Por Lo Menos No Estoy Cubierta en Pintura

Something's afoot in Santiago. Swarms of individuals covered in paint have taken over the streets asking for money. Yet, they are not ordinary beggars; they laugh constantly and almost all seem to be between 18 and 20 years old. Who are they?

They are the mechoneos--or first year students--at most universities throughout Santiago. While in the United States any activities that remotely resemble hazing are strictly forbidden, Chile freshman receive a very public welcome.Upperclassmen shred their clothes and cover them in paint, tuna, pig guts, confetti, etc. Then, they are sent into the streets to beg for coins. It sounds awful, maybe even traumatizing.

On the contrary, most Chilean upperclassmen remember the experience fondly. There is, apparently, no better way to unite a group of new students and create enduring friendships.

And so, amid paint-splattered and foul-smelling freshman, my next semester in Chile has begun. Like last semester, I'm taking four classes along with a graded internship. Unfortunately, they happen to be located in five different spots throughout the sprawling city, which means that I either need to buy new "walking shoes" or prepare to spend hours languishing on public transportation. Pucha.

Admittedly, I knowingly ignored location when choosing my classes. I could spend all of my time on one campus, but then I wouldn't be nearly as excited about my classes this semester which include "La Ciudad y el Futbol," "Enfrentando la Pobreza," "La Politica de los EEUU hacia America Latina 1865-1990" y "Discursos Artisticos y Formas Politicos en America Latina." I have yet to choose an internship, although I have decided I would like to work with an organization tackling poverty using a multi-dimensional approach.

In addition to the subject matter, my assortment of classes proves interesting due to their varied locales on various campuses throughout the city. This semester, Tufts students have the opportunity to take classes at La Universidad de Chile and La Universidad Catolica. Although considered to be similarly competitive, the two institutions could not be more different.

As noted last semester, La Universidad de Chile has a distinctly leftist vibe at all its campuses. The most extreme, Macul, could even be considered somewhat anarchist. Political grafitti splatters the campus and (violent) protests and clashes with the police are not uncommon.

On the other hand, la Catolica reminds me of Tufts in that almost all purport to have strong political views, but very few actually act on them. Even the main campus resembles Tufts; dozens of buidings are nestled amid grassy lawns on whichs students study or recline in the sun.

Why study at two universities? Why endure long bus rides in order to traverse between classes? Although I often complain about the trips, the chance to experience Chile from two different perspectives is definately "vale la pena." At La Chile, I have to step outside my comfort zone and study in a still slightly unfamiliar environment, At La Catolica, on the other hand, the classes tend to be more challenging (in my admittedly limited experience) but the environment is eerily reminiscent of home.

Tufts and La Catolica are not, however, the same institution nor are they in the same hemisphere. After a few more weeks of classes and a few more hours spent on campus, I'm sure the differences will be more clear. At the moment, they do seem alike, but that's not necessarily a bad thing either.