Proposal for Video
Production Club at
Charleston High School
Proposed by Dawn Drake
English Teacher
Charleston High School
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PURPOSE OF PROPOSED
CLUB/ACTIVITY:
Trojan News would be a club dedicated to producing daily
announcements and a weekly news show to be broadcast to the
students and faculty of Charleston High School throughout the school
year.
GOAL(S) OF PROPOSED CLUB/ACTIVITY:
1.Provide CHS students with the opportunity to develop skills in
writing, producing, filming, and editing a weekly news program.
2. Provide CHS students who are interested in careers in
broadcasting and journalism the opportunity to participate in a “real
world” activity that would develop the necessary skills they would
need to pursue their future goals.
3. Provide CHS students the opportunity to collaborate with each
other on a worthwhile project and eventually enter regional, state, or
even national competitions in order to showcase their broadcasting
skills.
NEW CLUB/ACTIVITY PROPOSAL
PERSON PRESENTING THE PROPOSAL:
Name: Dawn Drake Club Sponsor
Email Address: ddrake@charleston.k12.il.us
Phone #217-639-5093
NAME OF PROPOSED CLUB/ACTIVITIES: Video
Broadcasting Club “Trojan News”
LIST AT LEAST SIX ACTIVITIES OR EVENTS STUDENTS
WILL PARTICIPATE IN:
1. interviewing
4. editing news stories
2. writing news stories
5. anchoring the
news program
3. filming news stories
6. marketing and publicizing
the news program
What type of area do the students need to meet in?
Students will need to meet in a room designed for
editing and broadcasting the news. (Some possible
ideas would be the media center equipment room, the
former AER room in the basement, the small conference
room near the media center, the back two alcoves in
the English Department’s book room, or if nothing else,
the back corner of my classroom in room 400.)
When and how often do you intend to meet?
The club would most likely meet daily after school from
3:30-5:00. However, there may be students who
participate in other activities who could not make daily
meetings on account of conflicts in their schedules. I
would be flexible in working with students before school,
lunch, or even weekends. It would not take all members
being present every single day in order to create the
news broadcast.
What will it cost to operate the proposed
club/activity?
I found the company below at the School Video News
Website: http://www.school-video-news.com/
This company offers information on what a startup budget
would look like for the type of club I am proposing.
www.dig-ed.com
Why do you think there is an interest
in this proposed club or activity?
Our high school is in a university
community where support for news,
broadcasting, speech and drama, radio
broadcasting, and the arts is enhanced.
Students in our building are excellent
communicators and enjoy working with
technology. Our community has produced
some important personalities in media
broadcasting.

(CBS) Sandra Hughes has been a CBS News correspondent based in Los
Angeles since she joined the organization in March 1993. Besides covering
major news stories in the West, she covers family issues for CBS News.
Hughes has covered, among other stories, the 2000 Democratic National
Convention, O.J. Simpson murder trial, the David Koresh/Branch Davidian
standoff near Waco, Texas, and the devastating floods that struck the
Midwest in the summer of 1993. She also covered the Republican candidates
and Bob Dole for This Morning during Campaign '96.
Hughes received a 1998 American Women in Radio and Television Award in
the National/Network Investigative category for a series of "Eye on
America" reports for the CBS Evening News on wage wars, and one in
2003 for a series of stories after September 11th on fraudulent driver’s
licenses.
Before joining CBS News, she was a reporter and substitute anchor at
KMOV-TV, the CBS affiliate in St. Louis, Mo. (1990-93). Earlier, Hughes
worked for CBS affiliates WLKY-TV Louisville, Ky. (1987-90) and WTVRTV Richmond, Va. (1986-87).
She began her career in broadcast journalism in 1985 at WCEE-TV Mount
Vernon, Ill.
Prior to joining CBS News, Hughes received a Missouri Broadcasting Award
(1992), a Louisville Metro Journalism Award (1988) and a Public Service
Award in Illinois (1987).
Hughes was graduated from the University of Illinois in 1985 with a B.S.
degree in broadcast journalism. She and her husband live in Los Angeles
with their three children.
Sandra Hughes
Charleston High School Alumni Class of 1981
Larry Smith is a sports anchor for HLN. Based in CNN's
world headquarters in Atlanta, Smith joined HLN in July
2001.
For HLN and CNN, Smith reported about the return of
the New Orleans Saints to the Superdome after
Hurricane Katrina and the Boston Red Sox 2004 World
Series victory that ended the "Curse of the Bambino."
Smith has covered more than 30 major championship
events for CNN, including nine Final Fours, four NBA
Finals, three Super Bowls and the 2006 Winter Olympic
Games in Turin, Italy.
Smith joined CNN Worldwide in December 1993 as an
anchor for CNN Sports and later for CNN/SI. He served
as host of Sports Tonight, Sports Latenight and This
Week In The NBA.
A recipient of Eastern Illinois University's Distinguished
Alumni Award in 2002, Smith started in broadcasting at
WLBH AM & FM and WMCI-FM in his hometown of
Mattoon, Ill. He began his television career at WICD-TV
in Champaign, Ill., and later worked as a news and
sports reporter at WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tenn., and
WPTV-TV in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Each year, Smith hosts the Larry Smith Celebrity Golf
Classic, which has awarded tens of thousands of dollars
in scholarships to top-level, college-bound students.
Smith earned his bachelor's degree in speech
communication from Eastern Illinois University in
Charleston, Ill.
Larry Smith CNN News
Eastern Illinois University Alumni





WCIA3 Chief Meteorologist Robert Reese
knows weather! With a father in the Air Force,
Robert traveled extensively while growing up
and witnessed a variety of weather all over
the world. The family eventually settled in
Arcola, Illinois, where Robert completed high
school. He attended Eastern Illinois University
and graduated from the broadcast
meteorology program at Mississippi State
University.
Robert began his broadcasting career as an
on-air personality at various radio stations in
Central Illinois. Eventually, he stepped in
front of a television camera as a
meteorologist and news anchor for WAND-TV
in Decatur, Illinois.
Robert's experience at WCIA3 has been a
rewarding one. "I like the people, the working
atmosphere." He currently serves as weather
anchor for the WCIA 3 Morning Show and
News at Noon.
Robert served on the Mid-Illinois Big
Brothers/Big Sisters Board of Directors for
which he received the 1998 Volunteer of the
Year Award. Currently, he is a Douglas
County Emergency Services and Disaster
Agency Volunteer.
Robert is married with four children and his
hobbies include music, cars and flying.
Robert Reese
Meteorologist with WCIA News
Eastern Illinois University Alumni
My vision for this club is one of school pride
and unity. All classes and groups in the school
could benefit by sharing their FFA projects,
artwork, history and science projects, poetry,
athletic performances, speech and drama
competitions, culinary creations, and so much
more!
The Youtube video at the bottom of this slide is a sample high school
news broadcast to give you an idea of the type of production I would
like to get started here at CHS. High school broadcasting clubs such
as Pacific Coast High School have opportunities to broadcast
worldwide, enter competitions, travel to conferences and summer
camps across the nation, and to receive recognition for outstanding
broadcasting productions.
Pacific Coast High School News