Suicide Awareness

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Understanding Suicide

About 30,000 people reportedly kill themselves each year in the United States.

People who attempt suicide are often trying to get away from a life situation that seems impossible to deal with.

Many who make a suicide attempt are seeking relief from:
Bad thoughts or feelings
-Feeling ashamed, guilty, or like a burden to others
-Feeling like a victim
-Feelings of rejection, loss, or
-loneliness

Suicidal behaviors may be triggered by a situation or event that the person views as overwhelming, such as:
-Aging (the elderly have the highest rate of suicide)
-Death of a loved one
-Dependence on alcohol or other drug
-Emotional trauma
-Serious physical illness
-Unemployment or financial problems

Risk factors or triggers for suicide in adolescents include:
-Access to firearms
-Family member who committed suicide (almost always someone who shared a common mood disorder)
-History of deliberate self-harm
-History of neglect or abuse
-Living in communities where there have been recent outbreaks of suicide in young people
-Romantic breakup

Posted in: Class Work, Web Narratives

Among The Stars – A story of Dreams

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No matter what age a person is, everyone has at least one dream that they hold on to. Some follow their dreams and lead rich, happy lives. Others put their dreams down to pursue something more practical or responsible. The dreams we have tell so much about who we are as individuals because however simple the dream is, it is unique, belonging only to the person who created it.

This is the story of two people who are following their dreams at completely different times in their lives. Connie is a singer and traveler from Denmark who only wants to play her songs in the street. She thrives off of the energy of the moment and holds onto no hopes of future fame or fortune. Harry is a songwriter who came to Nashville 20 years ago to try and make it as a songwriter. Tasting a little bit of fame, he left to pursue a career in the restaurant industry. Unfulfilled in his job, he decided to return back to Nashville to rediscover his original dream of writing songs.

One day while Connie is playing on the street, Harry sees her and is taken by her unique voice and spirit. He introduces himself and hands her the lyrics to a song that he has held onto for over 20 years, but never found the right singer for. When he returns she has put music to his words and the two form an unlikely and special friendship through their music.

Posted in: Class Work, Photojournalism Projects Class

Keep Going: A Look at Growing Old

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At 96, Sherman Price is Russellville, Kentucky’s self-proclaimed “oldest citizen.” He was born on the day that WWI began, and he was 5 years old when it ended. He was a teenager during the Great Depression and he remembers that his family was among the first in their neighborhood to buy a radio.

“I used to be real backwards, bashful, you know? But after I got over that I went the other way and I can go up to anyone that I want to and go to talking to them and it don’t bother me a bit.”

Price is a greeter at his church, and a farmer who still raises horses and angus calves. He says that he believes that having a purpose every day in his work is what has kept him going and that the only thing he worries about when he dies is that his livestock won’t be cared for.

 

Posted in: Class Work, Web Narratives

First Studio Lighting Class a Success

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The class poses during finals week with Ms A.


The first Advanced Lighting Class offered at WKU was well-received by the 12 student-pioneers. The weekly course featured studio assignments, pushing the student’s skills in the Big White Room. Assignments ranged from Motion to Issue Topic to Visual Poetry. Delayna Earley, a Senior PJ student in the course, said, “It pushed by shooting skills up to a whole new level.” Earley won first and second place Portrait in the student NPPA monthly clip contest with two of her class assignments.
The class also spent weeks researching studio costs and listened to a half-a-dozen guest speakers discuss freelancing and the cost of running a contract photography business. The class took a field trip to Dean Dixon’s in Nashville to see a working studio set-up.
The class is under consideration for a permanent home in the PJ line-up and will hopefully be offered again in the Spring.

Posted in: Advanced Lighting

The Life and Lies of Elizabeth St. John

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Sara John is a self proclaimed “bookworm” who uses reading and writing as an outlet to escape the reality of her parents not living together. Because of the difficulties at home, Sara said, she has put up a wall to keep people out, so when she is writing she can truly be herself without any fear of being judged. This is a story of the struggles of a little girl growing up with the absence of a father and how she deals with issues that it involves.

Posted in: Class Work, Student Work, Web Narratives

Living Positive

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“I don’t act the way that I act because I’m gay and HIV positive,” said Teddy Talyor, 22, of Bowling Green, Ky. Taylor was infected with HIV when he was 19, changing his life forever. Taylor contracted HIV after having unprotected sex with one of his partners. Since then he has decided to live life to the fullest. Most nights consist of drinking alcohol, doing drugs or having relations with new partners.

Posted in: Class Work, Photojournalism Projects Class

Sisterwives

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Mark, 48, lives in South Central Kentucky with his wives, Marian, 32, and Heidi, 23. Together they are raising seven children under the principle of Celestial Plural Marriage, also known as polygamy. Their beliefs about plural marriage are rooted in their faith, what they call independent fundamental Mormonism. Mark leads the family in a home church service each Sunday. Marian and Heidi home school the children. The family lives a life of sustainability, growing their own fruits and vegetables, and using solar energy to power their home.

Posted in: Class Work, Photojournalism Projects Class, Student Work

Capturing a dramatic rescue

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WKU Freshman Tyler Cacek spent several weeks working with an ambulance crew for a project for Intro class.  One day he documented the dramatic rescue of several people from a car crash.

Margaret Mason, 63, of Marion County, Ky, attempts to remove the victim of a head-on collision on highway 50 outside of Lebanon, Kentucky. The crash resulted in the hospitalization of 5 people, two of which were flown directly to Louisville, KY hospital from the scene.

Posted in: Introduction to Photojournalism, Student Work

Sending off toe-to-toe

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WKU Senior Cody Duty photographed this couple in a somewhat different way, focusing on a tender touch of toes, using the contrast in footwear to tell the story of a soldier departing for war.

Mary Lewin (left) spends the remaining moments with her husband, Sgt. Mark Lewin of the U.S. Army, before the 36th Sustainment “Rawhide” Brigade Deployment Ceremony in Temple, Texas on July 4, 2009. “I’m proud of him, but it’s hard for us,” Mary said. The soldiers will be deployed for a 13-month tour overseas.

Posted in: Class Work, Student Work