The restaurateurs of Havana
Camille Sparkman,
Contributor
September 20, 2017
Filed under Photos
Somewhere around 80% of Cuba’s industries are owned and operated by the Cuban government, including restaurants. It has been this way since the 1960s when Cuba became a socialist government. Under the socialist regime, the Cuban government made a leveled economic playing field for its citizens, essenti...
La libreta
Alexandra Archuleta,
Contributor
September 20, 2017
Filed under Photos
Cuban, government-owned supermarkets, otherwise known as bodegas, have been controlled by the Cuban government since Fidel Castro implemented a rations system in 1962. From Castro’s regime to present day, families are required to bring their state-issued ration book, known as la libreta, each time they...
Commitment is key for veganism
Celeste Marie O'Connell,
Contributor
August 30, 2017
My vegan journey has been in full swing for a month and I feel great. The transition to veganism requires a commitment to regularly consuming plant based foods and exercising daily. Surrounding myself with people who are also vegan and maintain a routine have been essential to strengthening my reserve. In...
What’s understood doesn’t need to be explained?
Rebecca Esparza,
Contributor
August 29, 2017
Filed under Essays
We all need water to survive, we need dirt to plant seeds and the mixture of the two creates an element that we need in order to grow. They call this little community in Cuba the "Mud," but not for the way I see it but because it is dirty and poor. Poverty is something that exists but nobody really t...
Cuban restaurants find ways to thrive despite US embargo
Camille Sparkman,
Contributor
August 28, 2017
Filed under Essays
Shortly after 12 p.m. on a Thursday in Old Havana, a man donned in chef’s outfit is yelling out to people as they pass by in the sweltering sun. The chef is wearing a white hat and a short-sleeve shirt, black pants and shoes, and a scowl that would make Scrooge appear friendly. He is speaking in...
Insatiable: Cuba’s food ration system and the people of Cuba
Alexandra Archuleta,
Contributor
August 28, 2017
Filed under Essays
The one and only man behind the counter is Juan Delgado*; today is his 25th birthday. He works from dawn to dusk, handing out rationed groceries and making marks in people’s ration books in the small government bodega far from the lavish shops and elegant hotels of central Havana. Here in this impoverish...
Ruth Stone
Ruth Stone,
Contributor
August 27, 2017
Filed under Blogs
Fresh off the plane in Havana, Cuba Wow, what can I say? Cuba has blown my expectations and I only have been here for three days. Day to day life in Havana is vastly different from the United States which we’ve experienced due to the humidity, 1950s cars, and architecture. My fellow classmates and I...
Kali Persall
Kali Persall,
Managing Editor
August 27, 2017
Filed under Blogs
The garbage revolution The warm water, palm trees and crystal-white sand of the Santa Maria beach were everything I pictured when I used to think of Cuba, a picturesque island in the Caribbean. However, over the past four days, my rosy tourist perspective has disintegrated as my eyes increasingly open t...
Juana Davila
Juana Davila,
Contributor
August 27, 2017
Filed under Blogs
Paradise in a dark alley Old Havana is beautiful during the night; it’s like a never ending fiesta. Parents are out with their children, young couples are taking a stroll while street musicians work their magic, and others are huddled together in the wifi hotspot in front of the public library....
Pushing through temptations as a new vegan
Celeste Marie O’Connell,
Contributor
August 23, 2017
A newly converted vegan experiences temptations that distract from required daily tasks. Three weeks ago, I became a vegan and it feels great. My successful transformation is owed in part to with familiarizing myself with veganism and exploring the various food options. I did not expec...
Camille Sparkman
Camille Sparkman,
Contributor
August 23, 2017
Filed under Blogs
Patriotism or die After arriving in Cuba, it did not take long to see how the Cubans honor the revolution that occurred over fifty-years ago. I saw many billboards and murals in and around Havana that praise the uprising efforts of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. One can see their faces painted on the s...
Street party season concludes today
Louis LaVenture,
Editor-in-Chief
August 17, 2017
Filed under Metro
The 17th season of the downtown Hayward Street Party series concludes today with the third one of the summer. The festivities will include live music, a car show, food, vendors, games, beer and wine gardens and other activities from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on several streets surrounding City Hall. The...
