April 2015

ct

Making a living on gaming

Grand Ledge High School’s

The Comets’ Tale

Put on ruby red shoes and follow the Yellow Brick Road

See more on page 6 Photo by Bri Wey/ The Comets’ Tale

See more on page 5 Top 10 Seniors: (Tie for number one

1. Olivia Conway 1. Jack Twarozynski 2. Ian Ayers 3. Jared Babcock 4. Mitchell Hobner 5. David Weiss

spot)

6. Jake Wilson 7. Jessica Krawczyk 8. Carly McDevitt 9. Christopher Occhiuto 10. Jakob Karr

When there is no word limit

Volume 47 Issue 7 April 2015 820 Spring St. Grand Ledge MI 517-925-5848

Grand Ledge tells all on Facebook and Mayor Kalmin Smith filters through the facts, opinions and rumors

Bry Leach ‘15 News Editor “It’s a lot easier to get things done if people know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, even if they disagree with you.

You can get along a lot better if [people] understand your motivation and the facts.”

That was the initial reason Grand Ledge Mayor Kalmin Smith said he started the Grand Ledge Community group on Facebook two years ago.

Now, the Grand Ledge Community page has blown up, hosting 6,260 members as of March 26, including former and current residents, students and alumni of GLHS, and a few prospective members of the community. The city of Grand Ledge held 7,783 residents in 2013.

The Community Page is a public group on Facebook, meaning anyone can view the posts on it and request to be added. Only approved members can publish to the page, which exhibits posts about everything from missing pets to community events to opinions on ballot proposals.

When he started the page, Smith was what some would consider a rookie on social media.

He started the community page with a friend while sitting in the Log Jam in town. Smith admits that he did not know rules could be put forth on the page or even that he was the administrator for months after creating it. But he stuck it out the first few months, keeping the principal of the project in mind: to get information out and benefit the community.

A negative side effect

On the Facebook Grand Ledge Community page there are a variety of posts like job opportunities, business recommendations and pictures. Screenshots from the Grand Ledge Community Facebook page

8 key changes Relevant words in for the context new SAT Problems grounded Information from The College Board

in real world context

However, the growth and openness of the page has over time lead to issues that the mayor did not foresee.

“I had, from the beginning, this problem because the Facebook page was a lot more than I intended it to be,” Smith said. “There are lots of people that probably

don’t have a legitimate interest in Grand Ledge. Now, [some members] are posting really nasty things. It’s not just these drama queens that get on there and get upset, it’s some really nasty people that put hurtful things on there. I get messages [saying] that people who have read a post or that they got in an altercation with are now messaging them with harassing messages.”

Smith has openly had a struggle with the page in dealing with when to take posts down and when to block individuals — or when to just let it go. He says he has only blocked about a dozen individuals from being on the page, and only after those individuals repeatedly posted or commented things that the mayor felt inappropriately, whether it be over the course of time on different issues, or within one thread.

The Community’s response Teacher and Grand Ledge community member Amy Heriford is a member of the page who has seen some of the material posted, good and bad.

“I joined so I could get information about events and activities in the community,” Heriford said.

“Since I have joined, there has been an increase in membership and therefore a lot more posts on the page. The worst part is how opinionated and rude some people are.”

A notable time of heat for the page was in the weeks before the GLPS 2015 bond vote.

“Some of the people who were against the millage proposal were putting out information with simply no truth to it at all,” Smith said. “So then what to do? If I delete the post people are screaming and hollering about freedom and speech and such, if I keep it up people who are for the proposal say it’s not true and I have the ability to take it down. So I have to deal with these things all the time. From the perspective of an elected official, it’s kind of a dan-

The SAT is undergoing changes, and students in the state of Michigan are going along with them.

On Jan. 7, state officials announced that in Michigan, the ACT will no longer be the mandated test — the SAT will take over.

In March of 2016, when the first class of Michigan juniors take the test, they will also be the first group of students taking a redesigned SAT. The College Board is changing their college entrance exam’s scoring rubric, which will now give students a score ranging from 400 to 1,600 points, making an optional writing portion, and changing the test style so that it “more closely reflect the skills and knowledge that current research tells us are most critical for college readiness and success,” according to their website.

