Contest tips, convention talk and teacher banter from STN
Zach Garrett and Omar Delgado mix constant teasing with practical talk about running a school broadcast program, from contest entries and the STN convention to workshops and critique. Guests include STN judge Phil Berman, visitors from other schools, and Karn McKinney, the returning guest the pair call 'the queen'.
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Say Your Name and Spell It is a Student Television Network podcast about the working life of a school broadcast program. Zach Garrett and Omar Delgado introduce the episodes and sign off together. Nobody pretends there is a script. One cold open starts with a quick 'how do we do this?' and a decision to wing it. Another is a mic check that turns into an argument over whether the slip will end up as the intro. The teasing rarely stops, whether the subject is who ages like fine wine, who is merely 'mid', or who feels 'new teacher tired' with another year in the books. Then the talk turns practical and gets specific. In one conversation a speaker lists the flaws that sink contest entries: no tripod, audio all over the place, black holes, jump cuts, misspelled supers and full screens, and ignored rules, like showing the hotel when a contest says not to. Another makes the case for entering competitions anyway, for the feedback, even when an honorable mention would feel like winning the Super Bowl. The same exchange includes a candid admission: watching the winners at an STN awards night showed one program how pedestrian its graphics looked. Ideas get passed around as freely as the jokes. One is splitting students by grade into rival teams, each entering its own show, to escape the rut of doing the same thing year after year. Another is a session where teachers bring what they are still struggling with and others chime in with how their own schools handle it. A speaker credits Tom White, described as a legendary former teacher in Georgia, with the idea that the magic happens in the hallway conversations. The STN convention comes up again and again, counted down to beforehand and relived afterward. The speakers call the Long Beach gathering their largest yet. One exchange explains why a nonprofit would rather spend on scholarships and the attendee experience than on wi-fi for everyone. There are practical reminders too, such as registering for the Summer Advisor Workshop through the STN website dashboard. Guests widen the view. STN judge Phil Berman appears on 'Countdown to Convention', and Jason Fernandez of Christopher Columbus High School and Christian Sanchez of Gulliver Prep join 'New Year, New Mindset'. There a guest admits to being terrified of Mr. Delgado at first and says being torn apart by him is a good thing. The same guest gives new teachers short advice: be kind, be positive, sit somewhere between teacher and friend, but do not be too nice. Karn McKinney, the returning guest the pair call 'the queen', comes back by popular demand, and they keep saying she should drop the guest title for good. Titles such as 'Home for the Holidays', 'Sweet Summertime' and 'We're Back!' follow the school calendar, and one summer sign-off promises to see everyone in August.
Made for: Suits a school broadcast or media teacher who wants peer advice on contests, conventions and running a program, and doesn't mind plenty of teasing between colleagues along the way.
What sets it apart: The advice is unusually specific, down to jump cuts, black holes and misspelled supers, and it comes from inside the Student Television Network. The running jokes between Garrett and Delgado keep it from sounding like one more PD session.
"Say Your Name and Spell It" is an STN Podcast. Student Television Network (STN) is an international non-profit educational association that supports, promotes, and recognizes excellence in scholastic broadcast journalism, creative video, filmmaking and media convergence for middle and high school students and teachers. We work with high school and middle school teachers and students all year to support curriculum, education and peer interaction.
A contest judge reads every onscreen title, and your students' spell-check habit starts to look wise.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A warm, wandering teacher conversation about contests, creativity, and the friendships that keep the work moving.
This episode settles into the lived-in rhythm of teachers comparing notes after a tiring contest stretch. As the semester winds down, Zach Garrett, Omar Delgado, and Karn talk through late-night calls, classroom FaceTimes, and the next wave of competitions with the ease of…
A warm return that works best when it focuses on teacher-led professional development and school-level collaboration.
Say Your Name and Spell It returns with the feel of an easy reunion, then gradually finds its footing in a grounded conversation about professional development.
A grounded case for using contests, feedback, and stronger examples to help student work improve.
