(energetic music) - Hello.

I'm Cheri Russo, Community Engagement Manager here at WOUB public media.

- And I'm Evan Shaw producer director here at WOUB.

- Welcome to WOUB's Our Ohio program.

Our Ohio is a high school documentary film project that WOUB worked on in conjunction with American Documentary POV and with funding support from the corporation for public broadcasting.

The students produced independent films that told their own personal and cultural stories.

During this program, we're going to show you some of those short documentary style films created by the high school students and look at how examining their identity and Appalachian culture impacted these students.

- That's right, Sherry, we worked with three different schools this year.

We worked with South Gallia, Logan High School, and Meigs High School, and we work with the students to create documentaries that tell their stories, not what we would like them to talk about, but whatever stories they thought were interesting and important to tell the region, to tell the state, and to tell their friends and their peers as well.

It was an exciting time.

We started this project in 2020.

You may remember 2020 was a little weird, things got a little strange, but we made it through.

And so we worked with these students over a series of Zoom calls and, you know, teaching them about how to write and how to make films and to really tell their stories.

And it was a wonderful experience.

- That was true.

And we showed them a POV documentary film called Portraits and Dreams.

That film helped the students think about Appalachian stigma and cultural pride, and the role media plays in telling their own story.

- That's right.

And the film really helped the communities identify their Appalachian culture and recognize that they are Appalachians.

You know, here in Southern Ohio, we may not think of ourselves as Appalachia, but we absolutely are.

We're rural Appalachians.

And the students, what we did is we had a panel discussion with local community leaders.

We all watched the film and the community leaders came into the panel discussions to talk with the students about what makes their communities special.

- During this program, we're going to show you some of the work produced by students at Logan High School in Hocking County.

- That's right.

We worked with Mr. Matt Stone - their media teacher there - who is an incredible teacher.

And his kids love him, his students love him.

You can just feel that, and all of these students love their teachers.

But with Mr Stone's class, they joke with them, they have a good time, but they learn a lot too.

And Logan's media production facilities are incredible.

- Oh it's amazing.

- We went and visited in the before time; when we used to be able to go places and it's incredible what these kids are learning.

And so these students had a great leg up in learning how already knowing how to use a camera.

And so we really focused on storytelling and writing and things like that.

And we're going to start out tonight with Town and Country is the first film we're going to take a look at.

And this is produced by Carson Hodson and Justin Mustard.

And it's going to talk about how their lives, while they may go to the same school and they're best of friends.

Well, you'll find out.

Let's take a look at Town and Country by Carson Hodson and Justin Mustard.

(mellow folk guitar music) - [Narrator] Everyone's day starts the same.

We all wake up to something.

(uplifting music) (phone beeping) Living in the country has taught me to do things, to make things.

I don't rely on others to do my work.

(clock beeping) Whether you live in a busy city or the middle of the country, living in Appalachia my whole life has been quite the experience.

There are so many different people in our community, but these differences don't automatically create conflict.

I think just living out here helped me, but also my dad has taught me so much.

I'm very thankful for him.

If I want something I'm going to work for it.

If I need something, I'm going to get it.

If something is broken, I'm gonna to fix it.

I could survive on my own right now at 17 if I needed to; I know what to do.

I don't think many 17 year olds can say that.

If there is one thing I can say about most Appalachian communities is that they all have a sense of unity amongst the people that live there.

It doesn't matter what your background is.

You could live in the city or you could live in the middle of nowhere.

You could have to work to keep your house warm, or you could have a machine that does it for you.

The point that I'm trying to make is even though there is a lot of diversity between the citizens of Appalachian communities, they rarely let those differences get between them and their goals.

Just because I live in the country doesn't mean I live in a trailer.

I live in a cabin my dad built with his own hands.

I play sports and do the same things as my friends who live in town.

I'm not different from society, but I'm different in society.

And I'm proud of where I'm from.

- So this was an interesting look at urban versus rural, but not really.

- You're right, exactly.

Yeah.

Urban, Logan's version of urban.

And, you know, we would be remiss if we did not mention that Carson Hodson is the grandson of Tom Hodson - long time WOUB general manager, director, both of our boss, - Podcast Producer.

- Podcast producer, the youngest judge in Ohio, in the 1970s; Supreme court clerk.

- I think we'll fill this whole half hour - Yeah.

We don't have to go over his whole CV, but anyway, Carson's his grandson.

And you know, this was a fun look to see, as we mentioned earlier, people think that if you live in rural Ohio or rural anywhere that everyone's the same, we're homogenous.

This shows that we're not.

- No.

- And there are city people in Southern Ohio.

Whether they would identify as city people or not, they are kind of in a way.

And I thought this was great to showcase that difference between how their everyday lives go.

- How did this idea come up?

Do you remember?

- Carson and Justin, from what I understand are pretty good buddies.

