CSCC Newletter, 2009

15thth Anniversary CelebrationsAnniversary Celebrations

CSCC CSCC VVibesibes Caribbean SchoolCaribbean SchoolCaribbean School

For For For

Catholic CommunicationsCatholic CommunicationsCatholic Communications

COMMUNICATIONS: New Pathways to God “Creating a culture of dialogue through print and new technologies”

(2009)

CSCC rising CSCC rising

to the to the

Challenge of Challenge of

the Digital the Digital

WorldWorld

Holy Mass and an amazing spectacle

of talent and culture opened the 15th

Anniversary of the Caribbean School

of Catholic Communication. It was

both a tribute to our journey from

mere visitors, to masters of the

digital continent and to the

conquests still to be had.

The chief celebrant and the

school‟s principal, Msgr. Jason

Gordon delivered a poignant homily

on who we are as Catholic

Communicators and our ever evolving

roles in light of the new technologies.

Msgr. Gordon paid tribute to deceased

Archbishop Anthony Pantin for his

foresight and support. He also

thanked Archbishop Edward Gilbert

for his continued support.

Also on the

programme was a video-taped

message from Archbishop Gilbert in

which he congratulated the school

on our

accomplishments and

expressed his continued

support.

Immediately

following the mass we were treated

to a multimedia presentation entitled

“Spread the Word” put on by past

and present students as well as

members of the faculty. It was

absolutely amazing to see the

different countries of the Caribbean

use different art forms to

c o m m u n i c a t e G o d ‟ s

message and the goals of

Communication School.

A n o t h e r m a j o r

highlight of the programme

was an address from Sr.

Angela Ann Zukowski who

spoke of the dreams of

becoming more professional

as Communicators with a

difference. Namely, the

d ip lo ma in P as tor a l

Communication that CSCC

plans to introduce this year

in association with the

University of Dayton and the

Catholic Religious Education

Development Institute

(CREDI).

We at the

Caribbean School for

C a t h o l i c

Communications regard this

institution as on that continues to

provide a beacon of hope for

Catholic Communication.

P A G E 2

CSCCCSCC

Caribbean School for Catholic CommunicationsCaribbean School for Catholic Communications

1995 - 2009

P A G E 3

CSCCCSCC


' C h a n g e l i n g ' i s a n

interestingly motivating movie that

captures Christine

Collins‟s unrelenting

and desperate search

for her missing son

and the media‟s

intervention in her

case leading to the

downfall of the Los

Angeles Police

D e p a r t m e n t

(LAPD).

The movie

captivates its audience by appealing to

the sanctuary of the conscience. It

sheds light on the devastating social

ills which many societies face today. It

reaches into the hearts and souls of its

viewers, aiding to the lack of false

consciousness that clouds the eyes of

many of God‟s people.

Based on a true story set in

1928, the movie features the dramatic

experiences which a matrifocal

household endures. It begins with a

surreal picture of Collins, a single

parent working as a telephone operator

to maintain the survival of her family,

facing the horror of her only child,

Walter, being abducted by a mentally

depraved man. Obviously when the

mother becomes aware that her nine-

year-old son is missing, as natural

instincts demand, she makes a report

to the police department. After five

months the police presents „a‟ son to

her saying that he is her child.

However it is not her boy. Thus, the

most preposterous thinking of the

officers was to present the child to the

grieving mother in demand that she

makes a public statement that they (the

officers) had done their job in

reuniting the family. They did this in

pursuit of fame and power. The movie

shows that the police department was,

as we „Trini‟ say "up to their necks in

corruption”.

Changeling shows how

social order is being undermined and

forces you to take a closer look at

what is happening in society. An even

closer look shows the integrity of

those persons we appoint as the

leaders of our communities. It also

leads you to realize and internalize the

fact that power can be a manipulative

force which can allow us to lose our

true sense of conscience and thereby

propel us to lose sight of our personal

relationship with God. This is a

typical example of why we need to

maintain that close relationship with

God

Furthermore, the traumatic

experience the mother endures

having to prove to the police that the

boy‟s height, dental structure and

memory could not have changed in

the months he was missing, leads to

Collins being arrested and locked

away to an asylum. The media was

the vigilant watchdog in the movie.

The journalists are seen scribbling

on their notepads and following

every part of Collins‟s story. They

give the mother a voice for the

injustice she faced. Protest, the

release of innocent women from the

asylum and the heads of he LAPD

being fired, stems from Collins‟s

issues always being highlighted in the

print and electronic media.

The movie also provides a

true learning experience because it

exerts that air of

kindness and sympathy

towards the neighbor. As

the new commandment

states, „love thy neighbor

as thyself.‟ Changeling

features a pastor who is

mainly responsible for

t h e

presence of this

fee l ing.

