by Mariam Elassal/Staff Writer

Students and teachers have been welcoming Ms. Carolyn Voigt,  the new theater and English teacher to GC. With plenty of previous experience and planning, she hopes to unite the theater program to bring  showstoppers to the GC auditorium.

After joining the theatre troupe at Greenfield-Central, Voigt loved the theatre community. “I loved the overwhelming sense of community that the department had to offer, especially since I was going through a tough time at that point in my life. Once I realized that the Theatre Education program was an option, I went for it!” She also stated that through the GC theatre program, she was able to audition for an All-State show at the Indiana State Thespian Festival, which led to the start of her work with Michael Deahn, Professor of Theatre Education at Ball State University.

Voigt’s passion for theatre is derived from the endless possibilities to keep teaching fresh and compelling. “We could discuss the history of theatre from Ancient Greece to the Italian Renaissance, or explore how costumes were drastically different depending on the time in history. We could design our own light shows or orchestrate sound clips for production. The possibilities are endless,” Voigt said.

Voigt has performed in a total of twelve productions in the past seven years. “I have directed and assistant directed eight shows, including a few popular titles like Shrek: The Musical (performed at Burris Laboratory), Cinderella: The Musical (performed at Flat Rock River, and The Boxcar Children (Performed at Muncie Civic Theatre),” Voigt stated.

As a new teacher, Voigt has her own goals for the theater program. “My overall goal is to really unite the theater department by establishing myself as a new presence in the department while also getting to know the kids.” She is eager for the Spring Musical entitled Once Upon a Mattress which will feature eccentric characters, witty humor, dancing, and catchy tunes.

Like their teacher, students are most excited for the spring musical because it is one of the most publicized events of the year. Students and teachers are looking forward to watching the theater program evolve and expand with the help of Ms. Voigt.

by Megan Schoonover/Staff Writer

Photo Caption: Peyton Bousman, 12, does Abigail Martin’s hair for the “Mouth of Babes” One Act. 

    Despite the name One Acts has 4 separate acts all taking place at one show. The acts are, “Mouth of Babes”, “When God Comes for Breakfast, Don’t Burn the Toast”, “Superhero Sanitarium”, and “Just Desserts”. Every act has its own separate actors, directors, set, and story. However, every show that’s a part of One Acts is a comedy.

    Mina Dobbins, 10, who is an actor for “Mouth of Babes”, explained, “I like how each show is different. Now that sounds like an obvious answer, but I find it very interesting to hear about what my friends and classmates are working on when I’m not a part of it.”

    The “Mouth of Babes” is one of the shows in One Acts. This act is about two little boys and a little girl who are at a daycare and are plotting to overthrow the monitor. One may wonder how teenagers could pull off being toddlers but this act appears to pull it off. The main character (a 6 year old boy) is played by Mina Dobbins.

    Dobbins, 10, stated, “Well, my character is a 6 year old boy, and I’m a 15 year old girl, so there are obviously differences between my character and I. I assume I can relate to him in the way that the other characters seem to think he’s irrational, which I get a lot.”

    Elaine Hilton, 11, director for Mouth of Babes, said in regards to what she likes to focus on when directing, “When working with my actors I like to help them understand why their characters say and do what they do. This allows the actors to play the roles to the best of their ability.”

    The second show is “When God Comes for Breakfast, Don’t Burn the Toast”. In this show it is a normal occurrence for God to come to breakfast sometimes. However, things keep going wrong because the wife keeps burning the toast. But in the end things aren’t always what they seem.

    Hayden Botorff, 11, plays Harry Katzman in this act. “What I like most about my show compared to other ones is that the cast is only 3 people, so bonding and connecting is a lot easier, although getting in the way of productivity.”

    The third show is “Superhero Sanitarium”. In this act a journalist investigates happenings at an asylum where four mentally disabled men claim to be superheros.

 Cameron Going, 12, who plays Dimbulb in this act, said, “What I like most about my show is the overall goofiness of its plot. I am a goofy person at heart so I relate to it more. This show is one of the most ridiculous shows I’ve ever done. Some of the things we say and do in this show are so far in left field that I don’t think I’ve ever done I another show before.”

Due to the men claiming to be superheroes, they wear bright, colorful and interesting costumes.

    Dharma Tilley, 12, who’s in charge of costumes, said, “The shows are all present day so the costumes fairly came easily. However, each show has its own style. For example, “From the Mouths of Babes” and “Just Desserts” have costumes that reflect the different personalities of each of the characters, in “When God Comes to Breakfast, Don’t Burn the Toast” the characters are wearing pajamas most of the time, and “Superhero Sanitarium” consists of colorful tights, capes, and masks.”

    Tilley, 12, recalled, “During shows I’m mostly just nervous about a costume piece getting ruined in some way and having to find a replacement in the dark. Once an actor’s shoe broke during a show and I had to hot glue it back together as fast as possible so he didn’t miss his next entrance.”

    The last act is “Just Desserts”, and is about a crazy family. In the words of the program for One Acts “Just Desserts”, “Where there’s a will, there’s a relative. This was never truer than in the case of the late Desmond Clairborn. And greed was never better represented than in the relatives of the deceased. There’s a fast-talking nephew, a demented son and his Marilyn Monroe look-alike wife, a starchild niece and two sisters, one feisty, the other senile. This farce has more twists than a pretzel, and half the fun is watching who gets what and the other half is watching them get it.”

