The Fulbright Idea

By:Carlos Izurieta, Gabriela Betancourt, and Daniela Vaca

For more than one century, the Olympic Games have been the most important sporting event around the world in which more than 200 nations with thousands of athletes participate in different competitions. This special event started many centuries ago in ancient Olympia, Greece. The Greeks gave them a mythological origin. The oldest myth which concerns the beginning of the Olympic Games is related with Herakles. He was a well-known demigod, who had presented games in Olympia in honor of Zeus because the latter had helped him conquer Elis when he went to war against Augeas, the king of this ancient district (Welcome to the Ancient.,2019). In this way, the Ancient Olympics were a fundamental religious and athletic festival in honor of Zeus, the father of the Greek Gods, as an offering for his protection. The first Olympics is traditionally dated to 776 BC. They continued to be celebrated when Greece came under Roman rule, until the emperor Theodosius I suppressed them in AD 393 as part of the campaign to impose Christianity as the state religion (The Real Story., 2018). The Ancient Games had only six competitions and contained essentially athletic and combat sports, such as pankration and chariot racing. There were no time limits and weight classifications. The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns. The Greek think that all male Greek citizens who participated in it and their Olympic victories immortalized them (Welcome to the Ancient.,2019). Later, the first modern

Olympic Games

Olympics took place in Athens, Greece, in 1896, almost 1503 years after. Currently, the Olympic Games program consists of 57 sports and 408 events between summer and winter sports competitions alternating every two years and hosted by different cities (Olympic games., 2019). Cities that want to host the Olympic Games have to pass through a meticulous process. First, they have to put in their name in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to be considered an “Applicant City”. Over the next ten months, the IOC analyzes the city in some points. The city needs to prove to the IOC that it is big enough to handle the Olympic Games. The cities must show that they can build new stadiums and venues, have hotels in good conditions, and provide safe transportation methods. Second, the city needs to show people that live there that the expenses of covering the Olympic Games are worth it in city improvements and new jobs. For example, building new stadiums and venues means that the city will improve the quality of its sports industry and will encourage youngsters to pursue a sports career. Moreover, these expenses will create new jobs because the city will need to have people attending the needs of the foreigners who come to the event. Finally, the cities need to maintain a positive media exposure to carry the games. After fulfilling the three points, submitting an application, and a high application fee of $150000 U.S. approximately, the IOC decides which city is the best candidate for the Olympic Games (SCHOLASTIC, 2019). (Continued on Page 2)

Fulbright

Commission in

Ecuador

Almagro N25-41 y Colón

PHONE:

(593-2) 256-2999

E-MAIL: etpinfo@fulbright.org.

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The Fulbright Idea March, 2019, Issue Sixty-two

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Olympic Games… (Continued from Page 1) The Olympic Games have a lot of aspects to be represented. The ring shaped form expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and most importantly represents the union of the five continents and their people. They were presented for the first time in 1913 by Pierre de Coubertin. These five rings represent the five parts of the world now won over to the cause of olympism and ready to accept its fecund rivalries. The five colors thus combined reproduce those of all nations without exception. The Olympic symbol consists of five interlaced rings of equal dimensions of different colors (blue, yellow, black, green, and red). The blue, black, and red rings are located at the top, the yellow and the green at the bottom. Another important aspect at the Olympic Games are the medals. At the first , the winner was crowned with an olive wreath and received a silver medal. The 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, were the first in which gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded for first, second, and third place. The medals for the game became standardized in 1928 by the IOC. Every medal design has to be defined by IOC and must include the Olympic emblem, the full name of the Games in question, and the name of the sport or discipline concerned. (Olympic Games, 2019) Finally, it is essential to mention the next Olympic games which are going to be held in Tokyo 2020. These games are expected to be the most innovative games in history. “The world's best technologies will be adopted in developing competition venues and in operating the Games.” (tokyo2020.org). For example, in this event foreigners will be able to call for help to robots so that they can translate, give directions, or beckon for transportation. Tokyo is planning to have self-driving taxis which people can use to travel around the city. During the Olympic Games, visitors from all countries will be able to download an application to their smart gadgets called VoiceTra that is a real time translation app that accommodates 27 languages for text translation; also, it understands 90% of spoken content. For the opening ceremony, Tokyo is preparing to settle a shower stream of manmade meteors across the sky. The city is “designing a cube-shaped microsatellite that’ll be launched into space and, in the world’s first project of its kind, shoot out tiny, inch-wide spheres”(gizmodo.com., 2015).

The next olympic games logistic is settled, people just have to go and enjoy all the great turistic and exciting experiences. As mentioned before, language and directions for the different places to visit will not be a problem because of the technology that will be available for everyone. The entire sports industry is looking forward to this wonderful event, and Tokyo is anxious to show the world why they are known as one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world. Do not miss out the opportunity to travel and have the chance to live the experience of the Olympic Games. References Welcome to the Ancient Olympic Games. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games The Real Story of the Ancient Olympic Games. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.penn.museum/sites/olympics/olympicorigins.shtml Olympic games. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/olympic-games Games Vision.(2019). Retrieved from https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/vision/ Olympic Rings. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/olympic-rings SCHOLASTIC How the Olympic Locations are Chosen. (2019). Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/athens_games/backyard.ht Klaus Jungbluth. (2018). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Jungbluth Lufkin,B. 8 Reasons Why the Tokyo Olympics Will Be the Most Futuristic We've Ever Seen. (2015). Retrieved from https://gizmodo.com

“Diablada Pillareña” By: David Cárdenas, Jimmy Cunduri, and Brigitte Rivilla. Ecuador is a country based on traditions and cultural expressions. Several of these traditions are well-known by several people in Ecuador and in other parts of the world, but these traditions are not always famous. A pretty good example of an unknown tradition is the “Diablada Pillareña”. This tradition is based on a parade all around the city of Píllaro with some dance, food, and typical drinks. The parade shows people with costumes, and they are dancing to enjoy this festivity. Even though it attracts almost ten thousand people to it every year (NodalCultura, 2018), people do not know too much about this celebration. “Diablada Pillareña” is visited every year during the first six days of January by people of every corner of the country, and they enjoy what people of Píllaro are ready to offer. (Continued on Page 3)

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“Diablada Pillareña” (Continued from Page 2) For instance, people enjoy parades with folkloric clothes and costumes, or they can also enjoy the exquisite cuisine of Tungurahua based on pork, trout and duck (Encalada, 2017). This tradition is interesting from a great deal of points of view, yet there are some mysteries and secrets around its meaning and origin. Today, Ecuadorians are more interested in knowing about foreign celebrations than their own culture because Ecuador´s cities do not have enough information about the origin of a specific festivity. For example, in 1898, an indigenous uprising burned documents, which had recorded the history of Píllaro (Chiluiza, 2012). As a result, Ecuadorian historians ignore the true origin of the “Diablada Pillareña”. However, there are a few theories about its peculiar origin, which include love, mysticism, and even some real events. As an illustration, one of the funniest legends relate that this festivity originated with a love conflict between families from two neighborhoods, Tunguipamba and Marcos-Espinel. Men from Tunguipamba did not want men from other neighborhoods to court their ladies, so they wore costumes with devil masks in order to end these relationships. This legend is very similar to the Romeo and Juliet tragedy written by William Shakespeare, but Pillaro´s legend is better because it has no victims, just people scared to death. Pillareños, people who are from Píllaro, wear masks in order to make fun of the devil because they believe that these actions drive the wickedness away from their town (Chiluiza, 2012).

