MSU junior Lynn "Cager" Thompson was recognized for his community involvement and academic accomplishments. (Photo courtesy of Cager Thompson.)

It's long past midnight, and Lynn Thompson tick, tick, ticks on a keyboard, editing a film documentary with friends and fellow students about the jam band, Phish. As a junior in film production at Montana State University in Bozeman, Thompson--or "Cager," as he is known--studies the intricacies involved in creating film by, well, creating film.

"I chose MSU's film program because the baccalaureate curriculum is much more production-based than other schools' programs," says the affable Murray, Ky., gentleman.

After five semesters in Montana, Thompson's enthusiasm for film, and his energy to help others, has made him a leader in the undergraduate program. He was rewarded for his efforts last month when the Bozeman Rotary Club named him Rotary Student of the Month. He received a $100 scholarship and plaque. More important, says Cager, is that his beloved media and theatre arts program garners attention.

"Filmmaking is such a collaborative discipline that it seems a bit odd to be named 'Student of the Month,'" he says. "Recognition should be geared toward my classmates."

It is a rigorous discipline, media and theatre arts, which offers a degree in motion picture/video/theatre. Each year, about 150 freshmen declare media and theatre arts as a major, yet by their sophomore year, only 48 are accepted into the program, which is based within MSU's College of Arts and Architecture.

"Students must maintain lofty GPAs--well above a 3.0 'B' average--to advance in the curriculum," says Thompson. "I'm not sure if the rest of the university understands the intense gate system in place. We work extremely hard and graduate great filmmakers."

As Thompson angles his shoulders over the editing bay, he focuses the screen on Phish. The documentary examines the influence of a band that swept the country's 20-somethings into a wave of patchouli oil and rock like its predecessor, the Grateful Dead. Thompson hardly fits the stereotypical "Phishy"--no dreadlocks, no ratty sweater, just a clean-cut college student. In fact, Thompson is not a "Phish Phan."

"I helped produce and edit the student documentary; it's just one of my projects," he says.

His calendar overflows with film-related endeavors. Last year, he worked as production and location manager on a senior film, "One Way Out." He is directing a one-act play in December, and just finished writing and directing, "True American Art-form," a social critique on violence in American culture. He explains that through a fictitious post-modern 1950s television show, his film questions whether violence is cultured by the media or by familial dysfunction.

"From the first, I have been utterly impressed by Cager's tireless work ethic and his earnest enthusiasm for serving others," says David Scheerer, film studies professor at MSU. "Cager devotes himself to creating a work of professional caliber and is one of those rare individuals who combines an unusual aptitude for focusing his academic endeavors with exceptionally balanced artistry. Because of his integrity and reputation for always going above and beyond the call of duty, he is under constant demand by other students to work on their projects."

Yet Thompson finds time to volunteer. He directed Habitat for Humanity teams in Colorado, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. He led a team of students in Moscow, Russia, that worked at homeless shelters and soup kitchens and taught English as a second language to university students. He has also mentored urban and orphan children in Atlanta, Kentucky and Florida and worked at a home for battered women.

"The greatest way I can spend my time is by helping others," says Thompson. "That's what drives me to excel in film. Film is a powerful tool that can make people laugh, cry and consider new ideas. Film is a way to affect many people at once, and if I make it big time, I can use the money more tangibly in helping people."

After graduation, Thompson plans to either attend a film conservatory where he can earn a master's degree in film directing, or move to Los Angeles or New York and plunge right into the filmmaking scene. Ultimately, he would like to write, produce and direct narrative films as a career.

Posted for 11/10/04 by Jean Arthur