Viking_Yearbook_78

84 lrilla Swanson's goal is to be a part of the pos1t1ve influence in life through media . " Money is not my end goal. Money is just the medium to keep everything working." lrilla is a production assistant at KOAP-TV, where she is expanding her knowledge of the field behind the camera and in the control booth. She is also working on advanced projects through PSU 's television department. Before coming to this campus, lrilla had a rich variety of experience in various fields . Among other things, she has been a video dance choreographer, a still photographer, a performing dance artist and instructor, a fashion coordina– tor and commentator, and has been active in producing educational videotapes, editing film, and working with in– novative writing techniques. She has also been amember of the Prima Vera Dance Troupe In Arizona and has danced and sung in musical stage productions at the University of Arizona. lrilla defines " positive influence" as that which " elevates the human spirit." To her this is television programming which is " more than news and documentation." Her primary focus is on " developing internal relations on the non-verbal level," especially through dance. She is involved in dance for her own well-being and maintenance. Her interest in the medium of television began when she started videotaping dance companies and individual troupes. This interest led her to anthropological studies of various peoples-such as African tribes-in terms of dance, in– volving philosophy and motivation for the types of dance practiced . 1 lrilla is the mother of Dej~, an outgoing seven-year-old who is greatly interested in her mother's activities, especial– ly ballet. Her mother is allowing her to discover her own areas of interest-just as lrilla's parents had done-and is placing importance on free development of her daughter's life-style. A part of lrilla's forward motion in her field is involve– ment in experimental programming, especially aiding local artists trying unusual artistic effects via the media. She gives large portions of her free time to this endeavor. " I don 't want to live in California or New York . Portland seems to have good enough possibilities for activity in my field-at least for now."