ASC Spanish professors will re-connect with roots during sabbatical (12-20-06)
Warm evenings, watching the sun set behind the ocean, isn't a typical spring semester for Adams State College professors, but Dr. Eva Rayas-Solis, assistant professor of Spanish, is planning on catching many a wave on the sand during her spring 2007 sabbatical.
"I will be in Sonora, Mexico, about an hour from the beach." She is going home, where much of her family still resides. "I will also spend time in Hermosillo, and Michoacan, Mexico."
It won't all be sand and surf, Rayas-Solis will be researching, and interviewing family, friends and acquaintances, for her novel-in-progress. "I am focusing on the economical development in Michoacan. My family was involved in the railroad development in that area, as well as ranching and commerce."
The novel is based on history, memories, party conversations, and interaction with people who remember conversations and stories about that time period. "The generation, who built up Michoacan, which, in its day, had a thriving economy, is gone. People who remember those stories will be a source for my fictional book."
Rayas-Solis is writing the book in Spanish. "The part of the project that excites me the most is interviewing my parents and others, because it is an opportunity to spend more time with relatives. I haven't lived there for thirty years."
Since the fictional work is about a particular area in Mexico, Rayas-Solis said she wants to re-connect with the culture and the voice of the people. "I am looking forward to being in touch with the language, its sound, and the special way of pronouncing words. I lost it, and I want to recover the flavor."
Dr. Carol Guerrero-Murphy, chair of the English, Theatre, Communications and Foreign Languages Department, said the college-wide expectation for Adams State faculty is that we will stay current in our specialized fields. "With the kind of teaching load we have it is very hard to remain current in your area without a sabbatical. It is an opportunity to get deep into an area of passion and renew the dedication to teaching."
For 13 years Rayas-Solis has taught in the Adams State College Spanish Department. "I am overdue for sabbatical. The break will boost my confidence in academics, and my scholarly work. I will come back rested and light."
"Adams State faculty are expected to be productive as scholarly and creative teachers," Guerrero-Murphy said. "This is the college's way of supporting us as we achieve those goals."
Rules and restrictions for Adams State College professors, to be eligible for sabbatical, include that the professor must be full-time faculty, and must have completed seven academic years of continuous service at Adams State College. After returning to classroom instruction faculty must submit a written report of their sabbatical to their department chair, provost, president, and the trustees.
"Eva is taking the opportunity to develop her creative writing style, and connect it to the literary world in Mexico where she grew up," Guerrero-Murphy said.
Rayas-Solis' doctor recommended she take time off. "I am following the doctor's advice. I am going to enjoy visiting with buddies I haven't seen in years. Basically, there is one main reason I chose that area of Mexico, I am missing that special way of talking, the accents, and pronunciation; I long for them."
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By Linda Relyea
