Lights, Camera, Hood!

On the third floor of Rosenstock Hall, news is being made—literally. Opened in 2022 thanks to a gift from its namesake, the Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. Multimedia Center houses Blazer Radio, Hood College Broadcasting, The Blue and Grey newspaper, a photography studio and a digital editing Mac computer lab. What’s even more impressive is that virtually all this media production is run by Hood students.

“Having access to [these] spaces opens a lot of doors for students, both academically and creatively,” said Timothy Jacobsen, instructor of multimedia communications and broadcast studios coordinator. “They take ownership of the projects they work on and the shows they produce from start to finish. Not many other colleges the size of Hood allow for that freedom to learn and grow.”

With a range of professional grade equipment, the Delaplaine multimedia center enables students to assume roles across a variety of mediums. The multitude of programming, from sports podcasts to political commentary, reflects the diversity of Hood students. Whether they focus on radio, video, photography or journalism, these students gain firsthand experience that can be applied to careers in communications.

Since 2005, Blazer Radio has been a mainstay at Hood College. Listeners are probably most familiar with “The Morning Announcements,” a weekly overview of athletics and on-campus events, but there is a plethora of programs being produced on a regular basis. That’s because any Hood student can propose a show, and once approved, the student has full creative control.

The shows are broadcast and recorded live, then posted online. Many shows include guest interviews or call-ins from listeners. With titles like “The Midweek Meltdown,” “Think Pink” and “UnProfessional Opinions,” the programming is an eclectic mix of storytelling, pop culture, news and casual banter.

Ellie Cooper ’25, a communication arts major, produces a Blazers athletics podcast, “The Coach’s Notebook,” with Director of Athletics Susan Kolb, Ph.D. Cooper records and edits each episode, while maintaining the show’s online presence. Outside of Hood, Cooper completed an internship for a local company, producing a podcast about building and growing a successful brand for small businesses.

“I love the live aspect of radio because anyone can listen in while I’m working and catch the recording of an episode,” said Cooper. “At the same time, it can be stressful being self-reliant during a live recording. I have to fix my own mistakes on the fly, but it always works out.”

Cooper’s fascination with media production began at a young age, and she plans to pursue a career in audio, video and graphic design. “I remember being a kid and making stop-motion videos with my sister,” said Cooper. “Now, I make video packages for Hood College Broadcasting and record podcast episodes for my independent study.”

Anyone wondering if radio is a viable career path should just ask Rona Mensah ’92, who has worked as a DJ and host for more than 30 years. One constant that she’s relied on is the need for flexibility and adaptability within the industry. “It’s not an easy field, but if you keep your eyes peeled and look for those connections and network with people, those opportunities do present themselves,” said Mensah.

Her first gig was working the “graveyard shift” for local station Key 103. From there, she had the chance to become the station’s traffic reporter, which led to her covering traffic for a slew of major stations throughout the D.C.-Metro area. Today, she is the operations manager at WLTF in Martinsburg, West Virginia, where she oversees the programming for four stations.

“It’s important to listen to people. I think that’s a dying art,” said Mensah. “That skill can take you much further if you listen and synthesize the truth—then you can pivot and move in different directions, and that might end up being a story that you break.”

Founded in 1921, The Blue and Grey is one of the oldest student-run organizations at Hood. Today, the newspaper is published six times per semester, both for print and digital. In more than a century of publishing, the paper has evolved significantly, but its coverage of campus events, athletics and student life has remained consistent.

To join The Blue and Grey staff, students enroll in a media practicum offered through the Department of English and Communication Arts. Students pitch, research, write and copyedit stories. They are responsible for sourcing artwork or taking photographs to accompany each article. Finally, a team of co-editors completes the layout before an issue goes to publication.

Elizabeth Atwood, Ph.D., associate professor of journalism, serves as The Blue and Grey adviser. She notes that in a fast-paced environment like a newsroom, collaboration is essential.

“[Students] quickly learn that all of their actions have a direct impact on others,” said Atwood. “If they fail to contribute ideas, check facts, meet deadlines and turn in assigned work, they are letting down classmates who depend on them. Getting feedback from peers is a terrific way to motivate students and reinforce the lessons they’ve learned in their writing and photography classes.”

Atwood describes the practicum as fun but challenging, and she has seen many students enroll in the course more than once. Besides training students to be well versed in the basics of journalism, working on The Blue and Grey can require knowledge from many other disciplines, embodying Hood’s interdisciplinary, liberal arts ethos.

“I once heard someone say that journalism is a great degree that plays well with others,” said Atwood. “The skills we teach in researching, analyzing data, communicating clearly and paying attention to details are transferrable to other fields. Although many of our students will go on to careers in journalism and public relations, others find this degree is a great foundation for law, business and public policy.”