The main characters in “Diablada Pillareña” are devils, “guarichas”, and “capariches” (Encalada, 2017). People can be part of this parade if they wear traditional costumes used in the festivity. In the past, people used to wear traditional costumes and carry a goat´s paw, living animals, and animal´s skin, but now, they just wear costumes for the parade (INPC, 2019). First of all, making the costumes takes a long time because all of them are handmade. The costumes basically have two parts, one of which is the outfit and the other is the mask. In the first place, “the outfit is composed of red knee-length trousers with golden fringes, a red coat with golden fringes, red socks, and slippers” (Prado, 2014). As we can notice, the red is the predominating color not only for being a strong color but also for depicting hell. Moreover, their masks are considered the distinctive symbols for being both enormous and frightening. Making the masks requires time and effort because its process has several meticulous details. First, people have to make a mold of sludge as a main base in which many paper layers will be pasted with a special glue. This glue is made of yucca flour, and it is called “engrudo”. Then, the mold is exposed to the sun to be dried and acquire hardness. Finally, adding horns and teeth, which come from different animals such as goats, deer, lambs, and bulls, makes the masks look terrifying. In addition, the masks are painted especially with red and black colors to portray darkness (INPC, 2019). Since the masks illustrate the sense of heathenism and rebelliousness, they have to be made perfectly (NodalCultura, 2018). People’s interest in the mysteries of the “Diablada Pillareña” and their

passion for the Ecuadorian traditions focus the attention on Píllaro every year. Understanding the celebration is not always the main focus of the participants of the “Diablada Pillareña”, but they enjoy dancing, drinking, and eating in Píllaro while they wear their own costumes. Also, they do not forget that not only the parade but also the masks illustrate a sense of rebellion that is always very attractive to every person. References

Chiluiza, D. (2012, November 22nd). Historia de los Diablos de de Píllaro. Retrieved January 31st, 2019, from http://losdiablosdepillaroenenero.blogspot.com/p/es-la-diablada-pillarena-una-copia-de.html

Encalada, E. (2017, December 30th). La Diablada de Píllaro, un ícono turístico nacional. Retrieved January 30th, 2019, from https://www.elcomercio.com/viajar/diablada-pillaro-icono-turistico-ecuatoriano.html

INPC, I. N. P. C. (2019, December 29th). La Diablada Pillareña. Retrieved January 31st, 2018, from http://patrimoniocultural.gob.ec/la-diablada-pillarena/

NodalCultura. (2018, January 3rd). Ecuador: Diablada Pillareña. Retrieved January 31st, 2019, from https://www.nodalcultura.am/2018/01/ecuador-diablada-pillarena/

Prado, R. (2014, December 30th). La Diablada de Píllaro alista su tradicional celebración del 1 al 6 de enero. Retrieved January 30th, 2019, from https://www.turismo.gob.ec/la-diablada-de-pillaro-alista-su-tradicional-celebracion-del-1-al-6-de-enero/

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By: Belén Quillupangui, Raissa Moreno, Erick Flores One of the regions most exposed to earthquakes is Latin America because of its frequent moving tectonic plates. The most powerful earthquakes were not always the most devastating. It depends on several facts. For example, the distance that the epicenter is from the surface is directly proportional to the size of the impact on populated areas. Others influences are population density, resources, emergency protocols, infrastructures, among others. There were some cases in the American continent about these natural phenomena; however, in order to compare the impact and measures taken in order to face them, this article centers the attention on two countries: Chile and Ecuador. Chile is a country that is developing its economy faster than Ecuador, so the resources designated to anticipate and get over these events are wider. Ecuador faced a difficult situation in April 2016 when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit its coast. The country did not have contingency funds when it happened. A fund called FEIREP was developed to avoid economic instabilities and the consequences of natural disasters, but this fund was used to pay internal debt in the end. This fund was substituted by the CEREPS account, which was determined to different purposes, in July 2005 (Gallardo, 2012). One attempt to create a fund to cover expenses after natural phenomena was made on May 29, 2012 by the engineer Rafael Dávila, a member of the national assembly in that period. Even though his purpose was focused on saving 0.5% of the GDP, and using this fund to face natural disasters in a better way, the law did not advance to the next steps. (Cordero, 2012). The history of the earthquake’s losses could have been different if the country had kept contingency funds. Earthquakes in Chile have occurred in different places of the country. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake took place in February 2010. The government of Chile was able to create a financial plan based on the funds that they had available at that time. In fact, “Chile financed the rebuilding process by means of different ways, such as

The Recovery of Ecuador and Chile from recent high-

magnitude earthquakes

economy growing, budget readjustment, donation law, issuing local and foreign debt, and the social-economic stabilization plan. The increase of first-class taxes, tobacco tax, and others helped the Budget increase” (Larraín, 2010). Thus, the government saved some money to avoid making the problem worse. On the other hand, after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Ecuador, the balance resulted in more than 700 fatalities, almost 5,000 injured people, around 80 kilometers of streets and 34,000 buildings affected, and more than 20,000 jobs lost (2017). In this particular case, the lack of a clear and public contingency plan, the irresponsibility from inhabitants on applying the correct code design, and the indifference shown by the public authorities towards the prevention from these types of events caused a huge damage that could have been avoided. Whereas Chile succeeded in decreasing the impact of a natural disaster significantly with previous preparation, Ecuador was caught by surprise by an event that could have been easily predicted due to its geographical location. Both natural disasters, in Chile and Ecuador respectively, revealed not only the high or low preparation of these South American countries but also the importance of a prevention plan at the moment of measuring the impact of these catastrophes. To illustrate, Chile faced an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and a destructive tsunami which left around 521 fatalities and 2 million affected people (Cifuentes, 2017). However, these statistics could have been far higher, as it has happened in other countries with similar events, if Chilean people and their authorities had not known exactly what to do in an event of this category. Factors such as a clear evacuation plan including safe places known for most citizens, fast reaction from authorities, an adequate seismic design code for buildings, and others played an essential role at the moment of saving lives and resources. (Continued on Page 5)

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Mars Colonies

By: Francisco Quintanilla and Génesis Yánez

Even though scientists do not know everything about Mars, they continue exploring this planet to find answers about life in the Solar System, and the possibility that humans could settle the red planet in the future. Experts have found that Mars and Earth share some similarities, so they think that Mars could be the new home for humankind. Also, all these investigations will show some clues to allow humans to live on other planets (NASA, n.d.).

The company Space X is planning to make life multiplanetary. Its aspirational goal is to make Mars a permanent home and send the first humans there by the year 2024. For the first group of astronauts heading to Mars, the journey is expected to take around five months, but there are some essential tasks that need to be completed before they get there. The first mission, which is scheduled for 2022, will be uncrewed, and it will be in charge of setting up the initial structures and systems in order to start colonizing Mars, for instance, confirming water resources, identifying hazards, and putting in place initial power, mining, and life support infrastructure. A second mission, with both cargo and crew, is targeted for 2024, with primary objectives of building a propellant depot and preparing for future crew flights. Before the first astronauts arrive on the surface of Mars, it is important that solar panels and a mining system have been already set up. This mining system will be the basis of an automated propellant plant, which will be expanded with every new mission that heads to Mars. How this plant will work is creating oxygen and methane using hydrogen with carbon dioxide at elevated temperatures, which will be liquified and used as fuel to return the spaceships back to the Earth. If this mission is successful, SpaceX will send two cargo ships and two crew ships, carrying around eight astronauts each. Elon Musk (SpaceX’s president) said, "Are you prepared to die? If that's okay, then you're a candidate for going," referring to the risks that this mission has (Chris Welch, 2016). (Continued on Page 6)

