Issue date: 12/1/05 Section: Campus News

Media Credit: Jennifer Hietpas Director of Research at Marshfield Clinic Dr. Humberto Vidaillet speaks on his experiences with cardiac rhythm disturbances and how Spanish in the business world is valuable.

Many student organizations on the UW-Eau Claire campus host guest speakers at one time or another, but for most, the presentations are in English. For one newly created organization, however, this is not the case.

Dr. Humberto Vidaillet, director of the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, spoke Monday evening completely in Spanish to a group of more than 30 students, faculty and community members in the Presidents Room of Davies Center as part of a meeting of the Spanish Business Club.

Still in its first semester as a recognized student organization through the foreign language department, the Spanish Business Club featured Vidaillet at its second meeting, said junior Andrew Reigel, the organization's president.

"The purpose is to act like a link or a bridge between Eau Claire university students and the professional community to share experiences at work while speaking Spanish," said the group's adviser and Assistant Professor of Spanish Juan Chaves.

The group meets once a month and invites Spanish-speaking professionals in any area of business to come and share their experiences with students, he said.

Vidaillet, who has been internationally recognized for his contribution to medical education and is an expert in cardiac rhythm disturbances, talked about his experience as a Cuban immigrant in Spain.

He came to the United States in the early 1980s, moving to Marshfield in 1987, where he became director of the clinic's research foundation in June 2005.

"When I first heard about the Spanish Business Club … I never dreamt that it was such a sophisticated program in the university, and I was delighted to learn about that," Vidaillet said.

In addition to his presentation about his profession, Vidaillet also explained what he called "the benefits of being bilingual and bicultural."

"I am convinced that in today's world, students at UW-Eau Claire that are able to fully participate in programs such as this, in which they actually learn businesses as well as Spanish, will have opportunities that are phenomenal," Vidaillet said.

"The business students that are able to speak Spanish - all things being equal - they're going to do better than those who don't speak Spanish," he said.

Junior Katie Harrison, a Spanish major and pre-professional health minor, attended the presentation because, she said, the two topics - Spanish and health care - created an opportunity that she couldn't pass up.

"It's encouraging to know that what we are studying … is really is used in the real world and in the medical field especially," she said.

Reigel said he is excited to now have an organization that allows students to actively experience not only Hispanic culture in general but also the area of business.

Overall, Reigel said, he hopes students will take advantage of the new opportunities that the club has to provide as the world moves into the 21st century.

"The future of the United States, there will be a need for Spanish in the United States and English in Latin America."

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