Katherine Castro and Luis Rodriguez man the cameras for Lynn Classical High School’s morning news show put on by the TV Production Club each morning. (Courtesy Photo)

Classical students produce daily newscast

By Chris Stevens / The Daily Item

LYNN - Members of the Classical High School TV Production Club show up each weekday morning - not only ready for class - but also ready for a little TV time too.

Each morning at 8 a.m. television screens throughout the school light up with Classical Morning News.

It is 10 minutes of announcements, reminders and lunch menus, along with a sports wrap-up and weather forecast.

"Sometimes we have kids come in and ask to make specific announcements on air," explained Kathy Grenier, who teaches the TV production classes and advises the TV Production Club and also oversees the program. "Sometimes the principal will even come down and talk on camera."

While Grenier oversees the news show, the production, direction, camera angles and some of the content are all delivered by the production club.

Grenier said she would like to have the students actually gather news, but for now most of the show is made up of announcements that are e-mailed to her.

Along with the news program, Grenier said the kids also film events in and around school to air.

Leslie Lim typed a last minute announcement into the script on a recent morning, which appeared on the two teleprompters located just in front of the three cameramen. Lim said she prefers to work behind the scenes and likes to type so the teleprompter position works for her.

Grenier said Channel 15, the local cable station, gave the studio the teleprompters and outfitted the studio with most of its equipment. It took a bit for the kids to get used to using the teleprompters, Grenier said, but they read like pros now.

Zac Culp, president of the club and director of the morning news show, calls a two-minute warning before the show is about to start.

Katherine Castro, Luis Rodriguez and Steven Grigioris are already behind the cameras ready to follow the reports of news anchors Melissa Castillo and Ayesha Reyes Delacruz and the banter between sportscaster Eric Smith and weather announcer Josh Paro.

Rodriguez said he likes being a cameraman because he thinks he has a good eye for it and "it's easy." However, he also has his eye on the director's job.

In the control room with Culp, Youy Ou and James Atkins man the graphics and audio respectively.

Grenier said the group tries to alternate roles since there are about 30 students, freshman through seniors, in the club. Culp, however, estimates that 70 percent of the members are juniors.

Culp first got involved with television production in middle school. By the time he was a sophomore, he was president of the high school club and jokes that he will continue his reign until he graduates. He also works for Channel 15 on the side.

"I'm very technically oriented," he said. "I like that stuff."

A number of students, including Samantha Sweeney, also work at Channel 15. Sweeney is another cameraman and when she's not filming at the high school, she films sporting events for Fisher College.

When Para is not on set, Channyda Chea typically does the weather announcements, which she likes.

"You have a little more freedom," she said. "I watch the weather at home and then write a script."

Along with honing technical skills, Culp said the club has taught the production team other valuable lessons, like how to think on your feet and to quickly solve problems.

Atkins said every time they're set to film an event in the auditorium, something inevitably goes wrong.

"Every single time," he said.

Rodriguez said he has become competent at fixing cameras and he's mastered getting a shot with a single camera when the second one fails.

"There is always a way to do it," he said. "It might be kind of a messy shot but it's a shot."

Grenier said she sort of fell into the job of teacher of television production three years ago, but she calls it the best thing that ever happened to her and many of her students feel the same way. A few said they might put their newfound talents toward a college major.

"The nice thing about it is the kids take a real interest," Grenier said. "And they're a great bunch of kids."