Presentations - Day 2

Today was the second day my classmates got to present their research presentations. I had the opportunity to learn about more Caribbean countries and what my classmates' papers were about. Below are what I learned/notes and my review on how I thought my classmates presented their presentation!

• Puerto Rico
• Puerto Rico has been influenced by many cultures due to the fact that they have never been an independent country
• Spanish, African, and American influence
• Spanish and natives: indigenous people of the island were Taino Indians. Soon after, the spanish enslaved the natives which led them to dying off of harsh treatment, diseases, and over-working
• African impact: slave trade was one of the biggest slave trades in recorded history. Friar Bartolome de Las Casas was responsible for replacing Indian workforce with the African slaves
• Slavery ended in 1873
• America greatly influenced Puerto Rico when the US military invaded in 1898
• Americas motivation for taking over was because they needed land
• US military control ended in 1900
• The foraker act put Puerto Rico under the American monetary system and tariff arrangement
• Puerto Rico is under the Bill of Rights, use US dollars, and has US citizenship
• I thought this particular Caribbean country was very cool to learn about! I was surprised to hear that Puerto Rico is greatly influenced by America- adopting our country's trade rules and currency! The presentation was very well organized and well presented!

• Jamaica
• We tend to focus more on theappealing parts of Jamaica rather than the economy, equality, and violence
• Opposing views: the land is now what makes the nation, the people are the nation
• 1970-1980 Jamaica faced recession
• Jamaica is ranked the 2nd distributor of oil
• High inflation on unemployment
• The country still faces problems relating to discrimination and racism
• Women are still treated differently in society, and there are still wage gaps
• The island is taken over by masculinity including sexual abuse
• Loved the topic of this presentation! It was refreshing to hear a presentation that was not about tourism! The presenter gave nice facts about Jamaica's society regarding the island's economy, equality, and violence but I would have really liked to hear his/her's opinion on gender equality and the island's conflicts with discrimination and racism. The presenter presented well. He/she could have looked at the audience more instead of the board and computer.

• St. Martin/Maarten
• Both the French and Dutch sides are economically diverese due to their ties to seperate countries
• The Dutch side of the island specializes in happy hour, extravigant casinos, and long stretchesof shop lined boardwalks
• The French side specializes in food, while the Dutch specializes in mostly in luxury
• Tourism plays a great factor in St. Martin/Maarten's economy (73% of economy goes towards tourism)
• The island has carnival every year which is known to be the biggest party in the world 
• St. Maarten holds the anual Heineken Regina which is a 4 day boat race that brings sailors from all over the globe
• St. Martin has more than 300 restaurants in an area which is smaller than the land that disney world owns
• St Maarten currently operates under the king of the Netherlands
• St. Martin was given COM status in February 2007, which gave the island a much bigger representation in the French parliament
• Due to the division of the island, the country is a hub for cultural economic and political diversity. 
• I want to start off by saying the presenter really knew how to present. He was loud enough for all of us to hear, his points were very easy flowing, and he seemed like he showed genuine interest in his research topic. He gave many great facts about the Dutch and French sides of the island, and even took the time to compare the two. On the other hand, this presenter also had many uhms and likes. Took a couple pauses to think about what he was going to say, but he ultimately redeemed himself! Much of the information he shared was from his head and not from the slides, which is good!

• Aruba and Bonaire
• Tourism is the base of Aruba and Bonaire's economy
• The island is known for its adventurous activities- including kite-surfing and windsurfing
• It offers numerous species such as sea turtles, flamingos, birds, and fish
• Creates a mixture of cultures and heritage, giving the island a benefit of diversity
• Heavy industry of oil refinery, shipbuilding, and vacation homes have attracted people from all over the world
• The presentation was intriguing and fun! If I remember correctly, this presentation included a video of the island, and it was just nice to see what it is like in the island and hear the island's music. Presenter did very well presenting, but could have looked at the audience a little more.

• The Bahamas
• The first inhabitants of the Bahamas were Lycayans
• Ancestors from came from South America
• Christopher Columbus first arrived to the Bahamas in October of 1492
• Lacked of modern weaponry
• Blackbeard operated in the Bahamas, his real name being Edward Teach 
• Blackbeard was killed by Captain Maynard and his head was decapitated and put in front of a ship to show as a warning for other pirates
• Anne Bonny and Mary Reed were the first female pirates
• Mary died from a fever and Anne claimed to be impregnated by Calico Jack 
• Calico Jack, also known as John Jack Rackham, is most remembered for his jolly roger flag and sailing with Mary Reed and his lover Anne Bonny
• The Bahamas used to be save haven for pirates, and is now a vacation place for the rich and famous
• The Bahamas has been shaped by Christopher Columbus, pirates, and now tourism.
• It was very interesting to learn about some of the pirates mentioned in this presentation! I admit, I took this course cause I thought it would have a little more to do with the islands culture and pirates, and finally the time has come! The history was nice, and it was nice to learn about the stories of Calico Jack and Anne Bonny! The presenter, again, presented very well- eye contact, projection, speech.