Unlike some professors, Gómez rarely speaks about himself. It is his profound knowledge of the subject matter that indicates he has real-life experience behind the material that he teaches.

Growing up on a farm in the south-central region of Colombia, Gómez and his siblings didn’t have toys, so they were forced to use their creativity and ingenuity to entertain themselves. Despite their lack of resources, Gómez looks fondly on his childhood, which allowed him to develop a deep appreciation for the natural world.

At an early age, Gómez began learning about the world beyond his small village through his grandfather’s radio. High in the Andean mountains, he was able to tune in to transmitters from the United States, the Netherlands, Cuba and Great Britain. His thirst for knowledge turned him into an avid reader, to the point of ordering magazines like Time and Life.

“Many people around me would say that it was strange, that I was crazy, because they lived in their small world, and I was thinking about the stars,” Gómez said.

Gómez received his teacher’s certificate at the age of 17, and began teaching children in agricultural zones with limited educational access. At 18, he lived in the Amazon jungle where the borders of Colombia, Peru and Brazil meet, working with the indigenous people there. While attending university in Bogotá, his eyes opened up to many injustices happening around him. He took this inspiration and studied to become an attorney.

But fighting for justice can be dangerous. Gómez joined a group of lawyers called “La Excelencia por la Justicia” or Excellence for Justice. This group investigated a wide span of issues, from corruption in the government, to drug-trafficking crimes. They published accounts of the wrongdoings, and were instrumental in the judicial process. Because of his desire to shine light on illegal activities, he became a target.

Two of his close friends were murdered due to their involvement in La Excelencia, and it was rumored that he was next on the hit list.

“On a Friday, I was at the university teaching in the afternoon, like normal, and I never returned. On Sunday, I was here in the U.S.,” said Gómez.

And so a new page in his life was turned, and Gómez was able to bring his family to the States a year later. He liked the peaceful atmosphere of the Treasure Valley and in 2001 was thrilled to find a position for a Spanish instructor at BSU.

He teaches a variety of upper division Spanish classes, and even designed many of the classes offered by the Modern Languages and Literatures department such as, Latin America Today and Human Rights in

Latin America.

Chair of Modern Languages and Literatures Teresa Boucher recognizes the one-of-a kind contribution that Gómez brings to

the department.

Professor Gómez is extraordinarily active in community engagements, for the department in particular and also the university,” Boucher said.

Gómez is the advisor for the Spanish club, which among various projects sends BSU students to talk to Hispanic junior high and high schoolers to encourage them to go to college.

“He isn’t one of the people waving his own flag,” said Boucher, “he is one of the unsung heroes."

TERESA ARENZ
Lead Arbiter Journalist

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Originally from Colombia, Orlando and Sonia Rojas, BSU students, have made their way from the warm sun of Miami to the chilly winds of the Treasure Valley. Driven here by business, the Rojas have been tied to Idaho for almost 12 years. Orlando saw the economic success and power Latinos have in Miami, and he wants to help local Hispanic businesses in Idaho achieve their full potential. The Rojas started a Web site called bravoidaho.com. They believe the Internet provides the best medium to reach out to the Hispanic population in Idaho.

“In any Mexican store you will find two or three computers, so the Internet is now an easy form of access for the Hispanic community,” Orlando said. “I think today it is hard to find a household without a computer and Internet access.”

Bravoidaho.com provides a myriad of information to Hispanics. The Web site features news articles from around Latin America, and also local articles that pertain to the Latino population and culture of Idaho. Users can obtain entertainment, technology, health and lifestyle news with the click of a button.

But one of the most helpful aspects of the Web site lies under the “Nuestros Servicios” (Our Services) tab. Here, interested business owners can enroll in business management training, Web design and hosting services, and photographic and video imaging. They offer a 360-degree video record of households in case of an emergency. This can provide proof of ownership during insurance claims.

While trying to advance the power of Hispanic business in Idaho, the Rojas also hope to change the image of the Hispanic community.

