Senn students take field trip to Loyola
By: Rogers Edge Reporter, Staff Report
Students from Chicago’s Senn High School learned what it was like to be a TV reporter and newscaster during a recent field trip to Loyola’s School of Communication.
More than 30 Senn students used professional video cameras and microphones to interview passersby along the Magnificent Mile, just steps from the School of Communication’s downtown Chicago campus.
The students also were recorded on camera reading news stories at the anchor desk of the School of Communication’s state-of-the-art convergence studio.
Senn journalism students have been visiting the SOC since 2014 for annual field trips, with the exception of a two-year interruption during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The field trip to Loyola’s School of Communication offered Senn students exposure to college-level instruction in digital journalism, said Michael Cullinane, the lead journalism instructor at Senn.
"Loyola never fails to roll out the red carpet for the Senn students, offering them a taste of what a college journalism program looks like. I love seeing students gain confidence in real time. They embrace teamwork and are able to see the many moving parts required in bringing a broadcast to life,” Cullinane said.
The students are part of Senn’s Digital Journalism program, a four-year International Baccalaureate curriculum designed to teach skills in reporting, writing and producing stories through digital technology.
Loyola’s School of Communication has been partnering with Senn for more than a decade. School of Communication faculty and students regularly meet with teachers and students at Senn, helping with curriculum development, classroom instruction and equipment and technological support.
Students from Senn work in tandem with Loyola students to cover local news and post stories on a hyperlocal news website titled, RogersEdge Reporter: www.rogersedgereporter.com
Over the years, Loyola’s SOC has used grant money and its own funds to outfit Senn students technology such as video cameras, microphones and other audio equipment, a Teleprompter, and most recently, a news anchor desk.
The field trip is another important aspect of the partnership, bringing the high school students together with Loyola professors and students to work on video production and reporting.
"I had a lot of fun learning about Loyola's communication program and having a hands-on experience with the equipment. It reassured me that I'm going into the right field. I'm hoping to go to Loyola in the fall, and I'm really excited about it,” said Senn senior Max Guijosa.
“I enjoyed being out on the town while the weather was still nice, said Senn student Ashley Lanfair-Graves. “At first people didn't want to talk to us, but eventually I spoke to a diverse group of tourists, and I was able to ask them some fun questions."
SOC Interim Dean Elizabeth Coffman said the Senn field trip is a highlight of the academic year.
“We look forward every year to sharing our facilities and faculty with Senn high school students.” Coffman said. “Their enthusiasm and quick response to interviewing techniques demonstrate the positive learning background that Senn provides, and that Loyola tries to continue.”