A Night To Remember

By: Ryan Gehm

The Technical Entertainment Crew’s Team Building Night has definitely been my favorite night of my freshman year. Compared to nights out with my friends, working football games, or going to band performances, Team Building Night surpassed these by far. The night included an amazing dinner, a raffle (which I won), skits put on by all the TEC members, countless games, and several hours of free time to spend with friends.

    At first, I was uncertain whether I wanted to go to the event or not. I was afraid that I wouldn't have anyone to hang out with all night since I was a freshman and completely new to everyone. However, one of my old elementary school friends, who is now a junior, convinced me to go. 

    When I got to Team Building Night, I joined my friend, and everyone ate dinner. Afterwards, we got placed into different groups. I was assigned to a group of people I didn't know. We were designated a leader who took us into the lobby to start our first challenge: step on numerous numbered plastic pads, all in order from one to thirty five. The most difficult restriction was that the team could only have one person in the area of tiles at a time, and we couldn't step on the numbers out of order. We also had to complete the task in less than a minute. Our team first thought it would be an easy challenge, and jumped straight into the activity. Our final time on finishing the challenge was 2:51, along with many penalties for having too many people in the ring at one time. Although we didn't do very well with this method, we thought we could improve, so our instructor let us have another try. This time, our team planned out our strategy beforehand. Our second time doing it felt like clockwork: it was smooth, fun, and we got an amazing time of 1:07. 

    From the dot exercise, our instructor helped us realize that good work requires communication and planning. For our next three exercises, we excelled under the time limit and had a lot fun doing the activity as well.

    After the challenge part of the night, our team leader let us go. We got to go play video games, hang out in the gym, and if we really wanted to, sleep. I was a little freshman, and I didn't know what to do, so I went into the gym and started shooting the basketball by myself. While I was in there, somebody that I didn't know came over and asked me if I wanted to come play ultimate Frisbee with him and a few other people. Even though I expected to be alone most of the night, I said yes, and I followed him to the other side of the gym. 

    Together, 7 other kids and I played, laughing and becoming friends. My new friends and I finished the night off by playing a new game that I learned, called “Apples to Apples”. When the night came to an end, I couldn't have been happier with my decision to come to Team Building Night. 

Producing the 11th Annual Nutcracker Spectacular

By: Kyle Hoover

This past December, the Westlake Technical Entertainment Crew and Lexus of Austin joined together once again to put on the 11th Annual Nutcracker Spectacular at the Westlake Community Performing Arts Center. The Nutcracker features dancers from Alisa's Dance Academy and musicians from Westlake's Symphonic Orchestra and is complemented by visual effects and scenery created by Westlake TEC members.

The Nutcracker Spectacular differs from the traditional ballet in that it features slightly different scenes, several pieces of new scenery such as our gingerbread house, shorter acts, and a rock concert with Christmas classics at the end of Act II. But these differences make our version of the Nutcracker unique and give the entire cast and crew room to create our own special touches.

All throughout the fall, the TEC officers work hard to handle many aspects of the show, such as finding sponsors and planning out schedules and crew lists. Almost every day from the beginning of November through December, each technical theatre class works hard to refurbish scenery, such as the candy wagons and large gumdrops, and make sure the stage is ready for opening night. That's what makes Nutcracker so fun for the whole crew — it's entirely our own show.

Alongside TEC, Westlake's Symphonic Orchestra spends almost the entire fall semester learning and drilling the ENTIRE ballet, which encompasses almost 20 pieces of music. Nutcracker's music is extremely difficult, and it really shows how amazing Westlake musicians are. I am a member of the Westlake Symphonic Orchestra and getting the opportunity to play such beautiful music in a large scale production is truly amazing.

As you can probably tell, Nutcracker is a demanding show, and it requires a high level of professionalism and concentration to pull it off perfectly night after night. This year, the Television Broadcast Crew, which is composed of a group of Westlake TEC members, was still filming and broadcasting the Westlake Chaparral Football games during show week. Normally Video Crew ends in mid November, but it didn't this year due to advancing all the way to the state championship. This presented a major conflict with Nutcracker, and the entire organization had to come together to pull off both a professional football broadcast and a perfect Nutcracker show simultaneously. Past TEC alumni came in to fill spots on the Broadcast Crew due to the fact that many members stayed for Nutcracker. When combining the alumni and video crew members who produced the broadcast, the crew was only 1/2 to 2/3 of its normal size. Still, both events went off without a hitch, a feat which really shows the community how professional and dedicated the TEC organization is.

Nutcracker Spectacular truly is a special show, and a huge community tradition. With five shows, over 5,000 patrons, and countless hours of rehearsals and builds, Nutcracker Spectacular once again wowed audiences and showed off the best Westlake TEC has to offer. 

More amazing Nutcracker photos here

Television Broadcast Crew: Director's Note

By: Conner Beasley, Director of Westlake Television Broadcast Crew

A portion of the students in the Westlake Technical Entertainment Crew takes on the challenge every year to broadcast Westlake High School’s varsity football games live to tape on Time Warner Cable. This year there were 25 members of the team, starting off the year two weeks before school began. During the summer training, each member learned a specialized position: camera operator, replay operator, graphics operator, director, or one of many other specific jobs. The season started early with one of the biggest games of the year against Southlake Carroll.

The team grew together as the season progressed, each person becoming an expert at their job. Over the course of the football season, the group became more and more efficient at the set-up and take-down for each away game, eventually taking only a fraction of the original time by the end of the season. It is amazing to see new members go from not knowing the names of the tools they are using to being experts on them. By the last game, the team worked together like a well-oiled machine. The 2014 season was left off with a rocky relationship with the head coach of the football team. We were stumbling, trying to deal with the new policies that he had put in place regulating the usage of the cameras. The team went into this year with the goal of turning this relationship around. I am happy to say that now, at the end of the season, the crew has a very positive relationship with the coach, unlike the previous year. The coach has even advocated for the organization in pep rallies and on television. Changing this relationship was one of the largest accomplishments of the year.

This season was also a success for the football team, which meant that the broadcast crew got to continue filming the games on into the holidays. With this came some struggles, which the team had a blast working through. First off, the weather this time of year is cold and wet. When dealing with hundreds of thousands of dollars of broadcast equipment, this turned into a challenge. The team has successfully managed to produce an excellent product, despite having to keep everything dry in the inclement weather. Another challenge that comes with the games proceeding late into the year is a conflict with another event that we put on, the Nutcracker Spectacular. This year, there will be a rehearsal and show that conflicts with sixteen of the members on the broadcast crew. In dealing with this, the team decided to slim down the numbers on both events. There is even a handful of video crew alumni that are coming out to help work through this.

