As high schools try to plan Class of 2020 graduation ceremonies amid the uncertainty of coronavirus restrictions, HSSN has added its video capabilities to their menu of options.
HSSN, the High School Sports Network of Trib Total Media, is offering high school administrators across the region its video production and livestreaming services.
“We can chronicle graduation events at a safe social distance,” said Justin LaBar, general manager of HSSN. “No one yet knows exactly how the ceremonies may be conducted, or how many people might be able to attend. We are a backup option no matter what happens.”
LaBar is working with several high schools to produce videos to commemorate the graduating class. The school provides photos of graduating seniors and videos of the speeches from valedictorians, teachers and other figures. “They hand over all the material, and we can assemble it easily” at a nominal fee that covers basic expenses, he said.
With infrastructure built to broadcast high school sporting events, HSSN can livestream graduation ceremonies, in whatever form they take. LaBar anticipates that some schools will hold graduation events with limited attendance; a livestream can allow siblings and extended family members to join in. The ceremonies would be recorded and made available for downloading.
Jennifer Bertetto, the president and CEO of Trib Total Media, compared the HSSN initiative to transformations across other industries.
“Garment manufacturers are making face masks. Local distilleries are producing hand sanitizer,” she said. “We want to provide solutions to problems that have cropped up in the pandemic. Everyone is adapting.”
The rituals of a high school graduation are “emotionally very important to the students and their families,” she said.
“The seniors this year are missing out on milestone moments. If we can help capture part of them, it feels like a way we can make a contribution.”
To learn more about the HSSN initiative, contact LaBar at jlabar@triblive.com.
