It’s finally here! The finale of the “Summer Special” vlogs has arrived just in time for the start of September, capping off what has been a unique series of student-made videos. Throughout the quarantine months, we have been taken on expeditions to and from some of Huntingdon’s finest spots and, every other week, we see the quiet college town through the eyes of Rohan Bandekar, or “Brohan,” and his interactions with the various personalities in the Juniata College community.
This installment sees part two of Rob Yelnosky’s tour of Huntingdon and the utterly thrilling conclusion of the OIP and All-American dilemma that fans were left with at the close of Episode 5. While everyone has their own favorite Italian eatery, Rob boldly declared that OIP was his one true creator of savory wheat-based products. Although he was remiss to mention which OIP was the best pizza place, devoted fans of the show were very understanding that the choice would be impossible to make since no one has actually been to the establishment in Mount Union. Despite the absent holistic view of Mid-Pennsylvania Pizza chains, Episode 6 proved to have much more in store regarding locations and beautiful sights. However, I am not here to summarize the episode for you…
The video definitely speaks for itself and I would highly encourage you to indulge in the rich treasure trove of lore and history that Rob presents. What I DO want to talk about is the man behind the camera – the singular psyche that brought us all closer this summer with incidents like the “Making Hamburgers is a very American thing” line from Episode 1 or the Grilled Cheese Avocado fiasco in Episode 3. Behind all of the crazy events, the drone shots, and the good lighting there’s something more to each chapter that keeps me coming back – watching; rewatching; re-rewatching the world through the zany lens of Rohan’s mind.
The truth is, I could probably watch anything this man makes. When you watch the videos he makes, there is a steady progression of growth that comes from the risks he takes to make each video his own. When I asked Rohan what the “new” addition I could expect from this last pair of vlogs, he said that he was originally planning on having a GPS tracker in the corner so that viewers could tell where he was travelling in the city. If it hadn’t been for his phone dying in the car, it would have given the finale a clarity for newcomers to Huntingdon. I can confidently say that wherever Rohan chooses to put his time in next, I know that it will no doubt be a strong creative leap forward (as I’ve come to expect).
This coming semester, he will be working with me at the Digital Media Studio (DMS) along with Anna Sule and Claire Alfree so keep your eyes out on the Juniata College YouTube Channel every Monday and Thursday (Anna and Claire alternate Mondays; Rohan and I alternate Thursdays). Needless to say, it will be a very interesting semester to follow student work so keep your eyes f l a y e d for the antics coming your way!
-Daniel Muleady ’22, Multimedia Production and Analysis POE, My Mom Thinks I’m Special
