The Facing Cancer Project stories and video will be showcased at the Muncie Civic Theatre on March 19 at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and donations will go to Little Red Door Cancer Services of East Central Indiana.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., and a group of media students is sharing the stories of community members who have been affected by it.
Students involved in Facing Cancer, the second iteration of the Facing Project produced by the Ingelhart Scholars Program, worked with residents of East Central Indiana to gather information and stories about their experiences with cancer.
Adam Kuban, assistant professor of journalism and head of the Inglehart Scholars program, is working with his students to create a book and short feature film about facing cancer in East Central Indiana.
“[Facing Cancer] is striving to tell an array of stories that come from East Central Indiana,” Kuban said. “There are so many people that have been impacted by cancer in some way, whether it’s themselves, a family member, a friend. This is a really prominent topic.”
More than 1,680,000 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2016, according to the American Cancer Society. Nearly 600,000 Americans are expected to die of cancer in the calendar year, translating to about 1,630 people per day. It accounts for nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths and is exceeded only by heart disease.
“The Ingelhart Program is offering students the opportunity to gain valuable experience in their fields, while also learning from the storytellers and the important stories and experiences they have,” Kuban said.
The program is a two-semester curriculum for students to explore leadership, and includes journalism, telecommunications and public relations students. The first semester focuses on the exploration and understanding of leadership, and the second is spent on the application of those skills through an immersive learning project.
Phylisia Donaldson, a sophomore telecommunications major in the current Ingelhart Scholars class, said working on the project has been a “blessing” to her immersive learning experience at Ball State.
“I think it’s really easy to get stuck in the Ball State bubble when you’re here,” Donaldson said. “But this project has really exposed me to Muncie and the community. I feel like I’m doing something that is meaningful for others, not just myself.”
Last year, the Ingelhart program teamed up with The Facing Project for the first time to tackle Facing Depression. Founded by Kelsey Timmerman and J.R. Jamison, The Facing Project aims to tell communities’ stories through writers and storytellers, covering issues such as addiction, racism and poverty. The program started in Muncie and has since spread out across the United States.
Donaldson is working on the short feature film to complement the book the class is working on, which will include personal stories of those affected by cancer, as well as information about the disease.
“It’s really been a learning experience, but it’s also been a kind of personal experience,” Donaldson said.
In sixth grade, Donaldson’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, and she said the experience led her to be more grateful for the work the project is doing now.
“It can be challenging, but I’m working with a lot of really great students who are really encouraging and intelligent. I’m very happy with where the project has been going,” Donaldson said.
The scholars teamed up with Little Red Door Cancer Services of East Central Indiana, who connected the class with storytellers. The nonprofit organization offers support for nearly 1,000 cancer patients and families during diagnosis and treatment each year.
“So many things happen when you’re diagnosed with cancer,” said Aimee Robertson-Fant, executive director of Little Red Door. “Insurance doesn’t cover everything, but our organization is striving to help those in the community who really need it.”
Fant is also a storyteller for the project, telling her mother’s personal account of battling breast cancer. After writing for two former Facing Projects, Fant said she wanted to get involved with Facing Cancer because of the opportunity to spread an important message to those in the community.
Of the 92 counties in Indiana, Delaware County ranks No. 84 on the state’s wellness index. Last year’s state health findings also reported that 22 percent of citizens in Delaware County are smokers, double the national average of 11 percent. Fant said this largely contributes to the lung cancer diagnoses – the most frequently reported cancer in Delaware County.
“There is hope and help after a cancer diagnosis, and our organization strives to be a resource for the growing numbers of cancer patients in this area,” Fant said. “But we struggle to celebrate with the good things that can happen result from cancer. And that’s why I’m so happy to be a part of this project and the stories that are being shared.”
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