On top of Video Journalism, I have written 13 stories for the News-Press so far. These are a few of my favorites. Click the Images to Read the Story
IN-Depth NEWS / Investigative
EXCERPT:
"As Soltopia approached, Asia 101 owner Boxi Wang was prepared for a busy weekend. He scheduled extra staff ahead of what is usually one of the best days for business all year.
With his storefront on Embarcadero Del Norte, right in the heart of Isla Vista, he was in a prime spot to take advantage of the weekend historically home to the massive unsanctioned street party, Deltopia.
But the business never came for Wang and many other local companies.
As Saturday business got underway, Wang quickly realized this was not going to be the prosperous day it once was. Much to his disappointment, within a few hours he had sent nearly all the staff home. What was meant to be a day of serving all sorts of Asian dishes from noodles to Kimchi fries, turned out to be more comparable to an average weekend.
The first weekend of spring quarter often saw sales of at least twice that of a regular weekend, providing a much-needed financial cushion for the slower summer months ahead.
Since 2018, Wang has served the Isla Vista community. Now, he worries about the future of not only Asia 101, but all business in Isla Vista."
Human Interest / Feature
Excerpt:
"At 23 years old, after spending a few nights in the Santa Barbara County Jail, Luis Muñoz knew it was time to turn his life around. He got on his bike and started riding around town and quickly discovered the pull-up bars at Dwight Murphy Park. One pull-up started to turn into multiple, and multiple pull-ups turned into a muscle-up and Muñoz fell in love with calisthenics.
Over the past 13 years, Muñoz has transformed a personal love of calisthenics into a community focused on positivity and outdoor fitness by founding SBBarLife. As the sun clears from behind the fog bank at the west end of Cabrillo Ball Park, Muñoz is helping inspire others and encouraging them to reach their goals.
Muñoz didn’t get to this stage due to luck. It took deliberate change and effort to escape his past life of gang violence. He credits the beginning of this journey to his mentor: a former Eastside gang leader who left the gang scene and instead dedicated his life to working with at-risk teens."
News
Excerpt:
"Soft lights flickered and flames danced from candles illuminating the sidewalk as hundreds of community members gathered for a candlelight vigil at the intersection of Cabrillo Boulevard and State Street Monday night.
The vigil, organized by Indivisible Santa Barbara, took place to honor Alex Pretti and Renee Good after they were both fatally shot during interactions with immigration officials in Minneapolis.
National controversy has sparked following Pretti’s death as video evidence from the incident has contradicted messaging sent out by the Trump administration and the Department of Homeland Security."