History Club visit El Pilar
On Saturday 26th May the SJC History Club journeyed to the beautiful Maya site of El Pilar, Cayo. Here are some scenes captured by history teacher Ryan Gamboa and some direct quotes from three students on the trip Tyler Burns, Korey Moreira and Cesar Escalante.
“El Pilar is a beautiful Mayan site filled with trees and plants. The best parts of the site is the Plaza and the view of the border of Belize. It is best to leave the ruins covered. I liked seeing the plants and different bugs.” - (Tyler Burns Class 1B – St. John’s College)
“My trip to El Pilar was extraordinary. I certainly enjoyed the fact that we go to learn more about our country Belize. The way Dr. Torres explained about the different plants was very interesting and I love how we got a sample of certain plants. To me I understand and could clearly see that there are all the necessities to survived out there. Also it was surprising to know that there was a pathway to Guatemala there. The insects and bugs were unique and roam about freely. That trip definitely deserves a five star rating. In history class we lean a lot about the Maya Milpa Cycle and various aspects of the Maya. The El Pilar experience made it real for me.” (Korey Moreira Class 1B – St. John’s College)
“I loved the trip to El Pilar because of the mood, it was peaceful and at the same time chaotic. None of the trees were handmade and I could say that I saw a sort of organized habitat. The buildings at the site were handmade yet at the same time the insects, birds and even other animals live in them. I learnt about different plants and their uses. We must keep this knowledge and pass it on.” (Cesar Escalante Class 1B – St. John’s College)
“El Pilar is a beautiful Mayan site filled with trees and plants. The best parts of the site is the Plaza and the view of the border of Belize. It is best to leave the ruins covered. I liked seeing the plants and different bugs.” - (Tyler Burns Class 1B – St. John’s College)
“My trip to El Pilar was extraordinary. I certainly enjoyed the fact that we go to learn more about our country Belize. The way Dr. Torres explained about the different plants was very interesting and I love how we got a sample of certain plants. To me I understand and could clearly see that there are all the necessities to survived out there. Also it was surprising to know that there was a pathway to Guatemala there. The insects and bugs were unique and roam about freely. That trip definitely deserves a five star rating. In history class we lean a lot about the Maya Milpa Cycle and various aspects of the Maya. The El Pilar experience made it real for me.” (Korey Moreira Class 1B – St. John’s College)
“I loved the trip to El Pilar because of the mood, it was peaceful and at the same time chaotic. None of the trees were handmade and I could say that I saw a sort of organized habitat. The buildings at the site were handmade yet at the same time the insects, birds and even other animals live in them. I learnt about different plants and their uses. We must keep this knowledge and pass it on.” (Cesar Escalante Class 1B – St. John’s College)
Hugo Carillo encounter
Cynthia Ellis Topsey encounter
18 April 2018
Yesterday the SJC History Club hosted an interactive encounter coordinated by Cynthia Ellis-Topsey, social and community activist. Joining Ms Ellis-Topsey was master forest gardener from the village of Santa Familia, Cayo Narciso Torres. Also Dr. Anabel Ford, professor from the University of California, Santa Barbara participated in the discussion about the importance of plants in an age of climate change. The discussion was wide ranging touching on the many ways the Maya utilize the forest and the resources of the land, and the urgent need for young people to become active and engaged in planting, protecting and building knowledge about plants.
Yesterday the SJC History Club hosted an interactive encounter coordinated by Cynthia Ellis-Topsey, social and community activist. Joining Ms Ellis-Topsey was master forest gardener from the village of Santa Familia, Cayo Narciso Torres. Also Dr. Anabel Ford, professor from the University of California, Santa Barbara participated in the discussion about the importance of plants in an age of climate change. The discussion was wide ranging touching on the many ways the Maya utilize the forest and the resources of the land, and the urgent need for young people to become active and engaged in planting, protecting and building knowledge about plants.
Katie Usher encounter
14 March 2018
Today the SJC History Club held yet another encounter featuring artist and writer Katie Usher who for the past decade has been actively challenging our assumptions and notions about art and art practice in Belize.
Her presentation titled Question The Status Quo, Constantly provoked the students to ask questions about the real issues facing our Belizean society today.
She delivered an impassioned address about her ARTivism and her tireless work on mental illness, fat shaming, child abuse, intersectionality (feminism if it were inclusive) and cultural inertia.
After she spoke students engaged with the artist in a lively discussion about burning topics that they see facing Belizeans today.
Today the SJC History Club held yet another encounter featuring artist and writer Katie Usher who for the past decade has been actively challenging our assumptions and notions about art and art practice in Belize.
Her presentation titled Question The Status Quo, Constantly provoked the students to ask questions about the real issues facing our Belizean society today.
She delivered an impassioned address about her ARTivism and her tireless work on mental illness, fat shaming, child abuse, intersectionality (feminism if it were inclusive) and cultural inertia.
After she spoke students engaged with the artist in a lively discussion about burning topics that they see facing Belizeans today.
