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Transferring to UGA has made a big
difference in the life of junior Logan Smalley -- and several
other people. After Logan attended the UGA Cannes Film Festival
Study Abroad last year, he embarked upon a project that merges
his interest in film with his studies in Special Education.
He and UGA student Dylan Wilson are raising money to produce
an independent documentary about their upcoming road trip
with 15 year old Darius Weems, a local boy with myscular dystrophy.
If they can raise the funds, Logan, Darius, and seven other
students will film their travels as Darius leaves the state
for the first time and the crew aims for the offices of MTV
in Los Angeles in an effort to get Darius's wheelchair featured
on the show, Pimp My Ride. Logan is hoping the film,
which he plans to release nationwide, will bring attention
and funding to the fight against muscular dystrophy.
Expected graduation: May 2006
Degree Objectives: B.S.Ed. in Special Education
University highlights, achievements and awards:
I have been a Presidential Scholar at UGA for all three years
of my attendance. I received a Target scholarship and
an Athens United Soccer Scholarship on top of HOPE to
attend UGA my sophomore year. I spent my freshman year
at the College of Charleston. I went there for a year
because I grew up in Athens and wanted to see what I was
missing. Charleston had a lot to offer, but I think I
was missing more being there than here. I am currently
a member of UGA's Relay for Life program. I also am a
member of SCEC, Student Council for Exceptional Children.
We are a campus club that is very active in improving
the lives of the local special education students.
Current employment:
I am a waiter at the Globe Restaurant downtown. I enjoy the
work because it pays well and has flexible hours for school
obligations. I enjoy working at the Globe in particular because
it is the perfect mix of younger and older people. On any
given night, I could be hanging out with my favorite friends,
my favorite professors, or both. I describe it as a conversation
bar because the music is not so loud that you can't hear yourself
think. The shift meal also helps me squeak by on my student
budget without starving every day of the week.
High School: Clarke Central High School
Hometown: Athens, Georgia
I chose to attend UGA because...
...I enjoy Athens, the small town with a big city feel. The
Special Education program is also one of the best in the nation.
It offers many opportunities to do the leg work for massive
grant funded research. For example, over Christmas break,
I got a job administering reading tests. One change that might
come out of the research is to deepen the emphasis on early
age reading so that every young child reaches the third grade
on an equal playing field. This is not the case in schools
today, and this project could have implications for the success
of young readers all over the nation. Additionally, I think
UGA has a great study abroad program, and I am glad to have
had an opportunity to participate in it.
My favorite things to do on campus are...
...I enjoy watching football, basketball, and baseball games.
I really enjoy playing in the intramural soccer leagues
as well. I have played soccer since I was five, and my
intramural team is three time defending champs (indoor).
I also like eating the pizza they have at the Tate Center.
It is the best deal on campus. I really like going to
some of the public speakers that UGA attracts. I also
like going to the movies that the Tate Center puts on.
I think they have good taste in film.
When I have free time, I like...
...to play music. I play the piano, harmonica, and musical
saw. A lot of my free time lately is spent working on The
Darius Goes West project, an independent documentary that
I am directing. It has become a labor of love that soaks up
every free second. I am answering emails sometimes three hours
a day. I have begun to share the work load with my friend
and cameraman on our trip, UGA student Dylan Wilson. I also
spend a lot of time networking for more fundraising possibilities,
developing professional video contacts, and seeking general
advice about how to make a successful documentary.
The craziest thing I've done is...
...stalk Charlize Theron. When I went to the UGA Cannes Film
Festival Study Abroad with the Grady College, I saw the movie
"The Life and Death of Peter Sellers." She had a
small role in this film and was at the premiere. She was sitting
about five rows in front of me dressed in beautiful red carpet
attire. She got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of
the film, and I followed her (and her bodyguard). I played
it slick and acted like I was talking on my phone outside
of the private restroom. When she came out, I hung up the
phone, and stood right in front of her. I tried to look deep
into her eyes, waiting for some kind of connection. I'm pretty
sure she was going to kiss me, but then her bodyguard asked
me to move so they could go back to the movie. I don't remember
if I even moved. She is really tall. Her eyes are blue.
My favorite professor is...
...Kathy Anderson in the English Department. I have never
actually taken her class, but I work at the restaurant with
her. Every shift I work with her is like a life-changing lecture.
She is brilliant, and an incredible conversationalist. We
chat about life, politics, books, and film. We agree about
a lot, but when we don't, I have found that she is one of
those people with whom it's actually enjoyable to argue.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would
love to share it with...
...Chris Farley. That guy is the funniest person of all time.
Hanging out with him for an afternoon would supply enough
laughs for a lifetime.
If money was not a consideration, I would love to...
...fund the Darius Goes West project. The film will cover
the journey of a bunch of friends including me, Dylan Wilson,
and Darius as we go on the trip of a lifetime. Darius is 15.
He has muscular dystrophy, and he has never left the state
of Georgia. We plan to make a documentary about our cross-country
R.V. trip. We hope to release the film nationally in order
to bring attention to muscular dystrophy in hopes of finding
a cure, to evaluate America's wheelchair accessibility, and
to help our friend find excitement before his disease makes
travel impossible. When we reach L.A. we hope to get Darius
onto MTV's hit show, Pimp My Ride (the show where
they take old cars and give them new technology). We want
them to "pimp" Darius's wheelchair!
After graduation, I plan to...
...go to graduate school and get my master's degree in special
education. I also want to continue working on projects that
will help put a face on M.D. and bring about a greater effort
from society towards finding a cure. Hopefully we can show
that no matter what situation you are born into, you should
make sure the joy of life eclipses the tragedy of death. Darius
and his family realize that this project is a chance to possibly
help people not have to go through the pain that they have.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be...
...going to France and seeing the films that would inspire
me to follow my dream and make a film myself. I hope that
I can look back in ten years and say that I would be nowhere
near where I am today if I had not seen the films and met
the people that I met at UGA.
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