153 COOPER RICHARDSON COOP’S NATION Sophomore Cooper Richardson starts a YouTube channel to pursue his love of videomaking. In 2019, sophomore Cooper Richardson created his YouTube channel, “Coop’s Nation.” The channel, first conceptualized in 2019, began as a birthday gift for a friend. “I wanted to do something special and memorable for my friend,” Richardson said. “I gave him a tie, and I made a YouTube video on how to tie a tie because I thought it would be funny.” After the first video, his love of making people laugh through his videos grew. “It started off as a sarcastic video for someone,” Richardson said. “I loved the idea of making a video for someone so much that I continued it. The theme of my YouTube channel is goofy self-improvement. It is, mainly, videos explaining how to do something in the wackiest way that I can think of.” Senior Davis Rowan, who helped Richardson make merchandise for his channel, said “Coop’s Nation” was a great channel to watch to unwind for the rest of the day. “His channel is amazing,” Rowan said. “I really want him to make more videos.” Richardson said he usually spent three days a week making a video from start to finish. He started with an idea and tried to record what he envisioned the video to be. It took him two to three hours to get the scenes he wanted for the video. He then spent about one hour editing the video. “When I get an idea, I’ll usually think it over for a few days to see if it’s actually an idea that I want to pursue because the videos do take quite a bit of time,” Richardson said. Both Richardson and Rowan agreed that students who were interested in making their own YouTube channels should try it. “Making YouTube videos has definitely gotten me out of my shell,” Richardson said. “I used to be very shy, so making videos really got me creative in that way.” “These videos can help brighten someone’s day,” Rowan said. “Students who want to try it can learn to be true to themselves, be authentic and just have fun with it.” YouTube was also a source of entertainment for those who wished to only watch videos rather than produce them. Senior Shayla Herrington said she had no plans to create her own YouTube channel, but she viewed it as a useful source for people of all talents. “YouTube provides the chance for people to learn valuable skills that can lead to lifelong careers,” Herrington said. story by Daniela Cuellar Turn on the channel! Cooper Richardson laughs while recording a video. He established a fan base on campus after posting a collection of videos. | photo by Chantel Ceaser
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