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María Teresa Navarro Agraz takes over as director of the UNAM Faculty of Music

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com November 21, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Mexico City. María Teresa Navarro Agraz took office as director of the UNAM Faculty of Music for the period 2024-2028

Patricia Dávila Aranda, general secretary of the national university, gave him the position in the ceremony held in the Xochipilli room of the FaM, and commented: it is time to start a constructive dialogue to walk together for the good of the faculty, especially the students.

In addition, he suggested building communication bridges that would allow reaching agreements with the different sectors of his community, as well as improving infrastructure and reviewing his study plans.

Dávila Aranda stressed that administrative services and social communication will also have to be improved, so that what is done in this faculty is known at UNAM, in the country and abroad.

“It is important to achieve listening spaces for the exchange of ideas and points of view, where a diverse and critical community is built, but respectful and capable of understanding that students deserve to have the most inclusive and complete vision of music possible,” he said.

Likewise, he recognized the work carried out by María Teresa Frenk Mora, who concluded her assignment.

Returning to her message, María Teresa Navarro highlighted that the needs of society, as well as increasing gender equality in all educational offerings and working for a culture of peace, are some of the challenges to be faced.

He pointed out that it is a strong demand from the university community that they build an education for peace and a culture in this universal value in all our processes, as well as continue with the record of the life of Mexico through music and preserve the memory sound of who we are today, who we have been in the past and who we want to be.

Path

María Teresa Navarro Agraz was born in Hermosillo (Sonora), she has a master’s degree in Music (Performance) with honorable mention from the UNAM Master’s and Doctorate Program in Music; He is currently pursuing doctoral studies in the area of Interpretation (singing) at the same institution.

His artistic interests focus on the music of the 20th and 21st centuries, on the diverse uses of the voice in academic music and its usefulness at different levels of music education.

She was the first FaM academic to enter through the Young Academics Incorporation Subprogram of the General Directorate of Academic Personnel Affairs (DGAPA) of the UNAM. He currently teaches the subjects of Musical Language I-VIII, Singing V, Supervised Teaching Practices, and Elementary Singing Technique and Repertoire III.

He has collaborated in numerous projects of creation, interpretation and premiere of concert and stage vocal repertoire; In addition, he has participated in national and international music festivals, such as: the IM•PULSO Emerge 2018 festival; the XXXIX edition of the Manuel Enriquez International New Music Forum; the Revueltas International Festival in Durango and the Franco-Mexican Festival La Voz/La Voix.

She is part of the Inner Pulse ensemble, and has also performed as a guest soloist with the ensemble of the Center for Experimentation and Production of Contemporary Music of the National Institute of Fine Arts, the Argentine new music ensemble Tropi, the academic ensemble of the Higher Institute of Music of State of Veracruz, among others.

Throughout his career he has received awards and distinctions such as the Gabino Barreda medal (2005); Recognition of High Academic Performance Students (2004-2005); the National University Distinction Recognition for Young Academics 2019 (RDUNJA) in the area of arts teaching. In addition, she was a beneficiary of the FONCA Stage Creators program (2014) for the project “The diverse voices of the voice, dedicated to the repertoire for solo voice.”

#María #Teresa #Navarro #Agraz #takes #director #UNAM #Faculty #Music
–

PAA: How will the Faculty, under María Teresa’s leadership, balance traditional‌ music pedagogy with the integration of new technologies and digital tools in music education?

## Interview with María Teresa Navarro Agraz, New Director of UNAM Faculty of Music

**Introduction**

Welcome⁣ back ‌to World Today News. Today we have the privilege of speaking with María Teresa Navarro Agraz, the newly appointed Director of the UNAM Faculty of Music, about her vision for the future of music education and the exciting opportunities and challenges⁣ that lie ahead.

Joining us is also Patricia Dávila Aranda, the ⁤General Secretary of the National University, who ⁣played a key role in appointing María Teresa and will shed light on the selection process and her expectations for the Faculty.

**Section 1: Vision and Priorities**

**Interviewer:**

* María Teresa, congratulations on your appointment! ⁢What ⁤inspired you to pursue this role, and what are your top priorities as Director of the UNAM Faculty‍ of Music?

