Audio engineer’s prolific output pays big dividends

Both Shield Online podcast series, ‘Feedback Loop’ and ‘The S Word,’ place in National Scholastic Press Association Best of Show competition at national journalism convention

The two episodes of “Feeback Loop” produced and published this school year placed third in NSPA Best of Show competition at the fall national high school journalism conference.

While we are in the Thanksgiving mode, we’d like to express how grateful we are for audio engineer Theo Roe who has been cranking out quality podcasts since he joined the staff this semester and to be honest even before that this summer.

Theo Roe has produced three episodes of “The S Word Podcast.” The first was an exclusive interview with interim principal Nicole Griffith followed by a two-part interview about heavy metal with world history and world geography teacher Greg Anderson.

Both of the series that Stella Shenkman launched for the Shield–“Feedback Loop” and “The S Word”–placed in the National Scholastic Press Association Best of Show competition at the Fall National High School Journalism Convention on Saturday.

Theo produced the two episodes of Feedback Loop and the three episodes of The S Word that earned the Best of Show Awards.

”I’ve always loved audio work, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to just take an idea and run with it,” Theo said. “Stella was my mentor in tech theatre, so it only feels right that I’m building on her legacy both in there and with the podcasts.”

If that wasn’t enough good audio news, Theo and senior Javier Vela launched a third series this month, “Real Talk,” the Shield’s equity podcast, and the first episode has already earned a Best of Student Newspaper Online award.

What’s next, Theo?

Tomas Marrero and Stella Shenkman collaborated on the first episode of “Feedback Loop” when they were seniors a year ago. The episode was one of 10 finalists for NSPA Digital Story of the Year in the podcast category.

“I just want to keep cranking them out. Podcasts are still relatively easy to record while being completely virtual, so it’s a great medium to explore. My goals would definitely be to just keep improving quality and just plain make more. I’m looking forward to making more podcasts and honing my craft.”

Thank goodness. On this Thanksgiving Day, we are thankful for you and all you have brought (and will bring) to MacJ.

NOTE: A shout out to MacJ alums Tomas Marrero and Stella Shenkman for being named national finalists for Podcast of the Year for the inaugural episode of Feedback Loop. For Shenkman, it was the second year in a row that she was an NSPA Individual Award finalist after winning second place in the 2019 Multimedia Journalist of the Year competition. By being a NSPA Individual Award finalist in 2019 and 2020, she joins fellow alum Max Rhodes and senior Bella Russo as the first MacJournalists to be named national finalists in two different years.