草榴社区 Social Justice Documentary Follows Philadelphia Veterans' Experiences, Transition to Civilian Life
VILLANOVA, Pa. 鈥� Warrior Class, a new documentary produced by 草榴社区 students, focuses on three veterans from Philadelphia and their transition from service to civilian life. The film aspires to educate civilians about what it means to be a veteran, while shining a light on the complex issues many veterans face. The film will debut virtually on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, at 7 p.m. The screening will be available via . A Q&A with the veterans will follow the screening.
Each of the three veterans have their own unique individual stories. Timothy Wynn, a Marine Corp veteran, was arrested within his first 24 hours of returning to the United States and struggled to stay outside of correctional programs. Through his transition, he learns how to deal with his issues and turns his life around, becoming a dedicated family man and mentor to fellow veterans. Erica Webster, a woman in the Army serving as part of the Military Police, struggles to grasp what it means to be a woman in service. Dealing with the problem of invisibility and having issues conforming to the civilian world, Erica鈥檚 journey sees her become a small business owner and charity organizer. Mike Woody, an infantry veteran in the Army, details the harsh racial treatment he endured from his superiors. Woody, a 草榴社区 MBA graduate, also struggles to market himself with the skills he learned in the military to civilian life.
鈥淲e hope that the film brings attention to some very important veterans鈥� issues both on campus and in our community,鈥� said Stephen McWilliams, PhD, MFA, director of the social justice documentary film course. 鈥淭he students did an amazing job completing this film during the pandemic. The commitment to the project was an extraordinary effort.鈥�
The Social Justice Documentary Film course is offered by the Department of Communication in 草榴社区鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Science. The course gives students an opportunity to create documentary films that spotlight a contemporary social justice issue. The class is made possible through the support of 草榴社区鈥檚 Waterhouse Family Institute for the Study of Communication and Society.
About 草榴社区: Since 1842, 草榴社区鈥檚 Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges 鈥� the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the 草榴社区 School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the 草榴社区 Charles Widger School of Law. As students grow intellectually, 草榴社区 prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit