Screening Concludes Neighborhood Video Project at OWL

On Thursday March 8,  parents, teachers, vounteers, and SPNN staff gathered with the 7th grade class from Open World Learning Community (OWL) who created three stellar documentaries as a part of SPNN Youth's Neighborhood Video Project last fall. 

The group watched highlights from each of the projects. The first, entitled “Gangs of Saint Paul,” contrasted organized crime and law enforcement in the 20’s-30’s to the present day featuring interviews with Paul Maccabe, the author of “John Dillinger Slept Here: A Crooks’ Tour of Crime and Corruption in Saint Paul,” and former Saint Paul Policeman and longtime community leader  Melvin Carter Jr.

In the second piece, “Saint Paul and the Struggle for Suffrage, ” the students examined the struggles of women in St. Paul during the suffrage movment. They also took a look at women's voting habits in the present day. Their documentary also featured an interview with the Executive Director of the Minnesota League of Women Voters, Laura Wang .

In the final project, “Charles Luth: Would You Die for Justice?," the students spoke with local historians who told the story of Charlie Luth, a railroad switchman, who was murdered in a strike-related fight during the famous Pullman Strike.

After the screening, each group of students participated in a question and answer session where they spoke about their inspirations, favorite moments from the NVP session, and their biggest obstacles to creating their final pieces. They also got the chance to show off the movie posters they designed to accompany their documentaries. Many thanks to OWL technology instructor James Illiff and the rest of the OWL staff for making this collaboration such a success.

Tune in to SPNN YTV Channel 16 in May 2012 for the premiere of the entire OWL documentary showcase!