On May 8 and 17 WKHS, KHS’ live announcement system, held auditions for the 2019 – 2020 school year. They were looking for student applicants to be anchors on the morning announcements, as well as a student to be “behind the scenes” managing equipment while the anchors are on air.

Students applied by going through auditions and submitting applications that required letters of recommendation. Their auditions are reviewed for reading fluency, speech patterns, and accuracy by a committee of teachers in order to select the staff for the coming school year.

“Ultimately, it’s important that whoever it is that is going on air [and] representing Kempsville is a good role model,” said Lori Todd, Kempsville’s Webmaster and the person who runs WKHS.

Todd also said that she was happy to see students try out and that she “had more kids audition then ever before.”

In preparation for the 2018-2019 school year, Todd had held WKHS additions for anchors but hadn’t had any students apply, so she had to hold additions at middle schools to scout rising freshman. This school year has been the first year underclassmen had a role in the morning announcements.

“This year is a unique situation,” Todd explained, “because this is the first year where I’ve had underclassman on staff. Before it was always seniors, so I always had to get a new crop of students.”

The underclassmen students participating were given the option to stay on because Todd felt that “at this stage in the game, I know who they are” regarding work ethic and reliability.

There are currently three open vacancies for candidates to fill, and Todd is considering an additional fourth group of morning announcers.

Alyzabeth Bridgham, freshman, was one of the applicants on the May 8 audition dates.  

“I was on the morning announcements from elementary school through middle school,” Bridgham said. “I liked being on the announcements. I personally like being on camera and … being able to tell people the information they need; it’s fun.”

Bridgham decided to get involved when she was younger and her and her family were interviewed.

“We were on the news and I saw the news people and decided from there on out that I liked the news, and that I liked talking, and being in front of the spotlight,” Bridgham said, laughing. “I just like talking.”

“I had a lot of fantastic candidates this year,” Todd said about the applicants. “I feel like the overall morale of Kempsville has improved this year, [and that] students are more involved.”