A select group of radio and television and mass communication students have set out on a mission to not only gain experience in television broadcasting, but to also represent the Hispanic culture.
With a growing Hispanic presence not only at Sam Houston State University, but also in the Huntsville area, 15-20 RTV and mass communication majors get together each week to broadcast the news in Spanish.
As SHSU is the only university in the state of Texas that broadcasts a news program in Spanish, many of the students say they are proud to be apart of something so great for the community.
“This broadcast is mainly for those who speak Spanish, but at the same time, it is preparing us to become professionals in this area,” said senior RTV major, Ismael Grimaldo. “I came to this university because of the Spanish news.”
Having a passion for the Hispanic community, senior RTV major Karla Lara knew she wanted to make a difference when she decided to study radio and television.
“With the help of Dr. DeMars, I had this idea to begin a Spanish news broadcast,” Lara said. “I’ve had a passion for this for a while. I feel that some communities are unrepresented and I wanted to change that.”
As most of the RTV and mass communication majors say they feel like they get the most out of the broadcast each week, junior RTV major Lila Hollin says the newscast is allowing for more diversity.
“I liked the idea of the Spanish newscasts and I wanted to be one of the founders, so I began helping out,” Hollin said. “I think this is benefiting the university because it is allowing for diversity on campus and throughout the city of Huntsville.”
With a line-up of topics to broadcast, the students usually report on topics such as: local news, SHSU sports, national news and Hispanic related international news.
“We work with various people to report our news,” Lara said. “We cover news and events for LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), we work with Dr. Krim who does the study abroad program and we also work with a dance company here in Huntsville who does traditional Mexican folklore dancing.”
As the RTV and mass communication students strive to make the broadcast functional, the students feel like they have accomplished a lot as they bring this broadcast to life every Wednesday at 6 p.m. on Channel 7.
“I feel like we have made a pretty big impact because people have noticed us,” Lara said. “We have a lot of volunteers and we are really growing.”
With the Spanish newscast in its third year on air, Hollin and Lara have produced and anchored every broadcast. The girls are now the Spanish news directors and are abdicating their producing roles to other mass communication students who are also involved in the weekly production.
By working for the Spanish newscast, the students feel like they are able to gain experience as they work for something they enjoy.
“I think this is beneficial for the RTV students because it is helping them gain hands on experience,” Lara said. “I’ve grown up in a Spanish speaking home, so I feel led to help out with the newscast.”