Global Eyewitness showcase set for Nov. 16

Thursday, November 2, 2017 - 12:00pm

by Molly Chapple

Photojournalism students from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications will present “Global Eyewitness Uganda: Stories of Life, Death & Hope” Thursday, Nov. 16. The students, who were part of the Global Eyewitness photojournalism program, will display their photos from last spring’s trip to Uganda.

The Global Eyewitness program, led by professor Bruce Thorson, is supported by a photojournalism endowment that allows students the opportunity to travel to international and domestic places of great human need. Students produce multimedia stories to document the lives and stories of those they meet.

“This experience is life-changing for the students, as they see what it is like for others who live often without electricity, water and have homes made from mud or brick,” Thorson said. “At the presentation, we’ll have a silent print auction and we accept donations. We send this money back to some of the organizations that help Ugandans.”

Cahner Olson, a senior global studies and journalism major from the Uganda Global Eyewitness group, said the experience was both difficult and rewarding.

“The country has seen so much hardship, yet each of our stories also portrays some kind of resilience or strength,” she said. “My story was filmed in an orphanage inside a refugee camp in northern Uganda. Although these children have nothing, they were still constantly smiling, laughing and welcoming me into their lives. It's a great reminder to me to be thankful for the life that I'm living and the opportunities that I've gotten.”

This year’s showcase will be held at the Rococo Theatre in downtown Lincoln. There will be a silent print auction, doors open at 6 p.m. and admission is free.

Polline Angeyo lifts her wig to reveal scars from the 1995 LRA attack on her home village of Awach in northern Uganda. Polline's story is one of many which will be told at the Global Eyewitness showcase Nov. 16.
Polline Angeyo lifts her wig to reveal scars from the 1995 LRA attack on her home village of Awach in northern Uganda. Polline's story is one of many which will be told at the Global Eyewitness showcase Nov. 16.