Hope College student documentarians will again this year be sharing their works.
The films are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, Dec. 6 and 8, beginning at noon each day. The December 6 presentations will be in the Fried/Hemenway Auditorium of the Martha Miller Center for Global Communication, and the December 8 presentations will be at the Knickerbocker Theatre.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
The students are members of Communication 357 - "The Documentary," and study under Dr. David Schock and Phil Blauw. It is the third year that documentary students have shared their work.
"These students have worked very hard to make all this happen," said Schock, who is an associate professor of communication. "They have faced all kinds of obstacles... limited time, sometimes balky or unfamiliar equipment, and access to topics. And they have come through with important stories."
Schock said that his students are free to document whatever topics they choose and that his role is to help them think through the process. "They're really doing the heavy lifting here," he said.
The 17 documentaries range from seven to 20 minutes in length, with nine scheduled for December 6 and eight scheduled for December 8. Guests are welcome to come and go, planning their viewing around what they want to see. "We do ask them, though, to wait until a piece has finished before they make their move," Schock said.
The programs that will be shown on December 6 at the Martha Miller Center are, in order: "In My Skin," "Behind the Buzz," "The Juggling Act," "Roundabout," "Not in Our Name: The Women in Black," "Personal Profile: Ion Agheana," "Night Cap: A Profile of Tom Van Howe," "Meet Noree Logsdon" and "Step into the Sky." Scheduled for December 8 at the Knickerbocker Theatre, also in order, are: "FIRE!," "The Last Man in the Room," "Pull: A Tugging Tradition," "The 'Unadoptables,'" "Shipwreck Hunters," "Hispanos en Holanda," "Higher Moral Ground" and "May Peace Prevail."
"In My Skin" (15 minutes) focuses on the Rev. Andres Fierro, pastor at Crossroad Church in Holland, examining the challenges he faced as a Hispanic in Holland in the 1950s, how he came to the church, and what his ministry is about. The producer is junior Kristin Rose of Dowagiac.
"Behind the Buzz" (16 minutes) follows a day in the life of Matthew Scott, owner of Lemonjello's Coffee. The producer is senior Erin Wickens of Clinton Township.
"The Juggling Act" (12 minutes) centers on Craig Tommola, who as a 26-year-old "non-traditional" student at Hope balances life as a father, student and business owner. The producer is senior Travis Hoogendoorn of Holland.
"Roundabout" (10 minutes) is a profile of Dr. Janis Gibbs, who is an associate professor of history and chairperson of the department at Hope, chronicling the career journey that ultimately led from law school and practice to teaching at Hope. The producer is senior Johanna Swanson of Paw Paw.
"Not in Our Name: The Women in Black" (11 minutes) focuses on junior Amy Lynn O'Connell of Westfield, N.Y., who traveled to Jerusalem this past summer for the 13th annual Women in Black Conference to resist war and occupation. The producer is Erin Wickens.
"Personal Profile: Ion Agheana" (15 minutes) provides a glimpse into the intellectual life of Agheana, a professor of Romance languages who can communicate in several languages and has met influential thinkers of all shapes and sizes, such as Jorge Luis Borges. The producer is senior Sarah Quesada Lubbers of Queretaro, Mexico, and Atlanta, Ga.
"Night Cap: A Profile of Tom Van Howe" (15 minutes) follows senior anchor Van Howe through a day at the WOOD TV 8 studios and newsroom. The producer is Travis Hoogendoorn.
"Meet Noree Logsdon" (10 minutes) tells about Hope senior Logsdon's experiences growing up in Israel. The producer is Sarah Quesada Lubbers.
"Step into the Sky" (seven minutes) focuses on Holland local Gary Smith, a skydiving instructor who works out of Hastings. The producer is senior Greg Elizondo of Buffalo, N.Y.
""FIRE!" (15 minutes) tells of the 1871 fire that burned the fledgling town of Holland. The producer is Johanna Swanson.
"The Last Man in the Room" (13 minutes) centers on Habeeb Awad, who is the international student advisor at Hope, and how his childhood in Palestine and his life experiences have shown him God's grace and mercy. The producer is junior Deborah Li of Singapore.
"Pull: A Tugging Tradition" (20 minutes) features the history and mechanics of the annual freshman-sophomore tug-of-war as well as interviews with several coaches. The producer is junior Nick Graves of Greencastle, Ind.
"The Unadoptables" (16 minutes) highlights the story of the abused, institutionalized and/or older children who need families willing to take them in and love them; the need for help; and the people who have answered the call. The producer is Deborah Li.
"Shipwreck Hunters" (15 minutes) features stories and adventures recounted by Valerie van Heest of Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates and her colleagues. The producer is Erin Wickens.
""Hispanos en Holanda" (20 minutes) highlights the experience of Hispanics in Holland, focusing on Lupita Reyes of Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP) as well as others. The producer is Sarah Quesada Lubbers.
"Higher Moral Ground" (16 minutes) centers on Chris Cook, a local business owner who spent time working with Greenpeace, a non-profit environmental organization. The producer is senior Amber Hauptman of Garland, Texas.
"May Peace Prevail" (15 minutes) explores the current "Peace Pole" controversy in Holland. The producer is Travis Hoogendoorn.
The Knickerbocker Theatre is located in downtown Holland at 86 E. 8th St. The Martha Miller Center is located on Columbia Avenue between 10th and 11th streets.