Childhood Friends Document Journey
By Alli Mancini
Assistant Editor
When getting ready to go to college, oftentimes one of the most difficult things to do is say goodbye to a best friend. But, for Dalen Parker and Caleb Murray, they have the opportunity to go to college together and document their lives through making YouTube videos.
Parker, 19, and Murray, 20, are both from Baltimore, MD and met in sixth grade when they were eleven years old. Both students are sophomores at Lynn University and in the 3.0 program.
Murray and Parker named their YouTube channel Cub & Stallion. When asked how they came up with that name, Parker had said it was because he was called Stallion during martial arts because he was short and stocky. Murray got his name, Cub, because it was the nickname his friends had called him all throughout middle school and it was brought to high school.
Parker and Murray have been vlogging and making YouTube videos since Feb. 21, 2016 when they uploaded their first video which was 11 minutes and 11 seconds. At the moment, they have uploaded 129 videos. The YouTube videos they make are simply about their everyday lives. They have 231 subscribers, and the videos are recorded with a Canon 80d camera.
“Our videos have evolved as the first video was about a trip we went on to Best Buy and Chick-Fil-A, to vlogging about Hurricane Matthew in 2016,” said Parker. “One of our most interesting vlogs was in Miami at Bull-fest when all our friends were together and we had the opportunity to meet Brett David.”
A major part of Parker and Murray’s YouTube channel is their Animal Kingdom. The Animal Kingdom is their brotherhood that supports Cub & Stallion. It consists of their group of friends who have all been given animal nicknames such as Brother Bear, Franklin, Emu, etc.
Parker and Murray used to try to upload videos weekly, but being in college has made it difficult since they are both busy and have different schedules. It also makes it more difficult to find time because they are no longer roommates, as Murray is a resident assistant this year and both of them are very involved in clubs. Also, they have vlogged about almost everything that could be done in Boca Raton under the age of 21.
“I expect to bring enjoyment to others and brighten up the world that we live in with everything that has been going on. My favorite part is actually making the video and recording it,” said Murray. “Doing this is something fun to do and I enjoy looking back at what I created and the good times we have doing so.”
Parker and Murray’s main demographics for their channel are college students between the ages of 18-24. 67% of males watch their videos and 33% are females. When looking closely at their demographics, a majority of their viewers are from the U.S. but there are viewers from all around the world such as Guatemala, Japan and the U.K., etc.
“The quality of them is well done. The videos are the perfect length,” said Randi Feldman, sophomore. “They’re not too short but not too long to the point you don’t want to watch them anymore. The videos are fun to watch and relatable to our age group.”
Parker and Murray plan to continue to make YouTube videos for as long as they can so they can look back at the timeline of their lives. They want to keep their videos and someday even be able to show their children and grandchildren. To check out some of their latest videos, subscribe to them at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Ne3olSslU0kCQL6PvsbvA.