The Recovery of Ecuador and Chile…. (Continued from Page 4) To conclude, it is clear that a country that considers a strategy in order to minimize risks of going through natural phenomena, is one that reduces economic and social losses. A country that does not take it seriously is going to recoil its economy. That is what happened recently in Ecuador. Provinces that were damaged took several years to rebuild its economy. In Chile, the organization of citizens and the government helped to reactivate business quicker. Provinces affected received all the support needed in order to get over the damages. Because of climate change, natural disasters are prone to happen more often than in the past. Countries should be prepared at all times. It is not optional anymore. Bibliography Cifras del terremoto de 2016 se analizan en un encuentro. (2017, July). Retrieved from El Telégrafo: HYPERLINK "https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/ecuador/1/cifras-del-terremoto-de-2016-se-analizan-en-un-encuentro%20" https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/ecuador/1/cifras-del-terremoto-de-2016-se-analizan-en-un-encuentro Cordero, F. (2012, May 29). Memorando Noº PAN-FC-2012 134. Retrieved from HYPERLINK "https://www.asambleanacional.gob.ec/es/contenido/tramite_de_las_leyes_2012" https://www.asambleanacional.gob.ec/es/contenido/tramite_de_las_leyes_2012 Cifuentes, J. (2017, Feb 27). Las cifras del 27F a siete años del terremoto. Retrieved from HYPERLINK "https://www.latercera.com/noticia/las-cifras-7-anos-del-27f/" https://www.latercera.com/noticia/las-cifras-7-anos-del-27f/ Gallardo, J. (2012, May 20). Recordando la historia. Retrieved from HYPERLINK "https://www.elcomercio.com/opinion/recordando-historia.html%20" https://www.elcomercio.com/opinion/recordando-historia.html Larraín, F. (2010, May 5). Plan de Reconstrucción y Financiamiento 2010-2013. Retrieved from HYPERLINK "http://bibliotecadigital.dipres.gob.cl/bitstream/11626/5380/5/Plan_Reconstruccion_5_Mayo.pdf" http://bibliotecadigital.dipres.gob.cl/bitstream/11626/5380/5/Plan_Reconstruccion_5_Mayo.pdf Reid, K. (2018, July). 2016 Ecuador earthquake: Facts, FAQs, and how to help. Retrieved from World vision: HYPERLINK "https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2016-ecuador-earthquake-facts%20" https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2016-ecuador-earthquake-facts

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Mars Colonies (Continued from Page 6) The astronauts could be staying on Mars anywhere between a few months or a couple of years while they continue to set up the propellant plant. Mars exploration is dangerous at all levels. The risk of space flight is similar to that of climbing Mount Everest and a small mistake or accident can result in large failure, injury, and death. One of the most important things the first astronauts will have to do is set up a base. Many scientists have suggested that it should have a similar design to the International Space Station because it is the best example of a base that can afford human life, and it has been proved in space successfully. Others have suggested that the initial base should be built underground to protect people from the intense radiation, and the extreme weather experienced on Mars. For this reason, Mars One, which is a private international project, has encouraged aerospace companies to design Mars Landing Modules. These modules will perform several functions in order to ensure human life on the red planet. They will be able to generate energy using photovoltaic panels, potable water by extracting it from ground soil, and breathable atmosphere by splitting water (Mars One, n.d.). Additionally, food will be carried from Earth for the first time, but a percentage of the food will be stored for emergencies. Tortillas are one the main foods that astronauts will mostly eat, like in the International Space Station, because they are good for their diet, and also, some astronauts journals have shown that these floury flatbreads are their

favorite and the most sought after meal (Reynolds, 2018). Mars Landing Modules will provide areas for growing plants under artificial lighting, so astronauts will be able to produce and store their own food (Mars One, n.d.).

Transportation vehicles and astronaut suits are other aspects that have to be considered because humans will need special equipment to support Mars’ environmental conditions, which are not suitable for humans. Scientists have not talked a lot about Mars vehicles, but they might be quite similar to rovers. These rovers will be adapted for humans, and they could be sent after the settlements will have been built. Likewise, astronaut suits will be adjusted to support Mars’ conditions. Aerospace researchers think that astronauts will have to use extra-vehicular suits, which are heavy and bulky, to explore Mars because they are heavy enough to allow humans to walk through Mars’ surface, and have oxygen supplies (Strauss, 2015). In conclusion, there are many unknown things about Mars and more challenges to face before landing on it, but the competition to colonizing Mars has already begun. If the stakeholders achieve their goals, the red planet will be a dream come true. This event will be a remarkable step for humankind in space and may be its new home. References

NASA. (n.d.). Mars Exploration Program. Retrieved from https://mars.nasa.gov/#

Chris Welch (2016, September 27). Elon Musk: First humans who journey to Mars must 'be prepared to die'. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/

27/13080836/elon-musk-spacex-mars-mission-death-risk

Mars One. (n.d.). Mars One. Retrieved from Will the astronauts have enough water, food, and oxygen?: https://www.mars-one.com/faq/health-and-ethics/will-the-astronauts-have-enough-water-food-and-oxygen

Mars One. (n.d.). Mars One. Retrieved from The Technology: https://www.mars-one.com/technology

Reynolds, M, (2018, Mar 26). NASA can’t send humans to Mars until it gets the food right. Retrieved from Wired: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/food-in-space-mars-iss-station-astronaut-eating

Strauss, M. (2015, Oct 02). How Will We Get Off Mars? Retrieved from https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/151002-mars-mission-nasa-return-space/

Thank you all level VI

students for contributing

with your articles for

this edition of the Fulbright

Idea!

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By: Michelle Calderon and Alejandra Nieto Ecuador is a small country with wonderful landscapes where the people are always open to showing their country to the rest of the world. Each part of Ecuador keeps secrets and legends which invite the rest of the world to have an incredible experience in a unique and blessed place. There are some legends that Ecuador hides and foreign people cannot discover easily. This article allows foreigners to learn about some of the amazing legends of Ecuadorian mountains. In Ecuador, people can have all kinds of experiences, but if you are a lover of mountains and enjoy camping, after this article, you will want to travel to Ecuador immediately. There are many mountains, including active volcanoes, that can be climbed and offer amazing views. Some of these volcanoes have interesting legends behind them. Located in the Cordillera of Ecuador, Cotopaxi is one of the most feared volcanoes because of the number of persons that are affected by its eruptions. According to one famous legend, the strength of the Cotopaxi volcano comes from a love triangle. Many years ago, there were two Andean warriors called Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. These magnificent mountains battled for centuries for the love of a beautiful mountain called Tungurahua. The winner of the battle was Chimborazo, who married the beautiful Tungurahua. According to the legend, this couple gave birth to Guagua (which means boy in the

Quichua language) Pichincha. The legend says that when Guagua Pichincha cries, Mama Tungurahua and Cotopaxi shudder, and both answer with a big eruption. Settlers around these mountains are truly convinced that every time a volcano erupts, it is because it is trying to say something. There are also many lakes around Ecuador which were born through smaller fights between big volcanoes and huge lakes. Quilotoa is considered one famous place that was born through a battle between a high volcano called Quilotoa and the God Toachi, a lake with great power.The legend says that God Toachi was angry because Quilotoa was huge and imposing, and he was reflected in his waters. He was always tired of looking at the reflection of Quilotoa, so he decided to fight Quilotoa. The loser had to obey all the orders of the winner. The fights started, and both destroyed everything around them. In one fight, God Toachi was stronger and with one strong punch in the face, the high volcano sunk into a hole, which is how it looks today. In memory of this fight, the God Toachi decided that Quilotoa would also become a lake, so Quilotoa would live and feel what Toachi lived all his life. This is how Quilotoa was born, but the jealousy still continues because Quilotoa is a beautiful and unique lake which has contact with the ocean. Because of that, its waters are salty. The legend says that the high volcano Quilotoa one day will take revenge and will erupt in order to be the same height as the volcano. These legends are only two examples

of the deepest secrets that volcanoes and lakes have in their hearts. As many people know, Ecuador is a paradise which has a lot of legends to discover. The only way to be part of this is by coming to this amazing country and enjoying each unique and unforgettable experience. References:

https://issuu.com/juancachos/docs/mitos_y_leyendas_de_los_andes_ecuat

https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/ecuador/volcanes-cuentan-historias-amor.html

http://www.radioenciclopedia.cu/leyendas/la-leyenda-amor-encierra-volcan-cotopaxi-20160608/

Thank you Daniel Teel for

all your contributions to

the English Teaching

Program and good luck in all

your endeavors!

