Senior lecturer Schwibs leads Media School documentary collaboration at Beck’s Mill
Senior lecturer Susanne Schwibs led her graduate-level documentary course with the goal of preserving and conveying the history of Beck’s Mill. Originally constructed in 1808, the historic grist mill was restored to operational condition in 2008 and is now operated by volunteers dedicated to sharing an accurate portrayal of pioneer life in Washington County, Indiana.
The project was initiated in fall 2025 by The IU Center for Rural Engagement’s Sustaining Hoosier Communities, which partners rural Indiana communities with IU faculty, students, and staff to advance community-identified projects. Students from The Media School and IU School of Public Health worked with Friends of Beck’s Mill to enhance visitor engagement through new programming and media. The project supports the mill’s mission while deepening and extending past engagement with the site.
Graduate students Remi Alanazi, Spencer Allen, and Lee Durham in the MSCH-T 583 Introduction to Documentary Practice class traveled to the mill to document the site, conduct oral history interviews, and film related material. The final product features conversations with the Beck family for an intimate look into the history of the mill and what it means to the community along with behind the scenes of the mill’s equipment operating.
“The mill lends itself very nicely because it is such a broad hub of activity,” Schwibs said.
“It was my first semester in the program, and I was happy to take part in such an interesting project. It was interesting to collect audio of specific mechanisms of the mill, as there are many small parts that contribute to the whole,” Allen said. “I believe the documentary shows the emotional connection that many of the participants have with the mill.”
Schwibs emphasized the importance of portraying subjects fairly in documentary work and highlighted the value of engaging with people and communities students might not otherwise encounter.
“To actually move the viewer away from campus, into the real world, and to do something that’s genuinely beneficial to someone outside the university is, I think, empowering,” Schwibs said.
The group’s final presentation premiered at the Cook Center in Maxwell Hall at IU.