• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Do Craig students have it 'Made'?

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Janesville Craig High School students wait for their chance to audition for the MTV show 'Made,' which held a casting call at the school Wednesday.

JANESVILLE — Want your dream to come true? Your first step is getting a high school diploma.

Yeah, ugh.

But what if there was a shortcut?

Turns out, there is. It’s called “Made,” a makeover show on MTV.

High school kids all over the country are lining up for the chance to be “Made” into something.

Wednesday, they lined up at Craig High School, hoping that “Made” would match them with a mentor who would help them realize their dreams.

One MTV staffer with a video camera held a casting call at the school. He wouldn’t let anyone witness the interviews.

“That’s Viacom policy. Sorry,” he said of MTV’s corporate owner.

MTV stated from the start that it might pick one or two Craig students, or it might pick none. Students came anyway, by the dozens.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal,” said Jake Fetting, 17, as he stood in line.

Jake held his application form with his dream written on it: He wants to learn how to break dance.

“I’m hoping they see something in me,” he said.

About 60 other Craig students stood in line with the same hope.

Kelsey Andrews, 17, said she wants to be “Made” into a kick boxer.

Kelsey had a practical application for her new skill: She’s hoping to attend a large university, and she wants to be able to protect herself.

“Being able to say you’re strong and can protect yourself is awesome,” she said. “And I’m a girl, and girls are usually looked at as being weaker.”

Nicole Arrowwood, 16, said she wants to sing in a talent show, preferably with a gothic metal band. Oh, and singing the theme from “Phantom of the Opera” would definitely be a plus.

But Nicole has a problem: “I get stage fright.”

Her interview went well, she said afterward, but: “Everybody thinks they’re going to get picked. I’m not that lucky.”

Nicole still has high hopes, however, MTV or no MTV.

“Music has always been in my life,” she said. “I’m going to do something with it.”

Nicole already has a mentor in music. She plays clarinet in the school band, directed by Dave Rush.

“Mr. Rush is awesome. I look up to him,” she said.

Sounds like high school is a pretty good place to start that music career, after all.

Craig’s aspiring stars ...

Among the Craig High School students waiting in line to be interviewed by MTV on Wednesday:

-- Lora Schansberg, 16: “I want to have enough confidence to sing in front of a big crowd. … “It’s always been my dream. I love singing.”

After her interview, she said: “He said he was looking for someone who’s very passionate about what they want to be.”

-- Delangel Escamilla, 15, wanted to be made into a soccer player. He made the freshman team at Craig this year, but “I pretty much suck.”

-- Austin Scieszinski, 17, who wants to be a chef. “It’s just something handy to have.”

-- Kyle Knopes, 14. “Poker player. Texas Hold ’em.” Kyle said he’s a frequent winner when he plays with family or friends.

-- Joel Valdez, 15, track star. “It’s something out of character for me, and most people don’t think I can do it.”

-- Precious Holmes, 17, a model. Even if she doesn’t make it into “Made,” it’ll remain a career goal, she said.

-- Brittany Meister, 15, wants to play in a rock bank. “Beatles, Jimi Hendrix,” she said. Like several people in line, she wanted to perform in the Craig talent show.

-- Toniel Partee, 16, a singer, or a skateboarder. “I want people to see a different side of me.”

-- Calei Wright, 16, wants to compete for prom queen. She’s been competing with her four sisters all her life, and “I want to stand out, because I blend in right now. I want to be my own person.”