University News
"Across the Miles" to Reach Show No. 100; Special "History of WIU" Also Airing
February 14, 2008
MACOMB, IL -- When former Western Illinois University associate vice president for alumni programs Gordy Taylor taped his first "Across the Miles" show in August 2004, it was his assumption that the videotaped interview with History Professor Emeritus Victor Hicken was merely a historical piece that would be filed away in the University's Archives and Special Collections Unit.
Nearly four years later, Taylor is about to reach a milestone: his 100th "Across the Miles" segment. The one-hour show airs almost daily on University Television's (UTV) Channel 3, and features
one-on-one interviews between Taylor and University legends, such as Darrell Dykstra, Charlene Callison, Dale Hopper, Kathy Veroni and Stix Morley. The 100th show, which will air in April, will feature President Al Goldfarb. In addition to the usual "Across the Miles" segments, Taylor and WIU English Professor Emeritus and Historian John Hallwas recently put the finishing touches on "The History of Western Illinois University," which is showing on Channel 3 and is also available for purchase on DVD. For the "History" shows, Taylor said he relied heavily on Hallwas' "First Century: A Pictorial History of Western Illinois University" (1999) to formulate his questions and organize the format.
If all that isn't enough to fill the University's Archives, Taylor is also working with University technology staff and UTV to broadcast "Across the Miles" as video podcasts on iTunes University. How did this once simple archival project turn into what it is today?
"I always had it in the back of my mind that we needed something to remember Western's legends. The first show with Dr. Hicken was never meant to be aired; after we did the interview, we sent the tape to Archives and somehow it ended up airing on University Television. From that initial show, we started doing more when we got feedback from people who saw that first show," Taylor explained. "It has been wildly successful."
Taylor said when he first started "Across the Miles," he simply "flew by the seat of his pants." Today, he talks with the person before the actual interview in order to craft questions that will ensure a lively dialogue.
"I like to get a feel for the person and how they ended up here. I want to know how Western affected them and became such a large part of their life," he explained.
The latest project, "The History of Western Illinois University," features Hallwas -- who also was Taylor's 12th and 42nd guest on "Across the Miles" -- discussing with Taylor the University's rich and diverse past and present over the course of eight one-hour shows.
"The history anthology pulls no punches and Dr. Hallwas is just masterful. It's an in-depth and very interesting piece of which we are most proud," Taylor noted. "Dr. Hallwas and I applaud University Television Assistant Director Roger Kent and the entire UTV crew for their work and creativity in making this eight-hour show a reality."
To order "The History of Western Illinois University," contact University Television at
309/298-1880. To view the complete lineup of UTV-sponsored programs, including "Across the Miles" and "The History of Western…," visit UTV at www.wiu.edu/utv. Click on "Tune In."
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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