News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Making a difference beyond the goal posts

Katy Yoder | Last updated Aug 16, 2011 12:0pm0
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OSU athletes helped people in need. Their work was recorded in “Beavers Without Borders.”photo provided

Student athletes sometimes make the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The realities of normal life and consequences for bad decisions can be lost in the roar of an adoring crowd. The hard work and responsibility that comes with being a student athlete can be overwhelming - and sometimes intoxicating.

Oregon State University (OSU) alumni Taylor Kavanaugh saw a way to bring together his love of travel, service and construction and harness it to broaden the horizons of OSU student athletes by founding the award-winning OSU program "Beavers Without Borders" (BWOB). The documentary, BWOB, chronicles the first two trips that are the culmination of his efforts and their amazing results.

The film is an uplifting contrast to the stereotypical view of ego-driven student athletes. The film follows OSU athletes as they work, laugh and connect with people and communities that are worlds apart from their own. The students must acclimate to poverty, climate and culture as they push themselves physically in ways they've never experienced. While the communities they visit are impacted and forever changed, Kavanaugh feels OSU student athletes gain so much more from the experience.

Sisters Movie House will be one of a few select theaters to show the OSU documentary. The film will be shown on Sunday, August 21. The 7 p.m. showing will include an introduction by producer Taylor Kavanaugh, producer/director Matt Wilcox and student athlete team members. Following the film, Kavanaugh will speak about future projects and ways community members can get involved. There will be a post-film social & Q/A with filmmakers at Three Creeks Brewing Company starting at 9:15 p.m. Tickets for the Sisters showing are available at the door only. All of the proceeds from the showing will be donated to BWOB.

"First and foremost, it's a great story," said Kavanaugh. "People are going to laugh and cry as they see individuals who don't realize what they're getting into."

Taylor Kavanaugh enjoyed success at OSU both on and off the football field. With a spot on the 2005 Beaver football team, Kavanaugh studied construction engineering management. His excellence in sports and academics helped spawn a program that is changing lives both in Oregon and around the globe. BWOB has two service trips under its belt so far. The program has sent 28 student athletes from 10 different sports around the world on service missions.

The first excursion for the group focused on building a new home for a struggling family in Alotenango, Guatemala. A team of 14 OSU students left last March and found themselves in a part of the world that can be a big culture shock for students from the USA. Kavanaugh described the work as a tougher workout than any of the students had ever endured. Some of the team members included Yvenson Bernard (football), Markus Wheaton (football), Mandy Rodriguez (gymnastics) and Megan McBride (volleyball).

Earlier this summer, BWOB sent a team of 14 to Skopje, Macedonia. Partnering with Habitat for Humanity, the group constructed a desperately needed second-story addition for a multi-generational family. Both trips were documented by students and videographers to create the film.

In December of this year, Kavanaugh plans to take students to Battnambang, Cambodia, where they will join up with the Seattle-based foundation Khmer Rescue Mission of Washington. They will be constructing a five-room hospital in the countryside to serve the village of Battnambang. If enough money is raised, the team will also distribute 50-pound bags of rice to over 2,000 families after they've completed the hospital construction.

Other missions in the planning stages include trips to local Native American communities to bring an increased awareness and opportunities for youth through sports camps and facility construction projects.

"The Nike N7 program revolves around Joe Burton's experience growing up on an Indian reservation," said Kavanaugh. "Joe went to Macedonia this summer and he was inspired to start some service programs here in the states. A trip to Honduras is planned for spring of 2012 and later in the summer to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti."

BWOB's short-term mission is to provide international service opportunities to OSU student athletes and inspire all of Beaver Nation to follow suit. The long-term mission is to provide this opportunity to other schools as well as individuals outside of athletics.

To learn more about BWOB visit http://www.osubeavers.com/ot/beavers-without-borders.html.

For information on the Sisters Movie House event call 541-549-8800 or visit http://www.sistersmoviehouse.com.

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Local composer brings Music to Film

Sisters High School graduate Lucas Denzer has always believed in the power of music, and from the tender age of 10 it's been an integral part of his life. In his early 20s, Denzer has taken his natural talents and forged a career as a composer.

"Music is arguably the deepest language we have," said Denzer. "It can communicate with great feeling, emotion and fervor where words often fail."

On August 21, "Beavers without Borders" (BWOB) will be featured at Sisters Movie House. Along with three other musicians, Denzer worked with the film's creators to flavor the experience with music that enhanced the film. (See related story,

page 3.)

"I wrote original music for the film," he said. "It's a collaborative process of what they want for the different sections or scores."

Documentary producers Taylor Kavanaugh and Matt Wilcox followed 14 Oregon State University top athletes as they journeyed to places far outside of their comfort zones - both physically and emotionally - to build better lives for needy families.

"Taylor and Matt were very specific about what frames the music came in and went out. You take into account the arc of the film," said Denzer. "They gave me a lot of freedom, but they gave me good direction, too."

The way Denzer met Wilcox and Kavanaugh is a great story in itself. Denzer met the two earlier this year on the summit of the Middle Sister as they were making a film.

"We were summiting the Middle and we started talking about what they were doing," Denzer recalled. "A few months later, I contacted them, and that turned into me doing some trailers; and it's grown from there."

Denzer encourages everyone to come out and see the film, especially those who follow collegiate sports.

"I'm hoping the film will be impactful and powerful for a lot of people. These are top athletes doing something in a field of play they're not accustomed to. I really wanted to make the story as meaningful as possible, but not let the music get in the way. Music in the film should enhance the story, but stay out of its way at the same time."

Denzer's musical odyssey has taken him on a lot of twists and turns, but all his experiences have helped to shape the composer he is today. With musical scores like "Tainted," "Redemption" and "Courage of the Meek," his creations tell an intriguing story without uttering a word.

"The world of film scores is what I've always been drawn to," he said. "I love being able to create music scores for visual mediums. I use music as a supporting role. It's not the reason you go to the movie, but if it fails you'll notice it. The most impactful movies usually have music that if you hear it later it reminds you of the film."

Denzer is working on another documentary with local videographer Sam Pyke. The 35-minute film is about an Oregon State University student's trip to Ecuador as an independent study project. Denzer is doing the music for the scenes in an Ecuadorian emergency room.

"It's very interesting and pretty intense," said Denzer.

To meet Denzer, community members can attend the BWOB film on August 21. Tickets are $10 and are available at the door. To learn more about Denzer's music and listen to some of his work visit his website at http://lucasdenzer.weebly.com/index.html.

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