Saludos de Salamanca: From foreign to familiar

I remember the way Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor looked the first day: warm and welcoming, but also foreign. After almost six weeks here, it couldn’t be more familiar to me. I walk through it every day, at least twice back and forth from school. The plaza looks different depending on the time of day – the […]

Saludos de Salamanca: Sightseeing and spontaneity in Barcelona

The plane landing was anything but smooth, yet passengers exploded into applause once we hit the ground in the Barcelona airport. Instantly, we knew we were somewhere special. I had heard so much about the city, it was hard to keep my excitement contained. I was prepared for the big things I would see and […]

Food and new customs break down language barriers

There are few things I love more than food. Cooking it, decorating with it, eating it – whatever it is, I’m down. And I’m not a picky eater by any means. But living with a Spanish host mother here in Salamanca definitely changed my eating habits, from meal times to food preferences. Here’s what a […]

Saludos de Salamanca: The running of the bulls, an annual tradition abroad

The gunshot explodes and the wooden gates swing open, releasing more than half a dozen bulls into the narrow streets of Pamplona, Spain. Thousands of people outside the gates, wearing red kerchiefs around their necks, burst into a sprint, trying to outrun the animals. The resounding bells growing louder warn the runners that the bulls […]

Saludos de Salamanca: A homecoming in a Spanish city

I shook awake as the tour bus pulled to a stop at a crosswalk. “Chicos, welcome to Salamanca,” Carmen, our resident director, said in her endearing Spanglish. She added that she hoped we took a nap because we needed to be awake to meet our host family for our six-week travel study program. Butterflies suddenly […]

EmpowerLA opens nominations for best neighborhood council

A service from the Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment to increase community involvement in local government is calling for residents to submit nominations for the best neighborhood council. The service, called EmpowerLA, has a board of neighborhood commissioners that honors neighborhood councils that fulfill their mission to involve locals with their government, according to […]

UCLA School of Law fundraiser aims to raise $150M

The UCLA School of Law launched fundraising efforts alongside UCLA’s Centennial Campaign Friday, to raise $150 million for the professional school. The law school will use the funds to support student scholarships and improve research initiatives, among other causes, according to a statement from the UCLA School of Law. The fundraiser is a part of […]