Every year the team submits their product into three different UIL competitions: video editing, video directing, and photography. The crew has a very good record of winning awards in each of these events every year. One of this year's biggest goals the team is aspiring to is winning first place in all three of these categories. With the end of the football season, Students have begun editing the video footage to submit to UIL. The team will get the results back in the spring semester. Overall, the season has been a major success as far as the product produced and the fun times the crew has had. The group loved getting to broadcast the games all the way through playoffs and into the cold weather. It was enjoyable seeing the reputation with the coaching staff evolve throughout the year and seeing the outstanding product a group of high school students can produce.

Television Broadcast Crew

By: Andrew Bertin and Kyle Hoover

Every year, a group of around two dozen Westlake TEC students meets each summer approximately three weeks before the beginning of school. Their goal: attain a level of professionalism and expertise unknown to all but the professionals of Westlake TEC. These weeks are known as Video Crew Training. Have you heard of the Navy Seal Training Program? Basically the same thing.

The backbone of the Crew is based in Camera Operators. They are the substance of the broadcast. Without them there would be no video, which means no broadcast. During training, they learn how to handle their camera, getting used to its weight and balance the more time they spend with it. They understand how the camera responds and works, using them to create UIL winning images.
As important as the cameras themselves are the directors. These fearless leaders encourage the camera operators to search tirelessly for the best camera angles. They decide which of their cameras has the best shot at any given time, and the technical director puts that shot on the broadcast for the entire state to see. During training, these select individuals work to understand which shots are of a quality that is acceptable, and in which order to select those shots. Of course, under the directors, there is a veritable army of other students. A hardworking group who make magic with the camera shots, whether it be making sure nothing is too dark, or grabbing good plays and slowing them down for our world class replays. Engineering makes sure all the cameras look just right, the replay department work extremely fast to select parts of a play, choose a great camera angle, slow it down and put it in the broadcast. We also can't forget about the highlights, as the operator edits an impressive video under the pressure of the ticking game clock. Technical directors work under the director calling plays, while listening to the sounds of the game and the radio announcers' commentary. They cut cameras and fire replays non stop, doing their best to keep up with the fast paced game. Finally, we have audio. What heroes they are. It boggles the mind as to how these guys can create a perfect mix of the band, the crowd cheering, the refs talking, and even the sound of the helmets smacking into one another. During training, the heads of each of the various crews makes sure to spend every available moment making each new member feel confident about their work and the fact that they are an important member of the team. That's what's so great about summer training. The bonds that forms between mentors and new members give each of them the confidence to work as a cohesive unit during the broadcast, as well as friendships that last a lifetime.

The Few. The Proud. Football Video Crew.

Leadership Retreat

By: Audrey Bertin

Every summer the TEC leadership team gets together to spend four days at the Moriah Lake House planning the upcoming year. The purpose of this trip is to build unity among the officers, prepare for the challenges of the upcoming year and beyond, and to ensure that the year will be the best one yet for Westlake TEC. We sit around a big table and have six meetings lasting around three hours each on the Mission Statement and the year's goals, how to be good leaders, fundraising for the organization, all aspects of video, how we can build and develop the organization, as well as any other topics brought up by the officers.

Every day during the retreat, we follow a similar schedule. Wake up early to start cooking the traditional breakfast of custom pancakes, bacon, and fruit, have the first meeting of the day, make sandwiches for lunch and take a foosball break, have the second meeting (and sometimes a third), cook dinner on the grill, then spend the rest of the evening either playing cards, doing a team-building activity, or watching a movie that relates in some way to the mission statement – for example, this year we watched Apollo 13. The sheer amount of time the meetings take might seem intimidating, but, when balanced with the rest of the retreat, it's not bad at all. We get to spend a few days at the end of the summer relaxing with our friends and feeling great after discussing the new year. To give an example of some fun experiences we've had, last year we all went swimming in the lake by the house and ended up getting our shoes washed downstream when they opened the dam. We had to spend half an hour tracking them down, and when one person realized that his were lost forever, we carried him up the hill so he wouldn't step on any burrs. What a fun time that was (I'm actually being serious, we laugh about it to this day).

While you might be thinking about it as just a time to hang out and talk about things, you might not realize how many great and innovative ideas actually come out of there. When all of us get together and talk about problems and solutions, a lot can change. It's the place where the Mission Statement originated, and it's also the place where – based on our actions – we decide just how good or bad the year is going to be. However, there's no need to worry, as this year's Leadership Team is super excited and ready to make this year as amazing as it can be. Just to give you all a sneak peek, we're working on a lot of super cool technical improvements for video crew, an easier way to get everyone calendar and uniform information, a revamped Battle of the Bands, a possible super awesome secret trip for next year (after NYC), and a bunch of other small changes to give you all the best experience we can! More details about our plans will be revealed once the school year has started, so stay tuned!

We're very excited about all of the new ideas we talked about and we hope that you are as well. Let's all work together to make this the best year yet, because I KNOW that we can. 

Stage Managing Zenith

By: Jacob Rogers

If you were to ask me about my favorite production, my answer would undoubtedly be Zenith. This was my fourth and final year to work the show, but I will carry the memories with me forever. I can still vividly recall running the light board for Zenith as a freshmen. It was my first production in the Performing Arts Center and I attribute most of my interest in TEC to my experiences from that show. The knowledge I gained and relationships I built during that week of rehearsal were all it took to convince me I was in the right place. I remember being in total awe of the stage manager during my freshmen year, and I loved the relationship between TEC and Hyline throughout the production.

Ever since then, I knew I wanted to stage manage Zenith, and I finally got my chance this year. Being my senior year and final production, this year’s show was especially important to me. Much like our other productions, preparation for Zenith begins weeks or even months in advance. Everything from writing the cuelist to programming the moving lights has to be completed before we can begin our week of rehearsal. As soon as I knew I was stage managing, I began to think about my position. What would I say during the crew meetings? How would I lead the crew?  What were the keys to a successful production? All of these thoughts were running through my mind continuously, and before I knew it, Zenith week had begun. Aside from a couple unexpected fire drills, the rehearsals came and went without a hitch, and the show opened on the Thursday of that week. Opening night was a very successful show, and in my opinion, we raised the bar even higher with the following two shows. Saturday night was our final performance and my last major production as a member of the Westlake Technical Entertainment Crew.

The feeling from calling cues in front of an audience of 1,100 people was inexplicable. Before every show, I was nervous, but after calling a couple dances, those nerves transformed into excitement. It was an amazing feeling to finish calling the cues for a dance and then hear the roar of applause from the audience.

Stage managing gave me a unique opportunity to hone my leadership skills and learn some more along the way. One of the most crucial things I learned from Zenith was the importance of trust. It’s always been a part of my personality to want to do everything myself but obviously, this is an impossible task for any show that TEC puts on. Zenith helped me realize that I had to trust my crew members to complete their responsibilities, even if I couldn’t be there to help. At first, this was an uncomfortable feeling for me. While I sat in the light booth calling cues, all I could think about was how badly I wanted to be on stage checking the shinbuster gels or at the soundboard listening to the mix. As the week progressed, I slowly began to relax and developed a deep level of trust within my crew. This trust led to a close-knit team, which eventually led to three very successful public performances.

