EPISODE THREE: CREATIVES IN CINEMA
By Carter M. Phillips

Official Transcript:

SOUND: THEME SONG FADE IN TO FULL THEN FADE TO LOW

Welcome back, everyone. From Mustang Post News, West Fargo, this is Sheyenne Perspectives. I’m Hailey Boehme.

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You know, sometimes things just don’t turn out the way you expected. Snow days. Illnesses. Absences. And general bad luck. But! We’re back on track with our latest podcast.

In our last episode of Sheyenne Perspectives, Logan Jacobs reflected on success in the music industry.

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This week Carter Phillips continues our series through the lens of creativity and why people are driven to use it both the stage and behind the camera. Here’s Carter.

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CARTER M. PHILLIPS

What will last after we are gone? Art and brick might be the only things in this world that outlive us. And can the inhuman read without a Rosetta stone, or admire music without understanding the words? They can see images, and people, alive, in movement.

Cinema is immortal, and perhaps that is why it fascinates me. It creates the illusion of time incomplete, and frozen.

No other form of art can better show what it is like to be human, to show you a soul in a human face and to show a heart in a hand.

Maybe that is why, regardless of failing, I keep making movies. Regardless of the stress, pain, and disappointment, I never plan on stopping.

To surrender to conventional and hardships would be to let my friends down, who help me make my movies.

                        These are the words of my friends, who made movies.

GAVIN VILLAREAL (Gav-in Vil-are-Eel)

I was there and Aiden was there and Tuker was there, we were all getting ready to film and all that stuff and we had to do this scene where we had to poor blood on Carters face, but like the blood was, what was it? Like cool aid mix-

AIDEN VILLAREAL

It was crystal light Gavin

GAVIN VILLAREAL

-or some stuff like that, but it stained my shirt permanently but whatever.

AIDEN VILLAREAL

Crystal light. Oh, it was Crystal light Gavin.

GAVIN VILLAREAL

Crystal Light, I can’t even remember.

CARTER PHILLIPS

Yeah, it was crystal light. It was the Fruit punch flavor.

GAVIN VILLARAEL

Yeah, so we had to do that. And we had to poor it on your face. And yeah, it ended up getting in your eye. It was- HA HA

GAVIN VILLAREAL

Hello, my name is Gavin Villareal and I’m a junior in high school and I go to Wahpeton High School in Wahpeton North Dakota.

GAVIN VILLAREAL

[They] Came from the Attic, that was an amazing film, I loved to work on. That was amazing, that was fun. I mean of course I didn’t get as much to work on with that, but you know, still fun to make, nevertheless. Um and then, ah Sometime after Midnight.

CARTER PHILLIPS

As started the conversation our topic, swayed into the trials and errors of filmmaking. He just, quite simply started talking about his experiences on a set and things he’s seen me go through and things he’s seen some of his other cast and crew members go through.

GAVIN VILLAREAL

I mean I’m not really a director myself, but I do new- I do know thing or two about it, so you know, I know the trouble it is to like, you know, shoot and film and ‘do it again, do it again’ you know. That’s a big trouble when it comes to creating.

CARTER PHILLIPS

Gavin started talking about what makes a person creative whether its through being influenced on something or perhaps a spark that ignites in your mind and I began questioning him on if it was better or worse to be influenced by something or if it was better or worse to come up with it on your own.

GAVIN VILLAREAL

I think what makes a person creative is when are um- they have a unique idea that isn’t too similar to others. Like I know how people get they’re creativity. Sometimes they get it from other people, but you know, I feel like being really, like really creative would be having your own main idea when it comes down to like, I guess you could say movies and shows and stuff like that you know.

GAVIN VILLAREAL

I feel like some people when they make like, I guess you could say, short stories or things like that, I feel like there’s people who make it just so they can get popular or people that actually put time and effort into it and therefore [are] making, you know, creative stories.

CARTER PHILLIPS

He started talking about the advantages that occur when you’re working with friends instead of colleagues apposed to friends, or rather when your colleagues are your friends; and the atmosphere that brings apposed to an entirely professional one.

GAVIN VILLAREAL

Even when you’re shooting and like, uh, just hanging out, your still like having a good time. Your still like hanging out but like, doing something and usually when you’re doing that something your more serious but like we also have a good time we also laugh, you know, all that fun stuff.

GAVIN VILLAREAL

For us, it makes it better cause we know each other, and you know, it’s easier to act for like different things and stuff like that. We know each other’s like, I guess, set of emotions and all that so, uh I guess, it’s easier for us to have a role that you know [that we would] best [be] played in.

GAVIN VILLAREAL

An average scene? Well, when we’re not messing around uh, probably get like an average scene done in like a half hour if we’re lucky enough.

CARTER PHIILLIPS

Those roles need a beginning, an inception. And that’s where the role of the creative begins. The beginning of creation. That initial idea that leads to shared art.