And so they wanted to do a project together and they started to realize that this is a perfect idea for this is because they're good friends, but they're very different in what they do.

You know?

And it also, it kinda goes back to the old kid's story: City Mouse Country Mouse.

It's, you know, it's kind of redoing that in a, in a modern take and with a rural urban take on Southern Ohio.

- So what do you have next for us?

- So next, we're going to watch The Evolution of Logan Sports by Tamara Colson and Megan Spencer from Logan high school, of course.

And they're going to talk about how Logan Chieftain athletics have grown and changed over the years.

And anyone who has been around sports in Southern Ohio for a while, knows what Logan's all about.

We're gonna learn about a little bit about that more here.

So let's take a look at The Evolution of Logan Sports.

(elegant classical music) - [Narrator] In Logan, sports are the foundation of what it means to be achieved in.

The courts, fields, and stadium serve as an escape from the stressful daily responsibilities.

Memories of victories and defeats stretch like an unbroken chain back through time.

The rules of the game haven't changed, but sports have evolved.

- You know, I think part of it is, you know, the conference has kind of changed a little bit.

We were in, you know, Southeastern Ohio athletic conference.

So that's a little bit in flux that Logan's dealt with.

On top of it, the facilities, you know, they've got some phenomenal facilities now.

So that's changed over the years.

We used this play on a stage, which I, I enjoyed because it was so unique and kind of a, an advantage for us.

- My freshman year, we started at the old high school.

So we were there for half a year before this one was completed, then moved here during my high school tenure for the athletics.

Everything was still done here for as far as events and everything.

So it's what we have now with the exception of The Chieftain Center, but everything was brand new.

So it was, it was really amazing.

- The passion of how the game is played in a lot of sports.

I've seen that change, mostly for the better, a little bit.

You know, sometimes it drops off a little bit, but I, the sports themselves have evolved I think more with the times, more with, you know, what is, you know, what was good in the fifties and seventies and eighties and so forth it's evolved with that.

- So what's it mean to be a Chieftain?

I think it's, it's really just a, it's a community.

It is really to, to be part of something special.

The resources, your teachers, they are there and stay on you and have expectations because they care.

And that is what matters.

Sometimes as, as kids, we're like, ah, why are you bothering me?

It's because they care.

That's why coach his parents, everybody.

So to have that support and have people around you, both in your community, in your school, that are constantly striving to give you more opportunities, to give you more things, to help you advance in your life is crucial.

And that I know for sure is what achievement is, and that's what our community does.

- It means a lot, and I think it differs from everybody.

For me, having the athletic career that I had and still have, and being a coach now in the system.

It's a, it makes me want to pursue the avenue with other kids that are involved in sports today to try to get them something similar to what I had, because I really enjoyed it.

And I cherish it.

- I think bottom line, what it means to be a Chieftain is to do the right thing.

We may not go out and win every league championship.

If we were in the leagues or district championship or things like that, it doesn't always involve wins and losses.

In fact, more often than not, it doesn't involve wins and losses.

It involves, you know, how you act at practices, how you conduct yourself when you go to an away game.

If we go to Jackson or to Lancaster or whatever, when we leave there, do we leave an impression?

Do the athletes, the students, the administrators, teachers here, do we give off a vibe of a positive vibe to people?

I think that's the main thing about being a Chieftain is that you take pride in what you do.

You take pride in where you're from, you're the purple.

You know, I wear purple a lot of places I go to because I'm very proud to be from here.

And I think that's what it means to be a Chieftain where you carry it in your heart and doing the right thing.

Being a part of, of special, a special school and special things around here; being a Chieftain's right here.

- So Evan, a lot of rural areas, a lot of rural towns identify so much with their local high school teams.

It's a real source of pride.

I mean, we have a whole, a couple of shows: Gridiron, Glory and Hardwood here, was just about that.

So why was this an important story for them to tell.

- Yeah, I think you're right.

This is a way that we identify with each other.

One of my favorite things to do is on a Friday night, if I'm out driving in my car somewhere, or even at home, turn on the radio, listen to a football game without knowing who's playing and try to guess who's playing based on last names alone.

(jovial laughter) So if it's the Baileys playin' the Hills, it's Eastern versus Southern.

If it's the Baileys playin', or the Cars playin' the Roushas, it's Meigs and Eastern.

And that's cool because that gives us something to identify as something we can all a shared experience and, you know, going to the Friday night football games, going to the basketball games, has always been a large part of our culture because that's a, it's a gathering place.

And then when you see someone like a Katie Smith or someone come out of Logan High School, who goes on to achieve national success in athletics, it's something that not only Logan gets excited about, but the whole community, you know.

I, I claim Katie Smith, even though I'm from an hour away from Logan, she's still Southern Ohio.

Joey Burrow.

- Yeah.

- Perfect example.

