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Show Thursday, November 8, 2007 A9 Sanpete Messenger/Gunnison Valley Edition School Gunnison Middle School musical provides uncommon experiences for students By Sara Hansen Staff writer GUNNISON—Tonight’s performance of Disney’s “High School Musical” marks the seventh annual musical production of Gunnison Valley Middle School. This year’s cast includes over 80 students. No one who wants to be in the production is turned away, said director Kristal Childs. “All of our leads are very talented,” Childs said. The entire cast has worked hard, she said, and has been dedicated to making this production the best they can. Practices for the production have taken place at 7 a.m. before school. All of the students have to maintain their GPAs and other school responsibilities to be able to participate. The demands, especially for a junior high student, may seem a little tough, but Gabby Mongren, who plays the female lead Gabriella, says in the end all the work and sacrifice is worth it. By Sara Hansen Staff writer High school activities and dances call to mind dresses, tuxedos, flowers, body paint and electric atmosphere. But what people often overlook is the hard work and dedication a small part of the student body puts in to ensure these activities are carried through and funded. Student councils are often the life force behind a high school. Usually finding times during lunch, after school or homeroom to meet, these students sacrifice much of their time to make sure the high school experience is available for all of their fellow students. The student councils are trilevel. The first, a general tier, is quite large with representatives from each of the school’s clubs and organizations. The second tier is the student body officers, commonly referred to as the SBOs. The SBOs are the oligarchy that makes decisions and coordinates the efforts of the rest of the council. The third tier is the council’s adviser. The adviser can be a teacher, parent or administrator that takes his or her time to mentor the SBOs and council on the way to complete their goals. Gunnison High School’s student council prepared for the responsibilities of this school year by attending the Dixie Leadership Conference in St. George in July. Student body officers Jordan Caldwell and Tessa Christensen also attended the National Guard’s Freedom Academy at Camp Williams at the end of July and beginning of August. The council has helped plan homecoming and other smaller events. The next major event it will be focusing its efforts on will be the Mr. Bulldog contest in the spring. Manti High School’s student council sponsored a large assembly at the beginning of the school year and planned and executed numerous activities for homecoming and other events. Their goal for this school year is to create a more united high school by raising school spirit. Recent activities for the council include coordinating a food drive for Thanksgiving and being an active part of the Angel Tree efforts for Christmas. North Sanpete High School’s student council has focused its efforts around the theme, “The lessons of yesterday prepare us for the trials of tomorrow.” The council has set three goals to really hone in on the meaning of this theme: first, lead by example; second, respect others, property and self; and third, serve others. In accordance with this theme the student council is planning a school-wide food drive for Thanksgiving. Wasatch Academy, although in the private sector, still adheres to the typical student council formula. Its student council, STUCO, is an integral part of the school’s internal infrastructure. The students help plan and carry out student orientation and the Founder’s Day celebration in the spring. They helped plan and carry out the school-wide service project Oct. 15, during which students went into the community and helped rake leaves and do other things to benefit the community of Mt. Pleasant. 9>;9A EKJ EKH >?=> I7L?D=I H 7J;I$ 9>;9A EKJ EKH KAREN PRISBREY / MESSENGER PHOTO Meagan Yeagar really finds her groove in the Gunnison Middle School’s production of Disney’s High School Musical. Students learn grim facts of drug abuse during red ribbon week By Karen Prisbrey Staff writer GUNNISON — The grim reaper visited Gunnison Valley High School in conjunction with Red Ribbon Week. The reaper, Student Body President Jordan Caldwell, pulled a student from class work every 17 minutes on Oct. 24. Later at an assembly, it was announced that 14 students of the high school had died during the day due to drug overdoses. Following a DVD presentation on the dangers of drug abuse, Caldwell told the students that statistics have shown that someone in the United States dies every 17 minutes, in a 24-hour pe- 85 South 1350 East • Lehi, UT riod, due to drug overdoses. These 14 students only represented a fraction of the number that die on a daily basis. Students who pledged to be drug free, and encourage others to do the same were presented red wristbands to wear the rest of the week to show their support for a drug free community. Students at the elementary school also celebrated Red Ribbon Week Oct. 24-27. Middle school students celebrated it Oct. 31-Nov. 2. Red Ribbon Week commemorates the sacrifice made by DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who died at the hands of drug traffickers in Mexico. BEM BE7D H7J;I$ =;J FH?C; #' <EH I? N CEDJ>I ED EKH >EC; ;GK?JO 9H;:?J B?D;I$ ?DJHE H7J; -$ (+ 7FH FH?C; #' <EH I?N CEDJ>I 7I BEM 7I -$ -* 7FH &$+' 8;BEM FH?C; J>;H;7<J;H KAREN PRISBREY / MESSENGER PHOTO Paraeducators from Gunnison honored include Becky Blackham, Arla Otten and Nancy Williams. Also honored was Karma Barlow of Ephraim Elementary (not pictured). Four South Sanpete Para-educators honored By Karen Prisbrey 2’ x 8’ = $4.00ea 2’ x 10’=$5.00 2’ x 12’=$6.00ea *$/' 7FO ED EKH KBJ?C7J; I7L?D=I 799EKDJ$ “Being the lead in the play makes things a little harder, but I still keep up with my schoolwork,” Mongren said. Principal Alan Peterson says he encourages the musical production every year because it gives the students a chance to have a cultural experience they normally would not have. It is because of that attitude, Childs says, that the musicals continue each year. She said the plays never make a lot of money, but the principal is so supportive that he makes it work each year so the productions can be done. Peterson says, however, that the productions do quite well and are always successful because whoever wants to participate and stays eligible to participate is allowed to participate. Besides giving the students a chance to try their skills in the drama department, Peterson says the experience bolsters the school in other ways. For example, he said, the academic standard in the school stays high because the kids want to participate. Dedication of student officers are ‘life force’ of school activities ;7HD Staff writer GUNNISON—Four women from the South Sanpete School District who serve as para-educators in Ephraim and Gunnison will be honored by their peers for outstanding performance in education at the 13th annual Utah Para-educators Conference this weekend. Three para-educators from Gunnison Valley Elementary will be recognized: Becky Blackham for her work in the regular classroom setting, Arla Otten for her work with at-risk students, and Nancy Williams for her work in early childhood development. Karma Barlow of Ephraim Elementary will also be honored for her inclusive work. A para-educator is an individual who works under the supervision of a teacher or district personnel and assists in the implementation of education and support-service programs and in the assessment of student progress within those programs The para-educators conference, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9-10 at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center in Ogden, will recognize 14 of more than 8,000 para-educators throughout the state of Utah. 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