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PASSION PROJECTS

STORM CLOUDS OVER HOMELESSNESS

FEBRUARY – MAY 2022

REFLECTION

In my last semester at Vanderbilt, I took a course called "Environmental Journalism: Investigating Climate Change," taught by professor and Bloomberg columnist, Amanda Little. In the course, Professor Little asked us to take on a beat, whether local or in our hometowns and cover it for the semester.  I chose to cover how floods impact Nashville’s homeless population, engaging with currently and formerly unhoused neighbors, outreach workers, nonprofit advocates, and members of our local government. I was particularly interested in the visions that homeless individuals and activists have for the future of Nashville, including, what plans the city should have in place and how/if our local government will get it done. 


Taking on this project was eye-opening. I saw first-hand the neglect homeless individuals face, and I learned valuable lessons in journalism that I hope to embody in the professional world: 1) Equity is defined by those affected and it is through listening to their struggles, concerns, solutions, and joys that stories exude humanity. 2) These issues do not exist in isolation, and diverse narratives must be woven together. 3) A story cannot exist in the cyclone of what is happening in the now, but must also unpack the past—catalysts of unjust systems, as well as the future of what ideality looks like.

I hope I am able to embody these pillars and make clear the problem that Nashville has, and showcase the voices depicting what a just future looks like. Housing for all. 

Below are 3 of the pieces I am most proud of from this project, starting with my final feature article. 

SWIMMING INTO THE PAST:
a multimedia project on research in marine mammal sensory systems 

FEBRUARY – MAY 2022

In my last semester at Vanderbilt, I was so excited to take the classes Science Filmmaking taught by Ph.D. candidate Stephanie Castillo and Mass Extinctions taught by paleontologist Dr. Simon Darroch. For my final filmmaking project, I wanted to showcase the research of Dr. Rachel A. Racicot, whom I had been working with in my Mass Extinctions class all semester. Additionally, for my final Mass Extinctions project, I wrote an article about an ongoing faucet of Dr. Racicot's work: her fascination with a possible morphological link between the eye and ear sizes of ancient and modern dolphins. Please enjoy the video and article below!

video archive

Nashville Floods & Homlessness
Dolphin Eyes & Ears
Videgraphy
Past Project
Why Do We Forget? By Miquéla Thornton

Why Do We Forget? By Miquéla Thornton

Play Video

writing archive

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