Communications students put their media skills to work at Charlotte youth convention

Friday, July 1, 5:45 a.m: Eighteen sleepy students and one cheerfully awake professor gathered outside the University Commons to begin their trip to the 2005 Mennonite Youth Convention in Charlotte, N.C.

From July 1-9, Communications Professor Jerry Holsopple led a team of volunteers with experience in the communications department in staffing the video portion of the convention. During the morning and evening sessions held each day, tasks involved operating one of six cameras, pulling cables, or running the switcher.

In between sessions, video had to be taken of the various activities and events going on throughout the convention. Some examples: youth groups' servant projects, small group time in the hallways, children and junior high convention activities, and fun in the recreation hall.

Each night, one group of three students worked together to create a short highlight video to be shown the next morning. Footage was used from that day's sessions and activities and was set to music to create the five-minute clips.

Once the convention ended, however, the film crew's work was far from done. Upon returning, they had to create three DVDs from the convention: one featuring all the speakers, one of the drama performances, and one highlight video from the five days of convention events. When finished, they were sent to churches, to the drama cast, and to others who requested copies.

Most of those who went enjoyed the experience, despite the hard work and little sleep.

Student Reflection:

Charlotte was a great experience for me. Being a non-Mennonite, I wasn't sure what to expect going into the conference. I was very anxious about getting to be part of the film crew. I knew I was going to be part of a very important aspect of the conference. It was a great learning experience not only because of the video aspect but also with learning a lot about the Mennonite faith. I found it to be a very rewarding experience.

-Amanda Renalds