    Madison Sample, 10, who plays Delphine Delago in this act, comments,  “I love all of the quirky characters in “Just Desserts”. The other cast just do such an amazing job playing their parts and I hope it will be super fun to watch. Every single character is so awful that it’s comical. For example, my character, Delphine Delago, is the worst grandma in the world. She is just so uptight and rude, it’s such a fun part to play.”

   Jordan Brickler, 12, who is the director for “Just Desserts”, explained her favorite things about directing. “My favorite part about directing is creating something from nothing. All a script is, is words. You’re the one who makes it into something. You choose the actors, set, props, makeup, hair, etc.”

Every single act of One Acts was executed without a hiccup. One can tell how hard everyone works and how much work they’ve put into the entire thing.

    Sample, 10, said, “I love One Acts because it is just kind of a mess. At the beginning of the show you have no idea how this show is going to come together. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, you are an old lady sitting in your deceased brother’s living room with a cigarette in one hand and a bourbon glass in the other. I think it is amazing how the crew can create these awesome sets, how costume and makeup and hair can make you look like your character, and how everyone in the booth can provide flawless sound and lighting. I just love how every member of the crew and the cast work together to make something worth going to see.”

by Analicia Cass/Staff Writer

Marching band finishes their season at Semi-State with their heads held high, having lost by just 0.2 points.

On Saturday, Oct. 28, GC’s very own took the field in competition. They performed as they would any competition with the added pressure of advancing to state or not. Although all of them were excited to be there, they had to remain a certain professionalism to represent Greenfield Central well. “We were super excited, yet we were very composed. We had our eyes on the prize,” said Liahona Lukens, 12, Color Guard.

After hours of practicing earlier that morning, they had worked out the mess-ups and mishaps. They worked through the show many times to fully prepare themselves. By the time they got to the competition they were prepared and ready to compete. Lukens claimed, “That was the best showing of the Cougar Pride that has ever been.”

The anticipation and excitement of awaiting scores is high. It all comes down to 6 judges. Lukens said, “If they don’t like you idea or the execution, you will not advance.”

When judges announce state advancers, they go in order of performance order. When they passed of GC Cougar Pride, there was a lot of confusion and many emotions. “I was honestly more confused and a little angry,” said Jackson Sipes, 11, brass. 

Jonathan Barber, 12, said the results were surprising.

“I think the hard part for us as a group was to think how to win a regional and get 11th at semi-state so it’s just kind of like we were in a lot of shock.“

Garrett Bice, 12, said the band’s performance was good but wondered if it was good enough. “It was high caliber but I wouldn’t say it was the best we could have given. There was definitely a little more that could have been given.”

Barber said, “There was never a time where I felt like that a person wasn’t trying their best. You kind of got to trust the guy next to you.”

The band had a strong season with many first places. They practiced hard for hours through the hot summer and the cold autumn. It all came down to six judges at every competition and for these judges the show was ultimately not able to be performed at state.

Interviews by: Shelby Wallace

GC is sad to see Mrs. Janelle Goshen, art teacher, move on due to her husband’s new job in Florida, but happy for her new opportunities. Goshen was here three years.

Goshen said she will miss GC. “I liked how passionate and caring the staff was, how excited the students were to learn and grow,” she said.

Mrs. Lisa Sears, Goshen’s colleague in the art department, also enjoyed working with Goshen. “She is a ray of sunshine,” Sears said. “She is a great listener and always up for shenanigans.”

Jeff Weiland, art department, agreed. “I could always count on her to brighten up the day. Her bubbly disposition was always good for a laugh or two.”

Sears said Goshen is passionate about her art. “It shows in her teaching. She is constantly trying new things, learning from her failures and building on her successes.”

Weiland said one of Goshen’s best qualities is her strong motivation to explore and implement new ideas in the classroom. “She had very little fear of the unfamiliar,” Weiland said.

With such a close department, three years was plenty of time for memorable moments.

Sears said they were roommates in Italy on a trip with students in 2016. “One morning (Goshen) was having trouble waking up, so I stole her blankets and she stuck her arms down her sweatpants.”

Weiland mentioned that PLC meetings were interesting. “They were always multitasking for her–eating her breakfast, working on curriculum, all while doing her make-up,” he said.

Goshen said one of her students, Katrina Hembree, 11, had a particular memorable moment for her. “(Hembree) told me her favorite thing in the school year was hearing me sing from class all the way into the hallway, so I’ll never forget that one,” Goshen said.

Former Ag teacher Joe McCain even featured in one of Goshen’s memories of GC. “ I came in my room and there was a seven-foot stuffed dragon on my floor,” she said. “I think he got it from Madrigal.”

Goshen’s former colleagues wish her well.

“Yoshi-Goshi is an amazing person,” Sears said. “She is enthusiastic, kind, and hardworking. Any school will be lucky to have her.”

“She came to Greenfield-Central as a new teacher and has moved on with a great deal of experience and confidence in the visual arts and teaching skills she possesses,” Weiland said.