Broadcasting students learn from hands-on experience

by Desiree Mendez, staff writer

South Plains College students have recently been working with Communications Department Jay Hoes and Billy Alonzo on filming the SPC Texan and Lady Texan basketball games, as well as some of the basketball games for Texas Tech University.

The students get to learn about filming, directing, and sports commentating.

SPC will offer a sports broadcasting major that will officially begin in Fall of 2007, even though some students have received a little bit of a head start. Hoes and Alonzo will serve as instructors for the classes.

“We’ve kind of gotten a head start on the program starting this semester,” said Hoes. “We’ve turned our broadcast of SPC home basketball games into a class, and the students in that class have actually gotten to participate in some of the broadcasts that have taken place at Texas Tech.”

Some students have been able to sit in the ESPN and FOX sports trucks. This gives them the opportunity to see how professional sports broadcasters work.

“Being in the ESPN truck was very exciting for me and stressful because there were eight people in three rows of semi trucks yelling at each other,” said SPC student Crystal Hernandez.  “But it was very exciting to see the professionals work.”

The class will be emphasizing the production of sports programming, sports commentating and sports broadcasting. Students will be able to go behind the scenes with cameras, directing and also doing video replays.

“Filming the basketball games is a lot of fun, because it is cool how a two-year college has this type of program,” said SPC student Sajen Hernandez. “This way you can get some experience in sports broadcasting.”

Each student gets to help with different games. This way they get experience working with different types of sports broadcasting. Some get to sit in with FOX sports, while some stay out on the court working with the cameras.

The professors enjoy teaching this class because they feel that it gives students who are interested in the sports broadcasting field an opportunity to see what goes on. 

“We feel that there are a lot of students that are interested in sports and the media industry,” Alonzo said. “This gives them a chance to learn what to do, and it gives them a chance at a lot of job opportunities.”

The new major will include some of the same courses as the broadcasting degree.

But two new two classes will be added, Sports Broadcasting 1 and 2. An internship class may also be offered if it is approved.

For more information on the new sports broadcasting major, contact Hoes or Alonzo in the Communications Building.