Working on The Wednesday Weekly!

The Wednesday Weekly, Annie M. '23

The Wednesday Weekly is an irreverent student-produced news show. Here’s how it all comes together.

Penn Charter's most valued and beloved club meets every Monday during lunch. You guessed it… it's none other than The Wednesday Weekly! 

The Wednesday Weekly is a completely student-produced news broadcast providing students and faculty with important announcements in an entertaining and creative format. Penn Charter clubs are an important part of the student experience because they are all student-led; club leaders are responsible for coordinating meetings, providing members with tasks, and planning their lessons and events. 

The Wednesday Weekly makes all that scheduling and programming possible; how else would everyone know that Meeting for Worship was moved to Thursday and clubs can no longer meet during that time? Of course, there are countless other ways to receive that information, but The Wednesday Weekly is a fan favorite! You don't believe me? Well, check it out for yourself! One of my favorite episodes is attached below. 

All jokes aside, I think The Wednesday Weekly is one of the most important clubs at PC because all grades have the chance to contribute to an important piece of Penn Charter culture. Meetings are comparable to a brainstorming session among a work team, and the product is just as professional (aside from the comedic relief). The Wednesday Weekly represents Penn Charter because its inclusivity creates a school-wide community; whether it is through partaking in meetings or simply feeling eager to watch the episode every Wednesday, The Wednesday Weekly is for everyone. 

The production of The Wednesday Weekly is a week-long process as follows: meeting to brainstorm ideas, finalizing the week's episodes, writing the scripts, filming each segment, editing each segment, and finally, the finished product! 

I write the scripts for each episode, so I decided to take you along with me during a week of writing, filming, editing, etc. Although I don't film or edit, I still love helping out and cheering on my friends! To start off, I usually write the script for the announcements Sunday night and any other episodes I'm asked to write for. Seniors Gracie and Dave always film the announcements on Monday. I got to catch a glimpse of them filming – although it's often just as much laughing as there is filming! The bloopers are always my favorite part, so I caught theirs on video. Later during lunch, I saw Bella, also a senior, filming for the girls' and boys' basketball game and fundraiser. The segments featuring the senior lounge and stewardship were filmed during my class time, so sadly I couldn't catch them. On Tuesday, I followed Bella and Emelia as they asked people "What was your top song on your Spotify Wrapped?" in an on-the-street style of questioning. I also helped film them during the second half of lunch. Personally, I like their segment the most because it often provokes the funniest and most genuine responses. Their energy is the most valuable aspect of their segment! After school on Tuesday, I caught up with editor Ella, also a senior, as she finished editing. To wrap up the week, the episode is always sent out to students and faculty on Wednesday, hence the name: The Wednesday Weekly! 

The first video that you will see below is a behind-the-scenes look at how The Wednesday Weekly is put together. The second video shows the finished product. Please enjoy both episodes, and we hope you’ll be part of The Wednesday Weekly when you’re a student here.