Summer camp becomes a practical proving ground as Zach Garrett and Omar Delgado connect the fatigue of teaching younger students with the slower, useful work of improving student media.
A warm convention recap with a practical look at the cost of moving student video at scale.
Convention Vibes Only sits in the glow of a standout STN gathering in Long Beach, with the hosts looking back on a team that beat expectations, fresh teacher connections, and students finding ways to work together across the event.
A convention countdown becomes a practical reminder to make clean entries, proof carefully, and follow the rules.
The episode stays close to the practical pressure of STN's biggest convention yet: student work has to function technically, and students have to know what a contest is asking for.
Héctor and Beto dissect Mexican grammar, slang, and news in native-speed Spanish conversations.
Small habit changes meet hands-on AI experiments.
Hope, tested in real conversation.
Everyday English, explained in real conversation.
Practical help for ordinary life friction.
Motivation for the next hard step.
The hosts of Say Your Name and Spell It look back on the Tampa STN convention, starting with food finds like the Cuban sandwich and the Bacon Eggs truck near the Hyatt House.
Zach Garrett, Omar Delgado, and Karin spend Home for the Holidays on STN contest prep, from Challenge and Fall Frenzy to STN 180 and Broadcast and Film Excellence.
Omar, Zach, and Karin McKimmy use Say Your Name and Spell It to recap the first STN Teacher Advisor Workshop at Gulliver Prep in Miami, where almost 60 teachers spent several days trading grading, storytelling, and contest-prep ideas.
["Say Your Name and Spell It talks with Dave Davis, STN's new contest coordinator and one of its founders, about how summer work and contest feedback shape student broadcast programs.", "Davis describes a summer camp that pays STN fees and travel, plus weekly practice where freshmen and sophomores drill fundamentals while upperclassmen build commercials, news features, and nat packages from open-ended prompts.", "He traces STN from its 1999 launch and Camp STN in 2000 to the 2004 convention he helped start after signing a hotel contract and aiming for 500 attendees.", "His clearest line is that \"people are more interesting than things,\" and he keeps returning to character-driven stories, honest critique, and the rule that \"the glories in the story\" matter more than awards."]
["Say Your Name and Spell It's \"Convention Vibes Only\" follows Omar and Zach after STN's Long Beach convention, where they keep circling back to \"our largest one ever,\" pin trading, and the CCNN jacket that ended up in Hawaii.", "The conversation shifts to a first-ever summer teacher workshop in Miami, Florida, built with Karn, Zach's studio, hotels, restaurants, and sponsors like B&H so teachers can prepare students before fall.", "Omar gives concrete mentoring examples from Miami High, Cardinal Gibbons, and Nova School, while also describing how he rebuilt after losing seven or eight seniors and started working with 15 freshmen since sixth grade.", "Sherry Stilson and Shonda Tindall later explain why STN's 169 schools and 3,115 attendees forced new choices on opening ceremonies, uploads, and Wi-Fi, including Casey Neistat's GoPro-backed keynote and the move toward in-person turn-ins."]
["Say Your Name and Spell It uses the approaching STN convention, a summer advisor workshop, and an interview with Phil Berman to give teachers concrete broadcast advice.", "Garrett and Delgado say convention is only a few days away, that the numbers point to the largest convention ever, and that the July 17 mixer will be at the Marriott Hotel in Dadeland.", "The summer advisor workshop at Gulliver Prep in Miami is built around culture, parent and admin communication, equipment choices, trading spaces, and STN contests and curriculum.", "Berman gives specific judging notes on Crazy Eights, from dressing the part and using different stand-up locations to avoiding pre-planned stories, technical mistakes, and the wrong morning-show tone."]
Omar Delgado and Zach Garrett interview Jason Fernandez of Christopher Columbus High School’s CCNN Live and Christian Sanchez of Gulliver Prep’s Raider Vision about preparing for student broadcasting competitions.
Omar Delgado and Zach Garrett discuss the STN convention cycle, including Tampa, Long Beach, rising hotel prices above $500 per night, and recruiting student teams.
