Students Discovering Career Niche in School District Television Studio
Armstrong Senior High Senior David Damrath prepares for last week’s taping of “Education Today” in the new high school television studio. The studio was completed at the end of October.
by Jonathan Weaver
During the first semester at Armstrong Junior-Senior High, Senior David Damrath has learned his career-path.
And not from reading a textbook or writing on a chalkboard.
Damrath, of Manor Township, turned his television and movie obsession into plans to attend the Art Institute of Pittsburgh next fall for Digital Filmmaking and TV Production because of his work behind-the-camera during ‘Education Today’ and other student-wide productions.
“Going into this year - going into the editing room and even the studio - made me realize this was my passion,” Damrath said. “Beginning of this year, I had no intention of going to college.”
Yet, Thursday night during a special taping of the series, Damrath and Senior Jared Atwood worked on new professional-grade software in the high school’s newly-completed television studio.
Their project last week: making sure Senior Coby Toy and District Magisterial Judge Gary DeComo, of Ford City, effectively explained the regional “Drugs Kill Dreams” student prevention program before its future airing to nearly 80,000 homes.
Last week’s live-to-tape 30-minute show has come a long way since English and Media Instructor Don Swanson helped build the studio in 2004 at Kittanning Junior High with donated equipment.
“In 2004 when we built the first studio, my goal was to have it comparable to most colleges and universities in the region,” Swanson said. “What we have here is all high-definition, completely digital.
“As with the old studio, (students) that take this course and decide to pursue it after high school, one thing we’ve consistently gotten back is that our (students) are generally over-prepared.”
Toy, of Kittanning, hopes to use the public speaking skills in either business or advertising next year, and said the television studio has let students step up their game.
“This year, it’s definitely taken a step up with all the new equipment,” Toy said.
About 50 underclassmen could fill Toy, Damrath or Atwood’s role in the advanced production class in the coming years after completing their prerequisites.
District Multi-Media Technician Chris Garritano said the number of students that have taken the advanced class (TV II) has risen each year since he recommended its inception in December 2011.
“It’s like a seminar-based class (with) a lab component,” Garritano said. “(Students) have a lot of creative freedom. There is some lecture/class work, but a lot of its getting up and doing something. These guys are given a lot of responsibility to get their own creative ideas and different projects.”
Armstrong students also report morning announcements live every morning, but what Toy is looking forward to is a special ‘AHS Fear Factor.’
“We’re high school students – we like to have fun with it all,” Toy said. “Any chance we have to have a little bit of fun with our videos we definitely (take advantage of it).”
In the late-1990’s and early 2000’s, School Board Director Linda Walker taught Public Speaking to upperclassman at Shannock Valley High and West Shamokin High. Part of the requirement was also to report the morning announcements.
“Many, many, many years ago at Shannock Valley High School, part of Public Speaking was to do the morning broadcast – the day before, we would tape the opening segment because we always did something to try and catch everyone’s attention. And then, the morning of, we would have one of the (students) taping as they read the morning announcements – nothing anywhere near this capacity.
“This is just amazing to see the growth over the years with the way technology has changed.”
Regardless of the topic, Judge DeComo called students “fantastic” because of how they inform the community.
Instructor Don Swanson said Television Production students learn more than just about television on set.
Armstrong School District | jweaver December 14, 2015
