Michigan TV Network Holding Auditions for National Show

One Michigan TV network is holding auditions to fill acting slots for a national show. Being on TV can be exciting, especially if you have hopes and dreams of "making it" in acting. But, it can be difficult to find opportunities in Michigan to get on a TV program. That's what makes this opportunity so cool and unique.

WKAR at Michigan State University is holding auditions to find young people for their popular TV show Curious Crew, which teaches children about STEM. Of course, STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math. It's important to get kids interested in STEM, because these fields are the fields of the future. I actually have a STEM undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in engineering, and I wish a show like this had been around when I was a kid.

If you want to go, make note that auditions will take place on Thursday, August 8, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at WKAR studios on the Michigan State campus. If you want your little one on the program, also note that a parent or guardian must be with any child auditioning. Past auditions have attracted more than 100 children to try out for the show.

"We eagerly anticipate the casting call each year as it's evolved into a beloved community event," Ashlee Smith, senior director of content and education at WKAR, said in a statement. "Children from across Michigan, not just our local area, come to audition for a chance to join Curious Crew. Regardless of whether they are selected, every child enjoys the experience, especially meeting and interacting with Dr. Rob."

The casting call is for children ages 9 to 13 who love science. Curious Crew is produced by WKAR on the campus of Michigan State University and airs on PBS stations across the country, so it's really national. The mid-Michigan PBS affiliate is looking for children for season eleven of Curious Crew, which will go into production this fall. "In this award-winning original series, host Dr. Rob Stephenson and the 'Curious Crew' of kids take an engaging approach to exploring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics," a show description describes. Curious Crew first launched on WKAR-HD in November of 2014. It's been really successful, too, and has scored more than a dozen Michigan EMMY Awards. You can catch full episodes of the show via the PBS App and at video.wkar.org.

Things change so rapidly these days, that it's easy to become unfamiliar with the trendy slang words that all the kids are saying. So, if you're looking for the hottest slang words to make you sound cool, you're going to need a crash course in slang for today from experts. Mind you, just because a slang word is popular, that doesn't mean you have to adapt it into your vocabulary. But, if you're curious what hot slang words are being used right now, here's a tally.

So, where does slang originate? Many times, these pop culture slang terms are first coined on a popular TV show, movie, video game or in popular music. For example, Beyoncé forever made popping the question extra cool with her 2008 single, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," which got men and women talking about if they should "put a ring on it," which sounds so much cooler than "get engaged." Also, today, social media can birth slang words. Experts also note that many young people check out what slang words influencers on TikTok and Instagram are using in videos and photo posts. So, many trendy phrases and words originate on social media these days.

It's also worth noting that while the Millennials were often known for the hottest slang words back in the day, today, it's all about Gen Z and Gen Alpha. They're the ones who are really setting the trends for slang words. It's wild to think that Gen Alpha is already coining slang words. Generation Alpha are those born from 2010-2024, so they are super young right now. Can babies really coin slang terms? Not really, but the oldest kids in this generation are just now becoming teenagers, so it makes sense that they can start to have a real impact on pop culture and slang words and phrases. In fact, a recent viral TikTok post is super funny that shows a millennial mom, Jennifer Maxwell, enlisting her 10-year-old daughter to teach her some new slang terms. Things went not so well, and Maxwell said she really has "no idea" what her daughter is "saying half the time anymore."

But, not all slang has to be so "extra." There are some simple slang words and phrases that you can use now to sound hip, or as hip as possible. Now, let's get into the hottest slang words to make you sound cool, from slang experts.

I don't like this slang term. It just sounds silly to me. But, "extra" means "overly dramatic" or "too much." So, if someone says you're extra, don't say, "extra what?" Just tell them that they're being "extra" for using the term.

This is kind of a cute one. If you're crushing on someone, you might say, "Hey, they are living rent-free in my head." It means you have someone on your mind.

This is an interesting slang term, because it really means the same thing as its traditional definition. If someone says, "That's so cringe," they mean something is embarrassing or uncomfortable. Just typing this is kind of cringe for me.

This one isn't new, but dope is still, well, a dope slang term. It means "awesome." So, if someone says something you did is dope, it's a good thing.

This one might be getting old. But, the phrase "Let's go" is super popular these days. I see almost every musician I follow use it when they announce a new release. I'm guilty of this, as you can see in the post below. It's also popular at sporting events.

A "Betty" is an attractive girl or a babe. Someone recently called me a Betty, and I admit that I had to search for the term online to see what the heck they meant. At first, I thought it was an insult.

This one is kind of funny. "OK Boomer" is really popular right now, and it's basically when someone from an older generation is complaining or being condescending towards the younger generation. If someone hates the new music out there, you might say, "OK Boomer," to them and shrug.