When I  realized  that our school sits in the middle of the historic district of town, I made plans to create a news magazine show dealing the heritage of this charming old town.

At first, the students hated having to "learn all that history-stuff!"  But by the time they were done, they were like a bunch of Big Shots, telling their friend about how the city of Elgin was founded.

In addition to a full course of  television theory, groups of  students write, direct, shoot, and edit 5 - 10 minute news packages each in addition to creating two public service announcements.  All that happens  in 9 weeks. 

As an aside, if Jessica Feliciano doesn't end up the first Hispanic Female President of the United States, I'll eat my hat.  Through no particular design, she is in 2 of the 6 production stills shown above.  When the newspaper comes out to interview my students, she was the student that they would always gravitate to.  When other TV shows come out to interview my kids, they led with her.  I will be the first to admit that she is talented, but her good-old fashion "Want-To"  takes her a long, long  way! (JPM)

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