Diego Ocando Pena – This week, Morningside University’s Communications program welcomed high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Alta-Aurelia, Kingsley-Pierson, Lawton-Bronson, and OABCIG for Campus Media Day, a hands-on experience designed to give an inside look into media production. Morningside communication majors led the tours, introducing the visitors to the studios and helping them try out real broadcasting tools.
The day began inside KMSC radio, where they got to sit behind the mic, talk live on air, and pick songs to play on the station. They learned how to use the sound board, microphones, and audio controls. Additionally, they worked in the audio lab where they used the Rodecaster to record public service announcements.
Next, the group moved to the Mustang TV studio, where they rotated through roles: running cameras, switching between shots, working audio, operating the teleprompter, and even sitting in the anchor chair to record a mini-practice show. They learned how a live show comes together and the ways that roles within the studio connect.
The final stop was The Collegian Reporter newsroom. Students interviewed each other using a set of questions, then wrote short stories based on the answers. Several of them shone in this part, writing with confidence, creativity, and curiosity.
Here are two examples of stories written that day:
The Awakened Class Clown
When you meet Nolan, you would not expect him to be the class clown.
“I’m funny,” he said, “because he look doesn’t like he’d be funny”
Between wrestling meets, schoolwork, and a job, Nolan finds joy in watching football, doing homework, and hanging out with friends.
Talking to him made me realize appearances can be off putting, and often leads to misinterpretation.
I found it surprising that when asked, “If you could interview anyone in the world, who would it be?”, he said, “Micah Parsons.” I thought he would pick a famous wrestler. –
Tristen Franks – Lawton-Bronson.
The life of a Sophomore in High School
Unlike most people, Luther’s superpower would be to heal diseases. Luther is a sophomore in high school, he is an athlete and is working on being in good shape for track season. He enjoys school, but if he could change one thing about it, it would be to make teachers nicer and down to earth. One of the things Luther and I agreed on about being a student today was being different from people your age or not fitting in with everyone else. Luther’s friends describe him as loyal and funny which I completely agree on. Throughout this year Luther has learned that he can do hard things and good work if he puts his mind to it. —
Ester Padilla – Alta-Aurelia High School
The high school students, college students, and faculty gathered afterward to eat lunch together and hear from retired KTIV news anchor Larry Wentz, about his career in broadcasting. You could feel the energy in the room. Students were smiling, sharing what their favorite part was. The teachers appreciated seeing their students step out of their comfort zone.
Larry Wentz during his presentation
For many of the visitors, the biggest takeaway was that communication is not just one thing: it’s a mix of radio, TV, journalism, sports broadcasting, storytelling, production, editing, photojournalism, and so much more. Campus Media Day didn’t just show how media is done; it shared how fun and creative it can be, and maybe, for some of these students, this was the first spark toward a future career in communication.
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