Echo 2015 16 issue 2

The Echo

2015-16

Issue 2

THE ECHO Upper School Theatre to Perform Broadway Hit: Les Misérables

The News Page 2: Les Misérables Page 3: Golf 2015-2016 Page 4:

Radio Club

Page 5: Linguistics Olympiad Page 6: The Chili Cook-Off Page 7: Thescon Page 8: Tap n’ Pow{h}er: An Interview with Mrs. Drugeot

By: Skyler Fox “Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men?” Well, it’s certainly possible. Daily after-school practices are well underway for BGA Upper School Theatre’s performance of Les Misérables, coming this April. This moving production, set during the French Revolution, has won more than 100 awards and has been seen by over 65 million people worldwide. The school edition now makes it possible for high schools to perform.

The Echo Staff Editors-In-Chief: Chad Bramlett and Emily Hopkins Staff Members: Seniors: Audrey Collins , Grace Whitten; Juniors: Benjamin Ball, Olivia Criswell, Carolina de la Torre, EJ Jewell, Maddie Ledman, Magdalena Valenti; Sophomores: Skyler Fox, Emma Wylie; Freshmen: Laura Abbott, Ridley Randolph, Samantha White

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The Echo

2015-16

Issue 2

Upper School Theatre to Perform Broadway Hit: Les Misérables By: Skyler Fox “Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men?” Well, it’s certainly possible. Daily afterschool practices are well underway for BGA Upper School Theatre’s performance of Les Misérables, coming this April. This moving production, set during the French Revolution, has won more than 100 awards and has been seen by over 65 million people worldwide.

The school edition now makes it possible for high schools to perform.

The story of Les Misérables is based on a book written by Victor Hugo published in 1862, not long after the end of the French Revolution. This musical focuses on the stories of different characters before and during the French Revolution, revolving around Jean Valjean. One of the most remarkable things about this musical, in my opinion, is that every single character has an internal struggle or incredibly tough decision to make while also facing the external pressures and hardships of revolution in France.

The main characters of this production are: • Jean Valjean, played by Parker Greenwood • Inspector Javert, played by Conor Byrne • Fantine, played by Meghan Garrison • Marius, played by Matthew Keith • Enjolras, played by Cameron Bergeron • Cosette, played by Samantha McCaleb • Éponine, played by Ally Dunavant • Gavroche, played by Zane Jenkins (middle school student) • Thénardier, played by Webb Bankemper • Madame Thénardier, played by Faith Cleveland • Plus an additional cast and crew of 40 of their classmates (and a few middle school and lower school students)

Directed by Mrs. Jenny Noël with music by Mrs. Sarah Evins, this show is very different than any of the other shows BGA has done before because this musical is completely sung. There are very few read lines, so this will be a challenge for the performers and a thrill for those watching.

Please come join us in the Harlin Student Center on April 22, 23, and 24 to watch this poignant and inspiring production.

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The Echo

2015-16

Issue 2

Girls’ Golf State Championship: An Interview with Rachel Arvizu

By Emily Hopkins Boys’ Team: Tyler Sills, Max Byram, Tanner Perry, Robbie Lape, Michael Puryear, Jack Burns, Wyatt Wilson, Cameron Gracey Girls’ Team: Hannah Wright and Rachel Arvizu Like many fall athletes, members of the golf team start practice well into the summer. Throughout August and September of 2015 both golf teams competed in tournaments with schools in the area, both improving their skills and gaining experience. While the boys’ team was made of younger players, Junior Hannah Wright and Senior Rachel Arvizu have both been playing for their entire high school careers and well before. In early October, the girls travelled to the State Championship, and managed to defeat USJ, FRA, and DCA among other schools. USJ came in second place by 3 points.

At the beginning of the season, did you ever think that you and Hannah would make it this far?

Personally, I never thought that we would have done as well as we did. I had confidence that we would be better than last year, but I never would have predicted us winning state.

Absolutely; especially for those of us who have been playing for a long time, we always see familiar faces and have a good time with them. Many of us become friends just because we spend the entire day together doing what we love. Although we're all playing against each other, all of us want the other to do well so we'll encourage each other all the time.

How does the scoring for the tournaments work?

For girls, every team is allowed to bring up to three players, and the lowest two are added together for a team score. And then, the lowest team score wins.

What would you say to any girl who is thinking about joining the golf team?

I would say that definitely go out and at least give it a try. It's a really fun sport, and I have made a lot of friends over the years. It definitely takes a big time commitment, and at times, it can be really frustrating.

But don't let that get you down; it's frustrating for everyone and eventually, you start getting better.

Ultimately though, when you don't worry about your score as much and just focus on having fun, it's incredible.

Do you plan on playing golf in college? Or does Hannah?

Right now, I want to play on a club or intramural team. Hannah is planning on playing competitively in college, and I know she will be a fantastic player.

Even though golf is an individually scored sport, do you think there is a feeling of camaraderie among the teams?

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The Echo

2015-16

Issue 2

Radio Club: A Conversation with Ray McHenry By: Audrey Collins

Why did you want to start Radio Club?

