Staff Writer

In groups of five, they signed in with security, made their way through the Barber Foods plant and took their seats behind microphones to interview a stranger.

Last month, 58 Thornton Academy Middle School eighth graders visited the Portland company to interview immigrants from countries such as Brazil, Sudan, Rwanda and Bulgaria about their life experiences. Since interviewing employees students have worked to edit radio pieces, write profile stories and create portraits of their subjects.

Language Arts Teacher Hope Hall said the project stemmed from work done last year, when eighth grade students conducted nearly 30 interviews as part of the national 100 People project. She said she contacted Barber Foods after reading about the company’s efforts to offer continuing education for its employees. 

Barber Foods, founded in 1955 by Gus Barber, employees 700 associates from more than 50 different nations, according to the company Web site. Associates have access to a number of educational programs, including English classes and opportunities to earn college degrees. Barber Foods has spent more than $1 million on education in the last three years, according to the company.

Hall said students prepared for the interviews for a week by developing questions about the immigrants’ homelands, journey to America, first impressions, current life and dreams for the future. Students previously interviewed people on the street about the November election and at the mall about spending habits in a struggling economy, she said.

“They were like real reporters. This was such an opportunity,” she said. 

At Barber Foods, Hall said the students had to pass through security clearances before meeting with interview subjects in a classroom setting. 

“They really were phenomenal,” she said of her students. “I saw them doing something they were getting more out of than I can really articulate. I think some of the most important skills we can teach is an openness to the world and a willingness to listen.” 

Before a class worked on profile stories last week, Hall reminded students to “show in words how they looked when they were talking” and portray the most powerful parts of their stories.

“This is someone’s life story you’ve got in your hands,” she said. “You want to start with something powerful.” 

Emily Richard, who interviewed a Bulgarian woman, said the project is interesting because it also ties into art classes. Each student will create a mural of the interviewee in the style of a professional artist. After students create a portrait using a multi-step process, the art will be given to the immigrants along with a copy of their profile story, she said.

Brandi Shook, who interviewed a Sudanese man, said the project has allowed her to learn about different countries and enjoyed the challenges the project presented. She said she struggled a little bit to understand the man’s accent. Her group also made sure to keep their questions from getting too personal because they “didn’t want to get too deep” into emotional or painful topics.

“I really though it was a good experience to get to know about an immigrant and what they’ve been through,” Shook said. “I thought it was great to learn about what happens [in Sudan] and what they’ve been through.”

Alex Vincent said she liked the project but thought it was “kind of scary” to interview a stranger. She said she doesn’t usually like talking to people but thought meeting a Sudanese man was interesting.

“I got to meet people I wouldn’t normally meet,” she said.

Jeremy Sylvain, who also interviewed a Sudanese man, said the person he interviewed was well educated and had different experiences than he expected. 

“I thought his life would have been a little more rough,” he said. “It was very cool to get out of the classroom and meet the world.”

Demi DeWitt, who interviewed women from Bulgaria and Brazil, said using different technologies for the project has been fun. The students used iPods with microphones to record their interviews and laptops to edit radio segments.

Hearing the women talk about their dreams of coming to America was the most interesting part of the experience, DeWitt said. She said the Bulgarian woman won a green card in a lottery and was excited to fulfill a lifelong dream by coming to the United States. 

“Her future and dreams are here,” DeWitt said.

Tori Lands interviewed a Brazilian woman and a Sudanese man who came to the United States after moving to Uganda. Though she was nervous before the interview started, she said it showed her not to take life in America for granted.

“It was the coolest thing I’ve ever done. It’s hard to learn about the world without seeing it,” she said. “By the time it was done I didn’t want to leave. I hope we get to do this through high school, too. It was a really fun experience.”

Completed projects will be posted at tamsradio.blogspot.com, where past projects can also be viewed.