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.Local students, from left, Russell Meurer, Cathryn Ellis, Emma Jackson and Miles Littlefield listen to John Nelson, executive editor for Advocate Communications Inc., right, talk Sunday about interviewing skills. (Stephanie Mojica / October 1, 2012) |
Eight Danville and Boyle County students will be working closely with C-SPAN professionals on the day of Oct. 11 vice-presidential debate at Centre College.
Six of the eight students who represent Danville High School and Boyle County High School met Sunday to prepare for their work at the debate. All selected students will have media credentials and will assist C-SPAN employees with marketing events as well as watch the debate itself from the C-SPAN bus. Since all eight own smartphones, they already are prepared to send text Tweets and video Touts the day of the debate via C-SPAN’s Debate Hub website.
“This really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Mary Jane Hall, coordinator of the gifted and talented program for Boyle County.
She and Danville High School language arts teacher Shari Stewart are helping prepare students for their journalistic responsibilities at the debate.
Several of the students are interested in journalism as a possible career choice.
Miles Littlefield, a senior at Boyle County, is one of them and said he looks forward to possibly interviewing some of the people he regularly sees on television.
Another possible future journalist, Danville junior Emma Jackson, hopes to meet working reporters not only from C-SPAN but also other television networks as well as newspapers.
Austin Barringer, a Danville sophomore, said the upcoming opportunity with C-SPAN combines his interests in both politics and journalism.
“It’s an awesome opportunity to be able to get up close and personal with this kind of major event,” Barringer said. Involvement in the debate also encourages local students to become more interested in politics even before they reach the legal voting age, Stewart said.
“A lot of times we overlook politics,” said Danville senior Russell Meurer.
“I think being involved in the debate is going to change that for a lot of us attending school in Danville and Boyle County.”
The following Danville and Boyle County students will be working with C-SPAN on the day of the vice- presidential debate:
Austin Barringer, Danville High School; Alexis Draut, Boyle County High School; Cathryn Ellis, BCHS; Emma Jackson, DHS; Miles Littlefield, BCHS; Andrew McKinney, DHS; Russ Meurer, DHS; and Katie Noelker, BCHS.
