Senior Michael Stone has "a million interests." A native of Weston, Mass. with a friendly demeanor, he speaks steadily and articulately as he lists his myriad passions; education practice and policy, community health, traveling, filmmaking, advertising, media advocacy and entrepreneurial leadership are among the interests for which this psychology major and communications and media studies (CMS) minor expresses enthusiasm.
A motivated individual, Stone not only knows his passions, but also combines and applies them for the benefit of the community surrounding him.
After three years of exploring his many interests, Stone has now focused his attention on creating a documentary intended for children on the health risks and preventative measures associated with vitamin D deficiency.
A scholar in the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Stone spent the last two years building and teaching an after-school program on media literacy after he became interested in the untapped potential that the media has to educate and raise awareness of a limitless number of issues among children. He taught local middle school and elementary school students how to interpret and question the media, and then helped them to produce their own news segments.
For Stone, helping students find their own passions was personally rewarding.
"I wanted to empower them to spread their own knowledge," he said, hoping that in the process they would "discover their passions outside of the classroom."
Stone is now raising his own voice through the production of his children's documentary on vitamin D deficiency. Stone's inspiration to address such a rarely-discussed subject came from personal experience.
"When I was a freshman in high school, I put on my backpack and my back just snapped," he said. Subsequent x-rays showed an extremely low bone density: "my bone structure was so clear that, essentially, you could see through it."
He learned that cases of this deficiency are becoming increasingly common in children living in areas like Boston. There, distance from the sun prevents some people from getting the necessary amount of a vitamin D, which is usually absorbed unconsciously through exposure to the right kind of sunlight. Instead, individuals must seek vitamin D through their diet, which many have never learned how to do.
Working closely with his doctor, Katherine Gordon, who is currently researching vitamin D deficiency, Stone began to explore the prevalence and implications of the issue in the Boston area.
"I realized that this was something [the community] truly did need," he said, and went to work, attempting to raise awareness of vitamin D deficiency by communicating directly with those that it most affects.
Using the knowledge garnered sophomore year during his "Producing Films for Social Change" class, Stone prepared to make a serious documentary on the subject. Still working with Gordon, he teamed up with CMS Director Julie Dobrow, who runs the senior colloquium program.
Dobrow helped Stone learn "how to make this documentary something that children could see, relate to, and understand," he said. Stone has also been utilizing the resources of Tufts' graduate program in Health Communications.
Until this point, Stone has primarily been involved in researching the vitamin D deficiency itself and the local community that will, he hopes, be his audience. He interviewed a variety of children over winter break and plans to continue throughout the spring semester, seeking a diverse representation of subjects. Stone hopes that all who view the documentary can find someone in it to relate to.
"I'm trying to put a face on this deficiency for someone who has never heard of it or had exposure to it," Stone said. He will then decide how to market the film to schools, where he hopes it will be shown as part of a miniature curriculum on the subject in health class.
"The possible impact that [this film] could have was a huge aspect of my inclination to make it," he said.
That impact extends to Stone himself. Through his work on the film, Stone has recognized that "it's important to think about all of the details of the film, and how they relate to the community which you're hoping to portray." He also emphasized what he's learned about the difference between perceived and actual community need, remembering how he changed certain aims and aspects of his project after learning what the community really requires of it.
Stone also said the huge amount of knowledge on vitamin D deficiency has led him to "make more changes in [his] own lifestyle."
Stone is hoping to release the film in the spring. Beyond that, he's not quite sure what his plans are.
"Graduation's six months away," he said with mock apprehension. In the future, Stone wants to explore the connection between psychology and educational policy, and also to use his filmmaking skills for media-based social advocacy.
"I'd rather enjoy what I'm doing now and not know what I'm doing next year than commit to something less interesting just because if offers me stability," he said.
