Students earn college credit through MCC

Sixteen students in Rick Gage's Television and Radio Broadcasting class at the BOCES 2 WE-MO-CO Career and Technical Education Center will earn six credits through Monroe Community College at the completion of their two-year program in the TV and Radio Broadcasting class. The students must pass a comprehensive statewide exam to earn the dual college credits, three in radio production and three in television production.

"The Television and Radio Broadcasting program at BOCES 2 is the only partner we have in this course sequence," said Barry Goldfarb, MCC Director of Visual and Performing Arts. Over the years Goldfarb noticed that Gage's students were leaders in their classes at MCC. "They were like cream raising to the top," he said of the Gage's students' skill level.

"Students must keep learning new technology in this field such as digital editing but they always need to know the basics, have strong technical knowledge, excellent camera and writing skills and outstanding people skills to be successful in the radio and television industry," said Gage. This semester Gage has an additional pair of capable hands in his classroom belonging to former student Rob Linton who has returned to BOCES 2 to student teach. Linton has a degree in communications from St. John Fisher College and is currently working on his master's in vocational education at SUNY Oswego.

Gage has been teaching the TV and Radio Broadcasting class for thirty-two years at BOCES 2 and is part of a team which designs the statewide proficiency exam for Radio and TV Production students.