"Five Questions" Interview Project

 

In my Radio Production class here at SC State, the students are working on a project I call "Five Questions." 

The students have the chance to interview a classmate, a professor, a campus leader, a student-athlete, really anyone they choose. 

The idea is to conduct an interview in an interesting and informative way to help the listener get to know the subject and also get a sense of the host's style and personality. 

Listen to the three-minute interview here.

This is one example of such a "Five Questions" feature. Keira McGowan sat down with her classmate Ali Hardwell, who is a guard on SC State's women's basketball team. Ali, who is from Washington state, is in her first semester here after transferring from a two year college in Texas where she led her team to a conference championship last season. 

To learn more about these fine and talented students, check out Ali's blog and Keira's as well. 

Podcast Productions: Student-Athletes, Campus Issues and More!

We recently dusted off one of our department's old Allen and Heath mixing boards to record a series of podcasts. 

Podcasts seem to be as popular as ever so this project gave the students a chance to be part of one. They will be writing blog posts that feature their particular podcasts complete with the recording, photos and their thoughts about being part of one in our Radio Production class.

The Brains Behind the Bronze Busts

 

He is the brains and brawn behind the busts! (hear my report here!)

On February 8 at the ceremony to unveil the bronze busts of the young men killed on this date 54 years ago- what became known as the Orangeburg Massacre- an S-C State art professor from Nigeria took a well-deserved bow. 

Dr. Tolulope (two-loo-loo-pay) Filani sculpted in clay the heads of the three young men who perished on that tragic night in 1968. 

By now most people who work and study on the S-C State campus 

have seen Filani's creations. They are displayed at the new and improved Smith Hammond Middleton Legacy Plaza. But it's safe to say not many know whose skillful hands crafted the three likenesses. 

Know you will know!  Filani came to S-C State in 2006. He is now chair of the university's fine arts department. Filani says the idea of sculpting the Orangeburg Massacre victims came to him when he first visited the school. 

SOT: :21 Filani  (counter- :26-:49)
In: When I came in
Out: had to work 

Soundbite Selection From Ellen Zisholtz Bowling Alley Restoration Interview

 

Ellen Zisholtz inside the old bowling alley
(Photos courtesy Charleston Post and Courier)

An important future may be in store for an old bowling alley in Orangeburg that was pivotal in the tragic day in 1968 that became known as the Orangeburg Massacre.  

The long-closed All Star Triangle lanes on Russell Street will have a bright future if former SC State museum director Ellen Zisholtz (pictured) has her way. She is leading an effort to restore the bowling alley and make it into a Civil Rights museum. And, yes, people will again be able to bowl there!  

                                                                                            

Adobe Audition Introduction

Audition is another valuable content creation program that is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud our communications students have access to at South Carolina State University.

Adobe Audition is widely used in the radio world to produce news reports and commercials. It is also popular among podcasters.

This week I showed students in one of my classes the basics of Audition importing, trimming and mixing voice with music.

I showed the class how I produced this radio-style news report about the then still under construction Chestnut Street pedestrian bridge linking campus to a pair of apartment complexes popular among our students.

Before posting the mp3 audio file to Blogger, it must first be uploaded to a free site such as WikiUpload.

This tutorial shows how to place an audio clip on Blogger.  

I have assigned the students to write, record and produce a recording that shares their thoughts and views about a topic of interest, such as the upcoming anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, or another subject of their choosing.  

Adobe Audition Logo