By Kayleen Holder
Editor
It’s easy to see why Lytle students were able to capture the UIL State Championship and the prestigious Nobelity Social Impact Award this past week. The short 7 -minute video titled “Housing for the Un housed” gives viewers a glimpse into an awesome project underway in San Antonio in which a community of 208 housing units are being built for the homeless.
The 208 units in Towne Twin will consist of tiny homes, RVs and apartments, and there will also be professional support services on site to help individuals as they start a new life.
As one volunteer stated, this project is about showing that “people cherish one another”.
Lytle students did an excellent job of presenting an important story in a clear and concise way with short interviews from the volunteers who are making it happen.
The following is a press release submitted by Lytle ISD:
On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at the University of Texas’ Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium seven of our top Digital Design / Skull Studios students had the thrill of watching one of our UIL Documentary Film Projects premiere on a theater screen to hundreds of their peers from across the state of Texas.
We could hear the audience’s sighs of heartfelt appreciation for our documentary, Housing the Unhoused – affirmation that hard work had produced something lasting, beautiful and important. Thrill number two was even better.
The Nobelity Project founders, Christy and Turk Pipkin entered the stage to announce the winners of the Nobelity Social Impact Award. Out of 125 nominated entries, Lytle’s documentary has been awarded 1st place and the program receives a $1,000 gift certificate to purchase more equipment.
After photos on the stage and back to our seats, thrill number three came quickly, they said.
The UIL Director Paula Rodriguez announces the Conference 1-3A UIL Young Filmmakers Documentary winners.
“The excitement built as they named third place, then second place, and in that final moment, we all hear them say, “and the State Champion Documentary winner is…Housing the Unhoused by Lytle High School!” What a moment of joy and excitement.
“After a long drive home from Austin, our awesome Mayor of Lytle, Mr. Ruben Gonzalez still had one more thrill planned for our students. As we arrived back home, all were surprised by a siren-and-lights police escort through town all the way to the High School parking lot where Mayor Gonzalez could be seen in the dark waving a huge black Lytle Pirate Flag. Pirate Pride! He put the icing on the cake for our big day.”
Lytle students would love for you to watch Housing the Unhoused. Let us know what you think: http://bit.ly/LytleHSHousingChamp
Please watch through the credits to see ALL our students who worked so hard on this documentary. A special thanks to the following four who went above and beyond. They showed up before school, after school, during lunch, and even on school holidays to complete this video project. They showed true dedication and earned this history-making win.
Citlali Ferreira – photographer, video editor and naturally gifted interviewer
Sarah Ytuarte – videographer, audio engineer and video editor
Elias – videographer and editor
Jose Gomez – videographer, music producer and audio editor
A special thank you to Skull Studios sponsor, Mr. Andrew Oser who coached this production team well and made all the arrangements for transportation, food and logistics to help our students be successful.
Finally, thank you to Lytle Superintendent Michelle Smith who has always been Skull Studio’s biggest fan. Her support has paved the way for this program’s success. With hundreds of films to compete against each year, we now have 7 film projects make it to the TOP SIX in the state since the UIL competition’s inception in 2014. Our lucky number 7 is our first CHAMPION!”
This 2-minute video in the following link is the closest we can get to sharing the thrill of our experience winning the UIL Young Filmmakers Documentary 1-3A State Champion title. https://youtu.be/nGe9q8cGQ3w
Lytle ISD extends Thank yous to Libby Stewart and all our Lytle leaders, faculty and support staff whose support made this thrilling trip possible. Special thanks to our Mayor Gonzalez and our Lytle Police Department who made our return home a victory parade.
