Roosevelt's School of Communication Gives Students a Headstart in the Media Industry

By The Aging Adolescent
Guess Writer

Roosevelt student photographers (l-r) Carrington Gibson, Darnell Lee and Anthony Woodland get the opportunity to shoot the 70th Annual Pigskin Awards Banquet where they meet Hall of Famer Redskin Art Monk.

As collegiate teams prepare to march through the madness that is the NCAA Basketball Tournament, a group of excited and very talented members of the Young Journalists Development program sponsored by the Washington Post sit in anticipation in the Verizon Center preparing to rub elbows with professional journalist and photographers as they participate in the media day ceremonies.

Among those excited student journalist is our very own Darnell Lee, who was commissioned by the Washington Post to take photographs as the teams prepare for the first day of the tournament. Darnell is no stranger to demonstrating his skills on a stage this big. In his two years as a member of the School of Communications at Theodore Roosevelt, Darnell and other students at Roosevelt have been given numerous opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned in the classroom in an authentic situation. He was given an opportunity, by Howard University, to photograph Howard's homecoming game and activities, the city basketball championship game (held at the Verizon Center), then 40th Annual Pigskin Awards Banquet, as well as covering Roosevelt's sports season for Digital Sports.

Student journalist work with Athelia Knight, director of the Washington Post's Young Journalist Development program during March Madness Media Day at the Verizon Center. Students include: (front row l-r) Tyneshia McCray, Suitland HS, Jasmine Berry, Gaithersburg HS, Lindsey Hardenbergh, Robinson Secondary HS, (back row l-r) Danny Fersh, Walter Johnson HS, Tom Chalmers, Rockville HS, and Darnell Lee, Theodore Roosevelt High School.

"I've been taking pictures for a while," Darnell exclaimed. "But since I have been at Roosevelt I have had to chance to go to so many places and see so many things and get paid for it. Darnell joined the School of Communications which is a part of the academy system at Roosevelt. Roosevelt is divided into five academies, which includes two preparatory academies (i.e. the 9th Grade Prep Academy and the English Language Learners Prep Academy) and three career focused academies (i.e the School of Communications, the Hospitality and Tourism Academy and the Business and Finance Academy). The School of Communications has a television studio and radio lab, and has established partnerships with such organizations as National Broadcast Radio, Digital Sports, Progressive Sports and Entertainment Alliance, Inc.

The School of Communications offers a three-year preparatory curriculum that is career focused and performance based. Students receive hands on training in several areas of mass media. Students have the opportunity to study journalism, script writing, interviewing, public speaking, debate skills and produce radio and television programs. More importantly students get the opportunity to demonstrate their talents in the real world through internships, video, photography, and journalism products and publications. Activities and products published this school year to date include:

1. The "College 411-Big Things Poppin'" video premiered for Mayor Fenty's College Awareness Week Campaign Kick-off. Anthony Woodland, working with the College Student Center under Ms. Kelly Coble and Mr. Ajuma Clark, was student producer and editor for the 10 minute promotional video that spearheaded the Mayor's initiative.
2. Journalists Bianca Edwards and Lawanne Johnson had articles published in a national music magazine entitled "InTune".
3. Mark Dumas, Jr. and Anthony Woodland attended the JEA (Journalism Educators Association) conference in Philadelphia (Nov. 8-11, 2007).
4. Photojournalists Darnell Lee has been commissioned by the Washington Post to participate in the NCAA Basketball March Madness media day session held at the Verizon Center.
5. Ellen Speight, Brittany Nicholes, Sean Rowe, Khyre Hardy, Mark Dumas and Anthony Woodland were student producers at the September College Fair held at the Convention Center.
6. Photojournalist Shamika Lyons and Frank Tate had their photographs published in the Washington Post's magazine entitled "Shop Talk".
7. Roosevelt's media students were commissioned to film and photograph the 70th Annual Pigskin Awards Banquet held at the Capital Hilton Hotel. Student participants included Tomeka Brooks, Carrington Gibson, Darnell Lee, Brittany Nicholes, and Anthony Woodland.
8. Photojournalist Darnell Lee and Frank Tate were commissioned by Ed Hill (Sports Information Director of Howard University) to photograph Howard's homecoming game and activities.
9. Photos taken by Khyre Hardy are on display on the walls in the main hallway at Children's Hospital.
10. The Al Neuharth Free Spirit Journalism Scholars program annually awards $1000 college scholarships to each of 102 high school seniors (a male and a female from each state and the District of Columbia) who are interested in pursuing a career in journalism and who demonstrate the qualities of a free spirit. The top two scholars are awarded $50,000 scholarships. For the past two years a student from Roosevelt has won this award. This year the award went to senior Anthony Woodland.
11. Both Tiffany Thornton and Bianca Edwards were selected by the Washington Post to work with professional and collegiate writers and representatives of the American Association of News Editors on a project that will begin April 12, 2008. Tiffany also is a finalist for the Gates Millennium Scholarship (an all expenses paid scholarship to any college of which she is accepted). Bianca also won the Rotary Club Oratorical Competition and received $250 in cash, the Washington Post Music & Dance Scholarship ($2000), and was accepted at Syracuse University with over a $37,000 financial package.

Journalism students conduct a press conference with Roosevelt's principal Dr. Benjamin Hosch.

By Maurice Butler |  March 27, 2008; 4:32 PM ET
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