A Fall 2012 KWC class, entitled Justice and Revolution in Cuba, gave a group from Kentucky Wesleyan a rare chance to study the history of the Cuban Revolution, and the status of the current legal system in Cuba. The group travelled throughout the country, and met with Cuban government officials, law professors from the University of Havana, and veterans of the Cuban Revolution, as well as local Cuban citizens.

Students Jonathan Bell and Dustin Staves kept a journal of their activities while in Cuba. This is the second post in the series. If you missed the first post, you can read their account from the beginning. You can also see a full photo gallery of the trip on KWC’s Flickr account.

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Day 1 — Part 2

Saran-Wrapped Luggage

Waiting at the Havana Airport. Check out the wrapped-up lugagge.

This was the first time anyone from our group had been in Cuba and we were all anxious, as the next step was Cuban customs. We stood in a single file line, being called to speak with a Cuban customs officer, one at a time. If we were cleared, a buzzer sounded and the door opened to the other side where baggage claim was. Fortunately, everyone cleared customs, and was granted access to Cuba.

We all waited for our baggage to come around on the conveyor belt, just as we would in the United States. Baggage began to come out, and after an hour of not receiving ours, we all became concerned. Everyone’s luggage was coming out, except ours, but it was saran-wrapped. Did the Cubans know something we didn’t? Hour two passed, and still no luggage. After hour three, we found someone who spoke English and Spanish and they happily informed us what the PA system had been announcing since we arrived: Our luggage was on a second plane that had just left Miami.

During hour four of our wait we learned why our luggage was on the second plane. During President George W. Bush’s administration, the Cuban-Americans were strictly regulated as to how many times they could visit Cuba, and what they could bring. During Obama’s administration, the Cuban-Americans had less restriction, and were allowed to bring whatever they wanted within the limits of the airlines.

Apparently, every Cuban-American on our flight brought the maximum allowable luggage along, which was what had been saran-wrapped. They brought everything from food, to clothing, to medicine, and even several flat-screen TVs. So much luggage had been checked, that a second plane was sent from Miami to Cuba with nothing but extra luggage. Four hours, two planes, and hundreds of saran-wrapped packages later, we finally retrieved our luggage.

Hotel Presidente
We left the airport terminal and made our way through an emotional crowd of Cubans at the entrance to the airport. Many of the Cubans were emotional because, for most of them, it was the first time they were being reunited with their family after many years apart. We made it to our permanent tour bus for the trip, and met our assigned guide, Jesus (pronounced Hay-Zeus). He said we could pronounce it like the Christian version if we felt he was that great.

We travelled via bus to our hotel, the “Hotel Presidente,” where we would spend the next four nights. We were greeted by the hotel manager, who welcomed us to Cuba, and then proceeded to exchange our money. We were told that we could not exchange U.S. dollars in Cuba. Our money was exchanged in Miami to the Euro, and our Euros were exchanged at the hotel for Cuban pesos (aka CUCs).

Our luggage was taken to our rooms, and we travelled via bus to Old Havana, for a quick night-time tour, and dinner at “La Imprenta,” an old printing company, turned restaurant. After a dinner of Banana Cream and Garlic Soup, and Jambalaya with mashed plantains and rice, we returned to our hotel and called it a night.

Next time: Revolutionary Square, the City of the Dead, and hand-rolled cigars …

This semester, a group from Kentucky Wesleyan College had an opportunity to travel to Cuba as participants in a joint academic program with Eastern Kentucky University. Jonathan Bell and Dustin Staves are students in the Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Law program at Kentucky Wesleyan College and were the students in the group that travelled from KWC, alongside their professor, Dr. Ken Ayers, who is the director of the Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Law program, and trustee Jack Wells and his wife Gina.

The class, entitled Justice and Revolution in Cuba, gave the group a unique account of the history of the Cuban Revolution, and the status of the current legal system in Cuba. The group travelled throughout the country, and met with Cuban government officials, law professors from the University of Havana, and veterans of the Cuban Revolution, as well as local Cuban citizens.