Concluding my last major production was a bittersweet feeling. On one hand, I was upset. TEC has become a major part of my life over the past four years and the productions are the best opportunity to get to know other crew members and build ourselves as a team. I’ll miss these opportunities greatly as I graduate  and move on to college. On the other hand, it was a very rewarding feeling to complete my last major production, especially with a show as strong as this year’s Zenith.  I was so impressed with the teamwork and leadership exhibited by this year’s crew and I can’t wait to see what TEC will be capable of next year.

TEC Takes Orlando

By: Ben Herring

In early March, a group of thirty-eight TEC students, staff and chaperones traveled to Disney World in Orlando, Florida for the annual TEC Trip. The week was filled with shows, rides, backstage tours, and of course, rollercoasters!

Believe it or not, the officers of TEC began planning the trip before the school year even started during our Officer Retreat in July. Trips with a group as large as ours can be very challenging. Everything from hotel rooms, to meal reservations, to FastPasses for thirty eight people had to be taken care of.  By the time we were finished planning, we had an hour-by-hour itinerary for the entire trip.

TEC spent the first full day in Disney at Animal Kingdom. They had some great rides and we got to go on the “Kilimanjaro Safari”, where we saw tons of amazing animals. Even though I’m terrified of rollercoasters, my friends talked me into going on every one of them. I’m still not sure how that happened! While riding the rollercoasters was fun, it was not the only reason we came to Orlando. We also got to watch the new “Finding Nemo” show inside the park. The show is a musical adaptation of the movie that uses numerous puppets to tell the story. After the show, some of the technicians were nice enough to give us some time to ask questions about the show. We learned about the wireless microphones, huge scenery pieces and everything in between. Although the show looks relatively simple from the audience’s perspective, the amount of technology utilized in that show was very impressive.

After dinner in Downtown Disney, we got to see one of the famous Cirque du Soleil shows, La Nouba, at the Disney World Resort. During the TEC trip to Las Vegas last year, we were fortunate enough to see six Cirque shows, so our expectations were high! The performance blew us away! The acrobatics, trampoline artists, and other circus acts were spectacular. Aside from the performers, the technical aspects were absolutely stunning. By the end of the show, we were all exhausted but our adventure didn’t stop there. A mistake in the Disney Transportation forced us to take the long way back to our hotel. We rode a boat from Downtown Disney all the way back to our hotel, the Port Orleans Riverside. The ride took much longer than expected but it was definitely an interesting way to end our first day in Orlando.

As great as all of that was, the next day was far better! We got to go back to La Nouba the next morning for an amazing behind the scenes tour all throughout the theater. The tours were split into three groups, led by several staff members and technicians of La Nouba. We toured the entire facility; everything from the 80-foot high rigging and lighting catwalks above the stage, down to 15-feet below the stage, where all of the stage automation was housed. It was incredible to see the amount of technology packed into that theater for the show, some of which we utilize in our own theater. From the knowledge that we have gained from our tech classes, we were able to recognize much of their equipment, such as the counter weight system, audio console, and many moving light fixtures. After our tour of La Nouba, we split our day between Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Both parks had some amazing attractions and we had a blast. To wrap up the day, we all watched EPCOT’s spectacular fireworks show, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. The show uses fireworks, pyrotechnic effects and lasers, all over the lake in the center of EPCOT. It was amazing. 

Next, we took a break from Disney and spent the day in Universal Studios and the Islands of Adventure. Both parks offered some amazing thrill rides, as well as more theatrical rides. For the first time in the trip, we were able to spend the entire day in one park so we had plenty of time for exploring. I think we rode pretty much every ride in the park. After a day like that, everyone was tired and probably a little light-headed after all the roller coasters but we had one more day to go!

On our last day, we returned to Disney for the Magic Kingdom, which had more amazing rides. From the minute the park opened until 3pm, we were frantically searching the park for all the best rides and shortest lines, knowing that it was our last day.  We also got to take some pictures at the iconic castle in the middle of Magic Kingdom and watch one of the parades down Main Street.

After a perfect mix of fun, technology, and team building, everyone was totally exhausted. We had to leave Magic Kingdom at 3pm to catch our flight back to Austin. Everyone was disappointed that the trip was over but at the same time, it was four very busy days and I think everyone was glad to get home. We arrived back at the Austin airport at around 10:30pm on that Sunday night, and were back at school Monday morning – and some of us were even on time…

Shrek the Musical

By: Zachary Thornburg

When I think about musicals, Shrek isn’t exactly the first show to come to mind.  Having only seen the movie, I had trouble picturing a giant dragon chasing a talking donkey, while breathing fire on stage. To be honest, a lot of people including myself were skeptical and didn’t know what to expect. But, week by week as we put together an entire new stage and set, I became more and more intrigued by the show. Around that time, I started listening to the soundtrack of the Broadway version of the show and it didn’t take long for my view of the show to make a full 180. The next week, I got to hear the choir rehearse for the first time, and I had to do a double take because it sounded so similar to the Broadway recording. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to see the show come alive on our stage.
Rehearsal week was insane. We were building scenery and hanging backdrops all the way up until the day before opening night. One can only imagine how those rehearsals looked the first few nights. Calling cues for a show was an unfamiliar experience for me so the first couple rehearsals were a bit slow at times. Towards the beginning, the crew was all rather timid and uncoordinated with one another, not to mention the orchestra wasn’t there for the first few days. As the week went on, we saw more and more of the costumes, scenery, props, and backdrops. Everyone began to look more confident and comfortable in their roles as the week progressed and by time we got to Wednesday, the night before the opening performance, the show had really started to take form. The choir sounded great and the entire crew had their jobs mastered. However, even with a strong rehearsal under my belt, going to bed that night wasn’t easy. I continuously ran through the show in my head, stressing over the minutest details.
Despite that, anyone who showed up to the opening performance can vouch for me when I say, it was spectacular. After a full day of practicing and listening to the music, I felt ready for the show. Opening night was a blur, but it was an amazing experience that I will never forget. The feeling I got from calling a live show in front of over a thousand people was inexplicable. It didn’t stop there, every night just got better and better, to the point that we had a nearly perfect show. Now, all those show nights were very late nights, but it didn’t matter because showing up to school the next day and hearing all the great things people were saying about the show made all the difference.
Even now, people are still walking the halls humming to the tune of all the great songs from Shrek. I can say with complete confidence that Shrek was my favorite show and possibly the best show to ever come to the Westlake Community Performing Arts Center.  That being said, I can’t wait to see what the choir chooses for next year. It will be a tough one to beat!

