Study Abroad Program Gives Journalism Students Global Experience
University of Arizona students visit Piazza del Duomo during a tour of Orvieto, Italy.
Photo by Kendal Blust
A group of University of Arizona School of Journalism students spent part of their summer in Italy strengthening their writing and multimedia storytelling skills through Study Abroad’s Arizona in Orvieto program.
Assistant Professor of Practice Kendal Blust and students in her Feature Writing course on a group outing.
Through the program, students take courses taught by U of A faculty while living in the historic Italian hilltop city and interacting with the local community and culture. The School revived its Orvieto offering this year, in order to offer students more global engagement opportunities.
Assistant Professor of Practice Kendal Blust taught Food Journalism and Feature Writing courses during the five-week session, which gave students the opportunity to interview local workers, residents and visitors while producing original stories from their time abroad.
“It’s exciting to see the ways traveling and learning abroad has expanded their understanding of the world and their place in it,” Blust said.
Students in Food Journalism visited local restaurants to learn about Italian food culture through reporting and interviews. In Feature Writing, they produced travel stories focused on people, places and experiences unique to Orvieto.
Journalism student Katherine Martinez at the Pantheon in Rome, Italy.
Photo by Katherine Martinez
“I’ve loved connecting with my students here, hearing about their travels to other cities, and even countries, and especially their explorations of the local community,” Blust said. “We’ve seen spectacular scenery, historic architecture and iconic works of art.”
Journalism student Katherine Martinez said the program helped strengthen her storytelling skills while giving her opportunities to explore Italy. For her final feature story, she wrote about Orvieto’s “underground city,” a series of chambers and tunnels dating back to the Etruscan civilization.
"Expanding my descriptive writing skills will aid me in being able to bring my readers into the story, thereby grabbing and keeping their attention," Martinez said.
Graduate student McKenna Manzo focused her feature writing project on gluten-free dining in Italy compared to the U.S. She interviewed local restaurant owners and travelers with Celiac disease to compare their experiences with food accessibility.
“Hearing their experiences has given me valuable insight into the differences between the two regions and has made this story a rewarding learning experience,” Manzo said. “I plan to apply these skills to my reporting work back in Arizona.”
Students and faculty also had opportunities to get outside of the classroom and travel throughout Italy, taking tours of Pompeii, Florence, Rome and other sites. Martinez visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa, while Manzo said seeing the Mediterranean Sea for the first time was one of the highlights of her summer abroad.
Graduate student McKenna Manzo poses for a photo inside the Pantheon in Rome, Italy.
Photo by McKenna Manzo
“Italy is beautiful everywhere you go but there is something especially breathtaking about the coastal areas,” Manzo said. “Standing by the sea and taking in the view was one of those moments that made me stop and appreciate where I was.”
The School of Journalism's participation in Arizona in Orvieto revives a longstanding connection to the program. Professor Emeritus Kim Newton previously taught photojournalism in Orvieto for several years, helping establish a tradition that continues to give journalism students the opportunity to develop their reporting skills in an international setting. The Orvieto activity also ties to the School’s new strategic plan, which prioritizes global and border journalism activities.