Good morning Rhinebeck! The Hawk Squawk is here, and it has become a staple of Monday mornings. Max Bernard told us that, “a good day always starts with The Hawk Squawk.” But the video announcements take more work than you might think, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. The filming of the announcements takes place on Fridays during community lunch in the AV Room (114). If you are interested in helping with the creation of the announcements, there are many roles to play. You could be an anchor telling all the news to the school for the week. Or, if you are more interested in the behind the scenes, you could play a role as an editor, filmer, or script writer. The document for the script is also available to anyone, so feel free to help out. Malena Ruiz-Michels, freshman and co-anchor of the sports segment in The Hawk Squawk, said, “We feel very included in school spirit and have a lot of fun,” in regard to her role in the announcements. The Hawk Squawk takes many hands to create and is always welcoming to those who are wanting to help.

Video announcements have been an idea for Rhinebeck for quite a while. But, this year, when the Broadcasting Media Communications class decided to try out the idea, it quickly became a working series. While the video announcements culminate with a weekly video lasting only a few minutes, many people work very hard to get these announcements filmed.

First, information has to be gathered and then turned into a script. The announcements cover sports, clubs, and other activities, so getting all of the information into a short and concise script can be challenging. During filming on Fridays, the anchors practice and edit their lines while those filming set up the microphones, green screen, and iPad. Interestingly, the filming of the announcements is likely the quickest and easiest part of the process. Over the weekend, one person is in charge of editing and clipping all of the footage filmed on Friday on iMovie. The final product is then sent to Mrs. Nelson, who shares it with all of the teachers to play on Monday. This process is long, and requires hard work from all those involved. While it may be challenging, filming is a great way to have fun with friends and opportunity to try something new. If you don’t like being in front of a camera, you can help write the script or film. Hopefully this article gives you a newfound appreciation for The Hawk Squawk, and maybe convinces you to come help out for filming. As one student put it, “they’re pretty tough.”