By Aubree Chappell

August 26, 2026

Selena Ramirez,  senior at Fountain Inn High School, is in Media Tech 4. She's a photographer and she always helps people around her.

 Ramirez really likes media tech and enjoys how you can do anything in the class and turn it into something.

 Jeff Hoffman teaches the class and has helped Ramirez learn everything she knows about media tech.

 “Media tech keeps me interested because I get to be creative. Someone can say an idea and bounce around and make it into a bigger idea,”  Ramirez said.

Ramirez started media tech as just something to do, not really knowing what her interests were. She wanted to experiment with it, and now she has real interest in becoming a photographer and working on her own. 

She's been doing a lot of work with Jalin Hill, JPhotos, and his photography, taking wedding pictures, portraits, senior pictures and other types of pictures.

Ramirez is an independent learner. She works on her own, but when anyone asks for help she is quick to lend a hand. 

“Last year I had to help teach the Media Tech 1 students. I loved showing how the cameras work helping them set up the lights,” Ramirez said. 

“Selena is very kind and sweet. She's always ready to do her work and is very helpful and always helps other students with their questions” senior Tyler Boyd said.

Ramirez has had a 100 in the class in all four levels. After Ramirez graduates, she is going to take everything she has learned from media tech like camera work, creativity, and communicating with other people and use those skills in photography.

By Aubrey Elamparo

August 26, 2026

Tyler Boyd is a 12th grade student at Fountain Inn High School who is currently enrolled in his fourth year of the Media Tech class. An enthusiastic student, Boyd enjoys being able to exercise his creativity and participate in the production process. You might even recognize him from some of the videos frequently published on the FIHS website!

Boyd was placed into the class within his freshman year of high school, and he ended up enjoying it so much that he continued with the pathway all the way through senior year. 

“I can always have fun when I’m taking Media Tech,” Boyd said.

Jeffrey Hoffman teaches the Media Tech classes, and has been known to strongly encourage students’ ideas and creativity when it comes to producing videos.

“[Hoffman] gives us the option to create however we want, so that’s how we’re able to exercise our creativity,” Boyd said.  

Boyd is also heavily involved in the video production process in the class. He enjoys editing videos, with one of his own videos even being featured on the FIHS channel. Video creation is a big part of Media Tech’s impact on the school community.

“To go out and film, that’s my favorite thing,” Boyd said.

Hoffman himself also praised Boyd’s production and collaboration skills, calling him a “real creative editor” and noting that Boyd’s relaxed and entertaining nature “keeps the whole class calm and collected,”

The Media Tech class has been an enjoyable and supportive space for so many students over the years, from the basic levels to the most advanced. It’s safe to say that Boyd has been an eager student throughout his Media Tech journey. From learning, to editing, to filming, and so on, Boyd has enjoyed nearly every part of the class experience, and he’s learned much more than just how to make content.

“The most important thing I’ve learned is how to be a better person,” Boyd said.

By: Kai Long

August 26, 2026

Senior Jackson Semethy has been in the media tech pathway since his sophomore year at FIHS. Semethy has grown in his editing skills since taking media tech, which is what he wants to pursue as a career. 

“Since there was a class offered, I decided to try it out since I enjoyed editing in my own time,” Semethy said. “I really liked the class, and I enjoyed the people that I met in the class as well.”

Semethy has been able to take a Media Tech class every year. 

“I can learn how I can improve in every level of Media Tech class that I take,” Semethy said. “I love that the videos I make can be viewed by hundreds of people, and I love that I can help out others.” 

Semethy says media tech is a heavy project class, but there are no quizzes or tests.

“Media Tech is an incredibly project heavy class, especially in 3 and 4,” Semethy said. “Pretty much all of your grades will be your professionalism for the week.”

            Semethy wants to be an editor for bigger shows.

“When I grow up, I want to be an editor for bigger shows and movies and stuff.” Semethy said. 

“[Jackson] did lots of stuff with animation or still pictures and animated them to become moving pictures. He’s a creative editor and we try to focus him in that area because that's where he does his best work,” Media Tech teacher Jeff Hoffman said. 

