Representatives from the Academy of International Business and Communications at Hillsboro High School accept a $1,000 check from MTSU for winning “Best in Show” at the April 21 Academies of Nashville Video Awards. From left are Hillsboro High Executive Principal Terry Shrader; Doug Williams of MTSU’s Office of Marketing and Communications; Billy Pittard, chair of MTSU’s Department of Electronic Media Communication; Dr. James Bailey, principal of Hillsboro’s Academy of International Business and Communications; and IBC team members. (MTSU photos by Andy Heidt)

NASHVILLE—The Academy of International Business and Communications at Hillsboro High School received “Best in Show” honors, as well as four other top awards, on April 21 in a Metro Nashville Public Schools video-awards competition sponsored by MTSU.

Students from Metro Schools and MTSU directed, produced and performed in the inaugural “Academies of Nashville Video Awards” show before a capacity crowd at the Belcourt Theatre.

The districtwide video competition was created to tell the stories of the 40 different Academies of Nashville offerings in Metro’s 12 zoned high schools.

“This awards show gave our students a hands-on learning experience, a platform to share how their Academy of Nashville experiences are preparing them for college and careers—and a chance to knock the socks off the audience,” said Metro Schools Director Jesse Register. “Our students are talented!”

Student teams received “statuettes” for their winning video entries in 14 categories, including Best in Show. Metro high-school students completely produced each video, and MTSU College of Mass Communication students mentored several teams.

Jay Steele, associate superintendent of high schools for Metro Nashville Public Schools, welcomes the audience to The Academies of Nashville Video Awards as MTSU student host Megan Brantley, center, and Gerald Harris of Metro’s Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School look on. The show, sponsored and produced by MTSU, was taped on April 21 at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville.

Hillsboro’s IBC academy also won the “Best Business, Marketing and IT Video” and “Best Presentation (Creativity)” categories and tied for first place for “Best Script” and “Best Content.”

The Academy of Design and Technology at Hunters Lane took home three awards, winning the “Best Arts, Media and Communications Video” and “Best Video Personality” and tying with Hillsboro for “Best Script.”

Nine other academies earned first-place honors for their videos, including the:

• Academy of Aviation and Transportation at McGavock, “Best Engineering, Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Video” and “Best Hands-on Learning”;
• Academy of Global Health and Science at Hillsboro, “Best Health Video”;
• U.S. Community Credit Union Academy of Business and Finance and the Gaylord Entertainment Academy of Hospitality at McGavock, “Best Hospitality and Tourism Video”;
• Academy of Health Science and Law at McGavock and the Academy of International Baccalaureate at Hunters Lane, a tie for “Best Human and Public Services Video”;
• Freshman Academy at McGavock, “Best Freshman Academy Video”;
• CMT Academy of Digital Design and Communications at McGavock, “Best Content” (tie with Hillsboro IBC); and
• McGavock Academy of Health Science and Law, “Community Favorite.”

The unique partnership between Metro Schools and MTSU began in fall 2011, when the University agreed to be the title sponsor for the show.

MTSU student Jordan Hall, left, and McGavock High School student Kristen Bowman present an awards during The Academies of Nashville Video Awards.

“We are pleased to partner with Metro Schools because we see the great things happening in their schools and the caliber of students they are sending to college,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee.

“What makes this project so perfect is that it unites their talented students with our exceptional students from the Department of Electronic Media Communication.”

Alex Gibson, a junior EMC major at MTSU, produced the show with the help of almost 30 of his fellow MTSU students and a handful of Metro students.

The entire student-run production used MTSU’s $1.4 million Mobile Production Lab, which has been used for events ranging from Music Row’s “Capitol Street Party” to ESPN coverage of Blue Raider athletic contests.

The hourlong MNPS video awards production will be aired on tape delay on Nashville’s NECAT, Channel 10.

Though the awards show was totally produced by students, two adult mentors played a major role in the production.

Chelsea Parker, program manager for small learning communities for Metro Schools, and Bob Gordon, an EMC assistant professor at MTSU, both made sure the partnership got off the ground. Billy Pittard, EMC department chair, also was instrumental in providing the resources for the production of the event.

Gordon also served as executive producer for the show.

In addition to Gibson, the MTSU student crew included: Matt Binford, director; Haley Burnett, assistant director; Megan Brantley, graphics producer; Clay Tipton, graphics editor; James Stevens, graphics designer; Mika Gray and Katie Myers, scriptwriters; Josh Lockhart, technical director; Michelle Potts, stage manager; Jackson Miller, assistant stage manager; Josh Moore and T.J. Black, tape operators; Kourtney Hannah, graphics operator; Andrew Huether, audio engineer; Marc Parrish, chief engineer; Mike Forbes, video engineer; camera operators Witt Hullander, Colton Carroll, Zach Eagles and Patrick Wilson; Jonathan Prichard and Topher Davison, grips; Thomas Robinson, production assistant; Mary Craighead and Beth Gibson, hair and make-up; Steven Hays, booth PA; Cortney Frierson, live announcer; Mel Milligan and Amanda Gary, trophy presenters; and MTSU hosts Megan Brantley, Tyann Nelson, Jordan Hall and Devin Fletcher.

Metro high-school student hosts were Gerald Harris, Chelsea Byrd, Kathy Fellman and Kristen Bowman.

– Doug Williams (Doug.Williams@mtsu.edu)