Lights, Camera, Action –

Students Tune Their Talents And Energy To Channel 17

By Tanjua Damon

The Newtown High School students who produce Channel 17 programming are energetic, willful, ready for challenges, and in it for the long haul.

Channel 17, broadcast on the local cable system, is staffed by 15 to 20 Video Production and Tech Club students. Their interests may vary, but Channel 17 has brought them together to function as a team.

“It all gets worked together here. It’s where the media come together,” Junior James Kaechele said. “I like to think we can do anything.”

Charter Communications provides the access to Channel 17 for the group. Often an educational message board can be found on the channel, informing Newtown residents about what is happening throughout the school district. Beginning September 22, the Newtown community can watch the first home football game live right from their own homes if they do not feel up to heading out to the game in person. The group will air all the home games this football season. The group’s advisor is Rich Novia, head of security at Newtown High School.

Many of the students have been using their own money to help purchase the necessary materials needed to air live broadcasts on Channel 17. So far the group has put almost $2,000 of their own money into wireless transmitters, television sets, computer software, cables, among other things. It is going to cost the group another $400 to televise the game on September 22. Members of the group even use old equipment and the parts to build new equipment that suits their needs.

“We’re a bunch of kids interested in technology and computers,” James said.

The technology wizards also help out by setting up audio and video equipment for teachers around the school and at other Newtown schools.

“We help the school a lot. We’re like the AV Department for the school,” Austin McChord said. “We’re helping out the school. We’re looking for respect which is hard to find.”

Ed Wolf added, “We not only help teachers that are in the high school. We also help teachers at other schools sharing our technological skills.”

There is a lot to do before the game, like running a 500-foot cable from the press box at the stadium back to the media center, where the group keeps all its equipment. Plus they have to set up the televisions, cameras, and make sure the audio works, subtitles are ready, just to name a few things. But all the work that has to be done only serves to energize the group, spurring them on to work harder.

“It’s a wonderful learning thing. A majority of us are planning a career in the technology field,” Paul Kastner said. “We don’t have much, but we have a lot of resources we can learn from.”

Even the lack of funding does not quell their enthusiasm. The group meets every Tuesday and Thursday after school. Last Thursday, the group thought about ways to come up with funding other than paying for things themselves. One idea that they had was possibly to have Newtown businesses sponsor games and run the businesses’ names on Channel 17 as a thank you.

But when all is said and done, the group has the will power and energy to meet the challenge of airing broadcasts on Channel 17. So tune in.

“We all learn a lot form each other,” Sarah Kaechele said. “It’s a big learning experience. It’s fun.”

The students who produce Channel 17 programming may be reached at 203/270-6122.