Finding "Joie" at the Tulip Festival: Saturday, May 18, 2024

Sara Smith from Anderson University

Eagerness and excitement filled the room as WJI students met in the classroom for a final brief before visiting the Tulip Festival in Orange City. The brief centered around helpful interview techniques for our first reporting assignment. Lee also instructed us to pay careful attention to our surroundings and observe what we could hear, taste, smell, touch, and see at the festival. After the quick brief, we grabbed lunches, loaded into three vans, and headed to the Tulip Festival. Once we arrived, everyone headed in different directions to observe and practice the interview techniques we had just reviewed. I was assigned to cover a story related to business. Eventually, I stumbled across a sweet floral shop called “Joie Floral Design.” After spending several minutes browsing and chatting with the owner (Lindsay), I decided this was the business I wanted to feature in my story. Lindsay was kind enough to let me interview her and record our conversation. Through our conversation, I found out that Lindsay was a breast cancer survivor and mother of three children. She shared how her faith in God impacts the way she views the business and interactions with customers. Additionally, Lindsay shared the meaning behind the name of her shop. The word “Joie” means “Joy” in French and after overcoming a variety of trials in her own life, Lindsay hopes the floral shop will bring others the same joy that it brings her. The interview was a wonderful experience and I’m thankful for the opportunity to apply classroom concepts to a real-life example.