The name of March comes from Martius, which was the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. Some cultures and religions still celebrate the start of the new year on March 1. It is also the month that ushers in spring—even if the weather doesn’t always play along. For your public media station, March is a busy month filled with exciting events and programs.
On March 7, our WHRO Education staff and a host of volunteers will facilitate the senior division competition of our Great Computer Challenge. Students in grades 6-12 will compete in various categories demonstrating their skills with software programs and applications. It is always an exciting event for our local teachers and their students.
We also have two more concerts in our Out the Box Capital Emerging Artist Series at the Sandler Center in Virginia Beach. If you haven’t had the opportunity to attend yet, join us on March 5 and March 12. The concerts are free. Visit whro.org/events for details on our last two performances.
On March 31, we have another Indie Lens Pop-Up screening. These events are premiere screenings of upcoming Independent Lens broadcasts hosted by WHRO Public Media’s Emerging Leaders Board. Our film for March is Bedlam in which filmmaker and practicing psychiatrist, Ken Rosenberg visits ERs, jails and homeless camps to tell the intimate stories behind our national mental health crisis. Visit whro.org/events for more information.
Switching gears a bit, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to our two new journalists. They have been with us for a little over a month now, and they bring impressive journalistic experience to our new local newsroom. Mechelle Hankerson is a Virginia Beach native who has worked at The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. and locally at The Virginian-Pilot. Most recently, she worked in Richmond helping launch the nonprofit news website The Virginia Mercury. Sam Turken, a native of Miami Beach, comes to us from Miami where he has worked as a freelance audio reporter and producer. He has reported for WLRN, South Florida’s NPR station, and has contributed to Marketplace, NPR and podcasts by Gimlet and Wondery. Welcome to these two journalists. I am excited you are here!
Lastly, I am really looking forward to Antiques Roadshow coming to Williamsburg next month. When the show last came to our area, the event was very popular. While the deadline to enter their free ticket giveaway has passed, we will have some tickets available this month during our TV Pledge Drive. By making a donation to your public television station you can also guarantee your admittance to this exciting event! Tune in to WHRO TV on March 1-15 to learn more. Have a great month!