Legends of Ecuador's Mountains

The Fulbright Idea Page 8 of 17

Emotional Intelligence

By: Belén Soria, Mafer Cevallos, Carlos Cáceres “We are dangerous when we are not conscious of our

responsibility for how we behave, think, and feel”

(Rosenberg, 2019). Before the 1970´s, the meaning of

intelligence was limited to human cognitive ability. This

ability measures people´s capacity to memorize, process

information, and solve problems, but not the way people

handle emotions, make friends, and motivate

themselves (Salmerón). For that reason, the concept of

being intelligent has been changing. Currently,

emotional information processing and the capacity to

perceive, assimilate, understand, and regulate emotions

are included in the definition of intelligence (Mayer,

Salovey, & Caruso, 2000). To explain more in depth what

emotional intelligence (EI) is, some concepts were

developed such as self-knowledge, self-control, self-

motivation, empathy, assertiveness, proactivity, and

creativity. All these ideas are related to people´s social

skills. These skills improve their daily performance in

their personal, professional, and spiritual lives (Gómez,

Galiana, & León, 2000).

Psychologists can measure how much EI someone has.

For example, self-knowledge, self-control, and self-motivation are related to people´s abilities to know, understand, and control emotional impulses. Furthermore, skills such as being proactive and creative depend on problem solving and finding new opportunities. On the other hand, empathy and assertiveness are developed with social contact. To illustrate, people mature those skills by sharing with others because they learn to feel what others feel, to handle criticism, to communicate with others assertively, and to face conflicts (Gómez, Galiana, & León, 2000).

“We are dangerous when we are not conscious of our

responsibility for how we behave, think, and feel” buy the one they like the most. It is important to mention that there are people who have high EI. These people manage to be more successful on personal, work, and social levels. There is a low correlation between

intelligence based on the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and EI. Given this reality, it is appropriate to pay attention to emotions, which will mark the success and happiness of people as much or more than their IQs (Goleman, 1996). High EI at work is a very valuable asset. For this reason, managers look for employees who skillfully manage emotions rather than just technical ability. This is mainly because people with high EI are able to make decisions correctly, manage work stress, cooperate with their co-workers, generate an atmosphere of harmony, resolve conflicts efficiently, and learn from their mistakes and from others. According to a survey by Career Builder in 2011, 71% of hiring managers think that the EI of an employee is more important than IQ. In addition, 75% said that they were more likely to give a promotion to a worker with a very high level of EI. The results reveal the importance of having high levels of EI in companies. Employees with high EI are more committed to the company, responsible, and efficient when carrying out their tasks. These traits increase the chances of achieving business success. According to Forbes Magazine (Stahl, 2018), increasing your EI is possible, but it takes a lot of practice. There is no such thing as an ultimate guide to developing EI. However, there are some general rules that can help us improve the way we manage our emotions. First, people must know how to control negative emotions. We should not let angry thoughts affect negatively our decisions. Also, people must choose their words wisely. The way we communicate with others is a key factor to becoming successful. Choosing the right words can help overcome a difficult situation that involves pessimistic feelings. Moreover, people must practice empathy. One should be aware that everyone struggles with their own inner problems. It is easier to solve a conflict if we try walking in other people´s shoes before expressing an opinion. In addition, people need to know their stressors. Try to avoid the things that make you lose control over your emotions, especially at work. In short, EI helps us get over difficult situations that involve negative emotions. We are the ones who decide if those experiences hurt us or strengthen our ability to face reality. In conclusion, EI has the same or more importance than IQ because managing our emotions is crucial when our brains perform specific actions. (Continued on Page 9)

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Emotional Intelligence (Continued from page 8) When employers decide to hire an applicant for a job, they place special importance on the ability that the person has to overcome negative feelings and to learn from bad experiences. Increasing EI is something that everyone should do. Controlling negative emotions, practicing empathy, and avoiding stressors are some key ways to improve emotional intelligence.

Bibliography CareerBuilder. (2011). CareerBuilder Survey.

Estados Unidos.

Goleman, D. (1996). Emotional Intelligence. Kairos,

S.A. Retrieved February 03, 2019, from

https://www.leadersummaries.com/ver-

resumen/inteligencia-emocional

Gómez, J., Galiana, D., & León, D. (2000). Qué debes

saber para mejorar tu empleabilidad.

Universidad Miguel Hernández: Elche.

Mayer, J., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. (2000). Models

od emotional intelligence, In R.J

Sternberg. Handbook of intelligence,

396-420.

Rosenberg, M. (2019, Febrero 2). Quotefancy.

Retrieved from

https://quotefancy.com/quote/1519273

/Marshall-B-Rosenberg-We-are-

dangerous-when-we-are-not-conscious-

of-our-responsibility-for

Salmerón, P. (n.d.). Evolución sobre los conceptos

de inteligencia. Planteamientos actuales

de la inteligencia emocional para la

orientación educativa. Educación XXI,

97-121.

Stahl, A. (2018, May 29). Forbes Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2018/05/29/5-ways-to-develop-your-emotional-intelligence/#21dd95b96976 By: Stalin Mejia, Cindy Ocaña López, Cristian Romo

Ecuador enjoys a democratic government, which means Ecuadorians have the right to choose their leaders. Nevertheless, Ecuador´s presidents have not finished their terms on many occasions because citizens have not been satisfied with them. In Ecuador, coups d'état are common, and Ecuador has gone through complicated situations such as economic crises and long periods of instability(Radio Caracol, 2010). On the other hand, Rafael Correa, who was in Carondelet Palace for ten years straight, is part of a select group of leaders who have spent a long time in power. Correa won the presidency on November 26, 2006. He received a country which by that time had experienced a “Feriado Bancario", in 1999. When Jamil Mahuad was Presidenty, the “Feriado Bancario” had created a deep wound in Ecuadorian society. Banks had to keet people’s money, so bank transactions were impossible. Ecuador used to have the “Sucre” as its official currency, but in 2000, the president changed the currency U.S. dollars (Eduardo Merino, 2017). While this was happening, the value of the "Sucre" decreased by 195%. In fact, many people lost everything because several banks failed. Since this event, Ecuador has been immersed in continuous

economic instability. When Correa assumed power, he tried to convince Ecuadorians that getting through darkness was possible. “The Decade Won,” which is a phrase used by Correa supporters, represents all of his work during his ten years as president. Nevertheless, there are other people who believe the opposite, for them these ten years was a “The Decade Lost.” At the beginning of Correa's term, the president was known as “Savior,” but at the end, his leadership was placed in doubt. In some respects, Ecuador won, but in others, it lost. During his leadership, Ecuador experienced a period of calm and stability, but the price of oil has never been higher than at that moment. This income allowed Rafael Correa´s government to invest in education, health care, and infrastructure such as roads, electricity, airports, and ports. The public expenses also created many jobs, so the unemployment rate decreased. Many public officials were hired during this period, but not all that glitters is gold. This government was involved in political scandals and mismanagement of state funds, and what destroyed the credibility of the government was corruption. (Continuued on Page 10)

