Gardner, Massachusetts

Reflection written by Heidi N. McCann, Reference and Instructional Services Librarian, Mt. Wachusett Community College. Photos by Gaurav Khanna.

Bringing Divided We Fall to our campus was a powerful way to start the fall semester. The timing could not have been better, and we are so lucky at Mount Wachusett Community College to have a wonderfully supportive group of faculty who did a remarkable job of promoting the film to their students.


At 10:20 am, DWF played to a packed room of about 100 students, faculty, staff and community members (we ran out of chairs – some had to stand or sit on the floor to watch). Following the film we used the suggested discussion questions, and conversation was guided by a trio of local experts – Kuljeet Tuteja from the New England Sikh Study Circle, the Rev. Karen Nell Smith from the North Leominster Congregational Church and Dr. Stephen Clark, psychology professor from Keene State College.

MWCC students were obviously engrossed by the film and many of the faculty remarked that they had never seen or heard a group so quietly involved in a documentary film at the college. No one stirred or spoke during the entire screening. DWF has an obvious special appeal to young people – having been made by two college students with many young people also shown in the film lends this unique attraction. What happened on September 11, 2001 is something that our MWCC students remember well and are still trying to grapple with, and the theme of the film – the aftermath of that day – helped make it fit perfectly to be shown on September 12.


Our three experts (Kuljeet, Rev. Karen and Dr. Clark) were kind enough to give their entire day to stay for the later, 7 p.m. screening. Buoyed by the success of the earlier showing, we were enthusiastically anticipating the evening audience. We were not disappointed. About 25 young people from a Boston area gurdwara attended, and enjoyed the film, along with 30-40 students, faculty, staff and visitors from the local community. For a 7 p.m. Friday event at our college, this number in attendance is quite notable – it has historically been difficult to draw a crowd to evening events.

The conversation after the film was fascinating, as the youth from the gurdwara talked about their experiences growing up Sikh in Massachusetts. Also a few of the faculty/staff in attendance had brought their own children, so just as had been the case in the morning, we had a nice mix of ages in the audience and the peer to peer youth (Sikh with non-Sikh) interaction was good to see.

As previously mentioned, the film was shown on a Friday, and all afternoon, and continuing into Monday I heard people at the college discussing the experience. As the viewer responses indicate, those in the audience were very moved and touched by what they saw and heard. Most people in our area had no prior knowledge of the Sikh community and religion. Valarie and Sonny now have become icons at our college, and I and the three discussion leaders have already talked about the possibility of bringing the filmmakers to our area. It would be an amazing way to continue to bring alive the message of tolerance, and understanding that we as a community experienced through Divided We Fall.