All posts by jlang@nafcs.k12.in.us
Students spook at local haunted house
By Blake Dykes
While some people spend their Friday nights at the football game, seeing a movie, or simply hanging out at home, others are busy giving people a scare.
The Culbertson Mansion, an actual haunted house, is located in downtown New Albany. In addition to touring the mansion, visitors can also go through the “haunted” building in the back, open during all weekends of October In this house, actors and actresses are lurking around, waiting for the right moment to make people jump.
When people are going through these haunted houses they tend to forget the actors are people, just like them. As a matter of fact, many of these “monsters” are shockingly young children or teenagers.
Freshman Madeline Harrison volunteers as an actor at the Culbertson Mansion. Harrison said her favorite part about working there is scaring little kids.
“When people are really scared, I laugh silently and act creepier,” she said.
Junior Christina Sleight said the same as Harrison. When people act scared she also laughs and scares them more.
However, not everyone gets quite as scared as others.
Culbertson Mansion workers said older people sometimes ignore them, and teenage boys also tend to act tough.
Freshman Krysteena Metacalf said when people act tough or like they are not scared she tries harder to scare them. On the other hand, Sleight ignores them.
Although the actors and actresses enjoy their job, it is a bit of a commitment.
Workers at the Culbertson mansion are required to come two hours early to get makeup and costumes on.
Besides getting there early and the amount of time they have to sacrifice, working here is all volunteer work.Most actors and actresses volunteer because they enjoy scaring people.
Metacalf has been coming to the Culbertson Mansion for 14 years, basically her whole life.
“My mom worked here, and would bring me, I enjoyed it and keep doing it,” said Metacalf.
Cheerleaders compete today for shot at state title
By Alyssa Book
Hard work, dedication, and talent can be found on more than just the field. Trade in the pads for a pair of pom-poms and the play call for a cheer and find a whole new breed of athletes: the FC cheerleaders.
The cheerleaders have multiple competitions a season, and one of the biggest of the year is coming up this weekend: regionals.
Coach Ashley Nevin explained how their performance and scores at regionals this weekend determines if they advance to state, and she is hopeful they get another shot at the state title this year.
“Emotions are always high as our competitive season kicks off. My girls have been eager to go back to regionals or state and compete given our second place finish last year. I know my new members are excited to compete wearing that ‘Floyd’ uniform for the first time, but I also know it is bittersweet for my seniors as they approach things as their ‘last time.’ While it is easy to let our nerves creep in as Saturday gets closer, we try and stay calm and positive. We know what we are capable of accomplishing and we have definitely put in the work to reach our goals. Now is the time to get excited,” said Nevin.
With regionals only a few days away, the girls are preparing for the task at hand. Not just physically, but emotionally. The team has to try and put away the nerves and bring out the excitement.
“When regionals begins to get close the overall emotion of our team changes. This is the time when we all
start to pull together and realize how much it means to be the best in the state, and doing it with the girls that are like family to you makes it that much more rewarding,” said junior Karli Archer.
Nevin also feels keeping calm and confident is the best strategy before going on the mat.
“Our strategy for staying calm during stressful competitions is to make sure we are confident and prepared going into the event. We constantly practice turning stress into motivation to reach our goals. My girls are confident in themselves and their teammates so they can overcome any situation with their excitement and eagerness to compete. For us, the competition is no different than what we do at every practice, all year long – it is our two minutes and 30 seconds to show everyone else how great we are and how hard we have worked,” Nevin said.
With regionals leading into state, the stakes are even higher. They must reach a certain score on their performance to qualify.
“We have to do really good at regionals before we even think about state,” said sophomore Emma Bellus.
Losing only two seniors from last year, the returning girls are hoping to take their talent and the incoming freshman to new heights. Nevin said her returning members know what it takes to be successful and they have helped instill that winning attitude in the freshmen.
Freshman Sidney Martin said,”We have practiced a lot leading up to regionals. We are so excited to compete, we all feel like we should already be there. That’s how ready we are.”
With hours of preparation and minds racing to that moment when they hit the mat, the cheerleaders are ready to prove why they deserve the state title. Nevin is confident with her squad and believes in their ability to achieve their goals.
“I want everyone to know how proud I am of ‘my kids’,” Nevin said.“Having gone through the program myself, it brings me great joy to watch 18 young ladies dedicate so much time, effort, and heart to Floyd Central. When they look back on their four years at FC, I know their memories as a cheerleader will stand out and I hope we can remember our 2011-2012 season as state champions.”
‘Fools’ introduces upcoming talent
By Eli Bolus
“Neil Simon must have been plowed when he wrote ‘Fools.’ ”
These are the words theatre director Chris Bundy left the audience with before the FC Studio One production of “Fools” began on opening night.
