For the first time in The Gauntlet’s history, Eight video journalists from our staff attended the Student Television Network’s Convention in downtown Tampa from Saturday, March 1st to Tuesday, March 4th.
The Gauntlet advisor Blake Hoonhout and Biology Teacher Caitlin Wildes chaperoned the trip. The videographers participated in various events, activities, workshops, and contests during their time in Tampa. They also learned from different speakers about the importance of social media in today’s world when it comes to journalism.
As a biology teacher, Wildes didn’t know what to expect at the STN convention. Even then, she had a great time learning about journalism with our staff.
“I really enjoyed seeing what the students produced,” Wildes said. “Personally, I really enjoyed learning something that I don’t really know that much about.”
Our staff especially enjoyed the various events and competitions. These activities were all self-directed, allowing our videographers to sharpen their skills. Along with the many activities, Freshman attendee Annette Logan enjoyed the various speakers and seminars on Monday.
“We learned a lot from many different speakers and mentors,” Logan commented. “Like videography, cinematography, and how to organize different equipment.
When it came to meeting students from around the country like Hawaii, California, and South Carolina, Junior Kieran Cloutier commented that everyone attending the STN conference has one thing in common: love for videography.
“A lot of them [attendees] were super passionate about film-making,” Cloutier said.
On Sunday our team split into two groups. One team focused on producing a Man On The Street video, while the other focused on an arts and culture feature video. The prompt for Man On The Street was “brush with fame” where the videographers asked people on the street if they have ever had a run in with a famous person.
This 4-day trip allowed both students and teachers to get a better understanding of the technical and personal side of journalism. It was also a great preview of what the new video journalism class will look like next year, which Mr. Hoonhout is very excited about.
“Video journalism will involve telling stories and film-making,” Hoonhout said. “The convention allowed the students to see schools in the field doing this interesting project and creation work.”