How to solve the problem

Although he has considered taking the Community Page down, Smith is concerned that the consequences of doing so would outweigh the benefits. His main reason to keep the page up is to maintain a positive outlet for people to help each other, which he fears would be lost without the page.

“When we had that terrible ice storm a year ago December, people were posting things on there that were very helpful,” Smith said. “They were telling where people had no heat and actually our emergency officials were learning about where certain needs were because it was on that Facebook. People were offering to take others into their homes who had no heat and I had several clergy contact me about setting up warming shelters if necessary.

So that’s a very positive side to this and I don’t want to lose that.”

GLHS principal Steve Gabriel has seen the Community Page, and believes that while it can be a negative outlet for some, it does not have to be.

“Social media is like anything else: it can be a wonderful thing,” Gabriel said. “There is a great potential if it is used correctly.”

Smith notes that while he does not mind when people have general complaints about the city, what bothers him is when individuals post about others personally, such as school board or city council members. Another reason Smith notes to keep the page open is to contain most of the members of our community to one place on Facebook, which he can monitor and limit negativity on. “[I] fear that if I take it down all the nasty people on there will gravitate somewhere else,” Smith

said. “When I started this, there weren’t any other GL pages except maybe the fire department and groups like that, but not any social types of pages. But as people get angry with something I’ve done they tend to start new ones —there’s a Grand Ledge Rants and Raves, The REAL Grand Ledge, and two or three others, which I don’t read because I’d probably get irritated if I did — but I’m told it’s just some really nasty stuff and negative all the time. I wouldn’t want something that encourages anger and negativity and destructive behavior to the community to grow by eliminating the one that tries to focus on positive things that benefit the community.”

Changes will be made

Smith is hoping that rather than having to delete the group completely, he can make administrative improvements like making the rules visible. He hopes to be more consistent in censoring posts, which now he says might be determined by his mood or the nature of the post. However, one way that Smith says he gets feedback on his actions on the page is by monitoring how many “likes” he gets on his response posts, which he shares on most occasions when he blocks an individual or deletes a thread. Smith says evidence to him that most people support his actions and want to see positivity on the page, is when, in the past, he has gotten over 500 likes on one of his response posts.

“It’s important to be moderate and be civil in the way you relate to people and be aware that you don’t know the pain somebody else is suffering at a different time, and you don’t know all the things about them that you may really value and have in common if you’re going to fight with them about the one difference you have,” Smith said. “Don’t alienate yourself from one person just because of one thing.”

1 2

Command of evidence

Analysis of science and social studies

Essay analyzing a source

3 Math focused on 3 key areas

Founding No guessing penalty documents and global conversation

SAT moves into Michigan with new changes Bry Leach ‘15 News Editor

gerous position to put myself in where I’m making people mad, I haven’t quite figured out how to deal with that but it’s a real challenge.”

The timing of Michigan switching over to the SAT concerns some, such as principal Steve Gabriel.

“I would have much rather seen a phase-in period,” Gabriel said.

“There wasn’t much turn around time for us, not as much time as I would have liked.”

Hailed as “America’s top SAT coach,” tutor Anthony Green is telling students with an option to not take the SAT in March, May or June of 2016, the first three dates of the new test. Green runs his own company, Test Prep Authority, which caters primarily to the top 1 percent of Americans, claiming an average improvement of 430 points on the SAT and 7.8 points on the ACT, which he says is the highest average in the world.

“Once the first three rounds of the test have been released, a number of high quality practice materials will be released

by the big publishers (Barron’s, McGraw Hill, etc.) in addition to the College Board,” Green said in an email to Yahoo Finance. “The more materials students have on hand to study and prepare for the exam, the more effectively they’ll be able to study.

Although Green proposes that students hold off on taking the SAT, that won’t be an option for Michigan’s class of 2017.

“The college board is hyping the new version of the test as “the people’s exam” — they’re trying to claim that it’s a more democratic, more user-friendly version of the test that’ll more accurately reflect the demands of the American high school curriculum,” Green said. “There’s just one problem: this is exactly what they said about the last version that they launched, which has turned out to be a total catastrophe.”

However, even Green admits that the SAT is moving towards

being more like the ACT, which according to Gabriel and workers at Lansing’s Sylvan Learning Center, could help students who are preparing for the big test, because the direction that the SAT is going in leads it to be more like the ACT in nature.

“ACT prep will still benefit [students],” Gabriel said. “The information and knowledge being tested are the same things.”

Gabriel’s concern is the school’s ability to provide training to students for the new SAT. Without past tests’ statistics and materials, it will be harder to implement effective test prep classes such as the ACT Prep Class that GLHS has offered this year. That class was structured around elements of the ACT that students were shown to have a harder time with, like geometry. However, the school is still going to do the best to their ability to make sure students are prepared.

The front lobby of GLHS displays the collected donations from the 2015 Spring food drive. This year 3,500 food items were collected and $1,200 raised.

Photo by Alexis Velasquez-Mayhew/The Comets’ Tale

A food drive for thought Michael Glasgow ‘16 Staff Writer

There are people in every community that are in need of common items ranging from foods like peanut butter and canned goods to hygiene products like razors and toilet paper, and Grand Ledge’s community is no exception. This is why there is the annual FeedGL Food Drive.

This year’s “Under the Rainbow” themed food drive inspired by The Wizard of Oz musical raised roughly 3,500 food items and $1,200 to help the 1,000 or so people in need inside of the Grand Ledge School District.

“We have a lot of kids here that use the Food Bank,” food drive coordinator and teacher Jeffrey Belding said. “It exists, but you don’t see it.”

Last year’s food drive was the most successful yet, raising over 10,000 food items and toiletries and $2,500 in cash and gift cards.

This year’s, on the other hand, did not quite reach last year’s level.

“We had a few logistical issues this year,” Belding said. “We got about one third of what we got last year.”

This may be partially due to a lack of awareness and other contributing factors. The food drive this year ran a week earlier than last year’s, and the Grand Ledge Independent did not publish an article written by Belding to raise awareness for it.

“We’ll tweak it again for next year,” Belding said. “It grew each year for the first three years. We’ll figure it out and get back up there.”

Belding hopes and expects there will be a better turnout for future food drives so that families and individuals can get the resources they need.

“We want to make sure everybody has some good opportunities to be successful,” Belding said.

“Our kids who need food should be able to get food so that their minds are on their education and not worrying about being hungry or where their next meal is coming from.”

Sl.

2

The Comets’ Tale • Student Life • April 2015

From Belgrade to Grand Ledge Sarah Clinkscales ‘15 Managing Editor

Above: Celebrating her 18th birthday in Serbia, her home country, foreign exchange student Petra Ivkovic enjoys the company of her friends.

Right: Ivkovic donning a banquet dress she made herself, the senior went to the dance with her friends. Senior Mary Vu attended the dance with her. “We had such a great night,” Vu said. “Petra brings new culture to the friend group.”

Courtesy Photos

Petra Ivkovic’s first memory is being carried by her mother, running down the stairs from the eleventh floor of their apartment building, while bombs rained down on the city. She was fouryears-old. Ivkovic is a 19-year-old foreign exchange student from Belgrade, Serbia; she’s currently living with her host family in Grand Ledge until early June.

Serbia is one of the oldest countries in the world with a long, rich and proud history. It has been torn by many wars, ravaged by bombs, but the people who live in this country are made of steel.

Belgrade is a beautiful city with a lot of scars, but with spirit.

“Serbia is beautiful,” Ivkovic said.

“The mountains of Switzerland, beaches of Greece, history and rich culture, all in one. But what makes the country beautiful is the people who live there.”

Their determination and love for their country gives them hope for a better future.

March 24,1999, Yugoslavia was bombed by NATO pilots. At this same time, civil war was ensuing in Kosovo. Serbia was part of the Ottoman empire until 1913.

