In-depth features
Most of the following stories are section fronts from The State News, during the spring 2007 semester when I was an entertainment reporter, or during the spring 2008 semester when I was the Faces & Places reporter.
Shall we dance?: Different forms of dance allow students, residents to showcase their moves
The State News’ multimedia reporter and I planned this story weeks in advance and visited three different dance events: a dance theater class, a community contra dance, and a hip-hop team rehearsal. We also met with some of the leaders outside of their practices. Our goal was to find what dance means to different people, and why they do it, and show that while all of these forms are drastically different, it’s still dance. Please watch the video (which actually is made up of hundreds of stills) because I think it adds a lot to the story and it’s one of the coolest multimedia elements we’ve had so far.
Published March 26, 2008, in The State News
Blurring the lines: Drag shows give performers gender-bending opportunity
Definitely the most fun I’ve ever had doing a story for The State News. The photographer and I watched one of the drag performers prepare for a show to watch him transform from an average-looking bald guy to a sexually ambiguous character dressed in neon and glitter. The annual drag show at MSU draws a crowd of more than 1,000 people, but I don’t think many of them know much about the culture of drag performing (I didn’t before I wrote the story).
Published April 19, 2007, in The State News
Staying in tune: Now in its 36th year, Elderly Instruments in Lansing still keeps the music going
Elderly Instruments is an awesome music store in Lansing that’s known all over the world for its huge selection of vintage guitars. I spent a lot of time at the store talking with employees, some who have worked there for 30+ years, along with loyal customers.
Published Feb. 6, 2008, in The State News
Building success: MSU program helps motivate students to succeed during their college years
A coworker at The State News gave me the idea for this story and my experience writing it was extremely rewarding and inspirational. The students involved with the Advantage, which essentially is a college retention program, are so dedicated to keeping students at MSU and it was really hard for me to put into words how amazing this group is.
Published Feb. 27, 2008, in The State News
The day the magazine died: The effects of the complex newsstand industry continue to warp the indie publishing scene as heavy-hitter Punk Planet is forced to close its doors
My editor at Venus Zine asked me to write this story shortly after learning that Punk Planet magazine was releasing its last issue. I always glanced at Punk Planet at the bookstore, but never actually picked it up. As I started researching for this story and reading back issues, I realized that was a big mistake because it was an amazing magazine. I visited founder/co-editor/co-publisher Dan Sinker at the magazine’s office weeks before it closed, and met with co-editor/co-publisher Anne Elizabeth Moore at her Chicago apartment. They’re both great people, but it was really sad interviewing them for this.
Published Sept. 4, 2007, on venuszine.com
Reeling in talent: high school senior focuses on filmmaking early in life
The week I wrote this story was possibly the busiest of my sophomore year at MSU. I planned coverage for the annual East Lansing Film Festival, and for the section front I decided to focus on one of the filmmakers. This took a little bit of prying, as Jacob Mendel, then a senior in high school, was so humble that I had to talk to his high school film adviser to find out about the awards he’s won. Very talented kid — I really hope he makes it in the film biz.
Published March 22, 2007, in The State News
Free verse: Members of the Black Poets Society lend creativity, thoughts to written word
Please check out the multimedia for this! It’s a player with photos and audio of several students’ poems, and it’s really cool.
Published Feb. 20, 2008, in The State News
Take two: New bill aims to bring film industry back to Michigan
At the time I wrote this, it was probably the most extensive reporting I had done for one story. Writing this took a lot of planning, but I was really happy with how it came out.
Published Feb. 1, 2007, in The State News
History in motion: Lansing museum showcases city’s unique automotive past
One of the best things about the Faces & Places beat was that I got to visit a lot of places I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to see on my own, like the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing. I had no idea what a huge impact the auto industry had on Lansing specifically, and there is some pretty awesome stuff in this place. Oh yeah, and I drive an Oldsmobile.
Published Jan. 16, 2008, in The State News
Artful exposure: Students use Web sites, gallery shows, art fairs to promote their work and land land a job after college
Published Feb. 22, 2007, in The State News
Beyond the mat: Practitioners take lessons of yoga into everyday life, going beyond the physical movements learned in class
I used to do yoga all the time (three to five times a week), so I was really excited to write this story, even though it made me miss yoga classes. Ruth, the woman I focused on in the story, was so sweet and reminded me a lot of my yoga teachers at home.
Published Feb. 13, 2008, in The State News
Cleaning up the music industry
This story is pretty much a shortened version of a huge piece I wrote for the environmental reporting class I took in spring 2007. Leave it to me to take a newsy topic (the environment) and somehow relate it to music. This also was my first feature in the print edition of Venus Zine
Published in Venus Zine, issue 32 (Summer 2007)
