The brand new Cardinal Cast is the first regular broadcast production GRC has had in years.
The staff works hard to produce timely and accurate information while including light-hearted and entertaining segments.
“Broadcast is shining a light on the more important things at GRC while including the more creative side too,” said Producer Grace Owen.
Started by teacher Hagan Wells, the Broadcast class has published outstanding programs the past several Fridays, featuring everything from sports to hallway interviews to school events.
Mr. Wells said he spent time last year deciding how the class should work.
“I came to the decision that everyone who was accepted into the class needed to at least take Journalism 1 to have a good foundation,” Wells said. “From there, it took me kind of figuring out a weekly schedule and how the class needs to be structured.”
Mr. Wells said his goal is to show everything happening at GRC through the Cardinal Cast.
“You can see it with your eyes, you can hear it, and you can tell the effort put into all of the great things going on around here,” Wells said.
Lilliann Sands, a production assistant in the class, says the broadcast is great at deciding what needs to be done and making sure everyone is represented.
“We learn how to work as a team and how to make sure everyone is heard,” Sands said.
Cardinal Cast is student led, allowing students to take responsibility and leadership.
“We are told what to do, but it’s up to us to figure out how to do it,” said Jackson Kincaid, one of the anchors. “I’ve learned a sense of responsibility from it –
knowing when to do your part and get your work done but also knowing when to step back and let others do the same.”
Cardinal Cast posts every Friday and Mr. Wells hopes to stay consistent.
“We want our newscast to be timely, but we also want it to be somewhat timeless,” Wells said. “We want people to be able to go back and watch and still feel like they are getting something out of it.”
Cardinal Cast is a great addition to the school and they are always looking for ways to improve and give high-quality content.
“I hope people can expect greatness and honesty out of our content and I hope they receive quality they know and love that has come out of this program,” Mr. Wells said.
Jackson said the environment makes it easy to grow and equips you with important life skills.
“It’s taught me how to speak professionally, unbiased, and publicly,” Kincaid said.
Mr. Wells said one of the biggest challenges was learning how to adjust to the independence of the students.
“When you are producing content on such a frequent basis, it takes a different kind of commitment and trust in your students,” he said. “Learning to have that trust and knowing I have the best people equipped for the positions they are in is a large part of it.”
Grace said another big challenge can be the stress of producing, but it’s important to have a good community to help you through.
“Everyone is very nice,” she said. “If we have an idea, we are met with constructive criticism. In broadcast, there is a role for everybody. As long as you have a passion for journalism and broadcast, you fit in.”