Albanians stayed in Kosovo and wanted to be an interdependent country.

During the bombing in Serbia, one moment Ivkovic remembers is hundreds of women and children standing on a bridge that

NATO was going to bomb. Ivkovic literally had a target painted on her forehead. Children had targets on them and signs that read “We are a target” so that the bridge wouldn’t be bombed. Ivkovic was three years old.

Serbia is a corrupted country.

The economy is backwards; having a higher education is pointless because no one gets a good job and gets paid well unless they are doing something illegal.

According to Ivkovic, people work eight hours a day and only earn $10.

“People there are surviving, not living,” Ivkovic said. “If you have money then you will live perfectly because everything is cheap, but if you want money then you need to do something that is at least a little bit illegal. There was a time when my family suffered a lot but my father is a hard worker and he really takes care of us.”

Her dad is an entrepreneur and is invested in many different types of businesses, most notable is hotels.

“You have to learn to grab every opportunity that comes your way,” Ivkovic said. “When my father asked if I wanted to go to America I said yes without hesitating.”

Ivkovic has traveled all over the world. Her favorite moments were in Greece.

“Greece has spirit,” Ivkovic said. “Spirit in the warm wind, the smell, the sea, the language.

It is like a drug: it just holds you

captive and you never want to leave. Truthfully the world is not that big and everyone deserves to see it.”

In Ivkovic’s opinion there are six segments of life; birth, school, love, marriage, career, and death.

“It is depressing if you just wait for each part of life,” Ivkovic said.

“The purpose of living is to give it dynamic. The world is made for those who are ready to learn, not for those who act like they already know. Knowledge is the only thing that no one can take from you. “ Early in life Ivkovic lived a serious life and matured because of what was happening around her. What was happening in Serbia reflected on her and made her be more independent.

One of the things people quickly notice about Ivkovic is her confidence. She walks with her shoulders back and head up.

Ivkovic modeled for Armani, ect. while in Serbia.

“Modeling was actually so boring,” she said. “When I first started I was excited, but then I started getting uncomfortable offers. Girls shouldn’t be wanting that so badly, because there is nothing you can learn from modeling.”

Ivkovic has had many opportunities in Serbia and by coming to America. She tells the stories of her country to people who will listen. She has a lot to teach people and is open to learning more about the world.

Ad.

3

The Comets’ Tale • Advertisment • April 2015

Financial Education

Hey Teachers!

CASE Credit Union has an education program that provides FREE customized lessons based on topics of interest.

Students can learn about:

. Budgeting . Debit versus Credit . Financial Aid 101 . Designing a Spending Plan . Resume and Revenue . And much more!

Sign up today by emailing us at communityengagement@casecu.org Federally Insured by NCUA

Our service. Your success.

Ft.

4

Middle-skill jobs on the rise The Comets’ Tale • Feature • April 2015

Savannah Wear ‘15 Staff writer

For decades, the “norm” for many people has been to graduate high school, earn a bachelor’s degree at a University, then work an average job making an average salary until they either retire or die. GLHS ‘14 graduate Devin Carroll, however, decided to take a year off of school to work at Cugino’s, a local Italian restaurant. Next year, Carroll won’t be attending a University. He will begin a 2-year program at LCC to become a firefighter. Carroll is among many others across the nation who are enrolling in programs at community colleges rather than earning a degree at a University.

“I wasn’t that kid who knew what he wanted to be in high school,” Carroll said. “My parents suggested becoming a firefighter, and it just clicked. It was perfect for me.”

The firefighter program at LCC is just one out of many programs set up for students to land a middle-skill job within a few years. Most middle-skill jobs require some education and training beyond high school, but usually nothing beyond a four-year bachelor’s degree, if that. Jobs such as IT, medical service coders, welding, nursing, carpentry, plant technicians and police officers are a few examples of bluecollar jobs that generally pay between $30,000 and $80,000. The recent recession got rid of a lot of middle-skill jobs, but new opportunities for many blue-collar jobs are appearing across the country.

