Student Impact
5 Reasons to Know...
Who: Logan Smalley, Ed.M.’08
What: Master’s student in the Technology, Innovation, and Education Program
Where: Athens, Georgia
Why: Confined to a wheelchair because he has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic disorder that causes total loss of mobility, Logan Smalley’s friend Darius Weems had never seen the mountains or the ocean. Smalley and a group of friends decided to rent a wheelchair-accessible RV and take Weems on a 7,000-mile cross-country trek. With a camera in tow, they recorded the journey and Smalley turned it into a powerful documentary, Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Lifetime. DGW, as it is known, has since played at film festivals around the world, including Tribeca, winning awards at 25 out of 30 (as of December). It’s even rumored to be an Oscar contender.
1. Instead of profiting from the “little documentary that could,” as one reviewer called it, all proceeds from the film go to Charley’s Fund, a nonprofit started by the parents of a young boy with Duchenne MD. The nonprofit directs money into the hands of researchers who have the best shot at finding a cure for this 100 percent fatal disorder.
2. In many ways, this film is about love and reaching for dreams as much as it is about sadness — something he did intentionally. “I thought it was important to show the tragedy, but also the determination,” he says. “I didn’t want people to see this film and only cry.”
3. In November, DGW’s Know About It program for middle- and high-schoolers debuted in 100 schools. For $25, teachers rent a DVD of the film and get access to web-based lesson plans tied to national standards. Students can access discussion forums and a video Q&A with the crew. Smalley’s mom, Barbara, runs the program.
4. One goal of the trip was to get Weem’s wheelchair accessorized in Los Angeles by MTV’s Pimp My Ride. It didn’t happen — MTV said they didn’t want to be liable — but when the crew returned to Georgia, a local chop shop presented Weems with a new chair complete with a 13-inch TV, spinner rims, and PlayStation 2.
5. A piano, harmonica, and musical saw player, he composed all of the music for the documentary.
For more, go to www.dariusgoeswest.com and www.charleysfund.com.
About the Article
A version of this article originally appeared in the Winter 2008 issue of Ed., the magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Respond to this story with an e-mail to the editor.
photo by Martha Stewart
