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The Pilots
These are the Students who Piloted the First Time Out Episodes, Podcasts and Live Broadcasts of "Gen Z: Up To the Ballot"!
Special Thanks to Director/Technical Directors/News Managers: Gabby Nafziger and Taniah Stephenson.
They helped to make it all Happen! They ACE'd It!
Special Thanks to Director/Technical Directors/News Managers: Gabby Nafziger and Taniah Stephenson.
They helped to make it all Happen! They ACE'd It!
Gen Z: The Ballot is Closed
Shane Scalfaro
Let me be the first to say, senior capstone was both everything I expected it to be and not what I expected at the same time. While yes, I knew it was going to be a ton of work and learning, I didn’t know the direction that it was going to take us. When we first came up with the idea to do our show, Gen Z Up to the Ballot, at first I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. Throughout our assignments and time together, I could tell I was in for something different, but also special. Coming from a sports background, news and politics was something newer to me, but I think the products that came out don’t tell that story. They tell a story about Gen Z.
Let’s start at the first projects: my podcast, news magazine show, and two promos for social media. Each student was responsible for producing and anchoring/hosting their own podcast and news magazine show, as well as doing three promos for social media. I was the first one to produce and anchor, which honestly made me really nervous. I’ve done podcast before and even hosted a basketball show called Hardwood Heroes for WOUB, but doing news and politics is so different from sports. Throughout the process, I always had Dr. Collins right there to help and bounce ideas off of. The end product was something I was definitely happy with. Having my classmates, Sullivan Beach and Reese Thompson on the podcast, I think, helped ease everyone into what this was going to be. Then, producing and anchoring the show, it helped to learn how to produce a show, as well as learning just how much communication and ownership it takes to produce a successful show. I also had two great packages from Reese and Sullivan that really added to the show. The social media promos came easier, just me and a camera and saying what was coming up on both the podcast and magazine show. Overall, I think that this helped set a tone for the year, got us on the right track, and helped to show all of us the things we could do with this capstone.
Next is what I would like to refer to as “The Big One,” which was the one-hour special of Gen Z Up to the Ballot. We were given the opportunity, as well as many other colleges, to do a one-hour live production of our show for a big event. This was a daunting idea, to say the least. The idea of doing a one-hour live show on the day of the election was big, but we did it. We decided on making it a very student heavy show, relying more on the students doing parts of the productions instead of outside sources. We combined with our friends in a different class doing a show called Athens Midday, and together we geared up for the show. We had students directing, doing things live in the field, anchoring, doing packages, etc. I was tasked with co-anchoring the show. The show went really well overall. We had a few hiccups in the beginning, but veery much bounced back and finished really strong. Overall, it was a lot of work that we all did, but a very rewarding experience.
Then, it was Reese’s turn to produce a show and podcast. For her podcast, I was pretty hands of as Reese took the reins on it. For her show however, I made a package about election anxiety in members of Gen Z and also another social media promo. Reese’s show was done right after the election, so tensions were still a little high and people still had their thoughts on how the election went and the lead up to it. I went out to College Green at Ohio University and just started talking to people. Eventually, I had three people that spoke to me about it and off I went to editing the package. I really liked this package overall. I liked being able to talk to people about their thoughts and feelings about the election and what had happened, and it may have helped them put some of their thoughts together. The show and podcast both went well, and we continued on.
The last show was for Sullivan to produce, and again I made a package and social media promo. Because of Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving break, this package was a little more rushed, but still came out really good. This package was about holiday travel and holiday break for college students. I once again went out to College Green and spoke with people, and they told me some great stories. I liked this package a little more because it felt more personable. I enjoy doing stories when they include just that, stories. I like when people can tell me about their life and fun stories they have, I think it makes a package really good. Once again, the show and podcast went well, and thus ended our capstone experience.
