New American initiative showcases personal journeys to citizenship
UND CONNECT project sees students documenting New American stories for exhibit, Constitution Day naturalization ceremony
Editor’s note: In the UND LEADS Strategic Plan, the Service core value calls on UND to “provide curricular and co-curricular opportunities for UND students to give back and serve their communities.” This story, which originally appeared in UND Today on Jan. 21, describes a UND CONNECT project that sees students working hard to improve the lives of new North Dakotans.
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Outside one of the doors in O’Kelly Hall, a red bulb lights up a small white box to illuminate two words printed vertically in all caps and on all three sides.
“ON AIR” the sign reads, a message to alert both passersby and students in the adjacent study space to keep the noise to a minimum.
It’s necessary, say Associate Professors Soojung Kim and Joonghwa Lee, because there’s important work taking place inside Room 221. The small space with its freshly painted bright-blue wall is home to the UND Department of Communication’s brand-new video production studio — and just down the hall and around the corner is its new state-of-the-art photo studio.
Recently, the studios have seen a lot of action as Lee and a trio of student interns first had to build them from scratch and then painstakingly adjust and test the lights, cameras and sound equipment before beginning to document the stories of new Americans in an initiative dubbed “Celebrating Constitution Day in North Dakota.”
Lights, cameras and … taking action with UND CONNECT
“It all started with some conversations with the President’s and Provost’s offices,” said Kim, who also chairs the Communication Department within the College of Arts & Sciences. “We met initially with (Chief of Staff) Rob Carolin and (Director of Communications & Planning for Academic Affairs) Anna Clark because the president and provost wanted to find better ways to showcase the naturalization ceremony that UND hosts every year.”
A few years ago, President Andy Armacost established the annual campus tradition to coincide with Constitution Day on Sept. 17.
But it was last June when the wheels for the New American initiative really started turning, Lee said. That was when administrators read an article about the Communication Department’s Digital Storytelling Summit for North Dakota high school students. The weeklong summit was supported by the North Dakota Newspaper Association Education Foundation and will be supported again this year by the foundation and UND CONNECT, an initiative that provides faculty and students with opportunities to engage in community-based research and development projects.
“They wondered if we could develop something similar to tell the stories of new Americans,” Lee said. “At the time, they didn’t know Soojung and I also were working toward citizenship.”
UND’s own new Americans lead by example
The South Korean natives each swore their own Oath of Allegiance during a naturalization ceremony this past summer in Fargo.
“The fact that we recently became U.S. citizens ourselves makes this project all the more meaningful for us to lead,” Lee said. “We are so happy to be able to help share the stories of people from so many different cultures. Nourishing those community connections makes all of our lives richer.”
Lee said the Provost’s Office, the College of Arts & Sciences and the Communication Department provided the original seed money for the project, but he also applied for and won his own UND CONNECT grant to pay for additional equipment and software, as well as stipends for the student interns. The city of Grand Forks is collaborating on the project by helping to recruit new Americans to participate. The process begins with a simple questionnaire.
“This project will serve as an examplar of Service, demonstrating UND’s commitment to cultural diversity and to supporting underrepresented populations,” Lee wrote in his original proposal. “Notably, students will gain valuable insight into how they can contribute to local and state communities as well-trained communicators.
“Students will have an opportunity to strengthen the communities in North Dakota by featuring the cultural and historical stories of new Americans. Moreover, this project will enable them to witness how their passion and talents can make a positive impact in local and state communities.”
Experiential learning at its best
And so far, the student interns say that opportunity has proved to be unmatched.
“Getting this kind of experience with all of this advanced equipment has been incredible,” said Communication senior Lauren Huso of Grand Rapids, Minn. She serves as the project’s associate director and photographer.
“I don’t think many schools give their students this level of access and responsibility, where we’re the ones producing the shots, setting everything up and also developing and asking all the questions. We’re in control, and all of that hands-on work has helped me a lot,” Huso said.
Videographer and Communication senior Dylan Niemi of Eveleth, Minn., seconded that sentiment.
“It’s definitely been interesting. I’ve had classes and other internships where I’ve been behind the camera, but I never expected anything like this,” Niemi said. “I just thought it was going to be one camera and a dream. I had no idea we’d have this whole setup and a studio to ourselves. It’s been really great to get my feet wet while working as a team to put together a whole project from beginning to end.”
And this from Communication sophomore and Digital Storytelling Coordinator Kiera Musil of Shakopee, Minn.: “I think this is the first real thing I can put into a portfolio and take to a job interview. That’s going to be key in my professional future.”
Lee says he’s been nothing but impressed with his students and their ability to develop and execute a plan while also troubleshooting on their own.
“My role has been to draw a blueprint for the house and then purchase the raw materials and tools,” he said. “The students’ role has been to build the actual house. They are learning how to use those tools and do everything. I could not be more proud of them.”
One interview down, 29 new Americans to go
It took some time to order all the equipment and then learn how to use it, but after mockups and what seemed like endless practice runs, the team said their first “real” new American interview featuring Elizabeth Morrison of Paraguay has reached the editing floor.
Turns out that Morrison has a UND connection. She’s married to UND School of Law Professor and R. Johnson Fellow Steven Morrison. She first moved to the United States several years ago “to pursue a one-year adventure and to discover new horizons.”
In her on-camera interview, the current paraprofessional at Grand Forks Central High School said she knew even after marriage that she wanted to make her U.S. citizenship official because she “desired stability and a stronger sense of belonging.”
“When I first moved here, I felt like an outsider,” Morrison said. “But over time, I built connections — both personally and professionally — and I wanted to fully integrate into the community. I also wanted the rights and privileges that come with citizenship, especially the right to vote.”
In the interview, Morrison went on to describe the naturalization process and the hardships and challenges she faced along the way.
“Becoming a U.S. citizen and being married to my husband, Steve, has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life,” she said. “It’s not just about the legal status or the benefits. It’s about feeling like I truly belong in a country that has given me so many opportunities.
“While the journey was difficult at times, it was worth every step, and I’m proud to call myself an American now.”
Lee says he hopes to have the students produce a total of 30 interviews by next fall. As part of the project, the students also will create their own multimedia materials to promote a September photo exhibit in the Memorial Union Gallery. And the videos will be featured in the next campus naturalization ceremony on Sept. 17.
New American initiative makes lasting connections
“After I became a U.S. citizen and reflected on our own long journey, the one question I had was, ‘What now? What should I do? What’s the difference before and after citizenship?’” Lee said. “Then, I thought, ‘This project is what I can do for my community.’ I’m envisioning this as a long-term project. We can do this every year, so future generations can look back and hear the stories of their own parents and grandparents.”
(Well said. That’s a wrap. You can turn the light off now.)
>> Mark your calendar. The new American project will culminate with a photo exhibit in UND’s Memorial Union Gallery on Sept. 8-19, and the videos will be incorporated into the next naturalization ceremony on Constitution Day on Sept. 17.
>> Are you a new American? Or do you know of someone else with a story that needs to be told? Email Lee at joonghwa.lee@UND.edu.
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