English teachers Mrs. De Santis and Mrs. Scalera accompanied Becton’s journalism and mass media students on a field trip to see a live taping of America’s longest running morning show, Good Morning America, on May 11.

The group arrived in Times Square at approximately 7 a.m. and were scheduled to be a part of the live studio audience for the 8 a.m. portion of the show, which was filled with activities and craft segments related to Mother’s Day and the Royal wedding.

Becton students were then given the opportunity to meet with Phil McCrickard, a 2007 Becton graduate and former student of Mrs. De Santis and Mrs. Scalera, who currently works as a script coordinator for GMA.

When the students entered the second floor studio, they were separated and directed by staff to sit in the audience, which consisted of tables that were scattered around the room. The audience coordinator joked with the crowd and instructed them on what to do while on air.

“I got to see how much work goes into live shows and how many people are involved in the production,” said Senior Brandon Vargas.

During commercials, Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan and Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee took time to interact and take pictures with audience members. Moreover, one of Becton’s students, Junior Jaylen Nuila, was given the opportunity to accompany the anchors on stage and participate in a live Royal wedding tea-making segment.

After the show concluded, Becton students were approached by Robin Roberts. “Ask me questions,” she said after she was informed that the group was enrolled in Becton’s journalism and mass media classes. She educated the students how important it is to deliver news that is accurate and how GMA strives to not be biased and not have their news affected by opinion, but rather the truth.

When asked by a Becton student if she still gets nervous on screen, Roberts stated that the transition from being an anchor on ESPN to GMA was very challenging, as she worked as an ESPN sports anchor for nearly 15 years. She added that over time she overcame her nervousness.

“I found the trip to not only be an exciting way to gain insight on broadcast journalism but also very educational and impactful. We learned a lot from Robin Roberts,” said Sophomore Noelia Moore.

The morning concluded with students taking a tour of the first floor of the studio where the first hour of the show is filmed. There, Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan and George Stephanopoulos deliver the hard news segment of the show.