OU in Brazil

The Spring Break group and Ashley at a capoeira class, with the Rocinha favela in the background. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that mixes combat moves with fluid dance moves. The following are some observations by OU student Ashley Dirks about her research project during the Spring 2017 semester in Rio. My Project: Education and Affirmative Action in Modern Brazil One of the joys of studying in Brazil is learning how its unique history affects contemporary issues. Brazil on the surface does not look much different from the United States….

The following are some observations from the first few weeks of the Spring 2017 semester in Rio by OU student (and Anthropology major) Ashley Dirks.  She began with no Portuguese but has quickly picked up the basics, and has thrown herself into life in Rio with enthusiasm.  As her photo shows, the beautiful views that are everywhere in the city continuously transform with the changing light. When I began college, I knew I wanted to travel. I dreamed about someday crossing the Atlantic and studying abroad. I never knew much about Brazil…

The following is a post by Christian Albuquerque, an OU student who spent the Fall 2016 semester with OU’s program in Rio.  He offers observations from his course project and how it influenced his thinking about his own place in the world.  The photo is of Christian at the Iguaçu Falls, on the border between Brazil and Argentina, where we went as a group in November. I have now been in Rio for 8 weeks, although it feels like much longer, and my time here has been nothing short of…

The following is a post by Marshaé Compton, an OU student who spent the Fall 2016 semester with the OU in Rio program.  She offers some observations of what a difference being in Brazil has made to her self-esteem and general outlook.  Marshaé’s photo with Rafa riding the bus shows her joy. Life in Rio de Janeiro is difficult to explain. I have now been here for a little over a month and I feel like I have been here my whole life. I have become completely accustomed to the way…

(Photo provided by Marshaé Compton) First impressions, by Marshaé Compton: Taking the first step on Rio soil and smelling the crisp, clean air was a feeling that I could not get anywhere else. Coming from the small state of Oklahoma, living in the upper lower class, I never imagined that I would be in a foreign country continuing my education. For a moment I had to halt and think to take it all in. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is a beautiful city filled with an overwhelming amount of spirit and…

(Photo:  Christian Albuquerque)   Student Christian Albuquerque offers these first impressions of Rio: For myself, a son of Brazilian immigrants, and a dual citizen myself, coming to see Rio for the first time is important, it’s an opportunity for me to do something I consider culturally significant, as if somehow being here can help me connect to my roots. The first two weeks here in Rio have been as full as I could have ever imagined, and I’m sure this journey of Brazilian pilgrimage I am embarking on will be…

Okay, so let’s talk about the proverbial elephant in the room.  It seems like everywhere I turn, there is news about Rio, and most of it troubling.  After years of the media not reporting much of anything about Brazil (or Latin America, for that matter), the onslaught of horrific/hilarious/hopeless news about Brazil, and Rio in particular, must seem like a worrisome kind of truth for those unfamiliar with The Marvelous City (as it is known in Portuguese, a Cidade Maravilhosa).  But it is a partial truth, partial because there’s always more…

Now that the semester is over, I can start to prepare for relocating to Brazil for the year.  That includes creating a website/blog to let colleagues & students know what we are doing at the OU Study Center in Rio.     We will be arriving in Rio after the Olympics (which end on August 21).  If you are wondering what Rio is like, check out this short video clip:   Rio is known as the “Cidade Maravilosa,” the Marvelous City, because it offers such beautiful views of the natural and…