Social Issue Project Proposal

1. Body shaming
2. There are a lot of ads that try to get people to stop body shaming someone who is overweight, but not many that focus on skinny shaming and I get a lot of flack for my weight and body type.
3. It makes people feel ashamed of their body type when they shouldn't and can create future issues with the generations to come
4. Show them the damage created by body shaming and the seriousness of the situation
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1. Cyberbullying
2. A lot of my friends and family have suffered from this issue and a lot of innocent lives have been taken because of it.
3. There has been an increase in suicides and depression since cyberbullying has gotten worse. Innocent lives shouldn't be taken because someone doesn't know the correct way to treat people.
4. Try to get them to feel something through the image.
-Megan Meier Foundation

1. Distractions while driving
2. People close to me have lost family members because of this. A member of my family has a huge issue with this and refuses to stop texting and driving because he believes he is invincible, but he's really putting himself and innocent people around him in danger.
3. Sudden deaths could be avoided by the simple act of not letting things around them become a distraction.
4. It could be anyone they know and love. Try to open their eyes to the seriousness of distractions.
-TADD

Social Issue Ideas

Social Issue Ideas
Justice system/minorities
media
don't be a bystander
racism
discrimination
prejudice
addiction to technology
body image
eating - vegetarians/vegans
bullying
cyberbullying
use of words
poverty
gun control
military = freedom
gay rights
fitting in
stress of school
animal cruelty
PTSD
drunk driving
animal testing
school lunches
child abuse
abusive relationships
distractions while driving (texting, music, friends, phone, etc)
drugs and alcohol
pollution
animals in zoos
abortion
mental health stigma
stereotypes
Teen depression
islam phobia
eating disorders
obesity
divorce
attitude
rape culture
animal adoption
gender identity
identity
peer pressure
sexuality
capitalism
accepting yourself
smoking
police brutality
body shaming

Social Issue Ad Campaign Examples

This ad works because it makes you feel something when you look at the advertisement. It gives you a different perspective and shows you what happens on the other end instead of the person who's driving. Typically, most ads focus on the person driving, but it's just as bad talking on the other end.

This ad works because it catches your attention. Personally, I have a big issue with how animals are treated in zoos and circuses and the way they creatively made the animal a puppet and showed the vulnerability makes you feel sympathy for the animal and makes you want to help stop it form happening.

It makes you think twice about the harmful things you leave behind and the effects it has on innocent creatures that don't know any better. All of our actions have consequences. 

Photojournalism - A Blast to the Past: The Great Depression

“A Blast to the Past: The Great Depression” 
By Jessie Richwine 

12/17/14

In his current home in Carlisle, Lee Richwine Sr. sat down and shared every memory he had of the most terrifying time the world has ever experienced; The Great Depression. When Lee was born, he entered a world of war and suffering. Being so young, most of the time he had no idea what was happening and that somehow made things a lot more horrifying for him. Everything was scarce, not many people had money, and people completely depended on gardens they had in their backyards. Every day was a constant struggle to survive and an endless amount of unanswered questions. Would the feeling of fear ever go away and would the world ever be a safe place again?

Lee’s family consisted of 10 other siblings, five girls and five boys. He was the 3^rd to last person born in his family and the 2^nd to last boy.  He didn’t see his oldest brother most of the time because he went off to fight in the war when he was only 19. His mother looked after all the kids and saved more money than his father ever did. She was an extremely hardworking person and did everything in her power to take care of her family. She cooked, cleaned, worked in the garden, and made time for her family all without her husband being present. “Oh, you don’t want to know what kind of man my father was,” Lee explained. “He would work all day, come home, sat down on a chair, and just read the newspaper. On the weekends, we wouldn’t see him until Sunday night maybe. He would go out to the bar with his friends, spend all the money he made, and wouldn’t come back until the next week.” Dealing with this kind of situation was difficult on the whole family. It caused tension between the family, but Lee’s mother always came through for them. “She was a great woman.”

Lee’s family was no different than any other family living during the Great Depression. They had very little money and were one hundred percent dependent on the garden they grew in their backyard and the few animals they had. “We just had the garden. Mother canned everything. We had a cellar in our basement that looked like a library of cans,” said Lee. “We raised the garden, went out to the field and picked out berries. All types of berries. Any berry you can think of, we picked,” He continued. “Our garden was as big as my yard is now. We had cows for milk and raised chickens and pigs, killed ‘em, and sold those too.”  Every day was a routine. They got up early in the morning, put on their overalls, picked berries out in the field, and some days, slaughtered and sold chickens or pigs for extra money. Along with all this work, they had chores to do. Every day of the week had a specific chore that had to be done and every week it repeated all over again. Unlike today, the children hardly complained and even found ways to make the days enjoyable.

Lee remembers his scariest moment being every night when they had to black out their windows. Enemy airplanes soared over their homes and towns and would bomb any trace of enemy life. Situations like these happened often, but the feeling of terror never left.  “It was mostly scary because none of us kids really knew what was going on. All we knew was that it was really dangerous and there was never a night we weren’t supposed to black out our windows.” Lee said. Dealing with these kind of struggles took a toll on everyone in America. Hope seemed to be lost and the good days felt rare. Even with these struggles, Lee’s family found a way to stay positive.

                  Not all the days during the depression were bad.  “People got along a lot better back then. Everyone was really nice to each other,” Lee recalls. “Not like how people are today.” His family was close with the neighbors, especially the kids. During their free time, they always found a way to make the days fun even with the worry of a war going on. Being inside was never an option. The kid’s, along with the neighbors, played games like Tag with a twist, played on swings, and even went out to creeks to have some fun in the water. They also made up new games every day. One of Lee’s most enjoyable memories was when he bit into the seed of a cherry seed and lost his first tooth. They not only had other kids to keep them entertained, but they also had dogs and cats. They helped with the animals and also brought them joy on the more difficult days. School was also a factor in keeping the kids positive. “I liked school a lot. In the first grade, I was the only one in my class and had to sit in a chair right in front of the teacher’s desk. The walk was long and we had to get up early, but the classes were good.”

Finally, the day had come. “Oh, I remember the day we found out the war was over and that we won. It was a great day. There were parades and celebrations everywhere. People wore red, white, and blue. They shot guns into the air and cheered all over the place. We didn’t know the war was gonna be over, but we were sure glad it was.” Lee states. After years of being in constant fear and losing hope more and more every day, there was more happiness than there had ever been. This was the darkest time the world has ever experienced and no matter how many times people had lost hope, America pushed through. We always push through.

Lee's mother, Grandmother, and Uncle stand in front of the house in Carlisle that Lee's mother grew up in over 3 decades ago.

Lee looks back on his time as a kid during the Great Depression. He talks about the first time he went to the movie theater in Carlisle and how he lost his first tooth.

In the time of the Great Depression, Lee and his brothers wore overalls with no shirt or shoes every day. "All we wore were overalls. No shirt, no shoes. It got too hot. Our feet were sure dirty though."

In a routinely fashion, Lee and his family wake up early in the morning every day to work on their garden and take care of the animals.

To distract themselves from the darker times, the kid's play lots of games like tag, hide and seek, and love to swing on the swings.

In Carlisle, Lee lives in a house he built for his wife and family over 20 years ago. His grandchildren now visit very frequently and plan on keeping the house in the family. 

Gallery of images for Lee Richwine

Photojournalism Shooting Assignment

It was difficult taking photos because he felt very uncomfortable having pictures taken of him. I really enjoyed getting to hear the story of his time in the Great Depression, growing up with an alcoholic father, and things that happened during World War II.