Information about an eight-day documentary film-making trip to Cuba during semester break will be presented Sept. 18 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. The trip is open to 20 students. Officially titled “Digital Storytelling Adventure: Cuba”, pre-trip preparations will include “webinars”, which help participating students understand the historical context and socio-political significance of Cuba.

Students will explore the Cuban cities of Havana and Vinales, visiting museums, attending performances, and touring famous sites, all while filming and documenting what they see. They will gather elements that they will eventually use to create a documentary film.

“There’s a little bit of something for everyone,” said Visual Arts department head Cheri Gaulke, who is leading the trip. “When the students come back, it’s really nice because you can go to one place together, but everybody comes back and tells a different story.”

This is the third trip that Gaulke has planned, previous trips traveling to Laos and Rwanda. Students can also use the trip to get credit for a directed study, due to the preparations involved and the documentary that is made afterwards.

“I love going I’ve never been before and learning about them, but the biggest thing that I love is the empowerment that students get about making documentaries and using film as a vehicle to make someone else’s story visible,” Gaulke said.