April 15, 2025
By Dr. Jai Zhan, New Media, Journalism and Communications Arts Department Head
NATCHITOCHES – A group of students from Bossier Parish School for Technology & Innovative Learning (BPSTIL) and their teacher, Eric Crowder, observed preparation work conducted by Northwestern State University’s student media staff for Demon Fest, the spring music festival, April 11.
Student Media Coordinator Matthew Craig took the students to the Seven Oaks Stage, where he introduced them to the history and current progress of the Demon Fest. Many students recorded videos of the campus landscaping and the setup for the festival, which they intended to use for their follow-up video projects, news packages, or social media reels about NSU.
The students also participated in discussion sessions on investigative journalism with Jim Mustian, the Wise Chair of Journalism, and learned about NSU-TV with Dr. Nick Taylor. Mustian encouraged the students to be curious by asking “why” and “how” questions that can lead to societal changes through investigative reporting. He inspired them to adopt a step-by-step approach to gathering information. The session on investigative journalism was both informative and interactive, emphasizing the importance of information-seeking, methodology, and social responsibility.
Taylor, along with NSU-TV crew members, conducted a storytelling exercise in the TV studio. He encouraged students to think about an object in their backpacks that holds sentimental value and to share the story behind it with their communication partner. The students had the opportunity to share their stories with each other and the larger audience. Through this exercise, they also gained valuable reporting and interviewing skills.
Dr. Jessica Zhang, the department head of New Media, Journalism and Communication Arts, organized this engaging half-day program. She concluded the program by inviting students to this year’s JaM (Journalism and Media) Day on November 7.