“We have found that the Anglo perspective here in Idaho is that any person that speaks Spanish is immediately associated with the Mexican community,” Rojas said. “It’s important to remember that here in Boise, Idaho, there is a large population of Latinos that are not of Mexican origin. We are people from different countries and with a totally different vision, different cultures and customs.”

The Rojas made it clear they don’t want to distance themselves from the Mexican community. They just want people to understand the diversity of cultures that coexist under the general term of Hispanic. They also want to present a more positive representation of Latinos, who often get a bad rap in the news. Bravoidaho.com celebrates the culture, ingenuity and potential Latinos possess.

“We are an enterprising, thriving people. People who have come to fight, and people who want to do interesting things,” Orlando said.

Bravoidaho.com is still in the beginning stages of development. The Rojas extend an invitation to any Boise State student who would like to help provide content for the Web site relating to the university. They are also looking for more sponsorships and businesses willing to take advantage of the free classified ads.

TERESA ARENZ
Arbiter Journalist

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Vea este artículo en Español se llama “El Arbiter habla español”

A little over a year ago, the Boise Weekly made history in our community by publishing an excellent report on immigration in both English and Spanish. Soon after, they unveiled the generous initiative of offering a blog in Spanish, whose growth exceeded initial expectations, as shown by the number of registered visits. Even so, the final objective of making these articles appear in Spanish in the printed edition never made it to light due to a lack of space. Now, The Arbiter has extended the opportunity to give life to this project in its daring and independent pages.

This opportunity is especially unique given what is being expressed in certain social and political circles in this country. And the truth is that such neoliberal times split the soul of anyone paying attention to the fleecing that continues to take place here. The elimination of civil liberties, the undoing of social programs, and the deterioration of free speech have become manifest (I have here “The Age of Untruth”) and as a result, this new journalistic space can be one of those tiny windows where we stick our heads out, breath and feed the hope of the return of a few basic liberties.

Although the political arena is trying to limit the importance of Spanish by not giving it a place in school curricula and by blotting it out from public spaces, it is clear that language is a phenomenon, a tool that cannot be stuck in a closet regardless of how much a few lunatics insist on doing so. A different reality is the rest of the world, where children begin to learn and become fluent in multiple languages at a young age. When I return to Europe, I delight in seeing three-year olds taking their first steps in another language, and kindergarten students already immersed in classes completely taught in a tongue other than their first.

On the other hand we have what might seem like the counterpoint. Informative media exist presented exclusively in Spanish, but the intentions of some of them seem more questionable. Their objectives appear to be largely commercial or laced with undertones of control. They neglect the cultural arena and lack a diversity of opinion, often treating Hispanic audiences as if they were sheep: They saturate them with stupendous recipes for gastronomic delicacies that make readers long for their homeland. They stun readers with ecclesiastical blessings of any act no matter how inconsequential, and they use the concept of the “model” Latino that serves in the United States Army to suck readers in and abusively glorify the government. And all of this gets taken to the tenth power, just in case.

The reader would agree then that those who perpetuate this calculated bombardment are doing the immigrants in this country a hollow favor; they disconnect them from events of a serious nature and impoverish their respectable intellect.

For all the Spanish speakers that would let themselves be drawn in by this little newspaper piece, and for the students that are learning this language with sincere dedication, despite the blow dealt by their monolingual education as children, I hope that this printed and cybernetic space can be a breath of fresh air where we might share, converse, elucidate, air out our frustrations, and finally clear the cobwebs from our pens so that we might make use of the written word (the reader can access and comment with ease at arbiteronline.com). The written component of the language is fundamental to preserving it as well as to enriching thought.

If moreover this opportunity could serve as a record so that writing might illuminate the winding paths of our soul, full of shelved opinions, perhaps repressed by society out of fear and a lack of debate, then I would not doubt in the least that today we are opening the door to a matter of substance.

Fernando Lázaro Carreter, once head of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, said that “where language suffers impoverishment, thought itself is impoverished.” I would go even further in saying that if language becomes impoverished, emotional expression becomes limited, empathy is blurred and altruism is fulminated.

