Every week there is something going on at SUMC. Our Student Affairs department organizes all kinds of activities and events. We try to cater to our students’ diverse interests in the areas of culture, sports, Spanish language learning and community service. Our students are encouraged to participate in these activities, whose main purpose is to help them make the most of their experience in Madrid, as well as to have a good time together.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Madrid, as the capital city of Spain, offers a vast variety of cultural events and venues. We take advantage of this and organize the following activities regularly:

• Film club (weekly, alternating movies in Spanish and English)
• Theater nights (in Spanish and/or English)
• Museum visits (Prado, Reina Sofía, Thyssen-Bornemisza, Sorolla)
• Intercambios or language exchanges (every two weeks approx.)

Spain’s excellent public transportation system and Madrid’s privileged location, in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, combine to make for first-rate day trips to nearby cities like Toledo, Segovia, Ávila, El Escorial, and Chinchón.

To offer students the opportunity to learn more about Spanish culture, we organize the following activities:

•  Flamenco shows (once every semester) and dance classes
•  Bullfighting (once every semester)
•  Cooking classes
•  Disfruta Madrid Club (several different activities)

SPORTS AND NATURE

Many of our students regularly play a sport or would like to try a new one, so we encourage them to check out the classes and facilities that our campus shares with CEU San Pablo University: gym, fitness classes, tennis and paddle-tennis classes, soccer, rugby, and basketball courts. For those students who are looking for a really serious workout, we provide a list of gyms near campus which offer student discounts. If you just have a short break between classes, you may want to play a quick ping-pong game on our patio!

Getting outdoors and into nature also appeals to students, and Madrid's proximity to Sierra de Guadarrama makes the following activities popular:

•  Hiking
•  Horseback riding
•  Bike tours
•  Skiing
•  Snowshoeing and Kayaking (in conjuction with CEU San Pablo students)

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Have you wondered about volunteering options here in Madrid? It's a great way to:

• meet Spanish people
• continue doing the volunteering that you already do back home
• see a different aspect of life in Madrid
• practice your Spanish
• make good use of your free time
• make your experience in Madrid unique

Testimonies from our student volunteers:

‘Volunteering there has been one of the highlights of my trip here. I met a Spanish family that has basically adopted me, I got to know a ton of nursing home residents who all light up whenever I arrive. I got to learn Spanish songs and practice my numbers with Spanish bingo! It was incredibly rewarding and overall, I highly recommend this experience to all future students.’ (Wendi Bacon, Fundación Desarrollo y Asistencia)

‘Helping out at the soup kitchen was really rewarding, and Soqui, who was in charge, always kept me on my toes. It was fulfilling to help.’ (Blake Churchman, Comedor Social San Francisco)

‘Volunteering in Spain has made me realize that we're all the same; we all go through hard times, but it's the support given by one another that makes all the difference. […]I would recommend volunteering to any student studying abroad, not only because it helps to broaden our perspectives on the poverty that exists in the world, but really it just gives you something to be proud of.’ (Meghan Donnelly, Comedor Social San Francisco)

‘Working at Fundación Balia was a great experience. The kids were so much fun to be around and the teachers, as well as the coordinator Ana Ciudad were kind and welcoming. […] Volunteering was such a positive experience for me and I'd recommend it to everyone who decides to study abroad. It's a great way to meet new people in a positive atmosphere and enhance your speaking skills.’ (Jade Vasquez, Fundación Balia)

SUMC students volunteer with the following organizations:
•  Soup Kitchen: Comedor Social San Francisco
•  Children: after school activities organized by Fundación Balia and Acción Familiar
•  Senior citizens: entertaining them and keeping them company in nursing homes and hospitals with Fundación Desarrolloy Asistencia or Sociedad San Vicente de Paul

For additional information regarding student activities please email studentlife@suffolk.es