* Patricia, you‌ mentioned the ⁢importance of “building communication bridges” and “improving infrastructure.” Can you elaborate on how these focus areas will contribute to‌ the success of the Faculty?

* María Teresa, how do you envision the Faculty’s role in promoting a‍ culture of peace and‍ inclusivity within⁣ the broader UNAM community and beyond?

**Section 2: Challenges and Opportunities**

**Interviewer:**

* María Teresa, societal needs are constantly evolving. How will your approach to music education adapt to contemporary challenges like digitalization, globalization, and the need for interdisciplinary ⁣collaboration?

*‌ Patricia, what key skills and qualities do you believe ⁤are essential for success in navigating‌ the complex landscape of higher education in today’s world?

* María Teresa, with your background in both performance and ‍academia, how will you balance the practical and theoretical aspects of ‍musical training to best prepare students for diverse career paths?

**Section 3: Looking Ahead**

**Interviewer:**

* María Teresa, what are your thoughts⁣ on preserving the rich musical heritage of ⁤Mexico while also embracing innovative and contemporary forms of music?

* Patricia, how do you see the UNAM Faculty of Music contributing to the broader cultural landscape of Mexico and the international music scene in the coming years?

* Maria Teresa, what message would you like to give to current and prospective students interested ‌in pursuing their musical passions within the UNAM Faculty of Music?

**Concluding Remarks**

We would like to thank Maria Teresa Navarro Agraz and Patricia Dávila Aranda for generously sharing their insights and vision with us today. We wish María Teresa all the best in her new role and look⁣ forward to seeing‍ the exciting ⁢developments⁣ to come from the UNAM Faculty of Music.

November 21, 2024 0 comments

Entertainment

Rosario Castellanos’ words and legacy resonated at UNAM

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com August 26, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

An exceptional day was experienced yesterday at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters (FFL), where the student community commemorated two anniversaries: the centenary of this educational center, affiliated with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and the 50th anniversary of the death of the writer Rosario Castellanos, whose words and thoughts continue to resonate in Mexican culture and literature.

At noon, hundreds of young people came to the main hall to see the screening of The goodbyes (2018), a film directed by Natalia Beristáin, which narrates Castellanos’ life from her youth to her consecration as one of the most important national writers, as well as her turbulent love relationship with the philosopher Ricardo Guerra.

The highlight came with the presence of actress Karina Gidi (the film’s protagonist), who gave a talk at the end of the broadcast.

Redemption of Letters to Richard

As an introduction, Mary Frances Rodríguez Van Gort, director of the faculty, recalled Castellanos’ relationship with the institution and announced the reissue of the book Letters to Richard, personal work of the author, which will be available from August 26.

Rosario was a student, teacher and graduate of ours. Some of the scenes of this film were filmed at the faculty and the library.said Rodriguez Van Gort.

During the screening, the students were serious and respectful, immersed in the intimate and powerful narrative of the film. However, at the end of the screening, the atmosphere changed dramatically. With her charisma and depth, the actress managed to turn the classroom into a space of learning and emotion, while the applause and cheers reflected the admiration of the spectators.

In a conversation with the poet and researcher Eva Castañeda, Karina Gidi (Xalapa, 1972) shared her experiences and reflections on interpreting Rosario Castellanos (1925-1974) in The goodbyes.

When Natalia invited Daniel Giménez Cacho and me to play Ricardo and Rosario, we of course said yes, even before the script existed. The combination of working with a talented cast and with Beristáin’s direction was enough to get me on board with this project that required a high degree of commitment and sensitivity.

Gidi faced a particular challenge: capturing the essence of a figure as revered as Castellanos, without reducing her to a mere icon. It took me days to convince myself and understand that the important thing was to think of her as a person of flesh and blood.he added.

I had to find a balance between respect and authenticity, avoiding falling into imitation or a documentary approach, and transgressing the marble figure, the poster, and the name used in schools, bookstores, avenues or artistic forums.

The students took the opportunity to ask Gidi about her interpretation and, in particular, about the vision of motherhood that the writer captured in her works, since the author of Dust trajectory (1948), describes it as a feat, but also expresses some rejection due to how the experience occupied his body.

