On Friday, September 29th, Chesterton High School’s very own radio station, WDSO, traveled to Yost Elementary to DJ at the Kindergarten-4th grade lunches.. Yost has a small stage at the front of the cafeteria, creating the perfect spot for speaker equipment. The kids loved it, with some even requesting songs that they most wanted to hear, including Justin Beiber, Katy Perry, and even Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne.

We asked some 3rd and 4th grade students what their favorite kind of music was, and we got a wide range of answers.  Because of their ages, the Sandscript did not record the names of the students, but their responses included:

“I love pop.”

“I love songs with a lot of bass”

“I really like things by Ava Max!”

“I’ve never heard this type of music before.” (Shake it Off by Taylor Swift was playing) “But I love it!”

We also asked all the students whether or not they would be interested in WDSO when they get to the high school, and the vast majority responded with an enthusiastic yes!

Senior WDSO member Hamza Sahli took the lead at the event, holding the microphone and telling kids all about the radio, as well as walking around to chat and see how everyone was doing. Sahli thoroughly enjoys participating in events like this with WDSO, “It has to be interacting with them. They are so full of life and being able to hopefully inspire them is amazing. They are so happy and young and it brightens my day,” Sahli stated.

Emily Chisholm also assisted Sahli at the event, helping to take song requests and go around to lunch tables. We asked Chisholm why she decided to join WDSO, and she said “I wanted to join a club in high school, that I knew. But I had only found out that we had even had a radio station at the high school the summer before freshman year, so I decided to try it, and here we are. Four years later, I’m still in it!”

While talking to WDSO members, we decided to also ask the principal of Yost Elementary, Mr. Huwig, what made him decide to allow this opportunity. When asking why he chose to have WDSO come, he replied “I sent an email to the high school to invite special programs to come and visit. We’ve had the high school come for football, soccer, and even 3D printing to showcase what’s going on at the high school. It’s great for the kids and it gives a glimpse of what they can one day do.” 

Regarding Mr. Huwig’s career and affiliation with CHS, he stated “This is my 4th year at Yost after being an AP at CHS. I miss the high school, but it’s just a different energy and the kids are so fun here. It’s just fun for me! A plus is the kids think I’m cool.”

All in all, this event created opportunities for younger children from grades Kindergarten through 4th grade. Sparking interest became apparent, and thanks to WDSO, these kids have something exciting and inspiring to look forward to. Tune in to WDSO at 88.3 FM!