On Thursday, Oct. 3, International Student Services at the University of North Alabama held a “Travel with Me to Spain” event during which four Spanish students studying at UNA had the opportunity to share their experiences, food, and culture with other students.
“It’s my country, my voice,” said International Student Exchange Program student Alicia Canovas Martinez. “UNA created this movement, […] It’s so sweet UNA cares about their international students.”
At this event, students Alicia Canovas Martinez, Izan Orgiles Garcia Retameroeach, Alberto Altur Fernandez and Samuel Balfour Dominguez each educated the students about the different cities, landmarks and languages the country boasts.
Martinez also expressed her gratitude with UNA, saying that events like these give local students a chance to connect with International students more deeply.
These students explained the differences in culture between the United States and Spain and between Spanish subcultures and local UNA students.
While many international students have things they miss from their home country, Martinez is happy to have an opportunity to be more involved on campus at UNA.
“Life on campus is amazing,” Martinez said. “[We have] somewhere to eat, somewhere to [hang out], somewhere to live, we don’t always have that in Spain.”
While Martinez will only be with UNA for the fall semester, Retameroeach, Fernandez and Dominguez are all working towards their bachelor’s at UNA while competing on the Lion’s tennis team.
“It’s a great learning opportunity for students,” said Cala Flippo, the Assistant Director of International Services and Success.
Flippo hopes students will take 45 minutes out of their month to learn a new piece of culture, try some new food, and meet the students who make UNA more diverse.
The Spanish students introduced the room to a wealth of geographical facts including the diverse climate and regions Spain has to offer, including the lesser-known Canary Islands which stretch down to western Africa.
Local students were then introduced to various cities across Spain’s coasts, including Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, Catalonia, and Bosque.
While all four international students are from Spain, they each have different dialects depending on where they live. The students introduced the room to Catalan, Bosque, and Valencian: each found in a separate region of Spain.
The four then walked the room through a day of traveling through Spain, from a morning in Valencia, lunch in Bilbao, to an afternoon wandering around Barcelonan Architecture, and more.
Martinez then gave a history about the popular dance, the Macarena, teaching students about its history before having them perform it themselves.
Lastly, Flippo directed attendees to Spanish snacks, including aceitunas and tinto de verano.
UNA is home to 430 international students across 50 countries, making up 4% of the student population.
Cameroon will be the next stop in the “Travel with Me to” series. Travel with Me to Cameroon will be held in the GUC loft on Nov. 7.
