Health Concerns, among others.

My older sister Tara works part-time at a tiny health food store called Health Concerns on Susquehanna Avenue in Towson. Her job at the store actually sparked my desire to pursue this topic, especially since it is independently run in a city full of health chains.

Although my sister and I literally live 5 minutes away from each other, she kept forgetting to remind me when she worked so she could show me around the store. As it turns out, I had free time last Friday so I decided to drive over there on my own. I was actually surprised that the store was as small as it was, yet it was still doing decent business. I also must add that this was also while the weather was rainy and miserable.

I discovered that the store did not only sell food, but the ingredients for anyone to follow an "alternative" healthy lifestyle. They had organic soap and shampoos, medicines for practiaclly every ailment (accompanied by a pharmacy) and lotions. I was sick the day I went in and Tara tried to drag me towards the pharmacist for a cure. I kindly declined, but she insisted that alternative medication was better for the body than what regular physicians can prescribe.

Tara also said that one of the most interesting parts of her job is constant interaction with the Baltimore County Police force. The Towson jail lies on the corner of Susquehanna and she said that officers supply the lunch rush in the store. I guess that breaks a million stereotypes; who would've known so many officers love organic food?

From this visit I realized that I could create a multimedia package from visiting the store that day. I briefly met the owner, although he was busy assisting customers by the cash register for most of the day. I would love to capture the diverse people who wonder into the store and learn why people are drawn to visit. Tara promised to talk to the owner when she had time, and well of course, if she remembers.

Talking to People Who Know About Towson's History...

After discussing my project options with Dr. Lieb at the end of the last class, I decided that my multimedia package topic would be: "small local companies that have been successful, despite the influence of corporate chains."

After narrowing my options, I decided to talk to my father about companies that have been in the area for years. My father grow up in Towson, went to both high school and college here, but eventually moved away when I was in early elementary school. While I did not grow up here, we have always lived close enough that he would have an opinion of the business changes that have occurred.

His first thought was to talk to the members of Purdam Pharmacy on York Road. Apparently, they have been in the same location since my father was a child and was his family's primary source for health care needs. He also mentioned that he believes the same family has owned the store for many years, though he did not know the exact year it opened.

After talking briefing with my dad, I spoke with my boyfriend on the phone and mentioned the upcoming project. Nick, a current college student and Towson native, also suggested Purdam pharmacy. I waited on the phone as he recalled stopping by after middle school with his friends to buy snacks for the afternoon.

I found it interesting that although my father is over 20 years older than my boyfriend, they both have memories of this tiny store affecting their lives.

Sadly, Nick also mentioned that he thought business was definitely down as a result of the Target, Rite Aid and Walmart that are in close proximity with Purdam. I think it will be interesting to talk to the owners to see how they feel about all of the changes.

Ira Glass Storytelling Videos

Prior to watching the Ira Glass interviews about storytelling I had not thought about the importance of the anecdote in broadcast journalism. The anecdote is something that has been discussed in several mass communications classes, but Glass explained its significance in thought-provoking terms. For example, in th first part of his interview, he describes an incredibly anti-climatic story about a man walking around a very quiet house at night. As Glass says, while the story is rather boring, the audience is stilling willing to listen to it if it is told action by action. According to Glass, each description of the man's movements keep the audience in suspense because they want to continue listening to the story to find out why the man's house is so quiet. As a viewer listening to the interview as I typed up notes, I found that I was honestly intrigued by Glass's short story as well. This was mainly due to the action sequence in which it was told. I also realized that in real life I am more likely to read a series of feature stories than straight news, as the personal stories keep me interested.

I also thought Glass brought forth an interesting discussion about the pitfalls of storytelling in the final section of his interview. He says that it is important for storytelling beginners to bring their own personalities when they share information, rather than mock that of someone they've seen on TV. He follows that statement by adding that when in an interview, don't add talk too much about yourself or you will be seem as having to the inability to tell two-sided stories. I like that Glass feels that every individual has the ability to creatively tell a story in the way they see best fit. Rather than constantly mocking someone you admire, individuals should feel inspired to add their own touches to a story. I also feel what he said about presenting yourself as an engaging storyteller by not talking excessively about only yourself in an interview is important. Often, students are taught that they must brag about themselves and show confidence to have any chance of impressing employers while trying to land creative jobs. Glass says that you should listen and react and that in turn will prove that you can tell a story, simply by engaging others.

This interview was Glass's way of proving to his listeners that he is a truly great storyteller. By addressing issues the listener will encounter, as well as throwing in his own personal anecdotes, he shows the audience that recounting stories, even about yourself can be intriguing.

Multimedia comparison

Multimedia presentations allow viewers to have a greatly increased understanding of an event or story because it allows to them to hear the story firsthand from the people involved. For example, the print Baltimore Sun’s German Bakery story describes the blissful environment of Edelweiss Bakery on Thursday afternoons when Arthur Zeller plays. While the description is mildly visual, it is hard to fully encompass atmosphere without actual pictures. The bakery multimedia presentation takes the article a step father. By showing viewers the pastries and guests settling in first, the presentation captures the anticipation for Zeller to begin his music. As it continues, viewers are able to see images of Zeller playing and people singing along, as well as the audio to accompany the photographs. The multimedia allows people to feel as though they are actually sitting in the bakery enjoying the music, rather than just reading about a past event.

Like the bakery story, The Chechen War article is hard to fully read because it is so full of facts, the viewer can easily lose interest. The multimedia presentation, The Enemy Within, not only allows viewers to see the tragic of the war from personal experiences, but it highlights the most significant issues related to the topic. The audience actually learns more from the website than Wikipedia article, because it discusses issues they would not include in a factual piece, such as humiliating soldier training and abuse. Viewers can see the utter unhappiness on the boys’ faces as they talk, which shows the sincerity of their stories.

In general, multimedia stories draw viewers closer to the subjects in the stories because they feel like they can hear the stories firsthand.