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Special Report from WMAC Broadcast News
WMAC is the student broadcast journalism arm of Bishop McNamara High School. Under the direction of Emmy Award-winning local media personality Lou Holder (who is also a two-time BMHS parent), selected students learn and practice key aspects of broadcast journalism.
Whether in front of the camera or behind the camera doing videography or still photography, students are telling the story of Bishop McNamara with weekly broadcasts and specialized features and profile segments that you can see on the school’s website!
Because this is serious and critical marketing work being done for the school and for the Mustang community, participation in the WMAC program is very selective. Only students selected by the principal, faculty, or current WMAC students can participate. To stay in the program, once selected, Mr. Holder requires three things that are key for success in the real world no matter what industry you get into.
Faithfulness - To the task(s) put before you Available - At whatever time the task needs to be done Teachable - At whatever level you find yourself, learning is a lifelong process
The goal of WMAC is to help students with "in front of the camera" & "behind the camera" skills and also get them ready for broadcast journalism opportunities in college once they leave BMHS. WMAC is also helping students with public speaking, working in groups, and the interpersonal skills needed in all aspects of life!
Alumni of the WMAC program are now doing broadcast journalism work at Delaware State, Howard University, Morgan State, Salisbury State, the University of Maryland, LSU, Xavier, Syracuse, Temple, UPenn, VCU, George Mason, St. Joseph’s, Bowie State, Cornell, Towson and Edwards College in Austin, TX.
WMAC Sound Bites
"The WMAC program has helped and guided me into a confident public speaker through the guidance of Mr. Holder. Initially, when I first joined my junior year, I believed I was a good public speaker and with that, Mr. Holder pushed me into becoming a better one wherein I am now comfortable and confident in my voice in front of any crowd. What I found most difficult, but what has helped me the most not only as a public speaker but as an efficient communicator in any setting, was learning how to speak confidently without a script. Now, in my freshman year of college at the University of Maryland, I am reaping the reward of what I have learned in WMAC in classes and most importantly, my daily life." - Nicaela Florentino ‘22
"WMAC has helped me to develop my communication and public speaking skills. I learned how to capture what I wanted to convey through a camera lens. I was able to further my skills through video editing and graphic design, which allowed me to creatively communicate my ideas. Through this program, I became more confident with speaking in front of a camera after being accustomed to working behind the scenes. I’ve been able to increase my skills and become more sure of myself, on and off the camera, while in this program. " - Jasmine Brownlee ‘21
"Being a part of the WMAC was very exciting. I enjoyed the time I had being on camera and being behind it. Being in this program helped me pursue Mass Communications because I would love to know how to work a camera and be part of a radio station. It has also helped me be more confident in front of a camera. I loved being a part of this program because it helped me speak fluently and I was able to show my personality to many people." - David Torrence Jr. ‘22 "As a college student, being an excellent communicator is one of the most important traits one can have. Being in WMAC has helped increase my confidence in my ability to communicate with others, and network with people from all over. At first, I was not a big fan of public speaking in large groups but being in WMAC pushed me outside of my comfort zone. Now, I am comfortable speaking and voicing my opinions at college events, forums, and in large lecture classes." - Alexis White ‘21
“After being a part of WMAC in high school, all the work coming from my college professors felt really easy because I had pretty much already worked in the industry they were trying to teach their classes about. Being a part of WMAC definitely put me ahead of the game as far as knowing exactly what to do in professional situations. I’m happy that I was a part of the program and I learned things that it normally takes other people years to acquire.” - Raven Quander ‘20
