HAMMOND – For the second year in a row, the Southeastern Louisiana University student staff of the Southeastern Channel are the recipients of a Student Production Emmy Award for Best Live Sporting Event by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Suncoast Chapter. The award recognizes the production of the live ESPN + presentation of the Southeastern vs. LSU Women’s Basketball Game on Nov. 17, 2023.
The game was an unusual midweek matchup between defending national champions LSU and 2023 Southland champions the Southeastern Lady Lions. The contest featured the return of LSU coach Kim Mulkey to the court where she played high school basketball, as well as the unannounced absence of NIL star Angel Reese.
Southeastern Channel Operations Manager Steve Zaffuto said all camera and control room positions were students’ responsibility, as were all pre-game research, producing, and writing tasks that included graphics coordination and production. Featured on-camera talent were also current graduate or undergraduate Southeastern students.
Students contributing to the award-winning broadcast included Kendrick Allen of Harvey, Eric Brignac of Gramercy, Boglarka Csordas of Hammond, Jules Dormain of Denham Springs, Mackenzie Fletcher of Madisonville, Carson Fryou of Ponchatoula, Alexis Genovese of Husser. Also contributing were Chase Gispert of Madisonville, Jermaine Kelly, Jr. of Bossier City, Natalie Kelly of Independence, Ian Nicoll of Mandeville, Emmbre Perry of Chalmette, Brendon Smith of Baton Rouge, and Joliette Vincent of Thibodaux.
“It is important to note that this achievement is the result of the hard work and dedication of the entire student staff of the Southeastern Channel,” Zaffuto said. “The level of professionalism evident in the contest vs LSU would not have been possible without the assistance of additional staffers who helped produce the Southeastern vs. Nicholls football game the night before.”
Those students included Lucas Hill of Baker, Wade Jones of St. Amant, Daniel McClain of Independence, and Anuraj Pant of Hammond.
The Emmy Award was announced at the 2024 Suncoast Student Production Awards Ceremony held last month at the University of Miami School of Communications. The honor is in addition to a prior second-place mention for the same streamcast by the Broadcast Educators Association in February.
