Randolph Tech Students Shine Light on Forgotten History with Riveting Web Series
RANDOLPH, Vt. (WCAX) - Students at the Randolph Technical Career Center are leveraging modern technology to breathe life into history with a fresh, web-based documentary series.
The students in Lance Madzey’s Digital Film and Media Arts class are mastering their craft with precision and skill.
"I’m a very creative and artistic person, and I feel that this kind of just speaks to me," said Logan Decoteau, a distinguished RTCC senior.
But they are also cultivating the art of listening. The students are chronicling their town’s past through a series of interviews with local residents who have deep roots here.
"I’ve been really into the history of our town for years because I grew up here; I’m a 9th generation," said Emmaline Caswell, a 10th grader. She chose to interview her mom, a first-generation Vermonter. "My mom really talked about her childhood, and I think this is really going to differentiate her interview from other people’s."
The students are collaborating with the local historical society to curate the participants. "You know, this is a piece of history that will last, and it is something that we will have of this person," Madzey said.
While some of the video was sourced externally, the majority is being captured by the students themselves. Editing takes place right in the classroom. However, they are absorbing much more than just how to produce a story. "How do I get somebody to relax in front of the camera? What kind of research do I have to do? What am I going to need when I go out to talk to these people?" Madzey said.
"The skills that I learned will help me so unbelievably much with owning a business," said Kalynn Messier, an 11th grader with a passion for cosmetology. "There are so many hidden gems in Randolph, and a lot of people don’t know about Randolph."
"Randolph Remembers" is illuminating some of those gems with help from the community’s younger members. "I think it is cool that we are bringing back historical events that had happened and bring them back into the modern times," Decoteau said.
