Medellin, Colombia, is a vibrant city where the sound of music emanates from all directions, the smell of food wafts through the streets and the colorful buildings dazzle the eye. It is the perfect environment for a multimedia project focusing on local musicians and dancers, which is what brought 13 students from the UO School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), guided by Associate Professor Ed Madison, SOJC journalism and advertising alum Jordan Bentz ’12 and Edwin L. Artzt Dean Juan-Carlos Molleda to the South American city tucked into the Andes Mountains.

For Madison, who founded the SOJC’s Global Stories program in 2014, the goal of the project was capturing life in Colombia authentically.

“We're not looking to ride a bus and sightsee and do all the things that most tourists do,” Madison said. “We're looking for an opportunity for our students to engage with local individuals. It's all designed to take students outside of the experience of being in a place like Eugene, and having real-world experiences with people who may speak another language, eat a different type of food.”

For 13 days in December 2023, the students and advisors traveled around Colombia by bus, boat, motorcycle, taxi and other forms of transportation to meet with artists who overcame unimaginable challenges for the sake of their crafts and communities.

They met Son Batá, who uses education and art to connect Afro-Colombians to their heritage; documented the hip-hop renaissance of Comuna Trece; explored the intricate relationship between Colombian music and birds; delved into the artistry of three Colombian dancers and much more.

How They Did It

The students spent fall term researching Colombia’s music scene. Once they landed in Medellin, they met with their guides, who showed them around the city and introduced them to the musicians they would be getting to know during their stay.

The students then decided which musicians they wanted to focus on for their stories. For some, the choice was based on the musicians who would best match their medium. Other students chose artists they felt a connection to.

Advertising major Lauren Becker, the art director, photographer, and videographer on the trip, chose to make a video about two dancers. “That story was particularly special to me because I am a dancer myself,” she said. Learning more about dance in Colombia gave her a greater appreciation for her own craft.

That was why the trip was such a success, said Nick Beccar Varela, the multimedia editor and videographer on the trip. “We were all invested. We all wanted to be there,” he said.

Across media, interests and backgrounds, Varela says everyone on the trip worked hard and produced exceptional work. “We all wanted to put our best foot forward,” he said.

After 13 days jam-packed with interviews, photo and video shoots, activities and performances, the team said their goodbyes.

After returning to Eugene for post-production, reality hit, Lizzy Lee said. The students set out to work on their projects while balancing classes and jobs. It was hard to keep people on track, Lee said, but the team pulled the project together just in time for their scheduled Allen Hall exhibit in May.

What They Learned about Life in Colombia

During the trip and after, the team learned more about their crafts, their collaboration and themselves.

The project pushed students to their limits, but it was more than worth it.

For Varela, managing expectations was difficult. As one of the only students who spoke Spanish, he assumed the role of translator would take a lot of energy. He was worried about the team’s dynamic and embarking on such a huge project with a group he’d only just met. ”I expected it to be overwhelming,” he said.

But the team’s work ethic and willingness to help each other made the trip smoother than expected. ”Why freak out about it before?” Varela realized.

For many students, the project was an opportunity to take on a role they hadn’t had before. ”I really learned what it means to be a leader in a work setting,” Lee said. The project taught her how to be responsible for a team, and it taught her that she preferred content production over logistics.

Becker said her biggest lesson came from her role as art director. Her task: creating the website that showcased the team’s work. She volunteered for the position even though she had no previous experience making websites.

”I learned that it is OK not to know things, and to be new at something,” she said. “Although I made some mistakes, everyone on the team was super eager to help and give me some positive feedback.”