Features
WHS student enjoying time as sideline reporter
A position as a High School Playbook sideline reporter for KOCO News Channel 5 has offered a local teen opportunities to gain experience and improve skills, which could prove valuable as she prepares for college and a career.
Woodward junior Mallory Ross, 17, said she has always had an interest in film – an interest that “started out as a hobby.”
“My cousins and I would make these stupid movies over holidays,” she said.
But soon Ross began to develop her skills and volunteered her talents to help her church make children’s music videos.
When her computer teacher Bryan Stephenson suggested she apply for the sideline reporter position, where she would get to film sporting events, Ross said she figured it was worth a shot. She filled out an application one day last and received a call from the television station the next day inviting her to interview.
Taking time out from her Thanksgiving break, she went to Oklahoma City and interviewed with some of the station members, including sports reporter Mark Rodgers.
“It was my first formal interview, so I was a little nervous,” Ross said. “But it went well.”
A few weeks later she got the call telling her she had been selected as the sideline reporter for the Northwest Oklahoma zone.
In her zone, Ross is responsible for covering games at 22 schools. She has been assigned to cover each school at least once by filming and editing footage from a game and then upload the footage to the website http://koco.highschoolplaybook.com/.
Ross is also encouraged to interview coaches, players and/or fans about the teams and their games.
However, Ross said she is “not an extremely outgoing person naturally.”
She said it has been hard to go outside her comfort zone and talk to people she doesn’t know, but she hopes that the experience as a sideline reporter will help her.
Ross said the experience is also helping her to further develop her filming and video editing skills. The station provided her with all her equipment, including a high definition camera, microphone and a tripod.
She said the camera has been especially fun to play with since it is of higher quality than what’s she worked with previously.
“It’s a nice camera,” she said.
Ross said the experience has allowed her to realize that it might be fun to pursue a career in broadcasting. Before she got the job she had just been considering careers in film.
While at the station in January training, Ross and other sideline reporters got a behind the scenes look at how the station handles breaking news.
Ross was in the news room as they provided coverage of a press conference held by former Oklahoma City Superintendent Robert Porter regarding the dispute over his handling of certain school district business.
She said the experience was “an adrenaline rush” and that it “definitely sparked an interest” in to pursue broadcasting.
Overall, Ross said so far being a sideline reporter has been “a great experience.”
“I’m finding out if I want to do it for the rest of my life,” she said.
Besides reporting from the sidelines, Ross is also active on the field as she is a goalie on the Woodward High School soccer team.
She also keeps active with involvement in a number of organizations including Students Teaching AIDS to Youth (STAY), Youth Alive, Pep Club, Key Club and the National Honor Society.
In addition, Ross works at Polly Anna Cafe, which she said is a fun job and is further helping her improve her people skills.
- Features
-
-
Exhibit offers variety of nature photography
For Judith Henthorn, life is sweeter when you not only stop to smell the roses, but stop to take a photo of them.
-
Remembering a fading rodeo tradition
When Kristi Brown, of Canton, won the title of 2008 Woodward Elks Rodeo Queen, she didn’t know she was also winning the title of The Last Woodward Elks Rodeo Queen.
-
NWOSU showing enrollment increase
ALVA -- With an overall increase in summer enrollment of about 4 percent, Northwestern Oklahoma State University seems to be following a recent trend.
-
Woodward has new physician
A new doctor from the West Texas area has established an office in Woodward and is already taking appointments.
-
4-H campers play detective
Dasan Gillenwater got think to like a detective for a few hours Wednesday morning.
The Mooreland 13-year-old dusted for fingerprints, matched the ends of broken pencils and lifted dust from a shoe print.
He also hunted for empty shell casings in the grass, marked where they fell, and identified handwriting. -
Goff wrapping up nearly 34 years with city
After more than 13 years as public works director and a total of almost 34 years as a Woodward municipal employee, Tom Goff will be retiring as of June 30.
-
Film preview set Tuesday in Vici
VICI - An independent film destined for Sundance will be screened in Vici first.
-
Fathers big part of 4-H program
Ashlynn Cook loves her dad.
So when the 10-year-old learned a 4-H Father’s Day event was in the works, she jumped at the chance to get involved. -
Building committee looking to finalize designs
Members of the Woodward Conference Center Building Committee learned Tuesday morning that city officials are hoping to have construction plans finalized and bids awarded by early September.
-
Class focuses on muscles
Morgan Miller’s favorite subject is science.
That’s why the Buffalo 12-year-old sacrificed some of her summer vacation to spend a few days this week participating in a health education class at High Plains Technology Center “to learn about anatomy.” - More Features Headlines
-
