ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / June 6, 2000

Four students at St. Joan of Arc School got a real-life lesson in televisionproduction and poll-taking this past spring.

Erin Triche, Henri Dufresne, Elizabeth Desimone and Jesse Beckemeyer became television reporters and poll-takers for several weeks as part of a documentary taped for WLAE-TV in New Orleans.

The project had several purposes, according to Helen Banquer, director of Development at St. Joan of Arc School. First of all the students polledparents as to why they send their children to St. Joan of Arc. Not only wasthis information helpful to the school administration, but it was important data to publicize the school on WLAE’s show “Tuition Auction.”The program is a live show in which people bid on tuition to the various Catholic schools in the New Orleans Archdiocese.

The students were not only taped talking to parents, but two of them, Triche and Dufresne, actually went on the air live to discuss their school and the results of the poll.

Banquer, who wrote the script for the documentary and edited the video tape, said the project gave the students hands-on experience in the real world.

“It gave the kids insight into the process of television,” said Banquer. “Plus, itbuilt up their confidence and helped their speaking abilities.”The school and the students will get a lot of exposure with the documentary.

WLAE plans to air the tape at least 50 times over the next year.

Cameras from WLAE followed the four students around for several weeks as they interviewed parents in the school library or when the parents were dropping off or picking up their children from school.

For the four pollsters it was a new and sometimes unnerving experience.

“At first I was nervous talking to parents,” admitted Desimone, “but I got used to it.”Dufresne said the parents made the process a lot easier.

“Most of the parents were interested in the survey,” said Dufresne, “but there were some parents who were in a rush and didn’t want to be bothered.”Dufresne said he also did his own editing on the questions.

“I re-worded the questions because I thought they made me sound a little too smart,” he said.

Beckemeyer said, “It was an interesting experience, but I don’t think I would pursue it as a career.” He said he actually wants to be a pilot.After interviewing over 52 parents the students, with the help of Banquer, collated the data and drew up graphs of the results.

Banquer reported, “We had some very positive results. Most parents werevery happy with the St. Joan of Arc experience, and we got very fewnegative responses.”Triche agreed.

“They enjoyed the Catholic atmosphere,” she said, “and the family closeness and how the teachers helped the students.”They were also surprised at how many parents had attended St. Joan of Arc.”Fifty percent of the parents had attended St. Joan of Arc as students,”said Banquer.

Appearing on the live television show was also a new experience for Triche and Dufresne.

However, Dufresne, a naturally outgoing and friendly person, said sitting in front of TV cameras was “no big deal.”That was just fine with Desimone, who was glad her classmates were chosen to go on live television.

“I’d probably choke and say something dumb,” she said with a laugh.

But for Triche it was a very good experience.

“I enjoyed getting involved,” she said. Triche plans a career in counseling andeducation.

Banquer was pleased with how the students responded to the experience.

“At first they were a bit shy,” Banquer said, “but they all ended up being terrific.”Desimone thinks it will help out her career aspirations to be a journalist.

Dufresne said he doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life yet, but wants to do something where “I interact with people.”Banquer was enthusiastic about the results.

“I plan on doing this again and using students,” she said.

The television exposure helped the school. Because of the show, Banquer saidinterest in St. Joan of Arc did increase. They even got parents from outsideSt. John Parish calling about enrolling their children.

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