Central’s OC Broadcasting club will partner with the University of Nebraska at Omaha for its spring sports showcase.
The spring sports showcase is a live broadcast of coach interviews going into detail about what to expect from the teams. It’s also an opportunity to highlight and give exposure to athletic teams and coaches. The showcase is set to take place on Feb. 19, 2024, at UNO’s C-Fam College of Communications and Fine Arts and Media building from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
OC Broadcasting club sponsor Ben Boeckman emphasized the importance of highlighting less showcased sports. “When you think of our main, in-your-face sports you think of football, basketball, wrestling. But what about tennis? What about girls’ soccer? It’s giving exposure to everybody and giving them their opportunity to be focused on,” he said.
The showcase partnership between Central and UNO was already established since UNO is a sponsor for Central’s pathway program. UNO’s Studio Coordinator for Television Lyle Kwiatkowski said the initial reach out for the partnership came from Boeckman. “He proposed the idea to us, and we were excited to help support an OPS school enhance their television productions,” he said.
Kwiatkowski said that this opportunity will allow UNO students to experience what it’s like working for a television studio and encourage them to pursue a degree in communications and video production/multimedia. He said it would also help current undergraduate students educate the next generation on good “first impressions” in the industry.
Boeckman said the opportunity will allow his broadcasting students to get experience working in a college environment and collegiate setting, especially if they want to go into the broadcasting career field in college. They will get to work with professional equipment, in a studio, and get the grasp of the overall program.
Boeckman even said that some of the former broadcasting students have gone onto broadcasting in college. A former editor-in-chief of the Register attended the College of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNL. Another student went to a small arts college, running their sports broadcast. “It’s giving them a taste of what they can do, seeing this as a career opportunity for those kids…just kind of opens those doors for them to be aware of this opportunity,” he said.
Boeckman said that he wants to see how the first partnership goes with UNO before partnering again in the future. He said that giving the students the opportunity to work with UNO is creating a connection. “It’s us working together, of if you ever need a student to stand in for something, they have a program that needs another camera person, we could have students who could come up with those things,” he said.
Kwiatkowski was on the same page, saying that the priority was to make sure this project goes well first. “We will discuss future opportunities with Omaha Central and other schools in the metro area,” he said.
Boeckman expressed his gratitude towards the Central High Foundation, which sponsors the club. The foundation provides their cameras, mics, computers, and other equipment. “They continue to support us to grow this thing. So really, it’s we couldn’t do this without their support and their help,” he said.
