Story Ideas

"Halloween on UNCP campus"

One story idea I had was to feature different halloween festivities going on at UNCP. I know the art department on campus is having a halloween party. I would want to find out about other ways students and organizations celebrate Halloween on campus.

I would need to attend some of the events. I would want to get quotes from students on what Halloween means to them and what their favorite aspect about Halloween is.

The intended audience for this story would be campus students who want to know what went on during Halloween around campus. It would also be for the faculty and the surrounding community members.

"Zombie Walk: A Fayettville Tradition"

This year is Fayettville's third annual zombie walk. People all dress up as the most creative zombie they can think of and  roam downtown fayettville. I think it would make a good story to focus on the event and why people come out in droves for it.

I would interview the event coordinators and some of the attendees. I would ask why are zombies soo appealing? What do you think this event means to the city?

I think the audience for this story would be the locals of Fayettville. I also think horror movie fans would be interested in it as well.

"Technology's effect on families"
We are consumed with technology that are media consuming devices. What effect does this have on the family unit now that the youngest of children are growing up in the soon to be tablet world?  This is something I would do as an extensive piece if I worked for a technology magazine.

I would want to find at least three couples with children that are consumed by technology. I would want to know what effect it has had on the children. Bad grades? mood changes? I would also ask if anything positive has come from it.

I think the intended audience for this is the modern family. With tablets and smartphones being commercialized to us everyday the modern family unit is now a part of the growing media consuming technology trend. I think they would want to know how this trend is effecting other families like them.


"Visiting artist sculptures on display in A.D. Gallery"

Visiting artist, Mel Kendrick, came to UNCP to show off his sculptures to the art department. I think doing a feature around him and his pieces would be cool. I would want to focus on what kind of artist he is and why he is showing the pieces he decided to show.

I would want to ask him about the process and what his inspiration was. I would also want to include a little background information on him as well.

The intended audience would be UNCP art students and aspiring artists/sculptures.



"Student creates eye catching new sculpture"

I wanted to do a feature on a friend of mine that created this really eye catching mario sculpture that is now out in front of the art building. I wanted to focus mainly on him and the process it took to make it.

I would interview him and ask him about the process. I also want to know what kind of artist he wants to become? What was his purpose for choosing mario as inspiration for the piece? What is his favorite aspect of  doing scultpure?

The intended audience for this would be UNCP stundents and aspiring artists.


"National Coming Out Day"
Another story idea would be for National Coming Out Day. This day is used to celebrate the act of coming out as either gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender and learning to self-acceptance. I think it would be nice to focus on maybe the Sexuality And Gender Alliance Club on campus and see how they are celebrating the day.

I would want to interview some of the members from SAGA. I would mainly what to ask what does coming out mean to you? I would research the history and background of the day. Then I would move into the focus on what the group is doing and how they are helping other students on campus come to terms with coming out.

I think the target audience here would be the LGBT students and faculty.


"Professors and their past"

I was thinking it would be cool to have a story about professors and any past odd jobs they may of had. I would just want to find a few teachers to focus on. I have heard of teachers playing in rock bands and being on kids television shows so I think it would make a great feature.

I would start researching it by first asking the students in my feature writing class about their professors to find out about their past jobs. I would then narrow it down to a few professors to interview. I would want to know how they came to be in that job and what their experience was like at the job.

I think the story would have an audience in campus professors and students. I also think local community members may find it to be interesting as well.


"Freshman: The college experience"

This is something I think would take extensive research and interviewing. I want it to be a story focusing on college freshman and their first semester at college. I would want it to focus on a select few freshman that would share their experiences, hardships, and joys of their first semester away from home.

I would want to find at least three students about to enter college who would be willing to be checked up on periodically throughout one semester. I would want them to give me updates on how the classes are, how the social life is, and what they like/dislike about it. I would want the piece to give insight into what it's really like for modern day teens that enter college as a freshman.

I think the target audience would be teens in high school about to enter college. I think it would give them insight into what to possibly expect when they enter college.

"Unnecessary ticketing"
This one could be a little controversial to do, but it is a good idea. A lot of students have complained to me about being ticketed unnecessarily by campus police right before registration. It sounds like a conspiracy theory against the campus police, but their may be truth in it.

I would want to find out how many tickets were given out a couple weeks prior to registration and what were they for. If their is a large amount that seem to be for ridiculous or minuscule things their may be a story, if not then their isn't. I would want to be careful to not make extreme accusations against campus police, but more to present facts and just question why that would happen.

The main target audience for this piece would be UNCP students.