Multimedia broadcast
Sometimes, a story is not fairly represented when placed on a newspaper page. While most of my work on The ReMarker has been in the print world, I understand the necessity of telling stories through alternate forms of media. Whether it is through taking videos to supplement stories covered in The ReMarker or through creating podcast episodes that allow stories to be shared orally, working with multimedia has shown me the impact these types of stories can have.
Supplementing the written story
Because The ReMarker and the Focus magazine supplement are print publications, the stories we share are printed articles and visuals. However, I have found that some stories are not complete without a video supplement to capture the essence of the story.
The Dallas Against White-Supremacy rally Aug. 19, 2017 was held at the site of a confederate war memorial. Early in the day, two Dallas citizens argued why they thought the memorial should or should not be removed. Our November 2017 issue contained a Focus magazine edition focused on social activism. While we covered this rally in the magazine, this footage was used to help portray the emotions and the discussions at the rally.
At the same Dallas Against White-Supremacy rally, police officers played a role in making sure protesters did not go near the statue. This only angered people even more, and protesters began starting chants and getting into fights. Because of the proximity to the violence, police officers brought out riot shields and created a human barricade in between the protesters and the statue. This footage was also used to supplement Focus magazine's edition on social activism.
Riley Cole '17 spent their high school years as something they were not. At an all-boys school, they didn't exactly fit in. As they finished out their high school career and graduated, however, Cole finally told the world they're gender neutral. In this interview, they discuss what it means to be gender neutral and what their experience has been like. We used this to supplement a Focus magazine about gender identity.
The ReMarker's cover story in February focused on why so many alumni from St. Mark's chose to go into the private sector rather than into public service. A portion of the story featured alumni who did chose to go into the Military, and we spoke with head wrestling coach Reyno Arredondo '87, who spent almost three decades in the U.S. Army. We didn't have enough space to fit his entire story on the page, so I created this video supplement for those who were interested in hearing more about Arrendondo's service.
FOCAL POINT podcast
Focal Point is the official ReMarker podcast supplement. Adding an audio experience for our readers, the goal of Focal Point is to create another opportunity to share stories that we wouldn't otherwise get to tell in print editions of The ReMarker.
I record and edit all podcast material through the online music studio Soundtrap, which allows me to edit the audio recordings and add intro and closing music so I can create an enjoyable experience for our listeners. We then post the podcast episodes to Focal Point's SoundCloud page, which you can access by clicking here.
Recently, I was inspired by an episode of NPR's The Texas Standard where they shared stories of teachers who learned valuable lessons from their students. Wanting to localize that idea in my own community, I began talking with different faculty members to see if they had similar experiences in their teaching careers. The responses I got were overwhelming. Everyone I spoke to either had an engaging story of an experience with a student or a meaningful takeaway from their time spent in education. Thus, the "What my students taught me" mini series of the Focal Point podcast was born.
In episode one of "What my students taught me," Kamal Mamdani and CJ Crawford sit down with Suzanne and Patrick McGee Family Master Teaching Chair in Mathematics J.T. Sutcliffe as she discusses two students who have helped her shape the way she teaches.
In episode two of "What my students taught me," Kamal Mamdani talks with middle school humanities instructor Rebecca Jenkins about what it's like teaching pre-teen boys. She shares how her students have helped shape her 33-year long teaching career.
In episode three of "What my students taught me," Nancy & Jeffrey Marcus Master Teaching Chair Bruce Westrate shares the remarkable story of a set of twin students he had who defied all odds.
In episode four of "What my students taught me," Malcolm and Minda Brachman Master Teaching Chair Martin Stegemoeller discusses the value of thriving and friendship in an educational setting with Kamal Mamdani and CJ Crawford.