The Decade Won

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The Decade Won (Continued from Page 9) Several corruption scandals stained Correa's presidency. The most famous worldwide scandal is "Odebrecht." Odebrecht is a construction company from Brazil. This company had been working with twelve countries in South America, including Ecuador (Orozco, 2019). In 2017, the Vice President of Ecuador, Jorge Glass, was arrested for numerous irregularities in contracts with Odebrecht. This was just the tip of the iceberg. The investigations revealed corruption. In Rafael Correa´s decade a lot of projects were poorly built, and currently $650 million is needed to fix some projects. The report from “El Comercio” says that: “The projects are in critical condition. In some cases, the infrastructure is not operated at total capacity, and in other works, the works are unfinished or out of service, or threatening, causing damage to the environment.” In conclusion, The Decade Won was an important time in Ecuadorian history. It caused many changes to Ecuador´s constitution and laws. Nowadays, Ecuador is divided by “Correistas” and “Anticorreistas”. This situation is harmful to Ecuador. Ecuadorians are currently living in limbo and no

one does anything to try to improve the economy of the country. Ecuador has not had good administration in a long time, but Ecuadorians can and will survive their difficult history. Reference list Eduardo Merino. (2017, March 25). La verdad sobre el feriado bancario. Retrieved January 15, 2019, from https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/74/1/la-verdad-sobre-el-feriado-bancario Orozco, M. (2019, May 7). USD 650 millones se requieren para reparar cinco proyectos energéticos que construyó el anterior Gobierno. Retrieved February 18, 2019, from https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/millones-reparacion-proyectos-energeticos-correa.html Radio Caracol. (2010). Cronología de los diferentes golpes de Estado en Ecuador. Retrieved February 6, 2019, from http://caracol.com.co/radio/2010/09/30/internacional/1285852500_365403.html

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in the articles are exclusively those of the authors and in no

way reflect the opinion of the Fulbright Commission, the English Teaching Program, the instructors nor the

administration.

What You Don't Know About Manabi Cheese

By: María Cristina Galante, Carolina Fabara, Erick Paredes

For many years Manabí has been known for having the best cheese in Ecuador (Gonzalez, 2010; Torres, 2012). It is so relevant that many small, medium, and big scale producers have turned this activity into their main economic source. In most cases, this business is a family tradition and the methods for its elaboration pass from one generation to the next. For this reason, out of the 700, 000 liters of milk produced per day in Manabí, approximately 63.6% is used for its elaboration. Out of this percentage, 96.54% of the cheese is manufactured in an artisanal way (Gonzalez, 2010; Zambrano, Salvarria, Pérez, 2018). Artisanal cheese production is a family business that can add value to the final product by making it have a unique flavor and texture, which cannot be found in cheese sold at supermarkets. Sadly, this method may include the utilization of unpasteurized milk, lack of refrigeration, improper infrastructure for its production, and deficient sanitary conditions that might lead to the generation of many diseases (Cedeño, Vera, Gavilanes, Saltos, Loor, Zambrano, Demera, Almeida, Moreira, 2015; Gonzalez, 2010). The absence of suitable conditions for cheese manufacturing affects the quality of the final product and consequently the profitability that it may have for producers. (Continued on Page 11)

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What you don't know…

(Continued from Page 10) The absence of suitable conditions for cheese manufacturing affects the quality of the final product and consequently the profitability that it may have for the producers. The lack of sanitary conditions is a problem that a big part of the population who eats this cheese does not know about, but the ingestion of raw milk can cause severe maladies such as salmonellosis, tuberculosis, and brucellosis (Corbel, 206; WHO, 2018). All of these diseases can produce severe alterations. For example, salmonellosis can generate gastrointestinal disorders that may be lethal for kids, elders, and people affected with systemic diseases such as cancer or HIV (PAHO, OMS, 2018). These are all serious illnesses that can have a negative impact on Ecuadorian development since they make people weak and in some cases even unable to work. On the same token, tuberculosis is considered one of the top 10 causes of death globally and even though it is treatable, in some cases the pathogen can be resistant to regular treatment leading to the use of different drugs and even chemotherapy (PAHO, OMS, 2013; WHO, 2018). Similarly, brucellosis is another disease that can generate febrile illness that can progress to an incapacitating disease. Other possible complications are prostration, anorexia, spontaneous abortion with possible intrauterine transmission to infants, signs similar to testicular cancer, and even neurological problems (Corbel, 2006). Both brucellosis and tuberculosis are dangerous to public health due to the profound impact that they can produce in an infected individual and the contagion

potential to the people who are close to him. In the face of this controversy, the national health authorities issued a Milk Control Regulation in 2013 that prohibited the commercialization of milk-derived products without sanitary control measures and that established that the municipalities were in charge of verifying the fulfillment of this measure in the products sold on the streets (MAGAP, MSP, MIPRO, 2013). Unfortunately, the creation of this new regulation has not been enough, since a recent study that analyzed 119 dairies that elaborated cheese in Manabí proved that none of them pasteurized the milk they used, and that 57.1% of them did not have a proper sanitary control of the raw milk (Zambrano et al, 2018). These alarming results can adversely affect the image that the product has on the market, and thus the economy of the families that depend on this activity. The insufficient execution of this law was probably generated due to the high cost that the implementation of changes may represent and to the lack of capacitation of the producers (Cerezo, Córdova, 2004). It is not only a matter of laws and strict regulations, it is necessary that the government take action and help this artesanal way of economic production. However, the lack of sanitary control affects the quality of the final product, as reported in a thesis that demonstrated that in Chone, Manabí 28 out of the 36 cheese producers present in the canton sold cheese contaminated with Salmonella spp. (Zambrano, 2014). For all these reasons, it is vital that health authorities make people understand the importance that the fulfillment of these law has through capacitations followed by the

