If you happened to notice folks wandering around Durham a couple weeks ago wearing oversized headphones, carrying recorders and clumsily waving microphones about, you witnessed "audio camp" in action.

I was one of a handful of locals among the two dozen students from across the country taking part in "Hearing is Believing: Audio Documentary Institute" at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.

Some participants had experience working on community and public-radio stations or programs. Others had taken previous courses, and some had learned to record and mix sound on their own.

Then there were those like me, who didn't know how to turn on our digital recorders, hold a mic properly, or -- heaven help us -- mix multiple tracks of sound without it coming out as choppy as the Atlantic Ocean during a hurricane. But in pairs, with a generous helping of professional assistance, we actually produced 12 outstanding audio pieces. We even had a public recital.

But as much as the course was about learning to gather and edit sound, it was also an exploration and a celebration of Durham.

Let's begin with the Center for Documentary Studies itself. I think "documentary center" can sound a little high falutin'. How about "storytelling center," with the stories told in photographs, films or radio pieces? The place is led by a bunch of talented artists. It offers for-credit classes, a slew of continuing education courses and many free events.

Now, about our audio projects. We were divided into pairs and given a list of stories to choose from. The subjects had but one thing in common -- they were all connected to Southwest Central neighborhoods.

Mayme Webb-Bledsoe, neighborhood coordinator for Duke's Office of Community Affairs and a Southwest Central Durham native, was our guide as we toured the area by van. She took us past such spots as the Lakewood YMCA, TROSA and Durham Community Land Trustees to give us a taste of the work going on here.

Some of our story subjects were Valjeanne Estes and Jerry Guerrier, who worked to reinvent Lyon Park School; jazz singer and preservationist Frankie Alexander; and activist-on-many-fronts Mandy Carter. One subject was a fellow student, Ethel Simonetti, co-owner of the Tuba Exchange.

A newsy piece focused on people affected by the proposed closing of the Lakewood Y. Another story, about athlete and youth baseball coach Frank Jacobs, was created by a pair that included photographer Yian Huang, a graduate student in New York City who also found time to make an audio slideshow.

I was fortunate enough to be partnered with Amy Saidman, a professional storyteller and computer whiz from Washington. We profiled Durham housing inspector Khalid Hawthorne, who impressed us with his affection for Durham and ability to empathize with all sorts of people.

Our class had the best graduation gift imaginable when many Southwest Central neighbors came to hear our pieces, followed by a picnic.

If you missed it, you can attend presentations for the upcoming video course at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 4 (1317 W. Pettigrew St., 660-3663, http://cds.aas.duke.edu/). This course also will focus on Southwest Central Durham. So be on the lookout for a bunch of folks wandering around with video cameras and wearing headphones. They're here not only to learn, but to sing Durham's praises.