Sister City board reviews student-produced Delaware video; plans edits and partner feedback

The Delaware Sister City Advisory Board on an October quarterly meeting reviewed a student-produced video intended to introduce Delaware to its sister cities in Sakata, Japan, and Baumholder, Germany, and agreed on edits and a plan to gather partner feedback before wider distribution.

Board members and guests watched a roughly 3 minute, 40 second video produced by Hays High School and Ohio Wesleyan students and discussed whether to send the current cut to partners or make revisions first. Lisa Ho, director of international and off‑campus programs at Ohio Wesleyan University, said the video was created with student contributors — including Fuka, a visiting student from Sakata — and that it grew from an idea to reciprocate short videos Sakata students have sent Delaware.

“The idea that it could be even chunked up shorter and, like, have 3 or 4 quick videos…people consume media these days, it's quicker than that,” Ho said, expressing a preference for shorter segments to match how audiences watch video online. Board members also recommended keeping an English-centered format so the video would be accessible to international audiences, while recognizing the value of content in partner languages.

Micah Georgi, the Hays High senior who produced the piece, told the board he could add an explanatory caption in the opening frame that identifies Jim Wilson as Fuka’s host father; members said that label would clarify the relationship for viewers outside the local community. “If she showed it to somebody, they should know right up front. This was my host father,” a board member said during the discussion.

Members suggested two practical next steps: (1) add a caption identifying the host-family footage and other contextual captions where helpful; and (2) share the revised cut with Fuka and Ohio Wesleyan students for cultural feedback before posting or sending the video to Sakata or Baumholder. Mayor Bridal noted that Sakata’s student videos are typically short, about one minute, and said the committee should consider producing both a shorter, social-media–friendly clip and a slightly longer institutional version for the city’s website.

Several members recommended splitting the piece into two complementary videos — one focused on Fuka’s experience and the cross‑cultural exchanges, the other highlighting Delaware institutions such as Dempsey Middle School, Hays High School and Ohio Wesleyan University — so different audiences could be targeted.

The board agreed Micah will add the requested caption and share the revised edit with Lisa Ho and committee staff; Ho said she will arrange for Ohio Wesleyan students (including Japanese students on campus) to review the cut and offer feedback on cultural interpretation before any public posting or distribution to sister-city contacts.

Next steps: Micah to add the host-family caption; Lisa Ho to share the revised edit with OWU students and return feedback to the committee for a final decision on distribution to Sakata and Baumholder.