BLACKSBURG -- What do Virginia Tech's research cows, Gillie's Restaurant and ghost stories at the Lyric Theatre have in common?

These topics may serve as documentary material for middle-schoolers participating in "Blacksburg Stories," a summer video program developed by the Lyric and Virginia Tech's Department of Communication.

"It was an idea that Susan Mattingly, the executive director, and I had," said Ashley Maynor, the Lyric's general manager. "She wanted to do something specifically for middle-schoolers because they don't have many camps geared for that age group."

Maynor, who said she has led similar community video projects in Philadelphia, will be at the reins of the two-week camp that started Monday and runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays at the Lyric.

Students choose a subject to document, film their interviews and edit the material. Their films will be publicly screened Aug. 12 at the Lyric. They will also be shown on WTOB (Channel 2), Blacksburg's public-access channel, on an undetermined date.

A $5,000 grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts made the camp possible, Maynor said, along with the communication department, which is supplying the video cameras, tripods, microphones and editing stations.

Communication professor and filmmaker Paul Harrill is serving as program adviser and arranged for four of his students to work at the camp.

"On one level, it's obvious how it's great for these kids, but it's also important for Tech students," Harrill said. "It allows them to use their skills and serve the community."

Eric Banker, Kristina Dratland, Sher Vogel and Andrew Maples led several ice-breaker activities Monday morning. They asked campers to tell two truths and one lie about themselves on camera and replayed them on the theater's big screen. The students got to know each other better by guessing the lie.

On Thursday, students are scheduled to begin shooting the documentaries that they will begin editing next week, Maynor said.

Ultimately, she has four goals for the camp, she said.

Her first is to communicate the sense that media is mediated.

"Documentaries are not fact only. They're never neutral. They're always the opinion of who's behind the camera or editing. ... Someone is always choosing what to show you," Maynor said.

Her second goal is to communicate that the world "is interesting enough" and that "they don't need blood and guts or even a script to tell a story."

Maynor said her third goal is to give students "the confidence to work with technology and to make a creative and personal work."

And finally, she said she wants to instill students with a sense of pride in their community, "in that community's history and diversity."

Will Waggenspack, 13, was one of the 18 students who showed up for the camp Monday.

He is interested in animation and said he wants to be "a big movie producer."

Fiona Mahar-Milani, 13, said she came because she really enjoys filming and editing.

"Last year, in seventh grade, our teacher would have us film things and make commercials, and I really enjoyed it so that's why I'm here," she said.

The students are from Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Floyd and Wytheville. Attending the camp costs $200.