creation of a strict statute that can force sellers to obtain a sanitary registration. All in all, most of the Ecuadorian families have included this product in their daily meals, without realizing how unsafe uncontrolled food can be. The commerce of Manabí cheese is highly profitable, but the negative impact that it can generate to public health is enormous. It is necessary that the sanitary authorities take the control and apply measures that can reduce the impact that contaminated Manabí cheese can have in society without affecting the economy and the tradition behind it. Therefore, it is important to give producers proper training and financial support in order to protect the health of all the people that love this type of cheese. REFERENCES: Cedeño, D., Vera, L., Gavilanes, P., Saltos, J., Loor, R., Zambrano, J., Demera, F., Almeida, A., Moreira, J. (2015). Factores que afectan la calidad higiénico-sanitaria de leche cruda comercializada en Calceta-Bolívar-Manabí, Ecuador. Retrieved from: https://www.redalyc.org/jatsRepo/837/83743886005/html/index.html Cerezo, Córdova. (2004). Proyecto para la industrialización del queso manabita “Chone” para consumo interno. ESPOL. Guayaquil, Ecuador. Retrieved from: https://www.dspace.espol.edu.ec/bitstream/123456789/3853/1/6380.pdf Corbel, M. (2016). Brucellosis in humans and animals. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/Brucellosis.pdf Gonzalez, F. (2010). Estudio de la calidad del queso artesanal e industrial que se expenden y se consumen en la ciudad de Jipijapa. Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. Manabí, Ecuador. Retrieved from: http://repositorio.unesum.edu.ec/bitstream/53000/455/1/ECU-AGROP-2010-04.pdf MAGAP, MSP, MIPRO. (2013). Reglamento de Control y Regulación de la Cadena de Producción de la Leche y sus Derivados. Retrieved from: http://www.agrocalidad.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/pdf/inocuidad/acuerdointerministerial_2013_001%20(original).pdf PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), OMS (Organización Mundial de la Salud). (2013). Informe Regional 2013. Retrieved from: https://www.paho.org/hq/dmdocuments/2014/2014-cha-informe-regional-tb.pdf PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), OMS (Organización Mundial de la Salud). (2018). Alerta Epidemiologica Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi haplotipo H58. Retrieved from: https://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_docman&view=download&category_slug=salmonella-enterica-serovar-1&alias=46632-10-de-octubre-de-2018-salmonella-enterica-serovar-typhi-alerta-epidemiologica-1&Itemid=270&lang=es WHO (World Health Organization). (2018). Tuberculosis. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis Zambrano, M. (2014). Determinación de la presencia de Salmonella en queso fresco comercializado en el cantón Chone provincia de Manabí entre Mayo y Julio del 2014. Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil. Guayaquil, Ecuador. Retrieved from: http://repositorio.ucsg.edu.ec/bitstream/3317/2592/1/T-UCSG-PRE-TEC-AGRO-47.pdf Zambrano, M., Salavarria, I., Pérez, M. (2018). Presencia de factores de riesgo asociados a la diseminación de brucelosis al humano en unidades procesadoras de leche y mataderos de la provincia Manabí, Ecuador. Revista de Investigaciones Veterinarias del Perú. 29. 310-318. DOI: 10.15381/rivep.v29i1.14083.

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By: Evelyn Aules, Gerardo Oña Speaking English is very important to one’s personal and professional life. Nowadays, in Ecuador there are a lot of English courses and different options to study English. The English Teaching Program at Fulbright is known as the best option. There are many reasons why people want and choose to study English at Fulbright. It is a different and unique experience which allows students to improve their grammar, reading, and speaking skills under a demanding and effective learning methodology. Fulbright is recognized for its excellent level of teaching, so every cycle many people try to be part of its classes. ¨The Fulbright Program aims to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs thereby increasing the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship¨. (Fulbright,1947). Studying at The Fulbright Commission is a continuous path which requires persistence and determination. Due to the fact that every class is fundamental, students have to overcome tiredness and stress on a daily basis. Balancing work and attending classes can be challenging, some students are able to achieve it, but others, sadly are not. During our time here in Fulbright, we have met some people who had enough capability and desire, but they were not be able to finish the course. Through short interviews, we were able to learn the perspectives of people who finished the course and people who did not and the results were not short of surprising. To know in detail the opinions and reasons of those who dropped out of Fulbright, we interviewed an ex-classmate Francisco Condor. Francisco´s principal reasons as to why he gave up studying at Fulbright were the level of difficulty, lack of time, and economic reasons. For him, understanding modals proved to be too hard, he failed the same level twice, and then was unable to take it again. It was a hard and stressful class for him. In spite of this, he tried again with the placement exam but the result was worse. If he wanted to continue studying at Fulbright, he had to go back to level one. Finally, he decided to study in another English institute with more flexibility. He concluded by telling us, “If you want to finish The Fulbright English Teaching Program, you must be prepared to study hard and spend long hours studying, practicing, and preparing. It will be the only way of achieving it”. (F. Condor, personal interview, January 31, 2019). In Francisco’s case, we find that certain topics and grammar structures can be complicated for some students.

However, with enough practice, attention in classes, and doing the homework, understanding can be achieved. Students should ask more when they do not understand a specific topic. This way, the teacher can explain and resolve any misunderstanding. It is hard to try to understand a topic when the base of it is not clear. Also, when Francisco determined that his main learning problem in the previous level was modals, he should have anticipated this for the repeating level and put forth more attention, effort and dedication. If he had done this, he would not have failed the same level again. We want to motivate Fulbright students to not leave their studies because of the problems that may arise. Instead, students should think that repeating a level is an opportunity to be better prepared. It is better to re-learn and practice difficult English skills than to pass to a higher level where you will feel confused and frustrated. There are other cases, like what happened with Erika. Erika, was an excellent Fulbright student who dropped out of The Fulbright Commission because of its inflexible schedule. Although, she did very well up to fourth level and had good grades, she could not attend the final exam due to work. She spoke with the coordinator and her teacher, but they told her those are Fulbright´s rules and no exceptions could be made. The Fulbright schedule is established and communicated before the start of each cycle. Also, students signed their agreement having complete knowledge of all the rules. However, Erika believes that exceptions should be analyzed more carefully in order to help students who really need and deserve it. She was not told in advance about a business trip, and unfortunately it was not possible for her to change the date. Finally, she was disappointed in the lack of understanding of this particular situation, and decided not to repeat the level should this same problem could occur again in the future. (E. Heredia, personal interview, February 8, 2019). Ericka's case is regrettable. Despite having good grades and the skills to study at Fulbright, she was not able to finish the program due to her business trip. We believe that these situations can happen but that students should not give up. Part of the excellence in education is due to the requirements, complexity, and strict rules. So, it is important to plan in advance, communicate with work about the dates of exams which cannot be missed beforehand. It cannot be assured that there will be no conflicts, but at least you can try to prevent them. (Continued on Page 13)

Why Did We Finish the Fulbright Course and Other People Did Not?

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Why Did We Finish The Fulbright… (Continued from Page 12) Moreover, it is a fact that class failure increases the probability to drop out of the program substantially. After interviewing two students with totally different situations who could not finish their studies at The Fulbright Commission, we analyzed the consequences and effects of failing said courses. First, students who drop out of a program either have to decide on another English course or end their English learning. Both decisions are associated with negative consequences. First, other courses will not have the same quality as Fulbright does, also students have already invested time, money, and effort. In addition, they would have to get used to a new teaching structure of a new institution. Other negative consequences may occur, loss of self-confidence and motivation, which are crucial in a learning process. Consequences will be worse for those who choose to renounce learning English completely. They will be missing out on job, life, and education opportunities. Continuing with our research, we interviewed a student who finished The English Teaching Program successfully. Andrés, an ex- Fulbright student, told us his experience on how he was able to finish the course. He completed his studies five years ago and he remembered his experience with a smile on his face. He felt proud of having the Fulbright certificate. Currently, he is an audit manager in one of the most prestigious auditing enterprises in Ecuador. Life was not easy while he was studying, and he wanted to give up many times. However, he recalls that sometimes he would attend classes and later return to his job to finish his tasks, instead of skipping a class for work. He thinks that when a person is determined and committed, there is no reason to give up. He concludes, “Sometimes the easiest solution is to give up and make excuses, but going ahead and overcoming adversity is what successful people do”. (A. Dominguez, personal interview, February 1, 2019). As we can see everybody wants to give up at least one time, but in the future, you might regret not having been stronger. Andrés is an example that shows you can work and study an intensive program at the same time. It will be tiring and demanding, but with enough effort and time it can be achieved. The satisfaction of having finished The English Teaching Program is worth it. After listening to students, we thought it would be important to interview a teacher for another perspective. Many of us know Katherine, one of the kindest and most cheerful teachers the Fulbright Commission has. She told us that for