Jonathan and Dustin kept a journal of their activities while in Cuba, and this is their first-hand account of their journey. This is the first post in the series. You can also see a photo gallery of the trip on KWC’s Flickr account.
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Day 1

Landing at the Havana airport for the beginning of the adventure.

We arrived in Cuba today after a short, one-hour plane ride from Miami, Florida, to Havana, Cuba. When the plane touched down in Cuba, all of the Cubans on board began to cheer and applaud. We could all tell they were excited to be here. Dustin had an interesting discussion during the flight with a Cuban-American who was seated next to him. Here is Dustin’s account:

Carlos’ Story
As we boarded the flight, I found my seat in the middle, next to a very large man. My first thought was, ‘This is going to be uncomfortable.’ The plane took off, and due to the heat of Miami, everyone was anxious to get the air flowing. Each seat had its own air vent, so I positioned mine to flow air in my direction. About five minutes later, the man sitting next to me grabbed my vent and moved it to his direction. I was on a chartered plane full of Cubans and didn’t know how the man would react if I grabbed it back, so I simply sat there.

Roughly ten minutes passed and I decided to move my air vent back, which I did, cautiously. Minutes went by, and neither I, nor the man moved or made any comments. Eventually, I decided to lighten the mood, and said, “Hot airplane, huh?” Much to my surprise, the man laughed, and in a Cuban accent, speaking in English, introduced himself as Carlos.

Carlos and I spoke the rest of the flight to Cuba. Based on my uneducated assumptions about Cuba, I was hesitant to ask the man any questions. But he asked where I was from, and the conversation, and my abundance of questions began.

I learned that Carlos had made three attempts to flee Cuba to the United States, for reasons he described as being suppressed. On his second attempt he was caught by the U.S. Coast Guard and sent to Guantanamo Bay for 17 months. Upon being released, Carlos tried again, and succeeded. He spent five days at sea in a raft with other Cubans. Some did not survive.

Now Carlos is an American citizen and has his own company in the real estate business. Carlos was coming back to Cuba to visit his son, who is in medical school at the University of Havana. I asked Carlos if it was worth the risk, to which he replied, “Absolutely.” Carlos said he would do it all over again if he had to, and he loves the United States.

Carlos also gave me some advice for my trip. He told me that most Cubans would speak openly about Cuba, including about the government, but not to pressure them into it. He also relieved my worries by telling me that Cubans are very open and welcoming to Americans, as they aspire to be Americans, or to travel to America.

When the plane landed, Carlos told me to take back my stories of Cuba, and to spread the word about the Cuban people to Americans, who may not be aware of what being a Cuban is like. With this advice, I stepped out of the airplane onto Cuban grounds for the first time, and was eager to begin my travels.

Next time: Saran-wrapped luggage and the Hotel Presidente …

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January 3 – 19, 2012, could be epic for Kentucky Wesleyan College students.

For three short weeks, you get to take the college classes you’ll remember for a lifetime, the classes that aren’t requirements for your major, the classes that you’ll write home about (literally), the classes that are the reason you came to college. And you get to do it all at half the normal tuition rate.

We created Winter Term to let professors and students get out of their traditional class routines and have an adventure or two. Classes change every year — in 2012, try Leadership Through Sailing (in the Virgin Islands, on a working sailboat) or The Tudors (including 10 days of touring in England) or jump into another culture with a international studies trip to Costa Rica.

If international travel isn’t your thing, we’ve got other options right here in Owensboro. Physics and the Arts (the math is easy), Ye Gods and Goddesss (classical mythology) or Musical Theatre (if you’ve always wanted to sing and dance) all promise to be great.

The point? You can have fun and earn credit all at the same time with a winter term class at KWC. Plus, the price is half off. Seriously.

So if you need an extra class to graduate on time or if you want credits at a reduced rate or if you just want to broaden your horizons and have some fun, check out KWC Winter Term 2012 for a world of possibilities.

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Travel classes:

The Tudors (England)
Leadership Through Sailing (Virgin Islands)
Costa Rica

For a full list of other classes available, visit www.kwc.edu/winterterm.

