Broadcast One offers a new perspective
C20 is a room bustling with students managing cameras spread around the room and editing software– all to learn how to be newscasters.
Broadcasting 1 was offered as a new class this year, available to all students interested in the various aspects of news and media.
AJ de Vos, sophomore, found out about the class through an email from the school and decided to take the class to expose herself to new aspects of film.
“I decided to join Broadcasting 1 because I love film and I’ve been in it all my life, but I wanted to learn how to adapt to different live situations and think on my feet which is something I haven’t had the opportunity to learn before,” de Vos said.
The class is relatively small, with only nine people, so the students are able to participate in many interactive activities to learn more about the key aspects of broadcast.
“The main thing we learn in the class is how to tell good news stories and put them together in a short time,’’ de Vos said. “Overall, the class is about how to work in the news industry and with that also comes some really good life skills like how to talk to people and be confident.”
Brian Russell, senior, decided to take the class to learn more about how news operates in the real world. As the class progressed, he realized that broadcasting could possibly be a future career path.
“I did a package on special ed students, which was one of my favorites. I learned how their class functions, interviewed the teachers and students, and made a news package out of it,” Russell said.
Paige Hajiloo, sophomore, was not expecting much going into the class, but Derek Grimes, teacher, completely changed her perspective on broadcast.
“(He) has made the class interesting in a number of ways,” Hajiloo said, “He is very knowledgeable about broadcasting because he has gotten on many sets and knows how the equipment is operated.”
Making news packages look satisfying is a key component of broadcast, so a major goal of the class is to teach technical aspects of production.
“This class has impacted me because it has taught me how to think on my feet and find the story in everything. It has given me the insight into the news industry and has opened a door to a new career opportunity for me that I never even thought of until I took this class,” de Vos said.
The class is an intro to Panther TV, and if sophomores or juniors take the class, they are given an advantage going into Panther TV the following year.
“I would 100% recommend this class to other students because even if you don’t have an interest in news, it’s still a fun class where you learn life skills like how to adapt and tell stories,” de Vos said. “This has been one of my favorite classes in high school so far because of the people, the lessons we learn, the projects we do, and the overall joyful impact is has had on my high school experience.”