As my microphone waited for me to speak, I looked down at my hands and saw they’re cracked and weary skin with strayed strands of winkles unfit for a boy of 17, and at the mirror saw my eyes somber and meaningless, declaring emptiness with they’re soundless piercing look, staring at me. What do they long for? What does anybody long for?

I can’t go on living without goals and motivation, without feeling like I’m doing something worthwhile. WE can’t live like this. As humans we desire art. To experience it? To make it? Are they not one in the same?

A person closes their eyes and dreams and is that not art of its own. Maybe the best movie is the one happening outside your window, with gains and losses and good and bad.  Art is a mere reflection, refracting images into a vague contraption of mirrors inside our minds. Where do these ideas come from? Where do we come from? How does art confront this?

If it got an audience in the first place, who loved it and cherished it, is that not good enough? For a person to give something to the world instead of take something, to make a film belong to humanity itself, to be construed, loved, hated, believed in, subjectifies and objectified. They are like people, alive and received, but more so they are like my memories and remain linked with the eras in which I made them, a trophy for my work.

This podcast was recorded and edited by Logan Jacobs and hosted by Hailey Boehme. Sheyenne Perspectives theme music was composed and performed by Kolby Thompson under the direction of Mark Berntson. Special thanks goes out to Anthony Peterson. 

HAILEY BOEME
In our next release of Sheyenne Perspectives, Jaxson Miller be taking a look at wins and losses and the highs and lows of those moments especially when those wins and losses are unexpected.

See you soon, everyone.

This has been a production of Mustang Post News. 

EPISODE TWO: PERSPECTIVE ON PREFERENCE
By Dairell Alvarico
Hosted by Hailey Boehme

Official Transcript:

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]

Hailey Boehme: Welcome back, everyone. From Mustang Post News, this is Sheyenne Perspectives. I’m Hailey Boehme. 

In our last episode of Sheyenne Perspectives, we took a look at the unconscious mind and its tendency toward routine and the unexpected.  

This week in our program Dairell Alvarico continues this theme through a student lens focusing on change in Food for Thought: Lunchroom Dynamics. Here’s Dairell. 

Dairell Alvarico: Imagine this.

[LUNCHROOM SOUNDS – FREESOUND]

Dairell Alvarico: You are at your high school and your class just ended… you are finally relieved that it’s your lunch period after hours of sitting, and listening to your lessons. 

Eager for your well-deserved break, you make your way to the cafeteria… where you see other students already forming their groups to find their seats. And just like them, you find yours. 

Now let’s pause for a moment… 

How did you choose your spot? Was it further away from all the noise? Did you and your friends have a mutual decision to sit there?  

Or maybe you sat there just for the simple reason of you wanting to. 

These are to be considered when it comes to lunchroom dynamics.

Dairell Alvarico: Their relationships, the environment around them, and the people they tend to talk to or avoid, can create this simple but compelling dynamic that can be unique like no other. Yet, there are many questions to be answered. 

Do students agree by the  idea of change, or do they frown upon it? What are the factors of picking a spot, and why mostly stick with it throughout the school year?  

There’s always some form of basis, the root to all the decisions students make to create a dynamic, to have a routine. 

 If it were to be stripped down in a more simple way, we can grasp an idea of how social dynamics can be applied in the lunchroom. Or, ultimately, how change; even the most simple, impacts people. 

And what better way to find out more than asking the students themselves? 

Thomas: I think it’s like, kind of random.

Dairell Alvarico: This is Thomas, a Sheyenne student. Like everyone else, he has his own set of opinions on the matter. 

 A lot of things we do in high school are based on a whim. We don’t really think deep enough to gather logical factors as to why we do it. If it does the job, then there’s nothing else to consider. 

This can be applied in the lunchroom. Majority of the students just sat wherever; a common thought of, “Hey, I’ll just sit here.” without any specific reason. Thomas believes this is the most common cause of the lunchroom dynamics we have today. 

Thomas: You just choose it when it happens, you know? You kind of just go with the flow. Sometimes its like, situational of like um, they did it before in past years. or closer to a certain spot. All in all, I think it’s just random where they pick, and they just stick with it throughout the year. 

Dairell Alvarico: There are many instances where the situation was purely just leaving things to chance. But this does not pertain to everyone. A number of students  have their reasons other than randomly choosing their respected seats. If anything, there are a good deal of people who are more specific on what they like. 

For an example, Jan likes to sit with people who share the same ethnicity as him. He even likes to branch out more and meet new people. 

Jan: Currently my reason is because the people I sit with, is.. the people I know, for the purpose we’re both Filipino. (Laughs) 

Dairell Alvarico: Or Adrian, who thinks that food is a main factor as to why students choose their spots. 

Adrian: Probably because it affects ability and comfort to like the nearest, you know, the nearest food that they can get. 