His role

i s

essential

because

he saves

t h e

grieving

m o t h e r

from the

u n f a i r

forces of

„ j u s t i c e ‟ .

One can visualize the picture of

the extended hand of Christ, who

is always there to save us from

ourselves.

How many cases have

we heard on the television, the

radio and read in the newspaper

about the above social ill. This act

from the movie unmasks the

misguided

image of

t h e

lawlessness

a n d

immorality

present in

t o d a y ‟ s

s o c i e t y .

Can you

h o n e s t l y

count at this

v e r y

m o m e n t ,

how many

innocent members of society, who

were and are being reported to

have gone missing? Of course

not! The movie therefore drives

us to the point of correctly

identifying and anticipating

measures to

deal with such

immoral acts.

Get a copy!

‘Changeling’… got it? Have it!

By Nikita Braxton

and Takiyah Marchan

P A G E 4

In the words Sr.

A n g e l a A n n

Zukowski, “Media

Education is a

quest for meaning.

It is a tool for

educating people

to ask critical

questions about media and

digital technology in

relationship to faith, human

dignity and Christian

values.” This is precisely

the work of the Media

Education Workshop.

I had the pleasure of

interviewing Renee Reyes a

first year student of the said

w o r k s h o p a n d w a s

completely captivated by her

sheer excitement when

s p e a k i n g a b o u t h e r

experiences with the

workshop. Here is a

little bit of what she

said.

Q. Define media

education for those

of us who may be

unfamiliar with the

term? Media Education is a

quest for meaning.

Q. Why did you

choose this workshop?

I think media education is

integral to our communal

growth and for me it serves

as a foundation for positive

catholic communication.

Q. How do you think your

experience will empower

you?

From all the experience with

the different forms of media,

I am now able to express

myself more

efficiently;

for example,

via web 2.0,

video, audio,

web design

a n d

journalism.

Q. Any final

Comments?

I have grown spiritually and

I am now completely

convinced that we can use the

l a t e s t c o m mu n i c a t i o n

technology to teach the faith.

With all this information I

am personally excited about

media education.

Here we have this

wonderful tool

which provides us

with such amazing

possibilities.

g r o u p .

Since I

do not

have an

“angelic

voice”, I

joined CSCC‟s audio

workshop to be able to help

the group set up audio for

music ministry.

Compare last year’s

experience to CSCC 2009.

L a s t y e a r I w a s

o v e r w h e l m e d w i t h

information as the technical

and theological teachings

were new to me. This year, I

was more comfortable as I

knew the background in the

field.

How did you use last year’s

teaching?

I used the theology and

production to help with

Natasha Subero is a second

year Audio student at

CSCC but most would

remember her as Saint

Frances de Chantal who

appeared during the

group‟s morning prayer

session on Wednesday.

Natasha is a member of

G l o r i o u s R h y t h m s

Acclaiming Christ Eternal

(Love) (G.R.A.C.E) music

ministry. She took time off

from script writing, setting

up microphones and

speakers, adding background

effects, from the audio

workshop, to recount her

CSCC experience.

Why did you choose to join

CSCC?

As a member of G.R.A.C.E,

I wanted to contribute to the

G.R.A.C.E‟s show “Shout

from the Rooftops” which

is taped at the Living

Water community.

How did your portrayal

as Saint Jane Frances de

Chantel enlighten you

d u r i n g y o u r C S C C

experience? To portray Saint Jane Frances

de Chantal, I had to learn

about her life experience of

being married and then being

called to the sainthood. This

helped me realize we can

expect anything from God

and should be open when he

calls.

How do you plan to use this

year’s teaching at CSCC to

help you ministry?

I hope to contribute towards

the G.R.A.C.E‟s website

which is presently a work in

progress.

CSCCCSCC


Media Education

Renee Reyes

Audio Workshop

By: Chrelle Moses

Natasha Subero

By Nikita Braxton

P A G E 5

What inspired you to enroll at

CSCC? Nikita

I found that there was a

need to become a better

Catholic communicator.

Since the school is Catholic

oriented, I believed I would

h a v e o b t a i n e d t h e

necessary tools to improve

the Parish newsletter a vital

tool for informing and

evangelizing. CSCC has

not disappointed.

What have you benefited from

this workshop? Sr. Christine

It has helped me polish my writing

skills and gave me the confidence

to write. This is my final year at

CSCC and not only have I grasped

new skills but on a personal note,

at the beginning of my school year

I was shy. Meeting new people,

has helped me to feel more

confident about interacting. This is

a confidence that allows me to

write and it has enriched my

spiritual life due to the grounding

sessions that CSCC featured.

What is the most exciting

highlight of this experience?