By: Kamorhii Baxter

Aug 26th,2026

Senior TJ Hill at Fountain Inn High School and has been in the Media Tech (MT) program since his freshman year. During his time in the class, he has learned photography, editing, and working with different school events.

     Something Hill likes about MT is that the taught skills can be used outside of the classroom. 

“The class has helped him learn teamwork and management skills which can be useful in many careers,especially those involving social media,” Hill said. 

           A normal day in MT involves editing projects and finishing assignments from the day before.

 “The class gets easier as you gain more experience and become familiar with the equipment,” Hill said. 

                  Students in MT learn camera basics and how to properly take pictures and edit.

“I help cover sporting events throughout the school year by taking pictures and working with Coach Hoffman to plan photography assignments,” Hill said. 

“Media Tech is a good class for anyone interested in photography, media, or technology. The key to doing well in the class is working with others and building connections and you cannot be shy,” Hill said.

By: Karly Sexton

August 26, 2026

Senior Jackson Semethy has been taking Media Tech since 10th grade. With a self-proclaimed love for editing, he decided taking the class would help teach him more than what he has taught himself. 

“It was the class I looked forward to the most of the day,” Semethy said. The fact that his work can be viewed by 100’s of people and for them to enjoy it is what keeps him going. 

“My favorite thing to work on are the hype videos for sports,” Semethy said. 

“He shows up and he’s willing to go to work every day,” Media Tech teacher Jeff Hoffman said. 

 In Semethy’s core classes, he says that he’s mainly doing worksheets and notes, while in media tech he can decide what he wants to do and not have to follow a set curriculum. 

 “Media Tech 3 and 4 is set up to a much higher standard than beginner levels of media tech. You have a lot more control in media tech ¾ and make much higher quality stuff that many more people will see,” Semethy said. 

 For Semethy he hasn’t gotten many outside opportunities in the workforce but for other students they get to work for WYFF.   

“I want to be an editor for bigger shows and movies so media tech gives me an opportunity to practice that every single day,” Semethy Said.

Journalism was an important class for Semethy as it is very similar in how you produce work for media tech.

Semethy’s end goal is to continue being good enough so that he can continue outside of high school and make a career out of it.

By: Lucy Tabibi

August 26, 2026

Brikelle Nelson, a junior in the Fountain Inn Media Tech program, enjoys the sports aspect of the class. Nelson works hard in both aspects but explains how she excels in broadcasting and reporting athletic events.

When asked what she's looking forward to, she said “Right now, I'm making a volleyball hype video for our home game, which is really exciting.” This really drives home her preferences.
Nelson also talks about her favorite parts of the class, Nelson said “really fun people, and you get to create stuff and be creative, so that makes it fun.” She also says “I like making videos over, like, graphics or, and then I like it better than making the new show and stuff, just making videos for sports is my favorite.”

When asked what she finds important about the class she said “I've learned a lot about making videos and cameras and stuff, and that I really like to do it, which is important.” She also said “Even if I don't have, like, a career in photography or making videos, it's always something I can do on the side. Which is, like, just a good skill to have.”

Following that I asked about what she does in class which she responded “so usually, I have a project that I'm working on. Mm hmm. And that can be, like, a hype video that can be anything, really. And so, usually, I work on that olive class, and we film new shows and work on stuff as a class, too.”

By: Tinslee Raines

August 26, 2026

Brikelle Nelson, a junior at Fountain Inn High School, excels in our media tech program. Nelson loves using her imagination to create projects. Media Tech is not your average class with chapters, readings, essays or tests. 

“We do take some quizzes and tests sometimes, and I just prefer doing projects over that. And making videos,” Nelson said. 

While the class is far from traditional, there are skills that are a requirement for students to have in order to be successful. 

Students need to have a strong work ethic, know how to use the technology (both camera/video and software), and good social skills.  

While these skills are a necessity, creativity is also a must. 

“Right now, I'm making a volleyball hype video for our home game, which is really exciting,” Nelson said.  

Nelson has used this class in her life to not only be creative but also learn key life lessons that will guide her in her life. 

“It has helped me build a lot of friendships and helped me be creative and think outside of the box,” Nelson said. 

This class has has developed Nelson in many ways, If your looking for a great class that 

will not only develop your tech skills but you as a person Nelson says this is the class you're looking for.

By: Preston Piquet

08/26/26   

Senior Tyler Boyd, a student at Fountain Inn High School has spent four years finding his passion in the Media Tech program. Boyd got into the class his freshman year.

         “I started to love Media Tech with the pathway because of the people and the fun environment,” Boyd said. 

Through the program, Boyd has learned production skills, including camera operation and video editing.

            His favorite part of the class is getting out of the classroom to capture footage, which he usually does inside the studio or down in the downstairs commons.

        "I like to go out and film, that's my favorite thing," Boyd said. “The class has also given me a platform to become a bigger part of the school community by hosting the school news show.”

Boyd’s hard work behind and in front of the camera worked out, even resulting in one of his produced videos making it onto the school channel.

While the class is helping him focus on a future career in directing, Boyd says that the absolute most important thing from his four years in Media Tech has been personal growth.

 “Mainly [Media Tech has taught me] how to be a better person," Boyd said.  

By Jillian Nees

08/26/26

Junior Brikelle Nelson has dedicated her time to the Media Tech pathway at Fountain Inn. Since freshman year, Nelson has made her way to where she is now in Media Tech 3. 

Nelson has  learned a lot of different lessons in media tech, but some are more important than others.

“[One of the most important lessons is] probably that you can do anything you put your mind to, and if you have an idea, you might as well try it. It's just something you see that doing something where you can be creative is fun and worth my time,” Nelson said. 

This was the most important lesson to Nelson and the amazing thing about this lesson is that it can be used in any kind of setting whether it is creative or business. It is important to always believe that you can do anything you set your mind to. 

While Nelson has learned a lot about herself in Media Tech, she has also grown in her technological skills. 

“My softball highlight video from last year is my favorite,” Nelson said. “I really like making sports videos.”

All the high level Media Tech students get to choose their projects and there are some that they prefer more than others.

“ I like making videos over graphics and then I like it better than making the news show and stuff like that,” Nelson said.

Because of our Media Tech program students have been able to experience the creative side of the school by making videos and all sorts of projects, just like Nelson.

“Brikelle is always willing to help anyone who needs it and has a great personality. She is good in front of the camera, and is really good at editing,” Media Tech teacher Jeff Hoffman said. 

By Trust Miller

August 26, 2026

TJ Hill, a senior in the Fountain Inn High School Media Tech class has taken the class since his freshman year. 

As Media Tech classes get more advanced, the class gradually gets easier over time.

“I enjoy the class because it gets easier over time,” Hill said. “I also enjoy that it isn’t just easy the entire time and actually challenges you.”

Hill has learned a lot of skills that he can use in the future from taking Media Tech, especially the fundamentals of cameras and how to operate them correctly. 

“This class helps with careers that involve team management and social media,” Hill said. 

Hill helps take pictures for all of the school’s Fall and Winter sports. 

“I help with all fall/winter sports, I tell the coach of the sport I’m taking pictures for, what dates he would want to take pictures for the sports,” Hill said. 

Hill’s overall drive for media tech started three years ago. 

 “I have been taking media tech since my freshman year and I'm about to complete the course [pathway], so why give up early,” Hill said. 

Not only does Hill work hard in the class, but he also has made a lot of friendships in the class. 

“Tyler Boyd is someone that I have met that I really have enjoyed working with,” Hill said. 

Media tech teaches skills that can be very useful in future career paths and take them far in life, like videography, photography, and even increasing social skills. If students have an interest in these topics, they should take Media Tech! 

By: Davion Mayfield

                                                                                     Senior Jackson Wafford is a student in the Fountain Inn High School Media Tech class. 

Wafford had been taking photos and videos outside of school, but once Wafford found out that FIHS has a whole class, he knew that is exactly what he wanted to do.

“Media 1 is  typically lower classmen, MT 2 is a little more freedom where you get to branch out and get to really do big projects and make stuff for the school and actually do stuff that other people get to see rather than just your teacher seeing your work,” Wafford said. 

