The Media Center has long been a place where one can check out books, use the computers, and talk with your friends. In addition, it has also been an environment that encourages students to try new and creative things they wouldn’t try elsewhere, whether that be for a class, or for their own personal growth and enjoyment. The newest addition to the wide variety of opportunities available in the media center is Studio, possibly the room filled with the most possibilities in the entire school.
“I gave this space to the students to do new, innovative, creative stuff,” explained Mr. Richards, Ponte Vedra High School Media Specialist, on why he transformed his office into something everyone could use. Studio is a room in the PVHS Media Center that’s meant to facilitate the school’s student population in their creative and scholarly endeavors. The soundproof room is perfect for doing group projects with your friends in a quiet environment at school, without the burden of having to find one or setting up a time and place that works for everyone outside of school.
“You can record podcasts, you can record video[s],” continued Mr. Richards, since Studio is decked out with an iMac filled with all types of editing software, a greenscreen, lighting, a studio-quality microphone, and will soon have mobile padcasters that transform your phone into a camera. Students have already recorded musical arrangements in the room, and even used its VR system to compose digital works of art and explore new places virtually. If you have to make a project for a class, you can try making “something creative… that goes above and beyond” what your teachers are expecting you to accomplish, but with less difficulty than if you tried doing the same thing at home or elsewhere at school. You can even reserve the room to make sure you have access to it when you want it by simply filling out an online form on the PVHS website and showing up at the chosen time.
Studio “bring[s] in modern tech” so that PVHS students can do “cool, creative stuff” like recording podcasts or music, using VR to create otherwise impossible experiences, filming studio-grade films, or even just working diligently on a project with your friends, all within the comfort and convenience of your own school. There are countless possibilities for what can be done in Studio, and it’s a great opportunity to try new things that you wouldn’t try elsewhere. So give it a visit, and see where your mind takes you.