Current co-editors Amrit Brown ’26 and Sofia Montoya-Deck ’26 both do a little bit of everything for The Blue and Grey. They admit the workload (and long nights) can be tough, but it is always worth the effort to see the end result. According to Montoya-Deck, finding the balance of loyalty to Hood and journalistic integrity can also be tricky.

“Sometimes there are stories we have to write that may reflect poorly on the College,” said Montoya-Deck. “Although it may be tempting to avoid negative comments, we owe it to readers to tell the truth.”

In this way, The Blue and Grey can truly act as a productive outlet for students to voice their opinions and concerns. “Investigative reporting can create change,” said Brown, “and I enjoy writing toward that goal.”

Another unique aspect of The Blue and Grey is that it continues to be regularly printed, an increasing rarity in today’s digital landscape. Montoya-Deck believes that having a print newspaper as well as a digital version boosts accessibility and visibility.

“It ensures that we’re appealing to every audience,” said Montoya-Deck. “Print newspapers can reach those who either don’t have access to online sources or simply lack a preference for them, [which] can often have a more significant effect on gaining viewership.”

Brown echoes this sentiment. “While everything is becoming digital, I think the ease of access to a printed newspaper is important. When we lay them out in the dining hall, I see students pick them up and read them, when perhaps they wouldn’t have been aware of the story if it was online.”

Hood College Broadcasting (HCB) is a fully operational video production suite of two studios. Both are furnished with anchor desks and background sets, while the more recently outfitted studio also has a green screen. The studios feature BlackMagic broadcast cameras equipped with teleprompters and talent monitors. Inside the control rooms, Video Media Production students operate lights, audio, graphics and camera feeds.

At HCB, students produce original series like “The Blazer Brief,” a recap of noteworthy Hood news, and “The Pulse,” a humorous street-style interview show featuring students, faculty and staff. HCB even livestreams on YouTube, most recently partnering with the Department of Political Science and Global Studies for live Election Day 2024 coverage.

Rachel Kucharski ’25 is a communication arts major who serves as assistant production manager for HCB and works as a teacher assistant for the Video Media Production course—the very same course that made her decide to pursue a career in media.

“One of my favorite things as a teacher assistant is watching students’ reactions to seeing the studio for the first time,” said Kucharski. “I have taken everything Professor Jacobsen has taught me throughout the years and now help other students as a teacher assistant. This can be during the editing process or explaining what it is like to be behind the anchor desk and out in the field interviewing random people and making everything look natural.”

Kucharski is also applying what she’s learned in the classroom to a year-long internship with Subaru of America. She films, edits and produces course training videos that are used by Subaru technicians. Students like Kucharski are at an advantage by bringing their studio experience to internships, which can act as a bridge to full-fledged careers.

As one of the first students to utilize Hood’s original broadcast studio, Brandon Green ’18 is no stranger to the hustle and bustle of professional media. Now based in Orlando, Florida, Green is a sports reporter for Spectrum News 13, where he hosts Spectrum Sports 360. He also writes, films and edits sports packages for the network, with a focus on covering the Orlando Magic. At Hood, Green did it all—The Blue and Grey, Blazer Radio and HCB—but an internship with WHAG-TV (DC News Now) set him toward a career in television.

“The best advice I could offer to current students is don’t give up on your dreams,” said Green. “The road will be hard, and sometimes you’ll want to give up, but don’t. Get out and do internships and use your professors as resources. My professors provided me with so many opportunities and advice. I don’t know where I would be with- out them.”

Katie Misuraca ’16 likewise leveraged her Hood education into a media career. She serves as executive producer for DC News Now, where she oversees up to four shows daily. She closely follows trends and breaking news, assigning stories to reporters each morning. From there, she creates a rundown for the day—how to start and end a show, which reporters will deliver live coverage, who will be appearing as guests and what will be the most relevant content.

Misuraca says that juggling multiple shows is sometimes daunting, but she thrives in an environment where no two days are the same. “The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the final product on the air,” said Misuraca. “You start the day with ideas and pitches. You continue the day by working with your team and ultimately sharing that with viewers.”

As a Hood student, Misuraca was editor of The Blue and Grey and hosted a news program on Blazer Radio. She believes that her time at Hood shaped the skills and insights she now applies to her career, and she hopes that current communication arts students can follow in her footsteps.

“The journey can be hard, but it takes one story, one person to make it all worth it. Take every opportunity. Always ask questions.”

The way we produce and consume media will always change with the times, but given the often divisive nature of modern news, the need for independent press is more relevant than ever. Hood’s student-run media channels, from The Blue and Grey to Blazer Radio to Hood College Broadcasting, do more than provide educational opportunities.

They give students a sense of independence and ownership over the news that matters most to them. They enrich the campus community with a diverse array of storytelling and current events. And they embody a cornerstone of democracy—and higher education—freedom of the press. With a cadre of passionate students and their faculty mentors, that freedom will remain alive and well at Hood College for years to come.