Let us feel free to encourage our Spanish speaking companions, and those that are working on learning Spanish, to communicate with each other in this space for the Spanish language that The Arbiter has extended to us. If expressing our ideas helps us elevate our language, and if sharing our ideas gives us greater strength to express ourselves freely, then we might contribute to surroundings that are more affable, tolerant and natural.

JUANJO CARMONA
Translated by David Collinge
Special to The Arbiter

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View this article in English entitled “The Arbiter speaks Spanish.”

Hace algo más de un año ahora, el Boise Weekly hizo historia en nuestra comunidad publicando un magnífico reportaje sobre la inmigración en inglés y en español. Después se destapó con la generosa iniciativa de ofrecer un blog en español que a decir por el número de visitas registradas sobrepasó en creces las expectativas iniciales. Aun así el objetivo final de hacer aparecer estos artículos en español en la edición impresa se quedó en aguas de borraja por falta de espacio y nunca llegaron a ver la luz. Ahora, The Arbiter nos brinda una oportunidad para dar vida a este proyecto en sus páginas atrevidas e independientes.

Esta oportunidad es especialmente singular a la vista de lo que se respira en determinados ámbitos sociales y políticos en este país. Y es que estos tiempos tan neoliberales parten el alma a cualquiera que esté prestando un poco de atención al tejemaneje en curso. La eliminación de las libertades cívicas, la desatención de los programas sociales, y el deterioro de la libertad de prensa son patentes (he aquí “La Edad de la Mentira”) y por eso este nuevo espacio periodístico en español y traducido al inglés se nos aparece como una de esas ventanitas donde podemos asomarnos, respirar y alimentar la esperanza del retorno de, al menos, algunas libertades básicas.

Aunque desde el ámbito político se intenta restar importancia a nuestra lengua no dándola cabida en los currículos escolares y difuminándola de los espacios públicos, es claro que la lengua es un fenómeno, es una herramienta que no puede meterse en un armario por mucho que insistan unos cuantos verdaderos mentecatos. Otra cosa es en el resto del mundo, dónde los niños empiezan a aprender otras lenguas cuando es más recomendable. Cuando regreso a Europa, es una delicia ver a niños de 3 años dando sus pinitos con una segunda lengua y a los de enseñanza primaria ya inmersos en clases totalmente impartidas en otro idioma que no sea la lengua vernácula.

Por otro lado está lo que pareciera ser la contrapartida. Existen medios informativos presentados exclusivamente en español pero las intenciones de algunos de ellos a mí me parecen más que dudosas. Sus propósitos mayoritariamente parecen ser comerciales o de control, descuidan el ámbito cultural y la diversidad de opinión, y lo que es más grave tratan a las audiencias hispanas inmerecidamente como si de borregos se tratasen: les saturan con recetas estupendas sobre cualquier delicia gastronómica que le haga a uno añorar su país de origen, les aturden con las bendiciones eclesiásticas de cualquier acto intranscendente, y les absorben con el abuso de las exaltaciones a la patria usando el concepto de latino “modelo” que sirve al ejército de los Estados Unidos. Y todo esto se eleva a la décima potencia por si acaso.

Estarán de acuerdo con que los que realizan este bombardeo calculado le están haciendo un flaco favor al inmigrante en este país, le desconectan de los auténticos acontecimientos y empobrecen su respetable intelecto.

Por todo esto, para todos los hispanohablantes que se dejen caer por este articulillo periódico y para los estudiantes que con verdadera dedicación aprenden esta lengua muy a pesar del sablazo que sufrieron en su infancia cuando se les negó su aprendizaje, espero que este espacio impreso, y también cibernético, sea una bocanada modesta de aire fresco donde podamos compartir, conversar, dilucidar, airear nuestras frustraciones y, en fin, quitarles las telarañas a nuestras plumas para poder hacer uso del lenguaje en forma escrita (simplemente accede y comenta en arbiteronline.com). Este componente de la lengua es fundamental para preservarla y para enriquecer el pensamiento.

