Key West High School Live Reporting Team Placed First In Nation!

L-R: Riley Schill, Morgan Denhart, Austin Svedjan and KWHS teacher Ed Smith

Last week in Orlando, three Key West High School students from the Conch 5 Studios National Team placed first in the nation in the Team Live Reporting category at the Student Television Network Convention.

Morgan Denhart, Austin Svedjan, and Riley Schill collaborated on the winning effort. All three are students in Ed Smith’s television production class. [See their winning video below]

The team which includes 20 members competed against nearly 3,000 students from high schools across the nation. Denhart, Swedjan and Schill competed with about 300 other students in the Team Live Reporting category.

Denhart, a KWHS junior who has had her sights set on becoming a professional newscaster ever since she was a small child explained how the contest was set up:  “It was a live reporting event.  We provided our own audio, video and graphics. Our assignment was to cover behind the scenes at a convention competition. We were required to find the story then write and deliver it.”

Morgan Denhart enthusiam is infectious,

“We are incredibly thankful to all those who showed such wonderful support to the Conch 5 Studios National Team. Without your support we would have never had the opportunity to even attend the event. Also a huge thank you to Mr. Smith, our truly remarkable and passionate teacher, who worked tirelessly to get us to Orlando. His endless encouragement and passion for his job is the reason we succeed, along with the support and excitement of his wife, Mrs. Smith. They are the reason the television production program exists. Thank you again for making our first place win possible! Last, but certainly not least, we would like to thank Ms. Patricia Toppino for hosting our fundraiser. Her generosity is the reason we were able to raise enough money for all team members to attend and compete.”

The opportunities created by Ed Smith’s television production class became evident in more ways than one this year:  Riley Schill was awarded a full scholarship to Florida Polytechnic University.

The team is accepting donations for their upcoming Las Vegas trip and could also use some help to fund the purchase of updated equipment. According to Denhart outdated equipment was the team’s only real disadvantage.  Donations can be mailed to the high school or made online.