It’s 8:58, the bell for first period to end just rang and the halls are flooding with students. Inside the studio, Round Table Media staff members are rushing to get everything ready and in order. The producer is calling for their previews, making sure everyone’s in place, and that there are no malfunctions happening with the technology. As all the staff members get into position, the bell rings and it’s time. The team gets all call ready and punches in the number. After panic runs through them that it won’t work, it rings and all is well. The talent starts talking while the rest of the team is frantically getting ready for the next thing being shown.
The morning announcements are an important part of the day for students of Middletown High School. The viewers hear about events that are happening in their school, watch videos about people in their school, and learn about the weather for the day.
Although these all seem like they would be easy to execute for students’ viewing pleasure, that is not the case.
The Round Table Media studio, where the broadcast takes place, is in a normal classroom. The broadcast takes 13 people, with everybody doing something equally as important as the other. Each position has it’s own unique features that makes it challenging.
“The morning announcements are really complicated, you would not believe it, there’s so much,” said MHS freshman Caroline Schaffer. Schaffer is part of the team responsible for making the announcements happen.
The students that are in charge of making the announcements happen don’t have very much preparation either. Everyday students arrive between 8:55 am and 9:00 am, with the announcements starting at 9:05 am. Within that time frame, the whole entire studio comes to life with staff members rushing around in a calm but frantic manner getting everything ready and in place.
Staff members of Round Table Media have expressed their thoughts on the production that takes place every morning.
“I feel like they’re a good way to reach out to people and that more people should take advantage of it.” said MHS junior Hannah Miller. Miller expressed the fact that there is so much that the announcements offer and how important they truly are.
“They’re important to let people know what’s going on in the school and to know when deadlines are for turning in different things and also being educated on what’s going on in the community,” said Miller.
Schaffer also expressed her thoughts on the daily broadcast.
“I think they do a really good job on it cause there’s so much that could go wrong. I love the morning announcements and everyone works really hard on them,” said Schaffer.
The morning announcements have had an impact on not only the the viewers watching them, but also the students in charge of making them happen.
MHS freshman Jake Stafford explained about how the morning announcements have had an impact on him personally.
“Usually on the morning announcements when I’m on them, I’ll come rushing into the studio as fast as I can to get setup and then I’ll think about what I have to do based on my job for that day. It’ll be stressful, but they’re really fun overall and it’s a great learning experience,” said Stafford.
The announcements have a hectic story behind them for how they work everyday, but they’re important to make happen.
The announcements are over, and all call is hung up. “All clear” is said and the equipment is put back into it’s original state. The team floods into the studio for notes. The producer discusses how they felt the announcements went and everyone listens. After the final words are said everyone goes back to class ready for what tomorrow’s announcements bring.
