Hearing histories; telling stories

Abstract

I believe in letting people speak, for through speaking, one is heard, understood, and one’s valley deep turmoil is used by another to build mountain-high change. Storytelling is important. It is how we as a culture learn, connect, grow, and inspire. Without knowing what has been done, one therefore does not know what to do. Without having intimate connections with people, one therefore has nowhere to go. Telling stories forges bonds that cannot be broken. It dives deep into the roots of empathy. My story emerges out of one short film made in high school that led me to pursue Telecommunications at Ball State University and a lifetime of telling stories in the most creative way possible. Eventually, I found myself being offered a position as the sole videographer in a documentary about the stories of those who have come before me. Through this thesis, I will explore more how this all came to pass, as well as how I managed to synthesize 4,000 minutes of footage into a 15-minute story covering the entire history of The Honors College from its inception to now, its 60th Year Anniversary.