By Craig Thompson
Class of 2008

Margaret Teich of the Class of 2010 recently used 10 days of the January break to advance her video storytelling skills at The New York Times Student Journalism Institute in Tuscon, Arizona.

The all-expense-paid program offers selected students who are members of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists or the National Association of Black Journalists, or who are enrolled at a historically black college or university, a chance to work in a deadline-driven newsroom environment. Teich, a National Association of Hispanic Journalists member, was one of 22 students who participated in the Tuscon Institute at the University of Arizona’s School of Journalism. The next one will be held at Dillard University in New Orleans May 16-31.

Teich found the around-the-clock schedule taxing, but well worth it. “I’ve never worked so hard and been so exhausted, but been so gratified,” she said. The first day, she was heading back to her hotel at 10 p.m. after working 13 hours when she got a call from her editor telling her she had a midnight deadline. “It’s a very grueling pace,” she said.

During her stay, she was able to complete two news videos – one on a local car club and another on the making of a tradition Mexican sweet bread – and shoot some student video profiles. “I became much better at using Final Cut and shooting sequences, understanding lighting and angles, and creating the narrative arc. I also got better at interviewing, which is to say, after you ask the question, you have to shut up,” she said.

Teich noted that the Times’ professionals were instrumental in her learning. “I worked under two incredible producers from The Times, Kassie Bracken and Nancy Donaldson,” she said. “They were so helpful and helped me transform my footage from a field video to a Times finished piece.

Teich followed in the footsteps of two CUNY J-School students who had previously been accepted into the Institute: Sandra Roa and Aisha Al-Muslim, both from the 2009 class.

Roa took part in Miami in early 2009. Using her own initiative while under the supervision of Times’ editors, she ventured into the city’s Little Haiti community, where she produced audio slide shows about “chicken busters” and homeless veterans. Roa’s work at the Institute led directly to an internship in The Times’ video unit, which led to a paid summer internship. She still contributes to The New York Times as a result.