In the month of August, along with the anniversary of the city of La Serena, the date on which Gabriela began to write for the newspaper “El Coquimbo” is also remembered, thus beginning her fruitful career.

110 years ago, the young woman from the Elqui Valley and living in the Las Compañías sector, let her fertile imagination and talent fly with two fundamental writings. On August 11 she published “The Forgiveness of a Victim” and on August 30 of the same year “The Death of the Poet,” surprising readers because she was a young woman of only 14 years old.

That is why the Mistralian Center of the University of La Serena organized a day that included poetic readings, declamations, dances and the reading of the full text of the story “The Forgiveness of the Victim”, told by attendees of the activity, including , representatives of the Regional Government and the Department of Culture of the Municipality of La Serena.

"For this celebration, we call on Neighborhood Councils, the Gabriela Mistral Group, which has been recently established, schools and especially young students from the University of La Serena, belonging to the Design major, who in addition to actively collaborating "They have worked hard so that we could all share this significant occasion for our region and for the literature of the world," said the director of the Mistralian Center, Dr. Rolando Manzano.

Later, in the courtyards of the campus, the invited schools concluded the activity with dance performances and dance theater that reflected the feelings of young people regarding the texts of the distinguished creator.

In this regard, the academic vice-rector of the University of La Serena, Dr. Jorge Catalán, highlighted the great work carried out by the Mistralian Center and its associated organizations. “I find this rootedness of Gabriela Mistral in Las Compañías and the commitment of the students to continue on the poet's path to be relevant. I also find the work of the professors and our University to increase the cultural heritage and national values ​​very commendable,” said Dr. Catalán.

On the occasion, a metal structure was also presented that will protect the house where Gabriela Mistral lived from inclement weather and cover it until the long-awaited restoration works begin.

The work, made in watercolor, is inspired by the integration of the brother peoples of Chile and Argentina.

A painting authored by the academic of the University of La Serena, Hernán Godoy, was delivered by the regional mayor, Hanne Utreras, to the governor of San Juan, José Luis Gioja, during the signing of the protocol to manage the Agua Negra Tunnel, signed in a bilateral meeting held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

The work, made in watercolor, is inspired by the integration of the brother peoples of Chile and Argentina. “You can see a composition based on ceramic relief from the Plaza de Vicuña,” explained the ULS professor, adding that in 1970 a group of students from the Department of Ornamental Public Art of the University of Chile changed the face of the Plaza. of said commune. “An environment related to the Elqui Valley is added and you can see a small tunnel in the center, which symbolizes the Agua Negra Pass and the transformation that is coming,” he added. 

In addition, the academic indicated that the work includes human figures that appear barefoot to pay tribute to Gabriela Mistral (“Piececitos de Niño”) and that strong colors were used to represent the energy of the territory and its people.

In addition to the knowledge provided on the specific topic, Otec is focused on transmitting a true university experience. 

The “Property Brokerage” course taught by the Training Services Office of the University of La Serena ended with about 30 students. This course prepared students to recognize and apply the legal regulations that regulate the exercise of this profession. 

As a result of the high real estate growth in the city and the lack of qualified personnel in the area, the Training Services Office of the University of La Serena considered it necessary to provide relevant legal knowledge to face the different situations that arise in the field of brokerage. of properties. To carry out this objective, a 36-hour course was carried out divided into 12 sessions that prepared those interested in the topic. 

In this regard, the person in charge of the Office, Pablo Sánchez, stated that he was very satisfied with the results obtained. “We are very happy to have successfully completed the course. We had a large number of students and along with giving them the tools so that they can function as runners, we also met the objectives of the office which is to develop, through training, skills in the people of the region,” he highlighted. 

Likewise, during this year an innovative objective has been carried out that encourages students to participate and go beyond the training hours and integrate into the different spaces of the higher education institution. It is about transmitting a true university experience.   

Sánchez also referred to this important initiative. "The idea is to be able to differentiate ourselves from other training offices, integrating the university world into the training classrooms, that is, people can access the library, for example, they have access to the Extension Directorate's billboard and that at the same time they develop in the university environment, occupying their spaces,” he pointed out. 

The Training Services office of the University of La Serena is located at Amunátegui N° 890, in La Serena and has a varied range of courses in different areas. For more information, interested parties can call 2204172 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

One of the objectives is for students from the region to be able to visit these looms and tapestries that will be exhibited in the ULS Exhibition Hall.

Knots, wefts, threads, collection of elements and years of work make up the textile exhibition “Weaving spaces: to connect the earth, water and air”, which will be exhibited by the two regional artists, Rosa María Castillo and Graciela Ramos, as part of the 2014 exhibition cycle organized by the Extension Directorate of the University of La Serena. 

On this occasion, the Exhibition Hall of the institution will exhibit this sample composed of looms and tapestries that, according to one of the artists, are representative of different elements of nature. “It is a textile sample and we think that is interesting for that children in schools visit us and can recreate what we are going to present. In essence, they are also organic looms that carry seeds, feathers, quartz and the essence of the representativeness of women,” commented Rosa María Castillo, an academic at the ULS.

As part of their works, the authors will show various themes that are related to returning to the roots, with the enhancement of nature, the importance of traditions and countless lessons learned from our ethnic groups. "For example, since these are knots, they are wefts, they are threads that intertwine with each other, there we have a stitch called embrilado, which our ethnic groups used, and we have the İzmir stitch, those techniques are from our ancestors, so we want the kids from schools see them and can replicate them in their classes or simply in their homes,” Castillo emphasized.

In turn, the academic made a special invitation to the students, for the teaching that this exhibition leaves. “I think that it impacts the viewer and that is what gives me the feeling of leaving something so that they, the future generations that come, can see that you have to embroider, you have to knit, you have to work on the plot and “You have to observe nature,” he said.

This exhibition will open on Thursday, September 4, at 17:30 p.m. and will remain open to the public until September 30 (with a break from September 15 to 19) from Monday to Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 14:00 p.m. and from 16:00 p.m. to 18:30 p.m. and on Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 14:00 p.m. and from 16:00 p.m. to 17:30 p.m. Admission is free to the public at the ULS Exhibition Hall, located at Benavente 950, La Serena.

Winners of recognized regional awards, literature fans and people from other provinces participated in the long-awaited literary meeting.

As is traditional on the last Thursday of each month, the Poetic Café for the month of August was held by the Doctor of Philosophy and Letters and director of the Mistralian Center of the University of La Serena, Rolando Manzano Concha, who dedicated this space to honor a great figure of our Chilean literature, the anti-poet Nicanor Parra Sandoval, who will turn 5 years old on September 100.

Around a warm atmosphere of poetry, attendees approached the ULS Exhibition Hall to give life to this literary space that is long awaited, because they consider it as an opportunity to share works and generate social relationships with other fans of this art. . 

The regional writer, Susana Pacheco, highlighted how important these literary meetings are and being able to delight in the experience and pleasant company of their speaker. “All the poetic cafés always teach me a tremendous lesson, because we have Professor Rolando Manzano, who is a teacher of excellence, it is a luxury to come to the cafés. Furthermore, one takes advantage of meeting people, shows their work and leaves comforted in friendship and literature”, concluded the winner of the 2014 municipal literary contest “Manuel Concha Editorial Fund”.

For her part, another regional writer from the province of Limarí, Edith Tapia, added that she feels very welcomed in this type of space and that she tries to attend whenever she can, because it is a good place to enjoy poetry. “I am from the literary group “Liq Mallín” and for us it is tremendously significant to be in this Poetic Café. We have come on other occasions and it has been of excellent quality (…), I think it is very important because this way we can all enjoy literature and open the space to other people.” Likewise, she highlighted the ability and experience of Dr. Rolando Manzano to carry out these coffees in such an enjoyable way and in this special case, for commemorating the literature of Nicanor Parra and highlighting national poetry.

The next ULS Poetry Café is scheduled for Thursday, September 25.

With applause, hugs, videos, gifts and words of thanks, the closing of the 5th workshop on health in the elderly was held.

Absolut happiness. 17 dreams achieved, 17 people who want to dignify the quality of life of the elderly, attended the Gerontological Caregivers workshop for 4 months organized by the Extension Department in conjunction with the Nursing Department of the University of La Serena. The theoretical-practical activity relied on the vast experience of the Department's Magister in Social and Academic Gerontology, Carmen Retamal, in collaboration with her students. Diego Valenzuela, Viviana Ollarzú, Macarena Abarca and Meyling Herrera, who in an emotional and applauded certification ceremony held in the Exhibition Hall, presented the recognition to the students of said workshop.

A closing ceremony consumed by the joy of the attendees and the future gerontological caregivers, was reflected in videos, praise and gifts to the three best averages in the workshop. The Mg. Carmen Retamal stated that she felt satisfied with the work carried out during these years, considering that this is the 5th training that she has carried out to raise awareness among the elderly about the elderly, in addition to giving them the necessary knowledge regarding the world of old age and the dignity that the elderly they need.

“I believe that they perceive themselves as capable, the feeling that remains is that they obtained tools to be able to do a decent job and a job with affection, love, with a vocation for service (…). We have to realize that adults existolder, who are next to us, who have a mom and dad at home who are going to be older, a grandfather who is old and we don't want him to deteriorate. Therefore, we have to take care of him and if he deteriorates, we have to provide him with dignified care to give him a good quality of life throughout his life," said the expert. 

Teresa Fuentes, who won first place in the course, stated that she was happy with this new learning and felt empowered to carry out everything she had learned, in addition to providing a good service, in conjunction with other disciplines that she performs, based on relaxation. “I am very happy because I have an opportunity to give care, not only to a person, to an adult, but I also have a lot to give in terms of love and the spiritual part. I am a reiki teacher and I am also a relaxation and yoga teacher. So, I want to put all this together to combine it and deliver it to people”, said the outstanding student of this gerontology workshop.

On the other hand, Constanza Macaya says that caring for the elderly was a rewarding experience that she learned through her work. Despite her young age, she ensures respect and awareness that in our society, the older community is present and that contact with them motivated her to improve. "I worked taking care of older adults and I really liked it because they are affectionate and you have to know how to treat them (...) and apart from that, my parents are older adults anyway, so I wanted to work to take care of them," clarified the youngest caregiver in the class.

Finally, Catalina Cvitanic, director of Extension of the ULS, expressed the importance of the house of studies being a manager of these types of training open to the community. "Considering all the problems that exist today regarding the care of the elderly, of course our University, as a regional university, is being a leader in this matter (...), at the regional level there is no other place where people can be trained in these areas, economically and with solid academic support, since this course is carried out jointly with the Nursing Department of our house of studies”, affirmed the director.