Communiqué
Students Gain Valuable Experience Working Homecoming Parade
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ATHENS, OH – Ohio University students working for WOUB Public Media got a glimpse into what it would it would be like to put on a major live parade production after working on the special coverage of Ohio University’s Homecoming Parade Saturday, October 12. The live multi-camera stream was produced thanks to a partnership between WOUB, the Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab in the J. Warren McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies and the Scripps College of Communication, and Ohio University’s Advancement Events.
“I volunteered because I thought it would be a great experience and opportunity for me to develop my demo reel,” said Ethan Sands, a junior from Ellicott City, Maryland. Sands was one of the hosts of the parade and is a Journalism News and Information major. “I’ve always looked up to correspondents for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I got to feel like I was one of them for a couple of hours.”
WOUB’s Director of Production Services & Student Development Michael Rodriguez was the executive producer of the parade. Rodriguez said a total crew of about 22 WOUB volunteers worked on the production.
“This is another type of production that students are able to be involved in that is not news or sports, and creative skills are needed in a different way,” said Rodriguez. “(Students) look forward to the challenge.”
“It was really fun and enjoyable to work on, said Rhyann Green, a sophomore from Wilmington, Ohio. Green is also a Journalism News and Information major. Green was on the technical side of the production running camera for the parade. “It was a few hours out of my day, and I was able to get that great experience. I really liked it. The homecoming parade is something a lot of people from across the nation watch online and appreciate. WOUB has a large scope. We have the whole area that we cover outside of Ohio University. With the parade, there are people all over the country who are alumni that were watching beyond Athens. It’s really a great experience.”
“WOUB is an organization that allows first and second-year students to get hands-on experience,” said Sands. “Doing productions like this is a way to work on your skills and get into the workforce because WOUB Public Media is an organization that broadcasts to all of southeast Ohio and into West Virginia and Kentucky, so there is a different level of professionalism to the work students do for WOUB. Having that experience will make you a better journalist. WOUB has visual, production, graphics and on-air opportunities for students. There is a place for everybody.”
WOUB’s student professional development program provides Ohio University students with the opportunity to get real-world experience while going to college. Students from all majors can work for WOUB on radio, television and online. The types of programs students can get involved with include news, sports and musical programs. WOUB gives students a chance to build their resumé while working at a PBS and NPR member station and the opportunity to try out different types of work to determine what fits them.
Sands says his experience hosting the homecoming parade has him ready for whatever the future holds. “I almost got run over by the Marching 110 a couple of times, but I learned how you have to go with whatever happens during a live production. If I have the opportunity to work on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade someday, I’d be thrilled to do that.”