The Blue Streak News broadcast has been a MT tradition dating back to 2009. The broadcasts from over ten years ago were definitely different than the videos produced now. The Blue Streak News broadcasts used to be the main method of sharing information with the student body, however it has now become a system of quickly connecting the student body and providing entertainment while educating students about the school and current events. 

The Blue Streak News and BSN Online are often confused with one another and it is important to clear up some of the uncertainty. BSN Online focuses on online articles and Blue Streak News focuses mainly on news broadcasts, but also reaches out to the student body through the BSN Schoology page. 

Ms. Hauer, the advisor for Blue Streak News this year, is very excited to take on the challenge of producing news broadcasts for the school. She has already started a Schoology page with the entirety of the student body in hopes of quickly sharing easily accessible information with the school. Through Schoology, she has shared a collaborative post in which students are able to upload pictures and share their moments with their friends. She hopes “that the addition of this simple platform can help expand opportunities for all students to have a part in connecting, engaging and growing our school’s community through digital media.”

Behind each video that is posted, there is an extensive amount of planning and organizing that takes place. Hauer explained that before each project, students take time to identify a topic, create a script, decide on a crew, and pick a location to film. Once the preproduction is all finalized, it’s time to start the cameras and begin putting together all the hard work that has been dedicated to the segment. 

But the recording isn’t the end of the process; after recording, the footage is sent to post production where it is edited into what ends up being posted to the students. Once the footage is developed, it begins to be revised using editing software. The production of a segment can take a few days or a few weeks depending on the complexity. It’s important to properly plan how long a segment will take to produce to ensure that the broadcasts can be released on time. 

The process of becoming part of the BSN crew can be completed in many different ways. Students enrolled in the video production course with Ms. Hauer are guaranteed to be part of the broadcast if they want to be. However, it’s important to consider that not everyone is interested in being in front of the camera. In each video produced there is a need for a person to work the camera, an editor, someone to plan the video, and many more people to help along the way. 

Ms. Hauer is a new teacher in the district and she is very excited to be able to take on this exciting opportunity. Through the BSN broadcasting program and other forms of digital media, she hopes to build connections and give students the space to share experiences and stories. By participating in the video production and graphics courses that she teaches, students can learn new life long skills about modern forms of technology and software that can be applied all throughout life. She believes, “BSN provides a unique opportunity for everyone to share their interests and ideas while making meaningful connections with others at MTHS.” The opportunities with social media throughout the school are endless and Ms. Hauer hopes to utilize the power of the media to build a strong and supportive school community. 

This year’s collection of Blue Streak News broadcasts are set to begin releasing sometime during the third marking period. The video production 2 students will be the first to create content for BSN and whenever their segments are ready to be released they will be broadcast for the school. If you are interested in becoming part of the Blue Streak News crew, feel free to email Ms. Hauer at [email protected].