You know, we've had people from all over the place that have gone on Mike Bartrum from Meigs County who went on to coach for the Eagles and played in a Super Bowl.

That's cool.

And it gives those students a chance, someone to look up to, someone to aspire to.

Will they all be NFL players?

Probably not.

But I think this film really shows how important sports can be to a local high school, especially in a rural area.

- And that is, I was gonna say that is something that is not necessarily unique to a rural area, but I think it's more important here.

- I think so too, you know, because our activities can be limited.

You know, there may not be 15 different orchestras to join as you might find in a suburban school or something like that.

And it's also, it's always been that way.

And there's a sense of history.

When you go to a Friday night football game, you see people who graduated ahead of you, you see people who graduated a couple of years below you, because the schools are small enough that you know everyone.

You know, you see the old coach, you see the old coach's dad, who was also the coach, you know.

Look at Sheridan High School with the Culver's.

That's cool.

And I think it's something to be excited about and something to, to really embrace.

- Awesome.

All right.

And our final film... - Our final film of the night is 4 Million Reasons.

Now this is a little bit of a different film.

This is a film about the Hocking Hills area.

This actually won, placed very high in our film competition.

And it's going to show us some of the beautiful things.

It's not as heavy on writing or things like that, but it's a visual tour of the Hocking Hills around the Logan area.

So let's take a look at 4 million reasons by Kristin Swart and Ethan St. Claire from Logan high school.

- It has been estimated that roughly 4 million people visit the Hocking Hills each year.

Here's why.

(tranquil upbeat music) - [Narrator] In this time of COVID lockdowns and isolation, many Americans are seeking a respite from the stresses and worries associated with the virus.

People are seeking the safety of the outdoors and the Hocking Hills offer just the place.

With geology and biodiversity that set it apart from most of North America, the Hocking Hills serve as a wondrous representation of the power, grandeur, and beauty of nature.

In a world with increasing environmental destruction and human development, the Hocking Hills remain a beacon of the natural world at its very best.

This year COVID-19 has brought our world to a halt and shut down many of our favorite activities.

However, the Hocking Hills have endured, providing people with the safe escape and an awe inspiring experience.

It truly is a place like no other, and I am extremely proud to call it home.

- So obviously this was beautiful visually, and it shows a lot of what we have to be a proud of to be from this area.

- Absolutely, and the Hocking Hills are one of the gems of Ohio.

You know, that it's a place that people from all over the state come to and recreate and just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

This really is one of the most beautiful places I think in the country, easily one of the most beautiful places in Ohio.

Sorry, Northwest Ohio flatlands people.

But yeah, I think it's a great way to show all the beauty that's around here.

Because so often when we see or hear things about rural Ohio or Southern Ohio Appalachia, that's not the first thing that comes to our minds, but when you start really looking, there are some beautiful, incredible places.

And tourism is an industry that is growing and will continue to grow here.

And if we do things the right way, it's a way, a way that we can diversify our economy more.

So it's having these kids recognize that and showcase the beauty of their hometown was really special.

- So how did they come up with that idea?

Because I wouldn't think that rural beauty is something that a high school kid would want to spend any time on.

- You know I'm actually not sure how they came up with the idea.

We talked about a bunch of different projects, but they eventually settled on this one.

And this was one that I wasn't quite sure where they were gonna go with it as they were going, but it turned out really well.

And I think that, like you said, it's not something you'd expect from a high school student.

And that's what I love about it.

And that's what I love about all these films is that they tackle topics that are not talked about all the time.

You know, something that you may not expect to come out of a high school student, whether it be super intense cultural studies or something like this, a beautiful tour of the Hocking Hills.

- And WOUB is now getting ready to do this project again for next school year.

We're really excited about it.

We're bringing two new high schools in: Alexander and Wellston, and we're also adding and expanding by including a cross-cultural exchange component with high school students in Cincinnati.

- I am so excited for this because A, we're adding more Appalachian Ohio students to keep expanding this project throughout the schools in our local area.

But then hopefully their plan is to have a chance to have these students here in Southern Ohio, work with students in Southwest Ohio, in urban Cincinnati, and find issues to make a film about that both communities may face and how they challenge or how those challenges affect them, how they may take on those challenges and how they can work together.

So I'm excited to see what comes out of this project next year.

- And learning about each other right.

- Exactly.

And we're gonna learn about ourselves first and then learn about each other together afterwards.

And I can't think of anything more exciting for this type of project than to have that cross-cultural exchange and to see what comes out of it.

I don't know what's going to come out of it, but I think it's going to be good.

- It's gonna to be great.

We didn't know what was going to come out of this year and look at what, what happens.

It was awesome.

Well, thank you so much for joining us.

To learn more about this project and all of the educational programming and services offered by WOUB.

Please visit our website WOUB.org.

Thanks for joining us.

(upbeat rock music)