By Matthew Hall
Maria Garcia is Eastern New Mexico University’s International Affairs Director and an international student from Mexico. Along with her duties as the International Affairs Director, she also holds a position as a Student Senator.
A lot of administrators here at ENMU have many items in their offices. These items mostly serve as mementos. However, some people decorate their office with items that do not necessarily remind the person of her family, adventures, or vacations. Instead, the mementos simply remind her of the job itself.
Garcia first wanted to discuss a big world map that hangs on the wall just behind her desk.
“That map is really old,” she said. “I just started as the director this past May. I came to Eastern New Mexico University three years ago, and that map was already here.”
Garcia said that the world map is there to show visitors that the office represents international affairs.
“We cherish all countries, all cultures, and all languages,” Garcia said. “Actually I want to have a bigger map somewhere. My office is really small, but [I want to hang a bigger map] somewhere so students, as they arrive here, can put a little pin and mark where they are from and maybe their hometown.”
“I think that would be really nice,” she continued. International students could “mark ‘Oh, I’m from here’ and can leave their mark here. They graduate, but we’ll still have their little pin there.”
On the wall right beside Garcia’s desk is another map, or so what one might think.
“This one is a painting,” she said. “This is a Chinese painting. I think [an international student] painted it in ’92, and he gave the painting to International Affairs. He donated it. It was in storage. So during the summer, I brought it here, I bought this frame, and just put it there.”
Garcia did have one souvenir from her home country of Mexico. She has a doll sitting on the desk beside her work desk.
“This is a Mexican doll,” she said. “I actually brought a year ago from Guadalajara, Mexico. I brought this doll.”
“She is dressed in the traditional dresses in Mexico,” she continued. “Each region or each state has a traditional dress, and this traditional dress comes from Wahaca.”