It is one thing to win an Emmy – it is another thing to teach children how to win their own.
At least, that is how Jerry Hines felt when he got some pretty big news earlier this week – news that, he said, made him feel very humbled about shaping the lives of students interested in a career in the media.
Hines is in his fifth year leading Hanahan High’s Media Tech program. There are four class levels to this program that include more than 120 students. His Media Tech 3 and 4 students run Hanahan High’s weekly news program, known as “Hawk’s Eye View”, in which students cover the goings-on at school – everything from news, to sports, to weather and beyond.
The student news group has just been named the 2023 Best Newscast in the Southeast by the National Academy for Screen Arts and Sciences (or NATAS) in the academy’s Student Production award group. This is the same governing entity over the annual Emmy Awards.
Hines himself is no stranger to the Emmys – he scored them as a former broadcast journalist who used to work for NBC Sports in Philadelphia.
However, hearing his students being recognized by NATAS hit a little differently this time around.
“I didn’t get overly excited the way I did when I won my Emmys in Philly – I was more proud for them,” Hines said. “And they were so excited because this is their first taste – now they see that hard work and creativity can go hand in hand, and that they can be awarded for their work.”
When most people think of “Emmy Awards” they most likely think of the annual award show that recognizes outstanding on-screen actors and actresses that appear in television programs.
However, what some probably do not know is that NATAS distributes awards that go well beyond the television show category; these include sports, news, documentaries, and even tech and engineering. There is also a student production award that recognizes high school students working in the media field.
Hanahan High has submitted news shows to be reviewed by NATAS over the past three years and while they have received nominations, this is their first time officially winning. The news show that helped put them at the top was an October 2022 that the crew often referred to as the “Homecoming Preview” (view video).
Technically, Emmys only go out to professionals working the television field, not students. However, this is kind of like the student-equivalent of an Emmy Award. NATAS is also split among regions; Hanahan High’s news group dominated the southeast region of the country.
Hines’s program is teaching his students anything and everything media-related, particularly in regards to operating a camera – they talk about framing, lighting, capturing good sound, editing, music and more. They are also learning more about the journalism profession, like production values, communication skills, building a news cast and how to create engaging, fair stories that keep viewers in the know of what is happening at their school and surrounding community.
Last year’s Hawk’s Eye View news group was senior laden, so a lot of the students who were in that award-winning October 2022 production have since graduated. However, there are a few seniors on the news crew this year that got to be a part of it.
Ella Patrick, a reporter on staff, and Logan Williams, a cameraman, said the Media Tech program is better preparing them for college and the workforce in general, whether they pursue journalism or not.
“This is a lot more like a work environment than just a normal class because you have a deadline, you have a job to do, you get it done, you get feedback – and rather than just having to take a test or a quiz, this is your job,” Williams said.
Patrick added that the students learn about time management, working both independently and as a group and problem-solving, among other soft skills.
“I definitely think it will help when you get out in the real world and have a job – no matter what the job is,” she said.
Sydney Charles moved up from social media manager to Executive Producer this school year and plans to pursue broadcast journalism at the University of South Carolina next year – something she said she feels prepared for because of Hines’s program.
“Hines really works us into a professional environment,” she said, adding, “He trains to know what it is like in an actual studio...I think it really prepared me a lot because of how he’s taught us.”
Andrew Roblero was a reporter last year and now leads a segment on the show called “Andy and Andy.” Roblero said the entire news crew was excited to win the award from NATAS.
“I feel like I can speak for the whole team when I say we feel really great about what we have accomplished so far – not only last year, but this year as well,” he said. “We’ve come a long way.”
Hines’s favorite part of running the program is he gets to have a lot of creative freedom to help prepare the students for careers in the media field.
“Every week is a different week for us,” Hines said, adding he loves seeing the impact he has made on students – particularly on the ones who have gone on to pursue media or journalism at the collegiate level. “If you look back and you think, ‘You changed this kid’s life for the better’ – that’s kind of cool.”
Students/Alumni that worked on the show:
Anna Avery
Savannah McAlister
Brayden Josep
Kayden Gaddist
Conner Stephens
Jack Shetz
Andy Cedillo Rodriguez
Taylor Atkinson
Sydney Charles
Sophia Bennett
Gage Holland
“Wild” Bill Colliton
Clayton Horner
Ryan Johnson
Cade Knight
Mason Lanot
Logan Williams
Nathaniel Miller
Yassmin Mohamed
Ella Patrick
Isiah “Val” Redford
Ashton Drayton
Amy Griner
Hailee Getsinger
Nathaniel Parson