For my Narrative Journalism Profile I am proposing to write about my friend, Laura Bowers. During her freshman year at Loyola Univeristy, Laura, a white-middle class girl from a suburb of Chicago, converted to Islam. She now attends regular religious seminars, wears a hijab daily, and wants to become one of North America's first female Islamic scholars. This girl, who I first met in Spain, who used to split beers and hotdogs with me on Barcelona boardwalks, now doesn't drink, doesn't eat pork, and doesn't date. Everyday this white girl, who used to be at the top of American social hierarchy, now faces blatant racism and sexism. People ask her if she's from Morocco, Jordan, and Lebanon. She says, "No. I'm from just outside of Chicago." She has faced criticism from her white friends. She has lost friends. She has fought with her family. She has been accepted by her family. This girl is my best friend and there is a huge part of her life that I want to understand better.
While I don't exactly know where this story is going, I feel a story is just waiting to emerge. Some potential points of conflict that I hope to address include:
1. Her decision to convert. WHY??
2. How did her decision change her relationship with her friends and family?
3. Racism.
4. Sexism.
5. What is her role in society? How does it point to larger issues?
6. Why did she keep her conversion a secret?
7. What is my experience in relation to her conversion?
8. Why now?
9. Cultural/religious practices.
10. Stereotypes.
11. Education.
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