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PAGE 8
THE DALLAS POST
Sunday, January 27, 2008
In the ab-
sence of unity,
success is an
impossible feat.
A united front
proved the
i method to
success for many of Dallas High
School’s academic teams over
the past few weeks.
Last weekend, on January 19,
Dallas High's forensics team
traveled to Meyers High School
to participate in the annual Dr.
Martin Luther King Open
Speech and Debate Tourna-
ment. After a 13-hour marathon
of speaking, acting and perform-
ing, the team sent some mem-
bers home with trophies.
Lauren Kelly placed third in
dramatic performance, Rosem-
ary Shaver placed fourth place
in student congress, David Hun-
ter placed fourth in extempora-
neous speaking, the team of
Michelle Banta and Emily Baut
achieved fifth place in dramatic
duo, Susanna Parmelee placed
fourth in novice dramatic per-
formance and the team of Shan-
non Brobst and Alyssa Dolman
took home a fifth-place trophy
for novice public policy.
Each of these individual victo-
ries, combined with the team’s
overall astounding performance
in the tournament, earned the
forensics team a sixth-place
finish in the Dr. Martin Luther
DALLAS HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
ROSEMARY SHAVER
Tournament.
The individual effort of each
and every member of the team
was woven in to the final prod-
uct.
Forensics sculpts ordinary
students into confident and
experienced communicators
and, in doing so, creates an
invaluable asset for a student’s
future college and career en-
deavors. Through a unified
effort and with the help of
coaches Mrs. Candyce Fike and
Mrs. Yvonne Mould, the pro-
gram proved its worth last
weekend.
Team members present at the
tournament, and thus responsib-
le for the success, were Peter
Blanchard, Shannon Brobst,
Alyssa Dolman, Hanna Grube,
Anna Kammen, Rosemary Shav-
er, Erica Miller, Lauren Kelly,
David Hunter, Susanna Parme-
lee, Emma Pfeiffer, Emily Baut
and Michelle Banta.
FBLA does well
in regional contest
Dallas High School’s FBLA
(Future Business Leader’s of
America) Team attained similar
success at its January 4 regional
entire team gained the team
great recognition.
Coached by Mrs. Schrader,
numerous team members qual-
ified for the state competition.
Bryan Darling, Morgan Kun-
kle, AJ Thomas, Paul Van Loon,
Derek Martin, Jared Kern, Drew
Clouse, Scott Daube and An-
drew Edgar placed well in the
contest and will attend the state
competition.
Among the state qualifiers at
Dallas, Preston Balavage re-
ceived the honor of being elect-
ed regional president.
FBLA has been a constant
avenue for business-minded
Dallas High School students to
channel their passion over the
past years, so congratulations to
all those students who qualified
for states.
Students accepted
to State Band
Congratulations should also
be extended to Dave Balmer,
Cara Olson, Anthony Roppa and
Elizabeth Martindale of the
Dallas band for being accepted
to the Region IV State Band.
Each of these students qual-
ified for the contest through
Forensics team brings home trophies
the District 9 Band Festival at
Montrose Area High School last
week. Clearly, these band mem-
bers grasped this success
through superior talent and
relentless work.
Battle of the Bands set
Working together, Dallas
High School seniors are also
hoping for some success in their
fundraising venture, the Battle
of the Bands. Please come out
to support the seniors by audi-
tioning for this year’s contest.
Tryouts are scheduled for 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2.
All bands eager to participate
in the Dallas High School Battle
of the Bands should contact
Cliff Pisaneschi, Kevin Buck-
man, Caitlin Rhodes or Cory
Conrad for registration informa-
. tion or send an e-mail to
DHSbattleofthe-
bands2008@gmail.com. Six
bands will be selected to play at
the March 1 competition and
the best will walk away with a
monetary prize. First place will
receive $250, second place will
earn $150 and third place will
walk away with $50. All willing
bands are encouraged to partici-
pate.
