total time: 7.55 minutes
total words: 448
total time: 2.13 minutes
total words: 43
[Unidentified]: What can you do?
[Roy Belson]: Everybody's attention, we'll get started and I appreciate everyone being here on this very important occasion where we have an opportunity to blend our vocational school with our community access television. and produce one terrific studio and one terrific program on behalf of our young people and on behalf of the entire community. I'm Roy Belson, I'm the superintendent of schools and welcome to the Medford Public Schools, welcome to the Medford Vocational Technical High School, welcome to Medford High School. Glad to have you here, thank you for being here. Before we begin, let me take an opportunity to introduce some of our elected officials who will be with us through this thing and who have been supportive as we move forward with this particular project. The members of the school committee include Robin Emmons Carey Jr., Paulette Vandekloot, Mia Mustone, and Kathy Kreatz, who are all here today. So let's welcome the school committee. Representing the Medford City Council, Councilor Richard Caraviello. The main person in the state legislature, the assistant majority leader, Paul Donato. And we're thrilled to have with us a number of people who have come out to help us promote this program, representing Channel 4, Lisa Hughes. And from Nesson, Courtney Cox. We also have with us the headmaster of the high school, Dr. John Perella. Director of the Vocational Technical High School and Principal of the Vocational Technical High School, Dr. Heidi Riccio. Director of Finance and Operations, who's done a great job keeping track of all the finances moving on this project, Kirsteen Patterson. Our Deputy Superintendent of Schools, Beverly Nelson. I should probably introduce everybody in the room. The architect is Scott Payette. Somebody from Integrated, I haven't seen anyone from Integrated yet. No? Okay, I guess.
[Unidentified]: Who did I miss?
[Roy Belson]: Ah, okay. My favorite disc jockey, Hank Morse from WRR. Hank, this whole program is going to make great music. All right, well, look, this is a great opportunity that has been developed by a lot of wonderful people working for the schools and working for the community under the mayor's direction, who's made a terrific commitment to making sure that Medford not only has a fine vocational program, but also has an outstanding community access program. I want to thank the mayor for her efforts in making sure this happens as we work through all the different changes and things that have to happen to ensure that we have the right studio, the studio that's going to last us for a number of years, in a studio that's going to help our young people grow and develop. So I want to thank the mayor. So anyway, today I think it's really important for all of us to recognize the importance of communication. Obviously we live in a world where a lot of things get put out there, some of them not so true, some of them partly true, some of them who knows if they're true. And the reality is, is that, you know, our young people need to be able to understand communication. They need to understand what is real, what isn't real, how it should be presented, and ways to attract people so they can be informed. The community needs a voice. We live in an age where we need a community conversation under the mayor's leadership and the leadership of many members of her staff. We're going to begin a whole project of community conversations that help the community talk about the issues that sometimes plague other communities and could plague our community in ways that would be destructive and divisive and not constructive in a way that would help us grow and move forward as a 21st century school system and community. So it's very important that this project to actually happen and actually happen in a way that is going to promote the best of what is Medford and the best of what is our area. It's our hope that as the construction goes forward during the spring that we will also produce community programming and school and government programming as we work from temporary stations like this room and other places with the help of our key people like Chrissy Frazier, who's Miss Chrissy over there. Chrissy is okay. Our two teachers. Great for media technology, Richie Trotta. Alison Goldsberry, all the people that have worked in the department. And the Department of Information Officer, Lisa Evangelista. We've got so many good people working and helping us at this point in time. The Procurement Office, Shahb Khan and her people, real helpful with something and others. We've got Lisa Nunley, our new Director of Finance and Administration for the city, who's going to make sure the school department has all the money they need. And all the people from the office who are helpful to us, and all the people on our advisory committees who have stepped up and provided good guidance and information on the best way to do things. So we're thrilled to have this opportunity to be part of this groundbreaking. So without further ado, it's my great pleasure to introduce you to the Mayor of the City of Medford, the Honorable Stephanie M. Burke.
[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you everybody for being here. Roy has pretty much introduced everyone in the entire city of Medford. But I wanted just a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has committed so much time and energy to this project. We know it wasn't easy so it took a lot of effort on behalf of the city and the school to pull this together. I know that in some communities they do have the public access and mixed in integrated with their school system. And we think that that's a great idea. It's very beneficial for not only our students, but our entire population of the city of Bedford. So we're really thrilled to be embarking on this. It's a full circle. We started out this way, if I'm not mistaken, Mr. Superintendent. And then we took it and we had our public access separate from our school programming. And so much of it is overlapped and integrated. So we're very excited to be bringing it back to the high school in a fully handicapped accessible area that you will see shortly. And also just to have the voice of Medford to be heard again on the airwaves. I think we're just very, very excited about that. We've been silent for several years now when our public access channel closed down. And we're just really eager to get it up and running again because it's so important to tell the stories through the eyes of the people. not the professionals. So we're very, very excited about that. And I look forward to this groundbreaking and ribbon cutting all in one. But we do just want to mention that Integrated Construction Corp of Medford actually received the award for this contract. It was $756,000 for the work to be done. A whole host of equipment we're purchasing separately that we'll be pulling into this programming. So we're probably going to be up over a million dollars when all is said and done. And it's a lot of money, but it's a community, school, city benefit. So we think it's money well spent and we hope that these students have the opportunity to explore the station in the spring. and that they bring their voice to the airwaves. So we're very excited about the opportunities that you will gain from this and the public in general. So thank you very much for being here today. I really appreciate you all taking the time out.
