Red Devils Abroad
Nick Toole '16 (right) is producing the video series with help from classmate Jaion Dunn '16 (left).
Videos reveal day-to-day life in Málaga, Spain
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
Study-abroad students routinely share their real-time overseas experiences through blog posts, social media and photos, but two members of the class of 2016 are taking those efforts to new heights. Nick Toole ’16 and Jaion Dunn ’16 are producing a Spanish-language video series that delivers a taste of day-to-day life as a Dickinson student in Málaga, Spain.
Toole, a political science major, conceived of the video project while preparing for his junior year in Málaga, a small, culturally vibrant city in coastal Spain. He recruited Dunn, a fellow study-abroad student, to co-produce the series, with support from the Office of Global Study & Engagement. They produced their first video on their arrival in Málaga at the start of the academic year.
“We’re very excited to do something that no other abroad program has done before,” said Dunn, a sociology major who had completed several video projects before traveling to Spain.
In keeping with the immersive nature of the study-abroad program, the students conduct interviews entirely in Spanish; they provide English-language subtitles for viewers’ convenience. Each video centers on a general theme and includes real-time commentary by Dunn and Toole, and by fellow Málaga study-abroad students Mara Cassidy ’16 (Spanish), Evan Davis ’16 (philosophy) and Andrew Babbidge ’16 (international business & management).
Viewers catch glimpses of the students’ living, study and social spaces as the interviewees discuss universal cultural touchstones, like climate, food, language and local customs, as well as site-specific details, such as Málaga's extracurricular opportunities, public-transportation system and best eatery for an American-style breakfast or lunch.
“As you can see, there are many differences and distinct things [about our lives] in Málaga,” Toole notes during the second video, speaking directly to the camera. “Some are big; others are small. These differences will form our experiences here.”
Learn more
- "La Vida Malaguena" video series
- Education Abroad
- Student Snapshots
- Student Stories
- Center for Global Study & Engagement
Published December 12, 2014