Pitch Story No.1:
According to the school newspaper, the Justice, workers there have to work for hours without taking a break. Huge lines are in both upper and lower Usdan dinning hall every day during lunchtime. Therefore, Brandeis Sodexo employees are protesting scheduling cuts and poor labor conditions. The union steward would be the best option for my interview. I will ask about his or her experience as a worker at Brandeis, his or her opinion about current problem and his or her solution. If possible, I would also want to interview someone with the management team to see how he or she wants to solve the problem. I will take pictures of the endless lines during prime lunchtime, the workers hurriedly working and maybe some over-the-shoulder shots of what they are working on. I think this is an important issue that relates to the daily life of Brandeis community and I would like to follow up on that.
Pitch Story No.2:
After President Trump released the ban on the entry of refugees and people from seven predominantly Muslim countries, I talked to several of my friends who are Muslims or refugees. Some of them went to the protest on Copley Square last Sunday and some feel that the ban is unfair and offended. One of them actually came to the U.S. as a refugee identity about ten years ago. Now she has genuinely feel sympathy for those who are banned from coming to the US in the following months. I would like to talk to her and ask about her experience when she first came to America, if her thoughts have changed over time, and her opinion on the ban. I will try to dig into her perspective as both a Muslim woman and a college student in the United States. If I continue perusing this story, I will take photos of her having a good time with her American friends and some pictures of her and her family, since they live in South Boston, which is not that far away. If possible, I will also ask if their family have any photo of their first arrival in the U.S.
Hi Candice,
I think both of these topics are promising.
Remember that you should aim to reveal aspects of your interview subject’s character. If you choose to pursue the Sodexo topic, what kinds of questions might you ask either the union steward or the manager that might give you a good sense of their character? Try to get them to tell a story about their experiences that relates to the current crisis, so that you’ll have options for shaping a timeline and creating some drama. You may also want to ask some questions about their experiences before they arrived at Brandeis. Their answers to these questions may give you more ideas for photos to support your story.
Your second pitch needs more fleshing out. Though it’s a timely subject considering the recent travel ban, you haven’t really hit on a story yet. You may want to do some further research about the Muslim student you plan to interview, so that you can come up with a good framework for your interview questions. Since you know her this “research” could be as simple as an informal chat with her, or an e-mail to her, before you do the interview.
Thank you Mark! I will think about your comments 🙂