This second week at AYA was all about going deep into projects and practice. Much more busy than last week!
Question the Construct
On Monday we heard from Taj Frazier, a professor from Annenberg who talked us through the history of Krump— a style of dance native to the Los Angeles. In addition, his talk was interesting because he talked us through how to question certain constructs, like “Who decides what a table is?” Overall, his talk was interesting in that it combined journalism with the social sciences.
The People vs. Journalists or The People with Journalists?
The next day, we heard from Mark Schoofs, another USC professor and investigative journalist. As an aspiring investigative journalist, I found his reporting anecdotes and style of teaching truly fascinating. He walked us through a couple pages of All the President’s Men, which narrates how two Washington Post journalists uncovered Nixon’s Watergate scandal in 1972. Schoofs broke down the ways journalists get people to talk to them, particularly in a time when the public is so weary of the press. I found his talk very informative and it made me all the more confident that investigate journalism is a field I’d like to explore more.
Dining Hall and Running
On Wednesday we had a truly athletic and collegiate experience. First we ate at EVK— one of USC’s dining halls, and ate chicken, green rice (delicious), pizza, salad, and ice cream. Although the food did not exactly blow me away, the rice and the ice cream were quite solid. EVK receives a 6/10 AYA rating…
Soon after EVK, we were put into groups to do a scavenger hunt around the USC campus. Although running around campus in the summer heat was not something I’d ever thought we would do, it was a really fun experience working together and getting to know campus a little better. At the end, my group thankfully won and we ate some much deserved Oreos.
Our Broadcast Era and An Actor’s Guide to Avoiding AI Cloning from a Corporation
One this final day of week two, we took pictures by the Philosophy building and met Joy Ofodu, a voice actor and CEO who discussed the impacts of AI in the current acting industry, particularly as it pertains to the recent SAG-AFTRA strikes. Her good energy and humor were super contagious, and it was helpful to learn how to protect legally protect oneself in such a cutthroat industry. Soon afterward, we ate delicious Pollo Campero and produced a newscast in the media center for our Journalism 101 class. Having the privilege to see our collective work come together to produce a video newscast was rewarding and made me appreciate the work that goes into producing the morning news I watch everyday so much more.
Final Thoughts
The second week at Annenberg has made me feel even more welcome, and I’m sad that we only have two weeks left at AYA… These past weeks have gone by fast but I’m certainly excited for week three!
Communicating Change 