Friday, February 20

Screening of Motorcycle Diaries

On February 24th, there was a screening of Motorcycle Diaries in Blodgett 109. Based on a true life story, the movie is an inspiring and thrilling adventure of two young men with a youthful and revolutionary spirit, Ernesto Guevara and Alberto Granado. Ernesto, a medical student, and Alberto, a biochemist, both with common aspirations and similar dreams decide to explore the continent of South America on a beat-up motorcycle. They hope to explore the world, not knowing that at the end the world will be changing them. Their journey took them to various sites of Latin America (Argentina, Chile, Peru, Columbia and Venezuela), leaving them mesmerized and aspiring for a greater purpose in life.

After the movie, we held a discussion facilitated by LGS Coordinator Yana Kusayeva and Professor Peter DeBartolo about the film, Che Guevara, his worldview and his life, and Latin American politics. We talked about how many Latin American countries’ governments swing like a pendulum from right to left, and vice verse, on the political spectrum. We also discussed the impacts of traveling and were encouraged to study abroad.

Ernesto and Alberto’s journey allowed them to see the hidden truth of poverty and injustice in the real world. Their adventure led them to sights and stories which they never imagined, encouraging them to make a positive difference in the world. In the movie, there was a scene where Ernesto and Alberto visited a leper colony where the medical staff was forced to wear gloves even though the patients were no longer contagious. Instead of treating their patients as outcasts, Ernesto and Alberto treated them with dignity and respect. Ernesto and Alberto refused to wear gloves, eliminating the barrier between themselves and the patients. Watching this Motorcycle Diaries has truly inspired me and the students who watched the movie to explore the world and make a difference. If you “let the world change you, you can change the world.”

Written by Roshini Givergis