A. Charity

     List all the fund drives in your community. Include the dates of the next campaign, the goal, last year's goal and the actual amount raised.
     Interview the executive director of one of the organizations for a story. Any new techniques to be used? Any general comments on generosity or parsimony of the community? Any national or local factors involved in the amounts set as the goal or actually raised?
     If the city has a United Fund that collects for all local charities, write about its next fund drive; summarize the most recent campaign, using exact totals and comments.

B. Merit Folo

     Locate the names of several National Merit Scholars from local high schools over the past 5 to 10 years. Call their principals, and try to learn where the scholars are now and how they have done in college and thereafter. If a Merit Scholar is available locally, interview him or her.

C. Acquisition

     Visit a local or nearby museum and interview the curator or director on new acquisitions. Has he or she been able to obtain what the museum has wanted? Is the museum interested in specializing in a particular area? How much money is available for acquisitions? Is it sufficient? What is the source of the funds? Is there a plan to try to increase funds? If the museum has priorities other than acquisitions, ask about them.

D. Tippers

     Are local residents and visitors good tippers? Interview hotel bellhops, waiters and waitresses, barbers, taxi drivers and others. What is considered a good tip? Who are the best tippers: men, women; young, middle-aged or elderly; local people, out-of-towners or foreigners? Are students good tippers?

E. Meetings

     For practice in covering spontaneous events, cover a meeting of one or more of the following:

1. City council or commission.
2. Service club speaker (Lions, Kiwanis, etc.).
3. Planning, zoning commission.
4. County commission, board of supervisors.

F. Sabbatical

     A college admissions consultant suggests that high school graduates take a year off before going to college. "If you're older, you do better," he says. "You don't fall down drunk and waste your time." What is the experience at your college? Do older students do better? Interview faculty members and administrators.

G. New

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Visit the local zoo for a feature story on a new acquisition or birth. Interview the zoo director and the keeper in charge of the newcomer. Mike Roemer