KubanKlass: Preparing for Big Story

An assignment for Multimedia Reporting class with Adam J. Kuban, Ball State University
by Marsha Imaniara | Friday, 28 June 2013


Picture source: http://www.kensingtonacademy.com/english-courses/exam-preperation-courses/

MUNCIE, Indiana - Americans will celebrate their Independence Day in just a couple of days. As the Fourth of July approaches, so does our final assignment to cover the big story.

When preparing for such a big story project, there are a number of things that I would prepare to get ready.

First, is to do "the homework". I personally think that it is very important to be knowledgeable about the event we are about to cover. Therefore, a preliminary research is required. Yesterday, I started to try and find more details about the Fourth of July and its history. I also did an additional research about sample stories on Fourth of July celebration. This preliminary research gave me a pretty clear picture of what to write and what angle I should take to make my story fresh and not cliché. I acquired information that would help me structure good questions later. The "good questions" should not revolve around trivial or widely known facts, because I would have known about them already.

Then, it is time to structure my questions. I will first list all the questions that I want and need to know the answer to through the interviews. After that, I will arrange the questions into sequence that I deem suitable to build the story. The sequence will not be a fixed one though, it will still give me room to re-organize and add follow-up questions when needed.

Third of all, I will practice to master my interviewing skill! As awkward as it will be, in-front-of-the-mirror practice is one of the items that are on my checklist. When possible, I will also have joint practice with my other SUSI friends. This will at least prepare me to interact with people comfortably and to react naturally to whatever may come.

And finally, a technical preparation will be in order. Since the audio equipment is pretty new to me, I will practice to get used to the equipment in the field. I will also do last-minute check-ups to make sure that it is up and ready to go.

And that's it! That is what I will do to prepare to cover big stories such as the Fourth of July celebration. Just remember, preparation matters.

As Benjamin Franklin put it, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

Thoughts for Food: A Visit to Second Harvest

by Marsha Imaniara | Thursday, 27 June 2013

"When you experience that... that can change your life."

-Tim Kean (President&CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank, Central East Indiana)

MUNCIE, Indiana - It was just another day in the sequence of SUSI (Study of US Institute) program. Except it was not. This Thursday (6/27), a group of SUSI students from Indonesia and Malaysia had the opportunity to experience yet another significant part of American culture: volunteering. The group visited Second Harvest Food Bank, in Muncie, Central East Indiana. They collect food products that are about to be thrown away to distribute to those in need. The organization began its service 30 years ago and it has continued ever since to provide "a coordinated approach to alleviating hunger in East Central Indiana".

The President and CEO, Tim Kean welcomed the visiting students with a little get-to-know Second Harvest. The group warmed up as they had glimpses into how strong the sense of volunteering is in America. In East Central Indiana alone, there are about 72,000 people who struggle with hunger. Through a number of programs such as Tailgate Program, which is a direct distribution program with mobile food pantry, Second Harvest helps them to fight hunger.

"When you give food into the hand of those who can't put the food on their table... it shifts the whole perspective," said Kean during a question and answer session.

For Kean, who made his way into the cause from his initial job in the grocery business, the act of volunteering impacts people who have had the chance to work with Second Harvest. "It's very meaningful," he said.

Alleviating hunger, however, is no easy business. There is the concern that, among other, people who don't really need the food will take advantage of it. To this situation, Second Harvest takes the approach of "no screening, no barrier". They rely on the fact that the process to get food from them will probably take several hours. And as Kean put it, "If someone is willing to stand in line for hours, they probably really need the food." They decided to focus on the 98% who really need the food than the 2% who would just take advantage of their effort.

Another concern is related to nutrition issues. When people hear about this kind of effort, one of the first questions that will pop into their mind is probably, "Is the food healthy?" Kelvin, one of the visiting SUSI students wondered during the session if the food given would instead contribute to the problem of obesity. Fortunately, there is a reassuring answer to this question. Although they initially had difficulties providing healthy food, with the policy change in some of their sources such as Walmart it becomes easier to get fresh products and healthier food.

The students then got to prove the statement as they moved on into the warehouse. Inside the big building, one could see shelves of fresh products that were actually good in quality. They then helped packaging some of the fresh products and putting labels onto some food cans. They had the opportunity to interact with other volunteers and get a taste of the real "American volunteering".

During session, the group also had a discussion over whether this kind of effort will create dependency instead. That people would just wait for others to feed them.

"At what point at helping someone, do they stop trying? That's a hard question," Kean admitted.

For him, he can only hoped that people would want to be self-supporting instead of depending on other people for their whole lives. This one hope further fuels Second Harvest and what they believe in.

"If we can better people that way," said Joe Fox, the Operations & Volunteers staff at the Second Harvest, "People feel good about themselves... maybe they'll get a job that way."

After their work that day, the students claimed that it was such a humbling experience for all of them.

Indeed, as Keane, the CEO himself said before he left, "When you experience that... that can change your life."


For more info on the organization, watch the video below or visit Second Harvest Food Bank official website.