Read Lozano's Editorial Concerning Hugo Chavez

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International student brings international perspective

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In August 2005, Claudia Lozano, then 19 years old, traveled over 4000 miles from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to Eau Claire, Wis., in order to pursue a major in print journalism and a minor in creative writing at UW-Eau Claire.
As a future journalist, Lozano, now 21, said to have little interest in public affairs reporting. Nevertheless, her involvement on campus, beliefs and aspiration to be a sports reporter reveal the junior’s open-minded, religious and ambitious personality.
Lozano’s experience in journalism stems from one semester as a freelance journalist and a few weeks as a recently hired copy editor for UW-Eau Claire’s student run newspaper, The Spectator.
The newspaper staff is excited about the international perspective Lozano brings to the paper, The Spectator’s managing editor, Brian Reisinger said.
“As a voice in the student newspaper,” he said, “she definitely has the potential to have a different and more developed voice than the rest of us.”
Reisinger said Lozano’s perspective may allow her to cover unique aspects of stories related to her foreign background.
Thus far, Lozano has written two sports articles, one campus news article, one showcase article and one editorial concerning her fear that Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez, may be re-elected.
Despite Lozano’s fear that Chavez may be re-elected, she said she is generally politically moderate. Lozano said she does not affiliate herself with any political organization in the United States or Bolivia.                                                                                                     
“I am not allowed to vote here, because I’m not an American, nor can I vote back home since I’m not there. I think that reduces my bias,” Lozano said.
Biljana Alampioska, an international student from Macedonia whom Lozano helped as a peer guide, said otherwise.

Claudia Lozano (Photo by Zack Gnas)

“I think she’s liberal because of the way she behaves,” Alampioska said. “She’s very open-minded.”
Lozano also said she is a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
“I am very spiritual. I like to pray every night,” she said.
Sage Al-Benali, an international student from Kuwait and a friend of Lozano, said Lozano strongly identifies herself with her faith. “She absolutely practices her religion more than a lot of other people I know around here.”
Lozano also was a peer guide for the Center for International Education. As a peer guide, Lozano helped international students adapt both academically and culturally, an international student advisor in CIE, Jodi Simek said.
Simek said Lozano gave international students a favorable perception of the both the community and the university.
Lozano also said she is a member of the Association of International Students and plans on running for president in late September. Lozano said if elected, she would like to foster more interaction between AIS and other students on campus.
Lozano said after she graduates from UW-Eau Claire, she wants to be a sports journalist for ESPN The Magazine or Tennis Magazine.
 “All I want to do is travel the world, see the games and meet the players,” Lozano said.