Seven Wareham students have spent the past two weeks in boot camp. Television boot camp, that is.

Wareham Community Television hosted its second summer boot camp, which gave students an overview of TV production equipment and interview conducting skills.

Some of the students will use those skills throughout the school year on Wareham High School's weekly news show.

After learning how to use the equipment, the students produced a cooking show called "Cooking with Abner."

Who's Abner? Well… it's not clear.

"Exactly!" says Mia Sarkisian, a junior. "Who IS Abner?"

Wareham Week is told that the cooking show will be broadcast on WCTV and online. We'll let you know when!

The students also practiced interviewing… but not on anything that breathes.

"We told them, 'interview this sign post, interview this tree,'" explained WCTV Education Coordinator Christian Fernandes.

Why…?

"It makes them laugh," Fernandes explained. "They're kids. You don't want them to be too serious."

If it's too serious, they won't have fun, he says.

The students worked in groups on Thursday and put their skills to the test with Wareham High School fall athletes.

Everyone seemed to be having plenty of fun, but some subjects were almost as difficult to interview as the trees!

"Getting them to talk" was a challenge, said Mia Sarkisian, a junior.

Michaela Bottino agreed.

"Just seeing how they'll react and if they'll open to you," added Bottino, a senior.

Jesse Ruiz, a junior (and son of WCTV Technical Director Steve Ruiz) found his biggest challenge was in speaking to his subjects.

"Not saying the word 'uh,'" was difficult, he noted, "and trying to get good responses out of people."

Overall, the students said they got a lot out of the program.

"If I didn't do this boot camp, I wouldn't know anything," said Bottino. "It's awesome."

Jason Ellis, the camp's lone middle-schooler, noted: "It's really fun and has given me a lot of information about the equipment."