N E W B R OA D C A S T I N G S T U D I O F E AT U R E S C O N T E M P O R A RY T E C H N O L O G Y, A L L O WS F O R C R E AT I V I T Y B Y E M M A KO L I C K
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ith reminders of the ongoing construction process at North Royalton High School easily visible to students and staff alike, as the completed STEM wing borders the nearly-renovated humanities wing, the understandable importance placed on traditional curriculum is evident through the school’s development of state-of-the-art facilities. However, found within these remarkable additions are unique classroom settings and collaborative spaces that provide creative outlets for alternative interests that deviate from standard subjects, including the broadcast journalism field. As electronic news and media become increasingly important in the current digital age only furthered by this period of isolation, North Royalton recognized this salient mode of communication and subsequently incorporated a new broadcasting studio into the renovated high school. Complete with contemporary equipment that enables students to innovate creative ways to broadcast news and events to the local community, this upgrade in technology will substantially change the ongoings of both the broadcasting class, which primarily produces the morning announcements, as well as the high school’s Video Club. “I think broadcasting not only serves as a venue to get kids used to using media as a platform for journalism, but it also gives them the chance to have their voices heard,” said Mr. Hemery, who has served as the broadcasting teacher for nearly two decades. Throughout his
Colorful switcher that moves between video sources and allows for the live, final output that the audience eventually sees. 8
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T H E ROYA L N EWS
seventeen-year career in which the broadcasting department began with cutting-edge technology, the equipment quickly began to age, and due to common limitations in public school funding, was unable to be replaced. Realizing that purchasing modern equipment for the new studio would be a longterm investment that would simultaneously allow broadcasting students to utilize this technology to expand their creativity and uniquely communicate the news and their interests, the school provided generous funding to ensure the creation of a phenomenal studio. Through working with the company iVideo Technologies in explaining what the district hoped to acquire through the construction Current broadcasting students of this unique space, while morning to successfully produce concurrently understanding the community and monetary restrictions, the regional supplier took both the desires and concerns of the high school into consideration. Ultimately, this process ended in the creation of an advanced studio with equipment that mirrors that of professional news studios across the nation. “There are so many different parts in the studio, like graphics, audio, camera, and the prompter, to name a few,” said junior and current broadcasting student Angela Cicero, “and this newer equipment helps for a smoother and easier process. I think as we become more comfortable with the equipment, we’re able to be creative and present new ideas for the morning announcements.” Within this new space are incredible technological features, such as robotic cameras that allow for students to control the cameras in the Performing Arts Center of the high school from the studio. As the vast majority of professional setups are robotic in this way, the elimination of needing bodies in the physical space to record videos is one of the ways in which the equipment allows for a simplified process. Additionally, the switcher, used
