By now most of us have heard about the playful exchange that took place between Nigel Hayes, a basketball player for the University of Wisconsin Badgers, and an NCAA stenographer who was recording a recent press conference. That now-viral video originated more than a week ago in Omaha, Nebraska. It was a lighthearted moment that most people took as such and then moved on to other things. Apparently some people took real notice of what Hayes had to say about the stenographer and the court reporter profession in general, as his words are apparently leading to real and tangible benefits for the profession.
The University of Wisconsin is located in Madison, Wisconsin. Another school in the area is known as Madison Area Technical College, or MATC. According to a news story that appeared recently in a local newspaper, the person in charge of the court reporter program at MATC has great appreciation for what Hayes has done for this line of work. A link to that story can be found here. The MATC court reporter program won a $550,000 grant from the federal government last fall that will be used to create the school’s first competency-based degree that can be completed either entirely online or partially online and partially on campus.
A few weeks ago, MATC had 30 court reporter students enrolled in its program. It now appears to be on its way towards its stated goal of enrolling 300 students from around the United States. The director at MATC places a lot of credit for that recent upward trend on the attention that has been brought to the court reporter profession by Nigel Hayes. More people now seem to be aware of the fact that court reporters can earn a good living when they get into the field and that there is a projected shortage of court reporters on a national level in the coming years.
This is how viral videos and seemingly innocuous exchanges at press conferences at enormous events can have a real effect on many things. MATC is now getting more calls and inquiries about its program than it was even a handful of days ago, and that has a lot to do with Hayes and his comments over the past couple of weeks. Hayes’ Badgers have since advanced from the round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament all the way to the team’s second consecutive appearance in the Final Four, where they will take on the Kentucky Wildcats this weekend.
Our team has been serving our clients as Georgia court reporters for several years now, and we are also excited to see the attention that’s being brought to our profession by this entire episode. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you, contact Elizabeth Gallo Court Reporting, LLC today to have your questions answered.
