AV’s New Talk Show Sounds Off on Student Resilience and Talent

Grier’s Audio Visual (AV) Club has started a new talk show called “In the Fox Den.” The AV Club, advised by Mr. Beckel, is a student run club that broadcasts Grier TV, a weekly news show put together by Grier students that airs every Friday morning. The club began in the 2019-2020 school year and has grown rapidly since, becoming one of the most active groups on campus. 

In the summer before the 2023-2024 school year, the AV Club studio had a major revamp. What was a tiny studio in the Grier School Performing Arts building before was now transformed into a full studio equipped with new technology and located in the Main Building. This new setup did wonders for the AV program and gave Mr. Beckel the chance to make improvements. 

Due to these improvements and the growth of the media program, this year the AV club was able to reintroduce the Grier Podcast where students sit around a table and speak about a chosen topic vital to our community like life as a day versus boarding student or the bond created through dance. 

Another part of the club’s rapid growth is the introduction of a new monthly show called “In the Fox Den.” The show aims to highlight the special experiences and talents of the students at Grier and takes the form of a talk show with one student interviewing another. When asked about the format of the show, the show’s producer and co-founder Sara Vélez, ‘25, said, “I wanted the conversations to feel natural, like we were just sitting down and talking rather than a formal interview.” 

The first episode of “In the Fox Den” is planned to air this coming weekend with the theme for this episode being “Scoliosis at the Grier School.” Many of our students have been diagnosed with scoliosis. Three in particular–Fernanda Schmal, Maya Beckel, and Maryam Ali–will share their experiences, treatments, and the effects scoliosis has had on their lives. They wanted to share their experiences to show others that they are not alone in their scoliosis journeys. “I’ve never been scared to share my story,” Beckel said. “When the crew for ‘In the Fox Den’ spoke about doing an episode for scoliosis, I jumped at the chance to share my story.” 

Sara Vélez interviews the students for this episode, and her hard work as host, producer, and co-founder, along with help from AV club members, has made this show possible for the AV Club.  

One of the goals of the show is to teach people outside of the Grier community more about our school and possibly inspire girls interested in attending a boarding school to look more deeply at the amazing programs and people at Grier. Watching “In the Fox Den” can act as a way to introduce them to Grier students and teach them a bit more about the life and culture of Grier. 

For students already at the school, the show provides an opportunity for students to learn more about peers whom they may not interact with on a day-to-day basis. This is a perfect way to connect our students, as well as give them a way to share their accomplishments in life. Vélez aims to create an open environment for participants. “I just felt like there were so many cool and inspiring stories in our school that nobody really talks about,” Vélez said. “I wanted to highlight those people and give them a platform to share their stories.”  

The introduction of “In the Fox Den” is a big step for the future of the AV Club, as well as Grier itself. Our students continue to work hard to create interesting content for those around the world to view. These shows highlight the individuality, personality, and confidence Grier girls develop while attending this school. 

Check out the show by tuning in monthly to the Grier School YouTube page, and look out for the first episode airing this weekend!