Atlantic Cape Hosts Local High School Students During Media Studies Day

MAYS LANDING — Nearly 100 media production students from five area high schools were given hands-on instruction on the various Media Studies programs offered at Atlantic Cape Community College during Media Day on October 28 at the Mays Landing Campus.

Students from Absegami, Oakcrest, Cedar Creek, Lower Cape May and the Atlantic County Institute of Technology (ACIT) high schools, attended two, 50-minute media workshops on topics from digital media, drones and creative writing to radio production, social media, news writing and a Steadicam demo.

“The Media Studies program encompasses the fundamentals of the digital video and audio pre-production, production and post-production processes,” CIS Associate Professor Dr. Bojan Zilovic said. “In addition, the coursework offered within the Media Studies program also ensures that the graduates understand the various technologies and procedures surrounding the television and film industry.”

Tremendous technological advances have made digital media tools and platforms the wave of the future and offer today’s students a pathway to a sustainable professional future. According to Dr. Zilovic, in the 10 years since Atlantic Cape started its Media Studies program, enrollment has increased by 37%. State-of-the-art technology available in all classes creates an added incentive for students to enroll.

Keynote speaker Leah Clapman, who oversees PBS’ NewsHour education program, spoke to the gathered students in the Walter E. Edge Hall theater on the media’s importance in the 21st century. “This is the perfect opportunity today for a youth media movement. If you are unsatisfied with media coverage today, you can change it,” Clapman said. “Healthy journalism, a free press, is important to a democracy.”

Workshops were led by Atlantic Cape professors and staff. In the Creative Writing Workshop, Assistant Professor of English Richard Russell had his students create their own personal zines (a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images); in the Social Media Workshop, Social Media and CRM Manager Erin Mercer had her students create images on the program Canva for various social media platforms; in the News Writing Workshop, Assistant Professor of English and Communications Jennifer Thomas quizzed the students on Associated Press Stylebook state abbreviations and creating a catchy lede.

Ashley Fedeli, a junior from ACIT, thought the event “was really nice and I like that the college is small so it can offer one-on-one instruction.” Fedeli is interested in social media and enjoyed the media studio.

Leon Gazzara, also a junior from ACIT, said he hadn’t thought about going to college, but now says Atlantic Cape could be an option. He liked how Atlantic Cape offers many different career paths and how Media Day was about expressing yourself and putting yourself out there.

Another junior from ACIT, Cece Perez, said he enjoyed editing and learning about the different types of software being used. “I feel that if I were to come to school here it would be a good extension of what I am learning now,” Perez said.

Prior to the event, students from each high school were given the opportunity to create their own 30-second infomercial talking about all that Atlantic Cape has to offer. The college provided the high school’s with b-roll footage that the students edited with music, graphics and text for visual effect.

Audrey McGowan, a sophomore from Cedar Creek High School, won first place for her clip about the college, which she liked because, “the pictures were in beat with the music.” McGowan won a beach chair, $30 Apple gift card and a gift certificate. She said she enjoyed her day on campus because she learned how to fly a drone and took a creative writing class. McGowan dreams of studying naval aviation and media, and would like to attend the U.S. Navy Academy. The runner-up prize went to Karina Guerro from Oakcrest High School.

Jason Thomas, a Media Teacher at Oakcrest High School was attending his third Media Day and, “it gets better each time.” Thomas continued, “this was a great opportunity for the students to network with others and for us to reconnect with colleagues. It was good for the students to get this experience at a college, which many of them have never been to.”

Begun in 2018, Media Day returned this year after a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus. For more information on the Media Studies degree program, visit atlanticcape.edu/mediastudies.

About Atlantic Cape Community College

Atlantic Cape is a comprehensive two-year community college serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. The college offers over 40 career, transfer and workforce development programs to more than 8,000 students annually at three campuses in New Jersey: Atlantic City, Cape May Court House and Mays Landing.