Particular to the Unbiased
Isatu Shirek has tales to inform. And he or she’s getting that chance at Pioneer Public Tv in Granite Falls.
Shirek is a sophomore communication Research: broadcast and digital media main at Southwest Minnesota State College who lately accomplished a documentary entitled “Teaming Up for Change: Dan Kates + Redwood Falls Police Division.” The documentary may be considered on Pioneer’s YouTube channel, and made its broadcast debut on Dec. 17, as a part of the “Compass” program. It’s out there for viewing on this system’s web site: www.pioneer.org/compass.
The documentary focuses on Redwood Falls resident Dan Kates, who wished to prepare a march following the Might 25, 2020 demise of George Floyd. It tells the story of how Kates labored with Redwood Falls Police Chief Jason Cotner for that peaceable march, and the way Kates, with Cotner’s encouragement, would later turn into a member of the town’s Police Fee.
She bought the eye of Pioneer Public TV final summer time when she approached Affiliate Professor of Communication Research Jos Ullian concerning a undertaking she’d been excited about.
“I requested Jos if I might do a undertaking, a memento to George Floyd. I’ve a cousin who’s a police officer in Grand Forks,” she stated. “I’m adopted into an all-white household and I introduced in some folks from completely different ethnic backgrounds and had them talk about how their worlds and their views had modified. My cousin, Justin O’Neill, works with folks of colour in Grand Forks and he talked about his job, and the way he interacts with the Black neighborhood in a extra rural setting.”
That submitted piece led to an internship at Pioneer Public TV, the place she collaborated with 2017 SMSU alumnus Dylan Curfman, an Higher Midwest Emmy winner who works at Pioneer Public Tv.
“Pioneer gave me a platform to air the Dan Kates story. I labored with Dylan — he filmed it. I did the modifying and turned it into Pioneer. I labored with Amanda Anderson, she does quite a lot of the ‘Compass’ items, and so they formatted it for that program, how they wished it,” she stated.
Choice-makers at Pioneer Public Tv had been so impressed that they’re working with Shirek to do different items sooner or later.
The documentary is 6 minutes, 16 seconds lengthy and she or he’s pleased with her work.
“It’s a brief piece, there’s all the time some belongings you reduce out which might be highly effective. It was laborious to suit all of it into that time-frame. I really feel there’s a giant message to be informed — everybody has a message — and we informed Jason and Dan’s. I’m proud of the data I used to be capable of convey, it’s an even bigger platform,” she stated.
Shirek was adopted by Mike and Rhonda Shirek and moved to Thompson, N.D., inhabitants, 1,017, when she was 9.
“I used to be the one Black pupil in my class, and certainly one of simply three within the college,” she stated.
She was a standout athlete at Thompson, situated seven miles from Grand Forks, and gained the state 100 and 300 meter hurdles her senior 12 months. She positioned at state greater than 20 instances over her five-year varsity profession and was a member of the 2018 state volleyball championship workforce. She competes for the Mustang observe and subject workforce as a hurdler and quarter-miler.
She selected SMSU as a result of “I got here from a smaller city, and I wasn’t in search of a Division I life-style or neighborhood. I come from Thompson, and Marshall is greater, however not too massive. It has that neighborhood really feel I bought from Thompson,” she stated.
She began out as a psychology main.
“I take pleasure in serving to folks and I believed that’s what I wished to do,” she defined. “I’m adopted and are available from not the best background. Because the 12 months went on (Theater Professor Sheila Tabaka) took a category to different elements of campus, and I ended up listening to certainly one of Jos’ talks. He talked about communication, modifying and digital media. I went to his workplace later and informed him I wished to vary my main. I’ve made mates (inside the program) and so they have inspired me to not be afraid to strive issues. Typically I’m nervous as a result of I don’t assume I’ve sufficient expertise.”
She’s fearless, although, and never afraid to sort out tough topic areas, a persona trait that fits her aim of “eager to do documentaries. There are numerous tales to inform.”
