FEATURED NEWS STORY
Megan Sinclair with students in the Leh district of Ladakh, India
Undergrad takes dream research to the AAA annual meetings
Senior Megan Sinclair presented her research at the 2011 American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting in Montreal, in a panel about the causes of a failing school system in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. She writes “My interest in Anthropology first started when I was in elementary school reading through National Geographic Magazines in the summer. I always wanted to visit the places in the articles and meet the people who seemed to live in such a different way than I. I started my freshman year at the U of O with Digging up History, the freshman interest group lead by Professor Jon Erlandson. I came into my college education with the advice that I shouldn’t rush into a field until I had taken the time to explore the subject and really decide if it was right for me. I noticed a pattern in the general education classes I was taking and realized that Anthropology would give me the chance to work towards my dream of one day working for National Geographic. One of the places that had always interested me the most was Nepal and the illusive Tibet.
“It just seemed to be a place completely different from what I had known with traditions that seemed so unique and beautiful. I went to the study abroad fair my freshman year knowing that I definitely wanted to study abroad and came across an SIT (School for International Training) program to Nepal with a focus on Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples. I think my parents were terrified of the idea but were proud of my courage and supported my decision 100%.
“Each SIT program offers a one month Independent Study Project to finish out the semester where students are to produce a research paper based on fieldwork of a topic related to the theme of the program. I chose to go to Ladakh, India to observe the education system and to understand the efforts being made by SECMOL or Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (http://www.secmol.org/index.php). In 1988 less than 5 percent of 10th grade students were passing their matriculation exams, preventing them from furthering their education. In that same year SECMOL was founded by Sonam Wangchuck, a local university student who had been tutoring students to fund his education. He believed that by involving the community in the issue, creating textbooks as unique as the environment and people of Ladakh and holding teachers responsible that a change could occur.
“And indeed it did. By 2008, the percent of students passing their exams had risen to 28, with textbooks produced by SECMOL being used throughout the district. Unfortunately, not everyone within the education system was excited about the changes being made and SECMOL’s efforts were halted by a local government official. Today, SECMOL has shifted their efforts to the students themselves by offering week long camps to the local village students and a program for students to stay a year at the environmentally friendly, almost completely self-sustainable campus in Phey, Ladakh. These programs serve to supplement their education through English conversation classes with volunteers from around the globe, classes about Ladakhi culture and history, and basic math, science, and English classes. They also hope to rebuild the confidence of these students who have failed their exams sometimes as much as 3-4 times. Sonam Wangchuck has said that his goal is to give these students the opportunity to “celebrate their failures” by living alternatively and learning about what they can offer to their local community. I had the chance to work with a group of foundation year students or students staying at the SECMOL campus for a year.”
Megan intends to graduate this spring, and to continue traveling. Check out other awesome things undergrads are doing in Anthropology at the UO!