Many students make the hunt for free food on campus an art form, studying all of the flyers for food options and always knowing which lectures are being held. Though, even with preparation, there are always those who get on campus only to find that they failed to hear about an event and a food line formed with too long of a wait before class. A lot of people had that problem during Spring Fling, with lines that sometimes stretched out to the Engineering and Technology building – producing about an hour-long wait for most students.
There is an efficient way to stay up-to-date at IPFW, though. Mastodon Minutes is an informative as well as humorous weekly news show that “strives to get IPFW students more involved on campus,” according to the Mastodon Minutes’ Facebook group page. The show began airing in January after Josh VanCleave, Ryan Lower and Kourtney Bell developed a plan for the idea of Mastodon Minutes several months prior.
“I have gained tremendous knowledge on how a whole studio production operates,” said VanCleave, director of the show, adding that “IPFW does not really have any type of program such as this.”
“Kourtney, Ryan and I wanted to bring actual news media to IPFW instead of just theory classes,” VanCleave said, mentioning that although theory classes hold value, they do not provide hands-on experience.
In addition, Mastodon Minutes “is a great place to go if you are wondering what is going on each week with sports, clubs, and if there are any freebies on campus. Also, we are a great place for organizations on campus to receive some publicity,” said Bell, Co-Anchor of Mastodon Minutes.
Bell also mentioned that anyone with interest can help with production of Mastodon Minutes.
“If there is someone wanting to get into broadcast as a career … this is a great way to gain experience,” Bell said, adding that it would also be good experience for those who simply want to get involved in something on campus, but do not necessarily want a broadcasting position in the future.
Also, ranging only from seven to fifteen minutes, the news shows are great for college students who feel they need to schedule time to breathe. Mastodon Minutes is aired on College Access Television (CATV) every Monday and Tuesday, though episodes can also be found on the Facebook group page.
