Student documentary, magazine examine 2 natural disasters

What do two disasters -- an Indian Ocean tsunami and a Gulf Coast hurricane -- separated by eight months and 12,000 miles have in common and how are they different? What can we learn from them? Will we be better prepared in the future? The answers are contained in a new University of Nebraska-Lincoln student-produced documentary film and companion magazine titled "In the Wake of Catastrophe."

At 7 p.m. Aug. 29, the documentary and magazine will debut at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N. 13th St. The premiere is free and open to the public. The magazine will be available for purchase at the event. A question and answer session with the student journalists involved in the project will follow the showing.

Late in December 2005 nine UNL student journalists and two journalism professors traveled to Sri Lanka, a country devastated by the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami. There, they saw and heard first hand how the tsunami affected children, the poor and homeless, religious organizations, the environment, wild animals and domestic pets, the media, global aid and government responses. In March 2006 they traveled to New Orleans to compare the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Throughout the yearlong experience students questioned themselves and their role in the complex, interrelated world they will soon inherit.

Starting Aug. 27, the Lincoln Journal Star will showcase some of the students' written work, with stories that examine the government's response in each country, the lessons learned for the two nations and the lasting effects of these two tragedies.

This project is one of a series of international documentaries and depth reports produced by students in UNL's College of Journalism and Mass Communications, a program committed to the preparation of the next generation of media professionals. The experiences allow students to explore topics of global impact in depth and to develop work that goes beyond the superficial. Past projects include an in-depth look at French-U.S. relations (November 2005) and the search for truth about life in Cuba (May 2003)

Following is a alphabetical list of student journalists by hometown with their assignment on the project, year in school and academic major.

Michael Bruntz, Omaha, reporter, graduated from UNL in May with degrees in journalism and history. A former intern at the Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World-Herald and sports editor of the UNL student newspaper, the Daily Nebraskan, he teaches at Central China Normal University in Wuhan.

Trevor Hall, Neligh, documentary film, is a UNL graduate student in broadcast journalism. He has worked as a video production assistant at HuskerVision, and was music director at KRNU radio.

Jenna Johnson, Omaha, reporter, is a senior UNL news-editorial major who is editor-in-chief of the Daily Nebraskan in fall 2006. She has worked as an intern at the Norfolk Daily News, the Omaha World-Herald and the Des Moines Register.

Kelly Mosier, Davenport, documentary film, graduated in May from UNL, where he is a graduate student in journalism. He has worked as a video production assistant at HuskerVision.

Krystal Overmyer, Omaha, reporter, is a senior UNL news-editorial and political science major. She interned at the Grand Island Independent and works at the Daily Nebraskan as an editor and designer. After graduating, she plans to attend law school.

Hilary Sorensen, Lincoln, photographer, graduated from the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications in May and was a Daily Nebraskan staff photographer.

Maggie Stehr, Omaha, reporter, is a senior UNL news-editorial major who has interned at the Bismarck Tribune and worked as a reporter and editor at the Daily Nebraskan. She will be the arts and entertainment editor of the campus newspaper.

Josh Swartzlander, Lincoln, reporter, a senior UNL news-editorial and political science major, has interned at the Lincoln Journal Star, the Omaha World-Herald and for Scripps Howard in Washington. He also has been a reporter and a copy editor at the Daily Nebraskan.

Faculty members on the trip were Jerry Renaud, professor of broadcasting, and Joe Starita, associate professor of news-editorial.

CONTACTS: Jerry Renaud, Professor, Broadcasting, (402) 472-3056;
Joe Starita, Assoc. Professor, News-Editorial, (402) 472-8280; and
Marilyn Hahn, Communication Specialist, Journalism and Mass Communications, (402) 472-0876