Mother of two daughters, Karina Gidi responded: “For Chayo, being a mother was a huge blessing, just as it is for me. Motherhood has made me a better person, but in the middle of filming I thought a lot about my daughters and how to protect them from the injustices and gender violence that persist. I want to protect them from people who want to break their typewriters like they did to her.”

Rosario’s legacy is immeasurable. Her voice remains essential to the feminist struggle and to reflect on our society. Her life and work invite us to question, to learn and to continue fighting for a more just and equal world. Playing her was an honor and a responsibility that left a deep mark on me.

The projection of The goodbyes was part of the international conference The Space of the Humanities: Dialogues in the Inter and Transdisciplinary Construction of New Approaches for the Strengthening and Presence of the FFL in the Problems of Mexico, which concludes today with four activities, including a keynote lecture chaired by the writer and linguist Yásnaya Aguilar at 10 a.m. in the main hall.

Hours before the film screening, researcher Javier Muñoz-Basols gave a talk Digital linguistic bias in artificial intelligence in Spanish, in which he proposed that teachers and students should use this technological tool for learning and not just for entertainment.

#Rosario #Castellanos #words #legacy #resonated #UNAM
– 2024-08-26 14:09:11

August 26, 2024 0 comments

World

Rector Lomelí appreciates coordination and respect for UNAM with Sheinbaum

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com August 24, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

CMexico City. The defense of university autonomy “is inseparable from the defense of democratic values. At many times in our history, UNAM has been a fortress of resistance against authoritarianism, always defending freedom of expression and the right to dissent,” said the rector of the highest house of studies, Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas.

During the solemn ceremony in which the motto UNAM, through my race the spirit will speak, was inscribed in gold letters on the Senate’s Wall of Honor, he thanked this distinction that, he said, involves society.

Those who inscribe these letters and our motto are the people of Mexico as a whole through its representatives, because the history of the University would be inconceivable without the will of millions of people who recognize that, without public, free and autonomous higher education, it would be even more complex, if not impossible, to build a better country.”

He added: “May this legacy of reflection, openness and resilience be a reminder that the spirit of UNAM will always speak and be at the service of Mexicans and of humanity.

“My spirit will speak through my race,” to the applause of the president of the Senate, Ana Lilia Rivera, the president of the Political Coordination Board of that chamber, Ricardo Monreal, and the former rectors of the University, Enrique Graue, Jose Narro, José Sarukhán, as well as emeritus professors and researchers, such as Annie Pardo Cemo, mother of the president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, directors of faculties and officials.

In his final interview, rector Lomelí Vanegas expressed absolute confidence that there will be a good relationship with the next president. “I think we will have a very good chance to contribute to the development of the country. There are many university students in Dr. Sheinbum’s cabinet. Of course, we are very excited to be able to contribute to making our country better.”

He rejected the idea that UNAM could be ideologized, as has been mentioned, and pointed out that although there was criticism in the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, autonomy was always respected and “I am sure that this will be the case with Dr. Sheinbaum.”

In his speech, he stressed that “the defence of university autonomy, a fundamental principle that, for 95 years, has guaranteed academic and research freedom, as well as the independence of the University from any type of political, ideological or economic intervention or interest.”

University autonomy, he stressed, “is its essence, which allows it to build and maintain spaces where critical thinking and plural debate can flourish without restrictions. Thanks to it, the University has resisted and overcome the structural and political challenges it has faced.”

Historically, he explained, “in the face of urgent and profound phenomena and crises, the University has demonstrated its capacity for adaptation and resilience.

In response, we have focused on critical and empathetic education, on scientific research with concrete applications, on promoting dialogue and on mobilizing resources and talent, always at the service of Mexico.”

In his speech he also referred to the role of UNAM not only as an academic institution. “It is also an active agent of social change. Through our outreach, outreach programs and headquarters abroad, we bring knowledge and culture to all corners of the country and to other latitudes.”

Rector Lomelí Vargas also referred to the challenges. He said that the increase in higher education enrollment, which went from 2 million students in 2000 to 5.3 million in 2023, is due to the increase. However, this growth is insufficient and highly unequal across federal entities, with current coverage of almost 44 percent.

