October 03, 2013
Media Advisory – ‘Weekend in Harrisburg’
Thirty-five students from SIU Carbondale’s School of Journalism will participate in “A Weekend in Harrisburg” photojournalism project. This is the fifth year that students will rise early, stay up late and put in long hours to capture the community’s history and spirit.
From sunrise, Friday, Oct. 4 through sunset, Sunday, Oct. 6, the students will not only gain a great feel for the Saline County community and its residents, but also hone their skills with the help of some of the nation’s leading photojournalism professionals and editors. A reception will begin the festivities at 6 p.m. today (Oct. 3) at Morello’s Pizza and Grill, 217 E. Poplar St., Harrisburg.
Assisting the students will be 14 visiting faculty, including four SIU Carbondale alumni, two of whom participated in the first two weekend workshops. Two technical representatives from Canon USA, including Brian Matsumoto, a 1981 SIU cinema and photography alumnus, will be present to offer assistance. Students will stay at the Dorrisville Baptist Church during the three-day event.
“It’s really an incredible collaborative effort between the university and the community,” said Mark J. Dolan, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism who organizes the annual event. The Harrisburg weekend comes on the heels of the publication of “4:56 a.m. The Story of the Feb. 29, 2012 Tornado,” the award-winning book produced by journalism and photojournalism students that chronicled the aftermath of a tornado that devastated part of the region.
“We thought this would be a good follow-up, having documented the community while they were dealing with the tragedy, to go back and document every day life there,” Dolan said.
The project is similar to those highlighting Murphysboro in 2009, Cobden and Alto Pass in 2010, the Tri-C community of Cambria, Carterville and Crainville in 2011, and Chester a year ago.
For more information, contact Dolan at 315/882-2446 or by email at markjdolan@mac.com or mjdolan@mac.com, or Phillip W. Greer, journalist-in-residence and senior lecturer, at 270/994-6900.