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Jack Stenger

Icon Carl Azuz and his familiar face with be missed by the Dubs.

“I’m Carl Azuz. This is CNN 10!” is a nostalgic greeting most North Atlanta students have grown to love. Through elementary, middle school, and sometimes even high school, many of the Dubs watched CNN 10, a daily news show for students that breaks down current events. A vital asset to the show, anchor and writer Carl Azuz, was known for his puns and creativity that kept the broadcast engaging. However, in recent weeks, Azuz has been noticeably absent from his anchor position, replaced by Coy Wire, a sports anchor and correspondent.

Over the years, Azuz has gained respect on the North Atlanta campus, even visiting several times to teach the students about the world of broadcast journalism. His radiant personality encouraged the Dubs to strive to achieve more and improve their skills. Journalism teacher Jack Stenger noted Azuz’s ability to connect with students as a celebrity in their demographic. “Carl was exactly in life as he is on TV,” he said. “He is just as witty and loving, with the same level of electricity that you see on screen.”

While not all Dubs have had the chance to meet Azuz, he still positively impacts many North Atlanta students. As an icon in his field broadcast, Azuz sparked a passion in viewers from a young age. Junior Lizzie Hart, now part of the North Atlanta yearbook staff, reminisced about watching CNN 10 every day in her middle school journalism class. “Carl Azuz is super interesting because of how entertaining he is for young audiences,” she said. “I always looked forward to watching his news report.”

Azuz’s puns, arguably the highlight of the show, brought students back day after day. As the show’s writer, he was known for creating his own puns, which people loved to hate and hated to love. His sudden absence has elicited complaints from Dubs about the lack of punny phrases. Junior Kaleigh Fleming will miss Azuz’s dedication to his puns and the show. “Carl Azuz has such a charismatic personality,” she said. “Without him as the anchor, CNN 10 won’t be the same.”

Though he did not explain his plans for the future, Azuz reached out to his viewers and thanked them for their support. He has a special place at NAHS, and the Dubs agree that his enthusiastic smile will surely be missed. It is hard to imagine the show without Azuz, but new anchor, Wire, shows promise to take the show to the next level and keep the Dubs engaged. That is if he can take on the resPUNsibility.