Live from Cuba! Reporting on a Country at a Crossroads

To Apply

Complete BOTH of the following:

1. Online app: http://tinyurl.com/ExEdApp
2. Paper app: Live From Cuba!

Description

The re-opening of Cuba to US tourists provides an incredible opportunity for students to see first-hand what happens when capitalism and communism meet. Will there be room for free speech? Will the gap between those better off and the poor grow wider or can Cuba manage it as tourism inevitably brings in more money? Those and other issues will be explored by students in this ground-breaking new trip.

Journalism instructor Miguel Llanos, who visited Cuba twice as a reporter, and Marian Sugano will lead students through the capital Havana as well as smaller towns, including three nights in a fishing village where we will get to know local students and their families. Other stops include a farm that touts sustainable practices, and two nights in Trinidad, a town known for its traditional folk music and Spanish architecture.

The visits will provide students an opportunity to report first-hand on Cuban life. Is photography your passion? Or writing? Or filming? Or podcasting? You’ll be able to use those tools to bring stories back to the Overlake campus for publication on The Overlake Independent’s digital and magazine platforms.

This 9-day trip includes meeting local artists and journalists as well as cave trekking (think stalagmites and underground pools).

The 3 nights in Havana will be at a hotel, while 5 nights outside the capital will be in homestays. Typically, two students will be in the same room, be it hotel or a home, sharing a room with separate beds.