CEDP Grenada 2015 – We have had our third day in Grenada today. It was the last time we had to acquaint ourselves with the students from our partner T.A. Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) and to prepare ourselves to begin the process of creating an oral history of traditional home remedies and music of Grenada.

While preparing to commence our interview process we engaged the TAMCC students in an exercise where we took turns interviewing each other. Through that exercise we really began to see each other for who we are. There was a particularly poignant moment when my interviewee shared a revelation she had with me.

Jucil said that her impression of the NSCC students was that we were very serious. You could see the relief on her face as she revealed to me how she now thought of us as “funny and fun”. All it took to reach this breakthrough was to ask about each other and share time and a conversation.

Oddly, it seems everyone in our group had the realization at the same moment that we aren’t so different from each other. From that point on, we were all working together and laughing like old friends.

The camaraderie couldn’t have happened at a more opportune time as we were about to be thrown into the deep end. Due to some scheduling changes our first interviews were about to start. We all piled into a van and drove 45 minutes to interview a highly regarded Grenadian musician, affectionately known as “Kingman”.

Few people in our group have had any experience with an interview either in front or behind the camera. The support offered by all members of our group was remarkable. What was most rewarding though was watching our TAMCC counterparts display an enthusiasm for the work that matched our own. They did so with a joy that was infectious for everyone involved.

I’ll pause here for a moment to say how fortunate we are at NSCC to have access to the  tools and resources we do. I was so proud to watch our team overcome a less than ideal situation with confidence and composure. These are the skills imparted to us through our studies at NSCC and the hands-on approach to learning we experience.

I feel so fortunate to be selected to participate in the Cultural Entrepreneurship and Documentation Program. For me, it means I get the chance to practice my interviewing skills as well as enhancing my camera work. As an aspiring journalist, these are skills I will use in my career on a daily basis. But the opportunity to develop these skills in an international and intense environment is something I could never have had without NSCC International. These truly, are memories and skills I will carry forward throughout my life and career.

Ed Halverson

Radio & Television Arts Student

NSCC Waterfront Campus