final project ideas

There is a transgender student living across the street from me who I see at the bus stop sometimes. I think a biography on her would be amazing. I'd want to find out what it's like being transgendered in small-town New Hampshire, what her childhood/family life is like, what school is like, what her friends have to say, etc, just because I can't imagine it's ever been easy, especially living here. She dresses very feminine but in a stylistically interesting way, not just like any other girl, and I think a lot could be added to the story with visuals. A lot of what being transgendered involves is basically what you look like and how you carry yourself, and photos or video would capture that essential part of her story. I think this bio would be the most journalistically significant story I've ever covered. There's not much diversity out here, and even the smallest differntiation is ridiculed, I can't imagine how hard it must be to be her. People should know how brave she is, and maybe her story would show some of the issues with diversity here and how people who are different are still really cool people.

So that's my one awesome idea. I would LOVE to do it, but it'd be tricky to approach her.

I wrote an article last year about sexual violence on campus and found out that it's much more prevalent than one would think. I haven't thought much about this idea, but it would be interesting to try to do something along those lines. I think the audio could be really great, like interviews of women who have been targeted, but visuals would be really tough. I don't know how I would get that, other than just a face shot or video of them talking (which most women probably wouldn't want). I think it's an important issue that doesn't get talked enough about on campus though; I just don't know if a multimedia project is the best way. If done well, it could be even more powerful than a written story.

Out of personal interest, I'd like to do some sort of story on veterans at UNH, or maybe at college in general. What it's like to be coming from combat into college, how they're treated by peers, what problems they have, how well government help is working, etc. Basically covering the transition. It'd be cool to contrast them with ROTC cadets who are going the opposite direction. The audio would be great, but again pictures might be hard. Obviously I couldn't get any of them in combat, so that would be sorely missing. I'm afraid it would just end up being them on campus doing normal things, and there really isn't anything compelling about someone eating at Hoco. But I'll keep thinking about what visually I could do for this story. This is journalistically important because it's a national issue that really isn't being covered well (I think). UNH students seem to have absolutely zero idea about veterans and what it's like for them, and I bet it's tougher than we think, and more pressing than we think.