When MHS Info, Mamaroneck High School’s beloved student-produced news program said its final goodbyes to the student body in 2020, students began to search for other methods for connection and ways to spread school news. As the MHS community sought new ways to spread news and create connections after remote learning, an exciting informative news show was born at the beginning of the 2021 school year.
The Student Council created the “Midweek Update,” a high-spirited news program that serves to bring students together after a year of separation and help create a more connected student body as the school year began. They started producing weekly videos, each three–minute program shown once a week in advisory that highlights clubs, upcoming events, informative segments, and fun activities at MHS.
Liv Bobby (‘22), one of the producers, explains that although it was originally a “tool used by the Student Council,” they have already received requests from clubs and sports teams to be included. She hopes that in the future more clubs, teams, students, and even teachers will be able to use the Midweek Update as a way to connect with the school in an engaging way.
Though the Midweek Update shares foundational similarities with MHS Info, Bobby explains that the Midweek Update is more “low key,” and is not affiliated with the video department, so the producers use their phones to capture and create creative videos. In this sense, the new program is more casual and direct than MHS Info, which was regularly produced in the video department’s studio with high-tech equipment. Today, the Midweek Update producers are a mix of juniors and seniors including Liv Bobby (‘22), Aidan Wood (‘22), Ciara Collins (‘22), Maya Duthie (‘23), Matty Doherty (‘23), and Luca Giobbio (‘23). Many of them are not video students, so it has been challenging to film and edit content each week. However, they are learning a lot and discovering new interests. So far, Bobby says that the Midweek Update has exceeded her expectations, and she’s noticed that it has been very helpful for spreading news about events such as Battle of the Classes, Pep Rally, Halloween, and sports events. She did indicate that it’s challenging during “lull” periods, when there aren’t many events happening. When asked about what the future looks like for Midweek Update, Bobby enthusiastically shared her plans to make the program more engaging to the student body by adding short skits and including more students who can submit a form to be featured in that week’s video. She is confident that once she graduates, there are juniors who will continue the legacy of the Midweek Update, and she hopes that it continues to build momentum and become something that the MHS student body looks forward to watching each week.
Students across MHS are glad to have an informative program back in action. Magda Martinez (‘23) says, “Remote learning could be very isolating at times and with no news program last school year, it was hard to stay connected as a student body but now with Midweek update, we are definitely starting to feel the connectivity that MHS Info once brought arise again.” While MHS Info was a designated class with a scheduled “air time,’’ many students appreciate the laid back style of the Midweek Update and are glad to have a regular show to tune into to hear about all things MHS-related. “I loved how Info was structured like a real news program run by students, but the Midweek Update provides a more casual and equally entertaining alternative to Info and does a great job of involving more of the student body into its production,” Martinez shares. Lorenzo Bertini (‘25) says, “Midweek Update is really cool and informs [me] of things I may not have known about going on in the school”. In fact, anyone can be involved in the Midweek Update! Students interested in helping to make the Midweek Update can contact any of the producers listed above via their student emails. All in all, MHS students are on a mission to create programs that will bring students together through short video clips.