On the last day of class this spring, a small group of students is lost in conversation at the USC Peace Garden. Part of the COMM 499: Climate Stories course that meets every Wednesday, they read, watch, listen to, and prototype new, playful ways to tell climate stories.
Aspiring climate photojournalist and documentarian Michael Chow is a communication major and recalls his transformation during the semester.
“I came into the class feeling a bit stuck on how to tell stories about climate without engaging in doomsaying, while still highlighting the urgency of the issue,” Chow said. “The class made me realize that the climate issue is a microcosm of how we live as humans — how we talk about it and how we address it is indicative of the values we want to uphold. How we behave in this crisis demonstrates our values in how we want to treat our environment and our fellow human beings.”