Kathy Donnell's Interview Shooting

Today was another great day shooting Kathy Donnell's interview. The team worked very well together to make the interview go smoothly, here is what Sandi had to say:

Today we enjoyed a fun interview with Kathy Donnell! Ms. Donnell attended the school when it was pretty new and she shared her wonderful stories with us-- some about Dr. Milo Johnson and the pranks they pulled on him, as well as others about the SGA and athletics. She came back to MSJC some years later and has been working here for 17 years now! When we asked her what the school means to her she told us it was a huge part of her life and that she really loves it ( she said it much more passionately and expressively, though). We could easily see how attached she is to the people she works with and to the students who go here. More than once, we could hear just the slightest crack in her voice, and the whole time we could feel the power of her emotions as she told us about our college. By the end of the interview she certainly wasn't the only person in the room who needed a tissue--I saw several members of our team wiping their eyes! When we started this project a few months ago, I really didn't know much about this school, it had always been around and I didn't really think about it much. Now, however, I am so proud to be an Eagle and I have to thank all the people who shared, and continue to share, their stories with us for that.

Dr. Schultz Visit

After our nice visit from Dr. Schultz today, the teams went back to work following up on what they were doing on Tuesday and making plans for what should be in by Friday. The art/graphics team is selecting an asset gathering crew who will be venturing forth to the San Jacinto campus to continue looking for valuable photos to help tell the MSJC story. Other people will begin working on storyboarding the script-it will be cool to see their first efforts on Friday. The video team went to work with the green screens which we plan to use for the interviews coming up--we should be able to do a test interview as quick as next week. They also continued work on the logistics of the ribbon cutting shoot on Sept 14th--don't forget to save the date and come be one of our wildly cheering crowd that day! Our audio team is also busy selecting the best options for recording the interviews and the ribbon cutting ceremony. The lighting team is turning to the school pro's on all things electrical so we will have plenty of power for both the outdoor event and the interviews. Friday evening you may see them out by the new 400 building getting a feel for the actual working conditions they will face on the 14th. Our post-production team is just itching to get their hands on stuff, so instead of just sitting around waiting, they have started to check out the different editing programs available for their use and are also pitching in with the other teams wherever they can. Research is also still hard at work. We will finish gathering the alumni list to be used in the first part of the film, we are going to get a better idea of the length of the script so we can begin adjusting as needed for time, and we are working to have a refined/revised version of the entire script by September 11th. It was another busy day--I hope I got everything covered here!

Ribbon Cutting Location

Today was another good day. The 50th anniversary project team along with the professors Jerome Billins and Tom Meritt went and visited the location where the ribbon cutting is going to take place.  All the team members were busy working on the lighting, audio, and video making sure that it will work out perfectly when shooting the ribbon cutting. keep up the good work. Go Eagles

Today was our first day of class for the Fall 2012 Semester. Meeting all the new team members was incredibly inspiring, and we're all just ready to dig in and get some work done. This journey just keeps getting better and better!

The research team has been super busy for the past week. On Friday, July 20, the team talked with former student Mary Edmundson. Gilbert had this to report:

Today we interviewed another alum from MSJC, Mary Edmundson. Mary attended MSJC in 1966. She shared her experiences and delightful stories of old friends and fellow alum, some still living in the area. It is very enlightening to touch base with some of the these alumni from MSJC to see where they are today and hearing their experiences.

On Monday, July 23, researchers Gilbert and Danielle interviewed Lori Van Arsdale. Ms. Van Arsdale has strong links to the college and community. She was a MSJC student and went on to become mayor of the city of Hemet.  Danielle would like to share her experience with us.

Lori Van Arsdale offered a richly nostalgic view of the college. She regaled us with stories of John Chambers, classroom experiences, and the tremendous achievements of the college in the last 50 years. Perhaps one of our favorite moments in the interview was when she proudly recited a cheer she personally wrote for a homecoming game in late 70s, "MSJC! I don't know about you but it's home for me!" We're extremely excited to work more with her in the future. Overall, we felt that the interview was successful and enjoyable!

As we wrap up the interview process, the team is working diligently on producing a working script. Only one week to go!

The research team met up with Dr. Roy Mason, MSJC former president, this morning.  We appreciate him for taking the time to talk with us about his period at MSJC.  Reta has this to share:

Today’s class adventure was interviewing Dr. Roy Mason, MSJC former president.  He was very enthusiastic talking to the research team, Gilbert, Sandi, Danielle, and I about what he did for the school when he was the president and now that he is the instructor and the department chair of the Biology Department at the Menifee Campus. Dr. Mason served as a president at Mt. San Jacinto College between 1994 -1999. During his time of presidency, the Honors Program and Phi Theta Kappa program were started. He offered his insight and shared his experience with MSJC for the past 18 years that he has been here. The team was very happy interviewing him and listening to his experience as a president and as an instructor. I want to take the time to thank Dr. Mason for taking the time to talk with us about his experience at MSJC.

Yesterday, the research team traveled from Fallbrook to San Jacinto to conduct interviews for the documentary. Gilbert Van Buskirk had this to say:

Today the team was honored and privileged to conduct several interviews. First, Joanne Hinchliff and Sherri Domenigoni shared their MSJC experiences with us over lunch. Having alumni participating in a project that represents two generations dating back to the institution's roots was an opportunity that comes few and far between. Later, Mr. Don Domenigoni shared his experiences at MSJC and his roots to the community. Their commitment to the school, and this project, exemplifies them as pillars of the institution.