The Radio and Television Production class of Cosumnes River College is back on campus this fall semester.
In the midst of recording an interview project, the students of Professor Lauren Wagner’s RTVF class masked up and socially distanced inside the studio.
Wagner expressed her excitement for being back in-person, but also highlighted the struggles that came with planning for the class before the semester started.
“Last April, when we were putting the schedule together, the world was in a different place,” she said. “Then this summer happened, and so then the vaccination levels started to even out and start dropping. So, now, it’s just been like, okay, we’re planning a big chunk of time out and just kind of crossing our fingers.”
Wagner said this experience has been unlike anything else. She said the responsibility of making the right decision in a world where we don’t know the exact answer can be jarring.
“We’re guessing today with the information we have now for something that might happen five or six months from now, hoping and hoping we guess right,” she said.
Wagner acknowledged her duty as a mentor, as well as the person her students go to for their COVID-19 concerns.
“And then, the other piece of it is that I’m not just buying opera tickets for six months from now,” Wagner said. “It’s like I have 25 people who are counting on me to make the correct decisions and are counting on the district to be making the correct decisions along the way, too.”
Wagner’s students expressed their enthusiasm for being back in-person for their RTFV class.
Elliott Sisterson, a 24-year-old film, TV, and electronic media major, said being back on campus is a great opportunity to make new connections with his peers.
“It feels really nice to be working with other students in creating together,” Sisterson said. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve had the interaction with other people and making connections through media and doing the same thing.”
Nicole Germino, a 19-year-old film and television production major, said the biggest difference between doing online classes and being on campus is the convenience of having her fellow students and equipment readily available.
“It was especially hard because I had RTVF 330 last year with Professor Wagner, and recording videos at home was a challenge,” Germino said. “So it is nice being back here and actually getting hands-on with all the equipment and the cameras. It’s nice to actually talk to people face-to-face, and the teamwork is, I would say, much better.”
JC Morias, an 18-year-old digital media major, expressed being in-person on campus is essential to the production experience.
“We can’t do live performances, really, at all online. This kind of collaboration, this kind of team effort, that comes with being in a studio, you really only get in person,” Morias said.
Wagner’s class is one of the few courses back on campus this fall. The Los Rios colleges are planning for a full return to campuses in the spring 2022 semester, which begins in January, according to the Cosumnes River College website.