Tza-ten-a- ha by yasser musa, 24 February 2018
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Holding a bamboo stick, 79 year old Jorge Verde, took his own stage, a small room with a big mural, overlooking the green blue waters of Sartaneja. He stood ready, in front of forty members of the history club of St. John’s College. And for thirty-five minutes he masterfully sanctioned the spirit of charm, charisma and passion. He danced with words, giving a gripping narrative of his people who in the mid-19th century fled blood and fire from the Caste War raging to the north near Tulum, Mexico.
Earlier that morning, before the sun broke, we journeyed by bus from the swamp of Landivar in Belize City three hours north, though cane fields, past San Estevan, through sorghum, past little Belize, then Chunox, until we navigated a rough road shadowing the Shipstern Conservation Area toward the north-east coast. When we arrived at the place of the boat builders, farmers, tourism operators, and fishers our band of hungry teenagers packed the tiny Taste Twister family restaurant for some tacos and coke. Some of us ventured off next door to the Sarteneja Community Library, a rock building once the village water reservoir, now a container of books. Jorge Verde is a pedagogical maestro. He traces history using big ideas like migration, the value of land, the integrity of a people’s culture, the collective spirit, resource management, family and hard work. When you look through the window of his family home, you are forced to assemble a picture of struggle and survival. The story of Tza-ten-a-ha (the Maya name for Sarteneja) is one of the sea, the land, and the people. Our students wore graphic t-shirts with the words, “ASK QUESTIONS,” which proved appropriate because they bombarded Mr. Verde with so many questions that you could see the joy in his face from the energy of youth meeting the grace of experience. The encounter with Jorge Verde ended with a walkabout through the village – the first landing site of the villagers in 1854, the first water well from which the village took its name, the remains of the first Catholic Church, and a stone home (one of 60 built by villagers after the devastating Hurricane Janet of 27th September, 1955). I walked with Mr. Verde toward the sea and he told me a final story about his great grandmother Damasa Canul who was tortured in Tulum during the Caste War. He gripped into my shoulder and said, “I remember these things because my grandfather Pablo Canul told me we must never forget.” |
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Elizabetha Waqa encounter
This evening the SJC History Club welcomed Elizabetha Waqa, a student from the Pacific country of Fiji who is currently studying and doing research in Belize. Ms Waqa gave a historical and cultural overview of her homeland and after entertained a barrage of questions from the curious history students.
Kareem and Yasser Musa encounter
This evening the SJC History Club held its first encounter of 2018 with Kareem and Yasser Musa kicking off the new year with a talk about art and politics. Some fifteen students from Boston College visiting Belize as part of the Fr. Pedro Arrupe international immersion program participated with club members in a lively discussion. Both SJC and Boston College are proud Jesuit institutions. Mr. Sean O'Rourke a Jesuit International Volunteer (JIV) in Belize organized the event.
eMAGIS magazine # 4
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eREADERS
click on book covers to go to downloads 
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CUBAN AMBASSADOR VISITS HISTORY CLUB
29 November 2017 - Today the SJC History Club hosted an encounter with Cuban Ambassador to Belize Lissette Perez Perez. As part of the visit a special screening of the short film Ode To The Revolution by Roberto Chile was shown. This special visit comes at the 1st Anniversary of the passing of Fidel Castro. After the film, our students shared their questions and comments with the Ambassador.
29 November 2017 - Today the SJC History Club hosted an encounter with Cuban Ambassador to Belize Lissette Perez Perez. As part of the visit a special screening of the short film Ode To The Revolution by Roberto Chile was shown. This special visit comes at the 1st Anniversary of the passing of Fidel Castro. After the film, our students shared their questions and comments with the Ambassador.
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INSTRUCTIONS:
1. SIZE: ON A 18 X 20 INCH PIECE OF SHOP PAPER (provided by your teacher) create an Ancient African Art work. 2. STYLE: USE THE STYLE OF ROCK ART. Africa is the home to the earliest examples of human symbolic language (art). At the Blombos Cave in South Africa, works of art on stone are dated to over 70,000. And all across the continent there are examples of Rock or Cave Art that date from 40,000 years to 10,000 years old. 3. TOPIC: With your group (4 - 5 members) come up with an ancient art by creating images of your daily life at SJC from 7:15 am t0 4:00pm. Try to bring multiple ideas and scenes into one picture. 4. MATERIALS: you can use a variety of materials - paint, pencil, color pencil, crayons, collage, glue, and ink. |
11 October 2017
This evening the SJC History Club hosted Masateru Ishizaki, judo athlete and instructor for an encounter of ideas and views about Japanese history and the art of Judo.
This evening the SJC History Club hosted Masateru Ishizaki, judo athlete and instructor for an encounter of ideas and views about Japanese history and the art of Judo.
27 September 2o17
Senior Counsel, Human Rights Activist and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Lisa Shoman visits the History Club to discuss the case of Nora Parham.
Senior Counsel, Human Rights Activist and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Lisa Shoman visits the History Club to discuss the case of Nora Parham.
7 September 2o17
International Journalist Lennox Samuels visits the History Club.
International Journalist Lennox Samuels visits the History Club.