Overall, I really enjoyed the time we had together during the semester and our time together. We did a lot of things that challenged us, but we learned together and made it through. I personally couldn’t have done it with Dr. Collins helping me through everything. She always made it a point to check in with me, make sure I was doing good and that I was set up for success. That’s what students need in a professor. I learned a ton in capstone and only grew my skills, there wasn’t an opportunity to take a step back because we only pushed forward, and that may have been my favorite part.
Let’s start at the first projects: my podcast, news magazine show, and two promos for social media. Each student was responsible for producing and anchoring/hosting their own podcast and news magazine show, as well as doing three promos for social media. I was the first one to produce and anchor, which honestly made me really nervous. I’ve done podcast before and even hosted a basketball show called Hardwood Heroes for WOUB, but doing news and politics is so different from sports. Throughout the process, I always had Dr. Collins right there to help and bounce ideas off of. The end product was something I was definitely happy with. Having my classmates, Sullivan Beach and Reese Thompson on the podcast, I think, helped ease everyone into what this was going to be. Then, producing and anchoring the show, it helped to learn how to produce a show, as well as learning just how much communication and ownership it takes to produce a successful show. I also had two great packages from Reese and Sullivan that really added to the show. The social media promos came easier, just me and a camera and saying what was coming up on both the podcast and magazine show. Overall, I think that this helped set a tone for the year, got us on the right track, and helped to show all of us the things we could do with this capstone.
Next is what I would like to refer to as “The Big One,” which was the one-hour special of Gen Z Up to the Ballot. We were given the opportunity, as well as many other colleges, to do a one-hour live production of our show for a big event. This was a daunting idea, to say the least. The idea of doing a one-hour live show on the day of the election was big, but we did it. We decided on making it a very student heavy show, relying more on the students doing parts of the productions instead of outside sources. We combined with our friends in a different class doing a show called Athens Midday, and together we geared up for the show. We had students directing, doing things live in the field, anchoring, doing packages, etc. I was tasked with co-anchoring the show. The show went really well overall. We had a few hiccups in the beginning, but veery much bounced back and finished really strong. Overall, it was a lot of work that we all did, but a very rewarding experience.
Then, it was Reese’s turn to produce a show and podcast. For her podcast, I was pretty hands of as Reese took the reins on it. For her show however, I made a package about election anxiety in members of Gen Z and also another social media promo. Reese’s show was done right after the election, so tensions were still a little high and people still had their thoughts on how the election went and the lead up to it. I went out to College Green at Ohio University and just started talking to people. Eventually, I had three people that spoke to me about it and off I went to editing the package. I really liked this package overall. I liked being able to talk to people about their thoughts and feelings about the election and what had happened, and it may have helped them put some of their thoughts together. The show and podcast both went well, and we continued on.
The last show was for Sullivan to produce, and again I made a package and social media promo. Because of Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving break, this package was a little more rushed, but still came out really good. This package was about holiday travel and holiday break for college students. I once again went out to College Green and spoke with people, and they told me some great stories. I liked this package a little more because it felt more personable. I enjoy doing stories when they include just that, stories. I like when people can tell me about their life and fun stories they have, I think it makes a package really good. Once again, the show and podcast went well, and thus ended our capstone experience.
Overall, I really enjoyed the time we had together during the semester and our time together. We did a lot of things that challenged us, but we learned together and made it through. I personally couldn’t have done it with Dr. Collins helping me through everything. She always made it a point to check in with me, make sure I was doing good and that I was set up for success. That’s what students need in a professor. I learned a ton in capstone and only grew my skills, there wasn’t an opportunity to take a step back because we only pushed forward, and that may have been my favorite part.
