2008 Woodie Awards
Kirkwood Student Productions: molding students into the 21st century reporter
Dane Schumann
Issue date: 10/27/05 Section: Feature
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Kirkwood Student Productions (KSP) studio in 101 Linn Hall is a place where students are the leading personalities in the professional and competitive discipline of news broadcasting. The KSP studio holds technology overwhelming to the non-production student.
KSP offers a unique opportunity for students to gain hands-on media experience. At most four-year colleges students may have to wait until they are juniors to get that experience.
KSP Adviser Gale Smetana admitted that working with only first and second year students presents a challenge.
"We have to get them on the air much more quickly and staff all of the positions with fairly young students," she explained.
"In spite of our young staff, we've been able to create a viable news product on KSP, Smetana added. According to the adviser, last year at the Iowa College Media Association conference KSP placed second in Best Newscast and second place in Best Sportscasting for their coverage of the regional final men's basketball in the spring of 2004.
KSP re-broadcasts their monthly news program every Thursday on cable channel 11. KSP students report on everything from Eagle athletics to disproving rumors about Kirkwood becoming a four-year institution.
"We've got a lot of new people that I'm excited about," said KSP Producer Josh Rinderknecht.
Rinderknecht said that one of the biggest challenges broadcasting offers is getting interviewees to calm their nerves about being on camera.
"A lot of the time we get there with the camera and [the interviewee] starts saying, 'Oh I don't think I can do this.' So I think that's the toughest thing. That and editing the broadcast," said Rindeknecht.
Kirkwood basketball games and jazz concerts are covered live and give KSP students an opportunity to participate in a live broadcast.
"In addition to the newscast, I think we've also developed the confidence to try new things, like Eagle Aid," said Smetana.
KSP offers a unique opportunity for students to gain hands-on media experience. At most four-year colleges students may have to wait until they are juniors to get that experience.
KSP Adviser Gale Smetana admitted that working with only first and second year students presents a challenge.
"We have to get them on the air much more quickly and staff all of the positions with fairly young students," she explained.
"In spite of our young staff, we've been able to create a viable news product on KSP, Smetana added. According to the adviser, last year at the Iowa College Media Association conference KSP placed second in Best Newscast and second place in Best Sportscasting for their coverage of the regional final men's basketball in the spring of 2004.
KSP re-broadcasts their monthly news program every Thursday on cable channel 11. KSP students report on everything from Eagle athletics to disproving rumors about Kirkwood becoming a four-year institution.
"We've got a lot of new people that I'm excited about," said KSP Producer Josh Rinderknecht.
Rinderknecht said that one of the biggest challenges broadcasting offers is getting interviewees to calm their nerves about being on camera.
"A lot of the time we get there with the camera and [the interviewee] starts saying, 'Oh I don't think I can do this.' So I think that's the toughest thing. That and editing the broadcast," said Rindeknecht.
Kirkwood basketball games and jazz concerts are covered live and give KSP students an opportunity to participate in a live broadcast.
"In addition to the newscast, I think we've also developed the confidence to try new things, like Eagle Aid," said Smetana.