Each school day, second- ,third- or fifth-period teachers set aside five minutes at the beginning of their class period to listen to the school’s announcements. Meanwhile, students take the time during announcements to socialize, cram for their pop-quiz or finish homework. With virtually no one actually paying attention, announcements are becoming completely ineffective and are often a waste of time.

This is not to say that announcements are unimportant. It’s just that the delivery could use some work. Students only pay attention to the SHSTV broadcasts on Fridays; on other days, they just chat like it’s part of break. Visuals mixed with audio are much more appealing than audio alone. Even live broadcasts of reporters reading the announcements would be twice as effective as the current audio-only format, because visuals are much more engaging than students monotone reading the announcements over speakers.

A major flaw with the current announcements is that many students simply don’t listen or care for them, choosing to ignore or talk over them instead. It’s similar to talking over another living person, only the announcements are through a speaker.

It is everyone’s responsibility — teachers and students — to allow others to listen. Teachers should have a no-talking policy during the announcements; if they were talking to the class, they would demand their students to be quiet and listen.

While students are to blame for part of the problem, the announcements themselves are flawed. Although there are some important reminders, certain events or reminders don’t have to be repeated every day.

For example, students understand that others still need to pick up their school photos, but may have already received their own. Therefore, a good number of students do not want or need to hear the same announcement daily. This kind of needless repetition adds to students’ tendency to tune out.

Instead, it would be best to repeat announcements only once or twice a week. Announcements need to be new and fresh or else they lose their value and become as meaningless as a giant “blah, “blah,” “blah.”

Announcements have become a time for students to socialize, which is unfair to the students who actually want to listen to them as well as those giving them.  If students actually listened, announcements would be more effective; likewise, if the announcements did not repeat unimportant information every day, maybe more students would be willing to listen.

It’s time for the ASB, teachers and administrators to take a serious look at announcements. With just a few simple reforms like switching to video announcements and cutting redundant reminders, announcements will become more effective for students.