“This means that, despite the great efforts made in recent decades, only a little more than four out of ten young people between 18 and 22 years old can attend university. It should also be noted that this coverage is significantly lower than the Latin American average, which is 56 percent.”

Similarly, “the gap in higher education coverage at the national level has widened in 17 states, being most significant in Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacán and Tlaxcala, which are below the national average. This situation is unacceptable and demands our joint and immediate action.”

This situation, he stressed, also invites us to reflect on the challenges that are on the horizon. Higher education in Mexico faces significant challenges, such as the need to allocate a sufficient budget, expand coverage, close gaps, improve educational quality and strengthen research. Solving them requires full awareness and shared responsibility from government authorities, the academic community and society as a whole.”

From the plenary session, the rector of UNAM recognized those who have left an indelible mark on the highest house of studies, among them Justo Sierra, José Vaconcelos, Gustavo Baz and Javier Barrio Sierra, the latter, who defended its autonomy in the most critical moments of our history.

She also acknowledged “all the university women, without whose contributions it would have been impossible to write and continue writing our history: from the first who had access to higher education, to the growing number of directors, students and officials in all fields.” Among them she placed the president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum.

It was an emotional ceremony, in which Senators Rivera and Monreal highlighted the role of UNAM, as did Beatriz Paredes, from the PRI, who stressed that the University “is the mirror of the best possible Mexico,” the coordinator of the PRD, Miguel Angel Mancera, the Morena member Navor Rojas and Marcela Mora, who almost came to tears when recognizing the importance of the institution in her life.

They all ended their performances with the classic “Gooooya.”

#Rector #Lomelí #appreciates #coordination #respect #UNAM #Sheinbaum
– 2024-08-24 21:56:59

August 24, 2024 0 comments

Health

Increase in Covid-19 cases is reported; UNAM recommends wearing face masks in crowded places

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com August 15, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

MEXICO CITY (apro).- Confirmed cases of Covid-19 continue to increase in recent weeks. So far in 2024, 11,042 positive cases have been confirmed and 425 deaths from the disease have been reported.

According to the weekly report on Covid-19, influenza and other respiratory viruses 2024, from the Ministry of Health, positive cases have remained below what was reported in previous years, however, starting from epidemiological week 23, an increase in positivity was observed.

Related News

According to the report, an upward trend was observed at the beginning of 2024, then a decline and, subsequently, another gradual increase.

The states with the highest number of positive cases of COVID-19 so far this year are: Mexico City, with 2,716; Nuevo León, with 982; Querétaro, with 884, and the State of Mexico, with 868.

The states with the highest number of deaths from this disease are: Mexico City, with 64; Puebla, with 35; State of Mexico, with 28, and Hidalgo and Jalisco with 24.

The most affected age groups are people over 65 years old, followed by the age group between 50 and 54 years old; 55 to 59 years old; 60 to 64 years old and 30 to 34 years old. The report indicated that the age groups in which the disease is most severe are: children under 1 year old, 1 to 4 years old and those over 65 years old, due to hospitalization.

In addition, health authorities reported that, according to gender distribution, there is a predominance of the disease in women, located at 59.8% of people affected by COVID-19.

The General Directorate of Health Care of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) issued a bulletin on August 13 in which it indicated that, although there are no warning signs and a lower rate of people affected by the disease is being recorded compared to previous years.

UNAM also noted that as long as the virus is in circulation, the risk of the generation of new viral variants increases and people who become ill with Covid-19 are more likely to have other illnesses that they suffer from become unbalanced or have sequelae that affect their health.

According to the highest house of studies, these are the general recommendations to avoid contagion and prevent the virus from reaching the most vulnerable population:

Wear a face mask when in crowded and poorly ventilated places (public transportation), or when interacting with people with symptoms of respiratory illness.
Promote ventilation of closed and crowded spaces (classrooms, offices, laboratories, auditoriums, transportation, etc.).
Perform frequent hand hygiene and keep facilities and furniture clean.
Check the vaccination status of the most vulnerable people (elderly people, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases or immunocompromised people) and those at higher risk of exposure (health personnel) in health services, as well as update as necessary.
When cases of illness occur in an academic group or office area, do not suspend activities and take extreme precautions, always in close communication with the health officials of each entity or department.

