April 28, 2022
The Program in Journalism held its fourth annual Senior Colloquium on April 28, 2022. Ten seniors pursuing the certificate in journalism presented a piece of journalism they have created based on field reporting, or that explores the challenges and opportunities facing contemporary journalism.
The colloquium offered the seniors experience in presenting and gaining valuable feedback on their work. The brief presentations were followed by responses from faculty and distinguished journalists.
SCHEDULE
9:00 a.m. — Opening remarks and introductions
9:15 a.m. — Session I
Julia Campbell
A Profile of Howard Sutphin: The Omelet Man
Arman Badrei
The Kids on the Right – Through the political career of one of the youngest elected officials in the state and a youth conference bringing in high-powered voices to teach kids how to beat the left, a look at the state of conservatism within Gen Z in Texas
Francesca Block
The Son of the Thibodaux Grocer: A Story of Southern Jewish Identity
Shannon Chaffers
Redevelopment without displacement: The fight against gentrification in one Boston neighborhood
Rebecca Han
Taking things into their own hands: where traditional news outlets decline, student journalists step in
10:30 a.m. — Break
10:40 p.m. — Session II
Marissa Michaels
The Women Who Make it Work
Rhea Park
More Than a Month, More Than a Medal – Asian American and Pacific Islander Athletes Want to Be Celebrated for Who They Are
Zachary Shevin
Extreme weather events are getting worse. Will it be enough to change minds on climate change?
Jiwon Yun
Home Sweet Home? A Look into the Student Housing Experience at Princeton University
Naomi Hess
Disabled Princeton students make their voices heard
11:55 a.m. — Closing remarks
12:00 p.m. — Lunch and celebration
PRESENTERS
Arman Badrei (Politics)
The Kids on the Right – Through the political career of one of the youngest elected officials in the state and a youth conference bringing in high-powered voices to teach kids how to beat the left, a look at the state of conservatism within Gen Z in Texas
Polling shows that Gen Z conservatives are slightly more liberal than their generational counterparts. But aside from that, little is known or has been written about what conservatism looks like with our generation. Through field reporting from a conservative youth conference in August 2021 combined with conversations from August to April with one of the youngest elected officials in the state (who assumed office at age 18), I try to get a sense of how this generation of conservatives is being treated by their elders and how they’re going about their work on their own.
Francesca Block (Public and International Affairs)
The Son of the Thibodaux Grocer: A Story of Southern Jewish Identity
Through stories of assimilation, exclusion, family, and history, this piece explores the complex nature of American Southern Jewish identity. It does not shy away from this complexity, but rather embraces it – the good, the bad, the obvious, and the intangible. In doing so, it tells the story of an untold culture that does not fit into any conventional, easily-packaged boxes.
Julia Campbell (Politics)
A Profile of Howard Sutphin: The Omelet Man
Over the past few months, Princeton has been able to provide its full in-person undergraduate experience for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a year-and-a-half of social distancing, Zoom calls, and meals apart, Princeton was able to welcome students back to campus this past fall and begin establishing a return to normalcy. Now, as the academic year comes to a close, we remember what makes the Princeton community so special: the people. Princeton is a home to many not because of our inspired architecture or well-pruned greenery, but because of the humans around campus who give our lives meaning, who inspire us to find our purpose, and who make us feel valued. Howard Sutphin, a dining hall worker at Mathey College who is more colloquially known as “The Omelet Man,” is one of those people. I had the honor of shadowing Howard and interviewing him for a day in the Mathey Dining Hall, and my piece provides a peek inside not just the life of this inspirational figure, but also the mind, and the heart. In creating this capstone piece of journalism, I am reminded of my passion for human-centric writing, of the importance of sharing everyone’s story, and of the lifelong community that Princeton provides.
Shannon Chaffers (Sociology)
Redevelopment without displacement: The fight against gentrification in one Boston neighborhood
This article tells the story of a Boston community’s decades-long fight against gentrification. The Dudley Street neighborhood straddles Roxbury and Dorchester, two historically neglected neighborhoods located about twenty minutes south of downtown Boston. After decades of disinvestment, the Dudley community came together to fight the city’s exploitative development plan for their neighborhood. In 1984, they formed the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), a multiracial, resident-centered community organization, to take back control of their neighborhood. DSNI successfully did so by turning to an emerging model of land allocation and affordable housing: a community land trust. In 1988, DSNI formed Dudley Neighbors Incorporated (DNI), a non-profit community land trust. More than 30 years later, the community has transformed more than a thousand vacant lots into affordable housing, accessible green space, and urban farms. This article features historical research and interviews with DSNI and DNI administrators and residents to trace the impact of these organizations, from their founding to the present day.
