Faculty adviser Stan Alost says although Athens County is one of the poorest in the state of Ohio, the people have a fresh, genuine air about them that’s obvious in each of the stories on the site. But more importantly, the producers and content gatherers must win the trust of this unconventional group of people, to earn their way into the homes and households that hold spellbinding stories waiting to be shared.
Interview by Jennifer Monroe
Videography and photography by Kirsten Brownrigg
As director of Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication, Terry Eiler guide’s this year’s team as they navigate these barely chartered waters in visual narrative. Eiler admits he underestimated the rural Athens County when he first moved here, and now 30 years later, he marvels at the unexpected stories he’s encountered since those days. It’s the richness and depth of the county’s character that lends itself so perfectly to storytelling, he points out during this interview conducted while SOA 2.0 took shape.
Interviewer: Jen Monroe
Videography, Photography: Kirsten Brownrigg
Editing: Kirsten Brownrigg