New touch screen TVs promote traditions, involvement

Corinne Shaw, staff reporter

Touch screen TVs that display many aspects of GBS history were installed outside the auditorium and dome before the 2016-2017 school year.

According to Dr. Jim Shellard, director of student activities, the screen outside the auditorium is managed by Joshua Koo, Key Club sponsor. The other is under the supervision of Mikael Noll, freshman football coach.

“I think [the screen] is going to be a positive [addition] because we can display more than we could in the past,” Noll said.

All of the decades of GBS history are included through slideshows, videos and photos under the Traditions section of the screen. Koo also mentioned that the screen includes Variety show themes and plays, displays photos of GBS as it was being built and shows what student life looked like throughout the years.

“[Students that have used the screen say,] ‘Woah GBS looked like that back then’ or, ‘I can’t believe we did this and I know this person’ [or], ‘This is my mom’s friend’,” Koo said.

Koo stated that the TVs are almost like a time capsule in that it not only includes the theater aspects of GBS but also the student awards and Honors and Awards Assemblies of the past two years.

“Students now are able to not only hear about, but experience the history and the rich tradition of GBS over the years,” Koo said.

Koo stated that when working with Shellard, the main goal was to show what GBS really is.

“In typical GBS fashion, we wanted to go all out [with the TVs],” Koo said. “We [wanted] to blow people away, and I think we were able to accomplish that.”

Noll stated that all of the athletes’ photos previously displayed in the athletics hallway are now in the TVs, because the walls could only contain up to eight years worth of pictures.

“Our whole history [is on the screen], All Conference, All State and State Champions,” Noll said.

Although many things have been integrated into the touch screen, Noll says that there are still some things to be added.

“We have four State Champion teams, but we were unable to find rosters, [so] we are in the process of finding [them] to put the names of those kids [in the program],” Noll said. “This fall when we get the All Conference pictures[… we will] put them in the system.”

Both Noll and Koo agree that the interactive aspect of the screens adds to the experience.

“I think [the screen] needs to be interactive; that’s part of the fun,” Noll said. “Hopefully [this technology] will last a long time.”