Team Building Night

By: Lilly Walsh

“Go, go go!”  The excited screams filled the stage as kids raced to the middle of the circle, carrying watches set to strange times and shoes tied together, whatever was required to fulfill the unusual demands of the scavenger hunt. 
Last week was the 17th annual TEC Teambuilding Night.  For those of you who don’t know, it’s a 12-hour long lock-in in the PAC and gym, filled with fun activities for all of us to enjoy.  Any TEC member who has participated in a production within the past year is welcome to attend the event, and we usually get about fifty members.  It originally started as a chance for the teachers to see how the TEC students would get along when outside of school before taking them on the first spring trip. Now, it has grown into so much more.
As an officer this year, I’ve been a part of the group that worked for the past several weeks to pull this event off.  Finally seeing it come together and be the huge success that we’d hoped for was very satisfying.
The evening began at 7 pm with our annual TEC photo, which will be in the 2015 Zenith program, school yearbook, and fall football program.  Afterwards there were icebreakers and a whole lot of barbecue.  Throughout the evening we passed out door prizes, courtesy of the generous Westlake community, and watched videos filmed and edited by TEC students.  One of the best parts of the night was when we split into smaller groups to work with the kind and talented professionals of the Andy Furman Group, whom we have been lucky enough to have join us for the past eight years, to complete different teambuilding activities that they provide. Over the years there have been some odd and challenging games, but they're always very entertaining and they teach us important lessons about becoming a stronger team.  Now that I’m older, it’s fun to take a step back during these times to allow younger members to become the leaders and share their ideas.  There were some new activities this year, including a game outside the school at 1am, which definitely got some stares from the people in cars passing by.  Andy Furman’s team left at about 2 am, and then we were up to our own devices.  The officers worked hard to come up with games to keep people interested for the following five hours: Ultimate Frisbee, football, crab soccer, video games, and twister, just to name a few.  Sometimes people go to bed at this time, but most people want to take on the challenge of staying awake all night. At 6:30 we packed up, and by 7 am we were out the door, happy but utterly exhausted.
Teambuilding Night is a special event for members of TEC.  It’s a chance for everyone to come together to celebrate the year we’ve started, and it allows us to get to know each other on an out-of-school basis, making us a stronger team to finish out the year.  Even more importantly, Teambuilding Night is when we, the older members, get to meet and watch the younger students.  It is our first glimpse into the future of TEC.  When we all leave high school in the next year or so, it’s this year’s freshmen and sophomores who will step up and take our places as the leaders of TEC.  The shy freshmen who were nervous to share their ideas this year might very well have a spot as on officer on the leadership team of 2017.  We get to see who is already showing a love for TEC, and we begin to do what previous students did for us, helping them to grow in their confidence and leadership, so that when we are gone, TEC won’t just be as good as it was when we were here, it will be better.

Nutcracker Spectacular

By: Lisa Meyer

After eighteen weeks filled with football, TEC 101, Battle of the Bands and many more events, the Westlake Technical Entertainment Crew closed out the fall semester with the 10th annual production of The Nutcracker Spectacular. NCS features music from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker played by the Westlake Symphonic Orchestra, as well as dancers from Westlake's local dance studio, Alisa's Dance Academy. The performance consists of a shortened version of the original ballet topped off with a Trans-Siberian Orchestra-style finale complete with pyrotechnic effects by ProFx. After ten years, this show has become an annual tradition for many families in the Westlake community.
NCS is unique because it is entirely produced by the Technical Entertainment Crew. Because of this, the TEC officers, myself included, spend months leading up to the performance securing sponsorships, hanging posters, and sending out flyers and postcards. While those months were certainly stressful, I felt like I was involved in something important. Something beyond grades and school.
When I was told months later that I was selected to be head of the stage crew for the production, I was ecstatic. It was the first time I had held such an important role in a major production and despite harboring some doubts, I was really excited.
Being on the stage crew is one of the more dangerous positions in a production. NCS is very scenery-intensive with over twenty pieces of scenery, many of which require several people to move. With so much heavy scenery being moved, drops and curtains flying in and out, and the pitch blackness of the scene changes, there is potential for injury. In order for a scene change to be fast and safe, the crew must be efficient, and in order for a crew to be efficient they need good leadership and teamwork.
Over the course of the production, I learned a lot about leadership and about my crew, many of whom had never worked a production. After spending six hours a day after school with them, I got to know each and every one of the twelve members on my crew. Their personalities, their likes and dislikes, which classes they do well (and not so well) in, even which crew members they work best with.
That's probably my favorite part of major productions; getting to meet new members and seeing them open up over the course of the show. It's incredible how much students change after just one week, going from nervous and uncertain to calm and confident. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they grow as crew members over the next few years.
The overall quality of the performance was very high, and may have actually surpassed that of last year, not an easy thing to accomplish. Despite the struggles of having a new orchestra director and an abnormally young crew, everyone from the dancers to the musicians to the crew really stepped up this year and created something truly amazing. NCS has always felt like an opportunity to give back to the community for all of the support they have shown us, so I hope the families that came enjoyed watching the show as much as I enjoyed putting it on.
As NCS wound down with the final performance, I found myself rather sad to see it go. As stressful and time-consuming as it can be, Nutcracker week is still one of my favorite times of the year. It's a great experience and, above everything, it's fun. Having said that, I can't wait to see what events and productions the spring semester will bring.

Television Broadcast Crew Season Wrap-Up

By: Carter Gehm     

Recently the varsity football season came to an end, and with it came the end of the 2014 Video Crew season. Video Crew is a project that a group of passionate Westlake TEC members has been working on for over a decade. It has evolved greatly over time, but the general idea has always been that a crew of around 24 comes together for every varsity football game, be it home or away, and records a professional broadcast to air on television.
I personally have had the unique opportunity of being one of the few people to have been a member of the  video crew since my freshman year, something that very few students have the opportunity to do. This year, my third year on video crew, I feel that we had some catching up to do at the beginning of the season with the ten new members who joined us this year. It’s strange having to teach someone else all that you've learned, and that was an adjustment I think all of the older members were having to deal with. We struggled a bit with a newer crew but everyone stepped up, worked hard, and managed to improve immensely over the past four months. It amazes me how much better we are now compared to back in August when we started our training, especially since we had to overcome the challenge of a very new group. Since I held the position of broadcast director, I was able to observe just about every crew member in their positions and really see how much each and every one of them has improved. Based on our success this year, I can’t wait to see how well we do next year.
One thing that makes our broadcast so high quality is the specialization we practice. Just like the football team, we have one or two positions that we learn as much as we can about and then pass on that knowledge to the younger members before we leave. Personally, I think that this was a rebuilding year. That was what this year was all about: passing on all that knowledge you had gathered over the years and teaching it to newer members. Its great if you know how to work a camera really well, but it doesn’t help the program if you graduate without ever teaching anyone how to be as good, or even better, than you are. With out the constant training of newer members, we would be unable to maintain the high quality of work that we pride ourselves in so much. Next year is going to be absolutely amazing because of all the hard work that everyone put in this year.
As far as the actual season goes, we did an excellent job. As I am looking back through our footage while editing the highlight video from this season, I see no shortage of good shots. I’m really impressed with everyone and  I think our camera operators did an excellent job of capturing plays and color shots. There hasn’t been a play yet that we didn’t capture with at least two cameras. It’s exciting to see that we no longer have an issue there, when it has been a problem in past seasons. 
This year, the football team got a new coaching staff and the transition hasn't gone without its bumps in the road. With the previous coaching staff we were encouraged to get shots of both the players on and off the sideline, as well as shots of the coaching staff. This year was another story. Coach Dodge is different than past coaches in that he doesn’t want us distracting the players what so ever. This means that we have had to back up from the players and film them only from far away. I see where he is coming from, but I hope we can improve our relationship to the point where there is a mutual trust between us, and he knows that we can safely film his players without causing distraction to the team. The close up shots of players' faces look great and it will be a shame if we can’t get them anymore. Hopefully we can mend that relationship and continue to broadcast excellent football, but for now we'll just have to see how we can adapt to these new circumstances.
All things considered, we had a great season and I look forward to seeing what next year has in store for us!

