Through My Eyes, In My Words:

West Indian Identies

Taught by John T. McCartney, associate professor and head of government and law, and Samuel Hay, visiting professor of government and law

Bradford Reid of Scarsdale, N.Y., is a double major in A.B. engineering and economics & business. He's a member of the Family Weekend planning committee. He's also a member and intramural chair of Delta Upsilon fraternity.

While in the Bahamas I visited the Adastra Zoo and various forts, went snorkeling, watched celebrities play golf for Michael Jordan's annual charity event, and visited the many restaurants and night clubs on and around Bay Street. A few students on the trip were even cast as extras in a new movie staring Paul Walker and Jessica Alba, whom many of us got a chance to meet. While I did have a wonderful time, the trip was not all fun and games.

The course as a whole was an extremely fulfilling experience. I had a chance to not only learn about the area and culture of the Bahamas, but to walk among the people I was studying and talk to them to get firsthand information. The dynamic teaching of Professors McCartney and Hay kept the class interesting and touched on all the parts of Caribbean and Bahamian life. I was astounded with the amount and depth of material we covered in such a short time.

Professor McCartney took the class on a tour of his old neighborhood, and we had a chance to meet and talk to many of the common people about issues concerning Bahamians. We had a chance to see how they really live, not the glowing image they paint for tourists in order to attract them to the Bahamas since almost 90 percent of their economy is based on tourism and foreign investment. The professors also arranged for regular guest speakers, such as Professor McCartney's niece, senator Tanya McCartney of the Free National Movement Party, who gave me hope for politics in the Bahamas. We were able to have dinner at a local contractor's house and we visited two churches and attended mass to understand better the effect of religion in the Bahamas.

We stayed at the Towne Hotel just off the main street in downtown Nassau. While the accommodations were less than expected, they were provided at a fair price. A meager continental breakfast was provided, and for lunch and dinner we ventured out on our own into town. Here is where all the money is spent on this trip. Prices in the Bahamas are two or more times as expensive as in the United States, especially when dealing with food. I myself spent $700 on food alone. Also, do not go to the casinos! I cannot recall one person on the trip that walked away with a substantial amount of money, but I do recall some people losing enormous sums.

I bought a painting from a local painter so that I may remember my experiences in the Bahamas and how it has changed my outlook on life. That being said, the enormous amount of writing we were required to do upon returning to Lafayette (about 45 pages) made me almost think about ending it, new outlook or not! Thirty-five pages of the writing was an essay-style test consisting of nine short answers with multiple parts and three long-answer questions with what seemed like never-ending parts. The last 6-8 pages or so was on a topic of our choice that needed to be approved by Professor Hay. I personally did a paper analyzing the similarities and differences between slavery and the new economic slavery the Bahamas is facing. This interim course was not a vacation, it was work, and anyone looking for a vacation may want to choose another course.