Rebecca Han (Politics)
Taking things into their own hands: where traditional news outlets decline, student journalists step in
With the rise of news deserts across the country, an unexpected source is stepping in to tell the stories that towns once looked to professionals for: students. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where legacies of race and injustice still have influence in local politics and society, high schoolers and college students are repeatedly going head to head with institutions. The stories they cover are small but receive outsized reaction – over incidents like homecoming and student government elections, reporters receive anonymous messages. This piece tells the story of two student papers that have chosen to take on institutions older than they are.
Naomi Hess (Public and International Affairs)
Disabled Princeton students make their voices heard
More Princetonians have disabilities than immediately might be apparent. Having a disability impacts every part of Princeton, from residential life to academics to social life. I talked to several students about what it is like to be a disabled student on a campus not built to accommodate people who differ from the norm. By writing a feature piece about fellow students with disabilities, I bring attention to their lived experiences and highlight the accessibility barriers left for the University to address.
Marissa Michaels (Sociology)
The Women Who Make it Work
For two months, I sat in on the hearings of Newark Youth Court, a restorative justice initiative run by Manhattan-based Center for Court Innovation. In Youth Court, young people judge peers who were referred for committing some wrongdoing. In this article, I explore how the adults in the room influence the young people’s experience, how their relationship with members and respondents impacts the court’s outcomes. The three women who work for the court all take on significant workloads but take great pleasure in making Youth Court run. They empower the young people they work with and create empathy among them.
Rhea Park (Public and International Affairs)
More Than a Month, More Than a Medal – Asian American and Pacific Islander Athletes Want to Be Celebrated for Who They Are
In this project, I explored how coverage of AAPI athletes has changed over the years — both in the eyes of AAPI athletes and AAPI journalists and reporters who’ve reported on the world of sports. According to the people I spoke to, the problem is multilayered – inherent racial biases limit the entrance of AAPI reporters into the workforce, and this lack of representation also dissuades potential AAPI reporters from entering the industry. This results in stereotypical reporting of AAPI athletes, which in turn perpetuates model minority myths about the AAPI community. However, coverage is improving, thanks to the AAPI reporters and leaders who are taking the charge in pushing for more nuanced reporting on AAPI athletes.
Zachary Shevin (Economics)
Extreme weather events are getting worse. Will it be enough to change minds on climate change?
Extreme weather events are becoming more common and more severe due to climate change. Some think experiencing those storms will change how people in the U.S. think about climate issues, while others are less hopeful. Here, I interview three students about their experiences with catastrophic weather events and incorporate insights from my senior thesis research on climate change public opinion to paint a somewhat-pessimistic picture of the situation. This project highlights the devastating impacts of climate disaster but shows how persistent partisanship prevents action on the issue.
Jiwon Yun (English)
Home Sweet Home? A Look into the Student Housing Experience at Princeton University
For my capstone project I looked into the student housing experience both on and off campus. For many students, their living experience is defined by the residential college they are randomly placed into before their freshman year, and these experiences are not very egalitarian. Despite the fact that the University is currently building a few new residential colleges, the fact remains that current students and upper-class students still remain without many basic amenities. I also explored the experiences of students who decided to live off campus during the pandemic, and the inherent socioeconomic disparities that exist between students who are able to afford off-campus housing and those who are not.
RESPONDENTS
Joe Stephens
Director, Program in Journalism
Ferris Professor of Journalism in Residence
Barbara Demick
Journalist and author
Current visiting McGraw Professor of Writing
Michael Calderone
Senior editor, Vanity Fair’s Hive
Current visiting Ferris Professor of Journalism
Kushanava Choudhury
Journalist and author
Incoming visiting Ferris Professor of Journalism
Razia Iqbal
Anchor, BBC’s Newshour
Current visiting Ferris Professor of Journalism
James Martinez
Breaking news investigations editor, The Associated Press
Former visiting Ferris Professor of Journalism
John McPhee
Staff writer, The New Yorker
Ferris Professor of Journalism in Residence