Interview with Former TEC President Dylan Randall

By: Conner Beasley

Recently I had the opportunity to interview a former president of the Westlake Technical Entertainment Crew, Dylan Randall.  Dylan was very active in the Technical Theatre program for all four years of his high school career and served as president during his Junior and Senior years. He is currently working towards his doctorate degree in Physical Therapy at Rosalind Franklin University, outside Chicago. Here are the results from our conversation:

What year did you graduate Westlake High School?
“I graduated in 2006.”

How did you get involved with Technical Theatre and the Westlake Technical Entertainment Crew?
“When I was in 8th grade and applying for my high school classes, I wanted to do computer animation as an elective.  I had put technical theatre down as an alternate because I did not completely know what it was. It turned out I got my alternate elective rather than my primary choice, and ended up in the tech theatre class. So it wasn’t even intended."

How many years were you an officer?
“I was an officer for three of the four years I was involved in Westlake TEC.”

Did you stage manage any major productions and, if so, what was that experience like?
“My sophomore year I stage managed Brigadoon, which was that year’s musical performance. This was my first opportunity to lead a large crew. I remember thinking about the potential to make some really noticeable mistakes. I was waking up in the middle of the night thinking about cues, worried about making mistakes. It really opened my eyes to the fact that I have to trust my crew and know that if I did my part, they would follow through and do theirs. It was really cool seeing all our preparation from rehearsals spring into action on production day. It taught me how to work through issues. During one of our performances, a wireless microphone failed, and we all communicated well and worked together to overcome that difficult situation. Everyone performed their job flawlessly, and the audience didn’t even know anything had gone wrong."

What are your thoughts about becoming president junior year?
“At first it was a little intimidating knowing that I would have to gain the respect and lead people both younger than me and older than me. I learned that doing so was possible and I proved to myself that I could do it. I liked having a second year to learn from my mistakes and build on it. I had a second shot at it and could improve from what I did the previous year."

What have you done since you graduated high school?
“Since I graduated high school, I went to Brigham Young University, where I was majoring in Theatre and Film. After my freshman year, I spent two years in Sao Paolo, Brazil with my church being a missionary from 2007 to 2009. After that I returned to BYU and switched majors and began taking Pre-Med classes. The year before I graduated BYU, I got married to Kara Butler, a wonderful girl from BYU. Currently, I’m getting my doctorate at Rosalind Franklin, outside of Chicago."

Looking back on your four years in the Technical Theatre program, what was your favorite memory?
“Probably my favorite memory looking back was my junior and senior year when I got to lead newer members and teach them everything that I had been taught, then getting to see them step up and succeed.”
 
How did your four years in Technical Theatre affect your life after high school?
“In TEC, there was something new to be learned every day. It has given me good communication skills, teamwork skills, leadership skills, discipline, the list goes on. Those are skills that you work on your whole life but TEC really gave me the foundation that I never would’ve had.”
 
What advice would you give students that are currently in TEC?
“My advice to students currently in the technical theatre program would be, remember that it’s not about the equipment. Throughout your life, technology will change and the technical skills you learned won’t necessarily benefit you directly, even though having a good technological base is a good thing. What really matters is the skills that you learned like how to work with other people, leadership skills, communication skills, self-discipline, etc. Those are skills that people will always need no matter how much the world changes."

TEC 101

By: Isaac Frost

A couple weeks ago, we hosted TEC 101 here at the PAC. For those who have never attended, allow me to explain: TEC 101 is an opportunity for members old and new to meet in a friendly and fun environment while also getting hands-on experience with the equipment. For many younger members, this is their first chance to get involved with the TEC program outside of the classroom.

Regrettably, I didn't attend this event as a freshman but I've made sure not to miss a chance like this again. I had very different experiences each time I went. As a sophomore, I already knew most of the freshman; however as a junior, I saw numerous unfamiliar faces. Regardless of my age, I always look forward to TEC 101 as an opportunity to meet new people and learn something new.

Immediately after school, more than fifty TEC members gathered backstage to socialize and enjoy some snacks. After meeting with each other we broke the ice with a few activities to bring the group together then sat down in the theater to watch our Mission Statement Video. This video features several members of the TEC program and demonstrates the values that we strive to live by within the organization every day. From there, we split up into small groups and visited various stations inside the Concert Hall. These stations included audio, conventional lights, moving lights, camera and video production. All the stations were led by the TEC Officers and gave the younger members unique opportunities such as designing their own light look or hearing their favorite song on the PA system.

I taught the moving lights station, a unique opportunity considering the fact that we generally only use the moving lights rig for larger events in the PAC. This was also a chance me to brush up on the Hog (the moving light console) myself. As I discussed the functions of the board and our rig of light, I could see the curiosity in everyone’s eyes. This is what inspires me to continue with TEC. I get to see the future of the generations rise up and take their place like I am now. I can't help but think back to when I had an older member teaching me these things, and it makes me think just how old I am.  

For the younger members, TEC 101 is seen as a chance to meet some people as well as get some hands-on experience with the equipment, but for me, for the older members: TEC 101 is an amazing opportunity to see the future of this organization. We'll just have to wait and see where the newer members take TEC in the next few years.