Gen Z Checks Off The Ballot
Reese Thompson
Countless times spent in the wee hours of the morning perfecting stories in a full face of makeup from the earlier show, nearly 120 credit hours, and a collection of filled SD cards in my backpack later…Senior Capstone class sums up the growth I’ve made in the journalism industry over the last four years. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to intern with Scripps News at their national station in Washington D.C., covering pivotal moments in American political history. Coming into senior year, I only hoped to find a way to continue political coverage in college to expand on what I learned during the summer. Walking into the first day of this class, I was shocked to find I am one of only three students in the class. Some students may react distressingly to the lack of numbers assuming more work to be put onto their own plate, but I had the opposite reaction. I saw this as an opportunity to get more personalized assessments and relationships with Dr. Collins and my fellow classmates. The non-ideal class setup benefited me in ways other classes couldn’t. I was able to still continue my coverage in politics with a focus on Generation Z, the youngest generation stepping into the political realm during an election so pressing that this sub-group could tip the scales. By taking the general concept of politics and fusing this topic with another general idea (Gen Z), allowed me to create an investigative series called Gen Z up to the Ballot, where people apart of the age group voice their own viewpoints about the structure of our government. Over the next few paragraphs, I would like to share with you what I learned about Gen Z’s perspective from talking to locals in Athens over the semester.
Starting our coverage in anticipation of the election was the most exciting news-wise. There were a lot of unknowns about which way the election would sway. The only source to suspect the elected candidate is through national polling. But how do people think it will sway on a local level, especially with Gen Z added to the voter mix? First, we need to introduce Gen Z, and learn what are the stereotypes presumed about them by locals from older generations. That’s why I took a visit to Athens Laurels Nursing home to talk to Baby Boomers, people born between 1946 to 1964, to find out why they have mixed feelings about passing the voter torch to the younger generation. The gap between younger and older generations have left them to feel often disconnected considering Gen Z is the first generation to grow up with social media, and what one of the seniors called Gen Z being a more “free spirit” generation. While the seniors disagreed on certain policies Gen Z should factor in with voting, they did agree on a valuable piece of advice for young voters. They said Gen Z will realize what really matters when voting based on their own experience, reiterating the distinct difference growing up between the generations. This story pushed me as a journalist because I had to find out why each senior I interviewed became the person they are, somewhat summarizing their life story that formed their values and beliefs they still hold on to today. I also found out their relation with Gen Z, and why developed certain opinions on Gen Z. None of my interviews at the nursing home looked the same. This story was not nearly as guided from a paper of questions. It was rather guided by the interviewee, while I steered the conversation to stay on track of the topic. That was very useful to provide depth to my package by introducing the viewer to each senior in my package to create an empathetic tie.
My second major project ahead of the election is constructing my own podcast. About a week out from election day, I invited the President of Ohio University Republicans student club and a democrat from the Ohio University Political Science Majors Association. Surprisingly, this happened to be one of the most civilized and fulfilling conversations. As my duty to guide the conversation, I believed the valuable discussion went so smoothly because I gave both guests equal opportunity to talk. The hardest part of hosting a podcast that is unscripted is making on-the-spot calls, such as knowing when to follow up with a question to find an underlying issue. From that conversation, we came to the conclusion that Gen Z Republicans and Democrats want more professionalism in the government, and see through the lines of celebrity endorsements or other voter tactics used by influencers to gain votes for a candidate. This conversation was even refreshing for me, breaking down the “one side or the other” barrier by displaying common ground, unlike what is often presented in the media and politics. Especially conducting a political podcast, you have to back up every statement with factual sources. Making sure I was politically correct by gathering trustable facts, and implying these sources throughout the conversation to show my reliability as a journalist was something I hyper-focused on. This podcast hopefully gave optimism to listeners about Gen Z stepping into the political world by understanding the headspace about our current state of politics.
