By Bethaney Phillips

On August 23rd, CCCHS students will host its first-ever media day, said Kelsie McFadden, who teaches yearbook and digital imaging classes. The day-long event will involve taking pictures and getting interviews so students have content for both the yearbook and their monthly publication, Tiger Talk.

During the Media Day, McFadden said students will run the show, setting up backgrounds, manning rosters, and more.

“We really liked the idea of having the students run it,” she said. The students, they’re just as capable and it gives them real-life skills. This is a great task management opportunity for my students. I’m so excited and think they will do an awesome job.”

They will take headshots, as well as candid, fun images, like muscle shots posing or funny pictures. Various backdrops will be set up in the gym and Tiger News Studio, which features professional lighting.

“In a small town, you write the same articles every year,” she said. “We’re trying to find those niche things we can write about, so this will be helpful.” She added that including all photos and interviews at once will reduce time later on: her yearbook/media students won’t be trying to track down athletes or club members, and the latter won’t need to take time away from their extracurriculars.

“It does cut into the school day, but it doesn’t cut into sports,” she said. “There are pros and cons to both. But with a Media Day, students will have more time and not feel rushed, and all the kids will be there.”

Last year McFadden and students visited Abilene High School in the spring to see how they ran their own Media Day. It will feature members of fall sports and the band, she said. Two more Media Days will take place to cover winter and spring sports, as well as members of clubs.

New camera will also help create a more polished product, McFadden said. The class was gifted a new model last year by the Orange and Black Pack.

“We were lucky enough to receive a camera from them, which is going to be immensely helpful.”

Another new digital camera and a muralist camera – which allows the student to see what an image will look like without testing – is also new to the class. It was provided through Career and Technical Education – or CTE grants, after her class was randomly drawn from requests throughout the state.

“It helps provide opportunities for students to have real-world experience in the school that related to career fields,” she said. “It’s really exciting that we were chosen and we are going to be able to utilize all our new equipment for Media Day; with all of the stations that are set up, we need lots of cameras to make that happen.”

After pictures are taken, students edit and upload pictures to a website, operated out of Pittsburg, KS, where parents can view and order prints.

“It’s nice because they can look at all the pictures; it’s helpful for parents to so they can see what they’re ordering. We are also offering pictures of club members this year. They deserve just as much recognition as those playing sports.”

After a $15 hosting fee, McFadden said additional profits made from prints will go back into the classes.

“That just allows them to buy more equipment and tools, which allows our students to be more successful.”