Featuer Article- Interview Questions

For my feature article, I will ask the following questions in my interview:

1.       Walking out onto a field surrounded by 60,000 fans has to be pretty intimidating. What is that experience like? What about your experience, as a band member, do you think is different from that of a football player?

2.       The choreography seems to be pretty important to your band’s routine. How often do you practice? Is it difficult to perfect the West Virginia state shape?

3.       Teamwork must be very crucial, especially when performing in front of such a large audience. Do your routines require a lot of chemistry with y our other band mates? Has there ever been a time or controversy that interfered with the band’s performance?

4.       Over the past 108 years, the band has not only expanded to over 300 members, but has also played in 23 states and been recognized with the Sudler Award. Would you say it’s intimidating to be in an award-winning, nationally exposed marching band? Does it ever get intense?

5.       What has the West Virginia University marching band done to help prepare you for life in the future? What from this experience will you carry over the years?

6.       What is the best part about being in the school’s marching band? Are there any benefits?

7.       What part of the football game is your favorite? What do you think about the Mountaineer fans? Do people in the student section need to get more involved?

8.       Do the marching band and the football team ever convene? Do you get to see what happens a lot “behind the scenes”? Is the marching band at all like an extension of the football team? Is it tough on the band, as well, if a game is lost?

9.       Regarding the band, what are your goals and aspirations for this year? Should we be expecting any new routines?

10.   Is the marching band hard to join? What are the qualifications to becoming a member? Is there a lot of strenuous work and practice to keep up the marching band’s high image?

11.   What about joining the West Virginia University marching band was most appealing to you? Was the band the sole reason for coming to this school?  What is your favorite thing about being a band member?

12.   It is often noted that sports teams bond in a way that makes them like family. Would you say that the marching band has the same sense of family community?

13.   With a band of over 370 members, it must be hard to really stand out. What do you offer to the band?

14.   Who are your biggest competitors? Is there a huge rival of the band?

15.   Between the many upcoming football games, Homecoming, tournaments, and festivals, what do you most look forward to this year?

Feature Article in the Making

For my feature article topic, I will be writing about the West Virginia University marching band.I will be interviewing Margaret Bloom, a member of the marching band. An ideal source of publication for said article would be the Daily Athenaeum to reach students all across campus. Perhaps an even better way to reach students would be the WVU main website, wvu.edu. Not only would it be easy to access to students, but also to a wider range of readers who want to catch up on the latest news, check out what the school is like, etc. 

An article about the university’s marching band would most likely be best written from a third person point of view. I think that the article would be of interest to a lot of people attending West Virginia University, especially the big football game goers. After all, the marching band does their job to rile up the crowd quite well. I think it would be very interesting to see a football game from a marching band member’s perspective, because they’re a little more relatable than the big football players deemed as campus celebrities. Besides, who isn’t completely baffled by the perfected choreography of grouping into the state shape of West Virginia?

A Note from the English Professor

                While your essay meets my requirements of 500 words and stays with the topic though out the essay, you have received a D for the lack of interest and depth your paper so desperately needs. Your arguments are not bad ones, but yet they are the obvious ones. Yes, college football can be for the players. Yes, it is at times too commercial. But are there not any other problems? Writing from a different angle, I think you’ll find, will not only be more enjoyable to write, but much more enjoyable to read. Take, for example, magazine articles. You pick up a magazine and flip instantly to the story you find most interesting, yes? Imagine if every front cover looked the same, though. How many stories do you think you would find interesting, then? The same goes for your student essay. You want to stand out in your paper, especially when every student is writing about the same topic, and most likely using the same obvious arguments that you are.  

                Now, once you find an interesting topic, you must work on your delivery. A topic can only seem so interesting if you make it sound so. Generalities and colorless words can actually harm your attempts at writing a good essay. While you don’t want to use lots of four-lettered or simple words, you also need to be aware of padding. Adding a few extra words to meet the goal length of an essay is understandable, but make sure that the added words add to the quality of your paper.

Lastly, you should be careful about how you voice your opinion. There is a difference between stating your opinion, and working it into your essay. Instead of “in my opinion” or “here is why I agree”, you should present strong support for your opinion and try to persuade the reader that way. People don’t like to be told what to think; they like to think for themselves. 

My Mixtape

“Livin’ Young, and Wild, and Free”
Surviving shenanigans, having fun, being a teenager... enough said

1.     1. “No Sleep”- Wiz Khalifa
“No driving, no sleeping, live it up like it’s the weekend!”

2.     2. “Finally Moving”- Pretty Lights
Blasting this song, windows down and sunroof open, countless times down the beautiful Mt. Vernon parkway.

3.     3. “Right Above It”- Lil Wayne feat. Drake
When this song came out, it was huge! On the way to visit colleges, my friend and I heard this maybe 8 times, and rapped the whole thing to my poor mom every time.

“Boys Are Stupid”
“Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead.”-Adele

1.     1. “Runaway”- Kanye West feat. Pusha-T
With some people that hurt you, it’s just best to get away.

2.     2.  “Dominos”- The Big Pink
The opening line, “these girls fall like dominos”, unfortunately rings too true for me and every other girl I know.

3.     3.  “You’re Not Sorry”- Taylor Swift
It’s easy to say one thing, and another thing to show it. Actions definitely speak louder than words, and that's something always good to keep in mind.

“Life is a Hard Question to Answer”
Nobody knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, but the least we can do is live today without any worry.

1.     1.    “Float On”- Modest Mouse
Bad luck seems to follow me around, but this song reminds me that no matter what embarrassing thing comes my way, I’ll live.

2.     2. “Good Riddance”- Green Day
Life is unpredictable, but you should always strive to “have the time of your life”.

3.     3.  “Pursuit of Happiness”- Kid Cudi
“I’m on the pursuit of happiness and I know everything that shines ain’t always gonna be gold. I’ll be fine once I get it. I’ll be good.”

“Jams With Padre”
Visiting my dad often involves long road trips, and there’s never a shortage of classic rock the entire trip.

1.    1. “The Rising”- Bruce Springsteen
When my sister and I first visited my dad in Korea, this album has just come out. We heard it, from start to beginning, maybe twice a day (we were there for a month).

2.    2.“I Will”- The Beatles
I don’t think I’ve ever met a man more comfortable with his singing in my life. This song was sung by Christmas teddy bears in the middle of a department store, and my dad was right there singing with them.

3.   3. “Waiting in the Weeds”- The Eagles
My dad once told me that this song reminded him of the custody battle that he lost. This song, for that reason, always motivates me to keep in touch with him and involve him as much as possible.