So I have no real footage or audio quite yet, but I do have two interviews this week. Taras, the Hall Director of Fairchild Hall (the new international dorm) agreed to meet with me at the end of the week, and I have an interview with Lisa MacFarland this Thursday. Lisa is the "point person" in the plans to internationalize UNH. I hope to get all the details on the plan from her.
Next week could also hold some possibilities for some good material; next Tuesday there is a celebration in the Strafford Room welcoming the Chinese officials from Chengdu University. The PCAC is also holding an exhibition with Chinese art for the new institute.
There will also be some Chinese Performance Artists performing in Portsmouth next Wednesday.
I am not positive how this will all work together quite yet, but as of right now, I'd just like to get as much material as I can.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Final Multimedia Project
I have decided to write a story on the international students at the University of New Hampshire. It's a topic that is especially prevalent in today's society. The world is becoming smaller and smaller, with travel becoming easier and communication becoming even more accessible. A semester abroad has become something of a norm in today's education, and while it's evident in the number of UNH students who leave each year for Italy, England, Australia, and South America, it's also evident in the number of International students at UNH, and in the intent to increase this number.
Right now there are 50 international students at the University of New Hampshire. This number isn't extremely large, but it is growing; UNH hopes to increase the number of students from abroad to 500.
I want to find out the reasoning for this intent to increase; is it to make UNH more worldly? More diverse? Or does money have something to do with it, too?
The will to increase would be the "journalism/newsworthy" connection, but another thing that fascinates me about interviewing the international students is learning about their reasoning for studying in the U.S., particularly in New Hampshire. I'm actually hoping to see if I can find a student from a country that is significant in U.S./World relations right now--perhaps from the Middle East? China? Asia? What does America look like in his or her eyes? Is it different from what he or she expected? What are the expectations of students from the States vs. where he or she is from?
I'd like to get interviews with the Department for International students to get more of the inside story on this development, but I am unsure as to whether I'd like to take the approach and interview many students, or if I'd like to just focus on one or two.
I would like to get footage of them in a kind of natural setting; maybe of them doing homework, playing games of some sort, walking to class, etc. I want photos of their lives at school, but if they have any, I'd also like to see if I can gather any from their homes. This would provide more juxtaposition; how different/similar are the places? It would also be great if I could get a bit of audio of him or her speaking his/her native language (for a couple of sentences...then he or she would translate)
While I am hoping to inform a newsworthy piece about how the University wants increase the number of international students and increase the diversity, I also want it to be a piece about cultural identity, stereotypes, and eventually present the idea that we are all not that different, even if we are from different ends of the planet.
Right now there are 50 international students at the University of New Hampshire. This number isn't extremely large, but it is growing; UNH hopes to increase the number of students from abroad to 500.
I want to find out the reasoning for this intent to increase; is it to make UNH more worldly? More diverse? Or does money have something to do with it, too?
The will to increase would be the "journalism/newsworthy" connection, but another thing that fascinates me about interviewing the international students is learning about their reasoning for studying in the U.S., particularly in New Hampshire. I'm actually hoping to see if I can find a student from a country that is significant in U.S./World relations right now--perhaps from the Middle East? China? Asia? What does America look like in his or her eyes? Is it different from what he or she expected? What are the expectations of students from the States vs. where he or she is from?
I'd like to get interviews with the Department for International students to get more of the inside story on this development, but I am unsure as to whether I'd like to take the approach and interview many students, or if I'd like to just focus on one or two.
I would like to get footage of them in a kind of natural setting; maybe of them doing homework, playing games of some sort, walking to class, etc. I want photos of their lives at school, but if they have any, I'd also like to see if I can gather any from their homes. This would provide more juxtaposition; how different/similar are the places? It would also be great if I could get a bit of audio of him or her speaking his/her native language (for a couple of sentences...then he or she would translate)
While I am hoping to inform a newsworthy piece about how the University wants increase the number of international students and increase the diversity, I also want it to be a piece about cultural identity, stereotypes, and eventually present the idea that we are all not that different, even if we are from different ends of the planet.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Fall Multimedia Project
I've been thinking a lot about the multimedia project that I would like to pursue for my project this fall. I've had a hard time thinking of topics because I feel that there are a lot of news stories that would not necessarily work well in multimedia. I have, however, come up with a few ideas.
Sports, I think, are topics that are almost always better in multimedia form. Each year the Women's Crew team takes in new rowers and introduces them to the rowing culture. It is during the fall season that the novices actually learn to row, and it it is during this season that I would get the best variety of footage (they will have two races, I can get footage on the water, and I can get footage of them working out). Whether or not I am able to do this particular project is determined on whether or not I can get the coach's approval. This project is journalistically significant because it would introduce a culture that many people do not know about, and it would introduce it while the subjects are being introduced to it. The people who stick with the sport are generally hard-working students, so it would be interesting to film the evolution/introduction of rowing.
I also thought it would be interesting if I could find a story that involves the drama department. These students are trained to tell stories and perform, and so i think they would be great subjects to talk about. I know that I personally overlook the theater department, but there are some incredibly talented theater and voice majors at UNH. In the project I could highlight the students' ambitions, and perhaps learn exactly what it takes to make it big in the entertainment/theater industry after school is through.
I also had the idea of interviewing and telling the stories of international students at UNH. I think the most interesting way to tell this story is to find one person who is willing to let me compose a feature/profile piece on him or her. Why did he or she want to come to UNH? What is it like where he or she is from? Differences? Similarities? Culture shock? What does he or she propose to do with the education he/she earns at UNH? I heard a rumor that UNH is trying to increase the number of international students at UNH, and I might be able to incorporate that into this story as well (why do they want more?).
I'm pretty excited, but I'm nervous, too; multimedia reporting is much more "in your face" than regular reporting.
Sports, I think, are topics that are almost always better in multimedia form. Each year the Women's Crew team takes in new rowers and introduces them to the rowing culture. It is during the fall season that the novices actually learn to row, and it it is during this season that I would get the best variety of footage (they will have two races, I can get footage on the water, and I can get footage of them working out). Whether or not I am able to do this particular project is determined on whether or not I can get the coach's approval. This project is journalistically significant because it would introduce a culture that many people do not know about, and it would introduce it while the subjects are being introduced to it. The people who stick with the sport are generally hard-working students, so it would be interesting to film the evolution/introduction of rowing.
I also thought it would be interesting if I could find a story that involves the drama department. These students are trained to tell stories and perform, and so i think they would be great subjects to talk about. I know that I personally overlook the theater department, but there are some incredibly talented theater and voice majors at UNH. In the project I could highlight the students' ambitions, and perhaps learn exactly what it takes to make it big in the entertainment/theater industry after school is through.
I also had the idea of interviewing and telling the stories of international students at UNH. I think the most interesting way to tell this story is to find one person who is willing to let me compose a feature/profile piece on him or her. Why did he or she want to come to UNH? What is it like where he or she is from? Differences? Similarities? Culture shock? What does he or she propose to do with the education he/she earns at UNH? I heard a rumor that UNH is trying to increase the number of international students at UNH, and I might be able to incorporate that into this story as well (why do they want more?).
I'm pretty excited, but I'm nervous, too; multimedia reporting is much more "in your face" than regular reporting.
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