By: Jackson Yanosky
Student Involvement – Student Writer
Eagle Eye TV is Auburn’s student-run television station that produces multiple shows per week. With segments ranging from news and sports coverage to entertainment, many different students work within this organization to produce engaging media created here in Auburn. Working for Eagle Eye means gaining valuable skills in production, team building, and media savvy, and developing these skills at Auburn can lead students to great success outside of school.
That is the case for three Eagle Eye members who have recently used their skills and accolades to achieve prosperity in professional efforts. Jojo Cavanagh, Vince Wolfram, and Maddie Baughn are Eagle Eye staff members who serve as a testament to the value of the organization. Each of these students have sharpened their skills and built a foundational resume by working with Eagle Eye, and their stories speak to the station’s ability to mold students into leaders in the media field.
Vince Wolfram is the Creative Director of Eagle Eye TV. “Coming to Auburn, I knew I wanted to do something with sports media,” Wolfram says, “[at Eagle Eye] a lot of my work is in video editing behind the scenes.” 
He also co-hosts a podcast through the Field of 68, a prominent network of podcasts about college basketball. “Through Eagle Eye we work all the time with athletics,” Wolfram explains, “we’re around the Auburn media, we’re around the reporters… we were able to develop a relationship with Auburn Tigers senior writer Jeff Shearer.”
Shearer was asked by Field of 68 to find podcasters on campus at Auburn to start an official podcast. “He reached out to us because of what we have done at Eagle Eye,” says Wolfram.
Jojo Cavanagh is Wolfram’s co-host on the podcast and the producer of Eagle Eye’s weekly sports show. “What drew me to Eagle Eye was that it is a place where I can get hands-on experience,” says Cavanagh. “Eagle Eye is student run, so on show day I am in charge of anchors, camera operators, our director, the teleprompter, the sound person… and they’re all my friends.”
“I believe that everything I’ve learned at Eagle Eye is how I got my internship this summer and how we got this podcast,” Cavanagh says. Through Eagle Eye she was connected to TNT sports along with ESPN, which led her to success in pursuing job opportunities in between semesters. After interviewing Bruce Pearl, Cavanagh was contacted by Jeff Goodman of Field of 68. “If I was not in Eagle Eye, I would not have this podcast.”
The podcast co-hosts’ work with their show exemplifies the kind of success Eagle Eye can lead students to, and Maddie Baughn has her own success story to add to this testimony. “I knew I wanted to go into sports,” she says, “when I randomly came across an email from Eagle Eye.” After joining Eagle Eye, Maddie began covering games and reporting on Auburn athletics.
“I was writing an article for the first home game this year… and I was walking through Tiger Walk when someone came up to me and started talking to me about my work,” Baughn described. That person was Fozzy Whittaker, former NFL player and current college football analyst. “We just started talking then and there when someone took out a camera and started recording,” Baughn said, and because of that video she was invited to ESPN’s production truck during the game to watch their process. Since then, she was hired as his assistant and has covered numerous events with ESPN.
“Eagle Eye offers so much,” Baughn says, “if you come in here and you just want to learn, they are just so welcoming… everyone has a passion for it and will help you do what you want.” Her work at Eagle Eye and how it led her to success at ESPN speaks to what the organization can help students achieve.
“It’s exciting to see the talent and ability of our students being recognized in the industry,” says Billy Ferris, Eagle Eye advisor and Assistant Director of Student Involvement. “Seeing media outlets like the Field of 68 and ESPN having the confidence in our students to operate alongside and at the level of professionals is just so impressive. It also inspires our younger students and helps them see the opportunities they have by getting involved here.”
“No matter your choice of study, no matter your interests, your gifts, your talents, there’s a spot for you at Eagle Eye,” says Wolfram. His story, along with Baughn’s and Cavanagh’s, shows that the organization can lead students to new heights. Even if you are unsure of what you want to do after Auburn, Eagle Eye can be a place where you can learn new skills, work closely with other students, and even find a path to professional success.