Rosemary Shaver is a senior at
Dallas High School. Her column
appears every other week in The
King Open Speech and Debate
VOLUNTEERS
Continued from Page 1
work in politics. The girls’ father, Chris
Hackett, is currently running for United
States Congress in the 10th Congres-
sional District and both Alexandra and
Madeline Hackett volunteer in his cam-
paign office.
The Hackett family also includes 3-
year-old sister, Ruby, who came from
China. An English Mastiff dog named
Calvin is the family pet
Alexandra played field hockey for
Wyoming Seminary for one year, but
switched to her school’s cross country
team. She has won districts for cross
country, is a captain and was an All Star.
She also participates. on the school’s
women’s rowing and swimming teams,
Blue Key (admissions at Wyoming Sem-
inary) the Media Club, which she and
Madeline ¢o-founded, Peer Group and
plays the flute.
Madeline is an outdoor and indoor
field hockey player. She has won the Ju-
nior Olympics for field hockey in both
the outdoor and indoor divisions and
has played in the USA Field Hockey Na-
tional Futures Ul6 Tournament. She
plays field hockey and women’s lacrosse
for Wyoming Seminary. At school, she is
a member of the Media Club, Blue Key,
the school play. She is also head chair of
the Suzuki School for Strings Chamber
Orchestra.
Gabrielle plays goalie on her school’s
field hockey team. She also plays the vi-
ola, drums and is a singer.
Alexandra and Madeline have partici-
pated in Homes of Hope, a program
where participants build houses for un-
derprivileged people. The girls built
houses in Mexico where they learned to
shingle a roof and drywall a house. They
also had the opportunity to hand the
keys to a new home over to the family
that would occupy it.
“It was such an amazing feeling and
we got to see truly how lucky we are,”
Alexandra said.
contest. Again, the efforts of the
auditions and participation in
Dallas Post.
DONKEYS
Continued from Page 1
been played for an unknown amount of years,
taking place at the old Lake High School be-
fore the construction of the current high
school building.
The evening kicked off at 6:30 p.m. with an
animal-free basketball game between senior
boys and girls. The catch: boys had to wear
boxing gloves. Teams of five kept switching
off so everyone could play. At about 7:30
p.m., the donkeys were brought out and the
seniors were forced to play against each oth-
er.
“It’s sad for both sides; both sides really
enjoy it,” Morgan said, speaking for both the
senior students and members of the faculty.
Morgan was present at the donkey basketball
game because the position of senior class ad-
visor is a paid one.
“They say they want to settle the contract
for the kids,” said senior Carl Burns, a partici-
CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST
Corey and Kayla Kasa have no choice but to trust their older cousin, Erin Ellis, who hoists
them up on the donkeys during halftime at the Lake-Lehman donkey basketball game.
pant in the game. “Then, why aren’t they
here now?”
The annual donkey basketball game raises
funds for the yearly senior class trip in May
to Washington, D.C. The trip has also been
held since the days of the former Lake High
School. All profits from ticket sales and re-
freshments at the donkey basketball game
benefit the four-day trip to the nation’s cap-
ital. If teachers are still without a contract at
the time of the senior trip, the administration
will chaperone the students.
According to Morgan, donkeys used in the
basketball game come from Shaw Brothers
Donkey Ball Company in Sayre, Pa. and are
specifically trained to be used in basketball
games. It costs Lake-Lehman about $900 to
rent the donkeys for the evening.
“This is a big tradition for Lake-Lehman
and it’s important for the seniors,” said junior
Ruth Whitesell. “I think even though the
teachers are having difficulties; they should
be there for the seniors.”
Rebecca Bria, a staff writer for The Dallas Post,
may be reached at 970-7436.
CIVIC BRIEFS
Legion plans Pig Roast
Daddow-Isaacs Post 672
Dallas American Legion will
hold its 47th Annual Pig Roast
on Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Post
Home on Route 415 in Dallas.
Dinner will be served from 5 to
8 p.m. and there will be danc-
ing from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
The menu includes roast
pork, stuffing, gravy, mashed
potatoes, cole slaw, dessert
and beverages.
