If you have been paying attention to the morning announcements at the end of your first period class, you have probably noticed that the weather segment has come back. This segment seeks to inform students about upcoming weather to ensure that they can plan ahead. No matter if it’s sunny, snowy or anything in between, senior weatherman Ryan Gerstenzang will tell you what you need to know about the weather.
The segment would not be possible without the help of Gerstenzang. Not only does he deliver the forecast every morning, he also takes the time to research upcoming weather and make the graphics used during the segment. Doing all of this is a lot of work, as Gerstenzang and fellow senior Jason Buzy make sure everything is ready by the next day, sometimes spending hours every night to prepare it.
Though it is just a passion project for school now, when Gerstenzang was younger he actually wanted to be a meteorologist for a few years. Even now however, he still loves what he does. “I do enjoy it a lot. I think it’s really fun. It gives me something to do with my spare time,” Gerstenzang said.
Gerstenzang does all this work for the weather and still manages to be humble. He credits the people who help him and make Wootton Weather what it is. “Me and Jason, do most of the work, pretty evenly, maybe I do a little more, but there’s a whole lot of us that are making it happen, so it’s exciting,” Gerstenzang said.
While it is a team effort, Gerstenzang’s leadership and hard work in producing Wootton Weather has not gone unnoticed. Staff and students alike have commented on the visuals and overall appearance of the segment. “He stepped up as a leader in that. He puts the weather segment together almost every day, and I enjoy having it back,” TV production advisor and English teacher Doctor Julian Lazarus said.
Wootton Weather also helps students who walk to school and have to wait for long periods of time at bus stops plan for their week. This allows them to prepare for the weather ahead of time (like bringing an umbrella, boots, etc.). “I think that the weather segment is really helpful and helps me get ready for my walks to school so that I am not caught by surprise,” junior Bobby Ferris said.
While it appears that everyone recognizes the value of the weather segment, there are reports of teachers who do not play the morning announcements at all. “There’s time in the schedule, and the expectation is that you show the announcements every day. Seeing the announcements every day allows students to know what is going on, it really is something that students should be seeing every day,” Dr. Lazarus said.
As for Gerstenzang, while he heads off to college, he hopes that Wootton Weather will continue to build its impact in his absence. The path to the continuation of Wootton Weather and the creation of new segments starts with people joining the TV production class. “We need more students to sign up for the TV production class so there’s different periods of it next year,” Dr. Lazarus said.
For now, follow @wootton_weather on instagram for the latest weather updates and information. Please note that this account is unofficial and is not school sponsored.
