5 minute read
Good Day Foxcroft
Heidi Dodd ’23 works the “Good Day Foxcroft” anchor desk, while Chelsie Ekhelar ’22 on the left and Chessa Benevento ’21 on the right have a little fun ‘behind the scenes’ during production.
A Conversation with
the Cast and Crew
By Christine McCrehin, Advancement Communications/Engagement Coordinator
Out of a desire to meet people, learn a little something new, and have a whole lot of fun, a group of students started a video show and began to tell the stories of our community.
Part “Good Morning America” and part nightly news, “Good Day Foxcroft” has quickly become a bright spot for the entire Foxcroft community. From interviews with students and faculty about their favorite parts of campus life to national news, global events, and viewer’s favorite cooking and pet segments, “Good Day Foxcroft” is as informative as it is fun.
For Marlow Buckner ’22, the creator and driving force behind “Good Day Foxcroft,” the club and video show are a way to create community by giving everyone a voice. She explains, “In elementary and middle school, we always had a TV show that I loved to be a part of and it was like a family to me. It gave everyone a voice in the community and I just really appreciated that and thought that the Foxcroft community would appreciate and enjoy something like this.” Each episode is written, filmed, and edited by Marlow and fellow club members Chessa Benevento ’21, Jennifer Cramer ’21, Alexa Cuozzo ’23, Heidi Dodd ’23, Chelsie Ekhelar ’22, Avery Hazard ’23, Cameron Hazard ’23, Elikem Kalitsi ’21, Berkley Mistr ’23, Remy Patterson ’22, Georgia Regas ’22, Ella Siebentritt-Clark ’22, and Helen Ventikos ’23. Club Advisor is Ginny Riley, Video Production Teacher.
I recently had a virtual sit down with Marlow (MB), Heidi (HD), Georgia (GR), Remy (RP), and Ms. Riley (MR) to talk about the show. Following is our conversation, edited for space.
MANY IN THE FOXCROFT COMMUNITY FEEL THAT “GOOD DAY FOXCROFT” IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF USING YOUR VOICE FOR GOOD. WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
HD: I think it's been a bright spot for our community and it's been fun for us to bring a bit of joy. And I think the further we go into this, the more it will reflect the voice of not only us and what we want to see, but of everyone at the School because the more people watch it and have ideas, the more we can bring that in and implement it. I also think something that's interesting is the outreach we've gotten from alumnae; they've really liked it and reached out to us. My aunt went here and she texted me about it and was like “This is cool.” So I think it's been an interesting connection for some of the alumnae to see our voice and our community reflected in this.
GR: When I first started doing this I never realized how much of a voice we gave to our community. I really just saw us as a group coming together and having fun, sharing the joy that we have putting these together and putting it out in the community. But really, it's just been an amazing thing. I didn't know how much it reached people. But seeing that is just awesome.
MB: I also feel that it’s created leadership skills for everyone, which is really good because you can use those anytime in your life. It has really
stretched me in a way to be out there and speak more and share my opinions. I think it did that for others in the club too, which I'm really grateful for.
BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD SUCH A GREAT RESPONSE
DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE
MORE OF A RESPONSIBILITY WHEN CREATING THE EPISODES?
GR: You know, I never realized it until you came to us to set up this meeting, this sense of “Wow, this is like an actual big thing.” Marlow asked me to be the anchor for our upcoming segment and now I actually have to do a good job. So, yeah, it definitely gives you a sort of weight — a responsibility. But it's not a bad feeling. It's good; you want to make this the best it can be.
HD: I totally agree with that. I think there is a weight, but I think that weight kind of compels you. It's more of a recognition of the impact that we could have. We kind of have this power right now to be something really great.
WHAT HAS SURPRISED EACH OF YOU THE MOST ABOUT WORKING ON “GOOD DAY FOXCROFT”?
HD: I was surprised at how well it turned out and the positive feedback. I would walk into class and my teachers would say “that was really cool” and it was fun to hear that. The community seems to be responding pretty well to it and they have ideas. They ask “Hey, can you do this?” and we're like “Sure.” RP: I definitely agree with Heidi. I did not expect to get that much of a good response from the community. My mom even texted me to say “this is really cool.” It is such a great feeling to get all that positive response. Also seeing the episodes get better and better as we've been progressing.
GR: Seeing how much effort we all put into this and seeing it come out and getting good feedback, just makes me feel so good inside about myself. And I think that's really helped my selfconfidence, knowing that I can put this effort in and I'm going to get this out.
MB: I'm really proud of everyone. They put in a lot of effort and work of their own free will and their own free time. And it's nice because the product is so nice; you can see your own work go out into the community. And then just having a response from teachers and students, I believe that plays a big part in how we all feel about the show. MR: I think it's really easy to see the hard work and dedication that the girls are putting into it. The difference between the first show and their last show is fun to see. The girls really hit a stride of recognizing where they want to work, who works best where, and just how it all melds together. That's a tough thing to learn and recognize about yourself. And they've done it very quickly. That hard work is definitely paying off and showing.
Created out of a sense of wanting to do something good for — and with — their community, these girls have put together something that embodies not only the mission and values of Foxcroft but also the heart. •
Ms. Riley's Video Production class offers additional opportunities for the girls to gain hands-on production experience. Here (l-r) Marlow Buckner ’22, Heidi Dodd ’23, and Alexa Cuozzo ’23 hone their skills during a Video Production short film shoot.
