Published: November 25, 2008 11:57 am         

Middle School chooses a new ‘Idol’

By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



On Friday, the gym at North Jefferson Middle School could have been a set for one of TV’s most popular shows.

Students, parents and teachers packed the bleachers for North Jefferson Idol, a talent show were eight students had a chance to show off their skills.

There were even four judges who —like Simon, Paula and Randy of “American Idol” — offered up commentary about each of the performances afterward.

Three students came out on top:

• Victoria Niblett won first place with a lyrical dance

• Nick Ezell won second playing guitar and singing

• Kendall Niblett won third with a hip-hop dance

The four judges were Mortimer Jordan High School principal Barbara Snider; Morris Police Chief Bryan Cochran; Locust Fork Baptist Church youth minister Randy Cater; and “Big Money,” the DJ from 95.7 JAM.

Jennifer Lake, seventh- and eighth-grade social studies teacher and head coach for the NJMS girls basketball team, organized the talent show as a fund-raiser for the school’s girls athletics program.

Each student paid $1 to see the show and each child paid $10 to audition.

There were 20 students who auditioned, with eight earning the “Ticket to Hollywood” for Friday’s talent show.

For Lake, the event was more than just a fund-raiser.

She got the idea toward the end of school last year when several students brought instruments and performed for her class.

“It made me realize we had a lot of talent that the kids didn’t know about,” said Lake, who also plays several instruments.

So she organized the talent show to give the students a chance to “showcase their talent.”

Even though some of the students are in the middle-school band, she said they do not get a chance to show off their dancing and singing talents.

“We hope each year it will get bigger and bigger,” she said. “The biggest thing to me was them having the guts to do it in front of their peers.”