For Rafael Briones, promoting diversity on the Ball State University campus is not a choice but a responsibility.
The graduate student is a step closer to helping fulfill that responsibility as he embarks on the final interview for a 20-minute documentary that aims to encourage Hispanic students to attend college. Briones, a student in digital storytelling, is working with three other co-producers on the project, which will be presented in Spanish with English subtitles, he said.
The documentary is still in the editing process but should be completed in the next two weeks, after which the co-producers can work on the final details.
"I think everyone took the project very seriously ... and I think the four of us are going to be proud of creating material that can really help people," Briones said.
The project focuses on topics such as scholarships and financial aid and the opportunities available to high school students who want to pursue higher education, he said. The documentary also focuses on steps parents should follow when choosing a university.
Many times, the issues Hispanics face are taken lightly, Briones said.
He has interviewed with Adam Winn, Ball State's assistant director of admissions, to learn what Ball State is doing to bring diversity to campus, he said.
He said he has also spoken with a Muncie woman, and his final interview next week will take place with the woman's son, a high school senior who plans to go to college. The interview will focus on whether the student plans to go to Ball State and what opportunities Ball State may provide for him.
Briones has also spoken with six Hispanic Ball State students from the Latino Student Union, who provided input about what they would like the university to do when it recruits Hispanics.
Many emphasized they would like to see bilingual tour guides since many Hispanic students are first-generation students whose parents speak Spanish. Students also emphasized they would like to see Ball State's brochures in Spanish, Briones said.
Sophomore Matzine Sanchez said making more Hispanic students aware of higher education opportunities was necessary. Providing more brochures, documentaries and programs about college would help many students who might feel intimidated, she said.
"I think they would be encouraged to come to college, maybe learn a little more about it," she said.
Briones said he presented the idea for this documentary project last semester to Chin-Sook Pak, associate professor of Spanish. All of the documentary's co-producers are going to be proud of creating a final product that will have life-changing consequences to other students, parents and schools, Briones said.
"For this particular one, we want to make as many copies as we can to send probably to not-for-profit agencies and schools so they can be more aware of the needs of Hispanics," Briones said.
The 20-minute documentary should also serve as a pilot to apply for a grant so a budget will be available to do a bigger project next year, Briones said.
Briones is also planning to work on a large project this summer in cooperation with Tom Taylor, vice president for enrollment, marketing and communications. Though he did not want to reveal the details of the project, he said the project is "aimed on taking the university into an entire higher level when it comes to digital creativity." The project will begin during the first week of the summer semester, he said.
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