Large Crowds Give Great Reviews for Tiger Legacy

By Meghan Caprez From prom to homecoming, boosters to superfans, spring conditioning to Friday night lights, a group of CCI students and faculty have become part of the Massillon community as they document the story of the Massillon High School football team. JMC instructors Gary Harwood and Dave Foster partnered with seven extraordinary student photographers and the Massillon Museum to delve into the past, present, and future of the Massillon Tigers. Visual journalism majors Matt Hafley, Coty Giannelli, Chelsie Corso, Jenna Watson, Adrianne Bastas, news major Jessica White, and VCD graduate Caitlin Bourque have been working on the project for nearly a year. The results of their work are currently on display at the Massillon Museum. The first exhibit, Supporting Our Champions debuted in September, and the second exhibit, Tiger Legacy, opened Nov. 18. The high school football tradition is a deeply rooted source of pride for Massillon citizens, said Massillon Museum Executive Director Alexandra Coon. To see this strong collective identity presented in such an artistic yet truthful way has helped reinforce this sense of pride throughout the community. The project, as advisor Dave Labelle put it, is an apprenticeship where students work alongside their professors to produce professional-quality photographs. Labelle, a JMC lecturer, said his role was made exponentially easier thanks to Harwood. Gary is Jacques Cousteau, and this project is his Calypso, Labelle said. Harwood laughed at the comparison, but the team agreed. Watson, one of the youngest photographers on the project, said she enjoys seeing her professors and mentors, especially Harwood, in a working environment. You can feel it, how much they love what theyre doing, Watson said. I had no reservations going into the project. The group not only found passion amongst themselves, but also within the community they have become a part of. Weve had a steady stream of patrons in to see the exhibit, one of whom was the quarterback for the 2012 team, Coon said. He came in to view the exhibit, and thanked us on his way out for supporting the team throughout the season. That was among the most rewarding compliments. Hafley experienced something similar when a woman whose cheerleading daughter he photographed approached him at the exhibit opening. The mother explained that her daughter was camera shy, so she didnt have many photographs of her in a uniform. Of course parents are partial to their children, but when she said she teared up at seeing it for the first time, it finally made sense, Hafley said. The photo seems to embody a lot of what being in high school is all about.

The communitys response to the project was rewarding and encouraging, Harwood said. When the group covered an event, members of the community allowed them to get close enough to document the true story of the Massillon Tigers. Its their story, not just us showing up to take pictures, Harwood said. I photographed a woman crying at one of the games, and she let me get the picture without pulling away. Weve established that kind of relationship. The group hopes to foster that relationship as they continue to explore the community. Harwood said the project has no foreseeable end date, even though the exhibit is set to close February 2013. Coon said another exhibit is a possibility for the museum, as well. Discover more about the Massillon Tigers and the project by visiting the groups website at tigerlegacy.net.