[Roy Belson]: It's now my great pleasure to introduce you with the driving force behind a lot of things that happen in our vocational school and in our community right now. The energetic, very productive and very, very successful director and principal of a vocational school, Dr. Heidi Riccio.
[i42WuXCHMQM_SPEAKER_04]: Thank you, Superintendent Felsen.
[Roy Belson]: I have to say... That's your evaluation. Oh, there you go.
[i42WuXCHMQM_SPEAKER_04]: Well, Mr. Skerry said I had to work for my money when I was hired and to make sure that I brought strong technical programs to the vocational school through expansion opportunities. And having media tech, although we started three years ago, and I know for some it seems like it's an eternity that we've had public access, but it's very important that we recognize that good programs don't come without a lot of careful planning and organization by all key stakeholders. So having the key stakeholders in place, was critical in order for us to move forward. Because at the end of the day, we're going to have a better product. So just like we invest in our students, we need to make sure that we have that same investment in our programs to make sure that our students are prepared for the current and future workforce of not only the Medford community, but the greater Boston community. I'm not going to speak so much because I think it really is important to bring the students up here who have invested and recognized that they have these interests in media technology. But I also, before I call them up, would like to say, if everybody could just give a round of applause to both the high school and the vocational high school students. And I ask that because four years ago, these two groups of students, although housed under the same complex, did not have any or little interaction with each other. And we recognize that that was really a concern for us because they are community members of Medford and they should have been brought together. And so we made a concerted effort with Dr. Perrella, myself, and all of the instructional staff here at both schools and complexes to make sure that those students, whether they're vocational students or high school students, have the same quality education as each other. With that, I'm going to call a couple students up. They can introduce themselves. Come on up. They're going to speak. They are new students to the program. They are sophomores and juniors. And so although we didn't have the program last year, they were very interested in this program and decided to change career pathways into the media technology occupation.
[SPEAKER_02]: Good afternoon, my name is Abby Brady. I'm a sophomore in the media technology and TV broadcasting program here at the school. I started my year in the carpentry program, but I wanted to be in this program, so I switched. I found out about this program two years ago when I was in eighth grade. That's why I chose vocational school, but my freshman year it wasn't in yet, so during the summer, I got a letter during camp explaining all the new programs I have gone in and media was one of them. The first thing I did after this was ask my mom to email Dr. Riccio to ask her if I could switch into this shop and she said yes. I'm in this program because I love capturing videos of what I like doing and want to make it official. This quote I like is, do what you like like what you do. So that's what I'm doing. In this program so far, I've done a few video contests with PSAs. In this program, we conduct interviews and work together to produce videos. We also learned how to use Adobe Creative Cloud applications. These are the basics we do in this program so far. But when we get the studio in, we will be taking full advantage of it to learn more about broadcasting. Thank you all for coming to today's ceremony and for your support.
[SPEAKER_03]: Hi, I'm Gabby Smith. I'm a junior in media technology. I want to thank everyone who came here today to support us. So originally, I was in robotics and engineering, and I wanted a change. And I found out through Ms. Sawyer that this was a thing, and that I just wanted to be in it immediately. So on the first day of shadowing, Ms. Frazier assigned me a task of assisting Abby with scripts. We did a very good job, and after it, I just fell in love with this program. It was just amazing. I learned how to edit things, and it was so much fun. I'm able to create videos from simple ideas, write a script, or create a shot list or storyboard. go into production and then into post-production and eventually have an amazing video that goes into my portfolio. I'm so happy that I was given this opportunity to be a part of this program and I hope that I will be able to pursue a career in the media industry.
[Roy Belson]: Thank you. Thank you ladies. Obviously we're really excited about our young people and what they can do. You just have to look around the school to see all the terrific things they're doing. It makes you very proud and makes you feel very good about our teachers and about our students and their parents and how they commit themselves to their education. So at this time, I'd like to invite some of our media guests up to, if they'd like to say a few words, Lisa. Lisa Hughes.
[SPEAKER_05]: I think every report is really a story. And Medford has such a great story to share. and you do too, that to have this studio is only going to take your ability to get that word out to the next level. I think for all of the students in this room, I hope you look around and realize the investment that everybody wants to make in you. Listening to Abby and Gabby talk about what excites them about this, that's the spark that starts in anyone who has a real passion. And this studio is going to make it possible for you to tell stories, to learn about the business, to think more critically, and to encourage your peers to do it too. I think along your path, people will say to you, boy, You know, media, journalism, it's very competitive. And at the end of this, you're going to be able to say, it is very competitive. Not in a cocky or arrogant way, but with the confidence that you put in the work, you know how to tell a story, you like to talk to people, and you've seen the investment in your success. And I would just say, follow your passion, be curious, and ask the questions. And when there's an opportunity, jump in with both feet. you will be successful and the studio will be part of your foundation. So congratulations. I can't wait to see you.
