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The culture of coal mining. The process of hydraulic fracturing. The impact  on a community.

These are the themes explored in “The Fracturing of Greene County,” a gallery showing by Jacob Byk, a junior visual journalism major, and Daniel Moore, a senior news major, that will be presented on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. in the FirstEnergy Auditorium, 340 Franklin Hall. The gallery presentation is free and open to the public.

The project consists of 24 photo and narrative frames chronicling how hydraulic fracturing is affecting the nuances of daily life among the people of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Hydraulic fracturing is the process used to reach oil and gas in rock beds.

The college journalists were drawn to the topic when the Youngstown Vindicator asked them to collaborate on a feature. The students decided to stay and immerse themselves in the culture of coal mining. Byk and Moore have funded the project themselves.

“Jacob, Daniel and I have had many conversations about storytelling and the impact of long-term projects. Their dedication and commitment to this project has been impressive and the work has already received international recognition,” said Gary Harwood, Visual Storytelling lecturer.

“We're thrilled that the School believed in us enough to give us some time and space to talk about our project. The gallery represents the very best from more than a year and a half of research and reporting in the area,” Moore said. “We hope the Kent State community comes out to listen to our story and offer feedback.”