“Fools” is a play of minimal scenery that Bundy’s acting classes performed. It was put on by the Advanced Acting II class with two casts and was made up mostly by sophomores, and I was only able to see the first cast. With Bundy retiring at the end of the year and leaving his long line of excellence, the sophomores really represent the future of FC’s theater program, and after seeing “Fools” I could not be happier.
“Fools” itself was not performed on the main stage. Instead, it was put on in the Studio One room for a much smaller crowd than other plays. But even while on a smaller stage, it still provided worthwhile entertainment for kids and parents alike.
“Fools” takes place in the quaint Ukrainian town of Kulyenchikov, a town plagued by a 200-year-old curse that leaves all residents of the town as fools. It follows the protagonist, Leon Tolchinsky, a young school teacher eager to teach. He is the town’s only hope to bring intelligence back to the village.
Tolchinksy was played by sophomore Clay Gulley in both casts, and quite simply, Gulley made the show. No one in the show performed poorly, but Gulley performed exceptionally well. He so snugly fit himself in his role that you almost forgot you were watching a play. He could be funny and foolish when the script demanded but could draw it back and be serious with strong dramatic monologues. Gulley is part of the future of the FC theater program, and that is a good thing.
Having said that, some aspects of the show could have used work. The Russian accents left something to be desired at times, and the script itself wasn’t Neil Simon’s best, as the Three Stooges style of comedy grew stale after a while and it made clear why it was only on Broadway for a month. However, the the humor displayed throughout left the audience laughing within the first five minutes of the show and throughout the play.
“Fools” offered a look into the future of FC theater, and after seeing it my previous fear of FC’s theater program declining was estinguished. The future of FC theater is a bright one that will continue the line of greatness Bundy has established.
Orchestra rocks alternate set list
By Cody Repine
On Tuesday, Oct. 18, the FC orchestra held a special treat for fans of rock and fine arts alike.
The more than 300 musicians of the combined FC and Highland Hill Middle School orchestra departments performed classic rock tunes from Queen, Led Zeppelin, Kansas, The Beatles, and more. Seven orchestras of varied skill levels played for a packed house in the gym. Performances ranged from the simple and repetitive for the less experienced musicians to the downright virtuosic solos of seniors Anna Patterson, Hannah Henderson, Quinn Klarer, Sydney Shelton, juniors Josh Druin and Gannon Yeaton, as well as freshmen Chelsea Balmer and Madison Eickholtz.
At the start of the show, orchestra director Doug Elmore explained the proper Orchestra Rocks! etiquette: yelling, whistling, and whooping were all appropriate, even encouraged, unlike at other orchestra events. The first piece was a mass tune “We Will Rock You” that showcased all of the students while symphony orchestra took care of the heavy lifting.
Symphony orchestra’s first feature, “Carry on My Wayward Son,” garnered applause from the audience as soon as Elmore announced the name of the band, Kansas. The song was the best suited for an orchestra. Essentially, it was set up like a fugue, with its layered voices. Resonance coming from the running sixteenth notes could literally be felt, and awestruck onlookers thundered with applause.
In “Kashmir,” a floating melody on the violins graced an underlay of chromatic motion on the cellos, accented by basses every other measure. Klarer performed an edgy electric cello solo, an obvious crowd favorite, as part of it was eclipsed by overzealous applause. Perhaps the most compelling visual element of the evening was the way the musicians moved as one unit during this piece. The next selection, “Renegade” by Styx, began with a haunting cello chorale that exploded into the fitful, jagged character of the song, punctuated by a tempestuous solo from Henderson on the electric cello.
“Fat Bottom Girls” was loaded with complex rhythms that would boggle any performer’s mind and featured both an electric violin solo and duet. Yeaton entertained in his solo with his rocker attitude, wide-eyed and smiling, with his tongue between his teeth, he finished with an ascending slide. The tune ended with a bang as Shelton and Eickholtz played a fiery duet in harmonic fifths.
“Stairway to Heaven” started with a dulcet, arpeggiated harp solo by Balmer, and gradually gathered energy from each section, coming to a pause on soft chords. The second phase picked up with a soulful, lilting violin solo from Druin. Syncopated, driving rhythms carried “Stairway to Heaven” to the end when Patterson, on an acoustic cello, finished the last iconic lyric.
The concert ended softly with “Hey Jude” for the finale. By far the most interactive song, it had the audience clapping and singing along with the familiar “na-na-na…na-na-na-na…na-na-na-na…Hey Jude.”
This captivating orchestral experience will soon be available on CD and DVD for those who missed it, and for those who wish to relive it.