The election cycle for Athens this year looked different than in previous years. This time around, Athens county was split into two districts, adding the city of Athens to District 95. During the months leading up to the election, I talked to both District 95 candidates Rep. Don Jones seeking a third term in the Ohio House of Representatives, and his opponent Athens City Councilman Micah McCarey, who joined the race late. Historically a democratic country surrounded by red counties, this changes both candidates' campaigning styles to interest both parties. Especially now that the candidates want Gen Z’s vote in this election, I went to their forum to learn what policies they both plan to put forward if elected into office. Learning how they both plan to resonate and interact with Gen Z voters such as hosting a student forum on campus, are ways to ignite conversation around not only presidential elections, but local elections too by how each candidate can impact Gen Z’s future. I’ve gotten to develop relationships with both candidates through my coverage, and seen their campaigning efforts. A few days ahead of the election I did a follow-up story asking each candidate how their campaigning is following through. Especially as a representative of the largest district in the state with a wide demographic, on top of Athens being split into two districts. If you drive around Athens at this time, you can see the “End Gerrymandering” signs on almost every street corner. Clearly, it was a policy that locals cared about. So I wanted to give the candidates the chance to share their perspective on the split districts, and how this division will still be able to represent Athens, mostly made up of college-aged students, effectively. As I grew familiar with both candidates, the more they told me and reached out to me. Developing trustable relationships with my sources elevated the quality of my package. Now, I have these established relationships if I ever wish to continue future coverage.
Election day comes around where the world found out Donald Trump is the president-elect. For my news magazine show a week after, I wanted to capture the overall mood and reactions in the area with a feminine twist. After the election results came out, there was a spike in hate toward women online such as calling them slurs. A feminist movement called the “4B Movement” started gaining attention in the U.S., where women essentially cut off any romantic interaction with men as a message about female treatment by men. Feminism does not look the same as it did during the equal rights era in the 1960’s and 70’s. So I wanted to come back to the question and ask people what they think feminism is in today’s world. I talked to locals in Athens about their opinion on how they define feminism. Does labeling someone as a feminist fuel stereotypes? Has the feminist movement gone too far if some are cutting off their male counterparts? With gathered statistics, talking to fellow Gen-Z females gave me an understanding of how everyday women understand what feminism is. Extremist movements such as the “4B Movement” and such cover the headlines of news releases, but I wanted to showcase average civilian perspectives to give viewers an idea of how the general female body perceives the idea of feminism. I tied the topic of feminism into local reactions about Trump’s win. Athens is the only democratic county in the district and known for their democratic views, but there are a handful of students in Athens from red areas. So we also asked what Trump’s win generally means to Gen Z. Are they hopeful? Afraid? Disappointed? Excited? Do they think this is good or bad for women? My biggest hope from this show was to replicate the voice of Athens, despite standing out from the general political opinion of the district. Taking a general concept such as a “post election show" and putting my own twist on it made my show stand out from what I have done in the past.
I wouldn’t trade my experience in this class for anything else in the world. Having Dr. Collins as my professor made this class as great as it was. You know the saying, “the people make the place,” it’s true. Having a professor who is just as enthusiastic as I am, ambitious classmates, and a free space to bounce ideas off of eachother allowed me to really understand the stories I want to construct by diving further beyond surface level brainstorming. With this class, I was able to do everything I aspired to do by continuing my political coverage. Doing this class in such a historical moment in politics is a privilege, and I wanted to take advantage of every second. Covering politics can be superficial and not intimate on such a big stage, but humanizing politics by talking to real, local, authentic people hopefully revived my audience by delivering content apart from major news organizations. I believe I achieved this throughout my coverage this semester. Now, I am a more ethical journalist by covering sensitive topics, like politics, over a long period of time. And hey, maybe you will see me on Capitol Hill one day!
Starting our coverage in anticipation of the election was the most exciting news-wise. There were a lot of unknowns about which way the election would sway. The only source to suspect the elected candidate is through national polling. But how do people think it will sway on a local level, especially with Gen Z added to the voter mix? First, we need to introduce Gen Z, and learn what are the stereotypes presumed about them by locals from older generations. That’s why I took a visit to Athens Laurels Nursing home to talk to Baby Boomers, people born between 1946 to 1964, to find out why they have mixed feelings about passing the voter torch to the younger generation. The gap between younger and older generations have left them to feel often disconnected considering Gen Z is the first generation to grow up with social media, and what one of the seniors called Gen Z being a more “free spirit” generation. While the seniors disagreed on certain policies Gen Z should factor in with voting, they did agree on a valuable piece of advice for young voters. They said Gen Z will realize what really matters when voting based on their own experience, reiterating the distinct difference growing up between the generations. This story pushed me as a journalist because I had to find out why each senior I interviewed became the person they are, somewhat summarizing their life story that formed their values and beliefs they still hold on to today. I also found out their relation with Gen Z, and why developed certain opinions on Gen Z. None of my interviews at the nursing home looked the same. This story was not nearly as guided from a paper of questions. It was rather guided by the interviewee, while I steered the conversation to stay on track of the topic. That was very useful to provide depth to my package by introducing the viewer to each senior in my package to create an empathetic tie.