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Details: 

For more info about how to register, when classes meet, tuition costs, etc., visit www.kwc.edu/winterterm. Registration for new students opens November 7 — sign up today!

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Zev Buffman is a legendary Broadway producer who has produced more than 40 shows and 100 national tours. He brought Elizabeth Taylor and Dustin Hoffman to Broadway and was a founding member of the NBA’s Miami Heat. He has spent the last eight years as the director of Owensboro’s RiverPark Center.

Laura Early, assistant professor of theatre arts at KWC, arranged for Buffman to spend last evening at KWC reminiscing about his life and career. The story that follows was in the Messenger-Inquirer today.

Buffman shares tales of his past and announces his departure at KWC
By Dariush Shafa, Messenger-Inquirer
Published: Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Nearly every seat was taken in Roger’s Hall at Kentucky Wesleyan College on Tuesday night as students, faculty and residents turned out to hear Zev Buffman talk about his experiences in show business. The crowd got an extra treat as Buffman also shared his favorite stories and some of the lessons he learned along the way.

Buffman’s stories ranged from his first big break as a director and producer to working with celebrities such as Dustin Hoffman, Elizabeth Taylor and Muhammad Ali.

Laughter and applause turned to disappointment though, as the president and CEO of the RiverPark Center also shared the news of his pending departure. Buffman’s eight-year contract at the RiverPark Center was not renewed in a Tuesday meeting of the RiverPark Center’s board, and Buffman announced he has accepted a job in Clearwater, Fla.

Still, Buffman said Tuesday’s event at KWC was something that he was glad to do, even with the day’s events weighing on his heart.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for the two or three months it’s been in the works. I’m only sorry we didn’t do it more often,” Buffman said.

Those in attendance said they not only enjoyed Buffman’s stories and advice, but are sad that his time in Owensboro is drawing to a close.

“I am a Broadway child. My mother was a Broadway dancer, and I’m from New York City,” said Ginny Weant, a vocal performance sophomore at KWC. “Every story (he told) was meaningful and can be applied not only to theater but to life in general.

“I’m very heartbroken I don’t get to spend more time with him, but I’m very grateful for the opportunity (tonight),” Weant said.

Buffman’s departure will be difficult to overcome, said Matt Ruark, Assistant Director for Development at KWC, who came to see Buffman’s event.

“He’s done a lot for Owensboro, and I just wanted to hear about it straight from his mouth,” Ruark said. “That’s a great loss for Owensboro. I don’t think we’ll be able to replace him.”

Laura Early, assistant professor of theater arts at KWC, said she’s glad Buffman was able to come for the event.

“It’s huge. How many times do you have the opportunity to have someone who’s produced 40 Broadway shows speak to students?” Early said. “You can tell the students love it. They’re just ecstatic to meet him.”

Phoenix Jenkins, a senior studying sociology at KWC, also said she was happy to be there and talk to Buffman.

“I felt honored,” Jenkins said. “He’s humble and he shows you that you can be all you can be.”

Buffman said he is especially enthusiastic about the future show business and educational possibilities that exist in Owensboro thanks to the partnership between the RiverPark Center and local educational institutions.

“The marriage between the performing arts center and theater students is not always possible,” Buffman said. “You don’t get that in Miami or New York because you can’t get them (students) across the line because there are strict (labor and union) rules.

“This is not only going to be a more important college town when the new downtown arrives, but also a major destination for theater students,” Buffman said.”There is a great future for this town just around the corner.”

During the event, Buffman said that the opportunity to talk to and share experiences with students is a joy because it’s a chance to pass on the little things that helped make him successful.

“You should never stop dreaming just because you wake up in the morning,” Buffman said, noting how that is one of his favorite sayings.

Buffman later said he felt Tuesday night’s event helped take away some of the sorrow from the end of his time in Owensboro.

“On a day like today, which was a day of departure and moving on, this to me was a phenomenal catharsis of just feeling free and happy about my eight years here and knowing I can still make contact with young people,” Buffman said.

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Meet our new president and his wife, Dr. Craig and Annette Turner:

Read all about them in the latest issue of KW Today, our alumni magazine. You can also read the rest of the magazine on our website. Happy reading!