her, the main reason why students drop out of English studies is often the time management. Sometimes this causes students' absences and they miss important topics. Additionally, they are not able to review or study at home, often due to the fatigue of working and studying. Furthermore, she considers that inside classes, one of the main problems is the shyness of many people who do not ask about issues they cannot understand and it is a concern for every teacher. Regarding the structure of the program, she considers that six absences is a relatively adequate number, but she thinks that it might be helpful to have the option to turn in one make-up task during the cycle. Finally, she encourages students to continue preparing and studying, because she knows how difficult or frustrating it can be to learn a language. However, with perseverance it is achievable, and the entire Fulbright Commission staff is willing to help. (K. McGreevy, personal interview, February 14, 2019) In conclusion, after learning a little more about why some people complete The English Teaching Program at Fulbright and other people do not, we can say it is hard, but it is worth it. The requirements are many, but people commit to them. If someone really wants it, he or she should study hard to achieve it. The Fulbright Commission has excellent teachers, and students must take advantage and learn as much as possible. In addition, it is important to give some little recommendations for The Fulbright Commission based on our interviews. Having an academic tutor who can help students with problems on specific topics would be a good idea. Besides, having flexible schedules, one make-up opportunity during the cycle, and other ways of financing might help students to not give up so easily. Finally, every student can get his or her own conclusions about this article, but if you decided to start studying at Fulbright, it is because you really want it. Many times, you will just want to give up and go home, but in the end, you will realize that everything was worth it because you become wiser and stronger than you were on your first day. References Fulbright, J. W. Fulbright (n.d.). Fulbright Ecuador. Retrieved February 01, 2019, from http://www.fulbright.org.ec/web/cms.php?c=586 Condor, F. (2019, January 31). Why you did not finished The English Teaching Program? [Personal interview]. Heredia, E. (2019, February 8). Why you did not finished The English Teaching Program? [Personal interview]. Dominguez, A. (2019, February 1). Why you finishes the Fulbright course and other people did not? [Personal interview]. McGreevy, K. (2019, February 14). Why do you think that some students finish The Fulbright English Teaching Program and others do not? [Personal interview].

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By: Geovanna Altamirano, Miguel Ángel Corrales and Paola Hidalgo Who has heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Or that even without breakfast it is impossible to perform our daily activities? Since childhood, this information has been passed down from generation to generation. Breakfast is supposed to stimulate the metabolism and provide the necessary energy to start the day. However, is it really important for our health? According to Giuseppe Russolillo, president of the Spanish Association of Dietitians-Nutritionists (AED-N) at least 30 minutes should be devoted to preparing breakfast in order to be effective (Russolillo, 2013). The reason is that breakfast is supposed to be the meal that gives the body the essential fuel to perform the daily activities. The phrase "have breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a beggar" is common to hear. However, it will be shown that it is more important to ensure the quality of the food that is being consumed than to seek to satisfy a habit. People can find extensive information about the disadvantages of not having breakfast. Nevertheless, little has been said about the advantages of the prolongation of fasting. Different aspects such as culture, new ideas about the body or image, and new studies of health, have modified eating habits. New trends about how

we should take care of our body and health have been developed. That is how the so-called “intermittent fasting” arose. To understand the meaning of intermittent fasting it is important to describe the concept of fasting. People should not confuse starvation with fasting. Starvation is described as the involuntary absence of food consumption, meanwhile, fasting is the voluntary process to avoid this calorie intake (Fung, 2019). Additionally, the process in mention does not have a specific length of time. In other words, every time a person is not eating, he or she is fasting. With this background, fasting should be practiced daily as a lifestyle. This lifestyle became popular in the last decade due to elite athletes. The Ecuadorian influencer Fabio Vallejo, who is part of Adicto al Fitness, a Youtube channel of more than one million subscribers, is a big fan of it. The main benefit of intermittent fasting is to burn excess body fat. When a person eats, the insulin level increases, storing the excess of energy. In the opposite way, intermittent fasting decreases insulin, which helps to burn the stored sugar and fat. Moreover, weight and body fat loss are not the only benefit. Some benefits can include improving mental concentration and lowering cholesterol and sugar levels, which can reverse diabetes type two. There are different ways to do

intermittent fasting. It depends on the fasting time (Al-Hourani & Atoum, 2017). Fasting may range from 14 hours to 24 hours and in extreme cases it can last days. The most common and recommended is 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of eating. For example, people could eat between 12:00 and 20:00, which means it is not necessary to have the typical breakfast to start the day. During these 8 hours, a person eats all the necessary calories of the day according to his or her goals. With this in mind, the myth of breakfast as the most important meal of the day is not real. What type of food should each person eat after switching to an intermittent fasting diet? Indeed, there is not a specific diet. It will vary according to the goal that each person is looking to accomplish. There are usually two different reasons why people choose a fasting diet. One of the most common motivations is to improve fat burning. For this objective, people should include in their diet: lean meat (chicken, lean beef, or fish), whole grains (wheat, brown rice, oats, or barley), vegetables (green beans, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower), legumes, and tubers like white potato (Matthews, 2015). The fulfillment of this goal demands to focus on eating high-fiber and avoid foods that are very calorie dense and have added sugar (cakes, cookies, candies). Building muscle is another motivation. (Continued on Page 15)

Breakfast Is Not The Most Important Meal Of The Day

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Breakfast is not… (Continued from Page 14) High quantities of protein are essential for gaining muscle, within which eggs, salmon, chicken breast, Greek yogurt, and tuna must be considered. However, carbs and a little fat are also important to have energy for exercising. When people lose weight, they typically lose fat mass and lean mass, especially if they do not perform regular exercise. That is why weight training three days per week may help maintain muscle during fat loss caused by intermittent fasting. Finally, if you are wondering if intermitting fasting is for everyone, the answer is no. A fasting diet is not recommended for pregnant women, anyone with an eating disorder, people who are underweight, anyone who has diabetes, or those younger than 18 years of age (Reimers, 2016). The reason is that with these issues the body is already struggling for nutrients and balance. Thus, fasting in these cases will just add extra stress on top of it all. Just as we could see, it is not true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. What really matters is to consume the appropriate food ingest with the amounts of energy and nutrients that your body needs. However, remember that before considering following any kind of fasting program, it is important to consult a nutritionist. Even though

fasting may be a good lifestyle decision, health must always be monitored by a professional. References Al-Hourani, H., & Atoum, M. (2017, October).

Body composition, nutrient intake and physical activity patterns in young women during Ramadan. - PubMed - NCBI. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17909674

Fung, J. (2019, January 28). Intermittent Fasting for Beginners – The Complete Guide. Retrieved from https://www.dietdoctor.com/intermittent-fasting

Gastrohnup Magazine (2013, May-June), Breakfast and its importance. Is breakfast really a physiological need? Or a Healthy habit? Retrieved from http://revgastrohnup.univalle.edu.co/a13v15n2/a13v15n2art4.pdf

Lazaro, M. (2014, February 25). Eleven things you should know about breakfast and that nobody has told you before. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost. es/2014/02/25/consejos-desayuno_n_4846981.html

Matthews, M. (2015, August 25). How Much Protein Do I Need? The Definitive (and Science-Based) Answer. Retrieved from https://legionathletics.com/how-much-protein-do-i-need/

Reimers, E. (2016, October 19). Intermittent fasting for building muscle: complete guide. Retrieved from https://www.jackedfactory.com/intermittent-fasting-building-muscle/

Sanchez, C. (2018, October 2). Intermittent fasting: does it work to lose weight? Retrieved from http://www.telva.com/beauty/diets/2018/10/01/5bb203dd02136e4a268b45fa.html

Wildlife Conservation in

Ecuador By: Ana Espinosa, Diego Gabela, Sebastian Chiriboga Ecuador is a natural paradise. Although it represents 1.5% of South America, its territory is divided into four biogeographic regions filled with biodiversity (Sierra et al 2002). All of them make possible the formation of habitats that preserve wildlife. Ecuador is recognized as one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world (Sierra et al 2002). One can find more animal species in Ecuador than in many much bigger countries. Actually, Ecuador ranks fifth in the highest number of vertebrate groups per unit of area (Sierra et al 2002). Therefore, wildlife conservation in Ecuador is important for the world`s natural heritage. Despite the work of national and international conservation institutions and programs, Ecuador’s conservation efforts face many challenges. One of them is the growth of human settlements into natural ecosystems (Mishina, 2016). As a matter of fact, humans are responsible for large areas of deforestation. In Ecuador, many human settlements were developed after the government gave mining and oil concessions to big companies (Mishina, 2016). (Continued on Page 16)

Important End of the Cycle Reminders Registration

Monday, March 25 – Pre-Beginner to Level 2 students who pass and want the same schedule.

