Students report on Puerto Rico recovery
| May 30, 2019 |
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A group of School of Communication students recently visited Puerto Rico as part of a semester-long course titled, Digital Storytelling Abroad.
The 13 graduate and undergraduate students produced a variety of digital content - articles, 360 virtual reality videos, documentaries, short video commercials, photo essays, phone apps, interactive maps and data visualizations 鈥� related to Puerto Rico鈥檚 capital, Old San Juan, and other areas of the U.S. territory.
The students visited Puerto Rico over spring break under the supervision of Patricia Lamberti, Director of Loyola鈥檚 Multimedia Journalism Program.
鈥淚 enjoyed each day on the trip because it was a different adventure,鈥� said Kristen Pascual, a film and digital media major. 鈥淚 decided to go because I really wanted to fit in another study abroad trip before graduating. I was really happy that Puerto Rico was chosen as a destination because the currency was the same we didn't need a visa.鈥�
During the five night trip, students worked individually and in groups to gather materials for stories that range from the light-hearted, such as an infographic about items (pina coladas and hammocks, for instance), to more serious pieces, such as a documentary about an organization that works to rescue Puerto Rico鈥檚 estimated 500,000 stray dogs.
Many students produced stories for those planning vacations to Puerto Rico, such as a guide to Old San Juan's most and an interactive map suggest how best to spend .
For those who want to experience Puerto Rico without leaving their couches, several students produced of some of the area鈥檚 most beautiful spots.
The group also met with professional journalists, who explained what it was like to report on Hurricane Maria, the Category 5 hurricane that hit the island in September 2017, leading to the deaths of 3,057 people.
鈥淚t was amazing to hear how journalists didn鈥檛 compete against each other during and after Maria,鈥� Lamberti said. 鈥淭hey banded together, and also literally saved people鈥檚 lives by housing them in their newsrooms.鈥�
Some of the content produced in this class will be used by , the island鈥檚 nonprofit destination marketing organization. Executives at Discover Puerto Rico hosted the students on their first morning in town, explained their mission and provided students with critical feedback on their ideas. "This is a historic, thriving moment for Puerto Rico and the opportunities are limitless," says Jeniffer Rosa, the Communications Vice President at Discover Puerto Rico.
"Puerto Rico is a beautiful, welcoming and easy to reach destination ready to enchant its visitors. We believe there has never been a more important time for tourism in Puerto Rico than today and the future is bright for its tourism industry. We look forward to capitalizing on the transformative power of travel and tourism to help catapult Puerto Rico, its residents and its businesses forward."
Other pieces are being used for promotional purposes by local businesses and non-profits.
Of course, some leisure time was built into the trip. The group hiked and swam in the El Yunque National Forest and kayaked at night through one of Puerto Rico鈥檚 three biolumiscent bays, bodies of water that produce bright bursts of blue light when touched by oars.
The class met regularly before and after the trip, so that students could brainstorm ideas, reach out to contacts, make personal itineraries and edit rough drafts of stories.
Like all communication professionals, students had to think fast and adapt when their stories didn鈥檛 pan out as they鈥檇 hoped. 鈥淏efore I left, I had a solid plan. But once I was there, I had to learn to be flexible to either change parts of my original ideas or come up with a completely new project,鈥� Pascual said. 鈥淎s a film major, there are always going to be unexpected factors and I need to be prepared and flexible to account for them.鈥�
Lamberti said this was the best class she鈥檚 ever led during her decade at Loyola.
鈥淎nd not just because I got a reprieve from winter,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I watched students stop people on the street for interviews, or get into cars with all of their equipment, I had goosebumps. They were incredibly professional and fearless. I was so proud.鈥