Celina High School Media Arts Students Showcase Creativity on Spectrum

Four Celina High School sophomores recently joined Kevin Sandler on Spectrum to talk about the school’s Media Arts class, the projects they create, and the skills they are building along the way.

Students Maheligh Elking, Mahleigh Craig, Brenner Hinkle, and Quinton Staugler said the class is open to all high school grade levels and centers around producing the school’s weekly news show, Bulldog Beat.

Mahleigh Craig explained that the main goal of the class is getting the weekly show ready for students and staff. She said each group is assigned a segment, but students also have plenty of room to be creative in deciding what they want to produce.

The show includes a variety of features, including school sports updates through a segment called Bleacher Feature, announcements about upcoming events, and special themed videos tied to holidays like Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter. Students also said they sometimes create advertisements for local businesses, including past projects for The Boathouse and Lighthouse Candle Studio.

The students said the class has become a strong outlet for creativity and self expression.

Maheligh Elking said she was drawn to the class because she enjoys being creative and liked having the opportunity to work more closely with teacher Alicia Ball. Craig said she joined after deciding another elective was not the right fit and quickly found Media Arts to be a fun and meaningful way to express herself. Hinkle said he was interested after seeing the videos as a freshman and wanting to experience the creative freedom for himself. Staugler said Ball encouraged him to take the class after recognizing his creativity.

The group gave plenty of credit to Ball, describing her as both a strong teacher and an important mentor. In addition to helping students improve their media production skills, they said she also helps guide them in life outside the classroom.

Students said one of the biggest things they have learned in Media Arts is editing. They also pointed to improved public speaking, greater comfort on camera, and better teamwork as major takeaways from the class.

Craig said the class helped her learn how to use editing apps more effectively and improved her ability to film with better framing. She also said the experience made her more comfortable speaking in public and being on camera. Others agreed that editing and learning to speak naturally on camera were among the biggest skills they have developed.

The students said one thing that may surprise people is that most of the editing for Bulldog Beat is done on phones using CapCut. Craig said that even during a media arts program at Ball State, others were surprised to hear their class was producing so much of its work on mobile devices.

Even with the fun atmosphere, students said media production can still be challenging. They explained that editing takes time and thought, especially when deciding how to structure a video, what to cut, and how to create something that appeals to a wide audience of students and teachers. Coming up with fresh ideas each week can also be difficult.

Beyond the weekly show, the class has handled side projects as they come up. Students mentioned creating promotional work for local businesses, taking a field trip to The Daily Standard, and helping with school related communication projects, including a printed information sheet posted in bathroom stalls with fun facts, questions, and updates.

The conversation also touched on future plans.

Elking said she hopes to attend college in Dayton and pursue pediatric nursing, with travel nursing as part of her long term goal. Craig said she is considering becoming a school psychologist or going into marketing, with both options appealing to her for different reasons. Hinkle said he plans to enter the engineering program at Tri Star and continue studying engineering after high school. Staugler said he is still figuring things out and taking life one step at a time.

All four students said they would recommend the class to others.

They said Media Arts helps students build relationships, work with people they might not otherwise get to know, and enjoy a class period that feels creative and rewarding in the middle of a busy school day. They also noted that students who complete their work and meet expectations can do very well in the class.

During the interview, the group also helped promote the upcoming Harlem Wizards event connected to Celina City Schools. They said 10 more volunteers are still needed, with help requested in areas like concessions, souvenirs, and photo opportunities. Tickets are available through the Celina City Schools Facebook page and the Harlem Wizards website.

The students said they are looking forward to the event and grateful for the chance to talk about a class that has become an important part of their high school experience.