He enjoys working with his fellow classmates, but when something needs to be done and the deadline is close, he knows that locking in is crucial. 

“If I need to get something done quickly, I’m just throwing on a pair of headphones and knocking it out myself because if there's a timeline and we're close to it, I want to knock it out as soon as possible,” Wafford said. 

He also said that his biggest challenge was understanding that not everyone is at his level and that sometimes he has to go out of his way to teach others and show them how to do the stuff.

“Everyone's at a different level, and I can't do everything myself,” Wafford said. 

 Media Tech seems like a very interesting class if you want to learn how to work cameras and stuff and branch out, going to football games and other sporting
events. 

 If you like taking pictures and videos this would be the perfect class for you and who knows! You might get opportunities like Wafford, like getting the opportunity to shoot an award show In Nashville.

By: Karon Robinson

Fountain Inn High School has many different pathway opportunities for students to prepare them for their future career. One of the most popular programs is Media Technology. 

Seniors TJ Hill and Tyler Boyd are in their last year of the Media Tech program. The class has been very beneficial to them, and has taught them not only technical skills, but    

communication and to learn to be versatile and creative. when asked on how this course helps students and not only benefit them but help them as a person 

This course gets students out of their shell their senior year. This could impact their communication skills and their personality traits could get improved in the future and helped them gain experience that they really might need for the future. 

Students that are placed in this class get the opportunity to gain experience and get confidence. 

“A lot of people are shy as soon as you get behind a camera or you're interviewed or whatever. And also, just having... You know, just, like, a good mindset at all times,” Hill said. 

Media Tech provides hands-on lessons behind a camera. Students are trained in video editing  that involves school events and produce INNvision news.

 “This program benefits students by the class being adventurous overall and that’s what makes this program stand out” Boyd said. 

“I have learned how to take photos, how to edit, basically, how to pull in different interviewers and scheduling and, also just like a new creative mindset," Hill said. 

In addition to a beneficial learning environment, students learn a lot of technical skills in the class.  Media Tech, some choices that I benefited from was learning professionalism from Coach Hoffman and learned how to edit videos. Hill said

“I'm using the camera and I edit it or make an edit out of it, or post some photos. It always makes a big difference  because it's like, dang, I did this,” Boyd said.  

This shows that students in media tech are learning skills that benefit them in the real world.

“The class really exercises my choices basically by giving me another mindset for college and different pathways, like journalism, producer, and media leader” Boyd said. 

“As soon as you get behind a camera or you're interviewed or whatever. And also, just having... 
You know, just, like, a good mindset at all,” Hill said 

Media Tech as a class is benefiting students, however, the top five takeaways are as follows. 

“Camera operations, you know how to work the camera, how to take photos,  how to edit, basically, how to pull in different interviewers and scheduling and, also just like a new creative mindset,” Boyd said.  

 ”Taking it is definitely a big life changer. I recommend all students take Media Tech,” Hill said. 

Aubrey Elamparo

September 9, 2026

Spooky season is slowly creeping up on us, and our local International Thespian Society troupe at Fountain Inn High is gearing up for a third annual haunted house! 

Though the event has yet to be officially finalized, it’s estimated that the event will take place sometime in mid-October, and there are plans for it to be bigger and better than ever. Several members of ITS leadership have provided insight on their expectations for the upcoming event.

The first FIHS haunted house was held in 2024, and since the event’s initial success, the school has worked with the ITS troupe to make the event an annual occurrence, for more reasons than one. 

“We do an annual haunted house because it’s just a really good way to involve the community in something that everyone likes to do… And it’s also a really good fundraiser for the theatre program; it’s our biggest fundraiser for the entire year,” junior Mariah Meijas, president of ITS, said.

“We noticed how much it dragged in the customers the first two years, so we’re going to try to do a third year not only to get our theatre budget up, but to get theatre morale and school morale up as well,” senior Jack Mason, the vice president, added.

Last year’s haunted house was especially successful. There has been estimated to have been about a couple thousand people in attendance, including both kids’ hour and the main event. 

For this year’s haunted house, a new circus-like theme has been selected, and with that, more planning and preparation has become necessary to make the event better than ever.

“It’s going to be a lot more prep; we’ve already been preparing since this summer, matter of fact. We have a few months to prepare… that means we can have bigger sets, bigger ideas… that is the goal,” junior and ITS historian Sophia Evans said.

However, along with the shift in theme for this year’s event, ITS leadership have also made the decision to shift their focus on their own roles. 

In order to ensure a safe and lighthearted environment for the haunted house, many leading members have decided to not take roles as scarers or tour guides, but instead focus on the overall safety and well-being of both the volunteers and the attendees.

“Safety is a huge concern for this year’s haunted house,” Evans added.

“We just want, as leadership, to make sure we’re as safe as possible to make sure there are no mishaps,” Mason said. 

Despite the event’s tentative nature at the moment, it’s clear how much time, effort and creativity has gone into planning this year’s haunted house. Plans to promote the event include posters, flyers, video advertisements, event fundraisers, and more!

“Keep an eye on the ITS Instagram,” junior Conor Fee, ITS treasurer, said.

The Fountain Inn High School haunted house has been a well-loved event for some time now, and both the Fountain Inn community and the International Thespian Society troupe have high hopes for the success of this year’s haunted house. 

As the fall season approaches, more information on the event will be confirmed, so make sure to keep an eye out for updates both around the school and in the community.

By: Bella Star

September 23, 2026

Out of many clubs at Fountain Inn one sticks out over the rest: the robotics club. This club focuses on hands-on design and the operation of robots. Led by staff member Robert Sheffield, this program has been extremely successful, with being a two time state champion and going to the world competition every year except one.

 “We are really about career readiness and getting people the skills they need. The benefit is that we get to work with real people in real world situations,” Sheffield said.

While this team is very put together there has been some changes to make sure the team stays successful.

”The biggest change has been the creation of team 4864, our JV team. It has made a massive positive impact on our program. Instead of new members sitting on the sidelines waiting for older students to graduate before getting a chance to build, they can now jump right into hands-on work and participate in competitions immediately. Having two teams work alongside each other gives incoming members real world experience much faster,” senior robotics member, Maddox Scott said.

A unique thing about this program is that they have a new objective every year for their robot, like last year they had a shooting game where they needed to shoot a particular ball going forward.

Once the team gets their task they only have a short time of 6 weeks to prepare, plan, create, and improve their robot.

“Our entire program takes place after school. During the offseason, we meet from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and during the competitive season, practice extends until 7:00 PM. Staying after school is essential; without those dedicated hours, we simply wouldn't have enough time to design, build, and test a functioning robot,” Scott said.

Robots club is for those who want to have a profession in engineering and mechatronics, with former robotics alumni at USC contributing in computer engineering. But, even if that isn't a path that is beneficial to take, anyone can join.

“All we care about is work ethic. I mean we will train whatever you need. We have a programming mentor who does a great job of teaching our mechanical people. So even if you don't know anything we will teach you what you need to know,” Sheffield said.

While this path is open to everyone, there is one thing that one must have to succeed in this program.

“You can’t have a fear of failure. A lot of times we try stuff and it doesn't work so you’re going to problem solve, and learn how to respond when something doesn't go right.” Sheffield said. 

The future is overflowing with the possibilities that robotics and the programming software have to offer.  

“Regarding physical hardware, improvements will likely be incremental, such as robotic arms becoming stronger and capable of lifting heavier loads. The real leap forward will come from artificial intelligence. As AI integration advances, robots will gain much greater autonomy, allowing them to adapt, learn, and make decisions on their own.” Scott said.

Providing a team environment, with mentors and upperclassmen leading the way, the students at Fountain Inn High School have an amazing opportunity. Exploring the field of robotics now could lead to career opportunities in engineering and/or the sciences. 

 With the advent of Artificial Intelligence, ever expanding future fields of study and employment could open up.The world’s future is built on the creativity, intelligence, and imagination of this generation of students.Their accomplishments on the robotics team will only inspire others to blaze a trail straight to the future.  

By Lucy Taibbi

The band's halftime show is a tradition for most, we expect fun music , dancing and the occasional surprise but this year Fountain Inn's marching band has worked harder than ever to present the best show they can. 