 

Rick Riordan Visits Westlake

By: Carter Gehm

The famous author of the Percy Jackson series, Rick Riordan, visited Westlake High School for a day of signing and speaking in celebration of his new book, The Blood of Olympus. Over 1,100 people attended the event to receive a signed copy of Riordan's new book, some coming from as far as Mexico! Riordan spoke to the crowd about his writing history, his new books as well as his inspiration. I was one of the lucky few who had the privilege of working the event from behind the scenes, directly with Riordan. I was given the opportunity to see how Book People runs a book signing event in which we helped Riordan sign over 1,200 copies of his new book in under 30 minutes. We all shook his hand and discussed our favorite books of his. It was one of the most memorable events I have worked because of the huge influence his books had on my childhood.

Video Crew Training 2014

By: Audrey Bertin

Every summer, several weeks before the start of the school year, 23 dedicated members of the Westlake Technical Entertainment Crew meet to begin preparation for broadcasting the Chaps' varsity football games throughout the season on Time Warner Cable.
 
The students selected to participate in this program are recruited months in advance and must be completely dedicated to the task of producing broadcasts comparable in quality to those of professional television networks. Crew members are typically expected to dedicate three nights each week to preparing for and carrying out the video broadcasts. Just like the football team, as well as groups like Hyline, the marching band, and cheerleaders, we are often pulled out of class early on Fridays when we are traveling to an away game.
 
I came into the program for the first time this summer with a basic understanding of the basic operations of the Television Broadcast Crew. I was assigned, along with another newcomer, to the tasks of video engineering and cmoputer graphics. I understood the general idea behind my position, but my knowledge more or less ended there. Still, I was amazed when I walked into the Performing Arts Center on the first day of training to learn just how much was involved in broadcasting live football.
 
We began the first day with a brief history of the program, followed by seemingly endless hours learning the specifics of football, camera operation, and the layout of the facility from which we would broadcast home games. By the end of the day, my head was spinning and I was exhausted. Would I be able to make it through the week? I felt like I could really use a time out.
 
The next day was more of the same, but we started delving into the individual roles given to different crew members. Each of us learned what the other members were doing in order to better understand how we would fit into the big picture. Things became progressively easier as the week went on.
 
It was incredible to see the transformation of all the new members, myself included, happen so quickly, going from wide-eyed novice to confident team member. Because there were more new, inexperienced crew members this year than there have been in recent years, there was some concern about whether the group would be able to function as smoothly as in previous seasons. With that thought looming in the back of their minds, the team leaders of video crew were pleasantly surprised to find the opposite of what they had feared. By the end of the first week of training, although they had only just put their toes in the water, the new camera operators looked confident and capable. I, myself, went from knowing almost nothing to being able to take a camera output signal that had purposefully been altered to settings at wildly inappropriate levels, determine what was wrong, and remotely adjust the camera settings to obtain a high quality, visually pleasing image. 
 
At that point, summer training was almost over and I had to spend the next week mentally preparing myself to tackle the season opener, scheduled for Friday of the first week of school. Hopefully I would be able to take the new skills I had learned and contribute to a great first broadcast!
 
All in all, I had a great experience this summer transitioning to being a member of the Television Broadcast Crew. One of the most valuable lessons I learned was the importance of teamwork for the success of the program. If any one person is not giving their best effort to help the rest of the group, the end result suffers. Without the dedication and commitment of everyone involved, it would be impossible for us to do what makes us so successful: putting on professional quality television broadcasts to entertain the dedicated fans of Chaps' football.

Head Grip for Zenith

By: Jacob Rogers

When I was first confronted about the idea of being Head Grip for Zenith, I was terrified. The thought of being responsible for an eleven person crew was scary enough, not to mention the additional responsibility of all the props and equipment that had to move on and off stage during the show. I nervously accepted the challenge after some encouragement from Mr. Poole, and my experiences from that show became some of my most memorable and rewarding in TEC.

Zenith taught me more than I ever imagined about the value of leadership, trust and passion. It gave me the opportunity to grow as a person and a leader, and prepared me for my upcoming senior year. Leadership is much more than being in charge and giving out orders. It includes building the knowledge and confidence of your crew and being a positive role model. During our pre-show meetings, leadership is often called the "glue" that holds our organization together. Strong leaders are imperative to the success of any major production, including Zenith, but leadership isn't limited to the crew heads. Any crew member, regardless of age or position, can exhibit leadership qualities at any time. Even during seemingly trivial set changes, I was always watching my crew members, waiting to see who would take charge. Whether it be rolling the piano on-stage, changing shinbuster gel colors, or even just doing homework backstage, I always enjoyed seeing someone rise to the occasion and take ownership of the task at hand. 

With a sophisticated show like Zenith, the grip crew was constantly moving props and equipment on and off stage, so delegation was important in order to take care of the scene changes as quickly and efficiently as possible. It didn’t take long for me to realize how important trust and delegation were to the success of the show. With the amount of moving parts on-stage, there was no way for me to oversee everything going on at once, so I had to trust that the grip crew was following along and ready for whatever came next. At first, this was hard for me. I wanted to personally supervise everything that was going on and help wherever I could, but after a couple long and stressful rehearsals, I realized that it wasn’t necessary.  Trust started to grow within the crew and they constantly impressed me with their preparedness and hard-work. This trust led to a much smoother, calmer show because everyone could focus on their own responsibilities without worrying about everyone else’s.

While leadership is the glue that holds TEC together, passion is the motivation to keep moving forward and improving. Passion is what kept us going during the long rehearsals and late nights. Passion is the motivation to put on a successful show. Without passion, the show would seem half-hearted and boring. Whether that motivation came from the competitiveness within the grip crew or just a desire to put on the best show yet, I found that passion was, without a doubt, the most important contributor to a great show. It’s what kept us striving for perfection during the long rehearsals and it paid off in the end after three great shows for the Zenith audiences.

In conclusion, Zenith this year gave me the opportunity to grow as a person and a leader. It was challenging at times but more importantly, it taught me more than I ever imagined about the value of leadership, trust and passion and provided me with memories that I will cherish forever.

West Side Story: Expecting the Unexpected

By: Irena Martinez

Earlier this semester, I had the privilege of stage managing this year's musical: West Side Story. Stage managing was certainly an experience I never expected to have. I joined TEC as a sophomore, a year later than most, and always felt like it was too late to be considered to stage manage. Usually, a small group of students are chosen as underclassmen then tested and trained to determine whether or not they would be a suitable stage manager for a future major production. This usually makes it clear who will be stage managing what shows throughout the year. This fact led me to assume any hopes of stage managing a major production were shot, as I was a senior who had no prior experience of any kind.

The day I found out about stage managing was towards the end of December, while at dinner with a few TEC members and alumni. The alumni were asking who was stage managing the musical. We were all curious since no one knew except Feroz. After a bit of pestering, Feroz caved in and pointed at the stage manager. I followed his finger expecting it to be someone else, but he was pointing at me. I could only think "What? I'm stage managing? Me? That makes no sense at all." But, it was true. I had been chosen.

I may never know exactly what I did to earn this position, but I can tell you one thing. The last day of Nutcracker: December 14th, 2013, sparked a chain reaction that changed everything.

