Sophomores TV Field Trip

TV production teacher Francisco Tristan took his sophomore class to the Texas Broadcast Museum in Kilgore, Texas on March 29.

“This is the first year that I have taken a sophomore class in a field trip quite like this one in a while,” Tristan said.

Tristan said he decided to go to the Texas Broadcast Museum because he wanted to give his students a history of where the technology they use comes from.

“Students are in contact with new technology, and oftentimes, they have no idea where it come from,” Tristan said. “So, how cool would it be to give them a history class on technology.”

The Texas Broadcast Museum contains old broadcasting equipment dating back at least 130 years. They even have a restored tele cruiser – which is the first remote TV studio – that is fully functioning.

“I think that the equipment was interesting due to the fact the they documented iconic moments in history,” sophomore Angela Martinez said.

One of their most historical cameras that they have is a GE black and white image Orthicon camera also known as Lee Harvey Oswald camera. It was onsite when Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated John F. Kennedy, was shot by Jack Ruby. It has been loaned out to the Sixth Floor Museum and at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

After the sophomores got a chance to look at all the different equipment, Tristan took them to McKay’s Ranch House for lunch – which served a southern home-cooked meal.

“Typically in a small town like Kilgore a little buffett like McKay’s is pretty good,” Tristan said.

Tristan is considering taking next year’s sophomores to the museum again.