My second major project ahead of the election is constructing my own podcast. About a week out from election day, I invited the President of Ohio University Republicans student club and a democrat from the Ohio University Political Science Majors Association. Surprisingly, this happened to be one of the most civilized and fulfilling conversations. As my duty to guide the conversation, I believed the valuable discussion went so smoothly because I gave both guests equal opportunity to talk. The hardest part of hosting a podcast that is unscripted is making on-the-spot calls, such as knowing when to follow up with a question to find an underlying issue. From that conversation, we came to the conclusion that Gen Z Republicans and Democrats want more professionalism in the government, and see through the lines of celebrity endorsements or other voter tactics used by influencers to gain votes for a candidate. This conversation was even refreshing for me, breaking down the “one side or the other” barrier by displaying common ground, unlike what is often presented in the media and politics. Especially conducting a political podcast, you have to back up every statement with factual sources. Making sure I was politically correct by gathering trustable facts, and implying these sources throughout the conversation to show my reliability as a journalist was something I hyper-focused on. This podcast hopefully gave optimism to listeners about Gen Z stepping into the political world by understanding the headspace about our current state of politics.
The election cycle for Athens this year looked different than in previous years. This time around, Athens county was split into two districts, adding the city of Athens to District 95. During the months leading up to the election, I talked to both District 95 candidates Rep. Don Jones seeking a third term in the Ohio House of Representatives, and his opponent Athens City Councilman Micah McCarey, who joined the race late. Historically a democratic country surrounded by red counties, this changes both candidates' campaigning styles to interest both parties. Especially now that the candidates want Gen Z’s vote in this election, I went to their forum to learn what policies they both plan to put forward if elected into office. Learning how they both plan to resonate and interact with Gen Z voters such as hosting a student forum on campus, are ways to ignite conversation around not only presidential elections, but local elections too by how each candidate can impact Gen Z’s future. I’ve gotten to develop relationships with both candidates through my coverage, and seen their campaigning efforts. A few days ahead of the election I did a follow-up story asking each candidate how their campaigning is following through. Especially as a representative of the largest district in the state with a wide demographic, on top of Athens being split into two districts. If you drive around Athens at this time, you can see the “End Gerrymandering” signs on almost every street corner. Clearly, it was a policy that locals cared about. So I wanted to give the candidates the chance to share their perspective on the split districts, and how this division will still be able to represent Athens, mostly made up of college-aged students, effectively. As I grew familiar with both candidates, the more they told me and reached out to me. Developing trustable relationships with my sources elevated the quality of my package. Now, I have these established relationships if I ever wish to continue future coverage.
Election day comes around where the world found out Donald Trump is the president-elect. For my news magazine show a week after, I wanted to capture the overall mood and reactions in the area with a feminine twist. After the election results came out, there was a spike in hate toward women online such as calling them slurs. A feminist movement called the “4B Movement” started gaining attention in the U.S., where women essentially cut off any romantic interaction with men as a message about female treatment by men. Feminism does not look the same as it did during the equal rights era in the 1960’s and 70’s. So I wanted to come back to the question and ask people what they think feminism is in today’s world. I talked to locals in Athens about their opinion on how they define feminism. Does labeling someone as a feminist fuel stereotypes? Has the feminist movement gone too far if some are cutting off their male counterparts? With gathered statistics, talking to fellow Gen-Z females gave me an understanding of how everyday women understand what feminism is. Extremist movements such as the “4B Movement” and such cover the headlines of news releases, but I wanted to showcase average civilian perspectives to give viewers an idea of how the general female body perceives the idea of feminism. I tied the topic of feminism into local reactions about Trump’s win. Athens is the only democratic county in the district and known for their democratic views, but there are a handful of students in Athens from red areas. So we also asked what Trump’s win generally means to Gen Z. Are they hopeful? Afraid? Disappointed? Excited? Do they think this is good or bad for women? My biggest hope from this show was to replicate the voice of Athens, despite standing out from the general political opinion of the district. Taking a general concept such as a “post election show" and putting my own twist on it made my show stand out from what I have done in the past.
