BOXER roundup

ENTERPRISENEWS.COM THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

NEWS & COMMENT FROM THE STUDENTS & STAFF OF BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL
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BHS Drama Club shines in state drama finals

T
he Brockton High School Drama Club won accolades for its production of The Medicine Man at the state finals of the New England Drama Festival, held March 21-23 at John Hancock Hall in Boston. One of only 14 high schools selected to compete in the finals, Brockton High walked away with two outstanding acting awards and one award for outstanding set design. Nearly 50 students helped stage the two-act farce about a drifter named Sagamore who walks into a California Gold Rush-era hotel to find the wife and daughter he walked out on a decade earlier. Shortly after his unplanned return to his family, the towns wealthiest resident comes into the hotel looking for the doctor he hopes can cure his mute daughter. The doctor has recently died, and Sagamore steps in as a faux physician to cure the young woman, who has secretly vowed not to speak until she has married her cowboy love. The show, which was staged in 40 minutes per contest rules, was a true physical comedy rife that brought standing ovations in Hancock Hall. BHS Drama Director Robert Hogan said he was incredibly proud of the students and their production. As soon as the show opened, you could hear gasps in the audience because of the beautiful set; and the acting was so superb that the audience laughed and clapped throughout, Hogan said. Our students really made us proud. Brockton was the last show of the three-day festival, and we got a rous. .....................
MICHAEL THOMAS

COMMENTARY

ing ovation. Seniors Derek Jackson (Sagamore) and Julia Godez (Inez, chaperone to the wealthy residents mute daughter) won outstanding acting awards for their portrayals. To be around so many fellow actors who were serious about their craft was an extremely humbling experience, Derek said. It became an event to share art rather than actually competing. The shows set design team, which built an intricate staging of an Old West hotel lobby, won the outstanding set design award. The group constructed, painted and decorated the portable set, which had to be so easy to assemble that it could be put up and broken down in just five minutes. The set design team included Priscilla Campbell, Evan Coutts, James Dure, Kelly OLoughlin and Jasmine Slade. The three-day theater festival was an opportunity for BHS students to immerse themselves in the theater community and have the opportunity to meet theater students from across the state and see other schools productions. Brockton, which was the only urban high school to compete at the

BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL PHOTO

Brockton High students, from left, Jonathan Shea, Julia Godek, Mickey Jones, Derek Jackson, Joe OSullivan, Jasmine Slade and Andrew Cooper perform in the Drama Clubs production of The Medicine Man. finals, had an edge many did not: a tremendous cheering section. The students conducted themselves beautifully, and really made us proud of the caliber of students Brockton produces. And you could see that in the large crowd of alumni, families and community members who came to support our students. It was such a motivator for our kids, said Art Department Head Sarah Richards. Brockton has always invested in the arts and supported its students in their creative endeavors, and I think that support and care is something that really empowered them. In Massachusetts, 124 high schools began the competition at the preliminary level; Brockton competed March 2 at Everett and then moved on to the semi-finals at Brockton High School on March 9. The school hasnt made the finals in more than three years, and Hogan said he was very proud of the work the students did. This group of students worked very hard and put together a wonderful show. They made us all very, very proud, he said. Senior Angela Fenton, who played Louise, Sagamores daughter, said the experience was a highlight of her high school career. The state finals were a dream come true, she said. There is nothing that compares to spending three days with people who all love the same thing. The experience was truly an unforgettable one, and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

Yearbook is ready
By Devon Forrester
LITERARY EDITOR 2013

BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL PHOTO I

Book club members listen to author Lish McBride, shown on screen, during a Skype session.

Seattle author Lish McBride speaks to Brockton High students via Skype
By Phillicia Michel
CLASS OF 2015

Book talk raises the dead

and Ms. Sue Doherty

GREEN IRC

hat happens when a vegetarian skateboarder suddenly discovers that he has the power to raise the dead and starts falling for a beautiful, carnivorous teenage werewolf? Sam, the hero of the fastpaced and highly entertaining novel Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, finds himself in exactly this situation while fighting for his life against the dark and evil Douglas, another necromancer who can raise the dead. On March 4, the Book Club had the privilege of meeting with the novels author, Lish McBride, in an hour-long Skype chat with her from Seattle. We learned a great deal about the paranormal fantasy world she created in her book and other works she has in progress. The most exciting and informative part was when she discussed what it takes to become a successful author. At the beginning of the Skype session , Ms.

McBride spent a few minutes explaining how time in the future. the book came to be. When she was a graduate After that, students asked her questions student at the University of New Orleans, she about how she gets her ideas, the book and its had to write a thesis in order to receive her characters, and what advice she would give to MFA in fiction, so she decided to write a novel. young writers. Book club members were able to Although her adviser tried talk to Ms. McBride and ask to get her to change her topher questions in a relaxed yet ic from a paranormal book Her advice for young professional atmosphere. Her that is classified as genre writers was to not be advice for young writers was fiction, she believed in her to not be shy and show your shy and show your project, persisted with it and writing to others, save everyfinally got her adviser to not writing to others, save thing you write even if you only accept but also apprecieverything you write think its not any good, and ate the work. even if you think its just keep writing. She was alable to answer many quesNot long after Ms. not any good, and just so McBride finished Hold Me tions on her spectacular yet keep writing. Closer, Necromancer, the humorous first novel and what book was picked up by a might become of Sam in her publisher and her writing next novel. career was officially launched. In the fall of This was an event that was not to be missed. 2012, she published the sequel, Necromancing Those that attended were absolutely thrilled to be there. If youre interested in reading this exthe Stone, and has since sold TV rights to the Necromancer storyline, so its possible that we cellent novel for yourself, stop by the Green will see Sam and his friends on TV at some IRC to check out a copy.

Being a part of the Brockton High 2013 yearbook staff has been such a valuable experience. Through hard work and dedication, the 13 of us have collaborated to create and assemble the entire yearbook. Starting in the second semester of our junior year, we broke off into small groups to create a potential theme for the yearbook. Afterward, we came back together to share our ideas and decide upon one theme. In the end, we actually didnt use any of the themes we had formed. Instead, bits and pieces from our ideas were incorporated and we compiled an entirely new theme for the 2013 yearbook. Meeting deadlines and arranging unique pages are not the only things to be concerned with. We also have to worry about taking and collecting enough photographs for our pages and spreading the word so every senior can take their yearbook photograph on time. The theme of the yearbook has to be carried throughout every page. The most exciting part was coming into class each day and checking if the proof, filled with reviews and comments of the page we previously submitted, had been mailed back to us yet. Once the final page had been submitted, a huge relief set in. After rushing all year long to put the pages together, we still were not done. The supplement, including pictures from senior prom, graduation, the art show and senior week, will need to be completed. However, due to the late dates of these events, the supplement cannot be done until after the school year. The process of creating the yearbook for such a large graduating class is extremely complicated. It definitely cannot be done by a single person; it requires all of us to work together and focus on the final product. The hardest part of this class was making decisions that everyone agrees on. But now, the 2013 Brockton High School yearbook is complete, and we cant wait for everyone to see it. The 2013 yearbook and Extended Edition are available through April 30 at the presale price of $60 at www.Jostens.com.