Kids these days. All we hear in the media is that they watch too much TV, are multitasking on their phones and play way too many video games.
But they also happen to be interested in the critical issues of our times, and produce great work.
My Audio Production class at the University of San Francisco is about producing audio, not food. Yet the importance of what we eat, where it comes from, and how we think about food are clearly topics of interest to today's university students, and several chose to tell stories about food topics relevant to them.
Below are four inspiring audio and audio-slideshow pieces about food, all produced by my students over the course of the semester. And while I believe they are worth bragging about, I also see them as a window into a world we often don't discuss in the media. A world in which our young adults are not only texting and tweeting with their friends on iphones, but are engaged and interested in the current issues and debates of our times.
The stories
- For his audio project, Sam Wilder actually took the time to build a sidewalk garden outside his apartment in San Francisco. He researched how to construct the boxes, where to get the wood, what kind of dirt to use, and what to grow. But along with growing greens, Sam inadvertently also created a space for those in his community to get to know one another, and to explore the world around them.
- Gigi del Rosario created a wonderful audio piece about "emotional eating" and why students and others often adopt unhealthy eating habits. She narrates the scene as her friend "John" overeats, and interviews Dr. Kate Gapinkski of UCSF about the reasons we eat too much.
- Moonui Choi crafted a visually-stunning slideshow and audio essay about the role of food in her family. She describes how food is intimately tied to the love she has for her mother, the woman who taught her everything she knows about food. (Plus, the photos are great!)
- Arielle Flinkman followed The Boneyard food truck on an evening out in San Francisco. In a world in which food trucks have become increasingly common, "Big Rich" of The Boneyard describes how hard work and great food has been key to his success.