During Nutcracker, I was positioned as the head of grip crew. As a crew head, I took my duties list as well as the previous year's notes and did my best to ensure that my crew was taken care of and that the production ran as smoothly as possible. That night, I was chosen as the best crew head, an award whose recipient is voted on by their fellow crew heads. I was ecstatic to say the least. That energy drove me through a fantastic final show after which we began strike*, as always. I was on autopilot, my sole mission to get the crew dismissed as quickly as humanly possible. Suddenly, my name was called out over radio. I found the voice's owner surrounded by a small group of parents. The adults turned to look at me, bearing a look upon their faces that no one should ever witness. A look that guaranteed one thing and one thing only: something horrible had taken place.

They told me something happened to my mom. My heart sank. Every possible worst-case scenario raced through my mind. Seeing how panicked I had become, they escorted me to the office for some privacy and told me everything. My mom had a major seizure while in Houston and was hospitalized. She was transported there via ambulance from a nearby restaurant where the seizure had taken place. The doctors had determined that the seizure was caused by cherry-sized mass found in her right frontal lobe (later removed and diagnosed as malignant - stage four glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer). At this point, everything felt uncertain, but one thing was clear, I was in no shape to continue the strike.

After going to a friend's house, I was able to calm down and collect my thoughts. I happened to remember that the admissions decisions for MIT Early Action applicants had coincidentally come out on December 14th as well. Initially, I refused to look, but it honestly felt like the night couldn't get any worse, so why not just get it over with? I was expecting the typical "you've been rejected"  spiel, but got this instead:

(Insert top of decision portal letter)

It took me a few reads to really grasp the message hidden within the text. I thought I had read it wrong until my friend started screaming and hugged me, causing a ruckus that surprisingly did not wake her family up. It turns out that MIT really liked something about me and chose me as one of their 618 Early Action admits out of the 6,820 applicants.

Who knew so much could happen in one day? December 14th, 2013 was both the best and worst day of my life so far. Definitely a weird day. So weird, that I wouldn't think it possible if I hadn't lived it myself.

These past couple of months, so much has changed and, at times, it's been overwhelming. At first, Mr. Poole and I wondered if it would be wise for me to take on such an intensive role for the musical. My mom was sick and I needed to take care of both her and myself. However, before we even considered any alternatives, more people than I can name began taking care of us, making it possible for me to focus my extra energy on stage managing. I can never thank those people enough.

Though I was wary coming into stage managing a massive production like West Side Story, it was definitely worthwhile. I've seen my friends stage manage before, but I still wasn't exactly sure what to expect. It's just one of those things you can't grasp until you've done it yourself. The most obvious thing a stage manager does is call cues from the cue book. Simple enough, right? Well, not exactly. You have to construct each statement in a way that conveys you are sure of yourself and always be prepared for what's coming up next. If the cue, follow spot, scene change, or sound effect doesn't go off, it's not the operator's fault -- it's yours. That's the toughest lesson to learn. It's so easy to be frustrated with someone else for not being ready, but it was ultimately your responsibility to make them ready. It's not possible for your crew to memorize an entire script and the cues that coincide with it in a week (or ever, really). As the stage manager, you have the only copy with light cues that's in use, so you have to help your crew out. Also, you have to remember what's really important. An early light cue isn't the end of the world. Chances are no one even noticed anyway. The most important thing is your crew. Are they having fun? Staying healthy? Doing their homework? Of course, you can't possibly monitor forty people and take care of all of the behind the scenes logistics, let alone yourself, without some help.

Fortunately, I had just the right people. Each crew was headed by one of my closest friends and the effect on the production itself was fascinating. This show was unique because it ran so smoothly both in a technical sense and within the crew. In the face of uncertainty, this show was something that could be certain. I'm grateful to have just been a part of it.

-Irena Martinez

*strike is the process of taking apart the set after a production has ended.

From Fearful to Fearless

I will never forget the pressure of standing in my first pre-show meeting. The person on my left began to speak. I hoped that they would speak forever, my cheeks burning as I scrambled internally to come up with a good answer to the circle question. But he soon concluded, and my heart stopped. My turn. Eighty-something eyes shifted to look at me. Sweating, I answered with a shaky voice, stuttering a bit. I wanted to sink into the floor. 

And then - everybody clapped. Genuinely. They weren't even making fun of me. What?

The mutual respect between the students of the Technical Entertainment Crew and the way that they support each other is my favorite part of this program. The advanced equipment in the PAC makes it possible to put on amazing productions, but the student team working together is what pulls all those elements together into something spectacular - like the Nutcracker Spectacular. 

One could argue that TEC never stops planning for the Nutcracker Spectacular, since we think of ways to improve for the next year while the show is running. Technically, the process fully kicks into gear in the summer, when we start to look for sponsorships. Soon we move into the fall, sending email blasts and running commercials to sell tickets, and then, at the start of winter, the show opens. The weeks pass by in a flurry of builds and poster-hanging sessions. Before we know it, TEC's biggest production is in tech rehearsals. 

Time flies faster than ever before when you're a senior. With all of the reflecting on the past and planning for the future, the present passes by right under your nose. I was affected no differently. Before I knew it, it was time for me to stage manage the 9th annual Nutcracker Spectacular. 

I'd been preparing for the position of stage manager for weeks, thinking about the timing of cues and how I would lead the crew. My mind kept going back to the upperclassmen that had influenced me in the past and what made their leadership so effective. Even though they had graduated and were gone, I still looked up to them and wanted to fill their shoes. On my first show, upperclassmen immediately took me under their wing. First, they taught me how to operate the light board, so I would know how to do my job. More importantly, through constant encouragement, they gave me the confidence to handle my responsibility. It didn't stop at the end of the show. The more involved I got with TEC and the more I got to know the people in it, the more confident and resilient I grew. My experiences over my four years in TEC prepared me to stage manage the entire time, as I imagined being in the upperclassmen's place and learned from their leadership to gradually rise to it. I needed to pass on that favor by ensuring that everyone on the Nutcracker crew had a positive experience. 

As stage manager, I had to learn quickly to take charge of a situation. Leadership positions are earned. I had to earn the trust and respect of the crew by always being decisive and aware and conducting myself assuredly. I also needed to encourage the members of the crew to lead me - we relied on each other to keep track of certain details. To my dismay, I couldn't be everywhere at once, and neither could my mind. Many leaders are necessary to cover the bases. So, one of the most important parts of a leader's job is to create other leaders by instilling confidence in them with guidance and support, and then stepping back to let them take charge themselves. 

The best place for that to happen is the pre-show circle. It's a completely safe and accepting environment where the entire crew comes together to focus on putting on a successful production. When each member thinks about how they can embody professionalism, leadership, camaraderie, and fun, all of the pieces will fall into place. The stage manager asks a pre-show question to inspire everybody to think about one or more of these elements individually and to show them that it's safe and good to speak up and share what is on their mind. 

