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South Madison students present WEEM radio program to school board
Summary
Students and advisors from the high school-run WEEM radio station described hands-on coursework, paid student opportunities, sports broadcasts, podcasts and plans to expand video capability during a presentation to the South Madison Community School Corporation board.
At a regular meeting of the South Madison Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees, students and advisors from the district-run radio station WEEM gave the board an extended presentation about the station’s programs, student roles and technical upgrades.
The presentation, introduced by WEEM advisor Michael Whitehair, highlighted hands-on learning opportunities, paid student positions, and a range of programs including live sports broadcasts, weekly coaches’ interviews and several podcasts. "We are the voice of the Arabians," student sports director Zion Palmeri told the board, describing the station’s live coverage of football, basketball and selected baseball and softball games.
Board members heard that WEEM provides students with practical skills in broadcast operations, social media, podcasting, sound design and video streaming. Operations manager Brooklyn Shieler outlined the station’s staffing progression: an introductory class, then staff positions, assistant director roles and director roles, with students able to advance into leadership positions.
Students described the station’s multimedia platforms — radio, YouTube, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and the station website — and examples of student work including game-day previews, score graphics posted during games and special podcasts. Zion Palmeri said the station averages about 100 broadcasts per year and saves recordings that students can include in portfolios for college applications.
WEEM staff and students also described summer "kids camp" programming, social‑media content creation and special projects such as senior slideshows and sound‑design contests. The station reported recent awards and scholarship opportunities for student contributors.
On the technical side, advisors and students said the program is expanding its video capability. The presentation noted use of a drone for video, plans to stream home games, and an intention to add additional cameras and an intercom system so students can learn professional-style production roles. "We're constantly evolving what we're doing," Whitehair said, adding that the station is training students to operate cameras and streaming software for broadcasts that will be available on district streaming platforms.
Board members applauded the students. Trustee comments praised the practical experience for students and the community engagement the station provides.
The presentation concluded with a brief question-and-answer period and the board moved on to the rest of the agenda.