I wouldn’t trade my experience in this class for anything else in the world. Having Dr. Collins as my professor made this class as great as it was. You know the saying, “the people make the place,” it’s true. Having a professor who is just as enthusiastic as I am, ambitious classmates, and a free space to bounce ideas off of eachother allowed me to really understand the stories I want to construct by diving further beyond surface level brainstorming. With this class, I was able to do everything I aspired to do by continuing my political coverage. Doing this class in such a historical moment in politics is a privilege, and I wanted to take advantage of every second. Covering politics can be superficial and not intimate on such a big stage, but humanizing politics by talking to real, local, authentic people hopefully revived my audience by delivering content apart from major news organizations. I believe I achieved this throughout my coverage this semester. Now, I am a more ethical journalist by covering sensitive topics, like politics, over a long period of time. And hey, maybe you will see me on Capitol Hill one day!
My Fall Semester
Sullivan Beach
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Going into my fall capstone class. I thought I had it all figured out and I was going to get through this class very easily. However, from my first package Gen Z students on the election, I quickly learned that I was going to have to figure out how to balance my busiest schedule yet with WOUB’s Newswatch and my other classes. The reason balancing my schedule was so difficult this semester, is because I chose to take on my responsibility than I ever had to challenge myself. That first package I did gave me the opportunity to make a news package on a professional level, while also balancing a busier schedule than I ever had to deal with at college. My second package that I had to complete Gen Z students thought's post election, I thought was made a lot better and I was a lot more confident with balancing my schedule after my experience with the first package. I was really happy with how this package turned out, and the answers the students I interviewed gave. I am also happy to have had the opportunity to create those packages during such an important election.
Another project I worked on in this class was our Gen Z up to the Ballot podcast. Gen Z up to the Ballot podcast. I was really excited to have two great guests, Evan Shneider and Nick Meldrum to discuss our thoughts post-election. This podcast was one of my favorite projects that I ever worked on while at Ohio University. The reason it was one of my favorites is because I think it showed my biggest strength which is conversation. I also had such a great time while recording it. Finally, I had the opportunity to produce my very own magazine show. Gen Z up to the Ballot Magazine Show. This project really gave me the chance to be creative and produce a show that showed my skillset as a broadcaster. I wrote my scripts to be conversational, yet professional. I really like the way the broadcast turned out, and I will be sure to use it for my professional resume reel. Overall, this semester and this class has given me a confidence in myself that I am not sure I had before. I am so grateful for all the experiences that Dr. Collins provided for me, and the confidence she helped me find in myself throughout this semester.
Writing this final reflection is bittersweet for me. I can honestly say, this was my favorite semester of college. However, it makes me sad that it is now coming to an end. But just because it was so great, doesn’t mean that it did not come with its challenges. Starting off this semester, I tried out to be an anchor on Newswatch, and I actually got a spot! Even though I made the spot, I quickly figured out I had a lot to learn. I also realized how much work I was going to have to balance this semester. Throughout this semester, I struggled many times to balance my work, and often became overwhelmed. I also had Newswatch broadcasts that I wasn’t proud of, and I would be very hard on myself over those, which made it even harder to focus and balance my other classes. One thing that helped me through this whole semester was my great friends and family.
