CARBONDALE - A new weekend workshop will teach Southern Illinois University Carbondale students about journalistic skills and life in the region outside of Carbondale.

In October, a group of 30 to 40 students representing multiple disciplines, including photojournalism and multimedia production, will descend on Murphysboro, documenting a weekend in the life of the Jackson County seat.

The idea for the project, which will last from sunrise Oct. 2 through Oct. 4, came from Mark Dolan, an SIUC assistant professor of photojournalism, who ran similar workshops while teaching at Syracuse University.

"We're going to try to get as much of a cross-section of the community as possible," Dolan said. "We'll be teaching them. They'll be learning new techniques and new ways to see a photograph."

But the students won't only be learning from their normal professors. Professional journalists from across the country, representing such publications as National Geographic magazine, will be on hand to coach the students and provide immediate criticism and feedback.

Gary Kolb, dean of SIUC's College of Mass Communications and Media Arts, said several other universities sponsor similar events, many of them earning national recognition. He anticipates seeing SIUC students have this opportunity and looks forward to seeing the project grow.

"That will be a terrific value-added experience for them in addition to their education," he said of working with the visiting professionals. "If we can build this into one of those nationally known events, it will certainly be a feather in the cap for the School of Journalism."

If the project continues in the future, the plan would be to feature a different Southern Illinois community each year.

But the project doesn't end when the students leave town Oct. 4. Rather, participating students and others will develop a Web site to showcase the project's results and a public reception will take place in December to highlight the students' work in gallery format.

Dolan has also been pursuing grant money to create a coffee-table book similar to one completed for the similar, longer-term "Cairo Project."

Roger Hart, a lecturer at SIUC who teaches the Web design portion of the project with Dolan, said these byproducts of the weekend workshop present invaluable experiences for students.

"It will mean a lot for a lot of people," Hart said. "It will give them a voice and exposure they wouldn't have otherwise."

By combining elements such as still photography, video and audio in the project, event organizers hope the workshop will also introduce students to the many facets of a fast-changing world of journalism.

William Freivogel, chairman of the SIUC School of Journalism, said this project will complement others in the school aiming for that goal.

"It's just another of the opportunities we're pursuing to teach our students the tools they need to be successful as journalists in today's world," he said.

adam.testa@thesouthern.com

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