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Show 1 0 Arts and Entertainment FORUM FORTNIGHTLY Documenting the journey from Africa to the Olympics The "Far From Home" documentary crew arepares to film Brolin Mawejje's winter. Gary Abbrederis Staff Reporter Brolin Mawejje and his documentary crew continue towards their goal of seeing Mawejje enter the Olympics. While 2014 in Sochi, Russia isnt feasible, the group traveled, trained and filmed this summer to add to the incredible journey and continue filming for their movie Far From Home. Far From Home is a documentary currently being produced by Westminster student Phil Hessler and filmed by Galen Knowles. The film follows Mawejje, a student, on his journey from Kampala, Uganda to Jack-so- n Hole, Wyo. and shows the trials and tribulations he has endured. and Hessler, economics Mawejje, studying pre-me- d, major, both plan to graduate in spring 2014. Knowles, currently not enrolled, has attended Westminster for the past two years and is now working as a freelance videographer. The crew was busy this summer. After releasing a second teaser about their trip to Uganda in June, the crew gained exposure and invitations to two world-renownsnowboard camps: South American Snowboard Sessions in Argentina and Camp of Champions (COC) in Whistler, B.C. The crew used kickstarter.com to raise money from ed project supporters. The crew began their summer at COC and were tracked down by Rob Kingwill, former head coach of COC and Jackson Hole snowboard legend, who offered to mentor Mawejje this year and help him improve his riding. He wanted to help and coach Brolin because of his story and because he saw potential, said Hessler when Kingwell called about their trip. We rode with the U.S. team a lot and it makes things a little more serious, Mawejje said. Its a good feeling, like Im making it, but Im not quite there. From COC, the crew went to Boston, Mass, because that is where Mawejje first moved when he arrived from Uganda. They interviewed multiple influential figures throughout Mawejjes childhood, including a few doctors from his summer work at Massachusetts General Hospital. After Boston, the crew traveled to Argentina where they were invited to ride and train with 2014 Winter Olympic hopefuls. The trip was a chance for the crew to progress and gain more experience in a competitive setting. The whole atmosphere was kind of more like a business trip where we were trying to film and get certain things done, Mawejje said. As soon as we showed up to the first lift it was like, ok, were building a jump, a 60 foot step down This was a chance for the film crew to get out and meet more people involved as well as gain more knowledge of the Olympic stipulations. Getting into the 2014 Olympics would be a logistical nightmare Hessler said. continuedfrom IDEApg. 1 what it means to make a change. This years event will feature The history of Westminster nine speakers. Each talk is dif- Thinks BIG started with Brown ferent. Topics range from Why and Wilkinson presenting a fundYour Campus Should Have a Rape ing proposal to the Provosts OfProblem to What Happened to fice to make it an annual event. Pluto? A committee of four students and There will be two student one alumnae now coordinate the lecture series each year. speakers this year, a first for WestThe committee is responsible minster Thinks BIG. The selection committee intended to choose just for selecting speakers. The goal is one student, but a deadlock made to hear as many different ideas as them reconsider. Brown said that possible, so they try to balance the committee member Cid Ceidel-ma- n subject matter and speaker style. requested to argue for two The speakers are not paid, but a students. small gift is given as a thank you. Nicole Bedera, a senior studying Two hundred to 400 people are sociology and neuroscience, is one expected to attend this years event. of the student speakers. She hopes This doesnt surprise Brown. To be in that room, you unto set a precedent for discussing controversial topics by speaking derstand what people love about about rape on college campuses. Westminster, and whats special I hope that it opens up the about the Westminster experience possibility for future students to and about the professors, she said. Tickets for this free event can talk about whatevers important to be reserved at them, Bedera said. She thinks that Westminster Thinks BIG can facilitate change through example. Being able to talk about inspiring ideas here will give students a lot of opportunities to understand According to Hessler, the Ugandan Sports Committee has little knowledge of the snow sports in the Olympics and requires money to even begin researching Mawajjes case. With little time and money, the Far From Home team will continue their season traveling with Mawejje and filming his progression this season. In addition to competing on his own, Mawejje will travel with the Westminster snowboard team on their trip to Italy in Dec. 2013. This is the first year Westminsters snowboard team has been invited to Italy to participate in the University World Games. Along with training and gaining more FIS points (points regulated by competition to ensure participants are of skill level), Mawejje will be studying to take his MCAT in the spring. Once he has achieved his desired score on the test, it will alleviate some time for him to set his sights on the 2018 Olympics in Korea. The Far From Home crew can be followed online at farfromhomemovie.com. Hessler will have an article published about Mawejje and the crew in the November issue of Snowboard Magazine and their new trailer for the film will be available in spring 2014. continued from WRITE HEREpg. 1 trained Westminster students. Writing sessions will be collaborative, not editorial, with the goal of helping community members become more effective writers. We feel like it will be a wonderful place to go to work on writing as well as workshop different pieces of writing, Babbitt said. The foundation of Write Here is based on the ideal that, writing is for everyone, and its accessible, its fun and it's something that can Babbitt said. The inspiration for Write Here came from a TED Talk titled 826 Valencia. The talk works on the concept of making things helpful while still being marketable to a mass populahelp build a community, tion. We were inspired by a storefront model because its not called the Westminster Writing Center for people who need help writing; its called Write Here, Babbitt said. Its sort of a fun play on the words. Babbitt said the goal of Write Here is to collectively build a community through writ- n and support other writing-relate- d events and programs in the community. Write Here is one of many parts of Initiative Promise: South Salt Lake, which focuses on improving Salt Lakes community and education. According to southsaltlakecity.com, Promise is centered around three principles: that every child has the opportunity to attend and graduate from college, that everyone has access to a safe, clean neighborhood and that everyone has the opportunity to prosper. According to a recent press release, Write Here will be surrounded by numerous artistic and academic programs and activities at the community arts campus, including the Promise South Salt Lake Neighborhood Center, which hosts more than 100 elementary and high school students each week. As a promotion for the opening, Write Here will have their imagination playground ready for use. Write Here received the playground through a grant process from the Walt Disney Corporation. Its life-sibuilding blocks, Babbitt said. Its about building your own reality through your imagination, and that will be symbolic of how writing has the power to transform communities. Write Here wants to transform the community and contribute to the ideals set in Initiative Promise: South Salt Lake. They hope to help as many citizens as possible now and ze ing. Write Here will be working with surrounding schools developing curriculum and improving current curriculum. According to a recent press release, in addition to writing assistance, Write Here will host workshops, such as slam poetry for middle school students and resume-writin- g for job seekers. It will also host small events one-on-o- ne |
