In my last editorial, I shared information with you regarding our great start to the school year and an addition to our partnership with Lamar State College-Orange that allows West Orange-Stark High School students the opportunity to enroll in an LSCO’s dual credit maritime program. There is an additional new and exciting offering at WOS High School. It is a very visible new program that showcases the talents of students enrolled in an Audio / Video Practicum.

This A/V class, taught in the WOS High School Career Center, is the home of Big Blue Productions. They operate the new 15’ x 45’ video board during varsity home football games at our stadium. Big Blue operates the three live cameras connected to the board, as well as the equipment in the press box that controls the video (live action) main screen, the software that presents the advertisements for sponsors, and the instant replay machine. 

Students who have previously taken commercial photography and /or videography comprise Big Blue. They attended summer training sessions and/or spent a number of after school hours during the early weeks of school mastering video skills and learning multiple new software platforms to allow them to run the video board for the first football game Friday, Sept. 6.

These students did a great job preparing for the game, handling their equipment and software, and providing an exceptional Friday night video board experience in a very short time! They are continuing to develop their skills as well as new content for the board each home game. We are eager to watch them grow as they pursue the delivery of top-level video board entertainment.

 In the spring, Big Blue Productions will also use their talent and skills to create individual baseball and softball graphics for the new video scoreboards at these two WOS High School fields. 

Veteran educator Lacey Hale leads the audio/video practicum. She and her teamwork in conjunction with West Orange – Cove Communications Director Lorraine Shannon who also serves as the liaison for our video board business sponsors. Video instructor Michael Horton and retired broadcast videographer Ishmael Jack also provide technical support for the team. 

Our video scoreboards are ACE Sports products. Clayton Harrell, ACE Sports Associate Director of Business Development has provided outstanding support for our Big Blue Productions team by making every effort to meet their equipment and training needs. This includes multiple training sessions, with additional sessions still to come.

We believe in John Maxwell’s philosophy that “One is too small a number to achieve greatness.”

Go Mustangs!

 

Dr. Rickie R. Harris is the Superintendent at West Orange – Cove CISD.