UT student Beverly Banks recently produced a video encouraging her fellow Vols to take a stand against sexual assault. From filming to post-production, the video was created entirely in the Studio media production lab in Hodges Library.

April was national Sexual Assault Awareness Month. On the UT Knoxville campus, the annual Hike The Hill In Heels kicked off a month of events intended to raise awareness about rape and sexual assault.

One national organization, It’s On Us, focuses year-round on the goal of ending sexual assault on college campuses. UT students founded an It’s On Us chapter this year, and chapter president Amber Giffin enlisted Banks to run the digital side of the organization. Together they wrote the script for a public service announcement encouraging members of the campus community to speak out against sexual violence by taking the pledge at itsonus.org.

“We wanted the script to reflect the mission of the It’s On Us movement, as well as the values of the Volunteer community,” Banks said. “I felt it was important that our organization produce this video to show the Volunteer community that we support sexual assault survivors.”

The video was shared with the campus community through UT’s e-newsletters, Vol Update for students and Tennessee Today for faculty and staff.

Possibly the most time-consuming part of the video project was recruiting performers. Twenty students and university leaders took part, including the former chancellor, the university’s Title IX coordinator, the director of the Center for Health Education and Wellness, UT’s coordinator for sexual violence prevention, and athletic director Phillip Fulmer. “Their support speaks volumes on campus,” Banks said.

She was equally appreciative of the student participants. “The student voices in this video were so crucial to successfully promote this message. When you see other students supporting this amazing campaign, it demonstrates the Volunteer spirit in action. Vols do help Vols, and Vols do speak up. The power of the student voice and its impact on campus is clearly visible within this video.” We agree.

Watch UT’s “It’s On Us” video here.

Overall, Banks invested about 20 hours in creating the video. She recorded each vignette in the Studio’s video room and edited her footage at one of the video workstations. She praised the helpful Studio staff: “The staff at the Studio desk were absolutely wonderful! Each time I checked out the video room, they helped me set up the lights and pull down the backdrop. I could not have produced this video without their assistance. I am so grateful that UT has such wonderful staff at the libraries who are eager to help students with their projects!”

Banks is a longtime user of the Studio and has become an accomplished videographer. As an intern at The Volunteer Channel, she would check out a camera and microphone from the Studio to shoot her news stories, then use the Studio’s Whisper Room to record voiceovers. “I received most of my training from the School of Journalism and The Volunteer Channel. However, the resources in the libraries gave me the tools to practice shooting video and editing.”

Banks will graduate Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and electronic media this spring. She has received several recognitions for her tv news stories and was named 2018 Outstanding Graduate in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media. At the Chancellor’s Honors Banquet on April 17, she received an award for Extraordinary Professional Promise.

We at the Libraries are proud to have been a part of Beverly Banks’ Volunteer story. We will be watching to see how she uses her media skills to make the world a better place.