I’ve always loved music and had a passion for music. I got into mixing music and blending songs, and I always thought it would be fun to be a DJ at a radio station. I like to talk, too.

How did your interest in broadcasting start?

My family is very artistic – my mom writes, my dad plays keys, drums, and sings, and I play the bass and sing. My dad’s also a musician in the band, Void Contact. On the newest album, Many Happy Returns, my mom and I both sing. My sister also did the art for the album cover, so it’s basically our family project. My godfather does a radio station from his basement, and he gave us the program, SAM Vibe, that we use in Radio Club.

Have you ever had guest speakers come to talk about radio during club time?

We’re currently trying to get alumni that are actually in broadcasting to come to Radio Club.

How many people are in Radio Club?

There are around 4 or 5 people that show up regularly to Radio Club, all freshmen.

Is there anything you want to change or add to Pellentesque: Radio Club for next year?

Hopefully, we can start doing broadcasts more, since we’ll have money for the program by then. We’ll see if we can contact local bands or if there are any BGA students that are in bands that would like to perform. I’ve been thinking about talking to the guy who does booking at Rocketown, a venue in Nashville where I perform, to see if any bands want to get some of their songs out there. We could also advertise for other clubs and make announcements during our broadcasts in the future.

The more people we get to come, the more ideas we get for Radio Club.

What was your initial goal for the Radio Club?

I wanted to get local bands to play, but I also wanted to explore my own interests and possibly get other people interested too, to explore What is your favorite thing about broadcasting and have fun. Radio Club isn’t all about music either; if someone’s interested in sports, they can do and/or Radio Club itself?

I’ve always loved finding new music and that. Whatever someone’s interested in, they are introducing people to new things. So, it would be free to create their own segment. really cool to get submissions of people’s music and to introduce other people to Consectetuer: that new music.

What’s one thing that you do nearly every Friday when you meet?

We haven’t gotten any money yet for the program, so we can’t broadcast anything right now.

Recently, however, we’ve been working with Ms. Farej and planning something for Jamboree Day. We plan to have some people perform, DJ during Jammin’ Jamboree, and possibly do some of our segments that we’ve prepared. Before that, we worked on our intros for our broadcasts.

Sed venenatis, augue non

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The Echo

2015-16

Issue 2

The Linguistics Olympiad By: Ridley Randolph What it is: A competition focused around solving as many puzzles as possible in a given amount of time that are in different languages and of varying difficulty for grades 6-12. All of the puzzles compiled together are the equivalent of the ACT in over ten languages.

The most recent competition was at BGA on November 14th and consisted of competitors from Brentwood Academy, Ravenwood, Franklin High School, and Sunset Middle School. This was BGA’s first time to host a Linguistics Olympiad Competition.

Who scored what: The BGA single competitors were Kenzie Grumbles, Clark Ingram, Keyu Li, and Cole Beck Williams. The duos consisted of Zack Helberg and Tommy Peters, Sam Hopkins and Justin Chen, Butch Samide and Gibson Bynum, Jack Sauder and Jake Brown, and Maria Sebastian with Julz Mills.

Examples of the type of puzzles: The puzzles had different culture questions and translations from multiple obscure languages such as Yolmo and Eskimo. There were also geographical puzzles based on land features and other exercises involving pictures and colors.

Commenting on the Olympiad, Dr. Ring, stated, “At my last school I started doing linguistics because another teacher there taught French and German, so I took over running linguistics there. Linguistics had always been a personal interest of mine, and I had never known that the competitions existed, so when I moved here I decided it would be a lot of fun to train the students to compete in them. Last year, only one person competed in the NACLO competition. There are two rounds in NACLO, and the first round is qualifying for the nationals. We won’t know until later in the year if any of our students will make it to the invitationals, which is the second round. Last year no one from Tennessee made it to the invitational round, and I would like to change that.”

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The Echo

2015-16

Issue 2

The Gods of Chili By: Chad Bramlett “You’ve got to be kidding me...I am not wearing a dress to the Chili Cook-Off” said Matthew, the only other boy on my Chili Cook-Off team. It seemed as if the Ancient Greek theme wasn’t the best idea for the Annual Senior event. I swiftly responded, “Okay, it’s definitely not a dress; it’s a Greek tunic. And, anyway, do want to win or not?”

After a few more talks with the team, I finally managed to claim Ancient Greek as the official theme.

Dubbing ourselves “Achili’s Heel,” my team began preparations weeks before the event. Various chili taste testings and trips to Hobby Lobby ensued, resulting in a semi-acceptable chili recipe, Greek-themed decorations, and hand-sewn tunics for all four members of the team.

On January 29th, the day of the Chili Cook-Off, we set up our booth, decked out with vines, grapes, and white drapery. Then came the costumes. We emerged from the gymnasium bathrooms in our white tunics, complete with gold stitching, corded belts, and laurel crowns. And we looked ridiculous. Proud of our efforts, we looked around the gymnasium at the other teams, including themes ranging from snowboarding to the Seven Dwarfs to cowgirls.