If you have signs or symptoms of respiratory illness:

Rest, isolate yourself and monitor your progress.
Have a timely diagnosis and seek medical attention.
Do not self-medicate.
Wear a face mask when around other people.

August 15, 2024 0 comments

Entertainment

Approaching dance as a humanistic training phenomenon, Claudia Lavista’s ‘leitmotiv’

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com August 13, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Approaching dance as a phenomenon of humanistic formation, community builder and tool for critical thinkingis the leimotiv by dancer and choreographer Claudia Lavista, director of Dance at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), who assumed that position last May.

Presenting the UNAM Dance program, Lavista explained: “It is about promoting proposals that place the expressive body at the center of social and participatory action, from the artistic, educational and community levels.

We want to build bridges and be in dialogue with all types of dance, contexts and cultures to generate autonomous and creative spaces. The idea is to think of dance as a great interconnected prism, so that everything that reaches UNAM resonates in artistic communities in Mexico and around the world, and that allows us to connect.

In order for Danza UNAM to be a project of plural and inclusive ideas and actions, activated for this art, the choreographer and dancer described that there will be five main projects: the programming of the Miguel Covarrubias room and the Dance Hall, the UNAM Choreographic Workshop (TCUNAM), the UNAM Youth Contemporary Dance Company (DAJU), the Danza UNAM Workshops and the Gloria Contreras Extraordinary Chair.

Regarding the program presented in the Dance Hall, he pointed out that there will be the participation of two international groups: the Cuerpo de Indias Company (Colombia) of Álvaro Restrepo and Luz Arca from Spain, a collaborative project with DAJU, as well as the premieres of the works Permanent transfer, by Cesar Broderman; Chronology of longing, by Silvia Unzueta; StereOphocoSoniC, by Foco alAire, directed by Marcela Sánchez Mota and Octavio Zeivy, and Kintsugi, from Tandem Dance Company, by Leticia Alvarado.

He commented that a substantial part is the launch of a national call that will be published at the end of this month, since What matters is getting to know new groups or artists who do not live in Mexico City or its surroundings..

Lavista said that special projects will be carried out, such as the SerSur meeting of Latin American dance, the meeting of Professional Dance Students, and the Nuevas Mexicanidades festival, as well as a broad presence of international dance, the celebration of the International Dance Day, the Solos y Acompañados project, and creative and networking residencies.

“We called the Latin American dance meeting SerSur because it is time to look to the south and understand our reality, not from the hegemony of the north or Europe, but from the logic of the community; to have a vision of the world that is applied and lived from the bodies of the south, that is, ours. This activity will be in November 2025 and in 2026, and we will do another one with Africa.

Claudia Lavista at the presentation of the university program. Photo Gloria Minauro-Isóptica/courtesy of Danza UNAM and María Luisa Severiano

“There will also be a meeting between professional dance students so that the new generations have a place to connect and begin planning projects.

In addition, there will be the New Mexicanities festival, which will bring together groups concerned with the relationship between tradition and the present,” he described.

Lavista highlighted the creation of a Mexican dance platform to identify cities where important dance phenomena are taking place and to generate work networks. In addition, photographic exhibitions of this discipline will be opened and work will be done with the collections of Alberto Dallal Castillo and Raúl Flores Canelo. Dance in Mexico has an incredible richness and we must keep its memory alivehe said.

Regarding the TCUNAM, directed by Irina Marcano, she mentioned that she will continue to spread the legacy of its founder, Gloria Contreras, but will also promote the creation of new classical, neoclassical and contemporary repertoires. Her projects for this year are: 90 times Glory, Tribute to Contreras on his 90th birthday; Carmina Burana at the UNAM Culture Festival and a new version of The Nutcracker. Guest choreographers include Luz Urdaneta from Venezuela, Edgar Zendejas from Monterrey, and Syrian-German Saeed Hani.

She reiterated that the mission of the workshop is to promote the art of movement in university spaces, so activities will continue in the Colleges of Sciences and Humanities, faculties, open rehearsals in gardens and esplanades, in addition to the seasons in the Miguel Covarrubias hall and in the Estefanía Chávez Barragán theater.

