Lights, Camera...

Forty students grouped in two class periods at Catholic High School are getting a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put out a television newscast.

The course is Fine Arts Survey, being taught by Jeri Beck. Students in the class are producing a weekly newscast called Panther Prime Time. The show is hitting the airways every Friday morning on the school campus.

“Panther Prime Time is a 10- to 15-minute news show about things going on around Catholic High School. The students do everything just like the 5 o’clock newscast,” said Beck. “We have two news anchors and a sportscaster. The students take turns filling these roles, and the other students in the class are the reporters or work behind the scenes to make sure everything goes smoothly. Also, students edit their own video tapes using Edit Video on computers.”

“The show is not a live broadcast. We started Panther Prime Time three years ago, and the student body really looks forward to the broadcast every morning. I have had teachers tell me when the broadcast is on Friday mornings that the classroom is quiet, and everyone’s attention is focused on Panther Prime Time,” she said.

Most of the students in the class said they are not interested in a career in journalism, but they were eager to find out how a news segment was put together.

“By taking this class and several others, it has made me appreciate the beauty of journalism. In this particular class this year, I have been a news anchor, a reporter and written some scripts,” said senior Margaret LeMaire.

“I like to entertain people, and by taking this class I am able to entertain and report the news going on at Catholic High School. People never know how much hard work it takes to produce a news segment show until you actually do it.”

Elizabeth Halphen, also a senior at CHS, said she is having fun reporting about things going on around campus.

“I have done some reporting on Panther Prime Time and, it is fun, but I don’t see myself having a career in this field,” she said.