The Tipton County Schools podcast has new hosts, a new name and, for the first time, a camera.

Three high school students, two from Brighton High and one from Covington High, are now the voices of the district’s show, renamed “Between the Bells.”

The change grew out of a conversation at the start of the school year between Phil Ramsey, the show’s longtime host, and Director of Schools Dr. Rebekah Byrd. The goal, Ramsey said on the episode, was to “get down in the nitty-gritty of a school system and kind of look at it from a student perspective.”

Students who wanted the job recorded short videos about who they were and why they wanted to host. Ramsey then visited the finalists at their schools before picking three.

“The hosts have improved dramatically from me to them,” Ramsey joked.

Meet the hosts

Christyn Coleman, Brighton High

Coleman, a senior, is involved in DECA, the National Honor Society, HOSA and student council, and plans to go into marketing. She moved to Tipton County Schools from Shelby County in seventh grade, when students returned to classrooms after COVID closures.

“It was more opportunities than I ever got at Shelby County,” she said.

She signed on to give adults a window into how students see things.

“I really just want to be able to get out there and say my opinion and also my peers’ opinions at school,” she said.

Ladarius “LD” Rudd, Covington High

Rudd is a member of FCCLA and the theater program, choreographs Covington High’s plays and musicals, serves as his class president and is the student representative to the school board. He has been in Covington schools since elementary school, starting at what is now Charger Academy, where he was first introduced to theater.

His reason for trying out was simple.

“Everybody always told me I should be on a talk show or podcast,” he said. “So when the opportunity presented itself, I just took it.”

Asked how his friends would describe him, Rudd said, “Passionate, determined and a little crazy.”

Drake Vandiver, Brighton High

Vandiver, a sophomore, is the first-string strong guard on the Brighton football team, a DECA member and part of several Brighton broadcasts. He may soon start announcing basketball games. His parents graduated from Brighton in 2004, and his father oversees the district’s bus system after years as a mechanic.

His DECA adviser and marketing teacher, Aubrey Drenner, told him about the opening.

“I love to talk, especially just about whatever,” he said. “I like to learn new things, teach people new things.”

The view from the student side

The new hosts didn’t waste time offering that perspective.

Coleman said students understand safety comes first but also want a say in making school something they enjoy.

“There’s so many students have amazing ideas that they can never get out because they have nobody to tell them,” she said.

The metal detectors added at schools this year got mixed reviews. Vanover said lines at Brighton stretched to the field house during the first week but have moved faster since.

“It wasn’t convenient, but I mean, we’ve gotten better at it,” he said. “It’s for a safety reason, so I do see why they do things like that.”

Rudd was less forgiving. “I still don’t like it,” he said. “I forget to take my Chromebook out.”

Coleman set one off with an ice cream scoop she didn’t know was in her backpack.

Who they want on the mic

Coleman and Vanover both named Drenner as a dream guest, crediting her with pushing them into leadership and public speaking. Vanover also picked his offensive line coach, Jacob Jones, who he said is “not scared to tell you” when something needs fixing.

Rudd chose Covington High theater director Brandi Hamm. The school recently brought theater back after several years without it and plans to stage “Shrek” this year. Auditions haven’t been held, but Rudd knows his dream role: Donkey.

Highlights so far

For Coleman, nothing has topped Brighton’s 23-22 home win over PURE Academy in the Aug. 21 season opener.

“That was the most school-spirited I have ever felt in all my years at Brighton High School,” she said.

Vanover pointed to the next week’s 32-28 home win over Dyersburg, which put the Cardinals at 2-0 for the first time in several years. Rudd picked Covington homecoming, where a new dance battle between juniors and seniors has become a tradition.

“The seniors think they’re better than us, and they’re not,” he said.

Their first assignment

Before signing off, Ramsey gave the students their marching orders: learn what’s happening at every school in the district, not just their own, reach out to principals about upcoming programs and go on location to interview students and staff.

“I’ll be behind the scenes,” Ramsey said. “But I’m passing the mic to you guys.”

“Between the Bells” episodes are available on the Tipton County Schools Facebook page.