POYNTER COLLEGE FELLOWSHIP 2010 (#pcf10)
I made one of the best decisions of my life applying for the Poynter
College Fellowship. I was excited when I was accepted to the fellowship,
but not quite as excited beginning it as I was after it was over. I spent
two weeks (May 16-28, 2010) at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg,
Fla learning just about all-things-journalism. As a graphic artist, I'm used
to sitting behind a computer for most of my day, maybe researching for a
graphic, and on the occasion calling up an expert source for information for
a graphic. I'm not used to going out on a beat or just walking up to
strangers and getting them to tell me their story.
At Poynter though, the playing field was leveled. Everyone was a
"journalist" and everyone was expected to find a story in St. Pete, in
addition to attending daily workshops. It was intense, and for me, the
one who's used to sitting behind a computer, kind of stressful, especially
with a lot of the kids used to reporting. The great thing was though that
it wasn't a competition. I made so many great friends, 31 to be exact, and
each one was excited to teach the other their tricks.
So I picked up a camera and a merantz. Two things I have rarely used.
Every day I passed by a house while taking my friends out to work on
their stories and took note of something that caught my interest. My
observations quickly turned into my story. Each afternoon I would see
these kids out dancing in their front yard. They were carefree and enjoying
themselves, not minding the many cars that passed by the corner house
each day. One afternoon, it took all the guts in me to park in the drive way,
walk up to the porch and introduce myself.
I wanted to capture this slice of life as though you were one of those
people passing by the house everyday on the way home from work. Had you
taken the time to stop, pull up in the driveway and sit with them for an
afternoon, this is what you'd learn:
