The Daily HERD is a news segment that is shown every fourth period at Mounds View High School. It helps communication within the school and brings pride into the community by showing achievements that occur in the school.
Principal Rob Reetz came up with the idea of the Daily HERD from his time spent at Edgewood Middle School. “We had a daily news segment that helped communicate things going on in the school with kids and also staff,” Reetz said. With the vast number of activities at Mounds View, it made sense to students and staff to have an effective way to talk about what was happening in the community. Reetz wants the Daily HERD to promote and create more awareness of all of the things happening at Mounds View.
At the beginning of the school year, Reetz sent out an email looking for anyone interested in being a part of the Daily HERD. The cast is made up of a handful of students who want to be involved with the Mounds View culture.
The Daily HERD is filmed in Reetz’s office before school starts and then edited by Reetz. Most news that is presented is sent to Reetz by the captains, coaches, advisors or other members of the group that wants to be mentioned, along with a pre-written script.
The production of the Daily HERD requires several moving parts to create a segment. “You can look at the script and you can look at the camera, but you can’t look at both. [The] thing is that there’s [something] called [artificial intelligence], and Rob Reetz is a master of it,” said senior Oliver Boswell. “He uses a tool to actually adjust your eyes so they’re focusing on the camera.”
On the topic of AI, many students have noticed examples of AI-generated images used in the production. While there are many controversial arguments surrounding its use, Boswell explains that it works practically for their purpose. “You can kind of tell if it is or not [AI],” he said. “But I think it’s meant to add, kind of, a level of engagement that you otherwise wouldn’t get with just someone talking at you with just a face.”
While some may find it stressful to talk in front of the entire school, Boswell does not worry about it too much. “If you get a take wrong, you want to redo the take until you get it right. But after a little bit, you get comfortable in front of the camera and it’s less stressful,” Boswell said. “And you want to have good hair. That’s the other thing, that’s important.”
By giving a shoutout to different groups, the Daily HERD helps staff and students learn more about the plentiful activities offered at Mounds View and recognizes the achievements of the community. “I’m happy to promote what clubs are feeling and doing,” Reetz said.