Faculty
Faculty:
Linda Metzler, Professor
Ph.D. University of Kansas, Hispanic Literature, 1978
M.A. University of Kansas, Hispanic Literature, 1971
B.A. University of Kansas, Hispanic Literature, 1969
Research Interests: The interrelationship of literature, visual arts and politics during the Franco years in Spain;
the work of the Spanish poet Maria Victoria Atencia; Feminist and Psychoanalytical Criticism; Contemporary Spanish
Poetry written by women.
Carlos Piano, Professor
Ph.D. UCLA, Hispanic Languages and Literatures, 1967
M.A. Rutgers University, Hispanic Literature, 1960
B.A. Rutgers University, Spanish, 1958
Clara Román-Odio, Assistant
Professor of Spanish
Ph.D. UNC-Chapel Hill, Latin American Literature (Major), Comparative Literature (Minor),
1993
M.A. Purdue University, Comparative Literature, 1983
B.A. University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Comparative Literature, 1981
Research Interests:
The poetry and prose of Octavio Paz; Female Shamanism in the Latin American Literary
Tradition; Gender Struggle in Ethnic Literature, with Strong Focus on Puertorican and Chicana Female Writers; Language
Acquisition and Educational Technologies.
Teaching Interests:
20th Century Latin American Literature & Culture; Colonial Literature of Latin
America and Spain; Literary Theory and Cultural Studies; Women Writers; Strong Focus on Multimedia and other Electronic
Technologies in Language Acquisition.
Faculty Projects:
During the past three years the Spanish faculty at Kenyon have been actively involved
in the development and integration of multimedia-based materials into our curriculum. Following are some examples
of our faculty projects:
Retratos de la Malinche
By: Prof. Clara Román-Odio &
Ana Ramírez
Portrayals of Malinche
was developed as a collaboration between Professor Clara Román-Odio and Ana Ramírez, an Apprentice
Teacher from Costa Rica, with the support of ICS staff. The program was funded by a Course Development Opportunity
grant to support the introduction of multimedia-based technology into our Intermediate and Advanced Spanish courses.
The learning exercises are immersed within the cultural context of the story of Malinche, the official translator,
guide and lover of the Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés. The core of the project consists of the biography
of Malinche, as well as cultural reinterpretations of this figure by contemporary female and male artists, and
by the Mexican popular culture. Malinche focuses on developing and testing, at various levels of difficulty
reading comprehension, vocabulary in context and writing and oral skills. This is achieved primarily by targeting
specific linguistic functions including: descriptions of people and places, comparisons,narrations and supporting
opinions.
La Hoja de Coca en Bolivia
By: Prof. Linda Metzler & Ana Ramírez
La hoja was developed
as a collaborative effort between Professor Linda Metzler and Apprentice Teacher Ana Ramírez, with the support
of ICS staff. The program was funded by a Faculty Affairs Committee Teaching Initiatives Grant to support
the introduction of multimedia-based technology into our Intermediate Spanish courses. In this program, a beautiful
collage of images and music of the villages, landscapes, textiles and festivals of the indigenous peoples of Bolivia
invites the student to explore the topic of the coca leaf within a variety of cultural settings. The contexts presented
include traditional and ritual uses, family and community, stereotypes, national and international politics and
social violence. The program seeks to dismantle stereotypes and to engage students in an in-depth consideration
of the complex reality of Bolivia. It utilizes a multicultural approach that invites the student to explore both
the traditional use of the coca leaf by indigenous communities and the U.S. - Bolivian relationship regarding the
problem of cocaine narcotraffic. The content of the program is both informative and accessible to students and
is geared to enhance reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing and oral skills.
Ingenio, Romance y Protesta
en la Música Popular Hispana
Project Director: Clara Román-Odio
Faculty Participants: Linda Metzler, Janet Núnez,, Carlos Piano
Language Technology Specialist: Sheryl Coleman
Student Assistants: Ana Ramírez, Allison Riley & Jeb King
The impetus for this
collaborative effort arises from our belief that music constitutes an effective vehicle to introduce students to
key cultural values from the Hispanic world embedded in linguistic and extra-linguistic codes. Consistent with
this perspective, Ingenio combines, music, video, images and text to develop viewing and listening skills,
enhance vocabulary in context, test comprehension, and engage students in speaking and writing activities. Five
musical genres (tango, bolero, Afro-Caribbean music, protest songs and poem-songs) provide a vehicle for the incorporation
of a breadth of cultural information that includes: historical background of political revolutions/coups d'etat
in Latin America; social class struggles that brought about these musical genres; attitudes towards love and sexual
roles; and literary appropiations of musical culture. This program has been funded by the Ohio5 consortium and
developed by the Spanish faculty in collaboration with our Language Technology Specialist, Sheryl Coleman and three
student assistants.
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