Journalism: A Deeper Look

I read on Al’s Morning Meeting about an article published in the Wall Street Journal outlining a new study that found that daylight savings time actually increases energy usage. The WSJ reported: “[Researchers] conclude that the reduced cost of lighting in afternoons during daylight-saving time is more than offset by the higher air-conditioning costs on hot afternoons and increased heating costs on cool mornings.” Another study conducted in 2007 by economists Hendrik Wolff and Ryan Kellogg said the same thing.

It’d be interesting to explore this idea, especially on campus where the Office of Sustainability is trying to become more prominent. I’d talk to Dedee DeLongpré, director, about this new information. How would they try to combat it? Is this the first time they’ve heard anything negative related to daylight savings? What can students do to help offset the increase of energy use? Do they plan on making this issue more prominent on campus?

I’d also like to talk to UF students about daylight savings. I know we all dread the “spring forward” aspect because we lose an hour of sleep, but what do students really think of it? Does the fact that it was originally designed to save money sort of clash with the fact that it really doesn’t?

Another good place to look for an interview would be GRU. I’d want to ask them about energy usage right after daylight savings time (March 9) in comparison to the days and months before it. Maybe they could give me an average usage for an average home in Gainesville. I’d see if they could try and calculate what an average bill would be if there were no daylight savings, or I would just do it on my own with the information given to me.

For the online aspect, I’d make a chart with the information gathered from GRU. I’d also interview students who live in apartments and houses to see if they would give me an average GRU bill for all 12 months to see how it pans out. I’d have a special section with audio, including interviews with Dedee and a GRU representative. I’d also have interactive graphics on the chart when your mouse rolled over certain spots that would show what you could be paying if there was no daylight savings. I’d also have a special section devoted to the history of daylight savings and why Benjamin Franklin’s idea started in the first place. I’d possibly have a timeline of important facts pertaining to the history.

Since this week’s announcement that Fidel Castro is stepping down as president of Cuba, tension between the country and the United States could be eased a little bit. When, and if, the US embargo is lifted, many tourism professionals speculate that cruise lines will be knocking down the doors of Cubans to make the small Caribbean island a future destination. Because of the lack of quality hotels, cruises lines would be able to bank off of their luxury ships.

To make this more a localized story, I would bring in the Spring Break angle. Many UF students are planning to go on week-long cruises, and I’d be curious to see just how many would consider Cuba as a destination they’d like to visit. Would they have any hesitation about visiting Cuba? Does it all stem from a dislike of Castro? If for some reason the embargo was lifted and cruises changed their destination packages, would any of the students consider changing their plans?

I’d also ask the agents at STA Travel in the Reitz Union about this topic. Their phone number is 338-0068. If cruises to Cuba were added to major chains like Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean, would they see an increase in interest for the destination? What kinds of traffic to they see to visit Cuba regardless? What sorts of hesitations have they noticed when it comes to Cuban travel?

I’d also talk to an expert on the political background of why Cuba and the United States have had such turmoil in the first place. One professor I’d like to interview is Stephen Craig, who is an expert on American politics. I’d also confer with Dennis Jett because he’s familiar with U.S. foreign policy and international relations, specifically Latin America.

Online I’d feature this story broken up. I’d have a student section and then interviews of the professional angle. Some graphics might include a timeline of Castro’s reign in Cuba and its declining political stance with the United States. I’d also have a graphic of a chart highlighting the past 20 years of American travel to Cuba and how they traveled and where they stayed specifically. I’d also have some audio clips of one of the professors outlining the potential significance of Castro’s resignation.

Since it’s been announced that Elton John is going to play a show at the O’Dome on March 16, there has been a lot of talk about it. I’m curious to know if all those people who bought tickets to the last concert, and didn’t get reimbursed, are going to buy another ticket. The cheapest ticket is $48 – a lot of money for a college student. Will the fact that Elton John is such a mega-star outweigh the last cancellation?

I think I’d do this mainly as an online piece so I could open up a discussion board about it. I’d want people to be able to spout off about their experience or offer a different point of view. I could highlight three or four people and give a special page to each of their opinions. Each page would have an audio clip of a quote from the person and would allow readers to post comments directly to the page. I’d have a clip of Elton John’s last performance at the O’Dome, if available, or have a video clip of him doing a show. I’d also have a link to Ticketmaster’s Web site so people can buy tickets if they want to. The color scheme would be flashy and bright.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. I’d like to run a story about what’s going on around Gainesville and include some interesting facts that people may or may not know about the holiday. The National Retail Federation does surveys every year about how much men spend on Valentine’s gifts compared to women. I’d interview local florists and chocolate shops in town to see what kind of clientele they typically see, what sex is more likely to wait until the last minute to shop, and what kinds of things they generally sell.

The Florida Museum of Natural History is hosting its “Science of Love” exhibit once again this year. It might be interesting to include some information about what’s going on at the museum and some history of the mating rituals of mammals, since that’s what we all are.

UF is also participating in the festivities by hosting a speed dating event at the Orange and Brew. I know the Reitz Union Board has done this type of event before and I want to know how successful it is. How many people actually participate? Have there been any interesting “love” stories that have come out of it? The event takes place on Feb. 13, so I’d run photos from the speed dating on my online piece. I might even list some dating and relationship tips for people who might be going out for the first time with their valentines.

Online I would also have an interactive chart for the spending of men and women from the past five or 10 years so readers can see how much it has or hasn’t changed.

February 1 kicked off the start of “The Biggest Saver: Battle of the Halls Energy Challenge” in UF dorms across campus. The challenge will last until March 10. The winning dorm will receive a celebration in honor of the achievement and students will get free shirts. I would like to do a story on this to try and get awareness about what UF is doing to cut back on energy consumption.