In fact, as Michigan is finally recovering from the hard-hitting Great Recession that left 7.9 million people across the nation without a job from 2007 to 2009, there are expected to be 2.5 million new middle-skill jobs available by 2017 for those wrapping up their college educations or looking for a new job opportunity, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all job growth.

Not only will there be a slew of new occupations available, but many people will find it much easier than before to land a middle-skill job with an average salary of $70,000. Many of these middle-skill jobs will require no more than about two years of an education at a community college, costing students less time and money to land a blue-collar job of their choice. Due to a high demand for skilled workers across the country, industries are requesting probable workers to enroll in a two-year program to work those jobs.

By 2017, an estimated 2.5 million new, middle-skill jobs are expected to be added to the workforce, accounting for nearly 40% of all job growth.

Source: USA TODAY analysis of local data from Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. and CareerBuilder.

Getting a college degree for free President Barack Obama has a plan to make up to four years of community college completely free for responsible students who qualify Savannah Wear ‘15 Staff writer In January of this year, the White House announced their plan to make community college free, dubbed America’s College Promise. However, as president Barack Obama put it, “there are no free rides in America.”

In other words, students would have to earn their free education by keeping at least a 2.5 GPA, attending school at least halftime, and make a steady progress toward completing their program.

In return, students’ tuition and fees would be eliminated for up to four years at a community college.

The only “catch” with this plan is that students whose parents make a cumulative $200,000 would not be eligible for ACP.

The plan calls for the federal government to cover 75 percent of the average cost of community college, and for the states to pick up the remaining quarter of the tab. States would also be required to adopt reforms outlined by the White House, including providing more advising and student support services on community college campuses and better aligning of high school and college curriculum to reduce the number of students enrolled in remedial courses.

When various random students at GLHS were asked if they thought this plan should be put into action, half of the students were for it, whereas the other half of the students did not think that ACP sounded like a good idea.

High school/ GED job

These jobs typically requires no college eduction and no special skills or training and makes up to $30,000 per year.

Examples of low-skill jobs include fry cooks, waiters, retail cashiers, dishwashers and retail stock clerks.

Devin Carroll is a cook at Cugino’s Italian Restaurant.

Photo by Savannah Wear/The Comets’ Tale

McKala Vollmar ‘15

50% of students at GLHS said that community college should be free for certain students

50% of students at GLHS said that community college should not be free for certain students

I think that community college should be free because if someone can’t afford school, they still deserve to learn.

Sydney Fenska ‘15 I don’t think community college should be free because a 2.5 GPA is too low of a requirement.

Middleskill job

Highskill job

A middle-skill job typically requires training or about 2 years of college or a BA, sometimes with special skills or training, making $30,000 to $70,000 per year.

A high-skill job typically requires at least a bachelor’s degree or more and makes more than $70,000 per year.

Examples of middleskill jobs include police Katey Grout is a hair stylist at officers, plumbers, hair Mysteek Salon in Grand Ledge stylists firefighters, nurses, Photo by Taylor McCrackin/The and lab technicians.

Comets’ Tale

Examples of high-skill jobs include specialists, CEO’s, surgeons, dentists, and engineers.

Dr. Joel Greenberg works at MSU Pediatrics Photo by Savannah Wear/The Comets’ Tale

Ent.

5

The Comets’ Tale • Entertainment • April 2015

THE RISE OF

ESPORTS

Illustration by Michael Wilson/The Comets’ Tale

Katie’s Korner: Before Green Gables Book Review

Katie Twarozynski ‘17 Fans Copy Editor of “Anne of Green Gables,” written by Lucy Montgomery, will enjoy this great read, “Before Green Gables,” written by Budge Wilson. This prequel to the ever popular book is set when Anne is born and how she was sent to live with different people when her parents died suddenly when Anne was an infant. Unfortunately for little Anne, her adopted mother Joanna, was a witch like woman with more kids than she could handle and an abusive, drunk husband.

As Anne grew up, she tried to make the best of her abusive

situation. She would play pretend and never referred to adults by their names in the text. As she cleaned and did too much work for her small frame, she would imagine her life as a princess and how she would live if her parents were still alive. While her “siblings” poked and prodded her, she would find safety in Joanna’s littlest one, Noah. As time wore on, Anne attended school, and soon found her true passion in reading.

