Wednesday, April 4, 2001
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Wednesday, April 4, 2001 |
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New CTV anchors and crew members selected
Fayette's first elementary school to do a live morning television broadcast has just selected its new anchors and tech crew for the 2001-2002 season. Approximately 125 fourth graders at Fayetteville Elementary tried out for the slots at CTV that will be vacated by outgoing fifth grade students at the end of the school year. Several weeks ago interested students were given applications to fill out and select the positions for which they wanted to audition. Surprisingly, an overwhelming majority, about 88 students, indicated that they wanted to try out for a tech position. "We thought this to be really amazing. You would think that most of the students would want an anchor position," says GuyNel Johnson, a teacher of the gifted as well as one of the coordinators of the CTV broadcast. While the anchors might be the most visible people of the broadcast, the show could not air without the help of cameramen, sound technicians and special effects personnel. Before applicants auditioned for tech positions, Johnson conducted a mini-workshop in the CTV studio where she showed them how to operate the cameras and equipment. As she auditioned the tech applicants for tech positions, Johnson took note of not only how efficiently they could operate the equipment, but also how well they could listen and follow instructions. Media specialist Judy Pearson was in charge of auditioning the anchors. Students wrote their own scripts and read them in front of a video camera. Both Pearson and Johnson reviewed the tapes to judge how the students looked on camera as well as how much effort they had put into their presentations. For the final phase of judging, students were required to get recommendations from their teachers. Pearson and Johnson used those recommendations, along with the results of the audition, to rate each applicant and select the next CTV crew. A total of 36 students recently got a huge surprise when they found out they had made the cut. The announcement was made during one of the morning broadcasts at the school. Those selected were invited to come to the media center to celebrate where they were surprised by the cheers of their parents. "We had secretly notified the parents ahead of time so that they could be present at the school to congratulate their children when the announcement was made," Johnson says. The outgoing anchors and tech crew formed a bridge with their hands for each new member to pass through as a welcome gesture for those who will take their places next year. Also, the fifth graders hosted a reception for the newly selected team members. "One year the fifth grade students did a bridge for the fourth graders as they walked into the media center and since it has become tradition. It is just the coolest thing," Johnson said. Johnson said being a part of the CTV team helps students build both reading and critical thinking skills. "We stress reading to our students daily, but I don't know if it hits home about what all they can do with the skill. By reading scripts over the air, students can really see a reason to have good reading skills. "The tech students learn critical thinking skills and how to think on their feet," she added. "If a camera goes down in the middle of a broadcast, then they have to make a quick decision as to how to work around the problem. I see this as being an enriching experience for all involved." The 36 students will be broken into three teams with six members each: three anchors and three tech crew members. The new crew will work with the outgoing staff for the rest of the year so that they will be prepared to take over the 2001 CTV broadcast at the beginning of the school year. The 2001-2002 CTV anchors are Paula Toth, Dustin Osborne, Emily Cameron, Marissa Collier, George Czick, Martha Kim, Haley Williams, Eric Roche, Alicia Carithers, Maggie Graham, Victoria Murray, Jessica Sullivan, Adam Bowen, Caitlin Kyle, Michael Keel, Annabeth Horner and Mary Mannion. The tech crew members are Michael Jeanes, Alex Waslis, Amy Powell, Jake Fisher, Joanna Lin, Cody Hendrickson, Abasi Burrourghs, Kenny Crawford, Kristian King, James Moyer, Alex Green, Matthew Rogers, Jeffery Teuble, Christopher Crittenden, Zachery Carden, Catie Pietrofere, David Gridley and Greg Brooker.
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