|
Tech
Prep
Rio Grande Valley
(956) 364-4509
|
|
Television Welcomes Job Shadowing Students with Music and Dance
Monday, February 15, 2010
Rebecca Ramos and Malarie Wells take part in an on-air salsa exhibition with Telemundoo co-hosts of Buenas Dias and a salsa instructor while job shadowing
Dancing on a live television show! That’s the last thing Weslaco High School Tech Prep students expected to be doing when they job shadowed at Telemundo KTLM-TV on February 2.
The operations manager of the McAllen based TV station, Noel Duran, believes in students and interns having a true, hands-on experience. But the on-camera performance of Malarie Wells, Rebecca Ramos, David Garcia and Michael Gonzalez was not in the script as they watched “Buenos Dias” hosts Mariam Martinez and Dalea Garza shoot the popular morning show. Yet when a McAllen salsa dance instructor appeared to give an on-camera salsa lesson, the students were recruited to dance with him.
“After we started dancing it was fun,” said Malarie Wells, a Weslaco High senior. She has appeared in commercials for her family’s business and is taking Media Technology with teacher Gabriel Cruz. For the last three years, she is most often behind the camera, taping weddings for her business Moments by Malarie. She plans to attend Hillsong International Leadership College and study media.
Michael Gonzalez, who plans to attend UTPA before transferring to UT-Austin’s Film School, admitted he hadn’t appeared in front of a television camera before. During his Media Tech classes, he has pictured himself behind the scenes instead. “It’s been a passion of mine to work at a news station,” he said. Michael has been fascinated by news broadcast since he was a child. Michael hopes to one day work at Dallas station WFAA where one of his role models, Gloria Campos from the Valley, is a long-time personality.
David Garcia, seated, and Michael Gonzalez practiced tracking segments under the guidance of Telemundo operations manager Noel Duran while job shadowing
Rebecca Garza, a Weslaco sophomore who is still exploring career choices, has an interest in media technology. During middle school, she presented sports segments that were broadcast to the school. Her appearance on a regional Telemundo show was a surprise, but it is not going to be the deciding factor in what she chooses as a career.
David Garcia on the other hand plans a career in media. “It’s definitely a field I want to get into. Next year I should be in the Media Technology class,” he said. “The job shadowing was way more hands-on than I expected.”
Operations manager Duran told the students how a television station functions. “We run commercials all day and interrupt them for a show.” He assigned David and Rebecca the task of compiling program segment time sheets which required them watching small television monitors and tracking the length of show segments.
Telemundo’s camera operator had warned the students they might be put on the show, but the event left the four a little bit startled by its spontaneity. He told them not to worry: “People know it’s live. You added a little bit of humor, so go with the flow.”
|
|