The theme for this year's show is The Pack. Joshua Tillman, the band director," says, ¨The show is really just about a pack of wolves coming together and displaying how unified we are,¨ said Tillman.

The show has four distinct movements, and to go along with that four songs will be showcases: Dance Macabre, Moonlight Sonata, Seven Nation Army, and Hungry Like the Wolf. 

Paige Barton also talked about the show, ¨Weve been practicing since July, we had 12 hour days during the summer and now it's really just perfecting the moves and music.¨ said Barton. 

Tillman also commented on the work that went into this routine, ¨We started the creative process in January of 2026, so it's a huge amount of time.¨ Said Tillman

¨One of the biggest struggles typically is getting everyone together,  but this year we've got a great group of kids.¨ Said Tillman

The marching band relies on coordination together, if one person doesn't show up it messes with the symmetry and movements for everyone.  

Barton talked about her feelings toward the show 

¨ I'm feeling really good about it, I really enjoy the music and being on drumline is really great. We have a whole family dynamic and I love it.¨ said Barton

Tillman also commented of his opinion about the show, and what he looks forward to 

¨We are doing regionals and a performance at Coastal Carolina, which is a huge step for any school.¨ said Tillman.

By Aubrey Elamparo

September 23, 2026

As the 26-27 school year continues, new events and performances keep coming our way, providing new opportunities to build school spirit and have our FIHS students grow! 

Next month, on October 8, at 6:30 p.m., the Fountain Inn High and Hillcrest High orchestras will come together once again for a fall concert! The event will be held in the auditorium here at FIHS and Natalie Rutledge, the orchestra director for both FIHS and Hillcrest, will run the concert’s production.

This performance will mark the second fall concert held at Fountain Inn High School, and our orchestra has certainly been making significant efforts to make this performance something to enjoy.

“I started planning the music and the date of the concert back in the spring semester, around like, April, March,” Rutledge said.

“So all together with our orchestra now, we’ve been going since day two of this school year,” junior and orchestra president Elaine Stamper added.

Along with general planning, ensuring that the event runs smoothly takes a lot of group collaboration both between schools and within the orchestra class.

“For the concert, it’s a lot of work just trying to get your notes and different aspects of the piece together. It’s a lot of group work just making sure you can get it all down together… We spend a lot of time and effort… combined with Hillcrest,” Stamper said.

Along with providing an occasion to build community spirit and to build morale between high schools, the concert also serves as an opportunity for student growth here at FIHS. New and returning orchestra students will get to experience their first performance of the 26-27 school year, giving the class a solid foundation for future advancement in the months to come.

“The fall concert is mostly about building community and having fun, but this is our first time performing together… but hearing that improvement, that’s what matters to me, so this is kind of our starting point,” Rutledge said.

Differing from last year’s concert, this fall performance will really focus in on that fun-loving Halloween spirit, providing a good opportunity for this year’s orchestra students to have fun during their first concert of the season.

“We found out that we’re going to be allowed to wear Halloween costumes… and we’re super pumped to be learning and planning our outfits,” Stamper said.

For those looking forward to attending the event, it has been estimated that the concert will last for about 45 minutes.

Several moves to promote the event have already been made, including posts on Instagram, links on the FIHS website, posters around the school, etc.

“We’re also working on getting some information up on the TV slideshows [around the school]… with Mr. Hoffman,” Rutledge said, referring to our local Media Tech instructor, Jeff Hoffman.

Additionally, several of the pieces played at the concert will relate to the fall and Halloween themes, along with songs more attuned with the audience’s interests.

“It’s going to be a lot of pop music and movie music, [such as] This is Halloween, Wicked; things like that,” Rutledge said.

Excitement for the concert has continued to grow across school communities. Even the performing students are optimistic about the upcoming event!

“I’m expecting us to get out there and have fun,” Stamper added.

With last year’s collaborative fall performance having been such a big success, it’s no wonder both FIHS and Hillcrest are making the effort to make sure this year’s is a memorable experience for all involved.

As the date of the event inches closer, be sure to keep updated on the concert from both the Fountain Inn High School website and the FIHS Orchestra Instagram page.