Zach Garrett and Omar Delgado discuss STN contest season, including the 60 Second Horror Fest and the November 8–13 STN Challenge.
Zach Garrett and Omar Delgado open the new school year by discussing Garrett's selection as STN Teacher of the Year and the support he received from other teachers.
Zach Garrett and Omar Delgado recap a school year in student television, including new daily, monthly, sports, and social-media programs.
Say Your Name and Spell It follows Zach Garrett, Omar Delgado, and guest Natasha Delgado less than a week after the STN Convention in Long Beach, California.
Say Your Name and Spell It brings hosts Zach Garrett and Omar Delgado together with students Amelie Santini and Sebastian Broach to discuss preparing for an STN convention.
Zach Garrett and Omar Delgado give teachers a preparation checklist for STN's national convention in Long Beach, including practice schedules, editing-room restrictions, travel logistics, food planning, and safety rules.
Zach Garrett and Omar Delgado interview Trevor Johnson, Snap Raise's Eastern Director of Sales, about fundraising for Student Television Network travel and equipment.
Say Your Name and Spell It brings Zach Garrett, Omar Delgado, and Ben Barnholt together to discuss STN Challenge, Fall Nationals, and convention preparation.
Zach Garrett and Omar Delgado explain the STN Challenge, including its November 2 start date, $25 entry fee, category limits, and November 7 submission deadline.
Say Your Name and Spell It features Zach Garrett, Omar Delgado, and STN outreach and engagement manager Shonda Tindall discussing STN’s revamped website, contests, judging rubrics, and convention planning.
Karin McKimmy describes how Catawba Ridge High School uses food, routines, positive feedback, and administrative support to build a student broadcasting team.
Say Your Name and Spell It opens season four with hosts Omar Delgado and Zach Garrett discussing STN’s support for student broadcast journalism and filmmaking.
Kevin Matsunaga introduces Paul Kass as the new Student Television Network president after Kass spent 18 years with STN.
Kevin Matsunaga and Ken Stone prepare Student Television Network affiliates for the February 2021 online convention, including contests, judging, uploads, and Zoom sessions.
Kevin Matsunaga’s January 2021 STN podcast episode combines online-convention reminders with an interview with retired NBC correspondent Bob Dotson, a seven-time national Emmy winner.
Kevin Matsunaga interviews STN convention committee chair Grant Bohantin about the February 12–15, 2021 online convention and registration through January 15.
Kevin Matsunaga interviews John Allen, the 2020 STN Teacher of the Year from Wai'anae High School, about microphones and sound for student productions.
Kevin Matsunaga interviews new STN staff members Josh Cantrell and Sherry Stilson about supporting educators and students during 2020’s hybrid and distance-learning school year.
Kevin Matsunaga, Jackie Romi, and Jeb Brunn discuss how the Student Television Network adapted its 2020 school-year plans during COVID-19.
Say Your Name and Spell It presents an STN Inside the Industry conversation with re-recording mixer Jeffrey Habush and supervising sound editor Owen Greenwich-Young about film and television sound.
Kevin Matsunaga and Jackie Romi discuss STN’s May 2020 response to school closures, including a quarantine contest, teacher Zoom calls, and industry webinars.
Kevin Matsunaga interviews STN CEO Nancy Held-Lucas about the canceled 2020 Washington, D.C.
Say Your Name and Spell It explains the Washington, D.C.
Kevin Matsunaga gives January 2020 updates for the Student Television Network convention, including the February 12 registration deadline, March 4 nationals deadline, and four entries in the Crazy 8’s podcast contest.
Kevin Matsunaga and Nancy Held-Lucas explain how schools should prepare for 2020 STN convention registration in Washington, D.C., including contest limits, payment steps, and deadlines.
Kevin Matsunaga gives October 2019 deadlines and rules for the Student Television Network Challenge, including October 17 registration, a $20 fee per entry, teams of four, and a 5 p.m.
Say Your Name and Spell It explains Student Television Network contests, including the STN Challenge’s October 17 registration deadline, October 18 prompt release, and October 23 upload deadline.