Elana Tinelli
staff writer
Students in this community are involved. Whether it’s clubs, extracurriculars, sports, or volunteering. These activities often hold meetings or have trips. Students need information and they need it quickly. The main source for that is the morning announcements. Contrary to how informative this program is, it is often ignored by students. “No one really watches the morning announcements, even though most of my teachers put it on every morning. Everyone’s on their phones,” sophomore Archie Garg said.
The morning announcements main goal is notify students of impending events. “It gives information of club meetings, deadlines and SSL opportunities. A few SSL opportunities the morning announcement introduced me to were Wootton tutoring and being an outdoor ed chaperone. Its really beneficial, since a lot students participate in those,” sophomore Rebecca McMillen said.
One problem students voice is the way the information is presented. “To improve they could have better scripts and maybe a weather forecast. It may not be a lot, but it will give them more to share,” McMillen said.
Members of the morning announcements turn in a new script each week. They remain neutral, not letting personal opinions dictate their show. Holidays are recognized, prompting research and interest into the past. They put a focus on students well- being. They promote safety and wellness, encouraging students to use coping skills and to drive safely.
Another complaint is the relevance of some of the information. A morning announcements broadcast typically shows quotes or ask what a certain word may mean. “Did you see today’s? Do you know what a ‘jack-o-lantern’ means? I hope so,” Garg said.
These types of questions are meant to be interactive, getting the students engaged. Students often wake up early and a little brain stimulus can prepare them for the day. The more advanced words chosen can increase vocabulary and the quotes can be inspiring.
One final problem students addressed is how the announcements have become lackluster. “It’s not very entertaining,” Garg said.
The morning announcements accomplish a concise newscast in a short time frame. While regular news broadcasts tend to be one or two hours, the morning announcements update students in just a few minutes. They’re also accompanied by music, which can be relaxing during the dreaded school morning. The morning announcements may not be a comedy, but they aren’t supposed to be. Their job is to provide students with what is ongoing currently in the community and it does just that.