As soon as Anne grew to love school and all of her friends, Joanna’s husband died from a train accident and the family had to find a new place for Anne.

She moved out into the woods with a family that already had six kids. Anne had to work harder and harder than she ever had to before. After only months of living there, the father of the family died of a heart attack and soon, Anne’s only option was to go to the orphanage.

Living in the orphanage was

probably the worst experience Anne ever had. The head of the orphanage took all of her personal belongings and made Anne wear the same clothes that all of the other girls wore. Anne tried to get the other girls to participate in the games she would start but eventually they all got in trouble.

Anne’s spirit was truly broken by these incidents.

But a light was shining. Anne had the opportunity to go live with a family in Canada and be free from the orphanage. She would be adopted and live with a nice family for the rest of her childhood.

I thought “Before Green Gables” was a much better book than “Anne of Green Gables.” The plot was more interesting and the words, while complicated, were easier to understand than the sequel’s. If you did not like “Anne of Green Gables,” do not retreat from this book. It is lighter and more fun. I would give this book five out five stars any day.

A V O N AV O

N

the company for women

Rae Gene Frederickson Avon representative

To buy or sell 517-582-9405 jrjisus@comcast.net www.youravon.com/rfrederickson

Deb VanDeVusse ‘16 In addition to playing Staff Writer eSports, lots of people tune into streams to watch a eSports is professional play. When I watch an outlet for a stream, I usually tune in to people who crave ‘iiJERIICHOii’ to watch him competitiveness play Minecraft. Other streamers — not physically but electronically. I watch are Optic Nadeshot and Optic Midnite. Kids and eSports is just another word for young adults idolize professional electronic sports. All over the gamers and find entertainment world, there are thousands of learning how to play from the professional gamers who are best. Sometimes players get sick better off financially than the of playing the game how they majority of people who have gone normally do, so, they depend on to college. A first year teacher gamers to give them a different at GLHS makes about $35,000 perspective of the game. In the per year, depending on how long same way that sports fanatics they’ve gone to school. According watch professional or college to a report by Forbes, the average sports to learn how to get better, annual salary of a successful gamers do the same. Gamers livestreamer is upwards of watch professional players to $100,000. Livestreaming is learn new strategies and other broadcasting something, such as tactics to improve their skills. a video game, over the Internet Another misconception is that to anyone who is interested in people think that it is pointless watching. People have to keep for someone to watch a livestream in mind that not everyone in the of a video game. That doesn’t eSports community is successful. make much sense to me because One could put years into starting the very same people who a popular livestream and end criticize livestreaming think it is up failing in the end, similar to completely normal for someone what could happen to an athlete. to go to a football game or watch In some cases, I feel it would the sport on television. There’s be easier to attain a popular one difference between the two livestream than struggle in and it’s that at a football game the college or be working a “highlyplayers are playing football and at qualified” job. a League of Legends tournament, Similar to an experienced for example, the players are athlete, professional gamers playing League of Legends. determine their success by the Almost everyone is familiar amount of effort they put into with sports. Sports are activities their work. Popular YouTuber, in which teams compete against livestreamer, and Call of Duty each other for entertainment, professional Matthew Haag, money and fame. eSports are member of Optic Gaming, makes actually quite similar to regular one million dollars annually, sports. In 2014, the World Series according to Forbes. That is very gathered 13.8 million viewers. close to that of a professional In 2012, 11.7 million viewers football player, whose salaries, according to Business Insider, are tuned into four different Major League Gaming Pro Circuit roughly 1.9 million dollars.

Championship events. One would

think that the World Series would have double the viewers of a video game tournament, but it did not which is eye-opening.

There is a wide variety of eSports. The League of Legends 2014 World Championship was held in South Korea on October 19. The Championship was held in Seoul World Cup Stadium with 45,000 seats. On March 27-29 2015, the Call of Duty Championships were held in Los Angeles, California. The prize pool for the tournament was one million dollars. The first place team received $400,000 as a whole, or $100,000 each.