The night went by quickly, and soon, the votes were tallied for Best Costumes, Best Decorations, and Best Chili, which were to be announced at halftime during the following basketball game. My team ended up winning Best Costumes and Best Decorations, nearly sweeping the awards. As our names were called, we shuffled down to the court, careful not to trip over our tunics. As the entire audience stared at us, fools in gods’ clothing, we couldn’t help but to revel in our godlike glory. Perhaps we went a little overboard.

But, hey, isn’t that what senior year is about?

The complete team, including Chad Bramlett, Emily Hopkins, Michaela Murphy, and Matthew Minor, poses at their Mount Olympus-style booth.

The Echo

2015-16

Issue 2

Thescon 2016 By: Emily Hopkins The Middle Tennessee Thespian Conference, aka Thescon, is most likely the biggest event in a theatre nerd’s high school experience. From learning impromptu techniques to taking swing dancing classes, the conference has classes that appeal to almost every aspect of theatre life. Not only are there 6 classes over the two day period, but there are also 3 mainstage performances. This year students enjoyed seeing Any Number Can Die by Brentwood High School, The Yellow Boat, and a Variety Show.

Every year a group of thespians campaign in order to be one of the 6 high school students on the State Thespian Executive Board. This year, for the first time, the BGA Thespian Troupe arrived at MTSU ready to sway voters and advertise for our chosen candidate--Webb Bankemper.

As someone who is used to being behind the scenes, going out of my way to talk to people in order to spread the word was nerve-wracking, but totally exhilarating. Through dozens of posters, plastic spider rings, spider lollipops, and an on point campaign dance (To the tune of “Black Widow” by Iggy Azalea because--you know--Webb), our campaign was in full swing, and we had finally made it to the big reveal. The tension was rising through the crowd of thousands of thespians, each one holding their breath as the names of the lucky winners were called. As the 5th name was called, the two rows of BGA students were going stir-crazy, and time seemed to stop as the 6th and final name was called---”Webb Bankemper from Battle Ground Academy”

Coming from a smaller school, our troupe has very little power in our block of voters, but Webb is an exception. Webb describes both his motivation and his success coming from “the amount of people I know from doing productions in the theatre community in Franklin and Nashville gave me a lot of connections to friends who subsequently get their friends from their schools to vote for me too”.

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The Echo

2015-16

Issue 2

Tap n’ Pow{h}er: An Interview with Mrs. Drugeot

By Emma Wylie Tap n’ pow{h}er, a balance strength fusion class with yoga components, is one of BGA’s new clubs this year, sponsored by new faculty member, Mrs. Drugeot. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mrs. Drugeot, you can find her in the Learning Center in Armistead Hall, a room filled with the sweet aroma of her Essential Oils -- the lavender one smells amazing, as I discovered during my interview. I also discovered that BGA is the first high school ever to institute this club, and Mrs. Drugeot along with Ms. Zan Nevels are actually the first certified tap n’pow{h}er teachers to teach it to teen girls. As a member of this club, I had no idea what to expect on my first day, but this is now one of my favorite stress-relieving activities.

If you’re looking for a workout or a way to relax, keep reading to see if you want to join!

What was the motivation for starting this club?

I started exercising again about 3 years ago, and I started doing Barre. I wasn’t very healthy. It really motivated me, and the owner of where I do Barre - it’s called {r}elevé one -- came up with a method called tap n’ pow{h}er, and, basically, it means tap into your power. It’s all based on messages to women: how to be stronger, how to believe in yourself, how to love yourself. I’ve been doing that method for two years. I wanted to get trained but didn’t see myself doing it professionally in a studio, so when I started at BGA, I brought it up that I would like to do this class. I wanted to bring inspiration to young girls and show them that everyone is uniquely beautiful, and everyone has a journey.

What is tap n’ pow{h}er?

It is a challenging hour of balance and strength inspired by the journey of life. It is a balance fusion class designed for women to shape, tone, and

elongate muscle groups, and it’s infused with messages of empowerment. At the beginning of class, we start with an opening quote called guided intention. I’ve done one on fear and one on listening to your inner voice, and then we end with that.

What is the difference between this and traditional yoga?

It is a total deviation from yoga. Basically, it starts with what we call opening to abundance. With yoga, you often start with a powerful message, but it’s all very slow movement, so opening to abundance is like stretching, and it’s all through dance music. It’s a lively class. After opening to abundance, we do something called “Fear, Energy, and Glow.” “Fear” is all balance movement, and then we do energy cardio sets, and then we go into glow which is Vinyasa flow which is yoga, and then we keep on doing that throughout, so there are movements of yoga and movements of Barre without the bar, and then there’s cardio. At the end, it’s a lot of stretching.

Why should students join?

I think that the students at BGA need an outlet. If you are in a place where you don’t have a physical outlet, this is a safe place to workout, and it’s nonjudgmental. It’s all driven through inspiration and motivation.

What are some of the health benefits of tap n’ pow{h}er?

You are going to become toned and more flexible. It helps with balance and with your mental wellbeing.

It gives you the opportunity to look within and focus on what is needed for the individual to get through.

Would you ever consider making the club an elective?

I would love that.

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