By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Eyes lit up and smiles could be seen on the faces of the Hays High School students in Dan Balman’s Audio/Video Production Fundamentals class when they realized the C-SPAN bus they were sitting in is a rolling HDTV (high-definition television) production studio.
The group listened intently as Vanessa Torres, C-SPAN marketing representative, explained the technical capabilities of C-SPAN’s award-winning, 45-foot customized bus which made a stop at Hays High Wednesday morning.
The primary purpose of the C-SPAN Campaign 2016 Bus is to visit schools, universities and political events across the country to engage students, educators, civic leaders and the community through on-board multimedia technology that showcases C-SPAN’s programming and resources dedicated to showing the American political process.
“We were recommended to Hays High School by Eagle Communications. We work very closely with our cable TV affiliate,” said Jenae Green, the other C-SPAN marketing rep in Hays Wednesday.
“C-SPAN is a non-profit. We were created by cable and we get paid six cents a month per subscriber by the cable TV provider,” Green explained. In Hays, C-SPAN programming is provided by Eagle Communications on cable TV channel 19 C-SPAN2 is carried on channel 91.
“C-SPAN has been around since 1979,” Green said. “We’ve had our Bus program since 1993 and our nationwide StudentCam competition has been around for about 12 years now.” C-SPAN Classroom offers primary source materials for teachers.
It was the StudentCam competition that really caught the attention of the Hays High beginning video/audio students.
According to Green, the StudentCam competition is open to all high school and middle school students–grades 6 through 12. “It’s about a 5 to 7 minute documentary video competition. The topic this year is telling the new Congress and the new president about an issue that’s important to them.” The official theme title is “Your Message to Washington: What is the most urgent issue for the new President and Congress to address in 2017?”
Green said the C-SPAN bus will trek back to the winners’ schools and “do a full ceremony for those students and congratulate them.” The winners will share in $100,000 in cash prizes.
C-SPAN–an acronym for the Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network–produces in-depth coverage of the U.S. Congress, White House, federal courts, and its signature political program, “Road to the White House,” which provides access to all of the Campaign 2016 presidential candidates and their events from the campaign trail, all without editing, commentary, or analysis.
The bus will make a stop in Denver before heading to Las Vegas for the final presidential debate Wed., Oct. 19.
“In this unprecedented election season, C-SPAN’s ‘Road to the White House’ gives you a front row seat, unlike any other, to Campaign 2016,” said Steve Scully, C-SPAN’s senior executive producer and political editor.
“C-SPAN’s footage takes you from the campaign announcements, to the town hall meetings and rallies, as well as the policy speeches, party conventions, and now the upcoming presidential debates — giving viewers the absolute best coverage on what the candidates are saying and how this historic race is unfolding along the campaign trail.”