Si además esta oportunidad nos sirviera de bitácora para que la escritura pudiese iluminar esos vericuetos de nuestra alma llenos de opiniones arrinconadas, quizás reprimidas en la sociedad por el miedo y la falta de debate, entonces no me cabría duda de que hoy estaríamos abriendo las puertas a algo con sustancia.

Fernando Lázaro Carreter, miembro ya fallecido de la Real Academia de la Lengua Española, dijo en una ocasión que al empobrecerse la lengua, se empobrece el pensamiento. Yo iría más lejos y me atrevería a decir que si se empobrece la lengua, la expresión de las emociones se limita y por tanto se difumina la empatía y se fulmina el altruismo.

Sintámonos libres pues y animemos a nuestros compañeros de habla hispana, a ésos que están en ello, y por principio a nosotros mismos, a comunicarnos en este espacio en lengua española que nos brinda The Arbiter. Si plasmar nuestras ideas nos ayudara a realzar nuestro propio lenguaje, y si compartirlas nos diera además fuerza para dar rienda suelta a nuestros sentimientos, entonces podríamos estar contribuyendo de alguna manera a un entorno más afable, más tolerante y más natural.

JUANJO CARMONA
Escritor Independiente

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nearly 300 votes in this year’s student body presidential

races.

Ishaq and Wolfe garnered 601 votes, out of 1291 total student

body votes in an election that saw voter turnout dip by about 2

percent compared to the Spring 2002 election. Voter turnout this

year totaled 7.8 percent of the student body population, as opposed

to a 9.7 percent turnout last year.

ASBSU President Elect Ishaq greeted the news of his victory with

a combination of excitement and apprehension.

“This is a huge responsibility,” Ishaq said.

“The first thing we’re going to do is get together

with all the candidates and brainstorm for ideas. There were some

outstanding candidates in this race and we want their

input.”

The ASBSU Elections Board announced the results on Friday in the

Student Union Forum—to a crowd that consisted mostly of

candidates.

Additionally, more than two-thirds of voters approved the ASBSU

Constitutional Convention, a mish-mash of amendments to the student

government constitution.

To Ishaq and Wolfe’s disappointment, the Constitutional

Convention passed in a vote of 728 to 368.

Ishaq and Wolfe said they voted against the constitutional

changes primarily because the new GPA requirement for student body

elected leaders would exclude students with a GPA lower than 2.5

from student government involvement.

“We’re huge advocates of student involvement, and we

feel this is an exclusionary move,” Ishaq said.

Ishaq and Wolfe, who campaigned on a platform of increased

student involvement, said their plans include a proactive approach

to the problem of student apathy.

“We’re gonna jump in as fast as we can and make

ASBSU’s presence known,” Ishaq said.

Ishaq and Wolfe, both 20, met earlier this semester while

serving ASBSU as senator’s-at-large.

Ishaq, a member of the Boise State debate team, also serves on

the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee and was formerly a member of

the Idaho Progressive Student Alliance at BSU.

Born in the United Arab Emirates, Ishaq speaks fluent Ureu,

Punjabi and Hindi. His family immigrated to the United States when

he was 10 years old, and he graduated from Centennial High School

in 2000.

Wolfe is a second-generation Boise State student whose father

played Bronco football from 1975 to 1979. Wolfe’s grandfather

was dean of administration at Boise Junior College and oversaw the

transition of BJC to a state university. Wolfe currently chairs the

Senate Budget Finance Committee. An Idaho native, Wolfe is almost

fluent in Spanish.

Only two senate seats were contested this year: the College of

Social Sciences and Public Affairs and the College of Applied

Technology.

Robert Green emerged as the winner of the SSPA race. Ramiro

Castro, from the College of Applied Technology, beat incumbent

James Ball by only 17 votes in the closest race this election.

New student government leaders will be inaugurated April 24 at 5

p.m. in the Student Union Farnsworth Room.

Jessica Adams, The Arbiter

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