Show 5… The final one. I think we improved tremendously throughout the semester, and I couldn’t be prouder of the class. This show was the cleanest, most organized show we put on. Even though we had an extra week of preparation while the professors were away at a conference, we managed not to let it get to us as we did for Show 3. Instead, we continued to work through and still helped each other when we could.
The teamwork we showed during Show 5 prep and execution was the best we’ve had since our jobs were announced. There were several opportunities to fall behind, but we kept each other accountable and lent a hand when necessary.
There are always ways to improve. There were places in the script I could’ve added more facts, and instead I just added a few sentences of fluff. That is something I’ve done all semester, and I need to still work on. I had gotten better at speaking up during Shows 3 and 4 when I had an idea or something to add, but for Show 5, I slightly reverted back to being quiet and keeping some ideas to myself.
I did, however, get back into the field to help the reporters a little bit. I went with Connor to the Passing of the Rifle Ceremony to help him gather footage and interviews. I wasn’t the main ENG for the night, so I mainly just watched and gave the occasional input. It was nice to be out and watch a reporter do their thing again, though. I wish I had done more of this.
I think the writing conferences went a lot smoother this time around. People came in more prepared; their scripts were some of the best we’d seen all semester, and the video was good, mainly just needed a little rearranging. Overall, the improvement I saw in the reporters was astonishing. It showed me just how much you can learn in just a few short months.
Having an extra week between Shows 4 and 5 allowed me time to reflect on the semester. I realized I was giving everyone else a lot of credit for improving, but I hadn’t really done the same for myself. In my head, I had plateaued after only a couple of shows, but my writing got stronger, my confidence grew, and my patience grew as well. I may not have improved in the same ways as my peers, but I improved, nonetheless.
A few days before Show 5, I watched the first-ever episode of Mountaineer Playbook from 2019. This also showed me how much we’ve improved not only in this semester, but also how much the Reed School of Media has improved over the last seven years.
Having the ability to help continue to grow a program that has helped so many people in my class, before us, and in the future… me… will always be an experience and opportunity I will hold close. Show 5 was the best experience I’ve had in the control room because we were all able to come together for a common goal.