Page 6 - MGA Today: Middle Georgia State University

Anjolie Nicolas, middle, discusses her work at Houston County Family Connection with Chevonnia Jones, left, her on-site
supervisor, and Dr. Michele Scordato, assistant professor of Clinical Social Work who oversees internships of Middle Georgia
State’s Public Service majors. Nicolas wants to improve the lives of children through work with a non-profit agency. SHERON SMITH

Nicolas, a 22-year-old senior from Warner Bibb County school board who was part of the
Robins majoring in Public Service, dove right into civil rights movement. Interviewing Dillard
the non-profit world as she learned to write helped Brown, a Rhode Island native, learn more
grants, speak to outside groups and create a social about Middle Georgia history. Cutting down an
media presence for Family Connection. hour of footage to five minutes is helping her
hone her film-editing skills.
“It’s more hands-on than classroom work,” said
Nicolas, who is interested in a career working for “It’s challenging because Ms. Dillard shared so
non-profits that focus on children. “I’m learning much valuable information,” Brown said.
how challenging it is to keep these programs
running and the effort it takes to make things Penndorf, who lives in Macon, is documenting
better.” the work of Jeff Bruce, the Tubman’s curator and
exhibit designer.
Xaviea Brown, a 21-year-old junior majoring in
New Media and Communications, and Colin “My documentary examines how his history as
Penndorf, a 22-year-old senior majoring in a black man in the Southern U.S. led to his
Interdisciplinary Studies, are among the first involvement in civil rights,” Penndorf said. “The
students involved in Middle Georgia State’s new film is intended to show how, through his curato-
partnership with the Tubman Museum. rial efforts, the museum influences the discussion
of history.”
As projects for the filmmaking class they are
taking this fall, both are working on short On Middle Georgia State’s Cochran Campus,
documentaries focusing on individuals who are the scenic pond near Georgia Hall is central to the
part of local civil rights history. The Tubman will research of three Biology majors – Josiah Davis,
screen and archive their films, along with those by 21, Michaela Etter, 26, and Laryn Lane, 22. They
other Middle Georgia State students. recently gathered water samples there to test for
the presence of magnetotactic bacteria (MTB).
Brown’s documentary subject is Thelma
Dillard, a retired educator now serving on the Under the supervision of Dr. Sharon Mozley-
Standridge, associate professor of Biology, the

6 MIDDLE GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY