The Michigan Daily- Friday, October 11, 1991 - Page 7 Puerto Rican writer by Marcus Olender Although Judith Ortiz Cofer, a Puerto Rican creative writer and a visiting professor, is an American citizen and writes in English, her work remains rooted in her Latin American heritage. Her mini-course entitled "Ethnicity and Creative Writing" is being offered from October 7-21 through the American Cultures Studies department. "The aim of the course ig to use language and family heritage to cre- ate thoughtful material," she said. Ortiz Cofer's writing draws on her experience of having lived in two distinct ethnic worlds. She was born in Puerto Rico, but when her father joined the Navy, he was stationed in New York. For 14 years she traveled between Puerto Rico and New Jersey. Unlike her mother who returned to Puerto Rico, Ortiz Cofer said she cannot return because American cul- ture is more familiar to her and her life is here. Yet, she said, while she would call the United States her homeland, she still feels a bit out of place here. "I will always be Puerto Rican," she said. Also she said she would not call brings fo herself "assimilated" - a term she said is easily misunderstood. "Being 'assimilated' does not mean for a minute that I deny my heritage. It means that I have chosen to know the culture and the lan- guage of the country in which I live as well as my own," she said. In her work, there are characters who become "Americanized" and ignore their Puerto Rican heritage. "El olvido," or purposely for- getting your culture, she warned, is dangerous. Those who forget are "throwing away all this useful in- formation that can help them sur- vive and adjust to the complex reign cult world we live in," Ortiz Cofer said. "For anyone to forget their origins alienates them from their true selves." However, she said, the other ex- treme is equally harmful. She pointed to her mother, who refused to learn English, as an example of such an extreme. "She came over as a very young woman ... we learned quickly to speak English, as children often do, and she felt that as long as we trans- lated for her, she was OK." Ortiz Cofer said, unlike her mother, she opposes ignoring the re- alities of life in a foreign country. ure to classroom From an early age, she said she knew she needed to speak English. "How can you defend yourself or others," she argued, "if you can't speak in a court of law or if you can't stand in front of people and say 'I want my rights'?" Ortiz Cofer is one of a growing body of Latin American writers whose works are gaining popularity in the United States. Her novel, The Line of the Sun (1989), was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. In her most recent work, Silent Dancing (1990), she re- lates her childhood in a sequence of stories and poems. "My life doesn't exactly paral- lel my work," Ortiz Cofer said. "The essays are based on truth and experience. I based it on Virginia Woolf's idea of what a memoir ism a summer afternoon. You remember bits of this and enhance it." Ortiz Cofer will present her work in a number of readings and will meet with creative writing students during her stay. I Galens Medical Society promotes year-round community service Py maiissa rrancese rhrietinn rha a thirrLvPar MPrit_ Every December on campus, Galens Medical Society members *are consumed with the group's an- nual bucket drive and the handing out of well-known red and green tags which signify donations. The rest of the year, however, the Galens members are busy working on other service and fundraising projects. Galens members volunteer at the Briarwood Run to assist in raising funds for M-Care, the University's HMO plan. They also participate in blood drives four times a year for the benefit of the American Red Cross. The Galens Medical Society, or- ganized in 1930, is the only service organization at the University for medical students. Over the years, it has gained the respect and interest of a large number of doctors and professors. %-mnsme kwa, a tmu-year mem- cal student and current vice presi- dent of Galens Medical Society, said being a member of Galens is a unique opportunity for medical students because it gives them a chance to 'A good physician isn't just test scores' - Christine Cha Vice president of Galens Medical Society work together in a non-academic setting. "A good physician isn't just test scores," Cha said. She thinks the strong tradition of the group lies in the fact that it is one way medical students learn "human responsibil- ity and compassion." Galens' December drive raises about $70,000 each year. One hundred percent of the donations fund Ann Arbor area health care programs. A large percentage is given to Mott's Children's Hospital which uses the money to help fund tutoring and other activities offered to patients and their families. In the past, Galens has also given donations to the Ann Arbor Hands- On Museum. Their most recent do- nation to the museum helped to build new exhibits on the human body. The display, called "The Subject is You," includes human re- actiontimes, flexibility and skele- tal systems. The remainder of their collected funds benefit an array of other Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti organizations, including the Beyer Memorial Hospital, the Corner Health Center, and Prospect Place Family Center. HAPPY HOUR-S1.00 OFF Mon.-Fri., 3 to 7 p.m. pints of beer, mixed drinks, Extended Happy Hour till 9 p.m. & wine every Friday in the Underground 1 lb. 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