“The Pulse” is Sacred Heart’s very own student-run television news program that reports news stories and keeps students updated on what is happening on campus and in the local community every month. Their 36th show launched on Sept. 28.
After being gone for so long, the students who work on “The Pulse” have been adjusting to being back in the studio and filming new episodes again.
“The main thing that has changed because of COVID-19 is the amount of people we are able to have in the studio and in the control room,” said Matt Kreckie, Graduate Assistant for “The Pulse.”
Like many things, “The Pulse” has had to change and adapt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of these changes is that the on-air talent now has to wear a mask while filming.
“Wearing a mask during production is honestly not the easiest, but I’m getting used to it. It can be hard sometimes to say your words clearly, and if you are someone like me who wears glasses, you worry about the fog clogging your sight because of how you breathe in the mask,” said senior Asia McCray, Producer for “The Pulse.”
Advisor for “The Pulse”, Professor Joseph Alicastro, purchased a specific kind of face mask to be worn by the on-air talent during tapings of the show.
“If you watched the recent episode of the show, you will notice myself and Dan Gardella, my former anchor, are wearing see-through masks to make it easier for the audience to understand us through the visual aspect,” said senior Kali D’Agostinis, one of the anchors for Show #36 of “The Pulse.”
Alicastro has been advising “The Pulse” since fall of 2014. Alicastro is also the Director of Broadcast Journalism and Media Production Masters Program at Sacred Heart. Before coming to the university, Alicastro worked as a producer for NBC News for many years.
“Other than safe distancing and masking, the biggest difference in reporting now is searching for stories for ‘The Pulse,’” said Alicastro. “Many events both on and off campus that we would normally cover are currently virtual. So, it is a challenge for the students to look harder for interesting visual stories to report on.”
The latest episode featured a segment on how Sacred Heart sports are fighting for social justice.
“Social injustice is a huge issue in our world, and to see that our SHU community is pushing back and standing with their athletes as well as other sports teams around the world is refreshing,” said McCray.
There is a lot of work that goes into creating an episode of “The Pulse.” The students pitch the stories, film and edit those stories on their own. Once it is time for the show, they work as the crew in the studio and control rooms.
The students are taking on all these roles while adjusting to COVID-19 regulations.
“It’s great to be back. Obviously, things look much different but I was eager to be back after six long months away from SHU,” said D’Agostinis.
