Help save Portsmouth [New Hampshire] High School’s TV Media Program!
I received a Tweet yesterday and follow-up email from rising high school junior Jordan Schopick:
My name is Jordan Schopick and I’ve been following your blog for about a year now.
I’m from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We have recently been given the news by the school board, that our film program will be discontinued to make room for a “hospitality” class. Our class puts on a weekly show that is broadcast to the entire school via television in each classroom. It covers school events, what is for lunch, sports, weather, and my addition to the show — the special report.
We have an intro class that is 1 quarter long, then a year round class that is for the students (like myself) who plan to continue on in film in college and as a career.
Our fantastic teacher Mr. Bill Rogers, will lose his job and the access to resources and knowledge for filmmaking will be taken away from the students of PHS.
I requested more information and Jordan provided me with this:
All of the classes were filled completely for next year’s scheduled media courses. Over 100 kids in a school of about 1000–1200. I believe the program has been around for at least 20–30 years. I will be a junior this upcoming school year. Mr. Rogers has been teaching for the last year.
Please do what I did at Jordan’s request and sign this petition. Currently they have 145 signatures out of the 250 they are hoping to get.
Let’s rock out this petition drive, people! I’ve got nothing against “hospitality” classes, but the world needs stories and storytellers. We are talking 100 young people! Who knows which of them could be changed forever by being involved in this program.
And if that doesn’t convince you to act, consider the initiative of this rising junior Jordan Schopick. Think back when you were a junior in high school. Did you have this drive, vision and passion for movies and TV? In fact, I asked Jordan to list his top 5 movies. Here they are:
1. Saving Private Ryan
2. The Departed
3. The Godfather
4. Rear Window
5. Fargo
That is a strong list. So again, you can go here to sign a petition which Jordan and his schoolmates will present to Portsmouth School Board to rescind their recent decision to shut down Portsmouth High Schools TV Media Program.
Let’s show these young people the power of creative juju!
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