On opening night, I read my first question aloud in a clear, firm voice and passed it off to travel all the way around. Looking around the circle, I was transported back to all the others that I had stood in before. Four years ago, I was terrified to even say a word in front of a group of people. The idea of leading them, guiding them, reminding them what to do? Forget it. 

I still find it hard to believe that I have changed so much but it's not so unbelievable when I think about all of the learning experiences I've had on productions. TEC has taught me to take risks, rise to responsibility, and not to be afraid of making mistakes. In a few years, some of the blushing, sweaty people that were in that circle will look back and think the same thing.

-Kara Fox

An Interview with Andrew Keegan

Late last month, I had the privilege of interviewing 2002 TEC alum Andrew Keegan. 
Currently, Andrew is a Lighting Director and Producer for film and television in New York City. 
At only thirty years old, he is a respected professional and has worked with NBC, CNN, MTV, 
Sesame Street, and Nickelodeon to produce over forty shows. Andrew even went to the Beijing 
Olympics and was awarded an Emmy nomination for his work.
In 2006, not one week after graduating from college, Andrew began lighting national 
television. Only four years prior, he was with TEC on a television set in Los Angeles looking at 
thousands of lights in the rig, thinking, "people must have to wait decades to be a part of this."
Andrew's career really began back in high school with our very own Westlake Technical 
Entertainment Crew, working every show he could from rentals to Zenith. Andrew collaborated 
with Mr. Poole to create a balanced life with school work, lacrosse, and TEC. Mr. Poole was 
always accommodating and remains, to this day, "a good friend and mentor" to Andrew. In 
retrospect, Andrew "wishes he could have been more involved," but still, TEC helped him pave
his way to success by teaching him the necessity of "persistence, hard work, and understanding
the bigger picture."

Andrew was accepted into many college programs. He chose to continue his studies at 
Sonoma State University. He went in looking to major in lighting design, but ultimately became 
a "BA in theater as opposed to just lighting." His education provided a method for him to really 
grasp a real world sense of productions: "No one understands a deadline like a theater major. 
You can't push back deadlines. You have to get it done."
It takes more than being aware of deadlines to become successful. It takes this kind of 
passion or drive that sets you apart from everyone else. For Andrew, this was creating content. 
In the theater world, you can take internships, but in the end "you are only as good as your 
portfolio." Employers "only look at your resume for five seconds. What does your content say 
about you?"

Andrew is naturally a producer. It's his job to find ideas and make them a reality. This 
seems like a lot of work, but in actuality all he had to do was go to the English, 
Communications, and Theater departments to find other students and create any kind of film. 
No matter the size or success level of the production, everyone involved has not only made 
connections and gained experience, but has also built up credibility. This may not seem 
like "usual" work for a lighting designer, but this work set Andrew apart. He always asked "What 
can I do for you?" and continually opened himself up to new opportunities.
Andrew's final advice: "Never stop creating content. Never stop. The more content you 
make, the better your skills will get. Keep learning new devices and software that come out. 
Never ever ever stop. Go make a short film. It's easy. Use your software. It doesn't matter 
where you go to school. Your content is you. Your reel is who you are. If you have a great reel, 
people will be climbing over themselves trying to get you. Never stop creating."

-Irena Martinez

All Roads Lead to Rome

 This past spring a group of forty-one TEC students and chaperones traveled to
one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Italy. Among those forty-one individuals
was me. Before the Italy trip, I had never traveled out of the country. I hadn't traveled at
all, really. But, I've got to say, it was worth the wait.
After deciding this year's TEC trip would be to Italy, the officers planned events
that would help us get there including the Westlake Marching Festival and the
Nutcracker Spectacular. As the departure date approached, everything seemed to fall
into place.
        The Wednesday before we were to leave, we were presented with an
unexpected dilemma: our flight had been canceled. Though many were disappointed,
Mr. Poole, TEC students, and our travel agents spent hours on end with the airline and
our Italian tour guide. After much persistence, we finally constructed a solution.
        There were to be three traveling groups, two leaving on Friday and one on
Saturday. The Saturday group and one of the Friday groups drove to Houston and
departed from there. My group, one of the two departing on Friday, flew out of the
Austin Airport. This arrangement was much appreciated and, thankfully, all three groups
were reunited in Italy.

        Once in Italy, we traveled to many cities including Rome, Florence, Maranello,
Venice, Verona, and Milan. I couldn't say which city was my favorite. Each one provided
unique memories and a distinct culture that I will remember forever.
         The first day in Rome, as we waited to reunite with the Saturday group, we took
a comprehensive walking tour of Rome. Everything we saw was impressive and
historically significant, but then came the storm. Few people anticipated the possibility
of rain, and so some of us did not bring their umbrellas, myself included. Within a matter
of minutes, almost all of our group members were completely drenched as we trudged
through the racing waters of the streets of Rome.
        The next day turned out to be beautiful, still slightly damp, but beautiful none-the-
less. At lunch, a small group of us broke off and wandered the streets looking for a bite
to eat. That is when we heard a man shouting at us, "Free Pizza! Free Pizza!" He had
certainly gotten our attention, so we decided to investigate. He immediately began to
set up chairs for us while feeding us small samples of pizza. It was quite refreshing to
meet an individual who was authentically Italian. He treated us well, giving us a good-
sized pizza and a soda. As we left, he handed us small sheets of paper with a link to his
shop's Facebook page, asking us to like it.

        On our final day in Italy, we finally arrived at our long-awaited destination, La
Scala Opera House. We were given a tour of both the museum and the opera house.
Within the museum, we observed countless artifacts that were owned by some of the
attendees and composers from La Scala's prime. Those objects were indeed
magnificent, but after visiting a myriad of museums all week, the opera house itself was
far more fascinating. La Scala had been recently renovated and all of their equipment
was state-of-the-art. The entire stage could not only be rotated, but also completely
replaced by a different stage hidden below. This feature was absolutely incredible and I
had never seen anything like it. However, one of my favorite features was La
Scala's "tech tables." In TEC, we use a few black tables for rehearsals that we normally
have to pull out of storage. La Scala's tech tables, however, rose up from a hidden
panel in the ground. I was amazed to see a nearly identical version and setup of the
tables, something our organization uses quite frequently, actually being used in the
professional setting.

        While in Italy, our group of TEC students and chaperones had many planned and
unplanned adventures. Something about this trip changed our group. Perhaps it was
the hours of bus rides to and from different cities or the countless tours of museums.
Regardless, this trip helped build new friendships, strengthened old ones, and lived up
to the TEC mission statement. Leadership allowed us to get there. Camaraderie made it
meaningful. And we certainly did have a lot of fun.

-Irena Martinez