Photo by Maylis Laverne
Spring 2023 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: Lake Whatcom
Students in the Spring 2024 Advanced Visual Journalism class take a deep dive into Lake Whatcom.
Photo by Andy Ford
Spring 2023 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: Food for Thought
Students in the Spring 2023 Advanced Visual Journalism class were curious about sustainable food systems in the area. They ventured out to local farms, gardens, grocery stores and the Salish Sea to get a better understanding of what it takes to get food on our table from local sources.
Photo by Erik Anderson
Fall 2022 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: Pickleball
Students in the Advanced Visual Journalism are diligently working away on a project this quarter and they are on target to launch their project during the first week of December. The class photo should give some clues about the topic they are pursuing.
Photo by Rowan Forsythe
Spring 2022 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: Whatcom Sounds
Students in the Advanced Visual Journalism class worked on projects under the broad thematic umbrella of “sound” during the spring quarter. Inspired how we are immersed in sound on a daily basis, students explored how sound affects us and our surroundings.
Photo by Tony Mueantonthian
Fall 2021 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: Chuckanut Drive
Students in the Fall of 2021 Advanced Visual Journalism set off along Chuckanut Drive to discover the rich history and culture nestled along a 21 mile stretch of road where mountains meet the sea. We invite you to take a ride with us from Fairhaven to Bow, Washington as we explore the many facets of this remarkable community offering a closer look into the environment, lifestyles and artwork that have shaped their culture.
Learn more about the Fall 2021 Team
Photo by Nick Sadigh
Spring 2021 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: Defining Home
Students in the Spring 2021 Advanced Visual Journalism class traversed stories of different homes and lifestyles, paving diverse definitions of what home can mean in the greater Bellingham area. From college houses to tiny homes, they offer a peek into local homes and dwellings, as well as the redefining of “home” as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn more about the Spring 2021 Team
Fall 2020 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: Connecting Apart
Students in the fall 2020 Advanced Visual Journalism explored how people found ways to stay connected during the ongoing social distancing restrictions stemming from the pandemic. Whether it was through gaming, dating, dining or exercising Civil Rights, the common thread of staying connected proved invaluable.
Learn more about the Fall 2020 Team.
Spring 2020 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: Coping with COVID-19
Throughout April and May 2020, students in the spring Advanced Visual Journalism class set out to document how members in the Northwest region of Washington were coping with social distancing mandates stemming from the coronavirus. They explored the impact the pandemic had on education, business, families and community.
Learn more about the Spring 2020 Team.
Photo by Rachel Alexander
Fall 2019 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: The Rhetorician: Doing it for the Love
Students in the Fall 2019 Advanced Visual Journalism class profiled Jordan Moss, a rap artist known as “The Rhetorician.”
Photo by Molly Workman
Spring 2019 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: Bellingham Bay: Coastline Connections
In the spring of 2019, students in the advanced visual journalism course at Western Washington University sought out to capture the ways in which the Bellingham Bay connects local residents to recreation, sports, arts, travel, careers and lifestyle on the water.
Photo by Joe Gosen
Fall 2018 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: “Mount Baker: The beating heart of Whatcom County”
In the fall of 2018, students in the advanced visual journalism course at Western Washington University explored our community’s connection to Mount Baker. The mountain has an iconic presence for residents and visitors alike. For some, it’s a recreational playground and for others it’s a scientific laboratory.
Photo by Jacob Land
Spring 2018 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: “The Edge”
In the spring of 2018, students in the advanced visual journalism course at Western Washington University sought out stories of life on the edge. Using visual storytelling techniques, these students explored narratives of art, therapy, homelessness, and van life. Each of these topics illustrates a different aspect the class theme of “The Edge.”
Photo by Robert Dudzik
Spring 2017 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: “Stories Along the Nooksack”
During the spring quarter of 2017, students in the advanced visual journalism course at Western Washington University decided to use the Nooksack River as a guide for seeking out stories in Whatcom County. Over the span of several weeks, 13 students explored the river from Mount Baker to Bellingham Bay. Together they produced a series of multimedia projects titled “Stories Along the Nooksack” that highlights the impact and significance of the river on the community.
Photo by Randee Matthews
Fall 2016 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: “Bridging the Divide”
There has been much discussion recently about America’s ever-widening gap in the rural-urban divide. This inspired students in the Advanced Visual Journalism course at Western to explore the topic on a local level. During the fall of 2016, nine students set out to find stories in Bellingham and rural Whatcom County to better understand this phenomenon. While it is inevitable that some cultural, political and geographic divisions will continue to exist, there are individuals, companies and organizations who are “Bridging the Divide” in sustainable ways.
Photo by Daisey James
Spring 2016 Advanced Visual Journalism
Class Project: “Repurposing Downtown”
On a bright spring afternoon in late March of 2016, Joe Gosen, assistant professor of journalism at Western Washington University, offered up an idea to 13 of his students in their visual journalism capstone class. Inspired by his recent relocation to Bellingham and involvement as a Community Engagement Fellow at WWU, Gosen wanted to challenge his students to use the culmination of their skills to produce a project from the ground up. Months later, the motley crew of talented individuals created 48 Degrees North, a website dedicated to finding and telling the stories of Bellingham and Whatcom County. In preparation of launching the site, students focused their multimedia projects on historic preservation and sustainable practices in Bellingham’s downtown core. Their combined efforts resulted in “Repurposing Downtown” as well as the official launch of this website in June 2016.