Z100 Radio Personality Is M.S. 74 Principal For A Day
By Tony Barsamian and Diana Sanders

Skeery Jones signs autographs for excited fans at M.S.74. Photos Tony Barsamian

Skeery Jones found himself in Queens on October 20, serving not only in his day job as producer of the hit show Elvis Duran’s Z Morning Zoo, which airs every morning at 6 a.m on Radio Z100, but also as principal-for-a-day at Nathaniel Hawthorne M.S. 74, a magnet school for global communication. Jones, whose real first name is Anthony, has been involved with the Principal-For-A-Day program for eight years.

The 31-year-old Jones, a graduate of Brooklyn College as a TV broadcast and radio major, began his job with the popular radio station 10 years ago, where he started out answering the request line. Today he produces the Z Morning Zoo, holding a position that is perhaps parallel to that of Gary Delabate of the Howard Stern Show. The work entails finding the audio clips that will be used, and coming up with the many topics for the day. He is also featured in the Z100 parody titled “Bensonhurst,” written by a co-worker at the Zoo, David Brody, which is available on the radio station by request. Normally he plays a token Italian Bensonhurst type playboy, nothing short of a chauvinist pig. Yet, the show is number one in the 18-34 market for females.

Principal-For-A-Day Skeery Jones along with the real principal of M.S.74, Andrea Dapolito, smiles for the camera.

Elvis Duran’s Z Morning Zoo is rated by authority Arbitron as second to the Howard Stern Show. However, with the Stern Show leaving commercial airways by the end of the year, the Z Morning Zoo is expected to become number one, proving that Z100 is, perhaps, “New York’s Number One Hit Music Station.”

As first-time principal-for-a-day at M.S 74, at 61-15 Oceania St., Bayside, Jones was very popular with the students. He wowed them by giving away high-demand Jingle Ball tickets for the upcoming December show that Z100 produces. Also, by going from class to class, interacting with almost every student and signing autographs, Jones undoubtedly was a crowd favorite.

Jones is in the studio at 4:45 a.m each day, so M.S. 74’s school bells made for a good match with the rigorous schedules and tight program requirements of his day job. Whatever the reason, being principal for a day seemed to work to his and the students’ benefit. Andrea Dapolito, M.S 74 principal, admired Jones’ kindness. “He is very wonderful with the kids,” she said. “Patient and devoted wholly to kids. He’s been absolutely wonderful non-stop since he got here.” The positive feedback from the students, as well as that from the real principal, was the reason Jones was, as Dapolito noted, “all smiles.”