Student Work Spotlight
Digital signs around Brookline are collecting data from your phone as you walk by
This investigative report, produced by River Simard and Rebecca Bloome, uncovers how digital signs throughout Brookline are quietly collecting data from passersby's smartphones. The article explains how Soofa signs, which resemble oversized Kindles displaying community information, are gathering MAC addresses and IP data from phones with WiFi enabled within 15 feet of each sign. While Soofa claims the data is anonymized and functions like "a giant digital clicker," privacy experts from the ACLU consider the practice troubling, as residents cannot opt out except by turning off WiFi or avoiding the signs altogether. The report also reveals that despite this data collection continuing until at least fall 2025, Brookline officials aren't actively using the information since the responsible town employee left over a year ago. This student-written story for news outlet Brookline.News holds the distinction of being the most-read story in the history of Brookline.News.
Audio story: How Village Vinyl & Hi Fi keeps record culture spinning in Brookline
This audio story, produced by Aiko Njuguna '26 in collaboration with Brookline.News, explores the vinyl record revival through the lens of Village Vinyl & Hi Fi in Brookline. Listeners hear from owner Jonathan Sandler and various customers about their connections to vinyl records. The piece also examines how this independent record store has thrived since opening in 2017, even expanding to a neighboring space despite Coolidge Corner's expensive rents. The store carries thousands of carefully curated new and used records along with vintage stereo equipment, drawing both nostalgic older customers and younger collectors seeking a tangible music experience in a digital age.
The Career-Ending Stigma Surrounding Mental Health in Classical Music
This multimedia project, produced by Izzy Swift '22, reveals one of the most common, but taboo, issues that plague classical musicians: mental health challenges. The project utilizes multiple perspectives to understand why many classical musicians may develop mental health problems and why it may be linked to their career. In the podcast portion of this project, Izzy sits down with an undergraduate completing a degree in music performance and a professional musician who has developed an organization to try and end the stigma surrounding mental health in classical music. The written portion takes a closer look at what a normal day in the life of a classical music student looks like. Izzy produced this two-part piece as her final project in Professor Neil Swidey’s course JOUR 130B Science Journalism, the Pandemic, and Disinformation.
OK, Boomer
This project, by Jillian Brosofsky '23 discusses the impact humor has on the aging process, specifically in forming stronger and more meaningful relationships into old age. In the primary portion of her project, she examines this topic in three different contexts, including a musical, a stand-up show for older comics, and a diner. The secondary, visual portion focuses on what humor adds to an elderly living community and their staff. Jillian created this project for Professor Neil Swidey's course JOUR 109B Reinventing Journalism for the 21st Century.
The Effects of the Frontline
This project, produced by Emerson White '22, uses multimedia journalism to showcase the frustrations essential workers faced during the pandemic. The piece specifically highlights the emotional effects of working on the frontline during COVID-19 and uses three women’s lives to tell this story. These three women each had different jobs and varying experiences, but all faced the challenges the frontline presented. The written piece is the main portion of this project and the audio portion accompanies it, specifically going into more detail on Mary Austin Hacker’s experience working in an Emergency Room outside Atlanta, Georgia. This project was put together for Professor Neil Swidey’s course, JOUR 130B Science Journalism, the Pandemic, and Disinformation.
Courtesy Brandeis Special Collections
K.C. Jones at Brandeis
In the podcast and video below, Jared Panson '22 explores K.C. Jones' career and his lifelong love of singing.
K.C. Jones was a Hall of Famer, with one of the most decorated playing careers in basketball history. He won an Olympic gold medal, and eight NBA championships with the Boston Celtics. In 1967, he retired as a player, and four years later, he returned to the spotlight of the NBA, this time as a coach. But those years in between, while less publicized, may have been more groundbreaking than any others. In 1967, he stepped foot on the campus of the newly founded, political hotbed that was Brandeis University. Here he coached the basketball team for three seasons and ultimately, made history.
K.C. Jones: The Singer
When Sustainability Isn't Sustained: the Challenge of Environmental Activism in College
Through quality multimedia storytelling, fourth year journalism student Gavi Klein '22 explores the challenging nature of college sustainability work, the story of Brandeis' rooftop farm and the origins of Brandeis students' commitment to climate justice. She produced the two-part piece for her final project in JOUR 109b: Reinventing Journalism for the 21st Century.