Tuesday, March 26 – Level 3 to Level 6 students who pass and want the same schedule.

Wednesday, March 27 - students repeating, changing schedules, or who skipped Cycle 2.

Thursday, March 28 - new students.

Monday, April 8 - First Day of Class - Cycle 3, 2019

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be taught to make the right decision because thanks to the current constitution, Ecuador’s environment has the same rights as a person. Hence, the proper combination of education, environmental policies, and legislation will help save wildlife not only in Ecuador but also in the broader Amazon Region (Ecuador-Peru-Colombia-Brazil).

References: - Bargent, J. (2014). Animal Rescue Stats Highlight Trade Threatening Ecuador Wildlife. Insight Crime. - Merazonia. (s.f.). Merazonia. Taken from:

https://www.merazonia.org/en/

- Ministry of Environment. (s.f.). Ministry of

Environment. Taken from :

http://www.ambiente.gob.ec/alto-al-trafico-

ilegal-animales-silvestres/

- Mishina, M. (2016). Beyond Wildlife Trafficking: Other Conservation Challenges. AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION. Taken from: https://www.awf.org/blog/beyond-wildlife-trafficking-other-conservation-challenges - Sierra, R. et al. (2002). Assessing biodiversity conservation priorities: ecosystem risk and representativeness in continental Ecuador. Landscape and Urban Planning 59 (2002) 95-110.

Good luck to all our level VI graduates and

don’t forget to continue to practice

English!

Wildlife Conservation.. (Continued from Page 15) Another problem is illegal wildlife trade. For instance, hunting is one of the principal threats to 118 species that are classified as endangered (Bargent, 2014). Nevertheless, the Environmental Ministry, a key part of the Ecuadorian government, has developed a project called “Proyecto Paisajes-Vida Silvestre.” In English, this is the “Landscapes-Wildlife project.” Its objective is to “promote the connectivity between protected areas, as wildlife does not recognize these limits and is threatened outside them.” (Ministry of Environment, w.d.) The Ministry cares for animals that have been extracted from their natural habitat, and places them in specialized rescue centers where they can be rehabilitated and potentially released. One of these rescue centers is called Merazonia, which “is a dynamic wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center located on 250 acres of Amazon rainforest, near Mera, Ecuador, South America.” (Merazonia, w.d.) This center specializes in animals from the Amazon region like monkeys, kinkajous, small and big felines, and parrots and macaws. When animals arrive at the center, they begin a rehabilitation process. The first step is to place them in quarantine, and then they get to socialize with members of the same species, so they become used to them again. In this part of the process, the animals have minimum contact with humans, and in some cases, even eye contact with humans is not permitted. Finally, most of the animals are released as part of a successful process that usually takes years to complete. According to the Ministry, there are a total of 1,252 vertebrate species at risk of extinction. Yes, 1,252 vertebrate species! Yet, do people really know what those animals are? Or are Ecuadorians aware of the risks and what they can do in order to decrease them? Well, it seems that many people ignore the risks, and others, regrettably, just do not care. So, the first action that ecological organizations and the Environmental Ministry have to do is to get people involved in playing an active role in the preservation of wildlife in Ecuador by teaching them that they can be either the solution or the problem; they can choose. However, they must

The Fulbright Idea

Page 17 of 17

applications like Glovo and Uber have offered part- time

jobs to Venezuelans.

Although migrants have traveled to have a better lifestyle, the majority of migrants continue to live in precarious conditions in the countries that they have arrived in. For example, Venezuelans live in subhuman conditions, on the floor, and with people including children, people with disabilities, and pregnant women in a small space in the improvised shelter of Carcelén, in the north of Quito. Moreover, as part of the state of emergency, Latin American countries have implemented different types of aid to improve the living conditions of Venezuelans who arrive every day, but this help has not been sufficient. For instance, on August 13, 2018, the Secretary of Human Mobility of the Municipality of Quito and the Pichincha Prefecture activated six temporary Transit Centers for Venezuelan citizens. Although initially the Municipality indicated that there would be eight temporary Transit Centers, they only opened six because the other two centers did not have the capacity to accommodate more than one hundred people. These temporary centers were designed so that Venezuelans could bathe, sleep, and have a meal, but they could only stay in the center for up to five days. Currently, these Transit Centers are closed. To conclude, the situation that Venezuelans immigrants go through is very complex and not always better than the situation in Venezuela, so some Venezuelans prefer to return to their country. Consequently, Venezuelans immigrants do not have many options: they sometimes face starvation and no medical care in Venezuela and in Ecuador both.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in the articles are exclusively

those of the authors and in no way reflect the opinion of the Fulbright Commission,

the English Teaching Program, the instructors nor the administration.

Venezuelan Immigration

By: Pamela Simbaña, José Gutiérrez, William Castro Immigration to Ecuador has not always improved the lives of Venezuelans due to the scarcity of jobs, xenophobia, and the lack of essential resources. Venezuelan immigration has caused not only economic conflicts but also political and social problems. For the majority of Ecuadorians, the arrival of Venezuelans has meant fewer job opportunities because of the preference for hiring foreigners. It is evident that immigration increases the supply of cheap labor, which generates lower wages or in more extreme cases, unemployment. Moreover, the questionable acts committed by some Venezuelans have strengthened the already existing rejection of migrants, which is reflected in xenophobic behavior by some Ecuadorians. As an example, several comments exposed by Venezuelans on social networks using derogatory vocabulary to refer to Ecuadorians triggered a negative response from Ecuadorians, who felt injured and disrespected. In addition, reports of crimes committed by Venezuelan migrants in Ecuador have been reported, which have caused some Ecuadorians to ask for the closing of the borders in order to stop the free arrival of more migrants. These situations affect all Venezuelans, who pay the consequences of the bad acts committed by a few of their compatriots. Venezuelans have run away from the horrible situation in their country and come to Ecuador to take advantage of the alternatives and options that Ecuador can give them. However, foreigners who want to work in Ecuador need to fulfill some requirements. One of those requirements for Venezuelans is a visa. It costs a lot, and this is the principal reason why Venezuelans cannot get stable and well-paid jobs. For that reason, Venezuelans get all kinds of jobs in Ecuador. For example, there are people from Venezuela selling candies, chocolates, and other products on the bus. This is an informal job that they usually do to survive. Furthermore, Venezuelans who do not fulfill the job requirements usually also work part-time jobs. Companies want to offer better services with lower costs, so they hire Venezuelans because they work for lower wages than Ecuadorians. By way of example,