As Communication majors, we, Erin Ross and Jacey Scheffel, recognize and value the role that media production and documentation have in spreading awareness of important issues, such as the sustainability of our waterways. In the fall of 2019, Delaware County hosted its annual Olentangy River Clean Up and we teamed up to document the event. Overseen by Caroline Cicerchi, the City of Delaware’s Watershed and Sustainability Coordinator, the annual event allows Delaware residents to get involved with the upkeep of our waterways. Partnering with Keep Delaware County Beautiful and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the City of Delaware Public Utilities Department hosted 74 volunteers who helped to clean trash and debris out of the Olentangy River. Tires, shopping carts, and couches are just a few of the items that were found littered along the river’s edge. Together, we created a short documentary video on the Olentangy River Clean Up to pair alongside OWU alum JoAnn Verburg’s photography exhibit, “After/Before” for the Ross Art Museum. Our video, alongside Verburg’s exhibit, helped emphasize the impact that humans have on their natural environment, and allowed us to document the community’s effort to protect the surrounding area.
In addition to serving as a means of documentation, this video also informs viewers of the impact that littered waterways have on personal health. According to Jennifer Way-Young, coordinator of Keep Delaware County Beautiful, the majority of drinking water in Delaware County comes from rivers and streams. Therefore, ensuring that the waters are clean helps to reduce the risk of accumulating microplastic in our bodies. Our video, in effect, aims to draw awareness to the harms of littered and dirty waterways, and encourages area residents to participate in events such as the annual river clean up.
Creating this project together taught us the value of teamwork in the production process. Throughout the creation of the video we took turns manning the camera, adjusting the tripod and interviewing participants and volunteers. Having each other to help made the process much easier.
In the creation of the video, we had to learn a new editing software called Apple Final Cut Pro X. In order to successfully complete the project, we had to focus on communicating well and setting up meetings to teach one another various elements of the software.
The 2019 Olentangy River Clean-Up took place on August 24, which was just three days after classes began for the fall semester at OWU. Professor McDaniel new that we had some experience with cameras and communication work in the past, so he asked if we could cover the event. Since we had not yet truly learned how to use the video cameras or other equipment, this led to some challenges with sound and exposure.
Erin is a double major in Journalism and Communication and a minor in English. Her concentration within her communication major is media production studies. Erin chose her majors because she values the power of visual communication and aims to use her creativity to impact the world around her. Also a member of Ohio Wesleyan's Women's Track and Field team, in her free time Erin enjoys running, discovering new music and taking photographs.
Jacey is a double major in Psychology and Communications with a concentration in media production studies with a minor in Film. She is also the captain for the Ohio Wesleyan Cheerleading program. In her free time she likes to draw, take photos and snuggle with her dog