Drill 7: Mar. 26

People to Interview:
Performers
- b-boys
- dj's
Event Planners
-WCCR staff members
Actual Audience
-people who are attending the event
Potential Audience
-students
-professors

Things I Want to Observe:
-Quality of sound and lighting
-Is there a considerable crowd?
-What ethnicities/age groups/genders are represented?
-How excited is the audience?
-Is the audience paying attention to the performances?
-Are the performers good?
-Do the performers seem to be enjoying themselves?
-How many performers are present?
-Does the event seem to be well organized?
-Does the event start on time?
-What is the general mood of the WCCR staff?

Interview

In Harlem on 8th Avenue and 155th Street, Sabrina finds her residence to be quite convenient.  "I'm close to everything," she says smiling, including CCNY where she studies, subway stations, and the rest of Manhattan.  Even though Sabrina loves the proximity of her block to the rest of New York City, she does not always feel safe.  Even though on her block she is a Bangladeshi among a majority of Blacks and Latinos, she doesn't really feel uncomfortable because of the difference in race.  The guns, violence, and perverts, along with the dirty sidewalks and building are what really irk Sabrina about living in this area.  Even though Sabrina has gone to many parties around her block, she mostly hangs out with friends in Queens and Midtown.  Before living in Harlem, Sabrina, her mom, and her little brother lived on Manhattan's Lower East Side.  And now, her mom is looking for another apartment, in either Queens or the Bronx, to move her two children into.

Drill 6: March 24

On April 30, 2009, CCNY's student radio station is hosting its first DJ/B-Boy Battle. Some of the station's DJs as well as b-boys and dance crews with ties to CCNY will be featured in the event.

This story has a great amount of impact on the student community at CCNY. Most students enjoy dance and music. On any given day, one can walk around the campus of the City College of New York and find that a large number of students have iPods and mp3 players plugged into their ears. And there are a number of student dance clubs at CCNY as well - salsa and mambo, belly dancing, hip-hop, and breakdancing are some.

Also, this story is current; dance competitions are in vogue. A number of television shows, including "So You Think You Can Dance," "Randy Jackson Presents: America's Next Dance Crew," and "Dancing With the Stars," testify to the currency of dance competitions.

This particular story also has potential conflicts. The most obvious is the conflict between the B-Boys and DJs that will battling. Also, there could be conflict in questioning the sustainability of this event. Will enough people come to support the DJ/B-boy battle? Will the student radio station raise enough money to cover the expenses of this event? Will the people who come to this event actually want to attend another event like this next year?

It is quite obvious that I could write commentary on this event. However, I am also capable of critical analysis and interviewing performers, hosts, and the crowd in order to write an objective report of the DJ/B-Boy Battle. Coverage of this event is vital both in measuring its success and in determing whether the battle should become an annual event. Also, dance and music resonate well with a considerable portion of the student population at CCNY; and popular interests deserve to be reported on.

Drill 5: Mar. 10

On April 30, 2009, CCNY's student radio station is hosting its first DJ/B-Boy Battle. Some of the station's DJs as well as b-boys and dance crews with ties to CCNY will be featured in the event. And so far, the station has secured a performance from Status Quo, the last dance crew left to compete against the JabbaWockeez on America's Best Dance Crew. It is quite obvious that I could write commentary on this event. However, I am also capable of critical analysis and interviewing performers, hosts, and the crowd in order to write an objective report of the DJ/B-Boy Battle. Coverage of this event is vital both in measuring its success and in determing whether the battle should become an annual event. Also, the event resonates with a considerable portion of the student population at CCNY; and popular interests deserve to be reported on.

Drill 4: Mar. 5

Barricading the doors of NYU's Kimmel Center from Wednesday night until Friday morning, student protesters from NYU, The New School, Columbia, and Hunter stand baffled and uncertain of their reasons for protest.

I chose this particular lede because it tells who, what, when, where, how, and alludes to why. The most important information is presented.

How to write a lede
Video of protests' final moments
NYTimes journal of protest events

Take back NYU