OK...I Think I've Got Something Here...

It seems as if I finally have a topic worth writing about! Last class, Professor Lieb and I were talking about my progress (or lack thereof) in finding a suitable topic to research. As I mentioned in my last blog, we were leaning toward volunteer workers, though I didn't know of anything interesting offhand. Professor Lieb pointed me in a unique direction...Single Volunteers, Inc. I had never heard of such a group, but after researching it a bit found it to be a fascinating and quite original idea. We've all seen the commercials for chatlines and dating services, but most are geared toward one-night-stands and mindless sexual encounters. There are legit dating services out there (I'd imagine), but I've never seen anything like this. Singles meet-up and volunteer all over the nation, helping others while at the same time hoping to find that special someone. Maryland has two chapters listed, one in Baltimore/Annapolis and another in the Washington D.C. Metro Area. I think this organization has a lot of promise for a great project. I'd love to include all the various locales that they volunteer at, as well as find out if anyone has joined under false pretenses (i.e. married, engaged, or in a relationship). It would be really cool to show some of the success stories (couples that found each other on the site), as well as show the people that these volunteers have helped. My only problem may be in finding contacts to interview, but I'll speak with Professor Lieb in class tomorrow to see what my options are...keep your fingers crossed!

I'm falling behind...Help!

In our third blog we're supposed to be writing about our project and how we plan to research it. Unfortunately, I may be the only one in the class who has no idea what to do. Digital Publishing was much easier: we submitted an idea/topic and were told to proceed. I've had a lot of different ideas about what I'd like to research, but most are interesting only to me and not to the rest of the population. My top idea was to attend tryouts for the Perry Hall High School Boy's Varsity baseball team, and follow the team throughout the season, interviewing players, parents, and coaches. I also thought about a story on automobile mechanics or body shop workers. My latest ideas included a story on those in Alcoholics Anonymous as well as a feature story on the homeless in Baltimore City and County. Professor Lieb pointed out the privacy issues that come along with these topics, and suggested going to the opposite end of the spectrum and researching those who do volunteer work themselves. I personally don'tknow anyone who volunteers their time to help others, but it seems like a good story. So that's where I'm at...if anyone is reading these blogs and has any ideas or suggestions for me please leave a comment! Thanks!

Ira Glass tells a good story...on storytelling...

For our second blog we were assigned to watch a few videos on YouTube and give our reaction...a very tough assignment! Believe it or not, I'm not familiar with Ira Glass; I've heard the name before but never have really known who he is. I still don't, but now I know a bit more about him and his ideas.
I was pretty impressed after viewing the videos. I commend our professor for picking these clips; I think we all know what he's looking for and expects from us now. I'm still up in the air when it comes to the topic of my project, but after viewing the videos I feel like I can narrow the topics down and try to tell the most compelling and interesting story possible.
In the first clip, I learned that there are two main components to telling a good story: keep the audience interested and have a great ending...nothing's worse than a dull story with a great point or a great story with a crappy ending!
The second clip reassured me that it is HARD to find a great story...it takes time. Unfortunately, time is not on my side right now; three ideas are due in a few hours. Hopefully, something will come to me quickly!
In part three, this problem is answered by the advice of working on a deadline...exactly what we're doing in class! This was my favorite clip; I loved it when Ira made fun of his own writing and on-air reporting. Hilarious! If you click on only one link, this should be the one.
Finally, the fourth clip gives us advice on common problems people experience when trying to create a package. Ironically, my broadcasting teacher taught us that we HAD to learn how to talk in "TV Talk," where Ira says just to talk normally and to be yourself. Perhaps it's a fine line...
Either way, I really enjoyed the videos and thought they can really help me create a good story. I imagine I will come back to them frequently to assess my progress throughout the semester.

New Semester, New Class...Same Blog!

Well, this is it...my final semester at Towson. For those of you checking this blog to read about my Chihuahua (both of you), scroll down. For the remainder of this semester, this blog will switch to a brand-new topic...one that I haven't come-up with as of yet. Until then, I'll be posting interesting homework assignments on this site...enjoy!

Our first assignment was to review an article and its' accompanying multimedia package and tell how the package enhanced the written story. I chose to read a local story from The Sun about a German bakery http://pages.towson.edu/lieb/MCOM407/germanbakery.doc. At first I thought the story would be pretty dull, but after reading it I found it to be quite interesting. The article was well-written and descriptive, but it begged for pictures and sound to complete it. I wanted to see this man playing his accordian. I wanted to see the restaurant, and the various patrons singing and dancing on Thursdays. Although I found reading some of the German words and phrases a bit confusing, there's nothing confusing about the multimedia package. Well, maybe one thing...I thought they could've varied the pictures just a bit more than they did. Although I did request for the opportunity to see Alfred Zeller play his accordian, I didn't need to see it a dozen times. I would've liked a bit more variety. But I did like how the pictures put you into the story...you're there, in the restaurant, listening to the music and seeing the people that you just read about. Insead of just imagining what this scene might look like on a German Thursday, you're there, watching it. Overall, I found the multimedia package Baltimore Sun German Bakery slideshow complemented the newspaper article well.