Kent State’s award-winning student-run TV station, TV2 welcomed about 123 students this week auditioning for spots on News, Sports and Entertainment shows as well as tech sign ups for spring semester positions.

For many students, joining a student organization is a way to connect with peers and have fun, but the students of TV2 see it as a gateway to their careers.

“I’m learning how to film, interview, write a script, how to edit and cut my videos,” said Mariel Zambelli, a sophomore broadcast journalism major. “Now with the field changing the way it is, a lot of reporters are going to be doing that themselves, so being able to do that and then walking into a job interview, says a lot.”

Nya Coleman, a sophomore broadcast journalism major, was involved with TV2 her freshman year, but had to take a break last semester due to having another job. She auditioned this week to continue working on her skills.

“I feel like the more you do it and the more you practice, the better you get,” Coleman said. “I want to continue practicing, so that when it’s time for me to graduate, hopefully I’m going to have a few jobs lined up and be ready to take one of them.”

Freshman broadcast journalism major Christiana Ford echoed similar feelings.

“Sometimes it can be a lot of hard work, but I think it’s worth it, and it gives you a real life experience of what a job would be outside of college,” Ford said.

When students are chosen to be a part of TV2, they have the opportunity to jump right in and get experience, whether it’s on camera, behind the scenes in tech or helping to write script.

TV2 News Director, Ian Klein said that when students try out, they are put on a ratings scale from 1-to-10 —10 being the best. They try to put students where their strengths lie, he added.

“If they have a strength in reading, maybe they have a good read, but they’re not 110 percent where they need to be, we’d put them on a Flashcast. It’s a good place to start and learn and grow,” Klein said.

Being on camera isn’t for everyone, and TV2 provides the opportunity for students to work behind the scenes in tech. Leisel Kober, a sophomore digital media production major, joined TV2 to prepare herself for a career in live television production.

“I want to direct or technical direct on a live show when I graduate, and those are two of my positions in TV2 now,” Kober said. “I like the exhilaration of working on a live show, and this is preparing me for a potential job I’m going to have in the future.”

Aside from providing real world experience for its students, Klein said TV2 separates itself from other organizations in another way.

“A lot of organizations have determined who they want to be a part of their club, whether that’s Greek life, anything on campus like a Chess Club or something, not everyone is as open as they say they are,” Klein said.

He wants to make sure students feel welcome at TV2, and that people are there to help each other do better.

“It’s (TV2) open to anyone, you don’t just have to be a broadcast major…if you’re a 40-year-old undergrad who’s coming back to college, we welcome anyone,” Klein said.

Students will be notified of their positions by email Sunday night and live shows will begin Monday at 5:30 p.m.

Latisha Ellison is the CCI reporter for The Kent Stater, contact her at [email protected]