On May 8^th, the Sudan Project students premiered their documentary “Shadows of Sudan.” After a previewing the film in front of the 600 students of the Upper School, the students spent the next two weeks making additions and revisions to the film. Additionally, they orchestrated the design and sale of “Peace for Sudan” t-shirts. While raising awareness within the school community, they were also able to raise over $300 which was contributed to the UNICEF efforts in Sudanese refugee camps. The culmination of this year-long project was an emotional moment for many students who left the showing proud of what they accomplished and deeply connected to this cause.

Several members of the MICDS Sudan Project traveled to St. Louis University on April 1, 2009 for Emmanuel Jal’s book signing of his memoir War Child: A Child Soldier’s Story. During the course of the year, Sudan Project students watched the film by the same name that detailed Jal’s escape from the conflict in Southern Sudan and his use of his music as a creative outlet for all of his experiences. The film follows Jal’s return to Sudan and his reunion with members of his family, as well as his advocacy around the world. Students were able to visit with Jal briefly and explain their current work with footage provided by Karin Muller and the progress of their documentary.

This afternoon Karin Muller spent an hour and a half with students in The Sudan Project discussing their mini-documentaries. Students are divided into ten groups who will produce smaller pieces that will then be considered for the larger project. Karin’s help was invaluable as she was able to offer background information not available on the tape summaries, ask pertinent questions and point students in new directions. Students enjoyed finally getting to see and speak with someone they had heard about for months. After speaking with Karin, students returned to their projects with renewed enthusiasm for their projects.

Westminster College student, Desmond Yengi, visited with the Sudan class and shared his personal story of leaving his village in Sudan, to his time in a refugee camp in Uganda to how he made his way to England and the United States to pursue his education. His story "How Long is the Journey" is under the tab for course handouts. His calm presence was a powerful example of human courage and perseverance for the students.

Students march on in Sudan Project after a tough month of in-depth study of Sudanese History and United Nations Resolutions. This work was capped off with a visit from Senator Danforth, United States Special Envoy to Sudan and United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Senator Danforth spoke to the students about his experience coordinating the North/South Peace Agreement in Sudan signed in 2005, as well as his work regarding Sudan in the United Nations. Students now turn their attention to filmmaking as they are learning the video editing software Final Cut and starting on their mini-documentary projects. At the same time, they are working their way through a final text, Darfur Diaries: Stories of Survival by Jen Marlowe.

Work is well underway in the Sudan Project. Students have recently completed reading Surrender or Starve: Travels in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea by Robert D. Kaplan: a text that details the historical and political climate in the Horn of Africa and shared insights into the role of media as well as aid in African politics. Additionally, the class has begun to examine the elements of documentary film making. Current work includes examining other geo-political conflicts in order to understand the complexities of the current situation in the Sudan. Upcoming work will include a more in-depth examination of Sudanese history using excerpts from Mark Bixler’s The Lost Boys of Sudan.

Classes have been in session about a week and a half and the Sudan Project has hit the ground running. Starting with a clip from Sand and Sorrow, the class then moved into discussion of the summer reading text, They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky. Students have been immediately immersed in the story of Sudan both the first conflict in the south and the current conflict in Darfur. Examination of the documentary process is also underway beginning with a discussion on the difference between fiction and nonfiction films. Attention now turns to Robert D. Kaplan’s text Surrender or Starve as the class begins to tackle the complicated region of Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea.

Work has been underway for weeks in the designing and building of “The Sudan Project.” Learning about Final Cut, documentaries and wading through the massive amount of information on Sudan, Darfur and the Horn of Africa has given way to designing a course that will integrate these elements and even more. From examining film clips to designing wikis on other geo-political conflicts to investigating the root causes of Sudan’s current troubles to creating mini-documentaries about local issues, the first semester design is complete and hopes to prepare students for the tremendous task in the second semester of building their documentaries using the footage from Sudan provided by Karin Muller. The rest of the summer will be spent collecting more information, staying current on the progress of Sudan and preparing for the start of what promises to be, a unique and dynamic academic endeavor for both students and teachers.