This semester I have had the opportunity to be a member of the Audio and Visual Productions class that leads The Morning Show, and it is definitely one of the most fun electives I have taken in my four years of high school. 

The class, which has two teachers, is taught by Frau Laaksonen and Mr. Jake Gerlikovski, an NDA alum. 

This class sometimes operates more as a job than as a class. One misconception students may have is that being “on air” is a requirement  for everyone in the class. This is not correct. 

Of the 12 students in AV Productions, only eight are on-air talents and the rest are always working hard behind the scenes, be it writing scripts or controlling audio and video inputs. 

“The news is just one tiny part of what we do here. This is not a classroom; this is a workplace. We rely on each other. The majority of this class is what is done behind the scenes,” said Frau.

“The equipment here is amazing,” said English teacher Mrs. Carolyn Brown when she recently visited the class.

Some of the students in the class also shared the reason why they decided to join this class.

“I joined because I wanted to learn about technology and I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. This class also seemed more like a job than a class,”  said senior Anthony Lamm.

“The technology is why I joined,” said junior Seamus Lutz.

Junior Jasmine Rodgers said, “I joined this class because I wanted to be on air.” 

“I joined this class because I love technology, and I wanted to learn more about this area of the world,” said junior Alvin Alvarado.

“Expanding my horizons,” explained junior Noah Yineman.

“I joined the morning show because I’ve always had an interest in live performances, and I know that the NDA Triton News team has the most advanced tech that we can get our hands on,”  said junior Owen Reich.

If you have ever had an interest in audio or video production or even getting out of your comfort zone, give AV Productions a chance. You might find your calling in life through this class.