I do not think I have ever had a better time in my life getting to know new people and hanging out with friends that I have had for a long time. Through the good energy I was able to receive from my friends, I was able to find myself and find my own style that reflected onto my best broadcast of my life last month. It was the best feeling ever to look back at how far I have come, to then have my favorite broadcast ever. But what I will remember most this semester is how much I grew not only in my broadcast career, but also in life. I will forever cherish the memories with my friends and colleagues here at college this semester, and I have great feelings heading into my final semester here at Ohio University.
As far as this class is concerned, I learned a lot about how to ask questions and do packages on a tight schedule. I was not really expecting to learn the things I had learned, to be honest I thought from Gridiron Glory, I had learned all I needed to know about making packages and writing stories in a short amount of time. Again, I was really surprised with how difficult it was sometimes to balance all of my workload with making news packages. This was not something I had to deal with before. I also learned how to plan a podcast, and produce a news show for our last assignment. Looking back, I am really proud of both of those because I was very exhausted for both, and I was still able to complete both of them as I had planned out.
Overall, I think that this semester I really found confidence in myself that I never really had before. I feel more comfortable than I have ever felt on camera, and just stronger as a person. I am so thankful for all of the assignments that I had the opportunity to complete in this class, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity’s I had in this class.
Another project I worked on in this class was our Gen Z up to the Ballot podcast. Gen Z up to the Ballot podcast. I was really excited to have two great guests, Evan Shneider and Nick Meldrum to discuss our thoughts post-election. This podcast was one of my favorite projects that I ever worked on while at Ohio University. The reason it was one of my favorites is because I think it showed my biggest strength which is conversation. I also had such a great time while recording it. Finally, I had the opportunity to produce my very own magazine show. Gen Z up to the Ballot Magazine Show. This project really gave me the chance to be creative and produce a show that showed my skillset as a broadcaster. I wrote my scripts to be conversational, yet professional. I really like the way the broadcast turned out, and I will be sure to use it for my professional resume reel. Overall, this semester and this class has given me a confidence in myself that I am not sure I had before. I am so grateful for all the experiences that Dr. Collins provided for me, and the confidence she helped me find in myself throughout this semester.
Writing this final reflection is bittersweet for me. I can honestly say, this was my favorite semester of college. However, it makes me sad that it is now coming to an end. But just because it was so great, doesn’t mean that it did not come with its challenges. Starting off this semester, I tried out to be an anchor on Newswatch, and I actually got a spot! Even though I made the spot, I quickly figured out I had a lot to learn. I also realized how much work I was going to have to balance this semester. Throughout this semester, I struggled many times to balance my work, and often became overwhelmed. I also had Newswatch broadcasts that I wasn’t proud of, and I would be very hard on myself over those, which made it even harder to focus and balance my other classes. One thing that helped me through this whole semester was my great friends and family.
I do not think I have ever had a better time in my life getting to know new people and hanging out with friends that I have had for a long time. Through the good energy I was able to receive from my friends, I was able to find myself and find my own style that reflected onto my best broadcast of my life last month. It was the best feeling ever to look back at how far I have come, to then have my favorite broadcast ever. But what I will remember most this semester is how much I grew not only in my broadcast career, but also in life. I will forever cherish the memories with my friends and colleagues here at college this semester, and I have great feelings heading into my final semester here at Ohio University.
As far as this class is concerned, I learned a lot about how to ask questions and do packages on a tight schedule. I was not really expecting to learn the things I had learned, to be honest I thought from Gridiron Glory, I had learned all I needed to know about making packages and writing stories in a short amount of time. Again, I was really surprised with how difficult it was sometimes to balance all of my workload with making news packages. This was not something I had to deal with before. I also learned how to plan a podcast, and produce a news show for our last assignment. Looking back, I am really proud of both of those because I was very exhausted for both, and I was still able to complete both of them as I had planned out.
Overall, I think that this semester I really found confidence in myself that I never really had before. I feel more comfortable than I have ever felt on camera, and just stronger as a person. I am so thankful for all of the assignments that I had the opportunity to complete in this class, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity’s I had in this class.