For the past two years, Media Literacy Librarian Michelle Brannen and Student Success Librarian Ingrid Ruffin have teamed up with UT’s Division of Student Life and resident assistants in the dorms to host a four-hour video contest. The most recent Four-Hour Film Festival took place on February 21. Students were given the necessary equipment, a short instruction session, and space to edit a brief film. In the span of a mere four hours, teams of students created and screened films. Prizes went to the best entries. James Agan, resident assistant in Hess Hall, said, “My residents had the most fun that they have had all year participating in a program.” The program garners support from the Libraries, Residence Halls, UT’s Cinema Studies Department, and the Knoxville Film Festival. Participants learn about valuable resources in the libraries, how to shoot and edit film, and, most importantly, that the Libraries, University, and community care about students and their success.
De-Stress for Success
“De-Stress for Success” highlights the libraries as a place to support the whole student. Each year as final exams loom over anxious students, the UT Libraries and its partners provide de-stressing activities to support relaxation and wellness. Activities such as 15-minute massages, play time with H.A.B.I.T. therapy dogs, and playing games in the living room (Mary E. Greer Room) give students a healthy diversion during a very stressful time. The events change from year to year, but the goal remains the same — to support students and to provide a little stress relief during some of the more intense times of the semester. Even as we strive to provide access to the best resources possible to encourage the creation of big ideas, we work diligently to ensure that students feel that they are part of the larger campus community.
