By Bryanna Allen
STAFF WRITER
Videos of basketball games at College of St. Joseph are beginning to look like the professional games aired on a sports channel, with multiple cameras covering each shot, dribble and pass on live TV.
Students at Stafford Technical Center taking the video communications class got a $10,000 grant over the summer to purchase high definition cameras, televisions and other video equipment, which has jump started Stafford Technical Center News or STCN.
The course has been taken to the next level of video production, passing simple mock commercials and short films, students are now streaming local sporting events and traveling around the county reporting on news stories.
They are also reporting daily announcements and even the weather, a feature added last fall.
“It’s really amazing what the students have been able to accomplish,” said Curt Casper, video and communications instructor, “It hasn’t been without slip ups and messes here and there, but they’ve come a long way.”
Casper said they hope to expand even more on what they cover for the community.
“I’d like to have the students get coverage for other events and of graduations in the near future,” Casper said. “That way, if someone can’t be at the graduation in person, they will be able to watch it live on our website.”
During half-time at basketball games, the students have been streaming in commercials for local businesses, along with news blurbs, PSA’s and interviews with local community figures and athletes.
Kevin Richer is a senior at Stafford and said although he enjoys the experience and skills gained during the sports games, his passion lies within reporting the local weather on a daily basis.
“I’ve been fascinated by the weather since I was a little kid,” said Richer, who was recently accepted into the Lyndon State
College meteorology program. “I would go outside and watch thunderstorms, I still do and still love it.”
Richer started doing his own weather reports at home with his ipod and posting them on his Facebook page.
That is how Casper discovered Richer — a Fair Haven Union High School student at the time — he saw his Facebook weather videos and approached him about coming to Stafford for the video program.
“I love working hands-on with the graphics and equipment,” Richer said, who stands in front of a real green screen every day to inform people about the weather. “I had no idea there was so much involved,” said Richer, who gets playfully teased when the weather takes a different and unexpected turn. “But this is giving me real life experience and I feel like I will get to college a step ahead of the game.”
Tony Sherburne, from West Rutland, is in his third year at Stafford and said the program has changed dramatically since his first year.
“We’re not only streaming live events, but we’re going out on our own and finding news stories,” Sherburne said.
Students come to class with several news story ideas happening in towns throughout the county. They pitch the ideas to each other and to Casper. Then they gear up and get the story.
Students film, edit and put the entire news package together.
“We’re out there, figuring out what’s an important news story,” he said. “Sometimes it takes a whole day, but its really helping us improve.”
The students learn every aspect of video, from using a camera to conducting interviews.
They’ve covered stories about graffiti in Wallingford and tree lighting events in West Rutland.
“It’s cool to see it all come together,” said Sherburne, who is also working on his own side project, writing and filming a short horror film and one days hopes to be a movie director. “I’ve really noticed how far I’ve progressed and how much I’ve learned.”
Harrison Steever, a Stafford student from Mill River Union High School, said his confidence in front of and behind the camera has grown since joining the course.
“I’m experiencing real-life scenarios,” said the sophomore, who is getting familiar with teleprompters and editing bays and loves the world of broadcasting. “It’s always something different, it keeps it really exciting. I never imagined doing all of this, but here I am.”