On August 11 students at Copper Basin High School walked through the halls yet again, and the new classes have many students excited. The Visual Communications and Drama classes offer students the chance to explore and experience jobs that are expanding in the industry.

From CBTV News, off and on screen, to live plays, CBHS teachers Steve Tompkins and Dr. Joseph Monticello have given students a new way to look at acting and working with technology. During the first day of classes, students showed real excitement when the tour of the technology room included auditions for news anchors. Students will produce the CBTV News Program, publish a weekly newspaper, and produce weekly press releases to local newspapers and television stations.

“What I want most for my students this year is for them to find some kind of passion working with video, audio, photographs, or television. It would be great if each student could find a career that makes them happy,” says Tompkins, Visual Communications teacher.

Through this experience, students may find a career in the Newspaper Industry, in Public Relations, Television and Film Making, or in the Music Recording industry, he added.

The CBTV Production Department (Visual Communications Class) is responsible for the actual process of capturing, editing, and broadcasting video, audio, and photographic content. The department is the “glue” that brings it all together and presents it to the students, classroom, school, community and around the world in the forms of video, audio, and news print. A weekly TV News program that is aired on Copper Basin High School’s closed circuit TV system is rebroadcast on ETC3’s channel 3 throughout the week.

“We are fortunate to have a High School Administration and a School Board that can see into the future and realize the jobs potential for those students engaged in these technologies based and performance based courses and clubs,” Tompkins said. “Now we have had four students employed at ETC3 Studios as fully paid interns as camera operators and graphics and audio effects computer operators. You have seen their work on ETC3’s weekly Monday night music program and at sporting events coverage.”

During the first game of the football season and turning out in droves, the fans helped the fledgling Drama Club and Multimedia Club by generously donating at the gate. “We want to thank all the fans who gave generously at the gate in support of our programs,” said Dr. Monticello, Copper Basin’s Biology teacher and Drama Club sponsor. “This is our third year, and last year, the Drama Club received rave reviews at our first theatrical performance of ‘Mind Over Manor’ and our first film adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’. We are looking forward to creating two new performances this year.”

The Multimedia Club is in its fifth year. Club sponsor Steve Tompkins commented, “With the financial support we receive from Glenn Springs Holdings through the Copper Basin Learning Center, ETC3, Appalachian Community Bank, The Knights of Columbus and now the community at large, we have a great opportunity to continue these programs for our children.”

Monticello and Tompkins said, “We can’t provide our children with these opportunities without the community’s support, and it was encouraging to both Dr. Monticello and myself to observe the generosity of the football community.”