On the other hand, the youth company DAJU, directed by Nicolás Poggi and Ana G. Zambrano, maintains the purpose of professionalizing recent graduates through the creation of experimental projects; it will participate in exchanges with local and international universities and will have Jesús Guiraldi and Quille Mut from Argentina as guests.

The Gloria Contreras extraordinary chair, coordinated by Andrea Chirinos and produced by Rocío Gutiérrez, will promote proposals for reflection and analysis of dance from a performative and academic approach through artistic residencies. University cultural circuits, choreography, composition, research and management workshops will be held.

He also reported that the UNAM Dance Workshops program currently brings together more than 3,600 students from the UNAM academic community, as well as workshops in high schools, summer courses and the ProenPro specialization program.

#Approaching #dance #humanistic #training #phenomenon #Claudia #Lavistas #leitmotiv
– 2024-08-13 07:20:48

August 13, 2024 0 comments

Entertainment

Rosario Castellanos and philosophy / Elena Poniatowska

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com August 11, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

On Sunday, August 4, 2024, it will be 50 years since the death of Rosario Castellanos, the great writer who (according to Carlos Monsiváis) wanted to free us from the sexist condemnation that women are affected by feelings and men by ideas.

In the 1950s, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) did not make essential contributions female to philosophy, above all, if we stick to the dictionary that defines philosophy as the rational study of human thought from the dual point of view of knowledge and action.

Rationalizing thought is difficult for us women (even if we philosophically endure personal and political situations), because in many cases we tend to stray towards mysticism, which is another story. Religion takes its toll on daily life and on women’s aspirations (perhaps more than on men), and its weight bends our hands. Mysticism unites the soul with God and many religious women have aspired to this perfection, who in order to give themselves to the Divine Husband they entered the convent.

Among Mexican women writers (with the exception, of course, of Sor Juana), Rosario Castellanos was the one who came closest to resignation when she wrote On female culture, Her thesis was presented on June 23, 1950 at UNAM to obtain a Master’s degree in Philosophy before Leopoldo Zea, Oswaldo Robles, Paula Gómez Alonso, Eduardo Nicol and José Romano Muñoz.

Rosario wondered out loud if there was a female culture and the mere fact of putting it up for discussion turned her question into a philosophical concern. It would be good to know what Eduardo Nicol thought of the ideas of the student who dedicated herself to painting the female sex as unable to enter the realm of culture due to its own physiology.

Nicol must have been surprised by this young woman from Chiapas who knew how to make people laugh by questioning herself in front of academics who smiled even though no one ever laughs during a professional exam.

That Rosario was more interested in literature than philosophy is evident from the fact that he never applied for a doctorate in philosophy, because he wanted to write above all. He declared before his synods that I’m not even used to thinking.

I wonder what face Sor Juana would make when she heard her say with her always ironic voice: Not only does my female mind feel completely out of its center when I try to make it function according to certain invented standards, practiced by men and dedicated to male minds, but my female mind is far below those standards and is too weak and meager to rise to meet their level..

Two or three months later, Rosario would travel with Dolores Castro to Spain and become a disciple of Dámaso Alonso, but she never stopped emphasizing her inferiority, as demonstrated by her letters to Ricardo Guerra.

I have always wondered how far Mexican women have come in philosophy. I know that in the beautiful building of the UNAM Philosophy and Letters Department, Juliana González, Graciela Hierro, María Romana Herrera, Margarita Valdés Villarreal, Griselda Gutiérrez, Mari Flor Aguilar and others who have made valuable contributions are venerated, but none of them, of course, have found a philosophical system superior to Plato’s.

Some of them devoted themselves to logic, others to epistemology, but the names that made headlines and made history were Leopoldo Zea, Alejandro Rossi, Ramón Xirau, Luis Villoro, Adolfo Sánchez Vázquez (who came from Spain in 1939 and whom I loved very much because, in addition to being patient, he was very handsome), Eduardo Nicol, José Gaos (whose lectures my mother attended) and José María Gallegos Rocafull, who was very worldly, since he accepted invitations to eat at home and listened with indulgence to all the nonsense that went from one dish to another.

