Story Day A Big Success!

Up from the UnderStory's Community Story Day was
a whopping success!

It all started around 9:00, when UC Davis graduate students Whitney Wilcox, Melissa Chordas, and I rolled up at the West Point Elementary School in my tiny VW Golf packed to the hilt with computers, scanners, recording gear, and food! School teacher (and UnderStory Project Advisor!) Linda Toren welcomed us, unlocked the doors to the multipurpose room and helped us begin unloading heaps of gear.


Around 9:30, youth involved in the project arrived to help plug in equipment, arrange the room, and review what we'd be doing that day: working in our "story teams" (the youth/adult pairs) to scan or import images, record narration for their stories, and share ideas on what images and music might go with which parts of the script.


Here are some of the teams who are working together to produce stories of community revitalization in the Blue Mountain area...

















And in addition to the story teams, some other community members came down to participate in an interview and share pictures for the blog, including Dee Middleton, Alan Willard, Velma Whitebear, Evelyn Wilson, and Chris Wright.


We are always accepting info about community revitalization projects and pictures for the blog. So if you have any or know of any and want to contribute them just let me know by making a comment below (and sign it and give me your email so i can get back to you!)

Besides all the image and sound collection work, the youth finalized the logo for their T shirt (and their tag line: "seeing our community through a lens"), drafted their project presentation program notes (a three fold brochure!), and worked up changes for the project presentation flyer. Their focus, output, and sense of style was impressive!

In fact, we had to practically rip the equipment out of a few of their hands and shut their computers because they were procrastinating at having us leave!

Stay tuned for more images and anecdotes from Story Day!