Dairell Alvarico: Even Thomas prefers a certain side of the lunchroom. 

Thomas: Of my seating arrangement, it’s quiet, I can go wherever I please, and yeah it’s quiet, chill, go wherever I please… yeah I’m just free basically, that’s all I can say. 

Dairell Alvarico: Wanting to be closer to the people you’re similar with, to being in reach  to the ever changing food the cafeteria has to offer, or being in the more discreet part of the area. These are very precise judgements, how does this come to be? 

Well, it all lies with preference. According to Merriam-Webster, it means “The power or opportunity of choosing”.  

Everyday, students choose something that would benefit others or themselves. Preference laid the groundwork for lunchroom dynamics. When asked about anything regarding their seats, all of them have inclined to what they want, or what they don’t want.

But if it were to be changed under different circumstances, to move out of the comfortable bubble they have made for themselves, how are they willing to adapt into a different environment, or do they like to stay where they are?   

Carefree is one way to handle it.

Adrian: I’ll be consistent with it because I already like my spot, and I don’t really wanna change anything. Well, I’m fine with doing anything.  

Dairell Alvarico: Prone to change isn’t far off either. 

Jan: Uh, I guess I prefer to be consistent, but change is constant nonetheless. Uh I guess it’s, uh it will be nice to talk to other people but yeah I still prefer with the people I’m with. 

Dairell Alvarico: Or the unyielding drive to not change at all. 

Thomas: Personally, I don’t like change, when you have a certain like seating arrangement in the lunchroom, I don’t feel like it should be changed because it’s an order and if you break that order things just go crazy because then you could steal a spot from another group and then that one person can’t sit there. So I think lunchroom dynamics shouldn’t really change.

Dairell Alvarico: When asked about change, a lot of students preferred the opposite. They’d rather have change as the last option and would prefer to stay where they’ve already made a familiar routine on.

Consistency is key, and they prefer to stick with it and not break the chain that already binds them to conformity.  

They have a routine, breaking that would leave them muddled and they’d be forced to sit somewhere else. But then again, their new spot could be someone else’s and that person would find a new seat and it just goes on and on until there’s just an unorganized chaos.

Anything being unpredictable can set people off course. Students have enough of that as it is, so they find comfort in knowing where they are in the lunchroom. 

Lunchroom dynamics ties with the concept of change, despite it being inevitable, students would rather go by their own pace. This is their preference, it’s what they like.

Will they have to accept it at some point? Of course, but consistency is what made change unhurried and when it comes to the lunchroom, there is no better way than that. 

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]

Dairell Alvarico: This podcast was recorded and edited by Dairell Alvarico and hosted by Hailey Boehme.

Sheyenne Perspectives theme music was composed and performed by Kolby Thompson under the direction of Mark Berntson. Our thanks goes out to Jan, Adrian, and all others who participated in this podcast but wished to remain anonymous. 

Hailey Boehme: Next week on the podcast of Sheyenne Perspectives, Logan Jacobs will take over with his take on success and failure in the music industry.  

So long, everyone. We hope to see you soon.  

This has been a production of Mustang Post News. 

EPISODE ONE: ROUTINE AND THE UNEXPECTED
By Hailey Boehme

Official Transcript:

Hailey Boehme: I’m so happy to finally introduce you to our new exploration: podcasts! This episode dives right into our first series on human behavior. From the perspective of wins and losses, fitting in and standing out, or hiding behind the camera versus standing right in front of it…. Welcome to Sheyenne Perspectives from Mustang Post News, I’m Hailey Boehme.

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]

Hailey Boehme: Through our research we have discovered truths of the unconscious mind and learned things about ourselves that we never noticed before.

This journey into understanding the nature of our minds began with school psychologist Emily Dempster. But where should we start? In no better place than our very own Sheyenne High School.

There must be a method to the chaos…some hidden factor to navigate the constant chatter, full trays of food, and tightly packed tables…

[LUNCH ROOM SOUNDS]

Hailey Boehme: Certainly, to an outsider it would appear to be nothing short of a disaster, but to the regulars of the Sheyenne High School lunchroom, dodging bodies in an attempt to secure a seat by their best friend is second nature.

To get a better view of this dynamic, we have decided to take a step back and observe the behaviors that occurred; and sure enough, like ants running about, each person seemed to know exactly where they were going amidst the madness.

People sat in the same spots every day, careful not to sit too close to the unacquainted group next to them, yet comfortable in the routine of their daily arrangements. Almost down to each minute, it was easily identifiable who would be coming to sit down next, what table they would choose, and the other students who would sit there.

Even after days of paying attention to the arrangements everyone made for themselves, I was surprised that they rarely changed. Despite the tables shifting to different spots, students filed into designated seats without hesitation.