Although today there are so many women in the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, no name sounded as much as that of Alejandro Rossi, who also entered literature thanks to his Handbook for a distracted person. Ramón Xirau was dripping with ash from his cigarette, which he had been burning since dawn. The person I loved and admired the most was Gabriel Zaid, who does not consider himself a philosopher, but who has taught us to read on a bicycle, even though I fall into all the potholes that the rain carves in the cobblestones of Chimalistac.

I remember Emma Godoy giving advice and edifying lessons in her popular XEW broadcasts, but her novel Once upon a time there was a pentaphasic man, According to my guru Carlos Monsiváis, it does not go beyond the editorial promotions of the Reader’s Digest. Her aunt Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, that is, Gabriela Mistral, wanted to give a philosophical meaning to her poetry and critics will judge whether she succeeded. For now, philosopher or not, Gabriela Mistral rests in peace with her head on the pillow of a Nobel Prize awarded for the first time to a Latin American, although it was María Zambrano who left her legacy at the Colegio Nicolaíta in Morelia, in 1939, and received all the dazzling and generous refugees from the Spanish civil war.

During her stay in Spain, the great revelation for Rosario Castellanos was Saint Teresa of Avila. She wrote from Madrid to Ricardo Guerra in 1950:

“(…) Everything you tell me that you have been reading your Imitate ion of Christ It coincides with what I have been reading about Saint Teresa and Saint Augustine. I just don’t know what I’m going to end up with with this religious problem. Of course, religion is something that has never been indifferent to me, and even less so now. With my heart I have a horrible hunger for it, but when I try to get close to satisfying it, I am opposed by a series of objections of an intellectual (!) type. I, who never reason, who have no logical capacity and, above all in this case, no religious instruction, start criticizing it and everything seems absurd and irrational to me, and for that very reason unacceptable.

“Now I am beginning to suspect that I am using the wrong categories to understand it. Because it is not through reason, so coldly, that one can reach it.

“(…) But then I became curious about what mysticism was and I started reading Saint Teresa. Look, it is one of the books that has moved me the most and that has gained the most impact in my eyes. It put humility and charity before one again, with all their transcendence, with all their importance. My first move was one of total adherence and the plan to change my life. But, alas, my resolutions lasted two or three days.”

In his thesis On female culture, Rosario states: what is culture?and wonders if her access has been denied to women. She does so in the same tone she will later use in her letters to Ricardo Guerra, as she raises her inability to enter the male world. When she states to her synods that she is stupid, fragile, weak of understanding and very dim-witted, she repeats one of the letters she wrote to Guerra:

“It is absurd, it is foolish and it is clumsy to be digging into a wound, hurting a sore with one’s own hands, reopening a scar. But I am alone and I do not know how to be alone, I carry my loneliness like a burden that I have thought about too much; I am so inadequate, I feel so in need of the warmth of others and I know that I am so superfluous in everyone’s life. In any house I go to I am an intruder, they see me as a strange and rootless creature, if not as a hindrance. And yes, exiled from this world of affection and human relationships, I try to find my justification, my reason for being in other activities. What do I find? You know it well. A task without transcendence and without relief in which I do not communicate with others, nor do I take possession of any of the things of the world that are outside of me or possess them. And this, tell me, is it not also a pain? Is it not also a failure? And still the others cackling around one: calling him to his face ‘poetess’, as the worst insult and the worst mockery. Or showering him with frivolous praise, unfounded praise, criticism without justice and without knowledge. And that witness that we all claim to be infallible, capable of penetrating our most hidden and hidden intentions, capable of weighing us on a faithful scale, God, I have lost him and I cannot find him either in prayer or in blasphemy, or in asceticism or in sensuality.

#Rosario #Castellanos #philosophy #Elena #Poniatowska
– 2024-08-11 19:54:14

August 11, 2024 0 comments

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**PAA:** How will the Faculty, under María Teresa’s leadership, balance traditional‌ music pedagogy with the integration of new technologies and digital tools in music ​education?

PAA: How will the Faculty, under María Teresa’s leadership, balance traditional‌ music pedagogy with the integration of new technologies and digital tools in music education?