[Roy Belson]: Thank you very much. As you all know, Lisa was the MC at the Crystal Campbell Dedications and did a terrific job. We appreciate the way she brought that program forward on behalf of the entire community.
[SPEAKER_05]: Honorary Medford resident.
[Roy Belson]: They won't send you a tax bill. And let's call Courtney Cox if she'd like to come up from Nessun.
[SPEAKER_04]: Well, first to kind of echo what Lisa said, to hear a sophomore and a junior girl talk about things that I had no idea about when I was in high school is really empowering for me. And with the media, we have two girls and a guy. So we're outnumbered. But I can't wait to see the studio. I think it's so exciting. When I was in high school, which doesn't seem that long ago, we had nothing when I was in my high school. And I'm from Lowell. I went to Bishop Guertin in New Hampshire, and we did not have a studio. We did not have any type of media class. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I went into college. So for you guys, you guys are ahead of the game completely. So I mean, Lisa really covered it all, but for me to be standing here talking to you guys, looking out at kind of the faces of the future for the media world, it's so exciting. You're going to have so much fun doing this, and I can see the passion in each of you. So, like she said, jump in with both feet. Take every opportunity that's given to you. Have fun with it, but know that everything that you do, as little as it might be, it's going to help you along the way. So I can't wait to see the studio. Congratulations on it. Congratulations.
[Roy Belson]: Now meant for its favorite radio voice, Hank Morse.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you look like this, you can't make it to television. You know what? I have the great privilege of talking about our good friend Mrs. Fumar, Gail Carraher, who in 1978 when I went to Roberts Union High School, she was our public speaking teacher. We were scared to death. But she eventually took a bunch of us to visit media in Boston from Channel 4, WBZ. We got to go over and see the legendary Johnny Most at the time, record some commercials. We went to the Globe, to Channel 2. And that was where I developed my interest. I came to Medford High School. And the late great Henry Salvatella ran the newspaper here. World-class operation. It was recognized all over the country. So I was, you know, I was like, wow, this is very exciting. And it's even more exciting now for the students today, because it's a visual world. And in the radio business, everything is digital. You have the radio, but you also have the internet and podcasts. But it's about pictures and video, and we try and implement that, too. The fact that you're going to have better equipment than anybody else your age, better than some of the professionals, you know what? It's a great head start. And you can get it right here in Bedford High School. And the thing I would say to people is that like, when I was a kid, like the big superstar, you had Larry Bird, you had Bob Iorre, and Paul Donato. And Paul has outlasted all of them. If you want an opportunity, ask. We called the Patriots in 1982 and said, hey, can we interview somebody? And they said, ah, they're never going to call you back. They called us. They had us on a Fox show. We interviewed a guy by the name of Robert Weathers, who was a rookie. They treated us like we worked for NBC. It was a great experience. And ask people. Don't be afraid to ask, because most of the time, they'll say yes. I thank Medford High School. Great job.
[Roy Belson]: So before we move to the site for the ribbon cutting and a tour of the upcoming facility, I also want to have a little shout out to our reporter from the Medford Transcript, Alex, who has just been recruited by Theo Epstein to be the public relations director of the Chicago Cubs. Well, something like that. It's in Chicago. He'll be leaving us at the end of the week, and I'll have to work over another report and see if we can get some good stories. I think we should make our way to the area where we're going to have the ribbon cutting. No, one more thing. Oh, we're going to do a picture. Don't move. Just watch your step. Watch your step. We're going to go in. Watch your step.
[SPEAKER_05]: I didn't get that one.
[i42WuXCHMQM_SPEAKER_04]: So this is an active construction site, as you can see. So we're going to kind of stay in the confines of this area. So this used to be two academic classrooms. One was a social studies classroom. The other one was a math classroom. And as you can see, it's fairly far removed from the rest of the academic classes or even the vocational programs. So we felt as though this was an ideal location for a TV studio because while we can actually have access to where the classroom situation is right now, it can also be accessed in the evening. without it interrupting the rest of the class or high school complex. And that's something for security purposes that we felt was extremely important to us, is that public could access it, but they could not access the rest of the building. As you can see, they've broken down the walls. The plan is online. There also was a sample floor plan. in the Media Tech classroom so you can see what it's going to be. This area right here will have a main entrance with a vestibule area and there'll be a computer lab open office concept with windows that go right through into the actual studio. Where you're standing right now is the playback room. So this room will actually be blocked off with entrance and windows into the studio from the playback room. The studio, as you can see, has nothing in it right now, but the city has really dedicated all of the equipment and supplies that you will need to operate. And none of this could have been done without an advisory committee. So we have a lot of advisory committee members that are here, Jay Campbell, Jack Nagoldrick, Paul Geraghty, who all made sure that we were doing it in a way that represented what industry is. The graphics students created the shovels actually using a design program. So it's our city seal that is on a vinyl cutter. So they used a vinyl template to be able to put that on there. So they actually made the, they didn't literally make the shovels, but they made the labels.
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