It seems UF student Claire Long is in charge of the event. It’s co-sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, UF Department of Housing and Residence Education, and Gators for a Sustainable Campus. They’ve created a Web site especially for the event. The site has copies of posters that anyone can print out and post on campus, a complete bulletin board kit and an official Office of Sustainability letter to send out to sponsors asking for help. http://thebiggestsaveruf.googlepages.com/

I’d want to know how each dorm is planning on getting resident awareness at its highest. What are they planning? Will they be tracking the energy usage in a common area? How many people have already signed up on the Facebook group to participate? I’d also talk to some residents at different dorms to get an idea how they plan to participate. I’d also want to talk to Claire Long to better understand why this event started. I’d then contact the Office of Sustainability to get more information and some quotes from DeDee DeLongpre about what the office is trying to accomplish with this event. Do they have a goal in mind about how much energy they’d like to save by March 10?

For the online aspect, I’d have a graph that automatically updates the energy consumption for each of the dorms so people could see who is in the lead. I’d also have tips on how to cut back energy usage and a link to the Office of Sustainability Web site. For the artwork, I might want a short video clip of what UF is doing elsewhere on campus to help save the environment.

Since the Super Bowl is quickly approaching, I think I’d like to do a story about what’s going on around town and what people are planning to do for the game.

I read in the Gator Times that UF is hosting an all-you-can-eat Super Bowl party for students from 5-8pm at the Fresh Food Company in Broward Dining Hall. The buffet with feature BBQ ribs, wings, subs, nachos and more, and students can pay with their campus meal plan or with $7.75 cash. For the article, I’d talk to the person who is in charge of putting together this party. How many students will they be expecting? Have they done a Super Bowl party in the past, and if so, how successful has it been?

I also heard on the radio that Gainesville Ale House is planning a Super Bowl party as well. You can reserve tables or seats, starting at $50 a person, and have access to an open bar and all-you-can-eat buffet. I talked to the manager who said there will be food like hoagies, prime rib, wings, and desserts. They’ll also be featuring an ice sculpture. The Ale House part starts at 5pm and goes until the end of the game. For the article, I’d get more quotes from the manager about how long they’ve been putting this Super Bowl party on. I’d also see if I could get the name of a person who has been before and has perhaps reserved seats for this year’s party.

Another aspect of this article would feature stories about students who are just planning on staying home with a few friends, maybe some students who actually have tickets for the game, or even students who aren’t planning on watching the game at all. I’d check Facebook for people who have posting about the Super Bowl to get an idea of what they are doing for the game.

As for online, I’d run this article broken up into sections so that it’s easier for readers to digest the information. I’d also have a brief run-down of the Giants and Patriots’ season, list when the game starts and possibly link to www.nfl.com/superbowl so people can get more information on their own. I’d have lots of artwork, including past photos of the Ale House’s party, the prep work going on at Fresh Food Company, and maybe a shot of the student who was interviewed for the article. The online article could also have a place for readers to leave comments about their thoughts on the game and what their plans are.

My neighbor and I struck up a conversation at the dog park the other day. It turns out his sister and brother-in-law started a non-profit called Dreams of a Lifetime. The whole concept behind the organization parallels to that of Make a Wish, but this particular one grants wishes to cancer patients who are 18 years old or older. Both of his parents died of cancer when he was younger, and since then, his brother-in-law quit his job to pursue the Dreams of a Lifetime cause.

Last year, T.J., a 21-year-old former college football player from St. Augustine, wanted a chance to meet Urban Meyer and some of the Gator football players and make it to New York City to see the lighting of the tree in Rockefeller Center. T.J. had been diagnosed with brain cancer while his wife was pregnant with their first child. Dreams of a Lifetime was not only able to make that meeting and trip happen, but they also gave him a chance to practice with the players. My neighbor said that the man’s story impacted Meyer so much so that, when he passed away shortly after their meeting, Meyer drove to St. Augustine for his funeral.

I’d like to learn more about this organization and what they are planning on for the future. It might be a great feature article piece for the person they are trying to make a dream come true for next.

I’d talk to Jason and Allison Carilli, who are in charge of the whole operation, to figure out more about their purpose with Dreams of Lifetime, what wishes they are trying to grant next and how they look to get more people involved. I know they put their organization up on Facebook as part of an effort to get people to donate to their cause. I would see how effective this campaign is and what they hope to accomplish from reaching out to a younger crowd.

I’d also contact some of the families of people who were previously granted a dream and how this type of thing may have affected them during their illness. I’d also try to get information on people who are in the process of getting their wishes granted.

It might be a touchy subject to talk with some about, but the whole concept of the idea is great. It would be a feel-good feature story about people who are doing something great with their lives to help out others who aren’t as fortunate in doing something they never thought possible.

I recently read that a 22-year-old building entrepreneur has created a program called Size Me Up to help shoppers find that perfect fit every time. Because there isn’t a uniform sizing chart for all retailers, Melissa Aldeman has convinced nearly 40 major retailers to put the program on their Web sites. The program will automatically convert a person’s size from one retailer’s sizing chart to another.

This is more of a local story for the Gainesville area, but it seems like an interesting concept. I’d talk to some of the major retail shops in the Oaks Mall to see if they are planning to use this software. I’d also try to get an idea of how this Size Me Up program might impact the large amounts of returns they see following the holidays. I’d interview women and men on campus and in town to see how they feel about the idea and whether or not they’d be more likely to buy clothing online if they knew there was a trusty program that could guarantee a good fit no matter what the brand, style or cut of the article of clothing.

I would also talk to marketing or advertising professor at UF to see how they think this type of program might influence sales of online merchandise.