Poetry became the bridge that connected both institutions for the second consecutive year.
By: Integrated Communications
For the second year in a row, students from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Princeton University visited the University of the Sacred Heart (Sagrado) to participate in a poetry workshop led by Dr. Mara Pastor, professor of Creative Writing. The activity was part of the course “Identities in the Spanish-speaking World,” which combines the study of cultural identities with immersive linguistic experiences.
“We greatly admire Mara Pastor’s work, and the idea for the workshop emerged from that shared admiration,” explained Fernando Acosta Rodríguez, Librarian for Latin American Studies at Princeton. “Having Princeton students come to a university in Puerto Rico, sit at the same table, and share with local students is an incredibly valuable experience,” added Acosta.
Fernando Acosta Rodríguez, Librarian for Latin American, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latino Studies at Princeton University, with students from Sagrado and Princeton.
Professors Pedro Meira Monteiro and Amina Shabani, who teach the course, highlighted how the experience offered new perspectives on teaching and learning literature, while students engaged in creativity and critical analysis.
Throughout the day, students from both universities shared readings, analyses, and original poems, exploring how poetry can both affirm and challenge cultural narratives. Informal conversations and guided exercises led by Dr. Pastor encouraged a genuine exchange of ideas and perspectives between students from different contexts.
Pedro Meira Monteiro, professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, during the workshop with Sagrado and Princeton students.
“It’s a beautiful and essential experience. The interaction between our students and those from Sagrado leaves a lasting mark,” said Dr. Pedro Meira Monteiro. “Poetry plays a crucial role in studying identity. What happened here, this dialogue between affirmation and critique, is truly powerful,” he concluded.
For Dr. Amina Shabani, co-professor of the course, it was her first visit to Puerto Rico and an opportunity to observe new ways of teaching literature.“We were inspired by how poetry is taught here. The informal conversations with students gave us ideas for future courses and reaffirmed poetry’s role in society. Seeing students read their poems and celebrate their creative efforts was deeply moving,” shared Dr. Shabani.
The day concluded with a collective reading of the poems created during the workshop, where students shared their work with their peers. The event became a space for cultural dialogue, where poetry served as a bridge between Sagrado and Princeton, connecting experiences and reflections on identity and community.