By Claire Pomer, Harwood union correspondent
Harwood students who traveled to Rwanda over winter break have created video projects about their trip, featuring interviews with Rwandan locals and students which they will present to the public on May 13.
The trip, which lasted from February 17 to March 8, is an annual tradition. Ten students and four faculty members traveled with two media makers. It involved a home stay portion, where students stayed with Rwandan families, visited farms, community developments, and the Rwanda School of Creative Arts and Music.
“The students went into the trip knowing that they would have to create these projects,” said teacher Jonah Ibson, who went on the trip. The creation of these projects is part of the tradition that comes with going on the trip.
Students sat down with locals and interviewed them for their projects, which could be completed individually or in a group. Many projects focus on students from the music school. “They could have gotten footage elsewhere,” Ibson explained, “but they really honed in on this trip to the music school.” Eleanor Hume and Noa Ibson interviewed two students, Venessa and Camille. “They talked about how music is not only part of their culture but a part of their life and how it affects them every day,” said Hume. “Camille explains how music ‘heals the soul’ and how Rwandan people use music to love, heal, and celebrate.”
Students filmed and edited their projects themselves. “We worked really hard on this,” Hume and Ibson explained. “Creating this was an amazing opportunity and gave us the chance to see how music is different in different cultures and how people experience it differently.”
The projects will be presented at the Zenbarn in Waterbury on May 13 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
