Mix the comedy of Jimmy Fallon or Jimmy Kimmel and combine that with the fun, eclectic dance moves of Ellen DeGeneres, and you have the newly launched “Tech Morning Show.” It’s entertainment combined with news, all wrapped up into a neat little digital package.
The “Tech Morning Show” is only possible this year because of Tech High School’s updated technology. Students now have the opportunity to do television production and broadcasting. With the help of Dr. Matt Keil, they couldn’t wait to get started.
“I’ve always loved watching news reporters do their thing,” says Daniel Cook, a Tech freshman. “It is something that I’ve considered as a [future] job, so this was a great opportunity that was presented to me and I’m very grateful.”
Senior Elizabeth Hennen is the producer and main editor for the show. Her personal goal is to go into television or film production as a career. She loves that she will attend college with production experience using professional-grade equipment which she feels will help further her career. Freshman Dawson Pape wants to be a weatherman and just make people smile. Winston Johnson, a Tech senior, was approached to compose a theme song and other musical pieces to accompany the televised segments and is now one of the three main hosts on the show.
“I realized that this was going to be something very new, very exciting,” says Johnson. “I’ve always had an interest in acting, even though you’re hosting and telling the news. It’s still very much about presenting yourself. I just saw it as something … artistically fulfilling to do. It’s a good experience and I’m working with very talented people.”
Cook adds, “And this was only possible because of the generosity of the community to give us this brand new high school.”
“The objectives of the Tech Morning Show are twofold,” explains Keil. “The show provides an opportunity for students to get involved in the communications field and provides an outlet to showcase the amazing talents and opportunities at Tech High School.”
Production runs just like a television news show. Students make up the crew as hosts, news and sports correspondents, camera and audio crew members, editors, writers and producer. Content and ideas are discussed, laid out and executed. Once the content is filmed, it is sent to one of the editors. From there, all edited segments are sent to Hennen to piece together as one episode.
“Because our primary viewers are going to be high school students who are teenagers,” explains Cook, “the most important thing is that it is visually stimulating and we want as much fun and productivity mixed in so they keep coming back to the show.”
The crew has interviewed students and staff, gathered content and created segments such as the “masked dancer” since the start of the school year. The idea came from senior, Dan Sikes, who loves to watch the show “The Masked Singer.” Tech’s version has masked teachers dancing. At the end of each episode, students vote to guess who is dancing behind the mask.
Since the focus of the show isn’t really the news, but entertainment, they want to engage the Tech community and the St. Cloud community at large.
Word of mouth of the show has spread.
Cook and Pape are two of the main correspondents on the crew. They go out into the school to interview students and have found Tech students are willing participants.
“I think there is some anticipation,” says Pape. “The reaction I’ve gotten by doing all the interviews has been really positive. Everyone likes to be on the camera. They like getting interviewed.”
The entire crew gathered to watch the first episode together prior to its release. They feel confident the show will catch on within the walls of Tech as well as in the community.
“This is just a great way to show off what we can do with this new school and new equipment that we have access to,” says Cook. “It’s not just students who can view this.”
Tune in to watch the Tech Morning Show every Tuesday.
The Tech Morning Show takes submissions! Send your video or idea to Dr. Keil at matthew.keil@isd742.org.
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