Rock TV providing timely information and more to students for over a decade
Mialena Gordeau
Guest Writer
May 16, 2022
Anyplace, anytime! Freshman, Maddie Goddard, enjoying information on the go.
Rock TV has been a student-run broadcasting channel giving students voices, creative outlets, and timely information for nearly 15 years.
Currently, the teacher who helps run this channel is Mr. John Oestreich and he has been doing so for nearly 12 years.
“We were informatics,” Mr. Oestreich said. “ As the school continued to get bigger, just getting correct and timely information to the students was a big deal. Along with that, we became not just information but also an entertainment component and student voice component.”
Second-period teachers are supposed to share the WHS School Video Announcements by Rock TV with classes every Wednesday because the administration has built-in an extra 8 minutes specifically for the showing of Rock TV. Students then watch the 7-8 minute videos to view things it covers such as entertainment components, student voices, and anything going on in the school.
“I think it's beneficial,” freshman Ada Clevenger said, “because some people don't have Instagram or any social media so it's an easier way to find out what's going on in the school.”
With the ability of it being online, it then allows for students to have easier and quicker access anytime. Entertainment features such as interviews are done to pull the viewers in and make them laugh. Rock TV is primarily student-run with a process each week of making a new video.
“We have a form that kids will fill out that gives the details of the segment they want to do,” Oestreich explained. “That information is then uploaded to Trello which is just an app that keeps track of projects for us. Then we would generally send kids out to film for us and or use the studio to record. It then goes to an editing process.”
After the editing process, it then goes into review for air by the students, Mr. Oestreich, and occasionally the administration. After it's been approved then the students choose where and when to air it for the student body to view. Even if students are not a part of Rock TV they can still get involved.
“You can always ask to make a segment to run on the show,” student member of Rock TV, senior Joshua Jones, shared when asked about how students can get involved. “Kids, a lot of the time if you see someone with a camera walking around any of the lunches they're looking for an interview, most times, so if they walk around and ask you for an interview.”
So even if students are not directly a part of the Rock TV crew there are always ways to be a part of it. Rock TV members are always open to new students joining and find there are many benefits outside of just video production.
“I would absolutely recommend this for other students,” content manager senior Sabrina Richard said. “ Especially, even if they don't wanna go into video, I think some of these communication and organization skills are very useful beyond media and video jobs.”
To the students involved in the making of Rock TV it has become more than just a channel for students but a creative outline and a community with results lasting beyond high school.
“Incoming freshmen and incoming people for sure take this class, put the effort into it,” Richard said. “It's one of those classes where when you give to, it, it's gonna give right back too. Give what you can to this class!”