Ishmael Blog #4- Interview

Hi Kids!

I know you have all been loving Ishmael. He's a cool gorilla, no? I think that he would like to get a beat on what people today say about our earth. Do people think the problems of global warming, food shortages and resource depletion are getting better? Never existed? Getting worse? In order to help Ishmael out, your new blog assignment is to write up an interview. What will you do your interview on, you ask? Who will you interview, you ask? Well, I'm here to tell you, my friends. Would I leave you hanging like that? NOOOO! Ok, so, here's the skinny.

You will interview someone about "the state of planet earth." You will interview who ever you like... or whoever will talk with you for a little while: your mom, your dad, your best friend, a stranger in the mall, whoever.
The interview needs to:

1. Ask at least 5 questions
2. Be transcribed verbatim
3. Not use people's name on line (privacy)
4. Questions need to be about the state of our planet
5. Provide a paragraph of context before transcribing interview.

So, look at your notes you took in class on how to write good interview questions, then go out and interview someone! Have fun!

Sample Interview here:
Angela Guerrero
Save the world interview
5/15/09

I was assigned the weighty task of interviewing someone, anyone, about what they think about saving the world. I decided I didn’t want to talk to anyone in my family about this topic. We have discussed it before, and I think that I know our collective perspectives. I wanted to know what strangers thought about the subject. I wanted to know if anyone outside of my immediate circle of friends thought about this topic too. So, I went to the mall on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, hung out in the food court, and picked a person. His name has been changed to protect his identity as a result of this public forum. In fact, he may not even be a he…. Any way, for the purposes of this exercise, we will call “him” Little John. Little John was confused at first by my inquiry, but he was wearing Birkenstocks and ripped jeans, so I knew he was a kindred spirit. Our conversation was terse to start, but as we warmed up, he had lots to say about the state of our planet.

A: Hi, how are you?
LJ: (looking quizzically) I’m fine, thanks.

A: I’m a students at HTH, and I have an assignment where I am supposed to interview someone about saving the world, do you have a few minutes to chat with me?
LJ: Oh, cool, sure.

A: Do you think we need to save our planet?
LJ: (heavy sigh) Whoah, well, um, yeah. (Pause) I mean, some people say that nothing needs to be done. Some people say that everything is fine. And, like, I think maybe we’re not gonna die tomorrow, but, like, we need to do something, you know? I don’t know. But, yeah, like, I have a sense that something needs to be done.

A: How do you think we should go about saving our planet?
LJ: Uh, recycle. Okay, that’s cliché, I know, but it’s the small stuff. Turn off your lights, don’t let water run too long, drive as little as possible, be thoughtful, think. Sometimes, it seems like we don’t think. And if we just think, a little bit, everyday, that could help.

A: Do you think those things are enough to save the planet?
LJ: Um. That’s a tough question. Let me think for a sec. (long pause) Well, yes and no. (pause) I think that yes, because, all we can do is hope that the little things mean something, right? And, like, that’s what we have to say to get people to keep doing that stuff. But, we need to do more, for sure. Yeah.

A: What more can we do, do you think?
LJ: Uh, well, people need to stop driving, we need to restructure the world, for real. But, like, that’s a big machine that you’re working against there. Totally big machine. And the machine might not want that to happen, so it has to be a little seed planted in the mud underneath the machine that grows, and sprouts from inside the machine so that the machine has no chance to resist the plant growing inside of it. You know what I mean? I mean, it, like, has to be small first to ever be big, but we have to get bigger. Our approach has to get bigger, but you have to start small. You eat the elephant one bite at a time, man.

A: How do we plant the seeds you are talking about?
LJ: Small first. Little. But with your heart and your head.