Cheryl

Learning that communication is

the right of every human being

thus it is not bound by political

power. I enjoyed meeting different

people from all over the

Caribbean. I was also captivated

by the reality of talented persons

present.

What is the Journalism

workshop? Alex

It is a workshop where I learn

the skills required to make,

whether it is a newsletter or an

article, efficient reliable and

informative while at the same

time holding the interest of

reading community. Whatever

skills I entered the workshop

with have also enhanced which

will not only benefit me but

others through my work.

Would you recommend this

workshop to others? James

Yes, because it is conclusive the

p r i m a r y p u r p o s e o f

evangelization was directed by

basics

of script writing and

production while the third year

students function as the editors

learning how to edit and pick

the shots and frames. The

participants of the workshop

divide themselves into different

groups to work on different

projects with each year group

performing their specific

function. The entire workshop

also combines the efforts of all

the participants for one

production which, this year was

Video Workshop

The video workshop continues to

be a stalwart of CSCC as the

largest single workshop with over

twenty students. The workshop,

led by Ms Gitlin Aleong, is

divided essentially into three

categories based on year groups.

The first year students have the

opportunity to learn the essentials

of how to use the camera. The

second year students engage in the

Morning Prayer on Friday

morning.

Many of the students have

in fact learnt a lot. They

especially appreciate the

opportunities that they

have had to work with and

learn from their peers in

the workshop. At the end

of their three years, the

students are sure to be equipped

with the tools necessary for the

use of visual media in the

c o n t e x t o f C a t h o l i c

Communication.

CSCCCSCC


Journalism Workshop

Video Workshop

By Takiyah Marchan

By Christophe Cole

Our Lord, to go into the world and

spread the Word. The spontaneous

and simultaneous response elicited

by updated means in a timely

manner, fills a prospectus from our

achievement and cumulates an

efficiency to execute Gods primary

purpose. I thank my very efficient

facilitator, Msgr. Patrick Anthony.

What have you learnt from this

workshop? Maria

I learned a lot about web 2.0 tools

and how I can apply this method of

communication to my parish duties.

I learnt more about the ethics in

communications and the importance

of a moral foundation. I learned the

importance of reading tips, writing

tips, structure tips, and most

importantly, how to keep my

audience attraction with an article.

Since this is your final year at

CSCC, what do you have to say?

Christophe

Overall it‟s been a very good

experience. Since my first year I

have always been eager to come

back. I‟ve always found that every

year has its own venture. I‟m sure

that what I‟ve learnt at CSCC

would not go to waste. I truly, hope

that the school can continue to

effectively and efficiently evolve

the way we minister and

evangelize.

not only with the Web but also

Catholic life thus making the

sessions very beneficial.

Q: How do you intend to

use the information

acquired from the

facilitators and other

persons of the school?

I plan to use the

information attained

within my Church

Community as a form of

bringing the Church congregation

together and all other Catholic

groups which I am involved in,

for example, the Confirmation

class.

Q: Would you encourage

anyone to attend the CSCC in the

upcoming year or years to come?

Yes, I will, because it‟s a learning

experience which involves not

only chosen courses but mass

communications on a whole and

how the Church uses it. It‟s also a

great way to

increase your

Catholic faith

and meet exciting people.

Interview with Andrew Oxley

Gaskin from the island

of Trinidad, 24 years of

age.

Q: What does the

workshop entail?

The workshop entailed

learning how to create

and post a blog, also

restructuring the CSCC

website.

Q: Considering your motive for

attending the CSCC 2009 do you

feel satisfied by what was

exposed to you within the

workshops, grounding exercises

and presentations?

Yes, I believe I have gained new

insight into the new technologies

of the Web 2.0. In gaining all this

information, I believe that I can

return to my parish and help it

move forward wi th new

interacting ways in the world as a

Digital pace.

CSCCCSCC


Web– design Workshop By Alex Walker

P A G E 6

The theme of the CSCC 2009 was

“Communications: New Pathways to

God.” The Web Design workshop plays

an integral role especially since we are

entering the digital continent. The aim of

the school is to get Catholics aucourant

with techniques and production skills, as

well as Catholic teaching on media thus

making the Web design workshop

exquisitely ideal.

Interview with Kizzy Rennie from the

island of Grenada, 21 years of age.

Q: Do you consider

the Web Design

W o r k s h o p

beneficial?

Yes I do. As a year

one student, I was

exposed to the many

w a y s o f

c o m m u n i c a t i n g ,

more than I thought possible. I gained

quite a large amount of experience and

knowledge from my facilitator and the

year 2 and 3 students. They assisted me

We’re on the web!

Www.cscctt.org

Documents

CSCC Newletter, 2009