(Caption: Katelin Chadwell, a 2021 graduate of the LMU Communication and Media program, was chosen to assist on production of a video commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel opening. Photos: Dr. Rick Vogel.)
Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Communication and Media (CAM) 2021 graduate Katelin Chadwell had the opportunity to assist on a video project commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel. The commemoration was in honor of the tunnel opening in October 1996, a huge milestone in the history of the Tri-State area and beyond.
To celebrate the milestone, the Cumberland Gap Tunnel Authority assembled an exhibit of photos and mementoes at the Bell County Historical Society in Middlesboro, Kentucky. The exclusive exhibit was displayed during October 2021.
The culminating anniversary event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Chadwell was recommended to assist on the video project based on her senior seminar presentation. Her presentation was later accepted by the Knoxville Film Festival. Dr. Rick Vogel, associate professor of broadcast communications, and Dr. Charlie Gee, associate professor and CAM program director, mentored Chadwell for the project and provided production assistance. Vogel helped to obtain funding for Chadwell as well.
The video can be found on the Cumberland Gap Tunnel website: www.cgtunnel.com; LMU had several representatives on the project. Chadwell is credited on the 12-minute video as director and editor, Vogel as producer, Gee as a contributor, and narration is provided by Joe Gill, LMU assistant professor of theatre.
Cumberland Gap has historically been known as the “Gateway to the West.” With the opening of the tunnel, the Cumberland Gap and the Wilderness Road were restored and visitors to the area are now able to gain the perspective of the early travelers. The Cumberland Gap Tunnel website states, “Modern technology has paved the way for restoration of the past.”
The tunnel uses a variety of technology to monitor, direct, and respond to traffic, the website states. A control room operator watches several monitors to locate any potential problems which may arise outside or within the tunnels. The control room operator has direct contact with all employees and can control the variable message signs throughout the tunnel system. Operators are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All operators are emergency medical technician (EMT) certified and can respond to most emergencies.
LMU graduates majoring in Communication and Media are prepared for many career options within the field. Students have opportunities to learn on-air reporting, multi-media journalism, and producing or exploring off-camera skills as editors and videographers, as well as team building, corporate workshop development, and copyediting.
Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is in Harrogate, Tennessee. For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423.869.6280 or email at admissions@LMUnet.edu.
