#1

I could interview a Brandeis student who is creating a fashion line for her senior thesis. She has her own studio space on campus. Action would involve her working and moving around the studio (sewing, sketching, etc.). I could get her take on fashion in general, her thesis and the fashion scene at Brandeis. I could interview her, her thesis adviser or one of her professors. To link her story with the broader Brandeis community, I could interview random people on campus who have cool style and ask for their views on Brandeis fashion and their personal fashion as well. I could ask her about how she became interested in fashion, if she’s done any internships or jobs in the field, her inspirations, the fashion/arts scene at Brandeis, why she chose this as her thesis and if she’s encountered any hardships throughout the process. I could evoke character through her personal sense of style, her words, her demeanor and her work. I could capture place by shooting at her studio, in her room, possibly at the Rose and around campus. For detail, I could do close-ups of her drawing or sewing or any of the tasks she does in the studio. The emotion would come from her interest in fashion and drive to create a quality thesis and line. I am not sure where the drama would come from. This story is newsworthy because most senior theses or most people’s perceptions of senior theses are eighty-page, boring papers. A fashion line for a senior thesis is very unique, especially here at Brandeis where we don’t have a fashion program or really any fashion-related classes. Anyone on campus who is interested in fashion, design, the arts or maybe even people who aren’t interested in any of those, could find this interesting, because this is a very unconventional senior thesis.

#2

Covering the waste of food in dining halls could be another interesting story. The action would come from students, Sodexo employees and the machines used in dining halls. I could interview Sodexo employees and ask them about what they see behind the scenes and what they do with food that is put on the conveyor belts. I could also interview students and see if there is a general awareness or lack of awareness about wasting food. I would evoke character through the stories of Sodexo employees or a student who is very passionate about reducing dining hall food waste. I would evoke place and detail by shooting close ups of familiar things/tasks in eating spaces around campus and close ups of people wasting food. I could evoke drama by possibly finding some astounding statistics about food waste in dining halls or by someone’s personal story. This is newsworthy because the environment is a hot topic in America at the moment, so narrowing the lens down to the environment and sustainability at Brandeis would make it more relevant because we all are all part of the impact. I think anyone on campus could find this interesting and this could possibly serve as a wake up call to start being more aware of our actions and their consequences.

I am still brainstorming other ideas. Clubs like Brandeis Aviation Club, Brandeis Brewing Society, Deis 3D: Brandeis 3D Printing Club, Brandeis Prostheses Club, Platinum Step Team, Ice Hockey Club, some kind of martial arts club or an artist (I’m thinking more visual arts) could bring some fascinating stories and movement to the table.

Andy Nagy’s Black Jack Davy Show has been airing for the past 40 years on Brandeis’ own radio station, WBRS. Week after week, Nagy continues to make the trek down to Brandeis to share folk music across the airwaves, reaching listeners around the world. Nagy has undoubtedly left an impact and legacy in the Brandeis community and beyond. This slideshow transports viewers into Nagy’s life, his career and the WBRS broadcast booth.

#1

Andy Nagy has hosted The Blackjack Davy Show on WBRS for 40 years. He is a Brandeis alum with a longtime passion for folk music. The Blackjack Davy Show demonstrates his enthusiasm for folk music and his eagerness to share this genre of music with listeners around the world. Nagy’s radio show is definitely one of Brandeis’ hidden gems. I think it would be interesting to explore this hidden gem by interviewing him in his workspace, the WBRS studio. I could then take photos of him in the booth. I envision a close-up of his hands moving the sliding buttons on the sound board. I also envision a close-up of his mouth close to the mic. I picture a horizontal shot from behind Nagy in his chair as well. Or perhaps a close-up of his posture in his seat (like if he has one leg propped up on his other knee or something similar to capture his demeanor). I don’t think I would want to include his face in any of the shots. Although the purpose of covering Nagy is to expose a hidden gem on campus, I think I would like to preserve the mysterious aura around him and his 40-year-old radio show.

#2

Brandeis recently named El Salvador native Luis A. Croquer the new director of the Rose Art Museum. Croquer has lived in numerous countries during his childhood and has worked at several museums and galleries around the world. Since he is new to the Brandeis community, I think it would be enlightening to interview him and see how things are going at the Rose so far and hear his goals for the future of the museum. As I was taking practice shots around the Rose, I drew inspiration from the Rose’s predominantly glass exterior. I think it would be cool to play with the reflective quality of the floor to ceiling glass walls. Croquer could stand in the Foster Stairwell and I could take photos of him from outside of the building. I liked the reflection of the trees on the all glass windows of the stairwell, so I could experiment with those if it’s not too distracting. The Mark Dion: The Undisciplined Collector exhibit is a 1960s inspired corner of the museum. It’s an interactive installation with moody lighting, lots of wood and warm tones. It might be cool to shoot him sitting on the couch from eye-level or a low angle. We could use the collector items to our advantage in a few shots too. Otherwise, the Lois Foster Gallery is in the process of an exhibition change. There are a few empty tables, a couple of boxes and some other moving materials scattered around the spacious Lois Foster Gallery. It might be interesting to take shots of him standing alone in the unfinished gallery, while I take the photos from above on the balcony, making him look isolated yet pensive.

Hi everyone, my name is Katie Decker-Jacoby and I am a junior studying American Studies and Journalism. I can’t wait to study abroad in Copenhagen this spring, but for now, I am excited to chronicle my time in EL 13A through this blog. I’ve experienced the writing side of journalism in my Brandeis classes and at The Hoot, but have never dealt with the photography, video, audio aspect of journalism. However, when I am writing articles, I tend to gravitate towards arts and culture topics. I am guessing my creations in this class will follow those interests, but I am also eager to potentially broaden my horizons.

In terms of on-campus leads, The Hoot printed an article about how Brandeis ranked 10th in the “Least Beautiful Campus” list, according to The Princeton Review’s 2018 edition of “The Best 382 Colleges.” It might be interesting to capture Brandeis’ unseen or understated beauty, proving The Princeton Review’s ranking inaccurate. Brandeis’ campus may not have the architectural flair of Claremont McKenna College or University of California, San Diego, but it sure does have its moments of beauty.

One upcoming on-campus event that would be great to cover is the Rose Art Museum’s fall exhibition opening, which takes place this Thursday, September 7. The Rose has such a vast, diverse, vibrant collection, I’d be interested in photographing this fall’s exciting lineup and how this opening brings community members from all over to appreciate art together.

It would also be worth it to visually document the demolition of the Usen Castle and the construction of the new building. A series of photographs or a video could outline the project’s progress and the evolution of this dying historical landmark.

In regards to an off-campus story lead, one local event that could be covered is the weekly Waltham Farmer’s Market. A host of local vendors sells their own products at this function and documenting a Saturday at the market could make community members more aware of the environmental and financial importance of supporting local vendors.

I am excited to see how this class will open my eyes to happenings around campus, Waltham, Boston and the world in general, using technology that I am quite unfamiliar with, but excited to master.