Nearly a dozen high school students from across Arkansas are playing the role of students at UALR’s School of Mass Communication’s week-long summer camp.

The students are living on campus while sitting in on media classes, visiting local professional media operations, and creating their own films with screenings and their version of the Academy Awards at the end of the week. The campers were also the first to use the SMC’s new Apple computer lab providing all the latest media production software including scriptwriting software Final Draft and Final Cut Studio Pro, industry-standard film and video post-production software.

Dr. J. Mark Giese, associate professor in the School of Mass Communication and one of the organizers of the media camp, said the students will attend classes, tour the operations at Dempsey Film Group, and visit local network affiliates and independent television operations.

Jamie Byrne, director of the School of Mass Communication, said she hoped this first-year media camp will be an annual event.

“Thanks to contributions from the Arkansas Broadcasters Association; the Television Broadcasters of Arkansas; John Thompson, former publisher of the North Little Rock Times; and the University, we were able to provide full scholarships for the 11 campers for the week-long experience,” Byrne said.

Campers, their hometowns, and schools are:

• Lucas Houpt of Heber Springs, Rose Bud High School.
• Garrett Whitley of Glenwood, Centerpoint High School.
• Alex Leslie of Conway, Conway High School.
• Alex Satanov of Conway, Conway High School West.
• Destinie Shelton of Brinkley, Brinkley High School.
• Kayla Burns of Bull Shoals, Flippin High School.
• Abigail Marshall of Searcy, Searcy High School.
• Rachael Salvagni of Searcy, Searcy High School.
• Karlie Shaw of Romance, Rose Bud High School.
• Alex Ragsdale of Wynne, Wynne High School.
• Alexis McCalman of Greenbriar, Greenbriar High School.