By Jolie Freedman

At High School East you can always count on the school board, the creative students, and the intellectual teachers to aim to improve our school in exciting and innovative ways. This year, various changes were made to our school library in order revamp the school’s atmosphere. What once was a quiet study room became HSE’s very first broadcasting studio where students are provided with the opportunity to take a unique new elective called Broadcasting 101. Mr. Scorica, a 9th and 10th grade Social Studies teacher, envisioned this remarkable proposition. With the help and support of Dr. Woodberry and the school board, this idea became a reality.

This elective encompasses public speaking skills, writing, monitoring lighting, and camera work. As a student enrolled in this course, it is definitely a challenge and a work in progress. With each day comes a new experience. However, we are on the road to success and almost ready to go on air. The class is split into two groups; one group is in charge of the daily morning announcements, while the other group works on the magazine. Every day in class, the morning announcement group records a one minute segment to be shown in class first period the next day incorporating all of the daily news. They also record a three minute segment of other announcements to be posted on YouTube. The second group works on the magazine which consists of various different segments including nutrition facts of the day, student spotlight interviews, school event recaps, and club spotlights. Although we have not aired any of our segments yet, we are on the brink of producing our first real broadcasts.

Another exciting component of the broadcasting elective is the new technology the school has provided, along with a designated broadcasting room. This room is in the library and has a green wall which is used as a green screen. This room is where all of the broadcasting action will be taking place! The school has provided us with a plethora of equipment, including hi-tech cameras, state of the art software, and teleprompters. There is also now a Broadcasting Club for those who have interest in participating in this activity outside of a classroom environment. The club is held on Mondays right after school in Mr. Scorcia’s room. Broadcasting 101 also has a twitter and an instagram: @hsetbirdtv.  So far, Broadcasting 101 has been a substantial class for me, and I hope the instillation of the program continues to thrive as well as inspire more changes throughout our school community. Tune in to HSE T-Bird TV to see what all the hype is about!