Baldwin High School, on the air

When a pipe broke in a classroom at Baldwin High School last winter, Superintendent Shari Camhi saw the event as a chance to start a new program. Rather than simply repair the flooded room, Camhi and the district decided to inaugurate a TV studio that will become part of the school’s new New Media Academy next year.

In the meantime, students of teacher Vincent Leis are learning the ins and outs of running a television studio. Already, the students have inaugurated a morning program on BBTV — that’s Baldwin Bruins TV. The first guest interviewed this year was Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney.

Leis, who directs the work in the studio, is almost as proud of the new state-of-the-art equipment as he is of his new baby. He clearly delights in showing off the new Tricaster, which provides for streaming video and audio among other technologies. “This is a system that’s used in professional news and sports,” he said.

But mostly, the 13-year teaching veteran of Baldwin High delights in talking about what his students are learning. He warms when he explains how he enjoys “just watching the kids’ enthusiasm. They want to learn.”

Besides the high school students, third-graders from Steele Elementary and Baldwin Middle School students have stopped in for tours and to learn the basics.

The process has not been without its pitfalls, Leis said. During one interview, the lights went out. “My students held the course without a hiccup,” he said. “I was proud of my kids. I can’t wait to see what they do next.”

For their part, the students are proud of the work they’re doing. Michael Pereira, senior producer, makes sure things are running smoothly in his job. “The toughest thing is making sure everything is there,” he said. “But I just have fun. I love coming here.”

Senior Xavier Rubira called himself a “jack of all trades” in the production class, but said he has been focusing on interviewing lately. He said he suffered from “terrible stage fright,” but that “practice has helped me be more comfortable in front of the camera.” Rubira said he hoped to major in communications in college.

But perhaps senior Felicia Bigg, the director, was having the most fun in class. “I get to yell at people,” she said with a big grin. “I thoroughly enjoy that.”

She explained, “As director, I tell people to move the cameras around — and yell at people.”