Tickets are $7.50 per person
and should be purchased from
any committee member or at
the Post Home. Limited tickets
will be available at the door.
Take-outs will also be avail-
able.
For additional information,
contact Clarence J. Michael,
Commander, at 675-0488 or
the Post Home at 675-6542.
Contra dance
scheduled
A New England Contra
dance sponsored by the Chico-
ry House and the FolkloreSo-
ciety features music by “Dr.
Twamley’s Audio Snakes” and
caller Ted Crane at 7:30 p.m.
on Saturday, Feb. 2, at the
Church of Christ Uniting in
Kingston, Sprague Avenue,
Kingston.
No partner or previous expe-
rience is necessary. Admission
to the dance is $8 for adults
and $20 for families.
For more information, call
333-4007 or log onto folklore-
society.org.
Alzheimer's Support
Group meets
The Dallas Alzheimer’s Sup-
port Group will meet at 11 a.m.
on Thursday, Feb. 7, in the
board room of the Meadows
Nursing Center, 55 West Cen-
ter Hill Road, Dallas.
Civil War Round Table
sets meeting
The Wyoming Valley Civil
War Round Table will meet at
7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14, at
the Daddow-Isaacs American
Legion, Route 415, Dallas.
Glenn LeBoeuf will present
his program on “Ten Moral
Moments in the Life of Abra-
hamLincoln: His Lifelong
Quest for the Better Angels of
. His Nature.”
A lifelong resident of New
Jersey, LeBoeuf is a re-enactor
and has participated in films
such as “Glory” and “Gettys-
burg.” He is a member of the
Abraham Lincoln Association,
The Lincoln Group of New
York and the Historical Society
of Somerset Hills.
Music Box to rresen'®
"Hello, Dolly!"
“Hello, Dolly!” will be pre-
sented at the Music Box Din-
ner Playhouse, 196 Hughes St.,
Swoyersville, February 14-17,
21-24, 28, 29, March 1 and 2.
The show is presented at 8
p.m. Thursdays through Sat-
urdays and at 3 p.m. on Sun-
days. A buffet dinner will be
served 90 minutes before cur-
tain.
Tickets are on sale for dinner
and show and show/only with
discounts available for chil-
dren, students and senior citi-
zens. Group rates are also
available.
For more information, call
283-2195.
‘Go Red’ Fashion Show
set for Feb. 16
Scheduled for Saturday, Feb.
16, at noon at the Woodlands
Inn and Resort in Plains, the
Fifth Annual “Go Red” Fashion
Show will feature models who
are directly involved in the
struggle against heart disease -
all wearing the latest in every-
day fashions available at and
donated by local retail stores.
Tickets cost $20 per person
and proceeds will benefit The
Heart and Vascular Institute at
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital
and the AHA. Reservations
be made by calling Wyomin
Valley Health Care System at
552-7408.
Victorian Dinner
will benefit CCK
The Wilkes-Barre Women’s
Organization for Networking
(W.W.O.N.) will sponsor a
“Victorian Dinner” to benefit
“Community Cares for Kids”
(CCK), an all-volunteer orga-
nization operating on children
with severe birth defects and
disfiguring injuries, at 5:30
p.m. on Thursday, April 17, at
Tribeca Center (formerly Vic-
toria Inn), Route 315, Pittston.
For tickets, contact Mary
Ann Rubin at 298-2616.
PSA contest deadline slated
The deadline for middle
school youth (grades 6, 7 and
8) to register for Sound Off:
Pennsylvania’s Drug Preven-
tion Television/Radio Public
Service Announcement Con-
test has been extended. Regis-
tration forms must now be
postmarked by March 15.
This statewide contest is de-
signed to help educate middle
school students on becoming
media savvy about drug and al-
cohol use and is presented by
the Pennsylvania National
Guard Counterdrug Program
and Drug Free Pennsylvania.
After completing and sub-
mitting registration forms by
March 15, students are encour-
aged to submit amateur 30-sec-
ond radio and television en-
tries by April 20.
The winning team will par-
ticipate in a three-day event at
Fort Indiantown Gap in Ann-
ville to professionally produce
their public service anno \
ments that will be aired on
evision or radio stations
throughout the state. In addi-
tion, the winning team will be
invited to present its public
service announcements to edu-
cators at a statewide media lit-
eracy conference in Harrisburg
on June 20, 2008.
Complete rules and informa-
tion, as well as the registration
form, can be found at www.me-
dialitpa.org. For additional
questions about the contest,
please contact the Pennsylva-
nia National Guard Counter-
drug Program at 717-861-2857
or ddr@counterdrug.org.
)
REACHING
Continued from Page 1
She also discovered an oven with a cake
still in it. When Shriner was cleaning up
where a church and rectory used to be,
she came across items that belonged to
the priest. The priest happened to stop
by that day and, when Shriner handed
his belongings to him, he cried.
“I came back and I appreciated every-
thing I had so much more than when I
left,” she said.
Shriner is earning credits from the trip
through a class called “Theology in the
Church.” About half the students going
to Sacramento will also receive credits
while all of the students heading to Bir-
mingham are volunteering their time.
Rebecca Kania, 22, of Wallingford,
Conn. is also grateful for what she has.
The fifth-year physical therapy major
has been on three alternative spring
break trips and has also been to Jamaica
and Guyana with Misericordia Universi-
ty.
On last year’s trip to Laredo, Texas,
Kania visited an area called The Coloni-
als where there is no electricity or run-
ning water and residents still use out-
houses. Kania’s experiences on the trips
have caused her to be more conservative
of resources.
“You think about the resources you
used because each night you ran out of
water in the house in Guyana,” Kania
said. “I've become more aware to use
things more sparingly.”
Spring break alternative trips aren’t
cheap. According to Christine Somers,
Director of Campus Ministry at Miser-
icordia University, this year’s journey to
Alabama will cost about $600 per per-
son. The California trip is about $900 a
student. Each participating student is re-
quired to pay $350. The rest of the mon-
ey comes from five fundraisers and dona-
tions collected throughout the year. Fun-
draisers include appeal letters, final ex-
am baskets, a raffle, a flea market and
penny wars where people compete to
gather change.
Somers, who has been going on the
trips for several years, says each time she
watches the students transform their
lives.
“I think they have life-changing expe-
riences,” she said. “They start to look at
the world differently. And they start to
look at themselves, too.”
HELP SUPPORT
THE STUDENTS
A flea market to support the alternative
spring break trips will be held from noon
to 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1, and from 8 a.m.
to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, in the Banks
Student Life Center's Kennedy Lounge at
Misericordia University. Over two dozen
vendors have signed on for the event. All
proceeds benefit the students attending
the service trips. To reserve flea market
space or for more information, call Cam-
pus Ministry at 674-6495.
Danielle Cino, 19, of East Meadow,
N.Y. is going on an alternative spring
break trip for the first time. A sopho-
more speech language pathology major,
Cino wants to see how people’s lives are
different than her own. She will work
with the homeless in Sacramento and
earn credits from the trip.
“Im looking forward to the experi-
ence because it’s something totally dif-
ferent for me,” Cino said. “I've never ex-
perienced anything like that on that lev-
el."
What is it that makes the students
want to participate in these trips every
year?
DeStefano says for him, it is helping
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Misericordia University student Nick DeStefano of Chesapeake Beach, Md.,
shaves a Jamaican man as part of the Jan. 3-10 service learning trip to Lionel
Town, Jamaica. The trip is part of the three-credit course, “Theology of the
Church.”
people and having fun. He admits it has
been easy to make friends on the trips
he’s participated in.
“I think it says something about our
school because you're going to have a
good time and feel accepted even if you
don’t know anybody,” DeStefano said.
Rebecca Bria, a staff writer for The Dallas
Post, may be reached at 970-7436.