memorable weeks of college life so far.
In between generous servings of pasta and gelato, we got the chance to compete against Italian teams, take in the surrounding culture (including a thrilling AC Milan game against Chievo), and even pick up a few Italian phrases. I can now answer yes-or-no questions in Italian, inform someone that I don’t speak the language, and say a few more key words, but I had to rely on our bilingual tour guide throughout the trip to help with basic daily activities. The weeklong struggle made me appreciate the study of language even more that I did already and recognize the details that easily get “lost in translation.” Overall, it was a great trip overseas, but, though I fell in love with the cultures of Florence (pictured right) and Lake Como, it quickly became clear to me that my next trip had to be to Spain.
In high school, I ventured to the quaint town of La Paz, Costa Rica for a community service trip, which proved to be both a moving experience and a great opportunity to use my language skills. Local families graciously took us in for the duration of our stay and allowed my fellow group members and me to be part of the family for the few weeks we were there. Since then, I’ve been itching to return to a Spanish-speaking country, and what better place to do this than Spain itself? I am fascinated by Spanish art, particularly that of Dalí, have seen intricately designed buildings designed by Gaudí (though only in photos), and read a lot of García Lorca’s poetry.
But despite this being my eighth year studying Spanish, I’ve never been to the language’s place of origin—that is, until a few weeks from now! My flight leaves Boston on June 17th and classes start a few days after that. I’m really excited to share my experiences with all of you and am looking forward to next week as I prepare for the big departure! ¡Hasta luego!