Though this may seem normal to those who participate in it every school day, I couldn’t help but wonder why we form groups for ourselves. After all, no one was making anyone sit there, so what caused this phenomenon to take place? Was it simply routine, or did it rely on something bigger?

What is the psychology behind this tendency?

Emily Dempster: My name is Ms. Dempster, and I am the school psychologist here at Sheyenne.

Hailey Boehme: Routine. And the unexpected.

Emily Dempster: I think we definitely all benefit from routines. We like to know what’s coming up in our day. Like, you probably enjoy knowing that you have English first, and then science. Could you imagine coming to school and not knowing what class you would have first? That would probably cause a lot of anxiety, so people do benefit- um.. from routine- just so they know what’s going on in their day and so that they get done what they need to get done.

Hailey Boehme: At first, I couldn’t help but to wonder why humans enjoyed doing the same thing every day, yet the thought of never knowing what might happen next seems stressful. For many, the lunchroom setting feels exactly that way.

Emily Dempster: Oh my gosh! SO many! I mean just depending on what kind of gives you those worries- maybe you are more worried about the social aspect. Like are your friends going to be there, are they going to want to talk to you… um…. maybe you’re worried about what they’re serving for lunch if you have some food aversions… maybe you have some sensory, you know… difficulties. Maybe it’s really loud in there and you don’t like the sound of the forks on the trays. So, it will be really dependent on the person, but there- in a big space like that, especially here at school, there’s a lot of stressors that kids and students and even teachers can encounter. Depending on the day and who you are, I think the biggest thing to remember is that even like, as worried as you might be about someone looking at you, or being embarrassed, everyone is as equally worried about themselves. They don’t have time to worry about anything else.

Hailey Boehme: There was one overarching point: personality. No matter what the situation is, it is safe to assume that the amount of stress one might feel depends on how it personally affects them.

Emily Dempster: You know, if you enjoy sitting around in big groups of people and that kind of, “fills your cup”… um- then you’re probably going to enjoy high school lunch a little bit more. But if you don’t like big group of people, lots of noise, if you like to have, you know, conversation with more just you and a friend, uh, the lunchroom could certainly be a tricky, tough place for you.

Hailey Boehme: So if we all enjoy different aspects of socializing….does that impact our chosen spot? Would we find the extroverts at the heart of the lunchroom? There was only one way to find out…

Kennedy Kambeitz: Yes, who else is sitting at the table

Hailey Boehme: With the establishment of personality traits came a new focus: location preference. In the end, they seemed to connect to the same word, “routine.” Students confidently stated again and again how they just went through the motions, not realizing everything that factored into those choices,

Hailey Boehme: How do you decide who you sit by in a big group?

Anonymous Student: I would say it’s like a routine.

Hailey Boehme: Yeah, is it by like who you like more?

Anonymous Student: Oh yeah, I would say it’s sort of by who you like more.

Alison Hollatz: It depends on the size of the group, like if it’s a lot of people, I’m going to sit who I’m closest to.

Hailey Boehme: So, if certain people put us more at ease, how do we find those people? Do we group ourselves by similar interests or unintentionally become confined to fit into a social norm. For example, do I choose not to sit by a group that knows each other from orchestra simply because I don’t think I possess the shared experiences they do? Or is it more complex? It is possible that I could have unconsciously labelled myself in such a way that I don’t feel like I fit in anymore? By straining to fit into a group I don’t believe that I belong in, I would make myself uncomfortable and prone to social anxiety. Now I’m thinking to myself, how do I even begin to navigate through the hour when everything is making me feel nervous.

Emily Dempster: Human kind all over, we’re always looking for like an ”in” group… or for people that like, kind of get us or we share a similar interest with. We’re looking to be accepted into a larger group of people that we feel comfortable with…. So, it might be natural that yeah, if you play basketball you likely are going to sit with your teammates. Or if you really enjoy art or music, you’re likely going to sit with people who also enjoy that, and that’s pretty natural.”

Hailey Boehme: The answers are pretty consistent: most people felt at ease when they focused on the value of comfort, relationships, and being themselves. No matter how much of those elements are needed to thrive, it is likely that a routine will form from the perfect mixture – whether it’s intentional or not. There is something so beautiful about the endless preferences for food, location, noise, style, and conversation topics. Yet we all exist simultaneously, functioning together as a community. At the end of the day, maybe we aren’t so different after all.

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]

Hailey Boehme: Up next week in Sheyenne Perspectives is Dairell Alvarico with a unique take on change and social dynamics.

This podcast was recorded and edited by Hailey Boehme. Today’s theme music was composed and performed by Kolby Thompson under the direction of Mark Berntson. And our thanks goes out to Emily Dempster, and students Jasmine Brisonet, Alison Hollatz, Kennedy Kambeitz and all others who participated in this podcast, we couldn’t have done it without you! This has been a production of Mustang Post News.