Classes in the Streets

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In this entry, I catch up on what I've done since my last post and describe my experiences with the University of Buenos Aires' classes in the street.

Classes in the street outside the University of Buenos Aires' Social Sciences Building

What I've Been Up To

The last few weekends have been some of the best I've had in Buenos Aires! A large part of that has to do with exploring new parts of the city.

Venezuelan Arepas: It all started two weeks ago, when I went to dinner with friends from the Universidad del Salvador (USal). We went to a Venezuelan bar in Palermo, and I had a great time getting to know some other students from Argentina and other countries. I also loved eating Venezuelan arepas, which were a welcome change from the less-spicy food that Buenos Aires is known for.

Argentine Asado: The next day, a friend from Argentina, Nacho, invited me to an asado. The traditional barbecue took place at his house in Villa Martelli, a suburb just to the north of Buenos Aires. I was amazed by how generous Nacho was! He and his friends had known each other through high school and college, and I had only met him a couple times through events for exchange students. Still, he felt comfortable inviting me over to his home. Needless to say, the food was delicious and I enjoyed the company!

Argentine asado over a coal fire grill (parrilla)

Other Adventures: More recently, I've enjoyed a jazz concert at the Usina del Arte theater in the working class neighborhood of La Boca and a lively street fair in the neighborhood of Mataderos, which sits at the southern border of the city of Buenos Aires. Both events were a great way to meet new friends and catch up with old ones: At the Feria de Mataderos, I got to spend time with my friend from Duke, Julia Searby, who's also studying in Argentina this semester.

A visit to the Feria de Mataderos

Day Trip to Tigre: This weekend I took a train to Tigre with a group of friends from Venezuela, Spain, and France. The city sits at the delta of the Paraná River, and it's become a popular tourist destination for those looking to escape the city for a day trip. We went to an art museum, spent hours eating lunch and talking outside, and walked along the river bank. The weather was perfect, and it was one of the most relaxing days I had had since arriving in Argentina.

A beautiful day along the Luján River at Tigre

The Tigre Museum of Fine Arts

Classes in the Street

While the weekends have been full of fun events, I've also done my fair share of reading and attending classes at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) and the Universidad del Salvador (USal). The courses at USal has been fairly routine, but my class at the Universidad de Buenos Aires has been anything but.

Because of UBA's status as a public university that doesn't charge tuition, the university and its professors are at the center of an ongoing political debate in Argentina. The country is experiencing very high inflation—one of the most recent forecasts (from Itaú BBA via the Wilson Center's Argentina Project) puts 2018 inflation at 40.3%. This means that prices for products (in Argentine pesos) will be about 40% higher in January 2019 than they were in January 2018. For a professor at UBA to afford the same lifestyle that she would have had last year, she would have to receive an annual salary increase equal to the rate of inflation.

Unfortunately that isn't what the current government has offered. As part of a broader effort to reach a zero budget deficit, Mauricio Macri's administration originally offered a modest salary increase for professors at public universities—after negotiations with faculty, the latest figure I've read is a 25% raise over 8 months. While spending cuts may be necessary to avoid future inflation and pay off debt, analysts have pointed out that education is the wrong sector to cut spending (from José Natanson in New York Times Español via the Latin America Daily Briefing).

The government's reluctance in increasing teachers' salaries, paired with more budget cuts to public universities, has resulted in pushback from students and professors. As I described in previous posts, professors have been involved in an on-and-off strike over the last few weeks. About two weeks ago, the UBA student union began to occupy several university buildings.

I saw the effects first hand on Wednesday, when I went to my seminar in Presidential Leadership at the UBA Social Sciences building. Since parts of the building were closed off, most of the classes took place outside—literally in the streets adjacent. Students lifted dozens—if not hundreds—of desks into the street while professors lectured over the noise of car horns and groups of pedestrians. My class didn't take place outside; luckily we were able to find a quieter spot in the hallway. Still, it was shocking to see the level of student activism and resistance to the Macri administration. I look forward to getting to know more of how politics and economics play into porteños' daily lives.