Capstone Course sets ambitious goals

NAACP march in Milwaukee, 1968. (Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee archives, March on Milwaukee, Civil History Project)

Despite any shady "look" that Professor Lowe may or not throw at students when they walk into a classroom too close to the time that the class is intended to start, I felt nothing but good vibes as I took my seat among a rockstar group of students for our first day of our journalism capstone course.

Looking around at familiar faces and other faces that I have heard nothing but good things about, I felt optimistic about what we would be able to accomplish together over the course of the next few months. When we learned a little more about what the semester would consist of, the positive energy in the room only seemed to increase. I was thrilled to hear that we would be taking it upon ourselves, with the help of an online course, to become better at using data to tell stories in a visual and/or interactive way. No matter how each of us plans to use storytelling going forward in our lives, data visualization will only continue to play a more and more important role. The potential subject of our work was also greeted with a warm welcome. The 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Marches in Milwaukee is a historic landmark that is deserving of every ounce of attention it receives over the next year or so. I am fascinated by the stories of the marches and the way that housing policy has shaped this city I call home and am excited to work to make information about the significance of these events more accessible and interesting to the average Milwaukeean. Also, Fr. James Groppi is one of my absolute all time heroes, so any excuse I have to learn more about him is an always appreciated opportunity. (And yes, Professor Lowe, it will also be cool to win a trophy.)

In order to embrace this challenge and to hold ourselves and each other accountable to the kind of growth we would like to see and high quality pieces we are expecting to produce in this capstone, we took an honest look at our perceived strengths and weaknesses during the first class period and discussed them with each other. 

Strengths:

• Conducting a good interview: My favorite part of journalism is getting to meet and talk with incredible people I otherwise would not have had the chance to meet or engage with. I get a rush from interviewing that I don't feel in any other setting. People are exciting and cool, and learning more about them so I can be a part of sharing their story is something I think I'm pretty good at. 
  • Example: Precious Lives: ‘Griot’ makes history hit home at school touched by violence

• Crafting a powerful narrative: I love writing features and telling personal stories that highlight the human aspect and impact of events. I think I can make a story flow pretty well, tying the news items with the personalities I include. I also think I have the ability to develop characters well in my pieces.
  • Example: Breaking bread and bridging divides

• Developing a strong story angle and story ideas: My active involvement in the Milwaukee community as well as my interdisciplinary international affairs degree gives me the perspective of being able to look at people, things, and events in wider contexts, make connections, and see what aspects of the story are most inter
  • Example: Youth Rise MKE

Weaknesses:

• Data visualization: I am excited to better harness my ability to use data to add impact to my stories. 
  • Example: A crime hidden in plain sight

• Video: I have basic amateur video editing skills, but I would love to improve on those so that my videos are more streamlined and less rough around the edges.
  • Example: A crime hidden in plain sight

• Self-editing: I consistently struggle with cutting my word count to the extent that editors are looking for, and as I delve deeper into the freelancing space, this is a skill I need to execute better.
  • Example: A crime hidden in plain sight

I can't wait to see the ways that we improve and the awesome projects we will create.