The prizes decreased from that amount depending on how a team placed. These two games are among the many different games you can compete in to win money and become a pro in. eSports are such a unique opportunity for people who can’t play a physical sport.

Livestreamer Jeff Gunzenhauser, more commonly known as ‘1 Arm Assassin,’ was born without a left arm. His left leg was amputated just after he was born. He would not be able to play a physically demanding sport. Gunzenhauser started streaming on Twitch, a streaming platform, but now has a contract with Major League Gaming and streams on their website. In addition, Gunzenhauser has his own clothing line that he profits off of.

Gaming and eSports have opened doors for him to competitiveness that isn’t restrained by physical factors.

I do not understand why some members of society frown upon gaming. People think that gamers are wasting their time when in reality, they have potential to be better off financially than someone with a college degree.

Ps.

6

The Comets’ Tale • Photostory • April 2015

The

Making of

Oz

Getting Ready

Picture on Left: Senior Rachel Rayl who plays Dorothy, gets to know her cast member Toto before the premier.

Top Middle: Junior Caleb Smith runs to his position before his Scarecrow scene is on.

Bottom Middle: Senior George Marshall otherwise known as the Cowardly Lion examines his feline features.

Bottom Right: Junior Elise Shulick-Richards finds her petal skirt for her role as a Poppy.

All photos by Garrison Briggs and Brianna Wey

On stage performing

Top Right: (left to right) Senior Jaren Scoggins as the Tin-man, Smith as the Scarecrow, Rayl as Dorothy, and Senior George Marshall as the Lion are off to see the Wizard (the wonderful wizard of Oz).

Top Left: Scoggins fights against his tin body becoming solid and the Poppy’s magical power tries to put him asleep.

Picture on Bottom Left: The scarecrow does not need a brain to show compassion towards Marshall, the cowardly lion.

Bottom Right: Junior Jillan Brown, who plays the Good Witch, floats on the stage to awaken the four brave adventurers.

Tech crew helps make musicals happen Michael Glasgow ‘16 Staff Writer

Putting together a musical requires work and coordination. The audience sees what is happening on stage, but maybe not all the complicated technical steps going on behind the curtains.

“I was responsible for anything that had to do with lighting, sound and setting up rigging,” tech director Tim Daniels said. “And sometimes special effects like fog, smoke, steam, and special DMX lighting effects.”

In and outside the auditorium, a lot had to come together from building stage sets to coordinating sound and lighting, and it had to be done a certain way. Lights could not always be done until sets were made, or sound issues could not be fixed until the pit band was in.

“It takes a long time to put together, from the time the musical first has tryouts right up until the musical actually takes off depending on how intricate some of the things are to do,” Daniels said.

Time wise it can be difficult to get sets, lights, sound and rigging done, but as long as there is proper planning, it can all be done on schedule.

For this particular musical, The Wizard of Oz, all of the sets were built in house, and nothing was purchased besides some of the costumes and special effect lighting “That’s another reason why things took a little longer,” Daniels said.

“Instead of sets being pre-made and just bringing it in, we started from scratch doing everything ourselves.”

Even with a schedule for when things needed to be finished, it still got chaotic.

“The majority of this got put together the last two weeks before the show,” Daniels said. “That in conjunction with the band getting their queues together with the actors and the actors getting used to singing with the band. It did get hectic” Even with there being that two weeks of crunch time it was important

not to rush the process too much because there were safety measures that had to be taken. The one thing that stood out in this musical was a special effect called flying that happened in a few scenes.

“You’ve seen the movie The Wizard of Oz,” Daniels said. “People fly by the window during the tornado, the monkeys fly, and so on.”

This special effect required more hands on participation and people with intense technical training because if they did something wrong, someone would get hurt. Another scene in the show took eight people on special effects and another eight people moving around sets at the same time.

Both outside of the musical and during it, a lot that had to happen in a short period of time. With the hard work the cast, tech crew, pit band and anyone else that contributed put in, it was all able to be done, though.