Credit: Peter Klebnikov
Walter Cronkite, the legendary anchorman of the CBS Evening News, was known as “the most trusted man in America” and liked to sign off his daily news program with the words: “And that’s the way it is.”
The student broadcasters at Stissing Mountain High School have their own catchphrase when they sign off their daily news show: “Have a great day!” they say, before slapping the table and pointing at audience members. Then they grab their books and hustle off to math class.
“Pine Plains TV” is the primary source of news for the 450 students of the high school and middle school. It’s the brainchild of the school’s tech director, Nick Dean, a 21-year teaching veteran in the Pine Plains school system. Created each evening and broadcast during the first five minutes of the first period the next morning, the broadcast reflects the wide-ranging interests and passions of the students.
On the menu is a variety of school-related news, from announcements of students’ birthdays to daily trivia questions, sports scores and Wellness Wednesday features. A key goal is to promote community spirit and empathy for differences. Recently the broadcast team of 20 students, all of whom are volunteers, carried a daily history item focused on Black History Month. Other features support student organizations such as the Gay Students Alliance. Other goals are fundraising for worthy causes such as animal rights and promoting awareness about national challenges. “We try to focus on the reasons why we commemorate national events,” said Dean.
“I said no at first,” said Brianna Blackburn, a senior who works on the show. “But this has really helped me learn public speaking. Plus it’s fun to see myself on screen.”
The news program has been running for six years. Early on, Dean did much of the work himself but gradually he’s given up various responsibilities to the students. Today, the student broadcasters do almost everything, from writing the script, filming, running the sound, reading off a teleprompter or ad libbing, and editing the broadcast. “They’re quick learners,” said Dean. The studio is housed in a cramped room behind the robotics lab. Two anchors sit under klieg lights behind a concave news desk that Dean and the students built in their spare time.
Just as in professional shows, the broadcasts feature inside jokes to cement journalist-audience relations. “The kids enjoy making fun of the history department,” said Dean. “The history guys are tough. They can take it.”
“You hear kids in the hallways joking about the broadcasts. It’s good fun for them. That’s a victory, because at that age it’s so much cooler to not like something.”
“We do some joking on the air,” said senior Estrella Ruano. “In one broadcast I convinced the entire student body that the theme for the senior prom was Star Wars. The next team had to issue a retraction. Yup, they basically canceled me.”
What Dean appreciates most is how the experience of putting news together and presenting it to their peers has changed the students.
“I came in not knowing anything,” said Patrick Cronin, a junior. “But broadcasting clicked with me immediately. I think I’m pretty good at it now. And it got me into theater, which is great.”
At first, Dean worried no one would participate. “We started with three kids,” he said. “Now we have two teams of eight to 12 kids per class.” Among them was a shy ninth grader who was small for his age and “had tremendous enthusiasm but kept to himself,” said Dean. Broadcasting to the entire school gave the boy a confidence boost, Dean said, and now he is a star in the school play. “It felt particularly good to see him come out of his shell.”
“It’s amazing how far we’ve come as people since we started this,” said Cronin.
“Now I’m on the mock trial team and in the play,” added Leandra Costa, a senior.
Nationwide, communication and interpersonal skills plummeted during the pandemic, and these qualities are still recovering. “Public speaking is a big hurdle for some of our students,” Dean said. “This is good training in that skill. They gain self confidence.”
“Being a broadcaster helps us build a deeper connection with freshmen,” said Ruano. “Through the broadcasts we’re able to show them the ropes. Though it’s a small school, a lot of things go on here that kids should know about, such as food drives.”
Dean, a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, studied engineering before turning to teaching, as his mother had before him. “I liked building bridges,” he said. “I still do, except now it’s with my students,” he added, pointing to the robotics lab.
He likes to give the kids technical challenges. “I try to improve their vocabulary. I love when they use the word ‘aforementioned’ though it drives them nuts.”
To mix it up, he draws inspiration from his own children. “My oldest is in eighth grade,” Dean said. “He uses language I am not used to. So we got the broadcasters to style shift and use nothing but teenage slang in occasional broadcasts.” A recent script included words like ‘no cap’ (no lie) and ‘finna’ (getting ready to do something). The audience loved it.
Each day, Dean does the final cut himself to ensure quality, often working late into the night.
“My hope is to have this be a community-building source for school pride,” he said. “That’s why I don’t mind doing this extra work.” Walter Cronkite couldn’t have put it better.